- Joined
- Oct 8, 2001
- Messages
- 12,336
Hi friends,
As I've always done, it's time to share the experiences, perceptions, and craftsmanship which spent time in my four-day studio. This year it appeared to grow in scope and scale. We have never been busier.
Susan and I left on Wed morning fully packed in a Dodge T&C minivan. Finishing studio work before I leave, and the amount of work which comes after, makes the fourteen-hour drive a respite. We get a chance to chat, relax, eat road food (Yes, as a CT Yankee I can't WAIT to stop at a Waffle House and eat cheese eggs, raisin toast and grits!
)
We setup thursday from 1pm on, and the orders come in before I'm even ready. The impact that great knife photography is providing in return has made makers and collectors willing to bring us their projects. We love this community. And yet I will tell you that Blade, for me, is disappointing only because it is SO work-focused that I rarely get a chance to meet and chat with the clients, like I can at the smaller shows. This is where my incomparable wife Susan comes in.
For the second year, 15-yr-old Maggie Randall has also worked our front table as well, and was our 'runner': delivering and picking up knives when ready. She is outstandingly bright and cheery.
My assistant and close friend is none other than the Master knife photographer Buddy Thomason (HTMD). Buddy simply enjoys the work, is good at it, and between the two of us we work hard, and fill the hours with dialog and knowing shop talk. This year he kept feeding me knives and helped select background choices as well as a lighting assistant for the challenging ones. If we've done our work well, you'll never know it. It simply looks 'right'.
I shoot a vast majority of composite (montage) images, and the demands require extra time with lighting changes. That's what I do best, and it takes time. We get backlogged early! LOL.
Thursday Susan and I worked late and missed the CKCA Maggiano's dinner, leaving tired at 9pm. Friday we enjoyed a Southern dinner at 'Folks' with Buddy, and Saturday we joined STeven Garsson, and yet we got disconnected from the Diskin USA 'Wrecking Crew'©® driving to two differing 'Flip Burger' locations. Still, we enjoyed tireless conversation and enjoyed every bite. Thanks!
We finished the last shot at 2:20PM and hustled to leave. Arrived safely home on Monday eve in time to watch my son's recognition award for his 5th-grade graduation.
The weekend had SO many visitors, I wish I could name you all. Thank you.
Those I missed: Susan thanks you! (I salute AG Russell, who each year hobbles over to wish us well and to give me a smile. I'm still carrying a small gift knife of his from a past year.)
Enough small talk. ONWARD! to the knives in the next post....
Coop
As I've always done, it's time to share the experiences, perceptions, and craftsmanship which spent time in my four-day studio. This year it appeared to grow in scope and scale. We have never been busier.
Susan and I left on Wed morning fully packed in a Dodge T&C minivan. Finishing studio work before I leave, and the amount of work which comes after, makes the fourteen-hour drive a respite. We get a chance to chat, relax, eat road food (Yes, as a CT Yankee I can't WAIT to stop at a Waffle House and eat cheese eggs, raisin toast and grits!
)We setup thursday from 1pm on, and the orders come in before I'm even ready. The impact that great knife photography is providing in return has made makers and collectors willing to bring us their projects. We love this community. And yet I will tell you that Blade, for me, is disappointing only because it is SO work-focused that I rarely get a chance to meet and chat with the clients, like I can at the smaller shows. This is where my incomparable wife Susan comes in.
For the second year, 15-yr-old Maggie Randall has also worked our front table as well, and was our 'runner': delivering and picking up knives when ready. She is outstandingly bright and cheery.
My assistant and close friend is none other than the Master knife photographer Buddy Thomason (HTMD). Buddy simply enjoys the work, is good at it, and between the two of us we work hard, and fill the hours with dialog and knowing shop talk. This year he kept feeding me knives and helped select background choices as well as a lighting assistant for the challenging ones. If we've done our work well, you'll never know it. It simply looks 'right'.
I shoot a vast majority of composite (montage) images, and the demands require extra time with lighting changes. That's what I do best, and it takes time. We get backlogged early! LOL.
Thursday Susan and I worked late and missed the CKCA Maggiano's dinner, leaving tired at 9pm. Friday we enjoyed a Southern dinner at 'Folks' with Buddy, and Saturday we joined STeven Garsson, and yet we got disconnected from the Diskin USA 'Wrecking Crew'©® driving to two differing 'Flip Burger' locations. Still, we enjoyed tireless conversation and enjoyed every bite. Thanks!
We finished the last shot at 2:20PM and hustled to leave. Arrived safely home on Monday eve in time to watch my son's recognition award for his 5th-grade graduation.
The weekend had SO many visitors, I wish I could name you all. Thank you.
Those I missed: Susan thanks you! (I salute AG Russell, who each year hobbles over to wish us well and to give me a smile. I'm still carrying a small gift knife of his from a past year.)Enough small talk. ONWARD! to the knives in the next post....
Coop
