| Hi everyone, So I have just been on fire with editing lately and as usual there are a load of new additions to my labyrinth of a website. I'm here with the proverbial ball of yarn to lead you through it and hopefully help you find your way back out again (that one's easy: close the browser tab) - because hey, it's Friday afternoon, and you probably are just waiting to get to the weekend. So look both ways to see if the boss is around and then I'll help you kill a bit of time until you're home free by looking at some beautiful abandoned spots.
As you may already know, there is a gallery on my website that specifically takes you to the newest photos that have been added to the website and helpfully directs you to the individual galleries they are in. In a fit of inspiration I called it Latest Photos (catchy, huh?), and you can find it here. But hey, what kind of guide would I be if I just showed you that and left? To continue my streak of answering my own questions in the one-sided monologue that is this email, the answer is "a terrible one", so let's take a look at the major new galleries together:
- Bodie, California: Bodie is, in my opinion, America's greatest and best-preserved ghost towns. Located in the Rockies, it is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I've been to, and I've started putting together the gallery from my trip there this past fall. I'm at about 17 photos right now and will be adding more in the weeks to come. Bodie is a state park so the 'abandoned' label is arguable (it's not inhabited by any residents and is in a state of arrested decay so that's close enough for me), but the good news is that unlike so many of the places I go to that are off-limits, you could and should go check it out yourself.
- Yellow Dog Village: Yellow Dog Village is a beautiful little former mining town in western Pennsylvania. The new owner is hoping to restore it and make it a historical attraction, but right now it's still abandoned except for the horses he has penned on the property. Do you like horses? If you do, this is the gallery for you, mainly because they were all up in my face while I was taking exterior shots. Just clowning about, but in a horse-like way. If only there were an idiom for that.
- Panoramas: I've been processing a ton of panoramas lately and Facebook has a great viewer for them. If you've ever wanted to look around these spaces yourself, this is as close as it gets without virtual reality or being there - you can drag the view or just move your phone to look all around. Check them out here. Since Photosynth went offline I don't have a good viewer on my website for them but I'm working on it.
- Other stuff: I did a pretty major set of additions to the Church of the Assumption's gallery - this includes reprocessing old shots and adding a bunch of new ones. Ditto with the Chapel of the Trinity and several others. There's a lot of new photos in various galleries if you poke around.
Workshops
Here's a quick overview of what's new! The most exciting news is that I have an agreement Mulberry Art Studios - an absolutely great gallery in Lancaster, PA - to exhibit a juried show of photography from workshop attendees in September 2018. It's a ways off but I am tremendously happy we will have this opportunity. Mulberry is one of the first galleries to display my own work and draws great crowds during First Friday Art Walks and other events, and Lancaster has one of Pennsylvania's best art communities - I'll be announcing more about how to participate late fall of this year.
Regarding workshops, I added two dates at the Catskill Game Farm for this year - this is a very popular spot, particularly with people who went there when it was still open. It's a huge property with lots to see. I also added two workshops at Klotz Throwing Company and the Trolley Graveyard since the previous ones sold out pretty quickly. Yellow Dog, Carrie, and the Vanishing Countryside workshops are all fairly close to being full, although I will likely add more for the summer or fall once these are sold out. Regarding Scranton and Pennhurst, which I get asked about a LOT: I don't know if/when we will be having anything there this year. I will definitely put out dates if I am able to secure any but am not particularly optimistic about either. Obviously I love both spots (and so do all of the workshop attendees!) so I will definitely do what I can to open up dates if I am able, but until that point there's not much to report/add. For more info on current workshops or to sign up click below:
- April 1, 2017 Vanishing Countryside: The Delaware Water Gap area is full of gorgeous ruins of farms and houses. A small group will tour via van and visit the best ones!
- April 8, 2017 Carrie Furnaces: The Carrie Furnaces are nothing short of awe inspiring; this group will visit from afternoon through sunset so we can get some dramatic evening shots.
- April 9, 2017 Yellow Dog Village: A former mining village, Yellow Dog was a popular new workshop location I added last year with over a dozen abandoned homes in a very scenic rural setting. This was the most requested workshop for this year in my workshops group on Facebook!
- April 29, 2017 Klotz Throwing Company: Phrases like "time capsule" get thrown around a lot but it definitely applies to this silk mill in Lonaconing, MD. It's one of the places I'm asked to set up workshops at most, and definitely not a place to miss if you haven't been there.
- April 30, 2017 Trolley Graveyard: This is hands down one of the group favorites. Late April is one of the best times to go - it's starting to flower for spring but isn't insanely hot yet!
- May 7, 2017 The Catskill Game Farm: Once a beloved tourist destination for families, now the remnants of this old zoo remain scattered about an enormous campus, daring those who enjoy exploration to find them.
Book Events/News
Did you know that if you write a book or even two, you essentially have to promote them forever if you want to continue making more? While I enjoy book presentations a ton, constantly reminding people "Hey, I have books!" is, let's be frank, pretty tiring. But here we are at this part of the email again, so, you know, there's The Age of Consequences and Dismantling the Dream at these links - both have great reviews (enormous thanks to everyone who took a moment to share their thoughts on them!!) and you can find signed copies here. That being said, there are some fun things coming up - namely:
Well, that's it for now. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and as always I am very appreciative that you let me contact you from time to time with updates. Before I go I would like to mention I've been a lot more active on Twitter lately, adding more exclusive content, having giveaways, and if I'm honest, periodically telling Trump what an awful, awful person I think he is. If you'd like to join me there just follow this link. If not, heck with you. Just kidding, it took me a long time to figure out what Twitter was useful for and frankly I don't blame anyone who limits their social media presence. But, you know, that's where I'm at. So. Just gonna end this email now on that totally not awkward note. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the updates!
Sincerely,
Matthew
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