EUREKA MORNING PHOTOGRAPHY

THE EUREKA THEATER

I went to Eureka this morning. I was thinking that there was the possibility of my experiencing an actual sunrise. That is what I found along with some pretty nice lighting. I mostly worked between Sixth and F Streets to Third and H.

I have not worked this image at all, and will do so later.

SHOT OF THE DAY

SLOUGH

 

 

I thought I would share this image. I have not done much with it. I took it this afternoon on private property (I was invited).

VARIATIONS

VARIATION IN MUTED COLOR

When I first reworked this image I made a version that is quite saturated. I liked it, but then I desaturated it, coming up with this interpretation. I then made the black and white copy followed with the toned black and white. I honestly do not know which version I prefer.

VARIATION IN SATURATED COLOR, LAMY CHURCH 2008

I LOVE THIS LITTLE CHURCH

LAMY CHURCH, LAMY NEW MEXICO, DECEMBER 2008

I took this photograph sometime about a month after I took the one I shared yesterday. I was still using my Sony R1, but had yet to work out how to get satisfactory black and white results. In those days I was using the in-camera settings, and I did not really care for the results. In 2008, I printed this image in color, and it did have a moodiness that conveyed some of the feeling that I felt, but it still did not satisfy my vision. This particular rendition fulfills my expectations to a higher degree than prior efforts.

I have not yet applied a tone to this photograph. I toned many of my monochromatic images of late, but I wonder if this print needs to remain a true black and white. Perhaps I will try it, and post the results tomorrow.

THOUGHTS ABOUT AN IMAGE ON A STORMY MARCH DAY

LAMY CHURCH, LAMY, NM 2008

This is another example of an image that fermented for awhile. I photographed this church on at least four different occasions starting in 2007 through 2010. I created this interpretation over the past few days, and I think I found the mood that I wish to convey. I see this as almost a moonscape with a somewhat mysterious feeling. I worked on establishing the feeling of isolation, and I suspect I created an interpretation that conveys what it was that drew me to photograph this monument to the Creator in the first place.

WORKING ON PHOTOGRAPHS

ARCATA MARSH SUNSET

It is true and thus easy for me to say that I really enjoy working photographs that I allowed to "ferment" for awhile. This image for example is one that I took a couple of months ago, and I worked it then, but was not ready to "like" it. I have about four varriations on this particular photograph, including a black and white copy.

ARCATA MARSH SUNSET IN BLACK AND WHITE

This image does not have as much post processing as the color photo above, but it should convey the basic idea of how it looks as a monochromatic photograph. I admit that I am not really much of a sunset photographer. There are those out there that have either the knack and/or the drive to make eye-catching images of our star as it puts on it finery, and my hat goes off to them.

Feeling Spring Fever

THE SLIM PRINCESS AT LAWS, CALIFORNIA, 2008

It is fun for me to go back through some of my earlier images and see what I can do with them. I am going to make a print of this train, and donate it for a fund raising silent auction event. As usual, I cannot decide between the black and white or the color image. By-the-way, it is called the Slim Princess because it is narrow gauge engine and train. Laws is near Bishop, California, and is not all that far from the ghost town of Bodie.

THE SLIM PRINCESS IN COLOR

STRIPES

Nature reclaiming an old road.

I just now reworked this image. I took it back in 2010 with the Sony R1. I utilized my increased skill set for working in Lightroom to enhance and reinterpret this image. The changes over what I did to it two years ago are subtle, yet significant. It may seem like a contradiction, but I find that when working on a fine-art piece that there is a point where subtle changes make all the difference.

The first version of this photograph.

In looking at the two photographs you may be able to discern a difference in the color and luminance of the pavement and of the green stripes. I think it is valid to prefer one over the other.

MORE ARCATA

THE EVOLUTION OF A CLASSIC ARCATA BUSINESS AND BUILDING

I attempted to photograph this building for several months before I finally caught it without motor vehicles parked in front. I took this photograph on June 30, 2010. I am pleased that most of  its old character still was still there at that time.

KNEELAND SHRINE

KNEELAND SHRINE

This photograph is hanging in the C Street Hall Gallery in Eureka. It is still a photograph that I like it even though it has been around now for several years. This old International truck was located on private property, and thus fairly well concealed from the public.

SELF ACTUALIZATION?

FREEING OF THE SELF, A SELF PORTRAIT

I took a class in ancient art history years ago. One of the requirements was that we students were to write a report on a piece of ancient art. I chose to write about a Greek amphora. I really got into studying the photographs of the work, and in my writing I interpreted by reactions to the work. I wrote about what I felt the artist was trying to express. I was slammed by the instructor. I was informed that I was to write about the facts of the art, focusing on technique, style, materials and function while ignoring my emotional responses to the work.

I get what the instructor was attempting to convey to me and the rest of the class, but I found very little joy in the subsequent works we studied that semester. Nowadays, when I view art, I react with my emotions first and foremost. Often, I do indulge in attempting to understand what techniques the artist used, and with photography I almost always consider the craft behind the print. I still assert that the viewer's emotional or spiritual response is the most important aspect of the process of viewing and understanding art.

I took the above photograph this morning. I made it because a self-portrait project is due for the camera club tomorrow. I sort of resisted the project until today. Now I am pleased that I took it on. The print I just made looks very nice. This photo was inspired by my former professor, Don Anton, and is dedicated to my friend Carol Jantz. Her soul now soars with the angels.

LESSONS OF THE ARTIST'S EGO

ARCATA MARSH SKY

I am really having fun with these images from the marsh. I get opportunities there that I don't get at home. We live in the forest, and we just do not get to see much of the dawn or dusk sky. I am often surprised when I go down the hill by the brightness and colors. Perhaps you see these skies all the time, but I do not, so I immerse myself into their vastness and colors.

I am still working on my issues of the ego. I understand that I am a good photographer, and that my work is appreciated by many. But I still become mired in self-doubt and I listen to the critic within whenever my work is not chosen for a juried show. I realize that I "win some and lose some", and that it all balances out, but I still want to be valued by others as a worthy artist.

The good news is that I am aware of this, and that I just keep on placing myself in situations where I get to practice my detachment from my ego. I have no idea how long it will take, but I am cautiously optimistic that  my learning from the lessons is becoming easier with each one.