SnarkInfested

On Sunday 04/19/09, I donated a print of the photograph shown below  – “Untitled [Bike Rack/Storm Rolling In On Jersey Shore]” – to the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative.  My amazing friend Ms. Jade Floyd is on the board of this organization and tells me my print will be part of appreciation event for DC public school art and music teachers.

I’m very proud of this image. A few years back,  it was selected for a juried exhibition by Kathleen Ewing, a respected photo gallery owner in Washington who was Executive Director of The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) at the time.  I sell a signed, numbered and framed 16 x 20 print version of this image starting at $500 (the lower the series number, the higher the cost of the print).

On Monday the 20th, one of my Open Studio photo sessions was auctioned off by the Sitar Arts Center at their fundraising gala. The Sitar Arts Center provides young people in DC the opportunity to discover their gifts in the visual and performing arts.  My friend, the lovely Ms. Bessy Guevara, sits on the board of Sitar and gently twisted my arm to donate to a place she believes in strongly.

04/18/09 I have an “Open Studio” almost every month.

I’m a photojournalist so I don’t own studio space. I shoot on location. I go to where an event is happening and cover it.  Shooting as a photojournalist is like playing tennis.  Speed matters.  Anticipation is also very important.  Where is the ball going to land next and how do I get there BEFORE it does?  Shooting in the studio is something like being a sculptor.  Everything is slower and more deliberate.  The photographer controls every aspect of the image. From light and shadow to wardrobe, expression and pose.  Photojournalism requires strict adherence to rules about truth telling.  Shooting in the studio is about inventing an image from scratch.  It’s using a different part of my brain – like speaking in another language.

When I do rent out studio time, I try and pack as much work in as possible – hence the “open studio” concept.   I invite the models and hire a makeup artist.  Sometimes I use a photo stylist and sometimes friends of mine who are local designers bring along new clothing designs they’d like photographed.  It’s a very relaxed atmosphere.  While one model is changing, another is having her makeup done and another is having her photo taken and round and round we go.  I shoot all day long. I keep it very simple. There’s a white background and a black background and a small outdoor area.

Here are some images from my April Open Studio. Make-up is by LaTonya Winter and photo styling by Indrid Ellmore.

04/16/09 Lead singer Brent Smith smiles at the mike during an acoustic performance by his band Shinedown at Hard Rock Cafe Washington, D.C. Photo © 2009 by Patrick G. Ryan

04/14/09 Shoot at Pitchfork Studio on Capitol Hill

04/12/09 Easter 2009  Photo © 2009 by Patrick G. Ryan

04/11/09 A 1920’s inspired soiree in honor of Indrid’s birthday. Photos © 2009 by Patrick G. Ryan

04/09/09 Cherry Blossoms Photo © 2009 by Patrick G. Ryan

04/07/09 Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. unveils a wax likeness of first lady Michelle Obama. Photo © 2009 by Patrick G. Ryan

04/05/09 Washington Redskins Cheerleaders final auditions at the Bethesda Theatre in Bethesda, MD.
Photos © 2009 by Patrick G. Ryan

04/03/09 Opening of new Lettie Gooch location on U Street and 3rd birthday party for the designer shop. Photos © 2009 by Patrick G. Ryan