Before my travels begin again for my fall photography forays in September, there are a few events and updates that I hope you all add to the calendar.
July
Griffin Galleries will again be hosting their 4th Friday Photos event on July 25th from 5:00-8:00pm in Chagrin Falls. The gallery offers snacks and drinks and encourages all of you to stop by and talk art, photos, and adventures afield. If you cannot make the evening event, I am happy to coordinate a private viewing that fits your schedule.
I am also looking for beta readers to read through the final draft of my first novel. The book is best described as ecological fiction, and takes place in the Age of Arbor world in which I have been writing. It is a world where climate change is solved, explorers climb mountains on other planets, and people live for hundreds of years on a drug called the Breath of Life. I have several stories from this world already up and available on the fiction section of this substack, including Bugle Breath and Invasive Treatment, among others. The book covers new core characters and story arcs that inspired the one-off short stories I’ve mentioned above. The closest comp I can think of for this series is the Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer, but I also suspect that anyone who appreciates outdoor writing from the likes of John Krakauer and Peter Matthiessen, as well as accounts of explorers from throughout the world, will find a home in this series. Please let me know if you are interested in a read-through and I can send more info, I’d love to see if you can top the keen eye of my editor before I share the book with the rest of the world (and other planets).
August
During the month of August, the Fairmount Center for the Arts is organizing a Chagrin Valley Gallery Walk. This is your chance to visit a variety of artists throughout the Chagrin Valley and enjoy the wonderful community we’re building together.
One lucky participant will receive a $100 gift card to a Chagrin Valley restaurant by following the directions below:
First, you’ll need a passport! You can pick up your trifold passport booklet at any participating gallery to begin your journey.
Visit as many participating Chagrin Valley Gallery Walk locations listed below between August 1-31.
Collect a stamp from each location you visit in your booklet. Each visit counts as one entry towards the prize drawing.
Submit your booklet to Fairmount Center for the Arts or Wildscapes Gallery OR send a photo of the inside of your booklet to megan@fairmountcenter.org by August 31, 2025 to be entered to win.
The Gallery Walk winner will be contacted on Tuesday, September 2!
Participating Galleries include: Wildscapes Gallery, Griffin Galleries, DP Farr Gallery, Fairmount Center for the Arts, GHill Art, The Glass Asylum, Imagery Fine Arts, S2udio, and the Valley Art Center.
Each gallery will have their own special evening, including Griffin Galleries’ preferred 4th Friday Photos on August 22nd from 5:00-8:00pm. I hope to see you all there!
September to Year-End
My calendar for sporting photography is filling up. If you are ready to see your story from the outside with heirloom images and a bespoke photo book, please drop me a note and we can talk through your special hunting or fishing outing for the fall, winter, or spring. I work with a variety of clients, including individuals, hunting partners, guides, outfitters, conservation organizations, and corporate travel groups.
You might enjoy this sample from a mountain goat hunt in British Columbia, No Easy Task, which I wrote about on AFIELD Notes earlier this year:
Memory fades, but experiences last forever. It would be my pleasure help you bring back more than a trophy.