SWU Shoots at Smith Mesa

SWU Shoots just had its very first outing yesterday. For more info on the great new organization go to http://www.swushoots.com

Here’s what I came up with. I hope you can join us next week for some enthusiastic shooting. Let the good times roll!

 

Smith Mesa Scenic #1

Butte at Smith Mesa

Bed & Breakfast (Topaz Spicify Filter)

Smith Mesa Panorama

It certainly bears repeating

Yesterday I sent out a mass email with a ton of news. For the sake of posterity, here’s what what was included…

Pre Holiday Art Shows

I am participating in 5 different Fine Art Exhibition/Shows from the middle of November through mid-December. I have had many customers ask to be reminded of these, so this is the first nudge I will be sending out. Remember, I will have the standard assortment of prints and cards that you have come to know, but, I will also have many new “standout” wall prints, ready to hang, printed in an amazing metallic finish. These make a wonderful gift. The photographs have been selected from my 2008 best sellers, so you will have many to choose from. In addition, the themed collector card sets that have proven popular would make the ideal holiday gift. I will have a high-definition large-screen video display of my offerings in my booth at these events making it very easy for you to make choices. I planned to be stocked up and ready to meet your holiday shopping needs. Here we go with the events…

• November 14, 15, and 16 – Cleveland By Hand Art & Craft Show – I-X Center – www.clevelandbyhand.com
• November 22 and 23 – Cincinnati By Hand Art & Craft Show – Duke Energy Convention Center – www.cincinnatibyhand.com
• November 28, 29, and 30 – Christmas In The Colonies – Medina County Fairgrounds – www.christmasinthecolonies.com
• December 5, 6, and 7 – Butler Holiday Craft Show – Butler Institute of American Art – www.butlerart.com
• December 20 – Countryside Conservancy Holiday Market – Happy Days Visitor Center – Route 303 in Boston

Gallery Exhibition

Once again, I have been honored to have a exhibition of my recent photography project at the Butler Institute of American Art. The exhibit, entitled “Call it a Loan; Borrowing a Piece of the Pacific Northwest”, will run at standard museum hours thought the end of 2008. It is timed in conjunction with Butler’s re-certification process and was personally selected to represent them by the management. It goes without saying, my gratitude for this opportunity is beyond words. You will find this exhibit on the second floor in the digital art wing. Once the exhibit closes, these works will be for sale, so contact me to reserve your art before it is gone. Here is the accompanying Artist’s Statement.

Never did I expect that a set of return trips to the Pacific Northwest would start a maelstrom of brain waves beckoning me to grow and explore this wondrous place. For three weeks during the Spring of 2008, I traversed three distinctly different regions of our Northwest: The Oregon Coastline; The Columbia River Gorge; and The Palouse Region of Southeast Washington. Sometimes I captured what I saw; at other times I only absorbed, reflecting rather than documenting.

This became a rich catharsis for me as I began to understand life unfettered in the realm of nature. What you are viewing here today is an exhibit of eight personal selections from a collection of about fifty that I show as examples of my photographs from this period. In making decisions to cull the exhibit, I reached inward for my inspiration – this is something one can easily do when commercial return is not the primary motive. You are looking into my soul.

From a technical standpoint, these are digital photographs taken using modern full frame SLR cameras and high quality lenses. I am somewhat of a stickler for technique and tend to spend a great deal of effort planning and executing to assure a striking outcome. Each image was carefully seasoned and cajoled in my processing system to bring out a “walk right in” characteristic. As such, I interpret with forethought. I do not simply document. After all, this is art.

This exhibit has been produced on Kodak Endura Professional Metallic Media to bring out a lustrous, striking gallery look with richness and head-turning capabilities. It is my first venture away from personally handmade pigment prints. I like the results and will be offering this option in the future.

Announcing DSLR Boot Camps 2009 Series

The DSLR Boot Camps have been around now for a few years and nearly 100 photographers have taken advantage of the in-depth training afforded them. Times change and so do we. I have decided to expand the class offerings to cover a broader range of interests as well as the varying levels of expertise. While these have not been planned out to the Nth degree, here is what you can expect. All classes have a size limit of 12 and are held in Brunswick at my well-equipped training facility. More dates will be added as these fill up. I am now taking reservations with 50% deposits…

• DSLR Boot Camp 101 – Photographic Principals and Camera Operation – 1/17/09 & 1/18/09 - 16 hours including guided field exercises – $159
• DSLR Boot Camp 201 – Photoshop CS4 Throughput- 1/24/09 & 1/25/09 – 16 hours – $229
• DSLR Boot Camp 202 – Lightroom 2.0 Throughput – 2/7/09 & 2/8/09 – 16 hours – $229
• DSLR Boot Camp 301 – Lightroom/Photoshop Interactions – 2/14/09 & 2/15/09 – 12 hours – $159
• DSLR Boot Camp 401 – Achieving Critical Artistry - 2/21/09 & 2/22/09 – 12 hours – $159

Please note that the above dates have been updated since this original post was placed online. The Boot Camp sessions now take place in a logical sequence and allow the requisite weekend off for the Super Bowl!

Field Workshops

I have many field workshops in the planning stages for next year. Stay tuned as I announce…

• Field Macro Photography
• Winter B&W Abstracts
• Panorama Extravaganza
• HDR Workout
• Spring Wildflowers
• Garden Scenics
• Fall in NE Ohio
• UP Michigan in Fall
• Spring in NE Ohio