Back on the County Dock

As most of you know, the County Dock off Mandarin Road is one of my favorite places for an end of day experience, and when the weather looks threatening, it is the place to be. Today as I left the gym, I saw some huge clouds to the west and knew that the dock would have a show tonight. So after a few shots from the parking lot, I headed straight over. When I arrived, the rain clouds and pouring rain could be seen on the far shore over Orange Park. I did not bring my tripod (tsk, tsk), confident that I could handle anything put my way this evening. I saw two other photographers already in position, with their tripods and cameras ready to shoot.

Looks like Rain - The County Dock, Mandarin FL

As I made some exposures and waited for the weather to unfold, I thought about the timeless sequence of  weather, sunrise, sunset, and all the events in between, that occur time and time again. This grounds my anxiousness and allows me to just watch and listen. The wind was blowing and there was anticipation that we would get hit by the rain, but it appeared that for now, the lightening and rain clouds stayed at a safe distance.

The sky darkened and the sun set, leaving an orange sky and dark blue clouds. My desire to have my tripod accentuated as the light diminished and I increased my ISO setting. At a certain point you realize that it's over, even though color still lingered in the sky and there was a spiritual need to stay until the end.

Candy Clouds - The County Dock, Mandarin FL

Congaree National Park

I made a quick reconnaissance trip to Congaree National Park near Columbia, SC, knowing that I needed to return with my kayak and more time. This is a fascinating place and one of the last old growth cypress forests in the south. My interest in old-growth has increased and as I learn more I become more curious about my reactions to being in these areas that have never been disturbed by man. I have a sense about them but can't seem to describe it, and visually, there is a different kind of randomness present. The park is not very large, but most of the area is only accessible by kayak. I'm always taken by the magnificence of these expanses of growth and habitat and how we have managed to destroy most of these areas through development.

CongareeNP_2016-0506-100

White Mountain National Forest

Visiting New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest in late April put me about 2 weeks ahead of the early spring growth ready to explode on the trees. Bright sun and warm temperatures made for beautiful weather for driving around, but I was looking hard for landscapes. I drove the famous Kancamagus Highway and did the big loop through Franconia Notch and Crawford Notch. I met my good buddy Craig Goss who drove in from Vermont for 2 days of fooling around. Unfortunately I think the weather was not going to cooperate. Stopping at a ranger station we spoke to a park service guide about the absence of old growth in the area. He interestingly remarked that the clearcutting of the forest allowed the secondary deciduous forest to come in giving the fantastic fall colors and a boom to the local economy. Hmmm, justification for the horrors of decimating the forest. You have to remember that the US government basically purchased all the lands throughout the country that were raped and clear cut and turned it into the National Forest system. So very rarely would you find any old growth in a National Forest. Ok, this makes sense, a positive spin on things.

WhiteMountains_2016-0501-211

WhiteMountains_2016-0501-155

My ultimate destination was a small patch of rare old growth located in a place called The Bowl Natural Research Area off the Dicey's Mill Trail which we attempted on Day 2. It was a rough hike (for me) uphill and I think we must have missed a turn somewhere because we never really think we saw an old growth forest, even though Craig, my guide, told me that NH "old growth" probably looks like your typical growth. Maybe we walked through it and never noticed. It started to rain and we wimped out after about 2 hours of hiking in. The camera gear was getting very heavy. At least we had a good workout, and a memorable story about the elusive old growth forest that we never found.

Annenberg Space for Photography

Streaming South was part of the Slideshow Event for the exhibition Life, opening at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles. Life is a project by Frans Lanting, and I am thrilled to be part of an exhibit by one of my heroes. I am one of many photographers whose work was chosen for the slideshow, and it is indeed an honor to be among the other Annenberg photographers.

A River Speaks - UNF Lufrano Gallery

"A River Speaks" is the current exhibition at the Lufrano Intercultural Gallery at the University of North Florida. The show was organized by artist Jim Draper and features work by Jim, Paul Ladnier, Allison Watcon and me. I developed a piece called "Sky-River" from a selection of photographs taken at the County Dock in Mandarin, a few miles from my home. I stop there now and then to catch a sunset or watch the weather change. It never disappoints.

"Sky-River" contains nine 24 x 24 images printed on satin photo paper and laminated to Sintra. I also allied an overlaminate for protection. I wanted to provide a clean "frameless" look to the pieces, and was happy with the results. I've been experimenting with various mounting techniques. It's hard to beat the classic matted photographic print under glass, but admittedly, this treatment is expensive and limited in its presentation. I feel that we should take the liberty to express another dimension to an exhibit of photographs, even if it diminishes the "fine art print" aspect of an individual piece. An individual photograph can exist as part of a installation that has a life of its own. I hope to be exploring this further.

Sky-River

The Lufrano exhibit is simple and straightforward, which is becoming rare. It is easy to understand and beautiful to see. Being in the company of like-minded artists is a privilege and pleasure. The exhibit is open through March 11, 2016.

A River Speaks Text

The Talbots

Little Talbot and Big Talbot Islands are two of my favorite places for photography and for just getting away. I try to visit several times during the year. I got a late start and the overcast conditions were disappearing fast. But I've grown to accept "what is" in terms of the weather (and other things too!) so was perfectly ok if this turned into a reconnaissance trip and a chance to renew my annual Florida State Park pass. There is construction along Heckscher Drive with a new bridge over Sisters Creek. The drive is not quite as peaceful as it was when my dad used to take my brother and I out to fish at Little Talbot. I arrived at around 10 am, renewed my pass, and proceeded to the west beach. There were two cars in the parking lot. After a quick stroll along the beach I headed out to Big Talbot, crossing Simpsons Creek where it seemed like a lot of fishing was going on. I pulled off at the trailhead for Big Pine Trail which is the start of the new East Coast Greenway bike trail. The hike on Big Pine is always pleasant but the mosquitoes were still quite active. Next time I'm going to bring along my bike to experience the paved trail which is really nice. They will soon have the section completed that connects up through Amelia Island.

Big Talbot Oaks

Some of the best photography for the coastal live oaks is in the parking lot at The Bluffs. The lighting here is always sublime and there is an assortment of twisted and gnarled branches within easy access. I've photographed these trees several times already, but each time I'm here I feel as if there is something new I can capture. This area also gives you access to the beach and the driftwood along the shore (the boneyard). So what is it about these trees that holds my fascination? I am drawn to visually complex compositions. I try to make some sense out of them  by somehow understanding their inherent nature. There is a complex nature to each of us and often it is very beautiful. When we can reduce something complex into its fundamental structures, complex becomes simple and minimal, and the real beauty is revealed.

Big Talbot Oaks

Streaming South at Slow Exposures

A nice visit with jurors Richard McCabe, Jerry Atnip, and John Bennette

We had the pleasure of exhibiting most of the Streaming South project at the Slow Exposures photo festival in Zebulon GA this weekend as part of the "Pop-up" Gallery tour. We were selected by Richard McCabe, photography curator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans. Slow Exposures is know for its laid back atmosphere, filled with meaningful photography and lots of time for discussion, cook outs, and networking. I thought we chose the best venue, a small brick building that was the original telephone operator's switch house. Basically, one room with a window unit, sink, and toilet. We brought our own "scaffold" hanging system to preserve the walls and filled the place with photos fresh from the exhibit at the Wilson Art Center. Zebulon is roughly a 6 hour drive from Jacksonville, and we had everything up within a few hours.

Our Pop-up Tour exhibit

Our experience was extraordinary. Plenty of visitors dropped by and we made lots of new friends. The photography at the main exhibit was excellent as were all the commentaries and discussions. Zebulon and the adjoining small towns all turn out with some fantastic volunteers and lots of Southern hospitality. If you haven't made it to Slow Exposures put it on your calendar and try it out, you won't be disappointed.

Lenscratch.com featuring Streaming South

For any photographer, it's a great honor being featured on Aline Smithson's blog, Lenscratch.com. I had the pleasure of having Aline as a reviewer at the Photolucida Portfolio Reviews in Portland earlier this year. She is a very generous and thorough reviewer and offered many comments and suggestions on my project, especially on the writing. Aline is truly a great resource and inspiration for contemporary photography, both as a fine art photographer and an industry expert. Take every opportunity to have Aline review your work, it will be worth every minute. Thank you Aline for all that you do and for your support of the photographic community.

Face Forward - a slight departure

In March I received an invitation to participate in a group show, Face Forward, sponsored by the Jacksonville International Airport Arts Commission. The rules were simple, produce a self-portrait on a provided wooden panel, 24" x 24" x 2", any medium. Self-portrait? I don't do those. Asking around, I found that there were 30 artists asked to participate, most were heavy hitters...painters, sculptors, you know, "real" artists! I really wanted to do something more than photograph myself and paste it on a board. I thought this would be a perfect time to try something on the CNC router table sitting in the corner of my studio.

Unfortunately my schedule had been completely unreasonable since the Streaming South exhibit, with outside work, printing, and commercial commissions. So the time to experiment and "play" would be limited. With the deadline rapidly approaching I committed by writing up my submission proposal and dove in. My initial design called for a "decomposition" of the 3D contour map of my head revealing an actual photographic self-portrait within.

     

     

Here's a summary of the tools/software used to produce the piece:

1. 3D scan using the Structure Sensor on iPad Air
2. Skanect to generate mesh from scan data points
3. Meshmixer to repair ear and simplify mesh
4. Netfab Basic 6.3 to divide model into main pieces and carve out cube in middle of head
5. Meshmixer to take each part and generate slices
6. VCarve Pro to layout pieces and generate toolpaths for each slice using the Donek dragknife gadget
7. Mach3 to generate P-codes for CNC

Believe me when I say this is not for the faint of heart, be prepared to do some digging and hacking into this workflow. It is not well defined into a nice easy to follow package. Once you have a working knowledge of the software, you must get your CNC working. Luckily I was cutting corrugated cardboard with a dragknife (utility blade) so I wasn't producing a huge mess of dust. I got through this project with 12 hour days for about 2.5 weeks. The final assembly and gluing the parts together was the most fun, but I could see where I needed to improve technique for future models.

     

     

On 9/10 I finally delivered my finished piece and on 9/24 the exhibit had a one night showing at the CoRK East Gallery followed by the installation at the Haskell Gallery in the Jacksonville International Airport.

In retrospect I felt I really went out on a limb on this one. It had a very high chance of failure and resulted in some extremely frustrating moments when nothing was working. I believe the process of producing art is difficult, and when it becomes easy and safe and predictable, we lose the magic of the breakthrough and/or discovery. We are built to be curious and to venture into the unknown. I'm glad I did.

"When you do something that is guarenteed to succeed, you are basically closing the possibility for discovery." - Milton Glaser

Replicated Self

Mixed Media – Corrugated cardboard, pigment print

Self-portraits are typically well-defined for each medium. The ubiquitous “selfie” is made popular by the availability of cell phone cameras and elevates the self-portrait to an essential component of identity. “Replicated Self” is an experiment using a 3D selfie rendered to 3D forms. Using readily available tools and software, the captured 3D data provides a departure point for my first basic inquiry – deriving a “contour map” of my head and reconstructing the map in 3D using a CNC router table cutting corrugated cardboard. From here I begin a decomposition revealing my current state of discovery and curiosity about the process.

Critical Mass Top 200 Finalist

We were thrilled to receive a Finalist Award at Critical Mass this year for Streaming South. This very competitive and prestigious competition is held annually, and I will have to confess that I've been entering for the past three years with no luck. It's always nice to be recognized by the industry for your work, and the submissions are always phenomenal. It is amazing to see the work that is being produced all over the world. A few comments from the jurors:

Beautiful scenes, nicely composed, if somewhat romantic views.

Appreciate the modest scale and cohesive group.

Some very lovely work that does truly reflect the artist's interest in, and admiration of, the work of the 19th century landscape painters both the Hudson River School and the Luminists. For me some of the photographs are too similar, however, the best of them are refreshingly beautiful. Good work.

Clear that extreme care and editing went into these images and the selection. A special care for these color landscape with a motivation akin Robert Adams’ B&W images.

Douglas, Your artist statement is so wonderful, it works well to give your images context. One gets easily pulled into the frame and the meditative feeling is great to feel. For me, the last image 'Water Spirit' is lovely.

Nice project that could have been an exercise in 'same-ness,' but realized as a beautiful essay here.

The cloud image is a surprise, yet it fits your theme.

A lovely, poetic body of work, Douglas. I like the personal element in your narrative. Very delicately done. Thank you for sharing this with us!

These are very pretty. I do love the contemplative quality.

Streaming South at the Wilson Center for the Arts

I'm excited to be exhibiting Streaming South at the Florida State College of Jacksonville - Wilson Center for the Arts. The exhibit opens August 17 - September 16, and a reception is planned for August 27, 5-7:30 pm. The exhibit contains 32 - 30x20 prints and includes a special behind-the-scenes area containing work prints and other fun stuff. The year long project evolved from humble beginnings and became a labor of love with many rewards. The project is ongoing with this short rest and regrouping. Sharing the results with the public and talking to others helps to reframe my approach and make adjustments. It is vitally important for me to produce material responsive to my audience. The project's primary purpose is environmental advocacy by awareness of "special places." I don't expect everyone to run out and jump in a kayak, but I'd like for each of us to consider spending time in those places that are special to us. It is through those connections that we become passionate and caring, qualities necessary for actionable responsibility.

Photolucida Portfolio Reviews

On March 16 I received an email from the Outreach Director at Photolucida telling me that a space has opened up for the Portfolio Reviews and I am next on the wait list. All I knew is that I wasn't ready for this but this opportunity doesn't come often. So I immediately said yes, I'll be there and sent my check. Now that I'm done I can truly say that this was a good decision, although there were moments of extreme agony wondering why I every even considered subjecting myself to such an ordeal. For those of you unfamiliar with the reviews, this is the Granddaddy of all reviews, the big one, and it happens only once every two years. It is four days of reviews, I had 20. The experience was priceless, from the standpoint of the feedback you receive, the people you meet, and the inspiration you receive from special speakers and other photographers. The fine art photographic industry is here looking at work. I was humbled to be among many experienced photographers who were showing some incredible work. My conversations were with publishers, gallery owners, museum curators, industry consultants and collectors.

The system of elevating your career in fine art photography is curious, and the portfolio review circuit is one of the many channels providing opportunities for artists to inject themselves into the system. These sessions are offered at several major photo festivals during the year, lasting usually 1-2 days. You have prearranged meetings with reviewers who spend 20 minutes with you answering questions and offering comments on your work. It's a brilliant system for meeting that key individual who would be virtually impossible to access otherwise. Can you imagine trying to come to New York and booking meetings with a museum curator, publisher, and gallery owner to meet you and see your work? Good luck! I've participated in many reviews prior to this so I knew what to expect, but the enormity of the entire experience really blew me away.

The highlight of the event was called the Portfolio Walk at the Portland Museum of Art where we had our portfolios out for the public to see. I was astounded by the response of the Portland arts community and their level of interest in photography. It was a special night.

Photo Walk - Portland Art Museum

There are so many lessons learned from attending Photolucida. All I can say is that it changed the trajectory of my career, I feel that this initiation was critical, and now I am on my way.

Reflections at the Cummer

In the summer of 2014, The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens invited 10 artists to re-interpret river themed works from their collection for an exhibit entitled Reflections: Artful Perspectives on the St. Johns River. The exhibit opened on February 21. I chose to create a series of 5 photographs, derivative work from Streaming South and some other earlier images, that address the confluence of man and nature. The title of my exhibit is Intersections.

Intersections

The painting that was assigned to me was "Osprey Nest, Silversmith Creek" by Joseph Jeffers Dodge. Dodge was trained as an art historian and museum administrator at Harvard University before accepting his first job as curator of the Hyde Collection in Glen Falls, New York. At the same time, he began actively painting and exhibiting his work. In 1962, Dodge was invited to take the director's position at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, a job he held for ten years before making a full-time commitment to painting.

Osprey Nest on Siversmith Creek - Joseph Jeffers Dodge

Joseph Jeffers Dodge completed Osprey Nest, Silversmith Creek in 1995 towards the end of his career. It is a view from his home and studio window and supports his fascination with the Florida landscape and the scenery surrounding his residence. I found the painting particularly soothing and minimal while imparting a strong sense of symbolism about our lives and its relation to nature. Upon reading more about Dodge’s work and this painting in particular, I became intrigued with this composition and the main elements within: osprey nest, large tree, three smaller trees, contrails, and the hot air balloon. I was also curious about the cropping at the horizon and removal of the visual context from a foreground defining the creek. Dodge was also an avid photographer and I suspect he may be using a photographic technique to place emphasis on the main visual elements.

I have been exploring local creeks and waterways for some time and recently began photographing from a kayak. My approach to this project was not to try to duplicate Dodge’s painting, but to establish my own set of symbolic visual elements from existing images based on a theme that is constantly running through my work – the intersection of man’s presence and nature.  We can seek places of solitude and unspoiled wildness, but rarely can we place ourselves in an environment devoid of the influence of man. This is how it is, and we can find ourselves revolted, indifferent, or stimulated by what is there. Surprisingly, I found many of Dodge’s symbols in my images: dominant trees, birds and nests, contrails, and man-made objects. I did choose to include a strong reference to the reflection of the water or flowing grasses, and I placed these “reflections” on a common horizon that runs through each displayed image.

My dialog continues as our natural world becomes increasingly altered, constructed, and controlled. Nature always offers a sublime beauty; ever-present and visible to those who are willing to see. The intersection is everywhere, my job is to record and document what I observe.

Article in Arbus Magazine (be patient, the article takes a second to load).

Individual Photographs in the Exhibit

Power Seat

Power Seat, 2012 Sisters Creek Archival pigment print 24” x 16”

The cooling towers of the St. Johns River Power park loom over the salt marshes of Sisters Creek and the surrounding landscape. A prominent visual fixture constructed in 1987, the massive hyperbolic concrete structures are symbolic of the failures of nuclear power and our insatiable need for energy. Power plants are placed in remote areas because they are inherently dangerous to people and living things. Our presence is indelibly marked.

Lines Crossed

Lines Crossed, 2014 Ortega River Archival pigment print 16” x 24”

Power lines crisscross our landscape carrying the lifeblood of energy to every cell in our built environment. As I drifted silently under these lines I could hear the hum of the electricity. The flow of water and the flow of power were immediately brought into focus. Both were carrying essential elements, one driven by natural forces, the other driven by an engineered one. I felt comfort that morning knowing I was on nature’s path.

Scratched Sky

Scratched Sky, 2014 Suwannee Canal Archival pigment print 33” x 16”

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is in the middle of nowhere. The area was raped, pillaged, and left to die between 1909 and 1928 when millions of board feet of old-growth cypress were clear cut from the swamp. If not for the Great Depression and the shear difficulty of removing the trees, the devastation would be complete. While photographing this stand of young cypress, I thought about the hundreds of years that must pass before these trees reach the maturity of what was lost. Overhead, the contrail etched a reminder that our “machine” is ever-present and that no place is exempt from man’s influence.

Intrusion

Intrusion, 2014 Ortega River Archival pigment print 16” x 24”

The Ortega River parallels the St. Johns for many miles. South of Ringhaver Park, very little development is visible from the river. This residence is a notable exception. Its presence is portentous. A large dock, screened pool, and manicured lawn represent what money can buy. I was alarmed by the angry barking of two large dogs as I paddled past the compound. The preservation of un-developed shoreline is important. Once a  dock and bulkhead establish a presence, the pristine nature of a creek is changed forever. The leafless cypress and large stalking birds are appropriate markers for an intrusion into our natural world.

Overpassing Nature 2

Overpassing Nature 2, 2014 McGirts Creek Archival pigment print 24” x 16”

I-295 crosses McGirts Creek just east of the Blanding Blvd exit, one of the busiest intersections on the beltway. As the cars and trucks rumbled overhead on 9 lanes of highway, I thought about this marvelous creek holding on to its wildness. Most people probably think they are driving over a drainage ditch if they have any awareness at all. We cannot care about that which we do not know. Places this special and fragile are largely hidden from our consciousness, so only a few defend the need for preservation. Once gone, it is erased for a lifetime.

What are you going to do with it?

The latest addition to our creative toolset is a CNC router. I've been thinking about this technology for a long time. Back in my AutoCAD dealership days, I wrote some programs to create the NC codes (G codes) from drawing files to produce sprockets and drive a punch tool. I'm fascinated by the ability to control precision machinery, much in the same way I have a keen interest in computer programming. In fact, this is just another type of programming, with a different output device. More information about CNC routers can be found here. After some research and a recommendation from a trusted friend, I placed an order for a kit from CNCrouterparts and my brother and I started assembly on January 5th. The entire machine was delivered by UPS in 14 boxes. Assembly was fairly straightforward and we made steady progress. No special tools were needed, just some careful interpretation of drawings and reading of the online "tips". Part of the reward is knowing that you assembled something yourself. Rarely do we have to put anything together anymore except for the occasional bookcase from Ikea. We were thrilled when we were able to get the machine to move. Then we wrote our first program to welcome the machine to the world.

IMG_2043

IMG_2052

IMG_2057

IMG_2058

IMG_2064

IMG_2070

When I made my post to Facebook announcing the arrival of our new tool I received a lot of inquiries on what I was going to do with it. Honestly I don't have any specific plans other than a gut feeling that this may change the direction of my art. I didn't need to know anything other than that. Sometimes you just go with an instinct, especially if the stakes are high. First step is to acquire some basic skills. There is a steep learning curve, but then the possibilities open. I think we are given these moments of inspirational opportunity, and we need to learn how to take them. I'll see how successful this move becomes. Worst case I'll have a big piece of equipment for sale on Craig's List. Best case...well maybe my life will change. I'll take those odds.

Initially I'll be exploring what I can do with various materials. Wood, acrylic, Sentra (expanded PVC board), Dibond (aluminum bonded acrylic), and corrugated cardboard are all materials that can be easily handled by this machine. The bed is 4 x 8 ft, so I can handle some big pieces. I don't know exactly what I will be printing but I'll try some simple textures and outlines all derived from photographs. I'm going to be looking at this as another type of printer. In order to create a piece, you start with a "vector" representation of the object. Everything is 3D and objects derived from photographs need thickness. Then you define the toolpaths and tools to make the specific cuts. This is the "programming" step. After that another program creates the actual codes that are fed to the machine. Stay tuned for progress reports.

What are you going to do with what you have?

CNC Adventure 1 - It's Breathing from Doug Eng on Vimeo.

01/09/2015 - My brother and I finally got the CNC router table to come alive. Still lots to figure out but we're over the hump. Looking forward to making something!

CNC Adventure 2 - Hello World from Doug Eng on Vimeo.

01/10/2015 - Our first program...in "Sharpie" mode, we programmed our first toolpath using VCarvePro. Yay! Actual runtime is 2.5 minutes so you're getting a fast forward version.

PhotoNOLA

A quick road trip to New Orleans to experience PhotoNOLA with a chance to hear Emmett Gowin's keynote and take a workshop with Camille Seaman. New Orleans is always a fun place to visit, with lots of good food and an urban vibe that is hard to top. I also saw some great exhibits at the New Orleans Museum of Art. PhotoNOLA is a great festival that should be on every photographer's list. The organizers do a wonderful job of attracting excellent exhibits, lectures, and the workshops are all very reasonably priced. If you want to do the portfolio reviews, apply early. The 50 slots were full within 10 minutes of the availability announcement. All reviewees participate in a Photowalk providing additional exposure to attendees of the festival...a great idea. Next year I hope to be luckier and land a portfolio review spot.

Louisiana_2014-1205-004

The workshop by Camille Seaman was well attended. Camille was very gracious in sharing her insights into the fine art photography market and outdoor photography techniques. We took a "bayou" cruise from Westwego which was touristy and way too late in the day. We did afternoon image critiques which is not exactly what I was expecting, but everyone had a good time.

Facebook B&W Challenge

I spend my fair share of time on Facebook and try to keep my activity minimal, with a few posts of new work and events. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch, but I find myself wasting a lot of time just getting trough all the posts, most of which are totally useless. My high school friend photo-journalist Bruce Lipsky invited me to participate in the Facebook Black and White Challenge, which was making its way around. This challenge asks for 5 B&W images posted on separate days, with an invitation to 5 other photographers to continue the chain. I decided to oblige. I went through my archives to pull 5 different images from various projects. Most of my work is color so it wasn't too difficult to isolate 5 images. I do enjoy working in B&W because of the simplicity and directness of the result. In many ways it is more abstract than color because one dimension of realism has been removed. This allows the artist to insert their own dimension. I find that the fundamental concepts of composition, form, contrast, and metaphor are greatly enhanced. Here are the 5 images I chose to post.

Structured Harmony

"Structured Harmony" - Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco CA 2011 - B&W Challenge #1. This photograph should be easily recognizable as one of the most photographed bridges in the world. I wanted to create a different view emphasizing the cable structure and it's relation to music, without the distraction of color, which is very distinctive for this bridge.

Open Hearts and Hands

"Open Hearts and Hands" - Art Walk August 2011 at Main Street Park, Jacksonville FL. B&W challenge #2. Hearts and hands are symbols of love and friendship. This was a last minute shot of some children behind artist David Montgomery's projection screen after I instructed them to do something. I love to be surprised!

Luminous Morning

"Luminous Morning" - Jax Beach Pier, Jacksonville Beach FL, Dec 2011. B&W Challenge #3. Sometimes there is a special luminosity in B&W photos that surpasses anything in color. Glowing radiance or muted softness is best expressed in monochrome. I seldom venture out to the beach and on this rare visit I was rewarded with clouds and light.

Driftwood Tangles

"Driftwood Tangles" - Big Talbot Island, Jacksonville FL 2009. B&W Challenge #4. The "Boneyard" at Big Talbot is a favorite spot whenever I'm in the mood for studying the raw textures and forms of the fallen oaks that line the shore. It's hard to capture a successful image as everything begins to look the same. These studies are ideally suited for B&W because they are largely devoid of color. One can focus on dimensionality and gesture in the branches and try to make some sense out of the rubble. This scene reminded me of the complexities in nature and of our own lives and how eventually everything is reduced to drifting bones of wood along the beach.

Dock Alphabet

"Dock Alphabet" - near Gulf Shores AL, 2011. B&W Challenge #5. Evidence of Hurricane Katrina's devastation in 2005 remain to this day. On a 2011 New Orleans road trip with Bill Yates, we found this to be a common scene. The arrangement looked like Kanji characters but I found no translation. It sorta speaks for itself.

Seeing new in familiar places

One of my favorite walks in Central Park is along "The Mall," home of a large grove of American Elms. In late fall the the rhythm and flow of the branches are revealed. I love finding views that accentuate the organic nature of the tree along with the complexity of the structure. It was interesting that these shots were taken while walking north. When I turned around to walk south I failed to "see" anything. I did the walk 3 times, finding something new on each round. "The truth of trees can be found in the winter when the clarity of sunlight most reveals each tree as a unique form. Trees, rooted in earth, reaching for the sun and stars, each in its own way. And each with its own symmetry, its own pattern." - Hal Borland

CentralPark_2014-1107-034

CentralPark_2014-1107-055

CentralPark_2014-1107-041

CentralPark_2014-1107-049

CentralPark_2014-1107-060

How commissions can take you in new directions

Some artists avoid commissions. They feel that catering to an external requirement somehow interferes with their "art" or message. I totally respect this position, and sometimes I feel that this serves the artist well. I tend to do well with some direction. Maybe this is part of my engineering background, as I am more comfortable with structure and results-oriented tasks. Recently I was asked to provide a large piece similar to the style of artist "x" with a particular color in the foreground to match a wallpaper sample. I was happy to take on the request. The required image was out of focus and abstract. I knew what techniques I had to use, and where I could make the image.

When a fellow artist saw the wallpaper sample on my desk, he asked, "What's this?" I explained my project, and he laughed out loud, "I can't believe you are prostituting yourself!" I was very curious about his response, and did some thinking about my reasons to do the work. I saw it as a challenge and a way to expand my skill set. I also saw it as a paying project and something I would be proud to say I created and was capable of doing. Nothing in the assignment violated my values or compromised my artistic direction. So I carried on and basically ignored the comment. The client was thrilled with the result and complementary on how accommodating I was to work with. I think some artists forget that many of us create art to satisfy purposes external to ourselves. Whether this discounts my stature as an "artist" or  degrades the work, I don't know, but I'm happy that everything worked out for everyone.

IPA Award Recipient - 2014

I am pleased to receive three Honorable Mention Awards from the International Photography Awards, an affiliate of the Lucie Foundation, for my new series, Streaming South. The categories are: Editorial:Environmental, Fine Art: Landscape, and Nature: Landscape, all in the Professional Division. It's always nice to receive validation on a new series and I hope to start adding more images to the collection now that the heat of the summer is over.

Lufrano Gallery Opening

Our opening for On Fertile Ground at the Lufrano Gallery last night was a big success. I am grateful for all my family, friends, and supporters who attended. Every artist works towards a project completion point, when your art is shared with the public. This usually culminates in a showing at a gallery or public space and an opening is an event where everyone gathers to talk about your art.

I gave a brief presentation and spent most of my time meeting and greeting guests and friends. I actually love openings because it finalizes a project and I am so excited to show others my work. We are all validated by the reaction of others and this is an effective way to do that.

The exhibit will be up until December 4th. I hope all of you who are in the area can see the exhibit, as the project has grown in personal importance to me as I continue to work on it. I am also very happy with the print quality and the incredible venue. I've posted some photos of the exhibition on the project site here.