The Moon!

Stayed up late last night to watch the blood moon. At about 1:30 am I got some great photos from my backyard. A little Lightroom and Photoshop work this morning and I have a rather nice image.

I wish this was the view from my backyard, but it isn't. I had to composite the moon with an image of the rims but I think it works.

Chokecherry Faces

This winter I have worked on a lot of images, but haven't shared them. Over the next couple of weeks I will rectify that.

To start off I have some chokecherry leaf images that are interesting. Just before the leaves fall they get very brittle. Weird shapes start appearing and its at this time I take out my camera.

Out of Hibernation

I guess it is ironic that the day I finally come out of hibernation with a new post is also the first day of a multi-day snow storm. I have a couple of announcements that I am kind of proud of - the publication of a small photography book entitled Hosta Studies through the MagCloud website. Check out the link below. And one of those hosta images was included in a prestigious show.

This Hosta Study was included in the Center for Photographic Art's 2014 Juries Exhibition. The exhibition is Jan through tomorrow at the Center's gallery in Carmel, CA. Check out their website here.

From the Garden: Hosta Studies

Hosta Studies is a photography book that features my fine art images of the simple hosta plants in my backyard. I use several digital techniques to give the hostas a surprising look that highlights the shapes and textures of the leaves and flowers.

Photographers I Admire - Michael Kenna

Michael Kenna is a tremendous photographer known for his medium format black and white images. Interesting trees, foggy landscapes and low light, nighttime long exposures are his hallmarks. I own one of his retrospective books - incredible! Love it, love it, love it! Especiallty check out his images of Mont ST Michel, Ratcliffe Power Station and Pont Neuf hidden within galleries of France and England on his website.

If you enjoy good black and white photography take a look at his website here.

How I create an image for my Windows series.

Finally, as promised I have put together a little video on how I put together the Windows series images. I tried to do a screen capture video. It is very rough and probably a little vague at times. I will try a few more in the future. Who knows they might even get better.

Wow! What a two months!

I apologize for the lack of posts - I've been busy. And it is still hard for me to work on a project and still keep track of the small things - like blogs. I will try to be better.

There are three things I want to announce.

1 My website is now redesigned - check it out here. I really like this new look and hope to add new features and new folios this winter.

2 My photograph "Tires" was selected by Black Box Gallery in Portland, OR, for their show "Black and White: Mastering the Art of Photography" and can be found in their online annex gallery here.

3 Two of my photographs have been selected for the


Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art
in Great Falls, MT

• 17th Annual Art Auction Exhibition
  December 28, 2013 - January 29, 2014
  Exhibit Opening January 10, 2014; 5:30p-8:30p

Pale Rose

Red Rose

Framed and matted 30x30 they are big and beautiful! If you are in Great Falls during January stop by and take a look.

And I haven't forgot my promise to share how one of my window photographs is built in photoshop - its definitely coming soon.

Building an Image Part 1

Squared Sunflower

Some images you see right in front of you. Others take planning and preparation but then again become visible right in front of you. Others get stuck in your head and look for a way out - like this image. Thank God for Photoshop!

I love this image on several levels. I am not good with my hands - I can't build things. But I took this image from my minds eye and built it and I am proud of that. I love the positive and negative spaces because it plays to photography and to my view of life. All of the sunflowers are dried up, wrinkly husks and that is a play on age and beauty. I love the color - something I took from my Hosta Study series. I love the textures. And finally I love the window effect. Its like I am viewing another world.

I am working on a whole series of these images. Changing it up by presenting the images in actual window frames and inkjet printed transparencies, using different plants and different ways of using positive and negative spaces.

I will post how I did it next week.