Time to boost up my photography goals. Hello Watchung, New Jersey.

Listen, I’ve enjoyed a very successful photography run with state fairs and local gallery shows.

Now I have a new goal in mind.

At some point before I die, I want one of my photographic artworks displayed in a New York City art gallery. That’s right. I want one of my photos to appear on a gallery wall somewhere within the five boroughs.

Last month, I took that first step.

Well, not to New York City, but to Watchung, New Jersey. Hey, it’s only 30 miles from Manhattan, so I’m at least close. It’s as close as Mehmet Oz is to Pennsylvania. 😀

I submitted six of my photo artworks to the Watchung Arts Center for an upcoming show. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? I’m out a submission fee and I get a rejection letter for my troubles? Been there, done that.

So let’s see what happens if I just toss my chips into the ante and bet on myself. I didn’t blog about this when I submitted the images; just because I didn’t want to jinx myself. I don’t do very well with jinxing.

This morning, I received news from the art gallery that 75 submitted images were selected for display at their fall exhibition.

Among the 75 selected … was a Chuck Miller artwork.

More specifically … THIS Chuck Miller artwork.

That’s right, blog readers, my 2019 photo that combined Kodak Verichrome Pan and Kodak Instamatic film is now part of this upcoming gallery show in New Jersey.

This is incredible news.

But guess what. It’s not the only Chuck Miller photo that made the cut.

This one’s going to New Jersey as well.

That’s right. My infrared shot of the overgrowth at the former Toll Gate Ice Cream parlor in Slingerlands made the walls of the New Jersey art show.

I scrolled down the list … and saw that there was a THIRD Chuck Miller piece to make the cut.

This piece.

My slit-film exposure of a minor league baseball pitcher in the middle of his pitch and throw is heading to Watchung. Three of my best film photos will be on the walls in the Watchung Art Gallery.

That’s three film photos …. and one digital photo.

Yep. This one is going as well.

My 2018 skyward shot of the Milky Way against the Rexleigh Covered Bridge is my fourth and final entry that made the show.

Oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my God…

This is a huge step up for me. This is huge. Four of my artworks are headed to a major art gallery show. A show only 30 miles from New York City. Four of them. My evening shot that lined up that Milky Way so tightly. That photo of a killer strikeout from the Albany Twilight League. The moody beauty of overgrowth on a lost ice cream shoppe. And my most successful splitfilm experiment.

And four different cameras are represented in these acceptances – my modified Nikon EM for The Three-Two Pitch; my dependable Nikon Df for Washington County, 2:30 a.m.; my beloved Kodak Medalist II (“Kodak Red”) for We Serve Wayward Strangers, and my always-on-its-game AGFA Clipper Special f/6.3 for Five Tickets to Ride Day and Night.

Okay. Deep breath, Miller. The excitement’s not done yet.

I need to prepare four prints, mount them, matte them, frame them, and have them safely delivered to New Jersey. The show at the Watchung Art Center runs from November to the end of December 2022.

And yeah, I may be shipping these images … but you know damn well I’m going to the event.

This is totally incredible news.

I am so completely stoked about this.

Yeah. #ChuckIsHappy