The year’s end always feels like an appropriate time to look backwards and reflect and what has come before.
This timeline summarizes most of the topics I’ve discussed on The All Worlds Traveller in the past year and stands as a brief record of Distant Era. What’s the point, beyond simple reflection, of putting this information down? Less a road map than a list of routes taken and detours endured, let it stand as one way that a tiny business was created from scraps of time here and there while working an insanely busy full-time job during a global pandemic.
I wish I’d made it more competently and more completely and quicker. When I was in high school, the year my aunt gave me the Rider-Waite tarot, my closest friend did a reading—perhaps the first and only time he has ever done such a thing. For the card representing me, he drew the Knight of Pentacles and read its description. Back then I was somewhat offended that he chose this card for me, but thirty years on, I must say he knew me well.
The Knight of Pentacles sits on a stationary draught horse, carefully looking at the gold coin held in his hand. He is in no hurry, preferring to assess and plan his path ahead before taking action. In the background, there is a broad field that has been laboriously ploughed row by row, symbolising that this Knight is ready and willing to do the work to realise his dreams, even if it is repetitive and dull.
Biddytarot.com. The Tarot card meaning description is based on the Rider Waite cards.
Let’s get to it.
The Past
April 2019
As a guest artist at the Birch House Immersive residency, I generate ideas for my photography brand, Distant Era.
July 2019
Distant Era’s first series, Urban Fantasy, is created over four weeks. The goal of this series is to balance city lights with off camera flash.
September 2019
Distant Era’s second series, Portraits from a Distant Era, is shot in a single session and edited over the course of a month. The goal of the series is to create portraits with a classical feel and to experiment with printing on canvas. The canvases are given to the subjects of the portraits and a trade-for-prints tradition is established.
October 2019
Distant Era’s third series, Hauntings from a Distant Era, is shot over three weeks and edited over the course of a month. The goal of this series is to create Halloween-themed images using both practical and digital effects.
A Distant Era LLC is established as a business in the state of Illinois.
November 2019
Distant Era’s fourth series, A Distant Era: Chicago, November 2019, is shot in a day and edited through the month of December. A tribute to Blade Runner and cyberpunk, the goal of this series was to use color gels with flash photography on location, to complete the trifecta of fantasy, horror, and science-fiction in the Distant Era catalog, and to shoot a Chicago Blade Runner interpretation in the month and year in which the film Blade Runner is set (November 2019). A secondary goal was to learn more advanced digital editing techniques.
January 2020
Distant Era’s fifth series, The Contract miniseries is coined after the fact. The goal of this series was to create a narrative sequence of images for Protagonist Project product. Unlike the other series, this one was conceived by the subjects and shot in exchange for prints and Distant Era use.
March 2020–December 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic strikes, shutting down in person activities, including photography. Focus shifts to building the business materials, including the Distant Era logo by Liz VanHoutte, marketing and pricing materials, and the website. Through much trial and error, I spend much of the quarantine phase of the pandemic learning WordPress and building a website. In this period, there are three minor and very careful sessions for trusted friends including either doctors or contact tracers. I put time into learning color theory more intimately. I learn how to edit for print and accurately calibrate my monitor. I take classes on digital compositing. I paint miniature samurai figures and sometimes wonder if I’ll ever shoot photos again.
January 2021
The website distantera.com launches alongside its subdomain blog, traveller.distantera.com.
February 2021–May 2021
I edit the work from 2020’s sessions using the techniques I’ve learned and post it on the All Worlds Traveller blog while revisiting older work and previous series as well.
June 2021
July 2021
Distant Era’s return series, The People of Light and Shadow, is conceived and organized.
August 2021
I shoot and edit a preliminary project with friends called The Sea is Dark and Full of Sirens to get back in the groove.
September 2021–December 2021
I shoot half of The People of Light and Shadow series and edit one third of it. I begin shooting theatre again. In December, I leave my busy full-time job as managing editor and concentrate more on Distant Era.
Future Goals, Present Gratitude
For various reasons, Distant Era has sometimes seemed more like a weird art project than a portrait business. That will change behind the scenes, but the art projects will still come along, each with their goals grounded in what I can learn from them to grow Distant Era and to grow personally and professionally as well.
I am grateful to all of those who have come along on the ride. I’m grateful for the comments on social media, which have been more than encouraging—they’ve been generous, and I truly appreciate them.
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