A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 12

What else do you do besides your art?

I'm a freelance graphic designer and the work comes in waves so there are long periods where I think about photography but can't act on it. I walk my dog, Ruby, in dog parks, by ponds and in the woods. She's not a big fan of the camera but tolerates me bringing it along. Promotion for my photography takes a good deal of time and I never have enough.

Photo credit: Meg learning first hand about language barriers on a visit to rural China while in the country for her photography exhibit

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 11

What advice to you have for aspiring artists?

Try to not over-think things... just keep shooting and often the thing that you should be doing becomes obvious to you. Don't worry too much about the quality of your camera right off the bat. Work on seeing first and craftsmanship later. It is really hard, but try to tune out any negativity from other people in your life and keep moving forward with doing what you enjoy.

Photo credit: Meg's recent exhibit at the Tanto Tempo Gallery in Japan

Interview with photographer Kent Weakley

Cow Art and More photographer Kent Weakley recently did an interview with the horse website The Equinest. Kent discusses his techniques, favorite places to photograph, and what he plans to do more of in the future. Enjoy the interview plus some of Kent's horse photography not seen on Cow Art and More.

Photo credit: "Marchidor Eye"

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 10

What would you like to do more of in the future?

I'd love to find a project that would allow me to spend more time around animals. I'd love to explore antique photo processes. I'd like to continue to work with people who enjoy being photographed.

Photo credit: "Say Cheese"

Click here to learn more about this goat photograph

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 9

Do you ever have goof ups or work you don’t like?

Yes! Sometimes I have to throw out a roll or two of film. When I've been playing around with a more conceptual type of photography I can often see the image in my head before I shoot it or I try to sketch it first to see if it will work, but sometimes it just doesn't. It really is hard to give up on an idea and admit that it just isn't working.

Photo credit: "Shorn"

Click here to learn more about this sheep photograph

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 8

How long does it take you to get an average creation?

There usually is one image per roll of film that is worth considering as a 'keeper' but that's a hard question to answer. Sometimes things work and sometimes not so much.

Photo credit: Meg's recent photography exhibit in China

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 6

How do you decide what to photograph?

Often by accident or sometimes it finds me. I shoot a lot and then see what 'develops'. The way that my series on summer fairs started was totally a wonderful accident. A friend of mine and I went to a fair on a labor day weekend in Burlington, Vermont. I hadn't been to a fair since I was a kid but the tastes, smells and sounds brought happy memories rushing back. I only took a few shots but two of the back to back negatives turned out to be two of my best shots ever and they were very exciting to me. I did some research to see how other people had handled photographing the same material and I felt that I could say something unique and different by combining the timelessness of black and white film with the toy camera. Plus it gave me a great excuse to be around animals and eat french fries. The hard part was in having to wait 11 months until the fair season started again in New England.

One of my current projects came about after reading about a woman in a short item in a local newspaper. I couldn't stop thinking about her so I found out her email and wrote to see if she might be interested in being photographed. Luckily she said yes and that led me to other like-minded subjects.

Photo credit: Meg Birnbaum discusses her photography in a slide show talk to visitors to the Tanto Tempo Gallery in Japan.

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 5

Where do you get your inspiration?

At the risk of sounding kind of flip.... there is inspiration everywhere... reading books, seeing movies, looking at other photographers work and the energy you can get from being around students.

Photo credit: The reception for Meg Birnbaum's photography at her recent exhibition at the Tanto Tempo Gallery in Japan.

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 4

Where did you learn your technique?

Mostly from looking at the work of other photographers. I learned the basics from trial and error in the darkroom when I was young. I really didn't have any formal education in photography other than a basic darkroom refresher course 9 years ago.

Photo credit: "Waiting for Judging"

Click here to learn more about this cow photograph

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 3

What is your technique?

I'm currently in love with using "toy" cameras. There is a real cult following for them now. Not a disposable camera but one that is a reusable 120 film camera. The most readily available one is called a Holga. They are very basic with little control options and tend to create a soft-focused and timeless/retro appearance. Whenever possible I like printing in the darkroom on matte fiber paper and then I tone the prints sepia.

Photo credit: "Chicklet"

Click here to learn more about this chicken photograph

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 2

Why do you do photography?

I have been in love with visual stories since my sisters and I would fight over who got to read Life and Look magazine first when they arrived in the mail on Tuesdays. I spent many years as a magazine art director and loved finding photographic solutions for editorial content so I see the potential for narrative everywhere. But the simple answer to the question is that photography has connected me to a wonderful community of people and taken me to places I would never have imagined I could go. I simply think about making images all the time.

Photo credit: "Cheek 2 Cheek"

Click here to learn more about this sheep photograph

A conversation with Meg Birnbaum: Part 1

How did you get started?

My older sister set up a darkroom in the attic of our house when we were in our early teens and I joined in and quickly became addicted.

Picture credit: "Brown Swiss"

Click here to learn more about this cattle photograph

April's featured artist: Meg Birnbaum

Cow Art and More is excited to showcase photographer Meg Birnbaum for April. Meg enjoys capturing the American pastoral as a way to catalog rural American history. Meg recently returned from Japan, where some of the images from her "Corn Dogs and Blue Ribbons" collection were featured. Enjoy the question and answer sessions all month with Meg on this blog as she details her thoughts and processes. Her photography will be featured in the Cow Art and More specials section. Purchase any of her photography this month and receive free shipping.

Pictures from Meg Birnbaum's exhibit in Japan

As an update to the post of March 7 detailing Cow Art and More photographer Meg Birnbaum's exhibit at the Tanto Tempo Photo Cafe and Gallery, she has been kind enough to forward pictures of the exhibit. Meg's "Cowgirl" image can be seen in approximately the center of the first two pictures.

Photographer Meg Birnbaum exhibiting in Japan

Cow Art and More photographer Meg Birnbaum is exhibiting some of her cattle photography, amongst others, at the Tanto Tempo Gallery in Japan. She is currently traveling there to give an artist talk on March 13 at the Gallery. Information about the exhibit, "Plastic/Fantastic" can be found on the Tanto Tempo Gallery website.

Learn beginning photography techniques from Kent Weakley

Cow Art and More photographer, Kent Weakley, and photographer Mark Emery will be conducting a Beginners Photography Workshop for anyone wanting to make consistently great photos with their DSLR camera. The workshop is Saturday, April 17, from 9 AM to 5 PM, Ocala, Florida.

They will be covering all the basics and getting into the details of what makes a great photo. Kent and Mark will also be sharing many tips and techniques used by the pros on a daily basis. This class is for anyone who loves making and sharing photographs and wants to improve their photography skills. At the end of the day you will be equipped with the information needed to make great photos consistently time and time again.

To register for the beginner photography class, use this link.

Photo credit: Bovine Shade

Photographer Meg Birnbaum exhibit featured in New York gallery

Selected images from Birnbaum's series of black and white photographs of county fairs throughout New England, made using a plastic toy camera, runs now through mid-October at the Davis-Orton Gallery in Hudson, New York. The exhibit, "Corn Dogs, Blue Ribbons and the American Pastoral," is a collection of evocative images. Their antique quality and timeless subjects present a wistful look back while revealing clues that remind us of their contemporary origins.

Meg Birnbaum is an award-winning fine art photographer and graphic designer based in Massachusetts. She has work in the permanent collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the corporate program of the DeCordova Museum and other private and corporate collections. 'Corn Dogs and Blue Ribbons ...' has recently been exhibited at the Griffin Museum of Photography.

Picture credit: "Circle Swing"

Photographer Meg Birnbaum Is The Newest Artist On Cow Art And More

Massachusetts photographer Meg Birnbaum now has limited edition prints on Cow Art and More. Meg's work has been recognized nationally for her unique perspective in capturing the balance of diametrically opposed subjects, colors, and themes. She has been a part of over 25 group exhibitions and has 4 solo exhibitions to her credit. She has been featured in The Boston Globe and The Harvard Review, along with other photography publications. Meg's work featured on Cow Art and More is also being showcased at the Hallway Gallery in downtown Boston. Meg's photography will be featured under our new products section until early May.

Picture credit: "Cowgirl"

Click here to learn more about this image including an artist commentary