What a gift to be able to share my video work with my friends at Maine Media College. A collective experience I will never forget. /1187839566?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
Six months of work come to this moment on the wall. The day of installation is always the hardest. It was wonderful seeing my friends and visiting with the faculty members. An intense and exciting week ahead. #hope #universe #cosmos #transcendence
I am about to drive up to Maine for the Maine Media College semiannual MFA retreat. My heart flutters with anticipation and excitement. I look forward to catching up with colleagues and am looking forward to seeing their lovely work. I also want to express in person my gratitude to the wonderful teachers for their dedication, and cultivation of an environment where we can pursue our interests and thrive.
When I first entered the program, I remember one of the graduates, Julie Hahn gave me this piece of great advice, “Ming, these three years fly by very quickly, make the best of your time when you are here”.
I just completed my fifth semester. So much has happened in the blink of an eye. I am certain I will miss this wonderful chapter of my life when it is over. I applied to the program on a whim, and it has paid off in spades.
Two and half years down. One more to go. Let it rip! #joy #excitement #thrive #flourish
Over the years, there were moments I felt I was gifted with something special when being out in the field making work. This image reminded me of one of such experiences. It was midday when I visited a public garden in the fall. Prior to my visit, there hadn't been any rain in our area for over two weeks. At this particular location, there was no sprinkler system being installed and the plant I photographed was way above the ground. I therefore was pleasantly surprised to see these tiny gemstones gathered on the leaf and I could not make sense of how they came about. I was at once feeling delighted and grateful for being treated to such marvel from nature.
I come alive with a sense of purpose when I view my outings to make work as opportunities to collecting gifts, but I also feel a bit of melancholy knowing those beautiful moments are inherently fleeting. I instinctively feel them slipping away, and in this instance, evaporating as soon as they appear. I have the urge to capture those moments in order to make them last a little longer. Such impulses are what motivate me to keep looking for all these years.
#nature #marvel #hope
A year ago, seeing how my photography had evolved, my mentor Cig Harvey urged me to try a new printing paper that she felt would better suit the work I was making. Despite my initial reluctance to print my work on the metallic substrate, I gave the Hanhnemuhle photo rag metallic paper a try. I picked this photo to make the first test print. I remember vividly the moment when I first held the 8.5 X 11 inches print in my hands, there was this feeling of disbelief, then I nearly burst into tears when noticing the little silvery shimmering lights on the velvet like textured dark background. The print statement mirrored my intention exactly as I envisioned when making the edits. It is hard to put into words the feeling when one’s vision is fully realized.
I have been photographing for nearly 19 years. After I bought my first Canon DSLR, I quickly bought an inkjet printer to go along with it. I knew right away I wanted to make my own prints. My art practice is vital to my well being — it builds a bridge between myself and this elusive greater beauty, to make it tangible and to allow me to connect closer to it.
All those moments of making, editing and printing photographs, and since last year I added making short form videos to my repertoire, they draw me in to the present that suddenly makes everything feel brighter. It feels wonderful when a new door opens and the heart recognizes the silent majesty of the moment. #beauty #hope #light
I have had the good fortune of having some instrumental art teachers who left an impact over the years. One of my earlier photography teachers was Erin. She used a view camera and made beautiful prints in the traditional darkroom. She put a lot of emphasis on making good edits and print statements. I remember she told me a strong print statement revealed layers of information such as texture and tonal gradation in the depths of varying shades of blacks.
I like to go out for walks after dinners. When I look up at the dark sky, I often think of what Erin told me, and I try to discern what is enveloped in that vast dark space. As time goes on, I discern what I perceive as flat blacks are not just one continuous shade of black, there are subtle shifts in tones. As dusk keeps getting longer as we approach summer, the night sky no longer carries only the shades of blacks, there are varying degrees of blue tones hidden in what we usually perceive as blacks as well.
It always fascinates me when I see all of those beautiful subtleties I find surrounding me, if I only give them time and attention. #night sky #awe #wonder #transcendence
