I enjoy the creative process. Whether it is redesigning my brand, starting a new venture or just putting together a blog post, there is a certain fulfillment that comes from completing a creative project. It is especially gratifying when I'm able to collaborate on a creative project with someone else. I recently helped a photographer friend, Chris Lane, brainstorm about some ideas for his upcoming gallery exhibit.

He was asked to be featured in an exhibit at the River Walk Artists Gallery. Naturally, as an aspiring artist and photographer, he accepted. Now, what series would he create for this project? At this point, I don't even remember all of the ideas that were batted around, but he and I talked about each one of them. An interesting aside: he bounced all of his ideas off of his wife first. He would always say, "Melissa said this....Melissa said that." I appreciate this, because it is much the way that I function. None of the ideas zinged him. He kept trying for these really deep and seemingly meaningful things, but he didn't feel passionate about any of them.

He told me he recently purchased some macro extension tubes for his camera, most notably to use for this exhibit. It was at that point that I had an idea: something local. He needed to shoot something from his geographical area (Northern Minnesota), which would resound with the viewers of the exhibit. They need to see it and think to themselves, "These grow here? But I've never seen any of these around this area. It can't be...really?" It is precisely that kind of curiosity and buzz that would usher in the long overdue attention Chris deserves for his photography.

On September 5, his solo exhibition "Unseen Splendor" will open to the public at the River Walk Artists Gallery in East Grand Forks, MN. "Unseen Splendor," a masterful series of macro flower photographs, features flowers that most people would call weeds. Through this exhibit, Chris hopes to open your eyes to the inherant beauty of seemingly unnoticed things in the world.

For those of you near me in the Deep South, I'm afraid you're out of luck. However, if you are anywhere near the Minnesota area, I would suggest you make a point to visit this exhibit. It will not disappoint. These images will be in a limited print run of 15 images for each photograph, available for you to purchase. They are large format prints, sized 16x20 and 14x11. If you would like to purchase one, even if you cannot attend the actual photo exhibit, please reach out to Chris via email or on twitter (@chrislanepd).

Enjoy the below preview of exhibition photographs Chris loaned me to make this post.

BONUS: Chris had all of these printed on metallic paper, so the flowers will shine like you've never seen before.