Vernal Reflections

Vernal Reflections Study in Black and White, near Freshwater Lagoon 2011

I feel as if I am finally closing in on some successful images of red alder trees. I've been studying these for years and years, photographing them first with my trusty old Korona 4"x5" view camera, and then with the Mamiya 645 roll film camera. I never felt that I got the dynamic range, and thus the prints that I visualized when I took the photographs.

That has all changed. Yesterday when I was at Prairie Creek, and Freshwater Lagoon, I was able to capture the images that for years had eluded my abilities. I just now printed this one, and one other that I took yesterday. These images on the internet are only representations of what the prints look like. They really need to be seen in person, but at least these will give you a general idea of their aesthetics.

I have a couple of shows coming up this year, and many of these prints will be exhibited at those. I will be at the Senior Resource Center for the month of July, and at the F Street Foto Gallery in August and September. Both galleries are in Eureka.

Break in the Weather

Boyes Creek at Prairie Creek State Park

I went north today in an attempt to seize one of the few remaining opportunities to photograph the deciduous trees before they leaf out. These three images more or less cover the spectrum of images that I saw today.

Orick 76

Stone Lagoon Sunset

Vernal Reflections

Closed and Locked Doors

Tonight's Supper

This morning I went into a couple of encampments in the Eureka area. I was escorted by a couple of men whom offered to share some of their life's stories with me. I initially had a lot of trepidation about doing this. My fears of interacting with the "homeless" was fueling my fears. What got me through my fears and into "my groove" was when I realized that I just had to view everyone with whom I interact through the eyes of Godliness.

Cannot Go Here

I am very pleased to report that I had a very sucessful outing. I did see each individual as I think God would - free of judgment, and through the eyes of unconditional LOVE. I got quite a few very nice portraits of some individuals, and I even received an open invitation to return to one camp.

I cannot share the portraits, because I don't have any agreements yet with the subjects. If I do get the agreements I will post some here.

Right now on A Prairie Home Companion a choir is singing Hallelujah, Hallelujah, and it reminds me that my prime directive in this life is to become as God. I am grateful for the opportunity to face my fears.

The Continuing Joy of Black and White Photography

I am having a wonderful time going through my catalog of photographs, and looking for images that I think will work well in black and white. Since today is my grandson John's birthday I felt I should find some images of him to post. The following images are some of what I worked on today.

Kevin 2010

Matthew 2010

John 2010

 I posted additional photographs on my Face Book page.

The Kiss of Innocence

The Kiss

I really like this photograph for many reasons. First of course, is that the subjects are my grandchildren John and his cousin Laurin. The second reason is that I think it is a fairly good image. The third reason that I like this photograph is that I can tell that John is blissfully receiving the affection.  I think that this embrace is one wherein the recipient of the kiss is feeling for perhaps the first time the affection of someone other than his immediate family.

I am reminded of the time when I was eight years old, and my next door neighbor, a girl named Debbie, held my head on her lap. I felt like I was hypnotized, and I did not dare move for fear that I would break the spell that held me in that lap. It was a new sensation for me, and it was one of the defining moments of childhood innocence for me.

I really don't know what these two were experiencing, but I cannot help but feel that they have a special bond. I know it sure makes me happy to be a grandfather and a photographer.

Seeing in Black and White

Pilings at the Arcata Marsh

I was selecting some photographs to enter in a show, and came across this image. I think I took it in late December. I processed it in color, but decided to look at it in black and white. I liked the mood that doing so created, and decided to print it.  It was fun to process the image after the conversion in Lightroom. There are many more options available for my processing in the digital darkroom than what I had in the wet lab. I think that I now can develop the image to my vision more so than ever before. This allows more room for me to interpret the image to that of my vision.

I think I let go of my black and white eyesight somewhere around 1994, and focused on color ever since. Now it is all falling back into place. I am recognizing that there is a very important place for black and white photography in my portfolio. I intend to do more.

Pilings at the Arcata Marsh December 2010

Say I Am You

Ganesha

I worked with local musician and storyteller, Seabury Gould on  a video project to promote his new CD Let that musician finish this poem, Poetry of Rumi. It was a fun project to do. We shot two videos at Prairie Creek State Park, and the location was right at the base of a wonderful grove of trees that I like to call the "elephant trees".  This was fun in that we were able to record Fortune's Wheel on location. I think we got away with doing a live recording because there was little to no wind, and very few other people. We would have had more difficulty during the summer season. For Say That I Am You we played a boom box, and Seabury lip-synced the words. For the flute he actually played along with the CD. That was really fun because the sound of the flute carried around the meadow, and I think a few other folks were treated to the sounds of the flute as it floated across the meadow.

Here is a link to my YouTube site and to these videos.
http://www.youtube.com/user/thomasbethune?feature=mhum

Surf's Up

Surf Breaking on the North Jetty (click on image for larger view)

I forgot about this photo until the other day when I was looking through the computer for photos of surf breaking on rocks (I am working on  a music video for a friend, and needed something like this shot for the project).

Lisa saw it and urged me to print it. I took this last March when Marc Chaton and I were out photographing the North Jetty. I was still using the Sony R1 in those days.

It does look really nice as a print too.

Low Winter Ambitions

The Arcata Creamery Building 2011

This has been a slow time for me. I am getting out and doing some photography, but not as often as I normally do. Perhaps the very rainy weather in December cooled my ambitions, but now that there are more clear days I would think that I would be getting out there.

Blue Sky

I took this photograph about two weeks ago. I just got to playing with it in Lightroom. I stumbled on a method of removing the color (blue) from the sky to achieve a color-on-black and white look. I really am drawn to the sky, and I think the gray works.

I have been printing, and I framed several new pieces recently. I think I have a couple of shows coming up soon, and I will post information about them here and on Face Book when I have the dates.

Sneaker Waves

Surf Number One

All day yesterday as I was photographing, I used the tripod. I almost always do. I think I really got started with the tripod while using my old Korona four-by-five. My serious and thoughtful style pretty much requires that I do so. Sometimes I just cut loose, and go hand-held. That is what I did yesterday as I decided to chase the surf. Well the surf chased me, and I barely got away from one wave. I really had to run as fast as I can to protect my shoes and maybe my camera from a salt water dousing.

This photograph is of the next wave. I am presenting it in two perspectives. The more pastel looking image is as it came from the camera, and the other was worked by me in Lightroom.  Thoughts?

Surf Number Two

A Beautiful Place to Live

Stone Lagoon at Sunset

I went photographing with my buddy Marc Chaton today. We photographed at Prairie Creek and at Stone Lagoon. I think Marc got some really nice shots of some mushrooms. I spent more time on Elephant Tree, and will review the photographs to see if I have any keepers. I do kind of like this landscape. I wish I would have made a panorama of it though (that gives me an opportunity to go there again).

Printing Photographs

Third Eye, Arcata 2010

I did some printing yesterday and today. I am inspired to print images with the goal in mind of producing an exhibit. I think that the images that I have been taking of buildings in Arcata have a certain essence of spirit. I think that this and other images reveal some of the magic that is hidden in plain sight.

At the Alibi, Arcata 2010