Umbra Alum is “World’s Best Father;” Featured on Today Show Fomorrow
Tune into the Today Show on Thursday morning to watch former Umbra Institute student Dave Engledow, fall 2001, talk about his new, almost darkly whimsical calendar featuring himself with his young daughter, Alice Bee, in comically precarious situations.
“His work is just amazing – it’s so much fun to see develop,” said Umbra Director Anna Girolimetti, who remembers Engledow’s interest in photography as a student at Umbra more than 10 years ago.
Engledow uses his know-how with photography (he holds a degree in photojournalism) and Photoshop to create these playfully morbid scenes.
“When I first started posting photos of Alice Bee to Facebook, my intent was primarily to entertain my family and friends, and I have been pleasantly surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response that these photos have generated in many countries around the globe,” Engledow writes on Kickstarter, where he raises money for the 2013 calendar.
“The first World’s Best Father image I shot (see right) was initially intended as a one-off. I wanted to capture the dazed, sleep-deprived obliviousness of the new father, while at the same time gently poking fun at myself and new fathers everywhere,” he continues. “The character I portray in this series is intended to be a parody of the father I hope I never become–distracted, self-absorbed, neglectful, clueless, or even occasionally overbearing.”
Engledow; his wife, Jen; and baby Alice Bee live in Maryland.