Words of Wisdom from A.R. Gurney

  " The older I get, the more fascinated I become with my craft. and with the crafts of the directors, designers and actors with whom I collaborate." 

A.R. Gurney, Playwright 

Photograph © Ellen Wallenstein 2010

from "Respecting My Elders', an ongoing portrait project

Words of Wisdom from Bel Kaufman

I asked Bel Kaufman if she had any words of wisdom about staying creatively active all one's life. 

"Words of wisdom? Words of common sense: Provided you are healthy (a huge proviso) you can have a long and interesting old age. The problems and insecurities of youth are in the past, children are grown and on their own, this is the time to do not what you always had to do but what you want to do. You  can be creative, productive, helpful, even inspiring or simply content to be privileged to live in a world which is changing every day."

BEL KAUFMAN (by email, December 3, 2011)

Photograph © Ellen Wallenstein 2011
"Respecting My Elders" 
an ongoing project

Ruth Gruber

Ruth Gruber, b. 1911
Journalist. Brave and Mighty Soul.
At her home in NYC with some of her books
and an afghan made by her mother.

Photograph © Ellen Wallenstein
"Respecting My Elders" 2011

Arthur Jaffe

Dr. Arthur Jaffe,
b. 1921.
Book Collector, Philanthropist, World War II Hero.

Photographed at the Arthur & Mata Jaffe Book Collection,
Wimberly Library, Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
November 4, 2011

Ellen Wallenstein  ©2011
"Respecting My Elders"
an ongoing project

Santa Fe Prize nomination

Found out last week I was nominated for the Santa Fe Prize in Photography, for my "Opus for Anne" work. A Big Honor! 
I don't know who nominated me but am happy and grateful for the recognition. Thank you!

http://www.visitcenter.org/competitions/overview/santa_fe_prize_2011

(Who knew when I signed up to be a Hospice Volunteer ten years ago how important that work would be, and how much good karma I would earn.)

Dalai, Smoke & Moi 

from "Opus for Anne: A Still Life" 

© Ellen Wallenstein 2006

the other side of the lens

2 portraits of me, by my husband.
i will turn 59 next month. hard to believe & harder to look at.

hope i will live long enough and then some,
to include myself in my project. (only) 21 more years to go.

Video

Making a video for "Respecting My Elders".

I've been working with my husband the past two weekends trying 

to make a short video "sell" of the project  I will be proposing to UnitedStatesArtists.org, to create a website  and a printed catalogue 

of portraits from this series I've been working on for the last few years. 

I've been working on and off; I had/have a very busy teaching schedule (and I was picked for Grand Jury duty for two weeks this past August, which put a crimp in my free time this summer). So I've slowed down a bit on the shooting part while I regroup and organize the future of this endeavor.

I'm the one being filmed; I'm neither photogenic nor a good actress, but I'm trying. We're up to Take 22......hoping to finish it by the end of the month, to post on their website. Making a video is a different animal than a still. 

I hate being on the other side of the lens. It's giving me some extra sympathy and understanding for my subjects. Especially the people who have politely refused my request to photograph them.