High Heels to Hiken Boots

A photographers life has to be flexible if they want to grow.

PROTECT YOUR SOUL & YOUR SOLES

I've always felt that a person's shoes can really tell you a story about who they are as well as who they even may want to be in life.
Shoes have been linked to the woman's sexual organs as denoted in
the book; The Brain in Love by Daniel Amen in his first chapter.
An insightful book with so many obvious facts about the brain.
I think its important to wear the right shoe for the occasion.
I am on my feet a lot and I lug heavy gear in and out of my truck, airplanes and onto sets as well as into other countries.
When I travel I prepare for walking and swimming, hot a cold.
My normal shoe is an engineer boot, they only last me one year before my feet start to hurt.
I like chucks for jobs as they are fresh and light and smart for movement.
I love high heels but rarely do I get to wear them unless entertaining.
Snow my feet love the warmth so the Keen boot is amazing for the freeze and walking on ice and slippery surfaces they can save you from a fall.
Cowboy boots are great for riding and dresses...a good heel and smooth soul for slipping out of the stirrup or a smooth dance two step.
No matter what kind of photographer you want to be or have become make sure your prepared for all the situations that may arise.
I always keep jeans and work boots in my truck.
I can switch gears rapidly for something unforeseen shooting option.
Sometimes you just want to go with the wind and a random invite might mean stopping by a campfire at an artist compound or a gallery stroll.
Be prepared.
Life is more interesting when you can adapt to all the possibilities rather than make excuses why you can't.
Old tired dogs stay on the porch and kick your feet up.
Me I'm dancing, surfing, hiking, and diving into the next adventure.
My feet must be happy.
And men pedicures are not for women only...baby yourselves...you work hard and your feet are where many pressure points live and they need lots of love too.
If you want to love your friends....love their feet.
I have given many a foot message for my pregnant friends as well as the deserved lover.
Love your feet.
Next trip...Colorado River I think I will pack my surf shoes.
One last thought for the road...protect your feet.
I have known photographers that have waded into polluted waters in the south only to have their entire system attacked by some strange contaminant in the swamp land.
This was one of my professors at Art Center. He was a car photographer he was forever crippled.
Michael "Nick" Nichols is a friend that has done most of the profound stories on the Congo for National Geographic. You don't want to see his feet.
Back in the day I remember him saying he had all kinds of bugs that attacked his system.
The feet are an entry point to the soul and we must guard them from absorption of strange bacterias and virus. Look where you leap and think about all the possibility's and be safe.
Check out Nicks work on his website I'm sure he will have many a tale to share.
He's still upright and walking, shockingly.

What Stops You

Old Town NM Wall Art on the South Side of the Plaza

What stops me?
Everything and anything. It's good to stop and when you do ask yourself why?
Today while shooting with Eason Eige; Artist/ Collector we walked by this wall mural at a cigar store. I love roosters. So much I have five that seem to get along most of the time.
This image made me think of a few people I know.
One friend loves cigars and the other was born in the year of the cock.
I really find roosters interesting. Biologically people feel no different.
They strut their stuff to get the attention of not one but all the females.
Collecting them and making it known that they are the prize of there coup.
Very territorial. They run around jumping upon the females ...running from one to the other.
Males are like this in real life. I don't much like it but its a fact of life.
Lions in a pride, roosters in a coup, the stallion of a herd.
Men with women. It's natural.
Its really unnatural for them to mate with one for life.
Storks and some birds mate like this for life.
I feel America has brainwashed us to think we must be with one person.
My entire life monogamous was drilled into me.
If you want to photograph something study its nature.
Animal or mankind.
Nature stops me and makes me think about all the bigger things in life.
Like how not to try to control where I put every step along the way but to look at how I make a foot print. How carefully, how deep, how not to leave a trace like John Muir!
Consciously and with intent I am very clear about my curiosity of what intrigues me to stop and look and feel when time is allowed to really be present rather than rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Take time, look and note your feelings.
Tomorrow may never arrive.

Editing

My dear friend Jenny Jensen is editing.
I am not the sort of person that is particularly anal about my punctuation; however in book form I really need someone to finesse my feelings and still keep my voice in tact. Jenny is very good at this and I highly recommend her to you for personal projects in book publishing.
Check out the link below, also posted under labels.
www.e-bookeditor.com
bookdoc1@yahoo.com

MAVERICK Camera

Cover Design and Illustrations by Dana Wotruba

Photographs for Book Cover Shoot by Arthur Scharf

Add a little bit of copy and bleed front and back.
A book of stories and photographs about my career in photography.
The stories range in emotional content.
My goal always to evoke emotions to make the viewer feel something rather than stagnate as an observer, often a feeling pulls one into a scenario with humor or compassion.
From celebrity to the elders next door, my dog passing away, hot rods and babes so delisious.
Coming soon.

PARADE CAMERA

photo by Arthur Scharf

Last weekend's book publishing seminar concluded with the completion of an anthology of my career in the beginning. I was told by Darius Himes and Mary Swanson that they wanted to see me on the cover. Reluctant again I said I did not want to be under the scrutiny of my peers as an ego maniac for doing so! Their response is that my peers are not paying my bills and that I wanted to get more work from producing this book filled with stories about all the photographs taken. At least 240 photos in a 12x12 book .
I hope to have it hit home with not only my clients but students as the journey being a photographer is a vast and intrepid one.
The shots taken today by my pal Arthur are very detailed and about cameras and gestures...body empowered to say the least. I can't post the other shots as they may end up on the cover and back cover. I thank Darius and Mary for encouraging me to re shoot the cover.
I had a blast today and I love my "Parade" camera so Arthur got of few really fun and flirty shots of me with this camera that is near and dear to me and has earned me half of my life.

The Rollie Rocks it Every time

Acquisition

The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History

"Dear Ms. Kuehn:
I am writing to let you know that the Albuquerque Public Art Program has just donated ten of your works to the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. The works were accepted by our Art Advisory Committee at their meeting yesterday afternoon. We are pleased to have your work represented in the Museum's collection particularly because we already have a very strong collection of portraits of artists and your images will augment this group significantly."

Andrew Connors
Curator of Art
Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
The donated works are:

Roger Atkins
Larry Bell
Cheryl Dietz
John Garett
Betty Hahne
Nicholas Herrera
Norman Mauskopf
Frank McCulloch
Patrick Nagatani
Jennifer Vasher
Jim Wagner

Much Gratitude to the Curators and Advisory Committee.
I'd like to thank the City of Albuquerque Public Arts Program.
I thank you for this wonderful privilege.

The Artist of New Mexico
Foreword by Mary Anne Redding

Mary Anne Redding photographed by karen kuehn

Curator of Photography for the Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum,
has more than twenty-five years experience
working as a curator, archivist, librarian,
educator, and arts administrator.
She holds a B.A. in English Literature
from Ohio University, an M.A. in Arts
Administration from the School of the Art
Institute of Chicago, an M.L. S. from the
University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana,
and as advanced certificate in Museum
Studies from Arizona State University, Tempe.
She has written and published numerous
essays on photography and contemporary
art. Recent publications include Through the
Lens: Creating Santa Fe published by the MNM
Press in conjunction with the exhibition
at the Palace of the Governors that runs
through October 25, 2009 and Grasslands/
Separating Species published by Radius Books in
conjunction with the exhibition at 516 Arts
in Albuquerque on view until December 12,
2009.

One of My Inspirations

photo by karen kuehn for the NYT Sunday Magazine

Chris Van Allsburg
(children's illustrator)

I first noticed Chris Van Allsburgs works in NYC at a children's book store.
I use to spend hours pondering poetry, anthropology and children's stories at a variety of shops around NYC. The Strand was one of my favorites back in the day.
Once I discovered his stories I couldn't stay away from my curiosity about the artist.
I asked one of my editors; Frannie Ruch at Elle Magazine if we could do a story on Chris and she said yes and I got to meet him and work with him for the first time.
We did some normal shots and than we went to the park and shot infra red film with him and an old airplane model. I should dig those up.
I think he's afraid of flying as I recall.
Later the NY Times asked me to do a session with him and Kathy Ryan assigned his portrait with me. The Polar Express had just launched so I had Chris come to my studio and we did the shot above.
Later Chris asked me to intern a friends kid at my place and I did for an exchange of a print.
I still have not received it but I am hopeful that one day I will get an image that is not a laser print. Follow through is really important to me.
Here are a few images by Chris from his Harris Burdick book.
This is by far my favorite book of his for I feel his light and that he knows it better than most photographers.
For this I find his charcols inspiring.
His mystery and concepts leaving you open to tell the story yourself makes for a wonderful book.
If I were an teacher I'd have my students write stories to this pictures.
check it out in the link below provided.
The drawing below is just one of which I have always felt a familiar feeling.
This could be me dreaming.
I love this image from the Harris Burdick book.

MR. LINDEN'S LIBRARY

___________________

He had warned her about the book.

Now it was too late.

THE SEVEN CHAIRS

_________________

The fifth one ended up in France.

A STRANGE DAY IN JULY

____________________

He threw with all his might, but the

third stone came skipping back.