Black Hills Stock Show & Western Art Show

The Black Hills Stock Show is just days week away and I've been putting together the final touches on my show for the Western Art Show. 

  

The dates for this event are January 27-Feburary 4, held at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, SD. I will be joining several other fine artists in the Theatre Lobby each day of the show.

Last year, I was able to join the last three days and this year I've taken the leap to the entire 10 day show. If you're in the area, stop on by and see us! The easiest access is to park in Lots D or C and come through the SW door of the Civic Center. The Fine Arts Theatre will be immediately to your right (circled in red).

I'm really looking forward to this years show. I've been busy increasing my inventory to offer you my best show ever! I've even added some fun items like throw pillows and button magnets!

Hope to see you there! 

Branding at the U Lazy U Ranch {Part 2}

Back in August, I posted photos from a branding at the U Lazy U Ranch. I had planned to have a three part series and I can't believe it's already been five months since I posted Part 1. That post showed the holding of the cows while smaller groups were brought into the pens to be worked. You can view those photos here.

Today I'm sharing with you from inside the working pen. 

Before next branding season starts, I hope to post Part 3. ;) 

To view my portfolio, click on this link.

Printing the Photograph

One of the aspects of photography I enjoy the most is the final print. 

Knowing all the work that was put into an image and then seeing the final presentation is very rewarding for an artist. 
I have found that choosing which medium to have my work printed on is as much an art as the craft of photography. I like to print each photograph on a specific material, capturing the full essence of the image. This doesn't always come across by printing every photograph on the same type of photo paper. 
I have chosen to print mostly on modern mediums with a frameless presentation. I love the clean look of it and I want my work displayed in a timeless fashion; a printed piece that can be passed down from generation to generation.  

If you walk into my booth at an art show, you will find my photographs displayed on the walls in acrylic, Giclée canvas (zhee-KLAY), HD metal, and wood. What you'll see displayed is my medium preference for that photograph. 

{Here, 'Abstract Leaves' is printed on Giclée Canvas.
Giclée is the highest form of archival canvas printing and the vibrancy in the inks is amazing!
I wanted the colors in the fall leaves to really explode and do they ever on this canvas.}

On my website, as well as Etsy, each print can be purchased in whatever format you want. If you ever have questions about which one I think is best, please don't hesitate to ask (cristen@cristenjoyphotography.com). I'm more than happy to lend my assistance on this matter.

 {This 20x30 Giclée canvas of 'Authentic Cowgirl' is one of my most popular photographs.
I print it on Giclée for the texture, as well as the archival inks.
The texture of the canvas helps draw out the details in the photograph,
as well as give a little more authentic western feel.}

I also have traditional lustre paper prints in archival mattes if you prefer a traditional photography presentation; that way you're free to choose your own frame to match your home/office and preference. I do plan to explore the art of fine art paper printing, but right now I'm enjoying these modern opportunities.

 {This 16x24 acrylic print of 'Rolling Prairie' is my number one favorite print of all my photos!
I especially like it printed with the 1/4" acrylic face because it adds a little dimension.
Acrylic is similar to glass in that you get a little glare, depending on the lighting,
thus you can see the reflection of my camera.}

Now that I've shared with you about the types of medium I use for printing, I also want to share with you about the quality of my printing. 

Quality is important to me, I want to print on excellent materials. This takes a lot of money and space, both of which I don't have. So instead of doing the printing myself, I have searched out photography printing labs with both excellent people and quality materials. Years ago, I'd found a small lab in the northern Chicago suburbs that I'd used in college. The owner sold it and the new owner didn't keep the same standards. It ended up closing down. I felt at such a loss! I'd known the staff and they were so good to me.
Since then, I have searched South Dakota to find a business up to the standards I desire and have come up dry. I've tried a few independent companies but they just weren't what I was looking for. I was left with online labs; very impersonal it seemed. 

After trying out several different labs, I have narrowed it down to two, both in the US. One I use for my traditional printing, wood, and other fun things like button magnets, and the other for acrylic, canvas and HD metal. Both labs I have had personal contact with on several occasions, keeping that face to face connection as best I can. My favorite one, in southern California, has one specific person who helps me with each order. She's great and I love that personal contact! I've asked her some pretty dumb questions and she always helps me out with such kindness. 

{HD metal prints are printed onto transfer paper, placed on a metal sheet in a 400F+ press which then infuses the inks into the metal. As the print cools, it forms a coating on the outside layer, keeping the print protected in the metal.}

 

The main reason I wanted to share all this with you is so you know that quality and much thought has been put into the final printed photograph. Sometimes it takes me days to decide how to have a photo printed, and sometimes it's pretty obvious. 

I'm proud of the work that I present and am so very thankful that you have wanted a little piece of what I see in this world. 

Blended Lines {Horses}

Not all mistakes are a total loss. Sometimes they create something new.

I drove by this herd of horses last week and stopped for a quick visit. They were off in the distance and came running toward me. Perhaps they thought I had treats. 

At first I hadn't meant for this to be a blurred shot. I'd mistakenly left my shutter speed too slow. But now, I'm loving the motion blur and how the lines blend together. This is quickly becoming a new favorite.

Snowscapes on the Prairie {The Road Home}

It's been several weeks since I've written a post! My desire has been to have new content up once a week and this year I hope to do better. 
I have been out shooting but just haven't spent as much time in Blogger. 

On New Year's Eve, I went out for a little while as the sun was setting. These hay bales are at about my three mile mark for running. They look so peaceful and cozy nestled on the hillside with the backdrop of the northern winter sky.

This is the road home. On the horizon is a bridge that crosses the railroad. From that bridge you can see my ranch. 
I love this road. 
I know it fairly well as its where I do most of my running.

The snow drifts along my road the past week have just been amazing! I had to go into town for a few groceries late yesterday afternoon and brought my camera with me. By the time I was done shooting, my hands were frozen. I should have brought my thicker gloves, but wanted to be able to adjust the camera settings without the extra bulk of the other gloves. 

I love the deep contrast in the shadows of snow drifts! While driving anywhere in winter, especially in the morning and evening, I'm always watching them.