Red River Blog December 2024 Archives

What happens when you combine surreal photography with metallic paper? A RISE IN COMPLIMENTS — AND SALES — SAYS THIS NORTH CAROLINA PHOTOGRAPHER. Painting with PixelsExploring the boundaries between photography and abstract art, David Day transforms ordinary scenes into extraordinary visual narratives through intentional camera movement (ICM). Although the North Carolina artist says many people assume he’s using AI or a digital rendering process, David says that is not the case.Using his camera as a paintbrush, David composes images by deliberately moving the camera — a gentle sweep, a quick jerk, a circular motion — during long exposures of one to five seconds. This technique transforms stationary subjects into fluid, dynamic images. For example, his “Hidden in Barbie Land” (below, top photo) is a combination of LED backlit tissue paper and plastic bags. He has also photographed weeds, sticks, cellophane, newsprint, and other unglamorous items.Enter Red River PaperWe can appreciate the ephemeral beauty of David’s images digitally, but how do they translate to prints? Apparently our Polar Luster Metallic has quite an impact. “[It] has really boosted my sales at local events,” David says. “Combine my abstractions with that paper, and I have special products.” Closely matching the look of photo lab metallic prints, Polar Luster Metallic features an elegant E-surface finish on a pearlescent base stock that yields a stunning iridescence. "[The paper] adds an illusion of movement and depth to my photos as the viewer moves around them," David adds.Another favorite paper of David’s is our Polar Matte, an acid-free, archival paper boasting great ink holdout capabilities, which helps achieve excellent color reproduction and image clarity. “I love Polar Matte for the soft feel that complements the soft nature of many of my photographs,” he explains. See More of David’s WorkDavid reveals hidden layers of visual poetry through hundreds of images on his website, D’Day Photographic Art. Along with multiple galleries of his artwork for purchase, you’ll also find complimentary downloads for your cell phone wallpaper. If you’re wondering about the backstory of “Hidden in Barbie Land” or you’re curious why David likes street fairs and live demonstrations, scroll to our Q&A below. (Parents will appreciate his response to Question 6!) Enjoy our Q&A with David DayWhat year was your business founded and how did you get started?In 2021, I started doing ICM (intentional camera movement) studio photography quite by accident. One afternoon, after taking a class on ICM, I was coming home from an outdoor shoot. In passing, I took a single photograph using ICM on a jumble of wires in my workshop. When I processed the image, it looked just like a demonic face (the technical term is pareidolia). So, I experimented with the process for many months and discovered that ICM in the studio offered an opportunity to create images unlike others produced within the ICM community. Using random things around my home, such as leaves, weeds, sticks, vines, plastic bags, colored tissue paper, cellophane, and various LED lights, I began creating abstract images. These images captivate people since everyone sees the shapes, patterns, colors, and shadows differently. The process has resulted in a number of award-winning images and gallery placements. Most of my business occurs at street fairs and galleries in my local area and on the internet. I prefer street fairs and live demonstrations as they allow me to interact with children (and grown-up children at heart) who often see things from a different perspective than many adults. When doing live shows, the people I interact with often purchase my work once they understand my process for creating abstract images filled with movement and emotion.Tell us a little about what product or service your business offers.Matted photos and matted/framed photos in various sizes, a couple of books I have written (one was a best seller on Amazon for a couple of weeks in the individual artist category), and slide-show screensavers for large flat-screen TVs.What makes your business unique?I am one of the only ICM photographers who has taken the process into the studio to produce pure abstractions. If you were to poll the many ICM groups on Facebook and Instagram to see who they equate the studio ICM process with, I am confident that my name would be among the top five ICM artists worldwide.Where do you source your raw materials from?Amazon, Michaels, and Red River Paper.In what ways does the business reflect your own personality?This is a good question. My previous career was in outcomes research in the pharmaceutical industry. It required a lot of data analytics to discover where drugs were and were not working in patients. Most people think that process is purely data-driven, but it requires much abstract thinking to pull seemingly independent events into a cohesive story. I approached problems in that job as making paintings with various forms of information. With my photography, I am essentially doing the same thing — taking elements and information that don't seem to fit together and then applying novel approaches (ICM) to create beautiful visual stories.Who are your typical customers?People who appreciate abstract art and enjoy the stories I tell about the process involved in making the art. Kids are among my customers, too. At art shows, I ask all kids under 12 if they are artists. If they say yes, they get a free 5X7 matted print of my work. I tell them to go home, look at it, and make something special for their parents.What is the most interesting project you've encountered in the course of your work?That is a hard question to answer, as my projects are influenced by what I experience on any given day. But if I had to pick one, I think my image "Hidden In Barbie Land" is one of the most interesting. When you watch the "Barbie" movie, you will notice everything is orderly in every scene. But having been to a side of Disneyland where very few get to go, where I watched three princesses smoking cigarettes, I decided to create something that might look like the side of Barbie Land that nobody sees. Out of this came a blue and black swamp with a pink sun shining through smog, just as one would expect on the hidden side of Barbie Land. It is not as pretty as one may think.What has Red River Paper done for your business? Is there a particular challenge Red River Paper has helped you overcome or a goal they helped you meet?Oh my — the metallic paper has really boosted my sales at local events. Combine my abstractions with that paper, and I have special products. I'll include “Three Amigos” in my samples — people really seem to love what the paper has done for this one. ("Tres Amigos" is the black-and-gold photo in the series of four above.)What do you appreciate most about Red River Paper's products/services?Polar Luster Metallic and Polar Matte. I love the Polar Matte for the soft feel that complements the soft nature of many of my photographs. However, I especially like Polar Luster Metallic because it adds an illusion of movement and depth to my photos as the viewer moves around them. I reserve this Super B paper for my larger images, and the pop it gives them produces many compliments (and sales) from people who see my work.How can people purchase your products/service?People can see my work at weekend street art shows in Western North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. On the web, they can go to D’Day Photographic Art. I sell books on Amazon, and a few local galleries exhibit my work.Do you have any future growth plans?One of the things I am working on right now is getting more people to subscribe to my website for the variety of perks that I offer. I submit my work to as many competitions and venues as possible. Within the next year, my goal is to host a solo show in one of the downtown galleries in Asheville, North Carolina, which is an art center for the mid-south. I think a show of my work with nothing but Polar White Metallic prints in white mats and black frames would be a big winner for the gallery, myself, and the patrons who see my work.Would you like to share a customer testimonial?I often hear from those who buy my art, "I've never seen anything quite like this."

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