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ema

I must admit I am a pack-rat. I pick things up off the trash, enjoy a good dumpster dive, and generally look out for things that might be "useful".

 That is how I came upon this giant Fresnel lens from a defunct overhead projector (I have three). It makes a nice (very big) close up lens. With lovely distortion.

 

plus on a sunny day you can melt asphalt...

18-383

cupcake

We finally celebrated Christmas with our neighbors. Either they had someone ill, or we did, or plans, dance, homework, school-work, chores, or something got in the way.

Though I can sometimes be driven to distraction by noise, it was fun to have a houseful of people this evening.

We had cupcakes for dessert. Ava really enjoyed hers.

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turn away

I sometimes wonder why there is a lack of portraits in my work. Maybe it is because everyone I know turns, runs, or yells when I point a camera at them. I think I am getting a complex.

10-375

today

Ever since we came home from St. Helena in 2008 it seems like our lives have been on a stairway of stress. Once we clear up one thing, something else looms over the horizon, ramping up as we go along. It is strange, wearisome and sometimes frightening. Not being a believer in karma, or a wrathful god, I hope it is training for something further on the horizon.

304

shadow

242

self portrait

I wanted to create a portrait that captured the feeling of my day... tomorrow begins a new school year, and today was very hectic.

237

no photography


We went to the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore today. I have never been in a museum that had a sign posted saying "No Photography: Or Else". I can understand "No Flash" for the sake of the art, but no photography at all seems wrong. Plus in the words of Genevieve it was "crazy expensive". However, the kids liked it.

236

more stella

I think I have come up with a display prototype for my pierced metal images, now I am working on the resolution. This image is 9"x12" and had almost 4800 holes in it. It use's 10 different "values" to create the image.

I am now working to balance the contrast, image clarity, and details buy adjusting the amount of values I use. I selected this image because it has a nice tonal range, and an average amount of contrast. Next I plan to reduce the range of values used to see how that effects the contrast and detail.

217

the many faces of stella

I did a series of test images to decide the best compromise between detail, value, and contrast for my upcoming series.

The original portrait has a wide range of values, and details, and now I am just trying to figure out the best method to render it.

I guess I could call it non-chemical/analog photography.

216

organic flash

I have been waiting for a nice lightning storm to take some shots. I love the coolness of the lightning.

It creates a rather stark image, most appropriate as Ema just visited Emily Dickinson house.

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the heiress: 1

I plan to do several images based on this portrait.

I am working on reinterpreting how photographic images are translated to a "viewable" format.

162

little one

I am trying to do more "people" pictures, so here is an installment.

157

Samuel

My kids don't like to have their photographs taken. However, I think Samuel was ok with this because he realized the exposure was long, and knew it would be blurry...

156

ema

Today I spent most of the day moving a relative, so I didn't get much time to "think artistically" (or sit, or stop moving, or....or....) oh well. But when we got home my daughter Ema was diligently writing in her room. I like the color contrasts.

136

number 1

Our dog got into a nest of bunnies in our back yard, and we took in the two remaining babies for a few days. This is Number 1, he/she was found first and was very cuddly, the next day we found a sibling. They are so cute...

We have had rain, and cold for a few days, so now that that has passed we released the two bunnies outside of town. The boys were glad we picked a place far off of the road, with plenty of clover, wild strawberries, and dandelions.

127

stove room - photograph

We have an odd room. Once it was a kitchen, now it is a room with a woodstove in it. I guess it would be a sitting room, or study, but really it is a walkthrough to the kitchen, dining room and laundry...No matter, we seem to spend a good portion of our time there.

105

three little birds

Another hipshot/candid. This from our local (homemade) ice cream shop, Bonkeys.

50

portraits - sun

A change from the previous days series.

We got a letter from Charles today, and the light was shining on he and his sister Maisies' photograph, so I had to take a picture of their picture.

49

electric daughter

I am having fun exploring the almost painterly/drawing aspects of this technique. Other then changing to black and white, there is no manipulation of the image. I had been told in the past that if I was interested in using "alternative" techniques of shooting or processing,  then I should use more then one at a time...

I am not sure where such arbitrary rules come from, but sometimes I think they are just whimsy on the part of the "instructor" that act as barriers to creativity.

Tomorrow I will have a photograph in the Yellow Wall Gallery Show "Summer in Winter: A Visual Escape"

Opening Reception & Luau Party: February 19, 2010 6pm - 10pm

Show: February 5 - March 26, 2010
http://yellowwallgallery.blogspot.com/2010/02/summer-in-winter-visual-escape-february.html

48

blur boy


My younger son was the semi-willing model for this Baconesque image today (not that I was initially aiming for that). I wanted to explore this process a bit more. The image is made, rather then captured. I like the contrast of the textures, and gesture of the lines, though it is a bit creepy.