Smile for the camera!

Posted 8/21/12

The past week has been interesting, to say the least. In a near-perfect tribute to the expression “turnabout is fair play,” I’ve spent the better part of the last few days being shadowed by a …

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Smile for the camera!

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The past week has been interesting, to say the least. In a near-perfect tribute to the expression “turnabout is fair play,” I’ve spent the better part of the last few days being shadowed by a photojournalist who was assigned to follow me (I mean the dog) as we traversed the Upper Delaware River region in search of arts and leisure. At first, I thought the phone call was about me. Wrong. A representative from the Eddie Adams Workshop was on the line, asking questions about my availability to participate in the 26th annual project, which takes place in Jeffersonville, NY, drawing photographers from all over the world. Named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning Adams, (www.eddieadamsworkshop.com), the workshop is “an intense four-day gathering of the top photography professionals, along with 100 carefully selected students chosen based on the merit of their portfolios.” After ascertaining that it was my sidekick (www.facebook.com/DharmaTheWonderDog) that attracted their attention, I sighed and accepted the invitation to have one of the workshop participants dog us for hours on end in an attempt to capture Dharma’s story. The young woman assigned to us, Kaylee Everly, is currently an intern at the Lincoln Star Journal in Nebraska, and had never been to New York. As a member of a workshop team, it was Kaylee’s job to document the pooch for her part in the team’s overall theme “Beauty and Beast,” while I did my job, doing my best to stay out of Everly’s way. Charmed I’m sure.

Before meeting up with the photographer, Dharma joined me to attend a reading of excerpts from author Elizabeth Rose’s new book “Yo Miz” at the library (www.wsplonline.org) in Jeffersonville, NY, where Rose wildly entertained the audience (www.yomizthebook.com), breathing life into the characters that illustrate the writer’s “non-fiction memoir.” “Yo Miz” documents the odyssey of a teacher assigned to substitute in 25 Manhattan public high schools over the course of one year. Funny, touching and incredibly well written, Rose’s often scathing indictment of the public school system seems destined (IMHO) for the best-seller list and is due out late next month.

After a few hours of watching my dog being documented in her natural habitat, I grabbed my own camera, snapped a few shots of the photographer at work and drove them both to the inaugural Callicoon Art Walk, which was such a tremendous, exciting, overwhelming extravaganza that left me (for once) at a loss for words. Spearheaded by local entrepreneur Irene Nickolai (www.facebook.com/callicoontrading), the entire town was buzzing with activity as hundreds of visitors and residents visited 16 participating businesses, all of which hosted artists and musicians. Nickolai summed it up best by stating that “the town is a perfectly beautiful setting for showcasing art [and I] was more than delighted by the tremendous support and attendance by the community.” Mark my words, this event, celebrating the many talented individuals who call this region home, will become a tradition.

Kaylee was “excited” to document our trip to the grocery store with my pup in the cart, so off we went. While I did the mundane task of buying dog treats and milk, she seemed fascinated with all of our neighbors who stopped to pay their respects to my canine “celebrity,” and Everly’s camera clicked away as I paid my tab and moved on. While she took a break to work with her editors and process photos back at the workshop, Dharma and I gussied up for the “Moulin Rouge”-themed fundraiser in Livingston Manor (www.catskillartsociety.org), which included a fabulous meal, (www.hellobistro.net) lively conversation, Noah Barker tickling the ivories and the two new really cool gallery installations adorning the walls. In addition to the artwork around us, charcoal sketches were being created on the spot by Galen Pittman (www.bit.ly/galenpaintings) as mementoes of the evening. CAS Executive Director Bradley Diuguid made the rounds, greeting guests and expressing his heartfelt gratitude. “Thank you for letting the arts into your lives, and for your support,” he said, addressing the festive crowd. “We’re not a [Catskill Art] society without you.” The dog was (as always) a hit with the crowd, and I made a note to re-visit the impressive exhibit, which runs through November 16.

The Eddie Adams Workshop concluded with a pictorial presentation, and I accompanied the pup to the ceremony, which included photographer Kaylee being awarded an internship at the White House. “I’m speechless,” Everly said with excitement. “What an honor. This has been one of the best weekends of my life.” After spending some quality time with Dharma, I’m guessing she’ll devote some of her assignment with the First Family to photographing Bo Obama, the President’s dog.

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