Pittsburgh Dish

Love with abandon

A conversation with North Side photographer Kim Reed, a member of the Bygone Group, which is dedicated to documenting Pittsburgh's past.

by Jeff Glagowski

Photographer Kimberly Reed grew up in Beaver County. For the past six years, she has made her home in Pittsburgh. Currently, Kim resides in the North Side where her passion for the arts has solidified her status as one of the area’s premiere wedding photographers. When not capturing the beauty of satin and lace, Reed captures the beauty of dank, empty spaces. A collection of her abandoned spaces photos is part of a collective exhibit by the Bygone Group of Pittsburgh opening this Friday in Butler.

Dish correspondent Jeff Glagowski recently took the opportunity to speak with Reed about life, love and the shutter-clicks between:

JG: When did you first pick up a camera?

KR: I've always used the arts as a form of expression. Growing up, it was mostly drawing, painting, writing poetry. I didn't pick up a camera with any serious intentions until my senior year of high school. My dad is a pretty advanced photography hobbyist, so I borrowed one of his cameras and started teaching myself. I love every aspect of it; from the way the camera feels in my hands, to taking the picture itself, to spending time in front of the computer during the editing process. It's such a great way to express myself. I love that the photographic medium is one of the forms of art that crosses all language barriers. It's direct, but still leaves interpretation up to the individual viewing it. I just want to stir emotion in people. To make them stop and think, if only for a moment, before they continue in the course of their day. My passion is to provide photography for non-profit and charity organizations that are working to inspire social changes.

JG: What attracted you to becoming a wedding photographer?

KR: Wedding photography used to have this stigma attached to it; like true artists wouldn't do it. I think within the last few years that mindset has started to change. Photographing a wedding is a real challenge; every one is different, and you are on your feet and have to be mentally alert for 10 and 12 hours at a time- ready to capture all of the important moments. You have to be able to anticipate when and where great photos are going to happen, as well as be able to capture the architecture and details of the day. It's such an emotional day, and to be allowed to be a part of that, to capture those intimate moments and relationships between people, it really is a privilege. I just shot a wedding this past weekend, and I swear I was grinning ear to ear the entire time.

JG: How do you build a relationship with the subjects you are photographing?

KR: For weddings, I only accept a limited number a year. I use this boutique approach, so by the time the wedding comes around, I feel like we're friends. I'm a pretty emotional person, and I'm genuinely interested in people's stories. I ask a ton of questions; I want to know how they got to where they are; what circumstances and decisions have influenced them. I don't think I've met anyone that I haven't been able to relate to in some way. I also don't take myself too seriously; so I'm not afraid to laugh at myself. I think that helps to bridge gaps too.

JG: You've described your work as a "blend of photojournalism, fashion and fine art photography." When approaching a shoot, how do you draw from these styles?

KR: When I'm shooting the wedding and reception, I'm using a documentary approach. I'm not stopping to pose people or interfering with the flow of the day at all. At the same time, I'm shooting with the end result in mind; I want my couples to have an amazing album that tells the story of their day. They should end up with images that not only tell the story and show the emotion, but are beautiful enough that they can be blown up and hung on a wall as art.

I think a woman is at her most captivating on her wedding day; so I like to spend some time alone with just the bride, and then the bride and groom together. I like to create sexy, high fashion shots like you would see in a magazine. If it's not possible to do these on the wedding day, I encourage brides to schedule a photo session for after the wedding where we can spend time getting these shots. There's a trend going on right now called 'trash the dress' sessions (there's a website dedicated to it). I love the dichotomy of a woman in an elegant wedding gown in an unexpected location.

JG: You belong to a Pittsburgh-based band of "abandonment photographers" called the Bygone Group. What inspires you to photographically preserve lost hallmarks of the past?

KR: I'm fascinated by the things that get left behind when people and businesses move along. It provides such a compelling snapshot into that little piece of someone's life. I want to document these scenes before they're lost or destroyed. I love the thrill of exploring places that people haven't been in years. I'll often end up a little ahead or behind the rest of the group. I love it when I'm completely alone and it's just the sound of my breath and the click of my shutter that's breaking the stillness around me.

JG: There's an intimacy in the warm celebration of a wedding as well as in a cold, abandoned dwelling. You seem to respect and capture that that in your photos.

KR: Everyone sees things differently, and I love being able to capture moments, to be able to share with people the way that I experience the world. I think a lot of it comes down to being a good observer. Sometimes you don't have long to capture a shot that reflects the essence of the scene, so I'm constantly looking at things with a photographer's eye; what's going to make a good image.

Abandoned Spaces by the ByGone Group:

Friday, March 9 through April 13, the Bygone Group (consisting of photographers Emily Baehr, Mark Knobil, Kim Reed and Marc Rettig) will be featured at The Art Center, 344 South Main St., Butler. Call 724-283-6922 for more information or visit the Bygone Group website.

To see more of Kimberly Reed’s work, or for pricing and information, visit Reed's website.

Jeff Glagowski can be reached at jrglagowski@comcast.net.

"Legacy" opens this weekend

Lawrenceville show brings together the photography of a father and son for the first time.

On Saturday, Nov. 25, Coca Cafe will feature "Legacy," a presentation of photographs that brings together the images of Pittsburgh-born Neil Cohen, former athletic director at Community College of Allegheny College (CCAC) and his son Matt Cohen.

Neil traveled the world taking photos for Nike but didn't limit himself to sports photography. Along the road he'd jump off the team bus and capture everyday faces and lives on film. The timing of the show is fitting: Neil died on Dec. 9, 2005.

Matt Cohen inherited his father's keen eye and love of photography. He's traveled the world and has documented the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the condition of inner cities around the country and the architectural ruins of Lawrenceville's Heppenstall Complex. His work has been published in several newspapers and magazines.

Legacy is produced by Jamie Beth Schindler of New York City. It will be the first time her father and brother's photos will be shown together.

November 25, 2006 – January 7, 2007

Coca Cafe (directions)
3811 Butler St., Lawrenceville, 412-621-3171

Hours:

Tuesday-Friday: 7am – 3pm

Saturday: 9am – 3pm

Sunday: 10am – 3pm

Yale shrink buys piece of the [No]rth Side

Art, mind game or both?

Jeff Glagowski, a photographer from New Haven, Conn., visited the North Side last summer and combed the Mexican War Streets neighborhood with camera and curiosity. He was enamored with the mix of refined architecture and raw street renderings. Glagowski returned to New Haven and displayed his photos at City-Wide Open Studios, an event that transforms vacant buildings, living rooms, storefronts and any structures with walls into art galleries.

Glagowski sold several photos to Charles A. Morgan III, M.D., a forensic psychiatrist and an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University. The "No" photo, taken near Monterey Street, perhaps appealed to Morgan on a socio-scientific level and not just an aesthetic one.

Morgan is also a senior research scientist on the behavioral science staff of the Central Intelligence Agency. He lead a study conducted by the U.S. Navy and Yale which found that eyewitness testimony is often largely inaccurate, even when victims get a long look at violent criminals, and police and juries may be giving this evidence too much credibility.

In his Commencement address to Yale's Physician Associate Class of 2003, Morgan told the graduating class, “You need to question authority. You need to think about what you do.”

Morgan, who will hang the "No" photo in a public area of the "Gold Building" in downtown New Haven, is apparently not a Yes Man.

See more of Glagowski's photos here.

Breaking News: Man in Dodge Neon thinks he's great

Who's to argue? That's one fine ride.

Whilst patroling Oakland in search of news-related material, Dish, by happenstance, came across greatness. Look, it says right there on the back of that burgundy Neon: "IMSOGR8." Dish takes this to mean, "I'm so great." And who's to argue with a guy willing to pay a few more bucks to the state in order to announce to the world that he's great? Not just great, but SO GREAT. That kind of greatness doesn't come along every day and if one is in posession of such greatness isn't it incumbent upon the great one to share his greatness? Were the license plate affixed to this Neon simply a collection of random letters and neumerals, those in the vicinity would likely think to themselves, if they thought much at all about the whole deal, "Hey, there's an average citizen in a Neon. I think I could use a latte."

But with the greatness brought front and center, passers by, and those passed, can now say, "Hey, that guy is so great. I think I could use a latte. I wish I were great, too." Frankly, that's great. Or GR8. Or, truth be told, SOGR8.

Super.

The War Streets Up Close

Jeff Glagowski saw different kind of beauty on the North Side. Far beyond the historical and architectural perfection on display during the Mexican War Streets Hour & Garden Tour held yesterday.

The Connecticut-based graphic designer, photographer and friend slipped away from Dish headquarters one morning three weeks ago with no compass, tourist map or pre-conceived notions about the Big Bad North Side. With camera in hand, he wandered around the neighborhood in search of nothing in particular. About 45 minutes later Glagowski returned with images of things that may seem ugly, mundane or offensive. It didn't take him long to discover the beautiful imperfections of an imperfect neighborhood. And find humor along the way.

What follows is Glagowsi's photo essay of the North Side.

All photos by Jeff Glagowski© are available for purchase. Contact him at JRGlagowski@comcast.net

 

Magically Delicious

So much for the efficiency of what the grand poobahs of "new media" are calling "hyper-local interactive citizens' media." We here at Dish were quite sure that we could post a little photo of a little rainbow shot from the rooftop of our North Side home without any danger of being scooped by the Big Dailies. We were rather wrong, as the P-G ran a much larger, much better photo by photog Matt Freed illustrating the refraction of light through airborne wetness than us. Dish feels bad. Dish is going to lock itself in its room, listen to Nitzer Ebb and weep.

Shutterbugs Wanted

Found yourself out and about in Pittsburgh with a digital camera and later downloaded some fun photos? Wanna share them with your neighbors? Send them to the Dish editor@pittsburghdish.com and we'll post your masterpieces.

Please be sure to include your full name so we can give you credit for your work.