You've got to start somewhere! {An Art Show Journey}

I was going through old photo files a few months back. I came across some of the early times of selling my work at craft shows.
 

Occasionally I've heard the phrase, "You've got to start somewhere!" It's so true! I started somewhere and looking back, am rather embarrassed by what my business looked like at the start but now am more proud of what it's become.

With 2018 fresh and new, I thought it would be fun to step back and see how the years have changed and shaped my photography business into what it is today.

In 2006, I set up my photography on a table at our local craft fair on Veteran's Day. It was laid out, flat, on the table. I had a nice table cloth and did what I could with what I had, working from an almost non-existent budget.
I sat behind the table on a chair, down low.
In order to see my photos, craft fair attendees would have to strain their necks looking down at what I had. I had nothing at eye level and that thought never entered my mind.
I didn't sell very much, but I was excited about what I did sell.

I was only shooting with 35mm film at the time, newly married and living out on the prairies without a good photography lab near by. This made photography a little difficult for me, compared to living in the Chicago suburbs with my trusty photography lab just down the street.
In 2011, I was able to purchase my first full-frame digital SLR camera (equal to the 35 mm in sensor size and of excellent quality images), which is the camera I currently use. It's a powerhouse and we've been creating wonderfully together for the past six years!

In 2012, I started going to two local craft fairs held once a year in Murdo and Belvidere. I built a display to hang framed prints, as well as the jewelry I enjoyed making. I would bring a tall chair with me so that I was eye level with people and realized more would stop and engage in my booth. As you can see from the photos below, the display is no longer flat on the table. I may have solved that problem, but now it looks like chaos! Was my booth photography, or jewelry?
At the time, I never thought it was chaotic or unclear what I was selling.

November 2012

 I continued to set up at the two local shows for the next few years, enjoying both the photography and the jewelry but it was challenging keeping up with both sites that I had on Etsy.

November 2013

I was shooting portraits to help fund my landscape inventory, small that it was. Being more of an introvert, portraits aren't my favorite type of photography as landscapes are. In the fall of 2014 I made the decision to focus solely on Fine Art Landscape Photography. I ended my jewelry business, though I still make pieces here and there. I realized I needed to pick one business and put all my attention on that.
In November 2014, at the Belvidere craft fair, I met another small business woman who was going to another fair in January 2015, the Rancher's Workshop in White River. She suggested I try that one, too. I did. From that fair I learned about the Bullananza in Winner in February.

While at the Bullananza, I was reading a photography guide I'd received from Photoshelter, a website hosting company for photographers that I'd just started to use. One of the questions the guide asked was: What is the intent of my work? Based on that intent, who is my target market?

I began to ponder what I really wanted to do with my photography. Who I was targeting to purchase and why was I even in this business in the first place.
I realized at the Bullananza, that bull buyers on that day were not there to buy art. Yes, some of them did but this type of show was not my target market to take my work seriously as an artist.
Also, a few days before this show, I'd taken my first digital photograph that made me realize the prairie was what I wanted to focus my work on. Some of you own it, South Dakota Prairie.

I knew I wanted to go a different direction with my photography than the traditional prints. I want to not only hold to the integrity of a well captured photograph, but to also create an art piece.

In March of 2015, I withdrew from our savings account and invested in my first printing of Giclee canvas wraps, metal prints and thin gallery wraps. I was part of a three day pop-up show for a business in Pierre. I sold one piece through that pop-up, made some great connections and a wonderful friend.

March 2015

Based on those connections, I learned about several art festivals in South Dakota. Just newly trying to figure all this out, I realized that art festivals were my target market and not craft shows.

I tried one more craft fair that spring with a new display my husband helped me make. I sold my first South Dakota Prairie triptych. I'd once been told that no one around South Dakota would purchase my prairie photographs since this is what people see out their windows every day. The triptych went to a local farmer, who saw similar views from his house and still appreciated my work. I was beyond thrilled! It was my first large piece ever sold and several people stopped and really admired my work. This was the first time this happened to me and it was then that I started to take myself and my work more seriously.

April 2015

I applied to the Sidewalk Arts Festival in Sioux Falls and the First Lady's Prairie Art Showcase (for the third time). I was accepted into both! When I received the acceptance letter from the First Lady I both screamed and cried. I'd been rejected the previous two years and couldn't believe that I was included for that year. I like to think that changing the perspective of my business and restructuring my website had much to do with it.


Now that I was going to an outdoor show, this provided a new challenge for me. A tent and panels. I did my research on affordable tents within the budget I had to work with and made my own panels from wooden screen doors and outdoor carpet.
One of the panels was pushed over that day at the Sidewalk Festival and one of my prints was ruined.  My husband created a system for me to attach them to the tent for the next show, the Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival in Custer.

September 2015

At the 2015 First Lady's Prairie Art Showcase, I was proud of my work and proud of my display. I had my best sales that weekend. 

October 2015

2016 saw me at the Stock Show Western Art Show in the Theater Lobby with my handmade set up.

February 2016

 

 

That summer I attended the Brookings Summer Arts Festival and started to realize that I wanted more light in my tent for customers to see my work better.

July 2016

I invested in a Light Dome for the rest of the 2016 festivals. This tent takes me three times the time to set up, but it's worth every moment for a better display. I was beginning to realize that the aesthetic feel and effort put into the presentation of my work made a big difference. Bright light is more inviting and comfortable and art work hung up is easier to see and enjoy. 

August 2016

This fall, I was able to afford Pro Panels. For me, they are a game changer and have taken my photography display to a whole new level of professionalism. I'm proud of how I'm now able to present my work and feel as though I've come a long way. Like I said earlier, I'm rather embarrassed by what my display looked like in the beginning and how bad some of my photography was. I've built my body of work in a way that represents my view of the prairie in various forms-the landscape, the architecture and the cowboy lifestyle.

I'm so grateful to those who have walked this journey with me, my husband who has helped build and create ideas, those who've helped set up and tear down my booth when I needed an extra hand, my kids for holding open the door for me as I carried items to the car and now trailer, to you my buyers, friends and family-Thank You! 

I've heard it said that many businesses fail within the first two years. Cristen Joy Photography is going into it's fourth official year and is stronger than ever! I'm excited to see what the years hold!

Longhorns {The Romantics of Cattle}

I spent an evening with my friend's longhorns. They didn't seem to mind me wandering about watching them.

It was a perfect late summer evening and a harsh contrast to today's frigid temperatures.

Over the past year it has been my desire to capture the cattle that graze the South Dakota prairies. I find Longhorns to be beautiful with so much character in their varied colors and tones, but what captivates me most is, of course, their horns.

This one is my favorite.

I chose high key black and white in my final process of several of these photographs. I shot many of them low to the ground in order to isolate the horns against the sky.

There's a sort of romanticism associated with the longhorn. A timeless classic of majestic beauty.

Thank you, Chris and Katie, for letting me spend time with your cattle! 

Perspectives of the Sky

It's no secret that I love the sky, and especially out here on the western South Dakota plains, unhindered.

I've been slowly working on a fine art series of photographs. All Black and White with a variety of high key and low key elements. This one has both. I allowed for a bit of grain to saturate the image, enhancing the raw texture of a dramatic sky.

'Texture'   ISO 100, f/22, 8 sec.

I photographed both images last night. My daughter and I went on a walk down one of our trails as the  light faded. I've been playing around with extended exposures after sunset to create long smooth wisps as the clouds move east. The darkened light allows for a longer exposure. You can also see headlight trails for cars on the interstate and my husband and son coming home down the old highway. The tiny town of Okaton starts to light up for the  night as well. 

 'Song in the Wind'     ISO 100, f/18, 119 sec., ND8 filter

Both images are photographed of the same clouds from slightly different locations. Each with completely different goals in mind for their final story. 

Art & the Church {Personal Post}

I wrote the following while sitting in my booth at the First Lady's Prairie Art Showcase in October.
 

I met a fellow artist and her husband, whose conversation I shared inspired me to put words to what I had not been able to before. It is rather personal, but plays a huge role in my work as a photographer and I want to share it with you.

Art & the Church
How do they merge?
In the church, art is acceptable in the form of music and video presentation. Bulletins featuring objects that relate to the pastor's latest sermon series (ie, construction cones to represent the sermon on work), or landscape scenes with a Bible verse randomly chosen. 

Where is the church in the art gallery? Where is the church supporting those who make their living by art? Do we take these people seriously?

There is much in the art world that is very dark. Often art is an expression of that which is within. When art is dark and that flows from an artist who feels very dark inside, what does that mean? Anger, depression, bitterness, rejection. They run rampant within the soul. 

Where is the joy, celebration and light?

Have we become a society that is so focused on the troubles within that we miss the joy without? 

Watching the sun rise as I drive through the Bad River breaks, the darkness giving way to vibrant colors in the sky bouncing off the clouds. The deep shadows in the valleys evaporating as the light climbs higher. The birds sing and soar in the rising sun. 

Each day is a joy and must be celebrated. Each day is a gift. A gift given to us by God, the Almighty, the Creator of all things. 

This summer I have forgotten the celebration. 

I have been so focused on the darkness within, the deep sadness, the stress of my husband's accident, the rejection and lack of support by those I needed to be there.

I have never experienced such deep sadness and despair as I have the past five months. 

My husband and I have slowly taken one day at a time, doing what needs to be done that day, plodding on. I have been more discouraged than he. I have lost my sight. I have been engulfed in the deep shadows of night, crying out for Jesus to rescue me. 

He never promised we wouldn't experience pain, heartache, rejection. 

He did promise He would never leave or forsake His followers. 

For me, there isn't a cute little sweet poem of Jesus carrying me, His footprints the only ones in the sand. 

I see a deep gray valley, with dark gray colorless violent clouds in the sky and Jesus. He is carrying me, very slowly through the valley. The wind is violent. It's cold and He trudges on. The footprint path is long and I can't see ahead to see if there is any light in the sky, giving way to the sun and color again. 

How does this find joy and celebration? How do I, as an artist, look for the beauty without when I feel such darkness within? Where is the church?

As of today, I don't have the answers to any of these.

Though this summer has been filled with inner turmoil, I have tried to seek the beauty. To be out at sunrise to run and soak in the glory the Lord has given for that new day. 

Though I often struggle in the night when thoughts run rampant, when I'm tired and the pain of rejection is easily remembered-the morning comes. And there's joy in the morning. 

My art is part of my relationship with the Triune God. While I'm out there, I feel close to Him as I run or hike, or pull over by the side of the road to capture the image I saw while driving. 

Without art, I don't know where I would be. Perhaps lost in the darkness with no reason to celebrate. 

The church must see this. The church must be instrumental in celebrating the beauty that God has created, beauty visible right now.

Fall on the Prairie

Today is a bleak, gray, cold, snowy, windy (enough adjectives for you?) late fall day. 
Just two weeks ago I drove through the Bad River breaks as the sun came up, waking the prairie in all it's golden beauty. I'm so glad I chose to work on these photos today, they bring light and warmth to what seems dreary.
This is one of the many joys of photography. Though these golden colors are no longer seen outside, they are forever encapsulated for us to return to. 

One morning, also a few weeks ago, I shot this view of my dam to the east of my barn. The morning sun highlighting that backs of the trees brings depth and fullness to it's shape.

Later than evening I focused west, where I can see the Okaton tree from living room window. Each day I enjoyed how the evening sun highlighted and defined it against the prairie.

This fall has been absolutely beautiful for golden colors. It seemed as though the beauty of the season lasted longer for us in western SoDak than most years, much to my delight.

May these photographs bring some joy to your day!  ~Cristen

Theodore Roosevelt National Park {NoDak Badlands}

A few weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our 12th anniversary in Theodore Roosevelt National Park-the NoDak Badlands.

I loved the contrast in Wind Cayon between the white of the formations and the yellow of the trees.

From this view point near Wind Canyon, we could see a small herd of the wild horses on the Little Missouri River.

We parked the car near the location we'd spotted the horses and hiked down to the river. We spent a good hour or so with the them. It was so beautiful! I will have a separate post dedicated just to them in the next few weeks. 

The view from the end of Boicourt Trail was probably my favorite. An expansive panorama of much of the park.

The trail is so fun and part of it just follows the ridge with steep drops on both sides. That's what made it so fun! The arrow in the photo below shows where Marty and I are sitting in the photo above.

We spent all day in the park, taking our time, enjoying the quiet. Near sunset, we were at Scoria Point Overlook. A small rain storm blew through as I was on top of a peak doing some shooting.

This photo (below) is my favorite of the day. I love the lines in the Badlands and the simple clouds above. In order to isolate this section, I ended up hiking a game trail. You can see this peak in the above photo, but it blends in with the rest of the Badlands.

This was my first time in the North Dakota Badlands. I can't really say I like one better than the other because they're both so different. 
I can't wait for the next time I get to travel up north!

Sunset Colors on the Missouri {Yankton}

Back in August, while attending Riverboat Days Summer Arts Festival in Yankton, I spent time on the Missouri River capturing the change in light as the sun set.

While waiting for the right lighting and creating compositions, I noticed this mom and her daughter fishing. It was so sweet.

As the sun swiftly began it's decent, bursts of rays shot out from behind the clouds. 

The colors were amazing!

 

I was near Gavins Point Dam and drove over the dam grade as the light continued to fade. Being landlocked in the western prairies, it's almost hard to believe this is part of South Dakota. Cowboys and Sailboats all in one state.