Back At It

It's been over a year since my last posting .... wow... it's official I'm a crappy blogger!

Well here's to a new beginning!

First- This is the right place to find the photos I took at the Maine Women's Fund Celebratory Brunch on May 3rd. Check back in a week and I will have posted the images for you to look at and order. Instructions on how to order will be at the beginning of the next posting and remember 20% of the print sales will go directly to the Fund!

Thanks!

Kate P.

My New Book!

All In The Family

Photographs

By Kate Philbrick

Book Preview

Digital Salt, Thesis and Everything In Between

I just check out Salt's myspace page and blog, awesome. They are finally getting to the vibe that Salt students create when going throught the program. I am in the process of taking Salt into the digital age and the road has been slightly bumpier than I expected. But things are now on track and I feel the faculty's support and confidence which will make this a much better program in the long run. I can't wait to get started in the new space and with our new outlook on documentary work!


I have gotten comments on my thesis draft and am close to finishing my paper. Writing about my work has been an excellent experience. I am closer to being in touch with what I want to say in my photographs than I have ever been. I like taking responsiblity for what I put out in the world and defending it. My advisor Jesseca Ferguson has been incredibly helpful and supportive I couldn't ask for a better advisor. Next up is my power point presentation and creating more work in my series Re-imagine to hang in the graduate show at AIB.

Things at home have been very busy! The Gorham Middle School Tennis team has finished for the season and Kevin left feeling positive and wanting to join next year. What a gift... it has been amazing to see him stick with the team and feel connected to something other than his family. Daniel has one more x-country meet and will be happy to be free after school for a while. I think it was much harder than he expected but he also stuck with it and improved as the season progressed. Harry is still the king of second grade and doing very well in all his work. I am sure soon he will be bored by what the class is doing and need more of a challenge. Until then I think we will let him enjoy all of the positive words coming his way because he is doing so well.
Johnny has begun the processof securing the rights to a novel to produce into a movie he seems born to do this kind of work I hope it works out for him this time. I love that he hasn't given up on his passion, it is such an important part of his identity. I know he will make it work... he's amazing. I love my family they are my reason for being!

Until next time...

Boston

I am in Boston trying to get a bit more academic about my thesis... it's just a big mess right now... but I made some headway on cleaning it up. I plan on working all weekend on the thesis, let's see if I do! The work I have been making has been satisfying, although I don't get time to make enough of it. I am looking forward to just shooting again and not writing. Artist statement has to be done also I hope to do that this weekend also. I have been editing weddings they are fun but distracting. I have posted an image from my recent MFA work.. where will my work go after this process?

Wedding Work

I have spent most of September shooting editing and uploading weddings... I have had no time for my thesis work ..or any personal photo work! The boys (my 3 sons, Dan Kevin & Harry) are in school and have been reacclimating to student life. Sports friends homework and dances have been taking up the rest of my time. I don't want to miss anything but I can't do it all. I have yet to make a time to meet my mentor and mid-semester is just about right now. Complain Complain Complain!

My new students at Salt are really very nice and I think they will do well. I look forward to seeing the work they do and watching them grow through the process of Salt.

I had a great conversation with a very close friend of mine about the way images have supplanted text as the predominate way of comunication on a grand scale. We are so used to images in our everyday lives that we don't stop and really look at what is in front of our eyes, maybe because there is so much of it that we are overwhelmed. There is no de-coding of imagery, we accept what is in front of us and assume that the image has been manipulated. We SEE that the image has been"doctored" or cleaned up, smoothed out, but we don't stop to think why was it manipulated. It's like fast food it is meant to be consumed mindlessly. Photographs are not reality, especially today with the powerful digital technology that can create the illusion of something really being where it never existed.

I think I'm rambling, too much time in front of this machine and not enough in front of the trees and river surrounding my house.

Time for a break.

Day One

This is my first entry... I am in the process of writing my thesis and producing a body of work to hang in my MFA graduation show. I hope to use this blog to keep my thoughts in order so when I look back after I graduate I can remember the things I went through to get my degree.