County Dock - the story of an image

Last night the sunset over the St. Johns River was very nice. Not crazy spectacular but visually beautiful. Typically I don't make a point to hang out and watch sunsets. I figure that there will always be another sunset...what a poor attitude. By chance I had my camera in the car. When I left the gym to come home, I saw the pink sky and headed to the dock. There is always some anxiousness when you approach a site and you don't know what to expect. I've arrived way too many times only to be disappointed. The dock and boat ramp were barricaded which almost sent me home, but I grabbed my camera and decided to check things out. I left my tripod in the car thinking there would be nothing worthwhile to shoot. When I walked to the water's edge it was obvious that I was staying a while. I exposed 50 images. Most of these I laid my camera on the wooden rail for support. I'm typically an f/18 ISO 100 type of shooter. My favorite shot was 1/20 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1250. No 40x60 for this one but I was happy with the result. So what about the other 49 images? I worked a few different angles, isolating the sky, then the water, some verticals, etc.  I found that this image combined all of the elements of interest...the sky, the orange color highlighting the boat, reflections in the water, the docks, the lights of the Buckman Bridge in the background, and the couple watching the sunset. I think it is the couple that adds the human element and scale. When you can get a few elements to come together then an image has a good chance of being a keeper.

Morals of the story: Go to the gym and your rewards will come after, hang out to watch sunsets and be surprised, never leave your tripod in the car.

Spring in NE Florida

It may be freezing elsewhere in the US but it's been spring time in Northeast Florida for a few weeks now. Since mid-February my allergies announced the annual arrival of pollen, and my yellow dusted car confirms it. We've had some very dry weather here and I've been waiting for some cloudy overcast days to get out and visit some of the parks to capture the new spring growth that is everywhere. With the arrival of the redbuds, azaleas, and dogwood blooms, I think Spring is almost over.

One of the most spectacular places to view azaleas is Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka. I make an annual trek out there but so far I've only hit the peak once, back in 2007. Today was overcast so my good sense told me to venture out to test my luck. Many of the azaleas have started to bloom in the neighborhood. When I arrived the person on duty told me the blooms are so-so. Looks like next week the majority of the blooms will pop. With the nice light I was able to have a good time anyway. Many of the red azaleas were blooming, but the classic magenta flowers were mostly in buds.

Discovery Launch from the Skyline Cafe

Today the Space Shuttle Discovery made its final voyage. Discovery served us well as a symbol of achievement and quest for knowledge. I know the costs were staggering, but the benefits are innumerable. This image was taken from the 42nd floor of the Bank of America Tower from the Skyline Cafe. I like to find cool places to photograph Jacksonville and the Skyline Cafe is the discovery of the month, thanks to fellow artist Robert Leedy. The windows are relatively clean and you have access to almost the entire perimeter of the building. Skyline offers a few hot entrees, salad bar, sandwiches (hot and cold), and soups, all at a very reasonable cost ($8 can get you  a lunch) with an incredible view. There are buzzards constantly flying around the tower, wonder what "dead" meat they are sensing, couldn't be all the empty office space downtown could it? So far every time I'm there the sky is blue and sunny. I'm waiting for some nasty weather to roll in. I'll post interesting stuff as it comes.

Buzzards

New Orleans road trip

The last time I was in New Orleans was in 1978 right after Dorian and I bought our first car. We received two free nights as a promotion. So when my friend Bill Yates told me that PhotoNOLAwas happening over the weekend, my first reaction was, "let's go!" A quick 8.5 hour drive down I-10 brought us to this lovely city. We were met by Bill's friend John Burns, a local who spent some time in Palatka, and is now establishing an organic food market. My first objective was to catch the keynote presentation by Michael Kenna, and then to check out some galleries and do some street photography...and of course to EAT! And we managed to accomplish all of the above.

Beignets

Red beans and rice

The highlight of the trip was definitely the food: red beans and rice, collards, more red beans and rice, beignets, and BBQ chicken (a la John Burns). John did a marvelous job directing us to the local spots, and we managed to see a fair amount of art, drove around much of the city, and even had a friendly chat with Exxon security as we were photographing near a refinery. The devastation by hurricane Katrina is still very evident in some parts of the city. We spent some time in the 9th Ward to see how an urban neighborhood literally got wiped from the face of the earth. New Orleans is a very dense city and it is hard to imagine how 20 ft of water would look like over many of the neighborhoods.

The Dome

Local color

Hangout

Levee at Ninth Ward

The best gallery for photography in New Orleans (probably the best in the Southeast) is A Gallery for Fine Photography at 241 Chartres Street.

On our way home we took the scenic Route 90 starting near Pass Christian (get off at the Mississippi Welcome Center on I-10), through Gulfport and on towards Pascagoula. There were still a few crews working the oil spill and some old dock pilings left over from Katrina. The beaches were pretty much deserted.

Near Gulf Shores

New Orleans is full of life and vitality and offers its own special kind of ambiance. This city is now on my list...I'll be back for sure.

Drive by shooting

On my way out to Oceanway to photograph some road improvements, I witnessed one of those rare sunsets that deserved to be recorded. I could see the heavy clouds and the sun intermittently peaking through as I was making my way north on 9A. I knew that I would have a clear shot of whatever was going on once I was on the Dames Point Bridge. Luckily it was Saturday and not a very heavy traffic day. As I approached the ramp I reached for my camera which just happened to be on the seat next to me. I needed a relatively fast shutter speed which was no problem since I was shooting into the sun. My concern was actually overexposing the shot if too much of the sun was not covered by clouds. Going northbound on the bridge with the sun setting in the west meant that I needed to shoot over the oncoming traffic from my side of the car. I slid over to the left most lane and slowed down.

Now people are usually speeding over this bridge. Three lanes of high speed traffic. I put on my emergency flasher and hoped for the best. I slowed to about 30 mph and took one shot, holding my 5D II and 24-70 f2.8 with one hand, the other hand on the wheel. I quickly focused and shot. I didn't have the nerve to keep shooting, a tractor trailer was fast approaching in my rear view mirror. I sped up and went over the bridge, and enjoyed the rest of the sunset while driving.

I was thrilled that I got the shot (1/800, f/13, ISO 200). Sometimes we get lucky.

I think it's going to rain...

The "County Dock" is right down the street and I try to make it out there when the weather is turning nasty. Usually there is a pretty good show of clouds. Today I was on the way home from the dentist and it just so happened I had my camera handy. The rain was over the city and I waited a while to see it I could catch some lightning. Not this time. One thing you've got to say about Florida, we have some pretty impressive clouds.

Lego Architecture and more

National Building Museum - interior

Our second trip downtown took us to the National Building Museum for an exhibit on Palladio. We studied Palladio and his villas in our Architectural History classes, at least the classes that we stayed awake in. When we arrived we were excited that the Lego Architecture exhibit was still available to see. So it looked like our day was already filled. The Museum is on F Street right across the street from the Judiciary Square Metro station, and was originally the Pension Building. It is quite a remarkable structure.

Lego Architecture

I couldn't wait to see the Lego exhibit so we headed there first. I'm sorry I did not lug my tripod along. It's tough handholding for shots that you know will need to be extra sharp and a decent depth of field. I shot at ISO 1250, 1/125 at f/10. The results were ok, but the tripod would have made this easy. Next time. The Lego models were all of famous skyscrapers and very well done. Luckily the exhibit hall was fairly empty so I could take my time.

No photos were allowed in the Palladio exhibit. There were rooms full of original drawings and some historical models. It was fascinating to see the drawings which were meticulously executed. Most of these materials were from British museums and collections. During their colonial period many of the antiquities were plundered by the British, but at least we have them to see and enjoy.

Kogod Courtyard ceiling

After a quick bite at the snack counter we headed next door to the American Art Museum and the American Portrait Gallery to see an exhibit of Norman Rockwell paintings owned by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. There was also an exhibit on Remembering Running Fence, the 24 mile  temporary sculpture by Christo. The most impressive view in the museum though was the ceiling in the Kogod Courtyard...remarkable. Washington DC is a very neat place and I wish we had more time to explore.

An evening at the National Mall

Washington Monument

On the occasion of attending a wedding in Washington DC, we made 2 trips to the Mall to check out the sites. It's tough to cover the National Mall in a few hours, so we decided to keep focused on one or two things per trip. No meanderings through the Air and Space Museum or National Galleries. Tonight we visited the Washington Monument and the WW2 Memorial. Riding the Metro is alwys exciting for me as I really love the large coffered ceilings at the downtown stations. We got off at the Smithsonian and headed west.  The sun came down quickly so we lost the light fast. The Mall is so big that you can't just run all over the place to try to get multiple shots. So you take what you can and then enjoy yourself.

WW2 Memorial

WW2 Memorial and Washington Monument

Of This Earth

Here is my new body of work hanging at Southlight Gallery. This is just one group of images from our trip to Yellowstone in late May, (sorry, still working on the post). In going through all my Yellowstone pictures, I found several groups of images that were candidates for a submission. My past two exhibits have been on trees, and I had plenty of tree images to choose from, but I wanted to try something different. I enjoy showing images of things that are unique and thought provoking, so what could be more interesting that a look at details around a hot spring? (we don't have many of these here in FL).   After selecting the final images, I found that all of them came from two areas, Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin, and the Canary Spring/Minerva Terrace in Mammoth Hot Springs. Both areas were quite magical and extraordinary.

 

    

Here is my artist statement and images for the showing:

There is no place on earth like Yellowstone National park. And here you can find the largest number of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud volcanoes anywhere. These openings in the ground create other-worldly landscapes and details from a mixture of water, steam, minerals, chemicals, and the attraction of a myriad assortment of bacteria and small organisms. The patterns and textures are living, dynamic structures, changing constantly over time.

For many the beauty of Yellowstone is usually found in its wildlife, flowers, lakes, and landscapes. For me there is greater interest in what is different and unique. My fascination with these thermal features draws me into a primitive world of ages ago, when the earth was cooling, and the basic elements of the earth began to support life. Isn’t it interesting that these areas support only primitive life forms (bacteria, algae, fungi) and are hostile to others? Portraying landscapes and details emphasizing the fundamental flow patterns reveal the beauty in the structure of natural things. We seek order in our observations…nature provides it if we know where to look.

    

   

   

You'll have to drop by the gallery to see the bigger versions. The best comment from the opening was someone who asked if I was in an airplane when I took these...love it! The work should be up for at least 2 months.

Smoky Mountains Spring Road Trip

  We just returned from a spring road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains NP, staying 3 nights in Cherokee and 3 in Gatlinburg (Best Western of course!). Traffic on I-95 and I-26 was surprisingly heavy, but Cherokee was still in pre-season mode. We planned to follow many of the hikes featured on the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage which is a 5 day educational program in its 60th year. Go to the site and download their program for some ideas of places to check out. We arrived one week before the program to beat the crowds, but it seems that Hiway 441 through the park is perpetually busy. There are also many road closings throughout the park including the Cades Cove Loop, Clingman's Dome, and the Roaring Fork loop. Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway were also closed between the park and Asheville.

 We started out from Cherokee as home base. Day 1 included a morning sunrise at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. A good "warm up" shoot in that it is virtually 5 minutes from Cherokee. Don't you love it when you arrive at a site and there is no one in the parking lot? We had some fog in the field at the Mountain Farm Museum. There is also a 1.5 mile nature trail that runs along the Oconaluftee river. From here we returned to the hotel for breakfast, then a nap, then west to Bryson City to check out the Deep Creek area. There is a loop trail that takes you to 3 waterfalls. I was expecting the area to be empty but there were quite a few people there enjoying the sunny day. I was looking for clouds and overcast but bright sun and blue skies followed us for 3 days. We stopped in Bryson City for ice cream and visited with a gallery owner, Charles Heath. It's always nice to chat with the local artists. We ended the day at Mingo Falls, which is not in the park but easily accessible off of Big Cove Road near the park entrance. We saw one family there and that was it. This is probably the most impressive falls in the whole region.

   

Day 2 included our big adventure to Cataloochee, located on the east end of the park. We were up at 4:30 AM for the drive. The last 10 miles is on a one lane gravel road in the mountains. It was still pretty dark so we really didn't know what to expect. Dorian was nervous. But we made it and were greeted by a herd of elk on the main road, then a group of wild turkeys. There are several old buildings as this was a main settlement area similar to Cades Cove. We also hiked the first mile of the Caldwell Fork Trail, starting with a log bridge over the river. Now this "bridge" was literally a log, flattened on one side, spanning about 30 ft over a river. There was a rail on one side to hold onto (for your life!). With tripod and camera gear I didn't look down and just kept walking. As you reached the other side the log was getting narrower and bouncing! Ok, so I'm a wimp. We ended the day back in the park at the Mingus Mill and then to the visitor center parking lot for some shots of the redbuds and dogwood. It was dark when we finished.

  

  

Day 3 we packed up and headed to Gatlinburg. On the way we pulled off for a few shots of the Oconaluftee River from 441. The sun was still behind the mountains so the valley stays in shadow until about 9:00. We stopped at the Newfound Gap viewing area and hiked a bit on the Appalachian Trail. Only 1972 miles to Katahdin, Maine from here! The afternoon included another hike on the Chestnut Top Trail where 73 meets Little River Road to look for wildflowers. There were many people there and all very friendly, pointing out their finds. We then proceeded down to Cades Cove...and yes the loop was really closed for repaving. On the way back we stopped at another pullout to check out the river. There are numerous points to stop and we took advantage of them. I can't understand why some people need to tailgate you on a national park road, they must be in a hurry to go somewhere! Traffic is bad in the Smokys so you just have to get off the road and walk a bit. We rolled into Gatlinburg and headed towards Cherokee Orchard Road which is part of a loop that includes the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Roaring Fork was closed for repairs so we went as far as we could and rewarded with a bear sighting...wow! My camera was in the back of the car so I made a small movie with my G10 and here is my fuzzy snap. Onwards to the Best Western.

 

Day 4 started at the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail located at the Chimney Tops picnic area. We arrived at around 7:15 AM and there were a bunch of photographers there. Got some cold stares as we walked by them, guess they forgot how to say "good morning." I think some photographers are territorial and they feel like someone is infringing on their space. This compared to the wildflower hikers who were eager to share their discoveries. There was plenty of space so we just moved on. The flowers on this trail are great and the scenery and soft light very nice. It's a 1 mile loop through an old growth forest. The sun didn't poke through until around 9:00 and even then there were plenty of shady areas to keep working. This trail is highly recommended, in addition the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River also flows through the area. Lots of stuff to shoot. After our shoot we returned to Gatlinburg for a late breakfast and then a nap, then on to Laurel Falls. Some clouds began to roll in and I was happy. The trail to Laurel Falls is 1.3 miles on a paved road uphill. Definitely worth the hike. Getting to the base of the falls was a bit treacherous. The hike back was great downhill. On the drive back on Little River Road we stopped to photograph a field of blue phlox until dark.

   

Day 5 saw the results of my rain dance for the past week. The good thing about a rainy morning is that there is no sunrise, so we grabbed breakfast before we made our way to the Greenbrier entrance to the Porters Creek trailhead. From there we hiked in about a mile before it really started to rain hard. I love shooting in the drizzle but when the rain comes it gets tough. We saw a few other photographers on the trail looking for wildflowers. From here we went back into town and drove around the arts and crafts loop in Gatlinburg and it was back to the hotel for a nap. As the rain began to let up we headed back into the park on Newfound Gap Road and found that the mist and fog were settling in. The light quickly disappeared and we headed back for a nice Italian dinner.

 

We headed out the door on Day 6 and probably should have gotten an earlier start. There was nice morning light and some remnants of a nice sunrise. Back through the park one last time on Newfound Gap road, stopping at a few overlooks. By 9:00 what was left of the fog had burned off. At Newfound Gap it was quite chilly and very windy. I waited for a composition with the clouds but the light was harsh and the landscape burned out. It was on to Cherokee to fill the tank and grab some lunch for the road. From here we jumped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway south to 74, then to Waynesville where we took 276 through Pisgah National Forest then to 64 and eventually I-26 and I-95 to home. It's always a little sad to leave the mountains. The Interstate has a way of bringing you back to harsh reality.

   

Click here for my Smoky Mountains Spring gallery (everything!).

Big Talbot Sunrise

Today Harry Sandler twisted my arm (ouch!) to catch sunrise at Big Talbot. There was a chance of fog and my fingers were crossed. We were up at 4:45 and made it there for the pre-dawn light. No fog, no clouds, no wind, and plenty of no-see-ums. We hiked out on Blackrock Trail and didn't see a soul. There's something surreal about arriving at Big Talbot in the pre-dawn at low tide. The water is still and the fallen trees surround you. You can hear the birds and the water is almost silent. If it wasn't for the gnats buzzing at your eyes, ears, and every place you did not manage to spray, it would be most pleasant. One day I will experience the fog at this location, today was not the day. After our shoot we drove onto Amelia Island and had breakfast at the Parkway Grill in Fernandina (right on AIA past Harris Teeter). Great food and good coffee. Harry and I said our goodbyes and he was off on his drive back to NY.

 

Exploring the Okefenokee - Part 2

 

I made it out to the East entrance of the Okefenokee soon after my exploration of the West (see my previous post on March 12). A much shorter drive from Jacksonville, from I-295 and off the New Kings Road Exit (US-1). This takes you through some depressed areas in Georgia, lots of abandoned gas stations and hotels from the pre-interstate days when US-1 was the main corridor from the north. One day I will dedicate some time to just these abandoned structures. When I arrived the park was virtually empty. Early spring is great for the weather, lack of people, and lack of mosquitoes. I was told that the gators were beginning to come out of hibernation and beginning to look for mates, hence a lot of grunting noises in the swamps.

 

The East side of the park contains a nature drive and concessions area with lots of opportunities to pull off the road for photography. The main road leads you past pine forests and several burn areas. From the Visitor's Center, Swamp Island Drive takes you to some boardwalks where you can get deeper into the swamp. It started to drizzle and rain, so I was the only crazy person out walking around. At the end of the main boardwalk there is an observation tower that gives a great view of the area. I did not opt for the boat tour this time, as the sun decided to come out. I did hike the short Canal Diggers trail.

 

I love overcast, windless days for tree photography. Look for the special light that illuminates the branches and new spring growth. It's soft and allows the details to really show. Getting out to the wilderness by yourself is great therapy. Even if the images are not there, you can recharge and renew yourself in nature.

For my Okefenokee gallery click here.

Exploring the Okefenokee

I've been looking for a chance to get out to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Georgia. The drizzling rain in Jacksonville and forecast for more rain looked promising for some overcast conditions so I took a chance and headed towards the West Entrance to the park near Fargo GA. It was a good 2+ hour drive out I-10 and then north on 441, connecting with 177. My last visit to the swamp was back in the early 80's and can't say I remember much except that we couldn't restart our outboard engine on the boat rental (a story for another day), so I really had no expectations about the trip.

The rain started coming down hard as I headed west as I had a sinking feeling that this was going to be a bust. Once I passed Macclenny FL the rain let up. Driving in rural FL on the back roads is an experience. I was literally in the middle of nowhere. I regrettably passed an old abandoned gas station that would have made a great shot. What is it that keeps you from stopping? There were 2 other great photo ops that I passed. Maybe we are too self-conscious of stopping the car, getting set up, and taking the shot. Or maybe we don't value our instincts. On some occasions I create excuses about how the shot would be lousy only to avoid that guilt of not stopping.  I don't know what it is but it's the courage to get the shot is something I need to work on. Stopping to shoot or being in a situation which is potentially uncomfortable to shoot makes the successful capture sweeter.

 

My first stop was at the boat launch off Suwanee River Sill. There is a nice stand of cypress trees on the far side a a canal, complete with sleeping gators. I was there for quite sometime before I saw another photographer. I then proceeded to the end of 177 where the concession facilities and boat rentals are. From the size of the parking lots I could see that this is a busy place in height of the season. Lots of campsites too. I took a guided boat tour which took us along Billy's Lake. I can see renting a small boat next time to do some exploring and to get some peace and quiet. There is something about the guided tours that completely distracts from the ambiance of the place.

What I find disheartening about visiting some National Parks is learning about the history of the areas. Our entire history seems to be fraught with stories about the displacement of Native Americans and exploitation of natural resources. The Okefenokee is no different...in 1899 the Hebard Cypress Company purchased the land from the state of GA and systematically removed 431 million board feet of cypress timber, harvesting giant magnificent trees that were hundreds of years old. It's not that they removed some trees but they literally raped the land, building a railroad to haul the trees out and leaving the area to waste after they were done. It's good that we have at least some of these lands under responsible supervision. In the name of progress, in the name of jobs, in the name of the public "good" we did (and continue to do) some terrible things.

 

After the boat tour that lasts about an hour I walked along the Trembling Earth Nature Trail which includes a 2100 ft boardwalk into a cypress grove. Then I headed out and stopped a few times on the road as the sun was setting. The mosquitoes come out as soon as the sun went down. I'm eager to visit the east side of the park. I have a feeling it is more geared to hiking and nature observation than recreation. Perhaps on the next overcast day.

Click here for my Okefenokee gallery.

Twilight Zone at Coney Island

I have never been to Coney Island so what better time than in the dead of the winter after a snowstorm? I took the Q train from Brooklyn and it takes you all the way to Coney Island at the end of the line. It's hard to realize that Brooklyn actually has a beach! There were a few tourists and locals milling around. Then comes this bare chested guy running towards the ocean. I asked him if he was going in and he said after a little run. Believe me it was cold out there.

 

Coney Island is a strange place especially when it is devoid of people. The booths were boarded up and the dilapidated rides looked as if they hadn't been used in years. Tacky hand painted signs call you to buy food and rides. Yes this place has an ambiance of its own. When I arrived the clouds were still low and gray. There was a stiff breeze which seemed to add to the arresting discomfort of the place. I expected some weird experience to happen at any time, like a deranged clown emerging from one of the roll up doors or a body falling from the roller coaster.  Yikes!

 

After about 2 hours the skies cleared and the sun emerged. The snow began to melt and all was bright and clear. The line at Nathan's was long and I decided to head back into town. It's worth another trip, maybe when the rides are open.

Snow day in Prospect Park

On Feb 25 it snowed in NYC. I mean we got 20 inches. In nearby Brooklyn things were pretty socked-in. Cars were covered, schools closed, and no one was going anywhere. We ventured out from the apartment in Park Slope to Prospect Park where winter was in full swing. People were having a blast, sledding and skiing and just enjoying the day. It was a great time to commiserate with the trees and I took advantage of it. There are over 150 species of trees in the park so it was a big treat for me to be there in such unique conditions. My tour started at the north entrance and proceeded along West Drive, then across Long Meadow and at that point I started wandering south. The snow was very deep in places (over a foot) and I followed whatever trail I could find. The sun was peeking in and out and I just kept walking knowing that at a certain point I should hit a roadway. Well, the parks in NY are rather large and I probably didn't realize that walking a few miles in the deep snow would be quite the workout. I was carrying two camera bodies, one with my 24-70 and the other with a 70-200. Needless to say the camera bag strap (a Think Tank Urban Disguise 50) began to dig into my shoulder...ouch! Luckily I did not have my tripod to lug around. I think I ended up walking about 6 miles that day. When it started to get dark I had a little bit of panic. The snow started coming down hard and there were less and less people around. Could I actually get lost in an urban park? I saw some buildings in the distance and headed towards the lights. I popped out at 9th Street and Prospect Park West, about 15 blocks away from the apartment. At least I knew where I was now. And did I say it was getting cold? 

The trees covered in wet snow were magical to me. As the sky darkened and snow began to fall I experienced a calm peacefulness enveloping the entire area. In the middle of Brooklyn I found a sanctuary. Now I have to find my way home.

A snowy tree gallery is in the works...stay tuned.

Fairytale Fashion by Diana Eng

  Our daughter Diana has been busy at the Eyebeam Art and Technology Center working on a grant for a project called Fairytale Fashion. It is a program for young girls to explore, design, and make fashions with technology embellishments, combining craft and science into a fun experience. Diana's culmination of the grant was a fashion show in New York Wednesday night where she unveiled 9 new looks, complete with glowing wires, sound sensitive LEDs, inflatable dresses, and deployable structured hoodies. Over 300 were in attendance as the event started up at the Eyebeam Atelier in Chelsea on West 21st Street. The runway was crafted by overhead lights and the music was provided by a eclectic mellow mix by a circuit bending quartet of DJs. I was one of many photographers there capturing a very special moment for Diana at her first runway show in New York.

 

 

A lot goes into putting on a show like this, and we were in New York a day early to help out and do some behind the scenes photography. The final touches were made to the garments in a lab, with as much soldering and chip programming going on as cutting, sewing, and steaming. An interesting mix of craft and technology.

   

There was hair and makeup to coordinate, final fitting of the models, and of course program debugging on the fly. Another dimension to the usual chaos of a fashion show. For a video of the show go to the Fairytale Fashsion website and the Craftzine blog. Here is an article about the show in the June 2010 issue of The Atlantic.

Savannah and Tybee Island

This weekend we took a small roadtrip to Savannah to see my daughter Diana present at the Telfair Museum Jepson Center.  She was part of the Pulse Art and Technology Festival, and she provided a workshop followed by a lecture on Fashion and Technology. The Jepson Center for the Arts is an incredible building by architect Moshe Safdie. It was a perfect venue for the event which hosted special exhibits, presentations, and events throughout the week.   

I love Savannah and the Southern charm it exhibits. The architecture of the historic district is genuine. The brick paved streets and landscaped squares provide an elegant setting for the many historic buildings. The city is best "digested" by foot, and this was not the trip to do anything extensive. I did drive out to the Bonaventure Cemetery hoping to find some interesting sights. It was around 10:30 in the morning and the light was just not right. I've been to large cemeteries in Montréal and NYC, and Bonaventure was a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps a foggy or overcast day would have improved conditions. I did manage to visit the gallery and studio of Bryan Stovall on Whittaker Street near the river. This is one of the few photography galleries in Savannah and has some nice work by many local artists.

 After some good family time of shopping and eating, I had one Saturday to exercise the camera. When we woke up it was raining. Given the choice of drizzle or a cloudless sky, I'll take the drizzle.  We drove downtown to put our name on the waiting list for Paula Deen's restaurant Lady and Sons for dinner. Then we headed out to the area around Chatham Square for Dorian to do some shopping. Between raindrops it was easy to find some nice architectural details.

From here we headed out on Hiway 80 to Ft. Pulaski NM and then out to Tybee Island. The rain was letting up so we thought the worst was over. Ft. Pulask is an impressive fortification. There are some nice hiking trails taking you to the surrounding marshes. After walking through the fort and watching the musket firing demo we headed out to Tybee. We followed Hiway 80 to the end then made a left to the last cul-de-sac with access to the beach. The rain started coming down hard and it was time to put the camera away. We then made our way to the Tybee Lighthouse, which charged $7 to enter. We passed on that. Across from the lighthouse are some old fortifications which also charged admission to enter. It seemed that everywhere on Tybee there was a machine for charging you to park. I guess that's how these guys stay in business. Overall the island is way too commercialized for me, lots of cheap (but expensive) hotels, condos, and houses crammed along the dunes. It was a good thing that the weather was crummy and no one was on the beach. We returned to the place where we started so that I could try to get some images of the jettys and the shore at low tide. After about 20 minutes the rain started up again and it was time to go. Right now I'm working on some minimalist landscapes so here is the result...

 

[nggallery id=14]

Dinner at Paula Deen's that night was memorable...fried chicken, catfish, pot roast, limas, black eye peas, creamed corn, collards, mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, and the BEST blue cheese dressing you can imagine (looks like cottage cheese!). And I had to drive home to Jacksonville after that.

Man's mark on the earth

Today while out shooting on Hecksher Drive it occurred to me that it's hard to avoid evidence of man's presence on the earth. I drove out to a fairly remote area north of town, where I can remember my dad taking my brother and I fishing. It was always a quiet and peaceful area where there were few cars and even fewer permanent man made structures. As I was watching the sunrise, my view was obstructed by a  huge container ship bringing its load to port. On the right on a piece of land stretching out into the water were a group of houses (just waiting to be demolished by our next hurricane). In front of me were chunks of concrete, covered by barnacles, and at low tide, the assorted collection of plastic bottles, beer cans, cigarette butts, and fishing line could be seen strewn about. But this did not detract from the grandeur of the sunrise and the majesty of nature's presence, as you can see.

 

On my way home, I stopped to photograph one of my landmarks, the St Johns River Power Park cooling towers and boiler stack. The plant was working hard, and the man-made clouds were in stark contrast to the clouds I witnessed earlier in the day.

County Dock Road

  There is a public dock and boat launch at the end of County Dock Road in Mandarin. This is a great place to catch clouds and the sunset over the St Johns River, and is one of the few public accesses to the river along Mandarin Road (the other is Mandarin Park further south).  The weather was exceptional today, with rain, thunder, and then a strange fog rolling into downtown. The "River Guardian" Bill Yates has a commanding view of the river from his condo in Riverside. He called with a heads up on the clearing to the south (where I am) and the potential for some clouds. "But it's raining outside Bill!" So against my better senses I grabbed my raincoat, the camera and tripod and drove the 2 miles to the dock. Guess everyone else had the common sense to stay indoors because there wasn't a soul in sight. Sometimes you just have to get out the door if you're going to find anything interesting. When we go out to shoot personal projects, there's always this debate in our heads about where to go, when to go, if I should go, etc. I've learned, but only sometimes apply it, that you just need to GO!

I love it when I arrive on site and there's no one there. It puts me in a great mental state. I walked up to the boat launch area and took my first image of the dock. I could tell that the river was calm and that there was a great mess of clouds overhead. I was going to have a good time. I usually start out with a wide angle lens, partially because this is how I do my initial assessment of a site, with an open mind. I like to walk around and scan, always checking on the light, looking for interesting forms, colors, anything that catches the eye. Most of the time you know when an area has potential, but sometimes you have to be patient and wait.

It looked like the gray clouds were going to obscure the sunset, but they were moving quickly. This means things could change. As I walked out to the end of the doc, I made a few exposures and kept watching the clouds above. I arrived at 5:00 and left at 6:20. I probably made around 100 images, of which I kept 40. Maybe 20 are worthy of even showing to others, and perhaps 1 or 2 I may add to my portfolio. I would consider this a successful shoot and was happy with the result. My intent was to capture the calm and peacefulness of the river and the emptiness of the dock. I also wanted to portray the drama of the cloud cover, and the ominous weather that was bearing down on us.  I converted the images to B&W to remove the element of color from the compositions. It just felt like the right thing to do. The forms were so strong that color did not add anything significant, in fact it became distracting. I'm looking forward to printing some of these 20x30 or larger if I get around to it.

[nggallery id=12]How do you like my new in-line gallery? Click on a thumbnail to enlarge. Finally figured out how to do this. It's easier to post additional images this way. Enjoy!

A cold morning at Big Talbot

I wanted to bring my visiting friend, Cliff Mair to my favorite place at the end of Blackrock Trail on Big Talbot Island. Problem was that record cold temperatures were predicted, and I am not fond of freezing my butt off at sunrise. However, a low tide at sunrise was too much to pass up so we headed out. Please remember that I lured Cliff here to Florida because of our warm winters and great clouds. The day he arrived a cold front blew in and took all the clouds away. 4 days of record cold, freezing nights, and cloudless skies. For an outdoor landscape photographer this is not fun.

After about an hour after sunrise Cliff was ready to go. I was too. It's tough to find compositions when the light isn't cooperating. Not that I didn't try. I was looking for shadows, patterns, and details, but the light was just too strong. We decided to head up to New Berlin Road to shoot the cooling towers at the JEA power plant. I've been out there before but usually on weekends. Today the security guard decided to show up. He was not happy with us pointing our long lenses on tripods at the towers. We were going for some long exposures to capture the smoke trails using a Vari-ND filter from Singh-Ray. Great technique if you can get a 10-15 second exposure. The guard asked for ID, and now I'm in the database as a suspect. If anything happens to those towers I guess I can expect a call.