We have it on good authority that…
“When Terry Hastings was four, he came down the stairs with an encyclopedia opened to a page with music notes on them and asked his mother what they sounded like. His parents went out and bought him a piano and piano lessons. And then drumming lessons for band. And then voice lessons for choir. And then speech. And then paint…
Eventually Terry bought his own stuff and ended up with a degree in Theatre (go figure).
In May 2003, Terry opened up “Identity Fashions” a custom-designed clothing store in Minneapolis with then partner and designer Yani Santos. They needed a website and photos to show off all the original work. The cost of photographers, film and developing was too much and Terry said “Fuck It, I can do this myself.” He went out and bought a Sony Cyber Shot and “did it himself”.
He's upgraded his camera a few times since then.
Hastings discovered photography after years in the theater and performing arts. Wherein he may have previously directed performers onstage in to great configurations and stage pictures, he now collaborates with the four elements—Wind, Water, Earth and Fire—at play and frames them in to his photographic work in pursuit of truth and reality.
In the Fall of 2009 Terry Moved from Minneapolis to Palm Springs.”
Terry says, “PS I love you because” of…
- The Weather… duh… I'm from Minnesota doncha know. Also as a photographer, in Minnesota almost all of my work occurred indoors in a studio. Now I can shoot outside in gorgeous sunlight 362 days out of the year. Of course the heat of the summer keeps me very close to the pools, that I've come to use for very dramatic effects. You betcha.
- The Terrain… the mountains, the desert, the hiking trails, I have photographic opportunities everywhere. My first and favorite spot to shoot are the sand dunes just north of town. You can see them just off the highway to your right, as you enter from Los Angeles, this little pile of sand as if the mountain split a seam. I grabbed my camera, a naked model and 15 yards of fabric I just happened to have lying around and set out on an adventure. The wind makes a wonderful dance partner and I snapped shots capturing the beauty created by model, fabric and wind. Sometimes the wind blows off the mountain, sometimes it blows into the mountain and on those most special of days, it blows straight up to the sky!
- The Artistic Community… The Museums, the Galleries and all the artists. As a member of the Board of the Artist's Council, I get to be in the middle of helping artists show their work and to bring to the public an awareness of art as well as the need for art in our everyday lives. I've always been an artist, whether it’s a musician, composer, painter or cook. Creating art is very important part of our lives.
- The airport… Can you believe i can walk to the airport and fly anywhere in the world? And that anyone else in world can get off of a plane and walk around our town… that just doesn't happen anywhere else.
- The Support… This town is very supportive of its own. I am grateful for all the positive comments and articles and interest in my work. It makes me strive to do better and complete all the visions still in my head.
Such a talent you are, Terry! Thanks so much for sharing your gifts with the world, and for taking the time to allow us to get to know you better.
xoxo
For news of Terry’s exhibitions, to commission or procure his art, and to find his Etsy store, visit TheHastingsGallery.com.
Want to be featured in the “PS I love you because…” column?
To be considered, email me (Nicholas Snow, SnowbizNow@gmail.com) your top five answers (they can be short or long) to the statement, “PS I love you because…” and/or “PS I love you because I enjoy…”, along with two or three biographical paragraphs. Also, send some photos of things you love about the area including, ideally, you doing something you love in the area. Your submission does not guarantee publication. Thanks!