Dear friends
Okay then, the last newsletter for 2023
Time flies and the older you get, the faster it seems to go. Another year is about to leave us to make room for a new year.
I am not about to go all sappy on you, like pretty much every year 2023 was a year with ups and downs, and 2024 will most likely not that much different. Remember that happiness is a state of mind and independent of circumstances, politics is nothing more than a fleeting moment in time, and helping others is helping yourself.
As far as photography goes, it will be more of the same for the most part. Hopefully I finally get to start with my salt printing. I finally figured out how I can do it without turning the kitchen into a chemical lab and stay happily married. I know I said happiness is a state of mind and I stick with that, but a happy marriage seems to make it more sustainable so that is important.
There are also two coffee table books on the agenda. I am already working on both and it is just a matter of finishing them in time for next year holidays.
Of course, the plan is also to continue the blogs sometime in the spring. If you a specific art/photography related subject you would like me to write about, please send me a note!
In case you missed the previous newsletter, the new blog post is up!! This one is called “The Revival of Pictorialism”. This 125 year old is popular again thanks to Instagram selfies. You can read all about it here: https://rudyumans.com/blogs/the-revival-of-pictorialism/
To start the new year on a positive note, I extended the 10% discount on everything on my Pixel.com store. Originally the discount would end on December 31st, bit I extended it until January 31, 2024. This discount is exclusive for subscribers to this newsletter! Simply go to https://rudy-umans.pixels.com/ and use the code: HZURBU at checkout to claim your exclusive discount!
Maybe it is appropriate to close this year with a philosophical quote from my “about page”: (on www.rudyumanss.com)
I try to focus on the mystical and spiritual side of things. Especially with my black and white landscape pictures. As a member of the Baha’i faith, the second most wide spread world religion, I realize that “we are all the drops of one ocean and the leaves of one tree.” Everything is connected and hopefully that notion shines through in my work.
It is my conviction that in order to capture a subject as good as you can, you must love and understand that subject. Even if it is just for a very brief moment in time, there is this creation of a relationship based on love, understanding, and respect. When I am at that point, I feel a form of intimacy with the subject, regardless of what that subject might be. This form of intimacy is for me more present and pronounced shooting with film than with digital. Don’t know if it is spiritual, but either way, pretty darn close. That phenomena is even stronger for me with pinhole photography. There are fewer technical things to worry about. Getting into that state of mind with a vintage camera is icing on the cake.
Cypress trees in the Everglades National Park. 4 x 5” pinhole camera
https://rudy-umans.pixels.com/featured/pinhole-everglades-florida-pond-cypress-trees-rudy-umans.html
So that’s it for the year. Feel free to share this newsletter with anybody you feel might be interested.
I wish you, and everybody you care about, all the best for 2024
Have fun.
Rudy
p.s. Remember, if you no longer wish to receive these emails, reply to this email with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.
SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER: HERE