The dark side of Door County

Nearly three years ago, as I began exploring photography after sunset and by moonlight, I hatched an idea. Why not photograph one of my favorite places on earth in the dark hours? Door County, Wisconsin is a place of rugged beauty, and there is something about being out and about under the cover of night that enhances that ruggedness and invokes memories of days long past.

So over the course of the next three years, I slowly built a collection of images taken between sunset and sunrise. Some are lit by the fading light of day, some by the reflected light of the moon. Most of the subjects are familiar tourist stops, but when viewed in darkness are cast in an entirely different light, so to speak.

A visit to Door County is not complete until my wife and I have stopped at a combination coffee shop and art gallery in Gills Rock. The coffee is superb, the baked goods are mouth watering and the artwork in the adjacent gallery is always a visual treat.

On our last visit in October, I struck up a conversation with Charlene, who runs the gallery (and provides bakery items for the coffee shop, operated by her husband Dewey). We talked about how she goes about selecting artwork - what types of art she is looking for, timeframes for submissions, etc. When she mentioned that she would be reviewing artists between November and January, I pitched my collection of "Door After Dark" images. She encouraged me to submit some samples for consideration and handed me some printed instructions and information.

I mailed a CD of images to Charlene in November. This week, I received a letter informing me that all ten images I submitted have been accepted. I'll deliver framed prints in April and they will hang in the gallery from May through October of this year, along with the work of several other artists.

So if you're passing through Gills Rock this summer/early fall, stop by Charlene's Gallery Ten for a cup of coffee, a slice of pie and some visual art on the side.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2009 James Jordan.