"Red" Art Beat Photobooth

"Red" Art Beat 2011 Ritterbin Photography Photobooth - Images by Mike Ritter

Somerville's ArtBeat is a local legend. I first started selling there with my friend Brian Beaucher in the mid 2000's. Brian has gone brick and mortar with his Boston Coasters / Ward Maps company co-owned with his brother Steve. And, I don't do nearly as many art shows as I used to compared to those first couple barn storming summers, but ArtBeat remains a no-brainer.

Davis Square is always hopping, the community really supports this show and comes out for it, and they make up a new theme each year commemorated in cool little collectible dog tags. And, somehow, it's always incredibly hot and sunny each time they have it.

Last year, Mere and I put a twist how I participated at an art show. We set up a custom photo booth along the lines of the instant photo booths we've been doing for The Second Glass and their Wine Riots. We would give people web res versions of photos for free to use on Facebook etc. and have them for sale if they wanted an old fashioned print out. It was a hit and a new Art Show strategy was born.

This year's theme was Red which is appropriate if you've been watching the markets lately. One big difference between Wine Riot and Art Beat (aside from one being kid friendly and the other being... not) is there's no power at ArtBeat. So out went the Alien Bees and their power cords and in went the battery operated Nikon Speedlights. I taped my main SB-800 to my recently re-celled Quantum Turbo Battery in the framework of tent over. Another SB-800 was racked out to 105mm = harder focused light and gelled red. From my camera, I controlled by SB-800s with my SB-700. The booth was in one tent and my photos were in another and yes, it all fit in my Honda Fit.

A stop in at Dorothy's Boutique took care of the red props. Glasses, fishnet gloves, fireman hats, Raggedy Ann wig fit the bill. The knee high, faux red leather platform shoes did not (family event). I drew up a Red Line car on foamcore for people to play with as well.

We settled into a groove after the parade and some interesting costumed folks passed by and people started lining up. It's fun taking all the pressure for looking good out of the photo and let people just have fun. It's kind of like how everyone see something different in a photo. People use props as I never imagined. Cats wore glasses, twizzlers helped re-enact "The Lady and the Tramp," many near T disasters were narrowly averted, lobsters became bulls, sleeping kids were posed with fake parrots, and social commentaries on the general disposition / texting habits of T operators were made. It was a great day.