This Weekend!

Believe it or not (that's mostly for me), my first show is coming right up this weekend!  Clear your calendars, wash the car, shut the windows, stack the chairs, get to the ATM, restart the computer, assemble that furniture and head on over to the Mt. Airy Fall Festival.  Here are some key FAQ's:

When?  October 1-2
What time?  9-5 on Saturday and 10-5 on Sunday
Where? downtown Mt. Airy, Maryland, right on Main Street
Who?  You!  (or me, or Under the Same Sun, depending on the context)

Be there!

I think I need a bigger car

As the things are coming together, they are piling up.  It's got me slightly worried, especially as the tent folds up to be about as small as telephone pole.  Dry run to set everything up will be later this week, then I'll know for sure if I need to rent a tractor-trailer to sell a few photos. 

Actual Signage

The final pieces are slowly coming together as I am counting down to the 1st of October.  I finally found some reasonable priced acrylic signs.  Those are some sweet signs you might say. 

How you say? Show!

I am really happy and really nervous to tell you dear reader(s?) that my official first show is booked and ready to go.  It is a two day fall festival held in Mt. Airy, Maryland on October 1-2.  
I emailed them to confirm and was told that "If your check has been cashed you are in the show."  Well, I headed on over to the ole bank account and there it was! I have since had further confirmation and now it's time to get nervous!  Or, get excited!  Or, recruit someone to help me!

Details are in the 'Upcoming Events' page to the left, but really all you need to know is: Mt. Airy + October 1 + kicking photographs = happy times. 

Thoughts on Signage

One or none of you may have noticed that I changed the banner on the UTSS blog. What do you think? I need to have a sign made of some sort, and I was thinking, since I went with the sun-esque name, it should included a picture of the sun. Or, something like that. This is on a pic I took just the other day on the way to work. Sometimes it's worth driving at 0530. But not often.
Anyway, I want it to look professional and I'm sure the sign maker will do a better job of it, but this is a sign prototype, one might say. Let me know.

The Weirdest Part of this Picture

...is that I bought fabric.  From a fabric store.  I'm thinking it will be a one-off until this fabric wears out.  Or, until I try to cut it into lenghts and make the most not-straight cut ever known to humankind.  Anyway, I got a couple of tables, because 10x10 is really a lot of real estate, and some fabric to cover them.  Here are a couple of experiments on layout until next week when I can set the whole deal up and see what's what.  So, if you care...

In for a Dime

You know, back when I said 'I could do that' I didn't think of all of the logistics of selling photography at craft fairs.  All of the little things like table cloths, money boxes, credit card capabilities, how to hang pictures in a tent, and the like, never occurred to me.  These are the things that are kind of nickle and diming me to death.  I know it's a business, and that means start up costs, and I know that these costs don't compare to a 'proper' business.  But, still.  I didn't expect to buy 12 yards of expensive fabric to cover my tables.  Call me naive.  But, I have learned the wonders of the internet and how things can be done 'cheaply.'  I use that term lightly. 
Either way, I'll be ready.  I've applied for two shows in October (1-2 and 15-16 respectively) and I would assume I will be in them as they are not juried, and I've already paid. 
I did finally get the tent up, and though the pictures are not up yet, it is pretty spectacular.  Well, it's a big white tent.  Despite it's heft, it was fairly simple to put up and I hope that I never have an occasion to do it by myself as I value it as well as my back.  Seeing it up did give me plenty to think about in terms of decoration and set-up. 
We did decide that I should have a sign made.  We even went to a sign making place, but the choices were fairly boggling.  So I'm on the drawing board, thinking of something that might look nice and is affordable. 
I hope soon to be officially posting upcoming shows, and until then, I'll be doing dry runs to see if it will all fit in my car, and how long it really takes to set up.  (6-7 hours?)

Frameless Frames

Outside of matted photographs, I'll be selling 5x7 prints in 'frameless' frames.  I am a big fan of these and love that it's simple and easy and looks cool.  I've just gotten them assembled, and I'm pretty stoked.  They'll be on sale for $10 each or any 3 for $25.  A bargain!

Conservation

Check out the new 'Conservation' section to the left and learn about some of the cool materials Under the Same Sun is using to be green.  I hate that to be 'green' feels trite and like somehting companies do to placate the public and make themselves feel better.  I truly think it's important for everyone to do their bit, even if it seems so small and insignificant.  Will photobags made from plants save the world? No.  But at least it's a try.