The Face of Albuquerque

November 8 , 2007

A couple of weeks ago another law student who knows that my photos are on the school web site sent me an e-mail with a link to the following post on a local blog:

ClearChannel will be introducing seven new digital billboards into the Albuquerque area market in mid-November. The billboards utilize LED technology and their messages rotate every 8 seconds. As part of a testing period scheduled to run through December 2, 2007, they have agreed to display an exhibit of local photographers' work on those billboards; the show will be titled, "The Face of Albuquerque." Marc Gutierrez and Lisa Tannenbaum are working with ClearChannel to select approximately 40 photos for the exhibit.

We are looking for outstanding photos that are representative of Albuquerque. Examples of the type of photography we are looking for are: roasting green chile; scenes including the Sandias and/or the Rio Grande; Old Town shots, etc. By no means should you limit yourself to only those ideas however - if you have a great photo that represents Albuquerque in some way, we hope you'll submit it.

Each photographer may submit up to two (2) photos. If you submit more than two, all of your submissions will be disqualified.

E-mail- today:

Hi there and congratulations!

Your photo, Sandia Strike, has been chosen for inclusion in The Face of Albuquerque, the photo exhibit to be held this month on seven ClearChannel digital billboards throughout the city.

I suspect the image of the Indian dancer didn't make it because I could not get in touch with him and get a model release.

This is the image as formatted for the billboards.

Earlier this fall Mrs and I were walking through an art exhibit in Santa Fe and after I showed her a photo for sale there for 95 bucks she said nothing until we were out of hearing from the photographer. She said to me..

"All I can say is that it's time."

"What do you mean, It's time."

"Your photos are way better than that, it's time for you to figure out a way to try and sell them."

Maybe, the photo was so poor that I would have never shown it to anyone.

But if I get chastised for not sitting still after ten minutes in a hot springs, (last weekend's trek) how could I ever sit in a booth at an art show?