Entering My Monochrome Period: Bodie Machinery
I had a wonderful experience during a weeklong workshop and symposium (the Moab Photography Symposium) in early May. Among the realizations was remembering how much I loved working in Black & White as a kid (much easier to process and print in black & white when you are using film). In conjunction with starting to print my own work, I am re-exploring monochromicity. The next few days will bring samples.
Bodie is a California State Historic Park in the Eastern Sierra, south of Bridgeport and north of Lee Vining. The ghost town has been a state park since 1962 and a national historic landmark since 1961.
A short stop in Bodie in 2014 began my adult, digital, photography as art period. I had about 45 minutes in the middle of the day and shot deliberately for black and white, using the harsh light in an attempt to evoke stark emptiness. Out of less than 50 exposures (most of them bracketed sets of three to capture the total dynamic range available), I got three or four of my better images. It’s taken nearly three years since then to solidify my sense of my photography as art, but the Terrific Trio workshop before the Moab Photography Symposium (plus one other presenter during the Symposium itself) have managed to do that.
Canopy: Union Station, Denver
Obligatory shot (for all Denver photographers) of new arrival/departure platform at Union Station
China: Breathe that?
This image requires some explanation. The grid at the base is the top of a building outside the Arrivals zone at Beijing Airport. The grey above it is the air outside. Image taken on 26 April 2014.
Still think we don’t need an EPA?
Harris Hawk in Flight
I love the little cock of his head, as though he’s checking out what I’m doing down here.
Harris Hawk Dominance
Harris Hawks hunt in family groups. Generally the lead female is the alpha, but the new lead male is trying to establish his place, and is pushing her off the top perch on a Saguaro cactus. Shot at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum’s twice-daily Raptor Free Flight.
Gordes & Arles
A few more pictures from France. These are from Gordes in Provence and over to Arles. Most of them are from my Nikon D7200 but there are a couple with the iPhone. This first one is of the Senanque Abbey. All that vegetation in front of the abbey is lavender, but we were a bit too early and nothing was fully bloomed. I couple of weeks later and you’d see the famous lavender flowers.
More from Carcassone Castle
As promised, here are the pictures from my Nikon D7200. Again, I played with all of them in photoshop a bit, just to sharpen things up or make colors pop. Nothing major. Some of these didn’t turn out half bad. The first one is of Dame Carcas. She greets you at the front gate.
Carcassone Castle
Here are a few more pictures of Carcassone Castle. First, I’ll do the iPhone shots. Tomorrow, I’ll do the the Nikon shots. I played with all of em in Photoshop. Hope you like it. If you are in a rush, they are all in the Flickr page. This first one is taken from the castle walls, pointing at the cathedral.
Nina in France
I was in France at the beginning of June for a conference and decided to take a bit of a vacation while I was out there. We drove through the country, hitting several cities and towns, starting in Toulouse before heading toward Torreilles, up to Marseille, on through Provence, and back to Arles, before finishing in Montpelier. I was lucky enough to be traveling with Nina, a exceptionally brilliant and stunningly beautiful friend of mine. Out of the goodness of her heart, knowing that I’m trying to learn how to take portraits, she allowed me to take a few pictures of her. Here are some of the results. Clearly, I have a LOT to learn. Both with my camera and with Photoshop. Trust me when I say, they don’t even come close to doing Nina’s smile justice. But I’m learning. There are 10 pictures total on the Flickr page if you want to see the rest of them.
Family Picnic, Holy City, near Lawton, OK
Looks like someone dropped a sliced baguette near town, and it’s time for a party!
Mint Bar Neon – Sheridan, Wyoming
Reverse angle on the shot I posted a few days ago. Not sure which I like better.
Mint Bar, Sheridan, WY
