Picturegirl95

Save the Date!

2011-05-15T22:49:00.003-07:00

Society for Photographic Education Northwest Regional Conference
Nov. 4-6, 2011
at Spokane Falls Community College

The conference, titled Visual Evolution, will invite photographers, both SPE and non-members, from all over Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska. Attendees will include professional imagemakers, instructors, students, hobbyists and collectors who are interested in relevant photographic trends, technologies, and education. This year’s schedule will include individual imagemaker presentations, panel discussions, multiple gallery exhibitions, portfolio reviews, and a trade fair.

SPE, a national nonprofit organization, provides not only a forum for the discussion of photography as a means of creative expression and cultural insight, but nurtures its development through teaching, criticism, and scholarship. For more information, go to www.spenw.org.

Image copyright by Erik Sohner

Upcoming exhibition

2011-04-27T10:06:00.001-07:00

You Have Been Here
New Images by Melissa Rackham

Exhibition opens Friday, May 6th, 2011
5:30-8:30pm

Brick Wall Photographic Gallery
530 W. Main/Skywalk
Spokane, Washington 99201

Portland Images

2011-02-24T16:37:00.000-08:00

Had a great trip to Portland. I spent most of the weekend at galleries and museums, but had a little time to photograph down by the water.

Starting the New Year

2011-01-29T12:35:00.001-08:00

More Recent Images

2010-08-25T00:08:00.001-07:00

This bunch has a different feel than the others, don't you think?

Getting Back In the Game

2010-08-25T00:07:00.001-07:00

After a great weekend workshop with Arno Minkkinen at Newspace Center for Photography, in Portland, I feel the creative juices flowing once again. I took a photo hiatus after having beautiful baby Maddy, tending to full-time mommyhood, and am only now feeling less rusty and more inspired. I am heading back down a path of curiosity of the world around me, exploring quiet scenes that feel familiar but unnerving. I don't know where this body of work is heading, but it feels like something I have been moving toward for awhile.

For the Workshop

2010-08-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

I created these new images within the past few weeks, in preparation for a weekend workshop. The assignment was given to think about the 3-dimensionality of photography and consider all of the edges/corners of the image frame while ignoring the center. These images were inspired by that notion.

Been Awhile...

2010-03-07T23:31:00.000-08:00

So, my life has changed a bit since my last post! I am now the proud mother of 4 and a half month old, Madeleine Amelia. She is an absolute joy and is the apple of my eye (and my husband, Mike's). As you can imagine, her arrival has changed my work, both in subject and frequency. I returned to teaching in January, and as my energy has begun to return, so has my desire to get some images made. I have begun a new series, inspired by my curiosity of what my beautiful little girl sees. Imagining the world from her perspective has allowed me to see things anew, noticing peculiarities in my own surroundings. We shall see where this body goes.

Some Photos...

2009-09-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting to post new images...well, pretty new. I have found it increasingly difficult to find the energy to shoot! With baby here in a matter of weeks, I can foresee the scope of my work changing considerably.

A Quick Post of Dallas Images...

2009-03-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Running out of the door for a gallery tour of Dallas, but wanted to post a few more new pictures.

Some images from Dallas

2009-03-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

So, I'm in Dallas for SPE right now (photo conference for my non-geeky friends). Being in this photo-centric environment always makes me contemplate the work I am creating and gives me so many new ideas. It's simultaneously exhausting and exhilarating. Plus, I love being in a new city and viewing it with virgin eyes. The snowy image below, not Dallas. It was the drive over Snowqualmie Pass to Seattle, where I flew out of, and was taken before the weather got bad. Two hands on the wheel became necessary in the ensuing snow storm.

More images to come.

New Images...

2009-03-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

I've been photographing windows lately, or window-light vignettes. Now that I think about it, I used a lot of window images and doorways in my thesis. At the time, I looked at the symbolic connection between my anxiety with finishing school, the choices I would have to make, and the window/door images (symbolic icons of choice/options). Now, as I look forward to my new role in life as a mother, I suppose that the windows would resurface. I wonder what it means that the windows are shrouded, either in fabric or diffused, so that the external options cannot be viewed....hmmmm. Maybe it just means that the future is unclear...welcome to parenthood, right?

Found Images

2009-02-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

I came across these 2 images while putting work together for an exhibition; I think I shot both of them this summer. I've had some extra "down time" with a broken foot, so I've been going through images and trying to be somewhat productive!

"Aggregate" Show Opens Next Week

2009-02-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

My show next week at Spokane Falls Comm. College is a compilation of several different series all in one exhibition. This collection, a combination of digital, c-prints, and B&W images, offers unsettling vignettes of often strange, psychologically charged spaces, creates an exploration for narrative, and brings a sense of confinement with modular groupings.

Showing Work at SFCC

2009-02-04T22:44:00.000-08:00

After months of self-banishment, confined to our new "old" house with paintbrush/scraper/drill in hand, I am finally venturing out into the Spokane art community. As an intern (yes, I said intern) at a gallery downtown, I am meeting some amazing, talented local artists and getting my feet wet with the local art scene. Speaking of which, I am honored to be showing a varied collection of work at the photo gallery at Spokane Falls Community College in a couple of weeks. And, my photo friends can really appreciate this, but I hear that the college has an original Ansel Adams print in the gallery which will come down for my show.......Yes, I think a certain hot Southern destination truly has frozen over.

Return to the Blog...

2009-01-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA since the holidays. So much happened around that time and I am only just now refocusing. Anyway... I am preparing for an exhibit in February, enjoying my experience at a gallery here in Spokane, planning several upcoming trips, and lastly, gearing up to teach at a local college. With sunshine reappearing after a long winter absence, I suddenly feel anxious to get out and photograph. That, however, will have to wait until I heal from a foot fracture- in 6-8 weeks. Regardless, I plan to use my down time productively, building model airplanes or learning to knit or something. :)

Winter Storm

2008-12-18T12:40:00.001-08:00

It is a winter wonderland here in Spokane today. We have more than 2 feet of snow in our yard and porches. Molly, our Boston Terrier, had a scare when she got lost in it last night. Luckily for her, I went to her rescue in my pajamas and pulled her out from under our deck. I would build a snowman, but I might get lost in the yard.

Some Recent Images...

2008-10-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

Molly in a hail storm.

2008-10-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

2008-10-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

More Columbus, MS images

2008-08-31T18:08:00.000-07:00

Oops..photos from Columbus, MS earlier this summer...

2008-08-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

I took these photos earlier this summer. I was visiting my buddy, Lea, in her hometown of Columbus, MS. I am way behind in posting new images, but trying to catch up!

New House Pix

2008-07-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

We've been very busy working on our new house and thought we'd show a few current photos. In every room you will find either a bucket of spackle, a drill, or ladder as it really is a construction zone! We've remodeled the fireplace, tore out a wall upstairs, painted just about every room, and the list just keeps going.

Our First House!

2008-06-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

We are so excited- we just bought our first house! After only 12 short years, we've finally decided to settle down! In less than 2 weeks, we start our long drive back to Spokane. As you can probably tell from the photos, the current owners are still living there but we can already imagine ourselves there.

Post Graduation

2008-05-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Now that the thesis show and graduation have passed, I am working on some new images. Just want to see where this all goes...

Thesis Show was a Hit!

2008-04-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well, the thesis show went great. I officially have an MFA! I was fortunate enough to share the spotlight with my friend and brilliant sculptor, Tim Kinard. The night was wonderful; we had a fabulous turnout where all of our hard work was enjoyed by our friends and fellow artists. I wanted to share images of the show with my family and friends back home, so enjoy!

MFA Thesis Show

2008-04-06T00:50:00.001-07:00

Well, the time is here! In less than 2 weeks, my thesis show opens! This is a very exciting, exhausting time in my life. I will not be adding any new images to my blog in the next 2 weeks, as they are all my newest pieces for the show. I hope you will all come check it out and I look forward to your feedback. I am especially proud of this collection of images. In addition to the images, I will be showing off my newfound carpentry skills, as everything was built with my own two hands.

The show opens Friday, April 18th, from 5-7:30pm, at the Art Museum of the University of Memphis. Along with talented sculptor, Tim Kinard, our work will be up through May 10th. For more information and artist statements, go to Upcoming Exhibitions at http://www.amum.org/.

Springtime in New York!

2008-03-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it was a cold, windy springtime, but New York was amazing! I've been fortunate to travel to quite a bit, but had not yet made it to the big apple. It was a wonderful first trip and I am already planning the next one in June. I went with the University of Memphis' ARTS club; our itinerary included Dia Beacon, the Met, MOMA, visits with photogs Elinor Carucci and Dhanraj Emanuel, a visit to Rolling Stone magazine (awesome!), and so many other great things! We slept little, had many adventures, and took a couple of pictures. I thought I'd share a few images...

2008-03-09T23:50:00.001-07:00

2008-03-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

2008-03-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

2008-03-09T23:26:00.000-07:00

2008-03-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

2008-03-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

2008-03-09T22:55:00.001-07:00

2008-02-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

2008-01-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

This is the newest stuff I shot over the holiday break. I had my first encounter with technical digital failure- I lost a bunch of images due to a faulty memory card. Luckily, my friend Chase has a magical recovery CD that got some of my stuff back from the oblivion. I have some new ideas I want to try out, so stay tuned!

2008-01-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

This is my newest bunny picture. I bought a beautiful Lorna Simpson book recently and started to think about doing triptychs and multi-panels myself. Her images are simple but poetic, a quiet reflectance. Do you think this image stands alone or could it benefit from sequencing a narrative, where the bunny tumbles down the stairs?

I was outside photographing the moon during the winter solstice and this image caught my eye. I love the twinklelights on my house during the holidays and wish could leave them up all year. Well, without looking ike a weirdo.

2007-12-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

2007-11-29T10:13:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a project focusing on place. I wanted to investigate all the ways it changes, literally through time and psychologically through our own memories and sense of connection or disassociation with the physical location. Then, I decided to try to insert more of a personal aspect for me and began taking my childhood friend, Bunny, with me and putting him into the frame. This refers to a more universal childhood but then the condition of the rabbit, tattered and worn, seems to refer to a bygone time. I'm putting this out there, wondering what others think.

2007-11-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by my good friend, Pixy, this week and shot some night time photographs. I think there is an eery quality created by the distortion of color and a transition from the idea of place to the feeling it evokes. I'm still adjusting the color but just curious what everyone else thinks...

2007-11-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about whose work I am interested in, though not necessarily emulating. Why not, right? I would love to try something like this- Boltanski incorporates light elements, wire and photographs. In the movie White Oleander, the mother creates photograph/light sculptures in the same vein- I wonder who created those for the movie?

Images from this summer

2007-10-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

These images are from this summer; I forgot to post them before. I was thinking about how I deal with space; I tend to always have one dominant subject that becomes isolated in front of the background. For the last 2 years, I've been working with objects, trying to photograph their anthropomorphic qualities by illustrating a relationship between a couple or many objects, loosely based on Aaron Siskind's idea of an object's "force," or energy. Now, I am moving more to the space that an object inhabits and how [it] converses with its environment. Anyway, I am working out these thoughts as I start to formulate my thesis and I welcome any suggestions or criticisms.

2007-10-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

Savannah Trip

2007-10-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a trip to Savannah for a photo conference. While there, I had a little bit of time to photograph the city, out at Tybee island (as a West-coaster, it was my first dip in the Atlantic!), and some odds and ends which I encountered. I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Sam Wang, a really wonderful photographer and speaker. Other than that, just returning to a state of normalcy, also known as chaos. As I enter thesis territory, the anxiety level seems to be rising as the energy level wanes; such is life.

2007-10-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

2007-10-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

2007-10-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

2007-09-30T13:17:00.001-07:00

So, I posted a few images when I started my blog, but didn't say anything about them. My work is changing a lot right now, and I hesitate to talk about it, honestly because I'm not sure what I think. I'm in a strange place; I come from a traditional silver gelatin background and fell in love with C-printing early this year. Then, I bought a digital camera. I'm having trouble reminding myself that it [camera] is just a tool, that image-creating is a process and be it digital, 4X5, Holga, whatever, the tool is just that. I keep feeling like a traitor to the darkroom; like my Beseler is feeling lonely and unfilled alone in the darkroom. Why is that so hard? I'm having so much fun with the spontaeity that digital offers that I am no longer worried about spending too much film. Yes, I am enjoying my fling with digital, I admit it. We'll see where this relationship goes.

2007-09-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

2007-09-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

2007-09-25T19:02:00.001-07:00

2007-09-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

2007-09-25T18:49:00.000-07:00