THE STREETS OF ARCATA

PACIFIC PARADISE

I have not worked in downtown Arcata for awhile. I feel that my vision became saturated at some point. Photographing in town is an experience. I mostly go there around dawn. I chose that time for the quality and direction of the morning light. I also do it then because there is little traffic, and few parked cars. There are always other people out then. Usually the folks out and about are delivery people and those opening up the coffee houses. There are always some folks hanging around Don's Doughnuts. I think I will need to go there very early, and before sunrise to catch that storefront sans people.

I once when there on a Sunday morning. I thought that there would be no activity, and that the streets would be clear of parked cars. I was mistaken. There were more cars than I ever encountered that early. I think they were left by those whom closed the bars, and took a cab home.

This image is two years old. I have not shown it yet either in cyber space nor in print. I especially like the colors, and where they are placed. It was taken with the Sony. 

A DIFFERENT TWIST

I took this image in Arizona

I am going to admit that I was looking for something to share today that is different from most of my work. I took this near Sedona. The actual photograph is a vertical image, but not nearly as interesting. I was at some famous place such as Montezuma's Castle. It was at a designated spot for the perfect shot of the castle, but I found this more interesting.

I think that it sometimes is challenging to come up with something original when making a composition. Let's say I am at the Grand Canyon, and am intent on creating a great image. I may ask myself "what does it take to create an original piece of art"? Many of the great artists have all ready made their images of the canyon, and there are many fine prints available for sale at the gift shop. I need to make the image one that is truly my own. So I as an artist need to come up with something that is not gimmicky, but that is truly unique, and that satisfies the senses and spirit.

My point is that for a work to be art it must give us a unique perspective on the subject. It is not always enough that the work is technically superb. In my opinion a work of art needs to have an essence that evokes a sense of spirit as presented by the artists creativity.

MORE MAGICAL MOODINESS

Another Photograph of the Marsh

I am going to sit with this image for awhile. I love the colors and the mood. I am somewhat unsure about the foreground. I think either there is not enough of it, or I think it should not be included. I will sort it out sometime. One thing for sure, is that I think it will make a wonderful print.

MARSH MAGIC

Last night at the Arcata Marsh

I am very inspired. The beauty that is Humboldt runs very deep. The visual opportunities reveal themselves to those willing to take a look. I studied some of Humboldt's visual hot spots many times, and I almost always find something of visual interest that I missed on earlier visits. I think that hard  work pays dividends in more than one way. Hard work pays because the artist's skills may become much better. Working also may contribute to a stronger vision - a vision that sees things that the casual eye may not appreciate. That is why I assert that the visual feast has many courses. I think many of us are just at the hors d'oeuvre table.

PREPAIRING FOR THE HUMBOLDT PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

The Final Edition of The Kiss of Innocence, John and Laurin Bethune

I posted this photograph on this blog once before, but I am compelled to share it again. I was talking with my mother this morning, and she encouraged me to exhibit some of the portraits that I took of my grand-kids. I decided that I should be a good Tommy, and do as mom says.

I worked more on the digital negative again today. I attempted several different crops, but kept coming back to the full frame. When I cropped out the background on the left edge the entire feeling of the image changed to more of a portrait. I think the added depth gives this image a sense of place, and the background enhances the notion of innocence.  The image becomes more of an expression of innocent feelings than a study of their faces.

My ability to interpret is stronger and clearer today than it was a year ago. It is good that I have left it alone until now. I really value the "aging process" for images.

THE CARSON BLOCK BUILDING, OLD TOWN EUREKA

I CANNOT DECIDE IF THIS SHOULD BE CROPPED SQUARE OR LEFT AS A RECTANGULAR IMAGE

HERE IT IS CROPPED AS A RECTANGLE

 

 

I normally do not photograph buildings during business hours, but I had some unexpected time the other day, and I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was all ready there. I cannot judge for my self if this photograph works as a piece of art, but I can say that it is well lit, and that the quality of the lighting is worth capturing. I like all the sky in the top image, and I like seeing the grey building on the left side of the second composition.

I used the Canon 5dmII with the Canon TS 17mm lens. I don't recall doing a whole lot of processing, and at this point would not consider either as being finished and ready to print.

NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT

READY

SET

GO

AWAY

...FOR WHICH WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE.

I took this series of photographs this morning. A friend lent me a Canon 100-400L series lens, and so I gave it a try. I took this series this morning shortly after sunrise. I blew a bunch of photographs, and came away with the knowledge that to be a good wildlife photographer I would need to practice a lot.  I did silly thing like have too low of an ISO and the resulting shutter speed of 1/50 sec. I had lots of blurry photographs to discard. Eventually I caught on and shot at ISO 800, and as it became brighter I could use shutter speeds of 1/1000 sec.

There were several things I really liked about using the lens. The first is that it allowed me to take some fairly remarkable (to me) close up shots of some thistles and other plant life. The other thing I liked was the joy of tracking birds, and getting some pretty good shots.

The main lesson for me is that I am not drawn to wildlife photography, nor do I yen to photograph sports. If I did either or just one of those then I would acquire one of these lenses ASAP. I did do some hand-held photography with this lens, and once I figured out that I should set the ISO to 800, I was able to do get a few keepers. I did find that my 5dmII is not the best camera for fast action shots. I think a 7d would excel at that enterprise.

The gull in these photographs had a shellfish in its beak. It hovered above the trail, and dropped it so that it would crack open. The bird than dropped down and had its meal. It was kind of cool to be right there with the right lens to capture the action.

ARTS ALIVE TONIGHT!

My Exhibit at the C Street Hallway Gallery

I encourage folks to get out for Arts Alive tonight. All are welcome to come by the gallery. I will be there from about six until about nine tonight. Aside from Dan's paintings and my photographs, there are numerous other artists works on display.

I do intend to sneak out and take in some other shows. For sure I will be at the RAA gallery at the corner of Sixth and F Streets from five until about six. I really like the Curtis Otto show at the Morris Graves Museum of Art - it is worth seeing before it comes down.

NEW SHOW AT THE C STREET HALL GALLERY

STUPA, LIKIR, LADAKH 2008

I will be on hand for Arts Alive tomorrow, Saturday, February 4th at the C Street Hall Gallery in Eureka. The gallery is located on C Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets. It is a fun place to visit. The building is the home of the studios of numerous artists. Many of them will be on hand as they host their open studios. The show includes photographs of Ladakh, some landscapes, and images of Eureka and Arcata. There is also an exhibit of my brother Daniel Bethune's paintings of trees and landscapes in one section of the hall.

I also will be at the RAA Gallery at 603 F Street, from five until six tomorrow evening for an opening reception for the New Year's Exhibit. I have a couple of photographs in the exhibit.

IT IS ALL ABOUT CREATING AN INTERPRETATION

This is a photograph that I have been working on for a couple of weeks. See how it has changed over the past couple of days by looking at my earlier posting of this one.

I think that I am about ready to call this photograph finished. It is an interpretation of the original image, and is the result of lots of work. I recall when I took it that the mood of the scene was one of a misty and mysterious morning. It had a feeling that a writer could describe in several paragraphs, but one that I felt needed few if any words. That is why I worked on it so much - I had to convey what I felt. This image on paper does so. On the computer monitor it only gives an abridged sampling of the mood.

GANESHA

Ganesha, or The Elephant Tree, 2011

I am finding that the essence of my work incorporates the notion that I must work, work, and work some more on almost all of my images. I think that my workflow is similar to that of painters. When I photograph I have a general idea of the  type of image that I am seeking to capture with my camera. Sometimes I have a very clear notion of what I am seeking, and other times I have more of a general idea. Either way, I still must incorporate my technical knowledge and skills so that I may capture an image that is close to what I see or visualize.

In post production work on the computer, I do my initial work and screening. Usually I need to sit with an image for awhile. I often work some more on the image, and leave and return to it several times before I feel that I actually have what I am seeking. This is where the aspects of interpretation continue the strongest. It is here that I decide how I feel the mood of the piece needs to reveal itself. It is in post production that I can decide to create a black and white or monochromatic interpretation, and it is here where I feel that art meets craft.

I think that many of my images emit their own sense of presence. I think that they become an interpretation that is not so easily defined, and that they convey a sense of mystery. I will say that not every one of my images do that, but more and more I am finding that if I step aside, and allow the image to reveal itself that something else does indeed happen.

Jubilación

Misty Morning Magic, Arcata 2011

Today marks the fourth anniversary of my retirement (jubilación). For the past several days I pondered the ramifications of my retirement. I am sharing some of my thoughts and insights on the subject here. 

It is almost impossible to anticipate what retirement will feel like until one lives in that state for awhile. I started my first year out by taking a trip to South Korea and to Ladakh. I wanted to visit both places for different reasons, and my experiences confirmed that reasoning. I followed that trip up with a visit to the east coast and to a family reunion. Since then my travels have been more localized. 


The reason I bring this up at all is that I discovered that it took me awhile to actually "find my groove" in establishing my lifestyle. It took me a couple of years, and several "dry holes" before my exploration into a life style fully manifested itself to me. I now know that my lifestyle is that of the Fine Art Photographer. What is significant is that I now have a definition of myself that I never was able to acquire prior to retirement. 

I wanted for years to become what I now am. I did not have the resolve nor the means to accomplish that until recently. I had other obligations that I rightly felt compelled to fulfill. I knew for years that I likely would need to wait until these "senior" years to make my run at fulfilling my calling.


So now I find that I am the most content that I have ever been. I am content with my lifestyle, but mostly I am content with the fact that I am actualizing my talents. I spent most of my life practicing the various aspects of living. I practiced being a husband, father, employee, friend, and etc. I practiced being a photographer, videographer, brewer, model railroader, gardener and may other avocations. I tried enough of those things to realize that I had one primary talent, and that I could only focus on the one if I were to have a chance of becoming the very best at something. I chose photography.


I sometimes rue the fact that I could have stayed on my job, and that I would be much more fiscally secure than I am now. I took a calculated risk that I would find a lifestyle that offered up the maximum fulfillment possible. I realize that living a "typical" retiree's lifestyle was not something that I would miss. I do not need to go on cruises, nor do I need to take expensive trips. I just need to avail myself the freedom to practice my art. I all ready live in an area that is overflowing with artistic possibilities, and all I have to do is step out the door to be engulfed with opportunity.