My first NJ photo expo

** update **

The pictures on display are now also available for purchase here on my site – follow this link

Wow – I honestly thought I would never type this title to a blog post: My first NJ photo expo! But it is happening. And it is the reason I have been somewhat absent from the internet, because I have been preparing for my first NJ photo expo since we moved to the USA.

black & white, photos, photography, Laughing Lion
Sports section

A few weeks back, after a little bit of pushing from our new friends here in the US, I contacted a well known local restaurant, Cafe Metro in Denville, that we knew had changing displays of local art. Since phone calls, especially ‘cold calls’, still tend to make me a little nervous I looked them up and sent them a message via facebook together with links to my website and shop. I did not have to wait long for an answer.

black & white, photos, photography, Laughing Lion
Nature section

They had been looking for local black & white art for their sister restaurant, The Laughing Lion in Dover, and wanted to know how long it would take me to get my art ready to hang.

So, there I was – I had my first venue to stage my photography. Now all I had to do was getting it ready. Sounds simple enough, right? If it weren’t for the ‘ifs’, ‘buts’ and ‘whens’ in this world. Questions: Do we need a contract? Are they working on commission? Who does the framing and hanging? What kind of photos? How many photos? These are just some of the questions that I have been trying to find an answer. In the end, we agreed to a fairly simple and low-key agreement of: No contract, no commission, I am framing and hanging and deciding which of my photos. This is how they have been dealing with the art displays in Cafe Metro for over fifteen years without a problem, which convinced me to agree.

black & white, photos, photography, Laughing Lion
Spiritual/Light section
black & white, photos, photography, Laughing Lion
Futuristic

After a few hiccups with getting the frames, delayed delivery and some arrived damaged with chipped frames and/or glass, we finally set the date to hang my photos for last Friday. During the day so that we would not disturb the customers. David had the day off and was going to help me, because I figured it might be a little difficult getting them all nicely lined up by myself. Unfortunately he managed to somehow hurt his back pretty bad about two hours before we were leaving. After the previous hiccups with the frames this just seemed typical. However, supporting husband that he is, he took some medicines and then grinned and bore it. He accompanied me to The Laughing Lion and together we hung nineteen pictures, all black & white, but different sizes, within about two hours. Maybe the beer that David sampled helped him a little over the pain, too.

black & white, photos, photography, Laughing Lion
Old Europe section

In the evening we wanted to go out to dinner with Barbara and Paul, the same friends who had insisted on me contacting the Cafe Metro in the first place. But before dinner David and I decided to take them to The Laughing Lion to surprise them with my NJ photo expo and have a toast. Suffice to say the surprise worked and we had a lovely evening!

If you want to check out my photography at The Laughing Lion you will have time to do so until mid September. All photographs on display are for sale with or without framing. Of course, they are also available in my shop and soon also right here on my website.

15 thoughts on “My first NJ photo expo”

  1. Hello, found your post from the Etsy blogging team! Congratulations on having your photos out there! It sounds really exciting, and seems a little overwhelming from reading your post! Kudos to you though for sorting through all those details and putting it all together. It looks great!!

    Reply
    • Thanks, Victoria – yes, it was a bit of work being the first one, but I think it it was well worth it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Hallo meine Liebe,
    das ist ja toll! Herzlichen Glückwunsch!!!Kann mir gut vorstellen, wie aufregend das ist… und natürlich drücken wir ganz fest die Daumen für Folgeaufträge!
    Alles Liebe
    Catha

    Reply
    • Vielen herzlichen Dank, Catha. ‘Folgeauftraege’ ist gut – da das hier eine Ausstellung ist, gehoeren die Bilder alle (noch) mir und ich hol sie in ein paar Monaten wieder ab. Es sei denn, es kauft jemand eines, was dann der ‘Folgeauftrag’ waer ;). Und bis dahin is es publicity – yeah!

      Reply
  3. Hello Claudia – your work is quite lovely and congrats on your show at The Laughing Lion. I am a fellow photographer and was wondering if I could contact you directly regarding displaying your work and selling prints on Etsy?

    Either way, congrats on your success and best wishes for the future 🙂

    Reply

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