News & Exhibits

Winter 2007/2008 Picture Postcard and Newsletter Released

WHAT'S NEW AT IRENE ABDOU PHOTOGRAPHY
Quarterly Picture Postcard and Newsletter
Winter 2007/2008, Volume 1, Issue 3


1. INTRO

Hello again and welcome to the 2007/2008 Winter Newsletter. I’d been looking forward this winter season to photos of beautiful, scenic expanses of white snow, but alas, I was disappointed. So I resorted to making my own snow…digitally! See the next section for full details…


2. PICTURE POSTCARD

And that introduction leads me to this quarter’s picture postcard! Attached here, it is a photograph of the annual Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, Maryland.









Upon entering the park, I got out of the car and headed across the street with my tripod. Five seconds later, I was back in the car with a stern warning from the park police not to stop. So I had to resort to other measures. As my husband drove, I stood in the back seat with my head out the moonroof, photographing the scene as we meandered along.

This photo was beautiful straight out of the camera. However, I shot a lot of photos of the winter arches, and I decided to make this one a little different, so I added a "blizzard" effect in Photoshop. My own digital snow!

Please circulate this postcard to friends, family, etc. (no alterations please). If you would like one (or a few) print copies from me, send me an e-mail, and I’d be happy to oblige. If you’d like back issues of previous picture postcards, just let me know. Or, view them first on the web in the Picture Postcard Gallery.


3. FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

This has been a busy three months for my fine art work with many pieces on display at fine art galleries and exhibits across the area.

Upcoming Exhibits

• Fine art exhibit at Gallery Serengeti, Capitol Heights, MD (bringing “Fine Art from an African Pot” to the DC metro area), Mar 15-April 2008

• 2008 “Art Anonymous” fine art exhibit, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Mar 1-10, 2008

Ongoing Exhibits
There’s still time to visit! Click on the links for photos of the exhibits.

• ”Face of the World” fine art photography exhibit, Metropolitan Center of the Visual Arts (VisArts), Rockville, MD, Feb 10-Mar 31, 2008

• ”Through Our Lenses” photography exhibit, Gaithersburg Council for the Arts, Kentlands Mansion, Gaithersburg, MD, Jan 18-Mar 30, 2008

Past Exhibits
Click on the link to view photos of the exhibit and gallery talk.

• ”Emotions” fine art photography exhibit, Parish Gallery, Georgetown, Washington, DC, Feb 1-29, 2008

While the Parish Gallery exhibit has ended, Parish Gallery continues to represent me in the fine art arena. You can stop by to view a selection of my Africa travel/documentary limited edition work (including pieces not shown in “Emotions”) anytime during opening hours, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 12:00-6:00 pm.

In addition, if you’re local to the area, some of my smaller, open edition prints (architecture, nature, light & movement, travel/documentary, and more) are also on sale in store at Art Galaxy, located at 19725-C Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 21704 (tel. 301-540-9055). So also feel free to stop by to see some of those prints firsthand!


4. WHAT’S NEW ONLINE AT WWW.PHOTOSWITHSOUL.COM

I’ve added a lot of new images this quarter, so as seems to happen every quarter, you may notice the website looking a little different from the last time you visited. One of the first changes I made this quarter was to make it easier for you to separate new images from those you may have already seen. Therefore, there is now a section called New Releases, categorized by month.

Here are some of the newly added images you’ll see there:

• South Sudan and Niger (December 2007)
• Christmas and winter lights (January 2008)
• Chinese New Year celebrations, Mali, and Morocco (February 2008)

As you can see, I’ve started working on digitizing some of my older film work (Morocco, Mali). You will continue to see new images added to the website over the coming months.

And finally, I’ve also added a wedding photography gallery, which is discussed in more detail below.


5. PORTRAIT & EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES


Your day.
Your memories.
Forever.


In addition to my previous family & casual event photography work, I now offer photojournalism-style wedding photography services. While this may seem very different from my travel photography, my documentary style and ability to capture personalities and emotions connect the two. And while special moments may be fleeting, I love how I can help to preserve these memories for generations to come. Those of you who’ve worked with me already know that my devotion to photography and quest for the ever-more-perfect picture are never-ending.

You can click here to view sample wedding photography and family & casual event photography photos. I offer a variety of wedding packages ranging from hourly photography services with a single photographer (myself) to full-day, 8-hr coverage with two photographers (myself and an associate).

Photo Enhancements & Retouching

I am also offering digital photo enhancements and photo retouching services.

Photo enhancements are conversions of color photos to other "looks," including black & white, antique grayscale, sepia, aged photo, antique light, cold tone, cyanotype, soft light, screen, hue, and overlay. "Texture" can also be added to the photo through a "parchment paper" enhancement, so that the photo looks like it has been printed on paper with a parchment texture.

Click here to view sample conversions.


6. WHAT ELSE IS NEW WITH IRENE’S PHOTOGRAPHY

Web Publication
Reuters, the international multimedia news agency, this quarter picked up two of my photos for publication in two of their website slideshows (adding to the five from last quarter). Pick up the links to the slideshow on the Reuters website at http://www.photoswithsoul.com/photo_1725189.html AND http://www.photoswithsoul.com/photo_1857770.html.

Professional Memberships
Irene is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP).


7. PARTING WORDS

Thanks again for your interest in Irene Abdou Photography. Please forward this e-mail, as well as the attached picture postcard, to friends, family, or anyone else you know who may be interested. I love to receive feedback, so feel free to e-mail me or give me a call! (And if you wish to unsubscribe from this e-mail list, just let me know.)


Best regards,
Irene Abdou