Old Tractor

This photograph is available at Ukazoo Books in Towson, Maryland.

I’ve always been interested in tractors, although I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am a tractor buff. I think it’s more to do with the fact that I always had at least one Matchbox or other toy tractor when I was a child. I always liked playing with them, so the tractor represents something comfortable and familiar.

When this photograph was first exhibited at a craft shows, Ben and I were immediately bombarded with questions about it. What kind of tractor is it? What company made it? Is it a Massey-Ferguson?

The truth is that neither of us had any idea about the origin of the tractor. It was bright and shiny and red, and the headlights look somewhat like eyes. It was an interesting subject for a photograph, and that’s what we were looking at the day that this photograph was taken.

For the record, it has been identified by one of our exhibit attendees as a Massey-Ferguson tractor, and the logo is visible
I don’t know what year or model that it is. If you know anything about this tractor, please leave a comment.

Cathedral Window

One of the photographs that we will have available for sale at Ukazoo Books, which opens next week, is “Cathedral Window,” taken by Bennett Garvin. The subject of the photo is The Washington National Cathedral, located in the heart of Washington. This awe-inspiring Gothic cathedral is celebrating its Centennial this year and is a fantastic place to practice photography because there are architectural details everywhere.

The photograph is wonderfully graphic and almost surreal, which adds to the gothic feel of the image. The gorgeous golden yellow was obtained by using a color filter with Kodak’s Ektachrome EIR color infrared film, which already renders false-color images. I don’t remember what filter Ben used, but it was probably blue. There is no other manipulation done to this image except scanning it into the computer, cleaning up some dust, and printing it out. All of the false-color comes from the infrared film and color filter and not from Photoshop or any other image-editing software.

It was a balmy 19 degrees Fahrenheit on the February morning that we took photographs at the Cathedral. Needless to say we didn’t have to worry too much about the infrared film getting fogged by heat. Static from the low humidity was something we had to be careful about, however, so we still had to handle the film with care. And changing lenses or focusing in the cold required taking off our gloves, so we only took a few exterior images before packing up and heading inside.

If you plan to visit Ukazoo Books, please take a moment to check out this wonderfully surreal photograph. It is framed in a heavy wood frame that enhances the graphic nature of the image. The photo is signed by Bennett and is available for sale. It would make a wonderful addition to any room, but most especially a den or library.

Ukazoo Books

We’ve just dropped off eight of our framed photographs at Ukazoo Books in Towson, Maryland. They’ll be hanging in the bookstore’s reading areas and will be for sale. The store’s official Grand Opening is slated for June 29, but the store will be open starting on Monday, June 18.

This marks a change for us in the way we are trying to sell our framed photographs. We have been doing craft shows in the Maryland/Virginia area, and we’ve even tried one in Pennsylvania. The craft shows can be expensive and it is difficult to find ones that bring in buyers. We decided not to do any shows for 2007, and maybe instead attend some shows and see which ones might be a good match for us. Take a year off, relax, and do some more photography.

The problem with doing craft shows is finding the right ones. Unfortunately, they get expensive very quickly, with booth rental spaces ranging from $100 up to $500 and more. And there is absolutely no guarantee that you will sell anything at all. Most people who aren’t in business for themselves don’t seem to understand this. There is no “build it and they will come” guarantee for anything that you do, much less a “display it and they will buy” guarantee.

The other problem with many craft shows is the time involvement. My husband and I both work full-time jobs, and a weekend show requires getting up early on Saturday to pack the van, drive for an hour or so, and set up the exhibit. We staff the booth all weekend until about five or six o’clock on Sunday, when we dismantle the booth and head for home. Some shows are Friday evening, plus Saturday and Sunday, which makes it even more difficult for working people to do without having to take vacation time. That would be okay if we sold anything…

So, help us out. Visit Ukazoo Books, browse, and buy.