"The Card..." 24•Dec.•11

This year's version is in the mail. You may already be a recipient. "Happy Holidays!" ~cg.

MOMBASA, KENYA. A sidewalk Santa spotted along Moi Avenue in Mombasa, Kenya on Thursday, December 8, 2011. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

A small tradition for me continues. Here are links to previous year's efforts:

(2010):

This year's card is en route to your doorstep, mailbox, desk, mail room or desktop. Special thanks to my very good friend and his family for having just "the right tree" on their property in Pottstown, PA two weeks ago. Wishing you all a very healthy, safe and prosperous 2011. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ~cg.

(Inside message): "Fresh Cut." Sunday, December 12, 2010. 4:07PM

(Rear of card): Marc, Leonie, and Joel Brooks return to their house after cutting a Christmas tree for a customer on their family run tree farm in Pottstown, PA on Sunday, December 12, 2010.

(2009):

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR...!

It took a while this year. Yea, they're probably arriving late to your doorstep, mail slot, or post office box. But hey, can't break this longtime tradition of handmade, limited edition, 4"x5" holiday cards right...? Folks even called wondering where this year's version was.

What has become an annual rite of creative winter stresses coupled with maddening computer design & home printing time between two aging printers - has grown into a nice following of my personalized holiday cards. That all means a lot. I guess in some off-kilter way, it all serves as a brief therapeutic getaway from the sometimes ominous work schedule, to again try and refine this project into something meaningful for friends, family, clients and colleagues. I trust if you made the "short - list" you'll be happy with this year's effort... -cg.

(2008):

For the past 12 years or so, I've been producing my own "Holiday series" cards. What initially started out as a few late nights slumped over developing trays in the darkroom at The Journal News in White Plains, NY in the mid-90's. (Boy that all seems like eons ago...) has progressed into a full-blown work schedule, and in past years, a mailing list of nearly 100 recipients. One year I think I put 105 cards in the mail.

Production of the cards has progressed along with my PhotoShop and Microsoft Word skills, as well as the self-assigning the work to actually photograph an image(s) intended for the card production. A lot of those early images were intentionally made on the streets of New York City, particularly found while roaming around the East Village neighborhood in lower Manhattan. Seemed as though I was always able to find compelling imagery down there. I will have to put together some sort of collage of those earlier images, as they've become a collector's item for quite a few friends and colleagues. As a photojournalist, there probably isn't any greater honor than to have a viewer make the effort to keep my work. -cg.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night..."

(2007):
This year's card was no easy task. Kept looking for an image or moment I've had in mind for a few years and couldn't find it yet again, so ventured quickly into NYC last weekend by train to roam one of my favorite neighborhoods to shoot something and produce the card this past week. I've included the other two candidtes shot on the same evening in lower Manhattan that were seriously considered. Had printer problems with both of my Epson printers for a few nights, so only 50 or so cards went out this year. Check your mailbox, as you may already be a winner...

*(One plus from the week was that I bought a small rotary paper cutter, so will force myself to start producing "portfolio image" note cards sometime soon. this is a project I've always wanted to initiate, so we'll see.)