Friday, January 31, 2014

MY NEW EXHIBIT AT THE REDWOOD ART ASSOCIATION



I realized earlier this week that a small gallery at the RAA was not being utilized by anyone. I thought it that was a shame to have an empty room in an otherwise full gallery, so I secured the space. I hung a show today in gallery number two.

There are three primary themes within the room. One of them is about the interplay of the ocean and sand. These images represent an ongoing theme for me. I consider what I see in this give-and-take of two of our primary elements - earth and water whenever I photograph at the beach.

The second theme is more on the essence of what I sense from some of the trees of our coastal and redwood forests. It is common to salute and honor the giant trees in our area, and I do almost daily, but there are other elements of the forest that I feel that are unique unto themselves. Perhaps I can succeed in sharing some of that with these images.

I represent the third theme with one image. It stands alone because it represents our prairies and the vastness of our sky. Here on the north coast, we are not always surrounded with the forest, and there are places where one does not hear the sounds of the ocean.

Manifestation at Low Tide
There are other aspects to this marvelous area that many of us call home, and I realize that it will take more than my lifetime to explore all of it.

THE MUMMY BERT

The Mummy Bert at the South Spit
I am hanging a last minute exhibition today at the RAA Gallery in Eureka. I printed this photograph yesterday as I wanted to include something new and related to the other images. I am taking down the marsh exhibit today, and using some of those in the new show. I think this show will have a water theme.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

DEATH VALLEY GOLD

Death Valley Gold

This is another image that I am working on from my November trip to the south. I am unsure if it is a candidate for printing.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

PATRICK'S POINT

At Patrick's Point 2012

I took this image about two years ago. I suppose that I just forgot about it. Anyhow, here it is.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

SELECTING THE BEST COMPOSITION

The Way I Saw it Sunday Morning

Same Image Cropped

The question of the day is: "did I see it right the day I took the image, or does a second look allow me to bring more out of it?"

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

MORE IMAGES FROM DOWNTOWN EUREKA

A Fresh New Look to a Classic and Classy Building

I took this one on Sunday morning. I sort of wish I would have moved a little to the right so that the entire name "Hamanaka" would show. Oh well!

Monday, January 20, 2014

ANOTHER SIDE OF THE MORRIS GRAVES MUSEUM OF ART

The South Side of the Morris Graves Museum of Art

I took this photograph yesterday morning. I usually think of the front side of buildings first, but there were cars in the way. I am glad that they were there.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

UNNATURAL DECAY

The Former Southern Pacific EMD GP9 Number 3778

This locomotive and four other "Geeps" sit rotting away near the former office of the Northwestern Pacific in Eureka. I think they have been sitting here for about twenty years, and it is highly unlikely that they will ever roll under their own power again.

I understand that decay is a natural process. My body emphasizes that to me on a daily basis. Still, I am saddened that these locomotives are in this state. Part of my feelings derive from the fact that about forty years ago I made my maiden trip as an engineer on a unit just like this one, and that first trip was for me the apex of my railroading experience. That trip on the Pixley Local was as good as it ever was for me.

I am unsure of the locomotive's number that I operated that evening,  but it likely could have been the 3778.

Monday, January 13, 2014

SNOW CAMP

Oaks at Snow Camp


I took this yesterday at some friends place in the hills.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

A Larger, But Select Audience

Southern Pacific Switcher and Crew Working a Saw Mill   

This image is in the February edition of Model Railroader magazine.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

WORKING ANOTHER OLD IMAGE

V-Notch Reveal, 2006

This is an image I sort of forgot about. I took it in British Columbia about eight years ago with my Sony R1. I was taking all my shots in jpg format because I thought I could not afford to buy memory cards. Therefore the image does not give me much latitude to work with, but at least I have something.

Monday, January 6, 2014

HOT COFFEE

J. TOPPER CO

This is a crop from an image that I worked on some months back. I think I prefer this rendering.

I was looking at a web site that I frequent http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/blog_index.html this morning, and found validation to my understanding of allowing my photographs time to evolve. What I mean is that I need to visit and revisit a particular image prior to printing and sharing it. Almost every time that I allow an image to "ripen" I am surprised and pleased with what I find in the mature image.

I have yet to print any images from my November trip. Every time I look at my potential prints, I do a little tweaking to some aspect of them. I usually make a virtual  copy, make my changes and then compare that with the previous version(s) in the print module of Light Room. I use the print view because I like seeing the image as if it were matted. For whatever reason that really helps me see the print as it will look on paper.

My monitors are calibrated so I trust what I see on the screen.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

NEW YEAR'S DAY AT HIGH TIDE

Samoa Bridge at High (King) Tide on New Year's Day

Lisa and I went out to see the "king tide" this morning. I took the pocket camera and was glad that I did. This image is still in the developing tray, but the final image should look something like this.

Happy New Year!