White Oak Conservation Center - Arts and the Environment

White Oak, Annie Leibovitz

45 miles north of Jacksonville, on border of Florida and Georgia along the St. Mary's River, lay 7000 acres of pristine woodlands and fields. Housed on this compound is an amazing assortment of animals, studios, and a wildlife conservation center. This is White Oak, home to white rhinos, giraffes, okapis, cheetahs, and the Baryshnikov Dance Studio. I was asked by Cinda Sherman of Arbus Magazine to accompany her to view the Jacksonville University MFA dance troop completing a week long summer retreat. It was my first time to White Oak, although I've heard about the animals many times. I did not connect Annie Leibovitz's famous "White Oak Dance Project" with this location. Here she photographed Baryshnikov and other famous dancers back in the 90's. I was feeling the power of the place. I also met dance legend David Parsons. The facility is quite amazing but the combination of environmental and arts advocacy is what struck me as unique. And to know that this center is so close to Jacksonville! More on White Oak can be found here. I'm thankful that the Gilman family chose to invest in such a project.

The morning was spent photographing the dancers as they went through a warm-up and choreography exercise. The room was quite large and I brought 2 Speedlights. I really didn't know what to expect and needed to travel light. I set one up on opposites sides of the dance floor and just worked them from there. I wanted to be as unobtrusive as possible. I have gained quite an appreciation for dance and enjoy the energy and flowing controlled movement of the dancers. It is beautiful to watch. I find a great aesthetic to how the individual bodies and arms, torsos, and legs are moved into positions and then as each dancer makes contact and positions themselves in proximity to the other dancers, the composition becomes alive. This is fascinating.

After about an hour of photography we were given a tour of the okapi area, only one of several breeding centers for endangered and threatened animals. We got to be up close and personal with a group of okapis, gentle animals related to the giraffe but partially striped like a zebra.

I was exhausted after the day, but totally inspired not only by the dancers but by the history of the facility for dance, photography, and conservation. What a legacy. I also found and ordered Leibovitz's White Oak book on eBay. Can't wait to get it.

We really need some rain

It's been very dry this summer and our area of town (Mandarin) seems to be dodging the afternoon showers all week. I drove through a deluge coming home today but only a few drops fell in the neighborhood. I took a drive out to one of my favorite spots down the road to check out the clouds hoping to see some monster rain approaching. Lots of gray skies and this one cloud over the skyline. No more rain for today...let's see what tomorrow brings.

Friendship Fountain flows again!

Jacksonville's icon, Friendship Fountain is back in business after many years of "barely working". The fountain opened in 1965 to much hoopla and I remember it being a very big deal when growing up. The fountain was always the gateway to our city, and we were all very proud of it. So when it came time for the renovation planning in the middle of the recession, you can imagine the battle that had to be won. 3.1 million is the final price tag, but I'm glad we did it. We need symbols that we can be proud of, it lifts the spirit and is a joy to see. I hope everyone in Jacksonville comes downtown to see this new incarnation.

My only beef with the fountain is the music and light show. Listening to patriotic music (Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" among many other favorites) and the disco lighting is a bit much. Knowing that the whole system is programmable through some nifty software makes you want to go in and do something really creative. I'm inquiring as to how we can get some visual artists and musicians involved in improving the quality of the shows.

Memorial Park

Memorial Park in Riverside is one of the most photographed parks in Jacksonville. It is located at the "bend" in Riverside Avenue and features a statue "Life" by Charles Adrian Pillars. The park was actually designed by the Olmstead Brothers who's father, Fredrick Law Olmstead designed many of the famous parks in the US (Central Park, the Washington Mall, etc.). Memorial Park is dedicated to the Floridians who perished in WW1.

The park faces South, S-E so the trees on either side are mostly in shade except for the late afternoon. Lots of people are usually milling around, fishing, and taking pictures. To find a different shot is challenging, and dodging the people is almost impossible even in the early morning or evening. My first attempt came during the week that several wildfires were burning in the Okeefenokee Swamp creating a weird orange cast to a cloudless sky sunset. I ended up replacing the sky with an orange gradient in Photoshop for the final image. The two compositions I worked with are the standard symmetrical front shot and another shot that had the Park Lane Condominium opposing the statue. Both were shot as 3 shot panoramas.

Memorial Park - condos on right

Memorial Park - client choice

Next Step Exhibition at Renaissance Gallery

Doug Eng at the Renaissance Gallery

I belong to a group of distinguished photographers called The Next Step who are selected alumni from John Paul Caponigro's workshops. Several of us are participating in a group showing of work at various venues throughout the country. Our first opening was in Rockport, Maine at the Maine Media Workshops and our second was here, in Indianapolis at the Renaissance Gallery. The gallery is actually located in Carmel, Indiana at the center of the Arts and Design District. There are 23 artists participating and our exhibition catalog is published on Blurb.

I am showing two pieces from my Straight and Twisted series - Illumination and Renewal. Each are framed 30x30 in heavy dark wood with a gloss finish. This framing was selected by Donald Dusinberre and I was very pleased with the way the presentation turned out. Framing for prints is like clothing to the person...need I say more? Usually I am looking for low-cost solutions to protect my prints. Since I'm not a "clothing" sort of guy I tend to go with jeans and t-shirts. Sometimes this just doesn't cut it, especially when your art needs to convey a sense of inner beauty, stability, and long term value. This is a tough lesson and an expensive one, considering the number of prints I would like to display. A client needs to be able to visualize your artwork in their office or home. A $15 frame doesn't help.

An evening with the Sierra Club

Tonight I spoke at our local Sierra Club about image design and the art of nature photography. It was great to meet some new friends and I always enjoy yakking about my work. I showed about 60 images from our national parks as examples to explaining image design principles taught to me by Freeman Patterson and Brenda Tharp. At some point in your development as an photographic artist you want to go beyond camera skills. Learning how to “see” is the basis for developing your own style of photography. I recommend highly the following 2 books if you are ready to progress: Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography by Brenda Tharp, Photography and the Art of Seeing by Freeman Paterson.  Most nature photographers have some connection to the Sierra Club. It may be significant or indirect. All who enjoy our National Parks and the results of conservation movements can give thanks to organizations like the Sierra Club, who had the early foresight to raise the red flag to so many situations that had the potential to destroy our natural treasures in the name of progress and industry. My introduction came in high school, where I by chance picked up a 1972 Sierra Club Engagement Calendar. It was one of those spiral bound datebooks with a beautiful image for each week. I remember being fascinated with the photography, not only the technical quality but the beauty and interest in each image. Where were these places, what were these rocks, plants, and details, how could I create images like these? I wanted to know and do.

Back in those dark ages, photography could only be enjoyed by books and magazines. I never had access to viewing a fine art print until much later. Fortunately, the Sierra Club and Ballantine Books had a series of larger format paperback books with inspiring photography. Everytime I went out to photograph, I can remember trying to reproduce those classic images of trees, flowers, and landscapes in these beautiful publications. It’s interesting to view an old book that influenced you. Most of the time I’m so impressed at what was accomplished with film, and how the “style” of nature photography promoted by Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter,  David Meunch, and the likes continues to influence nature photography today. That’s why I love used book stores, because it’s fun to see where your photography came from. And I’m still looking for that engagement calendar.

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.

Cathedral Arts Project Gala

The Cathedral Arts Project provides after school arts education to underprivileged children throughout the local area. The results speak for themselves. I volunteered to photograph their Spring Gala at the Deerwood Country Club, their major fundraiser for the year. With the recent budget cuts in all areas (especially the arts), this event was critical to the operation of the project. Events are not my thing...I stressed out about this all week. But I am always inspired to see a well tuned organization work its magic for a good cause. The gala features a silent auction and live auction for various works of art, trips, dinners, and other luxury items, with plenty of wine and food. All good deals for the lucky winners, and revenue for a excellent cause. I was able to meet and photograph some of the rich and famous in Jacksonville! Everyone had a good time. Cathedral Arts raised over $400,000 for their efforts. It was a major production, and major recognition goes to the organizers and volunteers who pulled the event off. Every service organization needs your help. Find a cause that you believe in and volunteer. It's how we as a community can help each other out.

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.

RAM Art Gallery featured in Arbus

The March/April issue of Arbus Magazine features an article about the RAM Art Gallery with some great photographs :). I shot these late last year and was wondering when/if a story was going to run. The idea was to show how the RAM Art Squares could be used to decorate various rooms. Marsha Faulkner, ASID, arranged to have us install and photograph the squares at 4 different locations, so we spent the day carting a few bags of squares all over town. We had a blast. What a wonderful spread and a good read about this important project. If you haven't visited the Riverside Arts Market you need to do so. It is quite a phenomena, growing from an idea by Wayne Wood to one of the most widely attended events in town. Catch it every Saturday (except in the dead of winter) under the Fuller Warren I-95 Bridge in Riverside (north bank). Food, music, street entertainment and lots of art for sale.

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

This is a Cool Place

Dolf James is always coming up with something new and creative to get people involved with the arts in Jacksonville. His latest project, Art In Strange Places,  includes bumper stickers that are placed all over town announcing that Jacksonville is a cool place. How cool is that? Coinciding with this is Dolf's new installation at MOCA (chair related of course), and as a teaser to all of us wondering what the heck is going on, Dolf made 3 Red Chairs and is taking these all over town for pics. I went out with Dolf on New Year's Eve and we had a blast...driving around town and finding some cool spots. We met a few new friends on the People Mover and it suddenly occurred to me what a neat way this is to meet people . I mean it is much cheaper than having a puppy! When you carry around a big red chair people notice, they inquire, and ultimately they want to sit in your chair! Bingo.  

3 Red Chairs have their day in court

Hey, follow that chair!

3 Red Chairs enjoying the fountain

Follow the expoits and adventures of the 3 Red Chairs on Facebook.

First shoot of the year

My new tradition is to do a photo shoot on New Year's Day. This year the Costco amaryllis decided to have a color explosion on New Years, so why not start the year with some flower photography? Finding some compelling views is a challenge. It is always tempting to just dive in with your macro lens where everything is amazing just because you've never seen your subject so big. I also enjoyputting an extension tube on my 70-200 and staying a bit further away from my subject. I set up my Wescott Spiderlites, a large softbox in the back for the white background and a smaller softbox at 45-90 degrees to the flowers. I ended up working with these for about 90 minutes, then I found myself taking the same shots. What a fun way to spend a few hours on New Years Day!

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.

Help Portrait 2010

On Saturday we did another session at Family Promise Jacksonville and met with 6 wonderful families for some holiday portraits. Help Portrait is a voluntary initiative started by Nashville photographer Jeremy Cowart. Last year over 40,000 portraits were taken by over 8,300 photographers worldwide, all for the joy of giving, not taking, pictures. It is always a great pleasure to meet with families and young kids at this time of the year and to share some holiday cheer through photographs. I know after all the packages are open and the season wears off, those photos will continue to bring joy and memories to their owners. What a privilege it is to give this kind of gift. My sincere thanks and best wishes go out to Razzle, Devon, Emery, Latoya, Yakema, Malaki, Tykia, Zyasia, Ronnie, William, Tameika, Shon, Jayniha, Elijah, Ruby, Aleta, Yehudit, Justice, Stacy, Makenna, Sasia, Triniti, saul, Frank, and Jesse. And to Mark of Family Promise. You were all wonderful today!

Family Promise families

Chase Jarvis on the new Social Art

Chase Jarvis gave the keynote at PDN PhotoExpo in NY in October. The video of the presentation is available here (I don't know how long this link will work, I recorded the audio and will post if they take the video down). Jarvis is a well known Seattle-based photographer who is taking professional photography is a fresh new direction, and he encourages all of us to unleash are creativity everywhere through everything you do. He shares his inspiring work and creative projects liberally on the web through his blog and videos. "A creative world is a better world."

The furture of fine art photography?

Today I found a link on the Costco Photo Center site to an Art and Image Gallery. Hmmm..."Select from more than 20,000 images of fine art, photography, and illustrations to create  wall decor" A small "images by Corbis" is in the corner. So here is the deal, for the cost of printing only, Costco allows you to select from a collection of 20,000 images from the Corbis stock collection. After browsing this collection I was impressed. A series of Brett Weston's B&W classics (125 images), a very nice set of national park images, flowers, landscapes, you name it, it's there. Knowing Corbis, the quality of the images is high so enlargements to 20x30 should not be a problem. And the cost? Costco already prints below my cost. They are running an Epson 7700 with K3 Ultrachrome inks on Fuji Luster paper. A 20x30 print is $8.99, and 8x10 is $1.49. A canvas 20x30 is $69.00. Costco quality is pretty good. It's not museum quality but for wall decor it is perfectly adequate. So if I'm an art consultant who needs to decorate a building why wouldn't I use this? I can make my selections, email images to the client for approval, submit an order, and pick it up in an hour at Costco. Now the biggest expense is the framing, which believe me is still quite expensive. Where does this leave a fine art photographer who is selling images to be used as wall decor in offices, hospitals, and people's homes? If you are shooting generic stock material, this EATS YOUR LUNCH! If I need photo of a flower, a landscape, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Milky Way, or the Eiffel Tower, why would I ever consider your photograph when I can have the whole piece for less than your printing cost?

This is the new economy my friends and this is reality. Those who cannot find their niche and specialize, those who cannot deliver a unique style or service will be replaced by a less costly, higher quality, more convenient alternatives. This is a business truth. For the most part, the general public buys very little art anyway, and when they do, it is from Wal-mart, Ikea, and now Costco. At least the quality is decent and who knows, maybe this will create an interest in photographic prints as art for the home. Right.

Farewell to Imagination Squared

Yesterday we took down the Imagination Squared exhibit. Since early March this project captivated the arts community in Jacksonville and brought together thousands of people in one collaborative project. The idea was brilliant. On September 1, Imagination Squared!: A Creative Response Experimentopened at MOCA Jacksonville to a record crowd. I will never forget that night. The museum was packed and the energy was high. We had spent the previous 2 weeks in D-day mode, preparing for the event, hanging the exhibit, printing nametags and legends, and completing the artist catalog that appeared in Arbus magazine. Overall a highlight in my artistic career. Through this project I've met so many wonderful people - artists, arts supporters, organizations - all who have a common love of the arts and an interest in making Jacksonville a better place through the arts. I've also gained some insight about what interests me and how I can contribute my skills to helping others. It's not often when we can engage in something where we can learn more about ourselves. I'm thankful for those times.

I thought taking down the exhibit would be emotional for me. It was but in a way that I did not expect. I felt good to know that I was part of perhaps a rebirth in an arts movement in Jacksonville. What if this was a tipping point, a needed push of momentum that would inspire others to move forward with their projects? And a needed point of awareness for the public to know that the arts community is something to be watched. For me it has. So it is onwards to different things. I'm excited!

Art Squared at Southlight Gallery

Doug Eng and Dolf James, Art Squared at Southlight

Me

A new body of work is now installed at Southlight Gallery titled Art Squared: Imagination Squared! Photographs. It is a collection of my favorite images from the Imagination Squared project, those which coveyed the uniqueness and simplicity of the exhibit. Many of these were featured in the article Art Squared in the Nov/Dec issue of Arbus Magazine. There are a lot of fond memories in these photographs and that's why they are so important to me. Working on this project was the turning point in my "art" career and I am thankful to have been a part of it. Find a project where you can work with others to help all reach a common goal. That's how amazing things can get accomplished.

Each of these were printed as a square 20x20 on Epson Ultra Premium Luster and sandwiched between a sheet of foamcore and plexi. I used Uni-frames to put everything together, and ended up with 12 pieces. If you need a source for acrylic sheets in Jacksonville call Red at Farco Plastics off Phillips Hiway (near 9A). A 48x96 - 1/8 in sheet costs about $60 (they will also cut to your spec for free). Overall I was pleased with the installation, it looked decent without costing an arm and leg. It's always important that your work be presented in a professional way, or your viewer will not take it seriously.

Art Squared poster, 13x19 archival print

These photographs are available in many sizes, including 8x8 and 12x12 folios of all the prints. I also have a 13x19 mini-poster for this exhibit, and these are $15. Email me if you are interested in prints, the mini-poster or any of the other Imagination Squared exhibition posters and prints.

Who is Rick Shaw?

On my recent trip to NY for the PDN PhotoPlus Expo, the farmer's market at Prospect Park was on the list for a Saturday morning excursion. The market is fairly large and had a great selection of fresh veggies, cheeses, fresh yogurts and milk, and pickles. Lots of stuff going on, and if you happen to arrive hungry, you are sure to leave with more than you can carry. The fresh apple cider was particularly good! We loaded up on some cheese, apples, and an apple pie. On the way home I ran into this food truck...now who the heck is Rick Shaw, was he some hockey player or something? Only did it hit me when I got home and started reviewing the photos from the day... I get it, duh! It's a little offensive but the Middle Eastern guy running the truck seemed to be doing a brisk business.