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Close to the End of a Calendar Year
Dec. 29th, 2019 06:50 amNearly five months gone by. Not particularly regular, then, am I? Keeping up on that maybe promise to wander through. I suppose it isn't really hard to do, and yet, there isn't much to show I've been here.
It's time, though, I think, to at least do a bit of summary. What did the year entail for the Shutterbug, now branching out and stretching, growing as an artist by joining the writing life (again... yes, I've written before. This entire blog is an example, as are others.)
State of the Studio
I've been adding some prints to Inventory for Studio. The current interest is prints on metal. They look good, they mostly travel well. For Necronomicon in Tampa this year, all but two of the prints I showed are on metal. No sales, but that's life. Not long after the previous entry here, I attended the Tampa Bay Comic Con. I went with three purposes.
First, take a hard look at myself in a large crowd. I've noticed I don't much like all large crowds, however I felt strongly I could cope with a big Con. After all, a Con is a Con is a Con. And it's short for Convention. And all the years I went annually to AORN's major meeting, that's a Con.
Yes. I can cope with a large crowd at Con.
Second, scope out Artist Alley, the section of the Vendors Room dedicated to artists. Visit with some artist I know who displayed there. Ask questions, look at displays. Booth space 3 meters by 3 meters, what display items are provided, what are still part of the artist's kit? Keep in mind, if one is a showing artist, in a booth space, it will be much like Art Festival: 'How much of the Festival/Con did you see?' 'Oh, about 10 square meters.' Still, it will be do-able. I need to work on setup for inside buildings, though. I doubt I will be able to use even an old pavilion frame as my setup.
Third, hmm, well, third. Maybe there are actually more purposes. Maybe what I list as third fits into Enjoy The Con Overall. I mean, I did search out and attend sessions where the subject matter intrigued me. I expected to see a lot of cosplay, and I did, and I photographed some of it. Mind, I didn't look like an artist photographer, as I used either my phone camera or the point and shoot I carry regularly. Still, the old saw or proverb, whichever you prefer, applies. Dress for the role, and a point and shoot does not say Professional.
Never mind that some of my best selling prints I made using either of the two cameras listed. Anyway. Digression.
Enjoying the Con, this time, included a specific goal. Meet a Celebrity, obtain autograph, potentially 'selfie' with Celebrity, potentially photograph (by pro setup) with Celebrity. Yes, I am being deliberately vague as to who Celebrity is.
I did my research, talking to friends who attend big Cons a lot more often than I do. (Not hard, this was the 1st Big Con for me.) A few of them work the Con, either as showing artist or Security / Handler. Yes, Celebrity Guests at Big Cons often, usually, are assigned Handlers to help them get about efficiently. After all, they're Working. Autographs, if they provide them, cost. Likewise with selfies. And if a pro photographer is there to provide professional portraits, should be obvious. This costs as well. The business organising the Con needs to make money. Needs to pay for the employees (Handlers, Security, and such). And Guest Celebrities need to be paid as well; some of the fee for autographs and et cetera goes to the specific Celeb.
I did get to meet Celebrity. I do not know Celebrity, even after the grand total of 3 to 5 minutes of interaction will I even tempt myself to claim I know them. Met them, yes. Along with the bit about paying for the autograph and selfie (I did), is Ask, 'Do you accept gifts?'
Why would that be necessary? Well, because the Celebrity likely needs to do two things if they accept gifts. Obviously, transport the gift home. And, well, Uncle Sam's Infernal Revenue considers such to be Income. After all, Guest Celeb is there working. So likely those need to be claimed on the income tax return.
Yes, Guest Celeb accepts gifts. So I did gift to Guest Celeb, who admired the work I provided, and commented on the fact it's printed on metal. My response to that, seemed a good idea as they needed to transport it home, and it should transport safer than frame and glass, or even matted mounted paper. They agreed.
Does Guest Celeb still possess that gift? I've no idea. And it's entirely conceivable they turned around and gifted someone else with it. Net income, Zero on the income tax. On the other hand, perhaps Guest Celeb took it home, and placed it somewhere within their domicile. I will never know.
It's time, though, I think, to at least do a bit of summary. What did the year entail for the Shutterbug, now branching out and stretching, growing as an artist by joining the writing life (again... yes, I've written before. This entire blog is an example, as are others.)
State of the Studio
I've been adding some prints to Inventory for Studio. The current interest is prints on metal. They look good, they mostly travel well. For Necronomicon in Tampa this year, all but two of the prints I showed are on metal. No sales, but that's life. Not long after the previous entry here, I attended the Tampa Bay Comic Con. I went with three purposes.
First, take a hard look at myself in a large crowd. I've noticed I don't much like all large crowds, however I felt strongly I could cope with a big Con. After all, a Con is a Con is a Con. And it's short for Convention. And all the years I went annually to AORN's major meeting, that's a Con.
Yes. I can cope with a large crowd at Con.
Second, scope out Artist Alley, the section of the Vendors Room dedicated to artists. Visit with some artist I know who displayed there. Ask questions, look at displays. Booth space 3 meters by 3 meters, what display items are provided, what are still part of the artist's kit? Keep in mind, if one is a showing artist, in a booth space, it will be much like Art Festival: 'How much of the Festival/Con did you see?' 'Oh, about 10 square meters.' Still, it will be do-able. I need to work on setup for inside buildings, though. I doubt I will be able to use even an old pavilion frame as my setup.
Third, hmm, well, third. Maybe there are actually more purposes. Maybe what I list as third fits into Enjoy The Con Overall. I mean, I did search out and attend sessions where the subject matter intrigued me. I expected to see a lot of cosplay, and I did, and I photographed some of it. Mind, I didn't look like an artist photographer, as I used either my phone camera or the point and shoot I carry regularly. Still, the old saw or proverb, whichever you prefer, applies. Dress for the role, and a point and shoot does not say Professional.
Never mind that some of my best selling prints I made using either of the two cameras listed. Anyway. Digression.
Enjoying the Con, this time, included a specific goal. Meet a Celebrity, obtain autograph, potentially 'selfie' with Celebrity, potentially photograph (by pro setup) with Celebrity. Yes, I am being deliberately vague as to who Celebrity is.
I did my research, talking to friends who attend big Cons a lot more often than I do. (Not hard, this was the 1st Big Con for me.) A few of them work the Con, either as showing artist or Security / Handler. Yes, Celebrity Guests at Big Cons often, usually, are assigned Handlers to help them get about efficiently. After all, they're Working. Autographs, if they provide them, cost. Likewise with selfies. And if a pro photographer is there to provide professional portraits, should be obvious. This costs as well. The business organising the Con needs to make money. Needs to pay for the employees (Handlers, Security, and such). And Guest Celebrities need to be paid as well; some of the fee for autographs and et cetera goes to the specific Celeb.
I did get to meet Celebrity. I do not know Celebrity, even after the grand total of 3 to 5 minutes of interaction will I even tempt myself to claim I know them. Met them, yes. Along with the bit about paying for the autograph and selfie (I did), is Ask, 'Do you accept gifts?'
Why would that be necessary? Well, because the Celebrity likely needs to do two things if they accept gifts. Obviously, transport the gift home. And, well, Uncle Sam's Infernal Revenue considers such to be Income. After all, Guest Celeb is there working. So likely those need to be claimed on the income tax return.
Yes, Guest Celeb accepts gifts. So I did gift to Guest Celeb, who admired the work I provided, and commented on the fact it's printed on metal. My response to that, seemed a good idea as they needed to transport it home, and it should transport safer than frame and glass, or even matted mounted paper. They agreed.
Does Guest Celeb still possess that gift? I've no idea. And it's entirely conceivable they turned around and gifted someone else with it. Net income, Zero on the income tax. On the other hand, perhaps Guest Celeb took it home, and placed it somewhere within their domicile. I will never know.
