Happy New Year!
2019 is here and it’s a time for me to reflect on some of the events of 2018. Before I go any further though, I want to take a moment to say how much I appreciate everyone in my life. I may not say it often, but I the time I spend with my friends and family mean more to me than anything. I turned 50 this year, and many of my friends made it to the celebration, it really meant a lot to me.
I decided early in 2018 to take a year-long step back from public speaking and promotion of my Landscapes of the Body project to focus on creating new work and “me” time. When my Landscapes of the Body project made its debut early in 2017, it had been in development for over six years. 2017 was so busy with speaking engagements, interviews and exhibitions, that I had no time to create new images. I had many new ideas for my project that I had put on the back burner that I wanted to explore in 2018. I set a conservative goal for myself to shoot at least two major sessions, which would yield new images for the project. One of my biggest pet peeves are photographers that get a few good shots and then rest on their laurels without creating new work. Because 2017 was so busy, I ended up creating very little new photographic work, and spent very little time refining my skills in lighting. When 2018 landed, I hit the ground running and ended up well surpassing my goal of two sessions.
2018 also marked the first time I had done a large-scale collaboration with another artist. While I cannot mention her name (she is a well-known actress), she and I were introduced through a mutual friend. She had seen my Landscapes of the Body project during one of the exhibitions and decided then and there that she wanted me to photograph her in my style. Since I don’t do traditional paid commission work, we agreed on a shoot list that would create the images she wanted for herself, and some to include in my project at the same time. The process and planning took six months but the resulting shoot yielded images everyone was happy with. The appeal of this project continues to surprise me, and I love the fact that I can create images which represent the way I see the human form to share with others.
When I wasn’t creating new images for my Landscapes of the Body project, I worked to refine my product and food photography skills. I also began a weekly regiment of creating photography related tutorials on my blog to share my photographic knowledge with others.
The summer was incredibly insane. I traveled to Las Vegas for a Star Trek conference, went to Jamaica to celebrate my wife’s 50th birthday and took a weekend trip on an old steam engine through New Mexico and Colorado at the height of the fall colors. Taking photos on a moving train is challenging enough without being nearly blind while attempting it. I focused on color and shape and ended up getting some decent images.
As summer came to an end, on September 30th I flew to San Rafael Ca. to Guide Dogs for the Blind, where I began training with my new guide Fauna. I was there for two life-changing weeks where I met some amazing people and learned how a guide dog would give me more independence and confidence to navigate the world. Our adventure together is just beginning, and 2019 will have some exciting announcements.
There is much on the horizon. I am excited about this year. Stay tuned and enjoy the ride -wherever it takes us.
You can follow me on my websites and social media:
Photography http://www.tahquechi.com/
Landscapes of the Body http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel Resource http://www.blindtravels.com/
Twitter and Instagram @nedskee