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Tag Archives: Fine Art

Last photos of 2011 – NH landscape photography

December 31, 2011 – 1:17 pm

Crazy light this last day of the year – at 6:45am it’s still dark with a foggy overcast. Heading out with the dog for his morning run, grabbed a camera knowing the light was too cool to pass up.

Fog is ever present on the trail – slow, slow shutter speeds but still shooting wide open, my favorite combination for shooting. Old and familiar all look different in this light, a light that happens rarely – even more rare to be in a spot to work with it.

No music on the way in, just the sounds of my steps on the frozen ground, the dog running silently through the woods. At the swamp its eerily quiet – no birds, no color, all life seems to have gone south or burrowed into a cave.

Walking back, now listening to Osher, seeing new light as the rain starts.

What a beautiful way to end the year…and prepare for a new one.

Happy New Year everyone.

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, inspiration, Personal Project | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Barred Owl – Maine nature photography

April 18, 2011 – 9:49 pm

Sometimes when opportunity knocks, you actually get a second chance. Last week I got a phone call from a volunteer at the Center for Wildlife; she was going to be releasing a saw-whet owl. Unfortunately, I was in the throes of the flu and had to watch the chance go by without me. I was more than  a little bummed out. I have always had a fascination for raptors – at one point in my life I even investigated what it would take to get a falconry license. Needless to say, I didn’t have what it took!

Saturday she called again. “I’m releasing a barred owl Monday – are you interested…and over the flu?”

Interested – you bet! Over the flu – I wasn’t going to let a lingering cough stop me this time. Family in the car, phone call to some good friends who I thought would be interested in seeing the release and off to Maine. We got to the release site a few minutes before the beautiful owl was to regain its freedom – it had been in rehab since being found laying in the road in November not far from the release site ( I think the choice of release location was anything but an accident).

Jane Kelly, the volunteer, handled the bird as familiarly and gently as I handle my dog – confidence exhuded from her as she removed it from the carrier used to transport it, showed the bird off for a few pictures, then with a flourish set it free.

The owl flew to a nearby maple tree, landed and surveyed its circumstances for a few minutes, then flew to another tree, rested there, then on again. I was struck by the bird’s  camouflage – had I not seen where it had landed I never would have noticed it.

Makes me wonder how many owls I’ve walked right past and never known they were there. And thanks to the efforts of the Center for Wildlife in York, Maine, there is at least one more raptor alive in the Maine woods. Now if only I can learn to spot them in the wild.

By Jay | Posted in inspiration, Personal Project, photojournalism | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

Spring…finally – NH photography

April 7, 2011 – 9:39 am

Walked a snowmobile trail through the woods with my dog yesterday – a little squishy underfoot but the snow is finally gone. 52 degrees feeling like 70. A few beech leaves still clinging, even though they’ve been subjected to the winter winds that howl through this areas.

Felt so nice to just wander with the camera and dog, starting to dream of putting the jackets and boots away – and hoping the snow is finally behind us. It was a really long winter, so ready for spring.

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, inspiration, Personal Project | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Student art – NH photo education

February 14, 2011 – 2:35 pm

One of the hardest things for many people is to step back from your work and see where its going. Most artists suffer from that myopic vision. Either you think your work is amazing, super important and you can’t understand why the phone isn’t ringing off the hook from galleries and clients – or you are so down on your work that its value and impact is lost in a sea of self doubt.

Its even harder to do when your teaching photography. Suddenly the works of 35 people are lumped into a mass of incoming assignments, helping kids learn the tools and terminology, trying to promote love affairs with light … the tsunami of working in a classroom.

I’m teaching two classes of photography to students at Great Bay eLearning Charter School in Exeter.

Since we’re working with digital point and shoot cameras, much of the technical aspects of photography are out the window – aperture and shutter speed concepts are only theory if you’re using cameras where those adjustments aren’t possible.

The impetus of the classes becomes providing an environment in which students are free – and encouraged – to experiment. Its about widening people’s horizons, expanding their vision and view of the world around them.

Its tough! Unlike teaching at a college level, not everyone in the class is interested in photography. So there are frustrations – but the rewards are huge. Especially when there’s a chance to step back and take a look at the overall work.

That’s what happened when I needed to chose some photos to be in the student art show. I figured it would be easy to pick a had dozen to be printed…after all, the work had felt pretty uninspired as the semester went along.

Wow was I wrong! Stepping back provided  window on some pretty fabulous photographs, and picking 6 became picking 25 – I just couldn’t edit it any tighter. A lot of good work was left out of the show ( a learning experience for me – next semester I’ll be far more prepared).

Here are a few of the photos that hung in the show. Would love to hear any feedback or comments.

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, inspiration | Also tagged | Comments (2)

Winter morning – NH fine art photography

February 3, 2010 – 4:40 pm

Eleven degrees, wind gusting to 45mph, wind chill around -15….bleary eyed, coffee brewing, wind blew the door open last night, no wonder the house felt so cold

Look out the window, watching the branches sway, rock and roll actually – big limbs still even in the wind gusts, smaller ones doing the dance though. The sky that intense shade of blue that happens at the false dawn, more intense than can be named or if there’s a name I don’t know it..reminds me of being out on the water duck hunting years ago, hearing the birds but not quite seeing them, remembering just how cold cold could be.

WOW its so incredibly beautiful….quick, camera, tripod, memory card…not going out, set it up on kitchen table…shoot few frames…long exposures which I’ve been meaning to play with lately…not even concerned about shooting through the glass…just the need to make some frames, can I capture the mood, the cold, the intensity?

Coffee’s ready – good to be alive!

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, inspiration, Personal Project, Uncategorized | Also tagged | Comments (1)

ECCA Art Show

November 16, 2009 – 1:45 pm

A few weeks ago I got an email from Karen Desrosiers, a writer, artist and chief cook and bottle washer of ECCA, Exeter Center for Creative Arts. Their third annual art show was being put together, would I be interested in submitting a few pieces of work for the juried show?

“You bet!”,  I emailed back. It all seemed so easy. In my spare time ( whatever and whenever that is!) I do landscape photography – in much the same non-traditional way I do the rest of my photography. Here’s a chance to put it out in the public eye and get some feedback, sell  a print or two…who knows, maybe the gallery scene next!

Yea, it all seemed so easy. I thougt about what I’d submit. It all seemed so easy, ideas were streaming through my head like a runaway freight train. I got busy, shelved the train and suddenly the deadline was approaching…Suddenly I really didn’t like my choices, second-guessed myself to death over and over again.

The bottom line – a few things I learned on my way – IT’S NOT EASY! It’s not easy being an artist, baring your soul and spirit. It’s not easy allowing yourself to be vulnerable. I think ego, one of the essential components of an artist, is way more fragile than I ever let on…

Bottom line, it may not be easy but “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

I’ll have some work hanging in the show – here’s the particulars:
A juried show, art work from 40 regional artists will be on display and for sale.  Works from many genres are represented: pottery, sculpture, photography, wood carving, watercolor, oils, pastels, acrylics, jewelry and more.

Artist wine & refreshments reception,
Friday November 20, 6-9pm
Gallery open weekends,
Sat. November 21 & 28, 11am-6pm
Sun. November 22 & 29, noon-4pm

Exeter town hall gallery, across from the bandstand, right in the heart of downtown Exeter, NH.

Funds Raised

Percent of proceeds go to support ECCA’s scholarship fund, so that all area children have the opportunity to discover the creativity within them.

So if you’re able, please come – especially Friday, have a glass or few of wine, and check out the art – and I promise not to be fragile!

Here’s a couple of my photos you may see.B 10-8-08 RAIL TRAIL0004____tonemapped_lzn4-13-08 TUTTLE SWAMP

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, HDR, Personal Project | Also tagged | Comments (0)

Busman’s holiday

October 22, 2009 – 1:25 pm

Well, if we assume that that expression comes from when a busman went on vacation, he or she had to drive, then the title for the post works…if not, please tell me the genesis of the expression.

My nephew was married recently in Pittsburgh, PA. I went – carrying only 1 camera and 1 lens. In a total test of my willpower, I also only brought 2 flash cards – a 4gig and a 2gig. Since I always shoot raw, that wasn’t a lot of images I could retain.

Pittsburgh was unseasonably cold and rainy, but the morning of the wedding I walked down a typical Pittsburgh hill ( they’re reminiscent of San Francisco if you’ve never been to Pittsburgh) to a church I’d passed a gazillion times but had never stopped to shoot. I found an open door but the interior of the church was as dark as a dungeon, so I played around with the incredible architecture. The church was built around 1901 – the ivy covering the walls seemed that old as well. I’ll admit to wishing I had a tripod and/or some strobes along. I was shooting at a 15th of a second at F 2.8. For those who aren’t photographers, that gobbledygook simply means there was no light and it was tough to hold the camera steady – especially since it was raw damp and freezing!

That afternoon when I went to the wedding ( at a historic downtown hotel), I noticed the rest of downtown in the gloom from a room where I was going to change into a full-blown tux…this was a black tie affair – including 1 poor soul still working at 6pm on a Saturday. Made a few photos using the window as a steadying agent for the camera.

Shot a few wedding photos also, haven’t had a chance to even look to see what I got, so here’s a few photos from a busman’s holiday._JAY0101_JAY0120_JAY0123_JAY0132_JAY0139_JAY0188_JAY0184

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, inspiration, Personal Project, photojournalism | Comments (1)

New Website

May 19, 2009 – 8:16 pm

It’s been a labor of love – and sweat – and frustration – and major help from friends old and new…but the new website is finally live.

I started talking about doing a new site in the fall with the goal of being online with it by the end of the year. I was still talking about it in January, February, March…you get the drift. This afternoon it finally was as done as it was going to get without public viewing and feedback, so take a stroll over and let me know what you think.

A few thanks need to be made public:

Designer Erica Plante was instrumental – she thought of ways to use photographs that made a purist like me quiver…until I saw how well it worked – the designs of the text pages and the new logo are all her. Thanks, Erica.

Photographer and colleague Roger Ramirez – unbeknown  to me – knows the inner workings of websites – code to me is a CIA mystery movie – to Roger its a map to achieve cool things. His patience with me especially when I was afraid to hit the button to take down the old and bring up the new was fabulous. Thanks, Roger.

The shell of the site was purchased from Flash Pallette (http://www.flashpalette.com/. They have a number of really killer sites, but better yet, the guy who runs the show, Shannon, is all about customer service. He answered questions from me night and day, put up with my simplistic view of how a site oughta work…and solved problems, soothed my fears, and generally made me feel like he’ll be on my Christmas card list this year! Thanks, Shannon.

So, having said all that, please go to the site, check it out and send feedback – its a work in progress ( I hate that cliche) and I want all the input I can get.

And the signifigance of the mushroom…none really, but since this is a photo blog I wanted to have something of a visual nature…and I like the photo!

5-9-09-mushrooms080___tonemapped_lzn

By Jay | Posted in esession, infant photography, inspiration, Personal Project | Also tagged | Comments (0)

Empty Spaces

May 3, 2009 – 11:35 am

My search for locations for the empty spaces project found a mother lode this weekend – gaining access to an old knitting mill in North-Central New Hampshire. The day was spent more just looking and planning than actual shooting, but it was incredibly fruitful nonetheless. I met an amazing artist who I’ll properely introduce in a later post, came across the cutest pug and managed a few cool photos. I’ll share some of the non empty space photos – since I really didn’t shoot any on Friday.

For those who might not know, the empty space project is about those places that have become abandoned or otherwise left out of use. I’m alwqays looking for places to explore and welcome ideas or names of people to contact.

5-1-09 FRANKLIN MILL5-1-09 FRANKLIN MILL5-1-09 FRANKLIN MILL5-1-09 FRANKLIN MILL

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, inspiration, interior photography, Personal Project | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

The Old Jail

January 25, 2009 – 1:00 am

I am currently working on a personal project – photos of an old jail in Maine I have been fortunate enough to gain access to – and am combining the photos themselves with a technique call high dynamic range imaging ( HDR) which is a way to deal with large differences in the shadow and highlight areas. Depending on nhow the HDR work is done, the photographs can take on an otherworldly appearance. I’m new to the technique but the experimenting is very satisfying if somewhat frustrating – it seems like I cannot duplicate results or tones.

Here’s a few photos from the latest shoot – I think it was 12 degrees outside…that’s what the temperature was of the jail as well – can’t wait for Spring!

By Jay | Posted in Fine Art, HDR, Personal Project | Also tagged , , , | Comments (0)