Not So Desolate a Road: Located right on State Route 146, at 182 Main Street, in Altamont, NY, you’ll find Jim Miller’s Desolation Road Studios, a relatively undiscovered room for regional art and music in the Albany area. The studio space is a perfect size for a warm, acoustic performance, and he knows it. He set up cafe tables in the middle of the shop for listeners.

Recently, Jim constructed a custom frame for a photograph I took and wanted to give to a good friend as a wedding gift; I was honored to be the Best Man, a description a few folks would likely take issue with… He suggested that I consider barn wood for the frame, with a double mat for both depth of perspective and complimentary tonality in color. His suggestion sounded spot-on to me, and as you can see for yourself in the photo below, he did a beautiful job. And… I can tell you that his reasonable custom framing prices would send Michael’s into a fit of confusion. Plus, he’s a small business owner, so he invests himself in each project with dedication to detail; he knows his name travels with each frame and photograph.

A sample of Jim Miller’s framing talents

Pack the car full of folks, and head on out to Altamont and visit Jim (you can catch a wood fired pizza next door at Mio Vino). While at the Studio, pick up some hand-made jewelry or pottery, chat him up for your next framing project, and bring some beer or wine to one of the many shows he hosts on his intimate stage: I’ll return to Desolation Road for a pre-Christmas show on December 22nd. Simply put, Jim’s a good guy, and works hard to make sure that his customers are comfortable and pleased. Give him a go, and say hello for me.

Desolation Road Studios

182 Main Street

Altamont, NY 12009

518-608-4749

www.desolationroadstudios.com

The Studios is proud to announce the addition of Melli Rose’s gem and mineral business here at the Studios!  
The Organic Gem will be offering stones of various sizes and qualities. The Organic Gem is a retail shop offering crystals, stones and jewelry in their natural, raw form as well as gifts created from, inspired by and incorporating rocks & minerals.

Currently in stock:

Amethyst, polished and raw
Amethyst cathedrals (large geodes)
Selenite Candle Holders
Agate slices
Quartz Crystals
Herkimer Diamonds
Fluorite Octahedrons
Rose Quartz
Pyrite (fools gold)
Kyanite slices
Chip necklaces
Beaded Jewelry
Misc. polished pocket stones
& more.

Need that little extra something to elevate your skills to the next level or do you need to hone a specific skill in particular  or maybe you’re a neophyte looking to build your musical skills from the ground up? Whether its voice, guitar or piano, Gailgamesh Productions at Desolation Road Studios is what you’re looking for.

• Demos
• College auditions
• Small ensembles
• EPs
• Fees vary per project

MA Music Technology, ProTools certification, Singer/Songwriter, area performer, 9 years as a high school choral director, 15 years in high school and community productions as vocal coach and sound tech.

Desolation Road Studios Press Kit Packet Bundles – Music Promotion One Stop Shopping

Get your act together! Give your music profile the professional look and sound it deserves with a DRS Press Kit Packet.

——-Basic Bundle:

• 3 Song Demo Recording, duplication ready, capable of generating a high quality mp3 files for online listening/downloading
• 1 Song Performance Video, formatted for high quality online viewing
• 5 Studio Photos, high definition, ready for print or online viewing/downloading

                  Includes:

1- Up to 5 hour audio recording session, 2 hours post production

1- Video recording session, occurring during audio session, 1 hour postproduction

1- Photo session, may occur simultaneously or separate from video and audio session

1- Audio CD, duplication ready

1- Flash drive containing the following

• 3 songs in WAV and mp3 format
• MP4 or QuickTime movie file
• High resolution digital photo files

                          Basic Bundle Price-$375.00

——On Location Bundle:

• 3 Song Demo Recording – duplication ready, capable of generating a high quality mp3 files for online listening/downloading
• 2 Song Performance Videos – formatted for high quality online viewing
• 10 Studio or Location Photos – high definition, ready for print or online viewing/downloading

Includes:

1- Up to 5 hour audio recording session, 3 hours post production

1- Video recording session, occurring during audio session, 2 hours post production

1- Photo session, location of choice

1- Audio CD, duplication ready

1- Flash drive containing the following

• 3 songs in WAV and mp3 format
• 2-MP4 or QuickTime movie files
• High resolution digital photo files

            On Location Bundle Price-$500.00

——The EP:

• 5 Song EP – duplication or replication ready, capable of generating a high quality mp3 files for online listening/downloading
• 3 Song Performance Videos – in studio and on location, formatted for high quality online viewing
• 25 Studio or Location Images – high definition, ready for print or online viewing/downloading

Includes:

Up to 15 hours of audio recording, 10 hours post production

Video recording session, occurring during audio session or on location, 6 hours post production, 3 videos total

3- Photo sessions, 1 studio and 2 locations of choice

1- Audio CD, duplication or replication ready

1- Flash drive containing the following

• 5 songs in WAV and mp3 format
• 3-MP4 or QuickTime movie files
• High resolution digital photo files

.

                            EP Bundle Price-$1,475.00

Fine Print: Pricing based on single or duo performers. All materials must be original or have appropriate permissions. Additional production time is required for larger ensembles. Backing instrumentation is available upon request. Fees will increase based on a 30.00 per hour rate.

Desolation Road Studios is now accepting applications for the 3rd Annual Altamont Art in the Park Juried Arts Festival which will be held on Columbus Day Weekend 10/12/13 with a rain date of 10/13/13. The show will run from 9am thru 6pm with music by Rusticator.

Application Procedure

Desolation Road Studios is now accepting applications from all artists 18 years of age and older.

Open to all artists 18 years of age and older creating original works in any media including: painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, fibers, mixed media, woodworking and glass.

Application Fees:

The jury fee is $10 and is non refundable.  Booth fees are $75.00 per 10 ft sq.  Should you want to purchase a larger booth, an additional 10 ft square can be purchased for $50.00. All artists must have a white tent.

Guidelines/Rules:

EXHIBITS…
•    Artists may check in on show day from 7 am until 8:30 am. Your exhibit must be ready when the show begins at 9 am Saturday.

•    Exhibit space will be assigned in a park setting. There is no staking on the Village Green so plan for windy conditions with weights. Each artist is responsible for his or her own display, which must be staffed by the artist at all times during the show hours. Volunteers will be available to assist for short periods of time.

•    Only original fine art may be exhibited. Commercially manufactured items or items made from commercial kits or molds are unacceptable.  Buy sell is not allowed. This will be strictly enforced.

•    Desolation Road Studios reserves the right to prohibit the display of any work which it determines at its discretion is without redeeming social value or work that is inconsistent with submitted images.

•    Artists must present only their own work in their assigned space.

•    All artists will transact their own sales and are responsible for complying with the state and local sales tax regulations.

Applying online:

Online submissions may be made by e-mailing your three images and the completed pdf application form to:  desolationroadphoto@live.com   . Images must be jpeg, tiff or png formats and less than 3 MB.

Applying by mail:

To submit an application by traditional mail include:

• Completed (PDF). You can downoad it here: 2013 Altamont Art in the Park Juried Art Show Application
• Images of art work in digital format saved on CD or DVD. Images must be saved as a JPG and 300dpi or less. Disk should be labeled with name of artist and title of artwork.
• Payment in U.S. dollars (check or cash only). Checks should be made payable to Desolation Road Studios.

and mail application form to:

Desolation Road Studios PO Box 457 Altamont, NY 12009

Applications will not be returned to artist.

Questions?

If you have questions about the show or the application process, please contact Jim @ Desolation Road Studios at 518-608-4749 or send an e-mail inquiry to desolationroadphoto@live.com

Intro to Digital Photography is a beginners level class that focuses on acquainting the student with his/her camera and its many settings as well as using it to its fullest potential.  Concepts such as focal length, aperture, depth of field, ,shutter speed, exposure, white balance, ISO, file formats, resolution and hardware will be discussed in an easy to understand format.  The student will leave with a reasonable understanding of the concepts necessary to compose a decent picture and should be able to take the information presented and move to the next level. The weekly format of the class will cover a new topic each week with homework to re-enforce the material presented.  Styles of photography such as Portraiture, Macro and Landscape will be discussed and critique will also be utilized to help each student with the concepts they are having trouble with.  There will be 1-2 field trips weather permitting as well.  Class length is 3 hours from 9:00am-12:00 noon(Classes may go longer on field trip days.). Dates for classes are as follows: All dates are Sundays 6/2, 6/9, 6/19 and 6/23. Cost of class is $125.00 per student which includes all four dates. Call Jim at 608-4749 to enroll.

Creative Smoke Photography Demonstration w/ Del Higgins.  Del is a self taught photographer that has been photographing landscapes and experimenting using different photo techniques to create interesting images for the past six years. Del Higgins will talk about the process of capturing lines and patterns of smoke rising into the air in a photograph. After explaining his techniques, he will show you live. Then after capturing a few images, he will show you his post processing techniques to create his final image. With some practice and the proper tools and settings, you can begin to experiment with smoke in your pictures too! Your creative smoke images will not only be great to have in your folder to show off your creative talent, but they will be there in case you want to add a little smoke to an existing photograph to enhance it. Cost for this Meet-Up is $5.00/person.

Here is a link to Del’s Flickr Page with an example of one of his images.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/delhiggins/6872760863/in/photostream

Bring your cameras to take your own shots as Del will be doing an interactive demo.  You’ll see his entire process from capture to final image and learn his technique so you can take your captures back to your own computer and try it on your own.

Workshop Size  20

Spots Available 14

30% Off All Gallery Wraps Currently In Stock!!!!!!!!!!

The entire month of June, take 30% off all in stock gallery wraps by Jim Miller.  This sale includes any images on display at the Studios or an off site location such as The Hungerford Market, Key Bank, Design on 20 and Mio Vino.  Take advantage of this sale and relieve me of some inventory…Please!!!

What the heck is a gallery wrap?  Read more here…  http://www.desolationroadstudios.com/blank

Dear Governor Cuomo

Come check out the work of a fellow photographer that I’ve known for about 5 years.  JD Fielding is one of the most interesting photographers I’ve been associated with.  His eye and his technique have been honed over years of practice and travels across the US.  From his time out west in Navajo country to his eventual transplant here in the northeast, JD has done everything from landscapes to weddings to portraiture.  His experience has transformed his work from novice to sought after professional status.  Come take a look at his catalog of portraiture and performance photography and hear what makes him tick…

For more of JD’s work check out his Flickr stream here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfieldingphoto/

“Take a look through J.D. Fielding’s photostream and you will see wide-ranging interests, a variety of locations, and an intense desire to communicate his vision to the world. You’ll see phases of development and periods where a subject, style, or technique sparks his curiosity and he focuses on it for a while. And you’ll see a dedication to displaying his surroundings in a way that shows his appreciation. Don’t limit your visit to his latest page of photos; delve deeper and you will be rewarded!”  Eileen McFall, Louisville, KY

“A portrait is more than just a face, and as I continue to grow as a portrait photographer I’ve found that elements of a person…not just their face, but their hands, or simple parts of their face that capture their persona are just as important as the whole face. Sometime more, because now the viewer of that image must imagine, or in fact, be pointed to something that describes more about the subject than just their face.”