Sunday, December 31, 2006

Wow... 2006 has been something

2006 is about to close, with the chapter called 2007 about to begin. I can't predict the future, so I'll say something about the past 12 months instead. Photographically, it has been an amazing year. I have met a lot of new local friends via Flickr -- we have had numerous meetups, gone to several museum exhibitions, and hoisted beers and cameras together. The Ann Arbor Area Krappy Kamera Club (TM) formed back in April, and since then, we have also had monthly meetings, shoots, and in a few months will have an exhibition in town.
Flickr is everywhere

My daughter Marjorie graduated from high school, and is attending Northern Michigan University as an Arts and Design major. I'm immensely proud of her and the photography that she has been doing. I'd like to think that I have had something to do with it. We have gone on many trips around the state in her pursuit of old theaters, and she has only a handful left to photograph. Hopefully, she'll do something wonderful, like write a book with those images.

My wife Adrienne has been very supportive in my photographic endeavors, and I know she has probably felt like a camera widow at times. But, I couldn't do any of this with her doing all the things that she does. She's my biggest fan and an honest critic.

Throughout the year, I have made many new contacts and I would especially like to thank Mike, Matt, Ross, Erich, John, Sam, Andrea, Kate, Doug, Cynthia, Sid, and Abby for their friendship and good humor. It's amazing how a circle of friends can grow when certain interests are shared, and photography and the arts in this corner of Michigan is alive and well.

Lastly, I'd like to list the top 5 local photographic events:

(1) Edward Weston exhbit in Muskegon (fabululous)
(2) UMMA Photographic retropsective (amazing)
(3) Michigan's Family Album exhibit in Lansing (overwhelming)
(4) Ansel Adams Polaroid exhibit in Grand Rapids (surprising)
(5) Annie Liebowitz at the DIA (even tho I missed it-- I heard it was great)

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One month from tomorrow, I'll be having an exhibit of my own... stay tuned.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great to have known you too, Mark! It's been a fun photographic year.

(Btw, the Leibovitz exhibit is still on til 1/7. Then the Ansel Adams show opens in March...).