STATEMENT & CV

ARTIST HISTORY

STATEMENT & CV

BACKGROUND

I was educated in fine art (painting, drawing, etc) and went to school for photography in Santa Monica, California where I lived for 45 years. I inherited a house and moved into it in 2014 in upstate New York. I miss everything there is about my life in California.

I was a professional, transitional student at Santa Monica College. What do I mean by that? I mean that I tried everything except the required courses. I studied fine art, graphic art, journalism and creative writing, broadcasting and ultimately photography. I stayed with photography until a couple of professional photographers urged me to get out of school and get busy with a mentorship with one of them. There is value in formal education. It's a thousand times more important than just getting a camera for graduation.

Everybody loves to talk about their first camera, so let me get that out of the way: My first camera was a Pentax K1000 Asahi. My first digital camera was operated with a floppy disc. I sold my first painting when I was 15 years old. I used to write poetry, mainly to make fun of my mother in lyric and then she caught me doing it.

One of my first gigs was to shoot an event for National Geographic. It was volunteer work and I sucked. That's what led me to formal education. I couldn't just pick up a camera and call myself a photographer. That was the hard truth. This was the challenge for someone who liked to flit between broadcasting, painting and whatever else grabbed me as I raced by.

There was a lot to learn and I couldn't get it merely by going on the internet or reading books. Nobody is ever any good at honest feedback for themselves or from friends. Likes on social media are worth not much and we all amaze ourselves with the photos we take. In fact, as I progressed, I think I could embarass myself with the stuff I puffed myself up about and posted for the world to see. I entered competitions, I sought out hard feedback. I was up to the task to get better and I continually take education, including going back to basic classes to renew what we lose over time.

I believe that there was one life experience that may have made me a good event photographer or at least to love the adrenalin rush of going into the unknown and diving in. It happened one night after five:

I needed a job, the kind that paid the rent, and so I thought that I could work with my art background. I answered an ad for a very upscale gallery in Beverly Hills, a position where I would be exclusively selling one famous artist. Th artist was so famous and this was such a long shot, but perhaps that same sort of drive that sent me to the National Geographic event took over in my head. (Or was it the rent money and what jumped out of the want ads.) The interview was scheduled (intentionally) for the after work gallery Christmas party. The interview was to put me in the middle of a crowd of strangers and watch how I interacted, initiated and performed. I got the job. I didn't keep the job by my own choice. It was prestigious enough. Commissions were few and far between. Can anyone do it? If you ask, they will automatically say yes. If you surprise them with it, as was my experience, the entire ball game is on you. Run and gun photography which is what an event can be all about has that unexpected factor.

One of the first projects I did in my journey was to produce 300 portraits for a church where the art director wanted me to shoot on Sunday and deliver by Wednesday while I held a regular job. Later I was asked to do some theatrical photography. I landed a press pass here and there and photographed some events. This led me to love the action of any event that I might attend.

There have been times when being a photographer can be a dirty business and someone who wants to compete or wants their kid or friend to do the work can slice off any business in a really remarkable way. Skill takes a back seat if people don't know you or prefer you and often it has less to do with style than personality. This has led me and many pro photographers to hang it up and shoot for ourselves and our "fine art." I have gone in and out of the business because I didn't need to fight that hard to make a living off of it.

I am for hire as an event photographer and as a portrait photographer! I have worked with website designers and art directors and commercial clients. I have also worked in architectural and real estate photography.

I am not a "natural light" photographer, which in the business we call the people who are afraid of flash. I use all light sources because sometimes one is better than the other. If we're in the studio, we start with pitch black. If we're outdoors, I'm shooting you brighter than the sun.If I were a natural light photographer and shot you in the shade, your skin would turn green from the reflection of grass. When I color correct your skin in post, then I'm messing with the color green and that's like mowing your field down to make you fit in. When you hire a photographer, ask them what they use for light and if they say that natural light is better, then that may be true sometimes and only sometimes. Photography is writing (graphy) with light (photo). Here's one way to evaluate the work of a natural light-ist. When you see a sunset, do you see your outline or your face? Did you want to see both, but that's what you got because sometimes that sort of shot is intentional. If I see your face at that same time of day, do I see a red sky or was it faded out? If I see you and a red sky, then it wasn't natural light. OK, I preached. Enough of that and back to my qualifications.

I preserve my sanity in fine art and sell prints directly and through the Munson Art Center's museum store.

I have experience in fine art printing, photo restoration and colorizing antique photos. You can see an antique photo of a little girl with pink flowers in my portrait gallery. I also do compositing or hyper collage photography. Those are additional processes at an additional cost.

I do photo retouching and colorization of vintage prints, such as this black and white antique photo with added collage of flowers and bubbles. As a side note, these fine art prints have a creative element which may require many hours to create. Colorization of antique photographs is a not a service I offer fine art prints, limited edition prints and licensing of my work.

Print Sales and Licensing:

Prints are available for sale at Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute's museum store in Utica, NY, through Saatchiart.com, or contact me directly through the contact page for sales and licensing.

Prints that I ship are shipped flat, unmounted and unframed. In most instances, the paper I use is heavier weight and will not be rolled into tubes for mailing.

2022: Munson Williams Proctor Museum Side Walk Show: Composite photograph "Waiting For A Sign"
2022 Prix de la Photographie de Paris - honorable mention
IPA 2021 (International Photography Awards) Honorable Mention Black & White Nature Photography: "Release"
July 30,2021 Meet the Artist Solo Presentation, Munson Williams Proctor Museum
July 2021 Munson Williams Proctor Museum Sidewalk Show, Mt. Hope Pictorialist image
July 2020 Munson Williams Proctor Museum Virtual Sidewalk show, levitation composite not for sale

July 2019 group show, Munson Williams Proctor Museum sidewalk show, exhibiting a train photograph (sold)
June 2019 Solo Exhibit at Oneida Public Library of train photography
January 2019 - Toy Train Show, Union Station, Utica, NY
2018 Gallery on Farrier Avenue, Oneida, NY
December 2018 CAC Holiday Show, Sherrill, NY
2015 (March) Featured Photographer, New Landscape Photography
2013 MOPLA Pin Up Show, Robert Berman Gallery, Bergamont Station, Santa Monica, CA
2011 & 2012 International Photography Awards

* IPA 2011 - Honorable Mention - Editorial : Environmental Category
* IPA 2011 - Honorable Mention - People : Lifestyle Category
* IPA 2012 - Honorable Mention - Special : Digitally Enhanced Category
* IPA 2012 - Honorable Mention - Fine Art : Other Fine Art Category

2012 Pico Artist Coalition
2010 / 2009 5x7 shows, Blue 7 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2009 Water Show, Santa Monica College Exhibit, Santa Monica, CA
2008 Exhibit for Pico Blvd / Pico Improvement Organization, Santa Monica, CA
2008 National Geographic Bioblitz, Santa Monica Mountains, CA, contributing photographer
2008 Sierra Club auction contributor

Renee Ing Akana