Text by Tony Ward, Copyright 2022
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Groundbreaking for New Studio Gallery
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On July 19th, it was brutally hot. Temperatures in the shade were near 90 degrees but that didn’t deter us from making the first pour of concrete that would become the first footing , a circular Quikrete Sonotube 8 inches wide and 36 inches deep into virgin soil. It was a long time coming. After spending the past two months clearing land where I selected the structure to be placed by removing truck loads of bamboo plants that were proliferating in the back yard, I finally was ready to lay the foundation for the new photo studio and private gallery at my home in Elkins Park, Pa.
My assistant, Tony Colagreco is a man of many talents. Besides assisting me on photo shoots primarily as my lighting grip, he also is assisting me on this project. TC grew up working in the family tree trimming and landscaping business. He also was taught by his dad how to cut stone as a young boy and learned how to mix and apply concrete by his early teens. He has been immeasurably helpful in teaching me the nuances of mixing just the right amount of water with the cement so that it hardens and cures to its maximum strength. In the next couple of weeks a total of 8 footings will be poured. Once we get the footings poured, framing the structure will begin.
The day after groundbreaking I invited TC down to Margate for a swim and to relax.
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