wow

What an amazing evening last night at Review Santa Fe. Several HUNDRED locals people wove their way through aisles and aisles of portfolio cases and eager photographers. The fact that so many people around here are interested in/love photography is impressive and well, pretty mind blowing.

I don't have much time to write, as I'm preparing for my busy day of reviews, but I will list some highlights from last night:

Many reviewers made a point to get around and see everyone's work, which is impressive considering that they'd been looking at images all day long.

Reviewers whom I had hoped to get twenty minutes with (but didn't due to the lottery) stopped at my table, and we were able to, in a couple cases, spend even more time together.

Everyone was there to become genuinely engaged with the photographs and the photographers.

The curator of The George Eastman House stopped by for a wonderful conversation (I had shown him work at a previous review) and informed me that he will be purchasing some of my work for the collection!

I met a young couple who had just returned from Uganda and who actually work for DIG, the organization that helped us put in a garden at the orphanage two years ago. The knew all about Change the Truth. Such a surprise encounter!

A man who was profoundly wise and thoughtful, who spent a long time looking at my work and who engaged me in a deeply philosophical dialogue about photography in general (and what I am doing in particular), turned out to be the extraordinary William Clift.

I was asked to participate in a group show about Africa at a gallery in San Francisco for next fall.

I met the editor of a fabulous on-line photo zine who asked me to be in the fall issue.

After talking about and looking at my own work for such a long period of time, I realized which project is the most important to me and that which I am most passionate about, and ultimately, which project is probably the most successful.

The woman who was hawking her wares next to me became my friend during the course of the evening, and we went out to dinner together afterward. A margarita from Coyote Cafe Cantina and conversation with a new photo pal were the perfect ways to end a perfect day.

More later...