2010 - Five Things

2010 is just around the corner....

As Wenderina has a whole new blog based on projects around our little "yellow cottage" I have been thinking of what I would like to achieve artistically in 2010. Here are my five goals for 2010...

1. Open an online store to sell my art - This is in testing now. I am working on getting the tax ID and finalizing the store. It should be online and reachable from artistic balance by the end of January.


2. Show my work in more venues- Now that I have my stuff hanging at a gallery on the cape... I am looking for a gallery to hang my Hudson Valley / Catskills images.


3. expand the areas I photograph and paint... Move out of my comfort zone a little- I would like to venture further up into NY in the finger lakes area as well as some of the National Parks and canyons out west. Italy or Ireland are on my list... but maybe not in 2010.


4. Paint more - Try to advance my painting to the level I have taken my photography in 2009. I big task... but one I'd like to try.


5. Donate some time to some of the artistic organizations I belong to - Cape Cod Art Association and Hopper House will be my focus to donate some of my time back to some of the places that continue to inspire me.

What are your 2010 art goals?

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Ansel Adams - in Color

One of my Christmas presents from Wenderina this year was the book "Ansel Adams in Color". It is an amazing collection of some of the color Kodachrome photogrpahy that Ansel Adams had done. I knew he had played a little with color and had a few Dye Transfer prints done, but had chosen to continue his black and white work because he felt color to be limiting in tonal range (at least when printed from transparencies) and frustrating. What I did not know was that Adams had produced nearly 3500 Kodachromes in his experimentation and personal work. The majority of these have not been seen at all. Photographer Harry Callahan lovingly assembled the images included in this wonderful book. After viewing the book I am blown away once again by Ansel Adams. His work in color has much of the same subtle and luminous quality of his black and white work. He was truly ahead of his time. The quality of his images mostly taken from 1948-1950 is as good as or superior to the work being produced today's current generation of photographers with their vast collection of color capture and editing tools.
I recommend this book to any fan of Ansel Adams' photography.

Keep Makin Art!
Carl

Happy Holidays!

To all of my blogging friends-

Setting aside faith and personal beliefs... May you find joy and happiness this holiday season...

My wish for you all is a happy and prosperous 2010!

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

A Hike After the Snow Fall..

I spent a couple of hours this morning hiking the trails around Pine Meadow Brook. The park was quiet. I did see a few hikers, but not as many as a normal Sunday morning. There was a fresh blanket of powdery snow on the trails and the brook was providing the only soundtrack needed. It was the perfect break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday preparations. Most of the folks I ran into were quiet and contemplative and just plain old enjoying the the beautiful vistas the park had on display today. It is quite amazing to me that these trails I have wandered and Hiked hundreds of times can always show me something new, different and beautiful.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

Carl

Strorm of '09

The snow storm this weekend stayed more off shore and headed up the east coast... So while DC,Philly and Southern Jersey had record falls we had only a few inches of the white stuff. I am very happy for that fact. Most storms head north and west of NYC and we wind up buried so this is a nice break. I am heading to the park with my camera for a little while. I will post any good photos I get later on today.

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Happy Holidays!

Hello Fellow Artists-

Have a merry and wonderful holiday season!

Carl

And miles to go before I sleep.

We had our first real snowfall of the season last night. It was perfect for photography... We had the wet sticky kind of snow all evening, then it stayed cold and we had clear blue skies in the morning. Just after sunrise is the perfect time to capture this "perfect storm". It was just enough snow to be pretty, but not a problem to drive in once the snow stopped.

The world always seems fresh and new after a snow storm.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Infra-red B&W

I really miss the Kodak Infra-Red B&W film. I have tried some of the other variants out there, but have been really unhappy with the results. I love the effect I was able to get in these shots taken in Napa about 10 years ago.

Oh well. Maybe I'll find the right film/filter/exposure combination... but so far no luck at all. I have to go back and research the websites and see what I can find.

A project for 2010

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Yarmouth Port - Holiday Stroll Sunday December 6th

The Yarmouthport Holiday Stroll is Sunday Dec 6th. Fresh Paint Gallery will be participating again this year. Drop in between noon and 4:00 for refresments and art!

If you are near Cape Cod this Sunday stop in and see my photos and the work of the other wonderful artists at Fresh Paint!

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Today

Chickadee

Nuthatch

Tufted Titmouse

There is no better way to recover from the Thanksgiving holiday meal than a nice walk in the woods. I headed out this morning to Mendon Ponds Park in Rochester and was able to capture these shots of some of the birds on the nature trails in the park. The key is to bring birdseed to bribe the birds with have patience to wait for the right moment to take the shot. When I photograph birds I wind up only getting about 10 percent of the shots I take to work out. The birds are very quick and when you are using a zoom lens the area the shot covers is small. I probably took a hundred shots and only get 5 or 6 i am really happy with. Still It was great to be out in the woods and walking around today.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! May you be safe and happy and surrounded by friends and family.

Carl

Fresh Paint Gallery

OK.... The big day arrived. I hung my prints at Fresh Paint Galley in Yarmouth Port (on Cape Cod) this Saturday. Below is a view of some of the other fine artists at the gallery.

I have two pretty good spots right behind the desk and on the way up the stairs to the second floor.
I'll be heading back to the cape right after the first snow fall for some more photography.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday...

Thank You all for your support as I took my first steps into joining a gallery. I am very proud of this I have have been a fan of Fresh Paint for a long time and really admire the other artists who show there.

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

PS - There will be a holiday stroll in Yarmouth Port on December 6th. I'll post more about that soon.

CS

Your Assignment....

Hello Fellow Artists -

My photograph of Dover Stone Church Falls Has been selected as a finalist in this months greeblepix photo contest on the GreebleMonkey blog . Make sure you head over to the site and vote for your favorite (hint hint hint). Actually there are some awesome photos in the contest so just go over and take a look and admire the work that has been submitted. It is worth the effort.


Keep Makin' Art
Carl

PS Deadline for voting is Thursday night 11/19.

CS

San Francisco

Hello Fellow Artists-

I was going through some photos I took in San Francisco in January 09 and came across these shots. I had gone out early to shoot the early morning light at the Palace of Fine Arts. It is just a wonderful spot and looks just amazing when the sun's first rays of the day strike it. It actually glows like it is on fire. This was totally worth getting lost in San Francisco in the dark and accidentally ending up in Marin County by going over the Golden Gate Bridge. The good news is I knew something like that would happen and I left myself PLENTY of time to get to my destination so I would not lose the light.

Today's lesson... Give yourself extra time to arrive when you are shooting in areas you do not know well.... Ten minutes later and I would have missed these shots. Here endeth the lesson... Now go take some pictures!

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Getting Ready

OK. I did not get around to visiting your blogs on Saturday. Truth be told I ended up working on all of the odds and ends I need to get done before I bring my photos to the gallery next Saturday. I think I have everything done now.

The image above is a copy of the postcard I will be sending out announcing my images being on display at Fresh Paint Gallery. If you would like to receive one of the postcards when they go out or be added to the email newsletter I will be sending out announcing where my work can be seen and other art news of interest CLICK HERE and send me your email and/or snail mail address.

Now if I can just get to reading a few blogs and spend a little while in the studio I will have had a pretty good weekend!

Keep Makin' Art
Carl

Getting Caught Up

Not really a post this morning so much as a comment.

It has been such a busy week I have not been around to visit any of your wonderful blogs. I will take this rainy Saturday in NY to get caught up on my blog reading and commenting.

Back to the top 5 on Sunday!

Carl

What a week

Horseshoe Beach - Bermuda

I am adding this to my list of happy places! After the week we have had I would love to be there right now!

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

A break from the top five of 2009

Hello Fellow Artists-

I am taking a break from selecting the top 5 images of 2009. It has been tough to select. Thanks to everyone who has given me their comments. They have been very helpful in the process. I will be back to this project in a couple of days.

What I am working on is exciting. I thought I had until March to get my photos ready for Fresh Paint Gallery, but I was asked if I could have some things there before the Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll on December sixth. I will have my first pieces installed at the gallery some time on Saturday 11/21. So, right now I have just finished picking the three framed pieces I'll have on display and am working on the smaller matted pieces. Next I need to have stuff printed and framed for next week.

I'll make sure to post plenty of gallery after the 21st!

Wish Me Luck!

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Several more images for consideration

Hello Fellow Artists -


Well I am no closer to whittling my list down to a final top five for 2009, but I am posting a few more to talk about and comment on. Let me know what you think of them... and how they could be better.

I picked three horizontal shots this morning. Nothing thematically holds these three together other than I like the mood of the shots. For me they all speak of a peacefulness found in the quieter times of day or night.

Wildflowers - Dairy Farm - Vernon, NJ

There is a softness here in this shot that I like very much. It happened on my third visit to this location when I had let the noise in my mind quiet down and let the scene find me.

Moonset - Lake Askoti - Harriman State Park, NY

I was really thrilled with this shot. I had chased the moon that night and let the location unfold before me with just a vague idea of what I would end up with.

Sunrise - Nobska Light, Woods Hole, Ma

I have photographed and painted Nobska Light several times. It is a favorite subject of mine. In this shot I really found the beauty of the place that is quite different from how it looks in the daytime.

What are your thoughts?

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Taking Stock

Pine Meadow Brook, October 2009

With excitement and a little trepidation I set out on a project this week. It was to go through my 2009 photos and pick my five favorites for you to critique. The excitement came from looking through the images and trying to narrow it down to five. I am somewhere around fifty now and really struggling with what makes a shot special enough to make the top five. This is trickier than I imagined. The trepidation comes from the critique itself. I was thrown back in time to college art and photo classes that had group critiques. They are a valuable learning tool, but they always made me anxious....

Indian Brook Falls - July 2009

After I had put a few hours into this project of taking stock of my images something else began to happen. I took stock of everything else. I had an embarrassment of riches before me with these beautiful photos I love and loved the process of taking them. The planning, the trips to the locations either solitary or with Wenderina or one of my photo buddies (like brother-in-Law Robbie or my friend Mike or Niece Jessica). On most days The hike alone would have been worth it even if I got no photos. This was proved to me the Saturday morning I got on location and realized the battery in my camera was shot. I of course got really mad at myself for a few minutes, but in the end rather enjoyed the quiet, foggy, two hour sunrise drive. It was somewhere in this process of editing photos that I started to ask a question which led to a revelation. The question was am I responsible for the photos... How much credit can I take? After all I preach on this blog all the time about how more than half of a great nature photo is understanding the location and and being there and setup when you know the light will be right. This led to this thought... I am a truly lucky person. I am lucky to live in apart of the world that is breathtakingly beautiful if you take the time to get off the main roads and go looking for it. I am lucky to have been raised by two people who helped me to grow and appreciate art and the world around me. I am lucky to have married my best friend who does not mind if I disappear for hours on Sunday morning and I am perpetually behind on my chores list around the house so that I can chase the waterfalls and sunsets that I love to photograph. I am lucky to have a life and career that can allow me this time and money spend on art and photography. I am lucky to have photography when I have turned my back on it several times in my life, only to have it come roaring back and remind that a photographer is who I am.

Moodna Viaduct - October 2009

It is amazing how much internal good has come from an external examination of my photos. It really turned into and existential project.

Minnewaska - September 2009

I am back to the photo editing. Will the images I added to this post make it to the top five. I am not sure for I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.

St. Georges Bermuda - May 2009

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Sprintime in NY

Hello Fellow Artists-

Enjoy this shot I took this spring while I figure out what to work on next. I'll be posting a few of my favorite shots from the last 12 months over the next few days.

Since the leaves have fallen, but the snow has not I am done shooting for a bit. This is just as well as I discovered an issue with my camera and have had to send it back to Canon for repair! Hopefully I won't be without it for too long.

Now my attention will shift to all the painting I did not get done while I have been going crazy with the camera for the last 6 months. I hope to hit the studio for a while on Sunday.

In the next few days I'll post some of my favorite images from this year. let me know if you agree or disagree with my choices. Maybe I'll even put up a few series and you can critique them. Tell me what works and what does not. I won't be looking for flattery here, but rather what you really think. I am always curious what folks think makes a successful photo and why.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Offline

Hi Everyone

Wenderina and I will be visiting our Niece and her family in the DC area for a few days. I'll be off-line mostly and will start with new posts next week.

Stay well!

Carl

Spring?

In the midst of the fall and the unstoppable approach of winter... I decided to look ahead (or is it back) to the dogwood flowers of spring. There is a lot of beauty to enjoy in the coming winter and I will photograph a lot of it.... but today I was thinking of the dogwoods in my yard in spring...

Keep Makin' Art

Carl

Carriage House - Skylands Botanical Garden - Ringwood, NJ

I have always liked this carriage house at Skylands, but it has never looked better than when it was surrounded by fall colors yesterday. I half expected to see the fairytale characters emerge from it's doors. Just looking at it makes me want to sit by a fire with a nice cup of tea.

Keep Makin' Art.
Carl

More Sunday Morning Photos

Here are some more images from this morning. I am almost done editing. coming up next during the week. an image from the Skylands... I shot at two locations this morning and perhaps a poem with one of this morning's images. I have some ideas and need to get them on paper before they disappear like the memory of a dream. No promises on the poem... I am no writer and don't claim to be but the beauty of the morning planted some ideas I want to try to jot down.

What did you work on this weekend? I came away with 10 or 15 really strong images from several locations I am thrilled beyond measure.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Sunday Morning Nature Photos

I fought the urge to sleep in this morning when my 6am alarm went off. I am glad I did. All the rain from the last two night had Pine Meadow Brook running stronger than usual for this time of year. There were still bunches of trees that had clung to their leaves in the wind and rain of the last few days that made for awesome reflections. Here are the first two images while I work on editing the rest. Enjoy your Sunday!

Keep Makin' Art

Carl