Grandpa's Chair

Grandpa's Chair

#31

July 2005 - Applegate, Oregon
If you think back to your childhood, I bet you can recall a few key elements that stand out as a clear representation of what it was to be a kid. Sometimes these are as random as a saying, a song, your first best friend, or perhaps a seemingly insignificant object that had its place in a familiar room. This chair belonged to my Grandpa Charles Elmore, and each morning for breakfast, well every seated meal really, this was where he sat. This was HIS chair! Despite having passed away almost 20 years ago, I can picture him there at the dinner table, like it were yesterday - - long, snow-white beard, slightly tobacco stained below his lip, flannel shirt, elbows resting on the arms of his chair, silver-rimmed glasses just down his nose far enough to peer over the top to give us that look, followed by yet another, “Stop adding more brown sugar, and just each your mush!”

In high school I painted a large watercolor of a scene very similar to this and gave it to my Gram for Christmas. I recreated it as a photograph while at Brooks, and again gave the print to Gram. My cousin Gary requested I offer this image.

That's Bull

That's Bull

#32

October 2007 - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
One of my dearest friends, Carrie Vonderhaar, was having her very first, professional print show at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. This was a big deal, and when she invited me to come out for it, I really couldn’t say no. So an eight-hour road trip later, I was there toasting glasses with her in celebration of her amazing accomplishments since starting to work for Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society. Carrie had never been to Yellowstone, and this would only be my second time, so it wasn’t a question that we would venture into the park for the day, cameras in tow. Despite the snow, icy roads, declining temperatures and the park rangers posting the “chains or snow tires required” sign, we managed to sneak through. Yes, in my Honda, and yes with my California tires that hadn’t really seen conditions outside of Santa Barbara norms. Yellowstone is simply an amazing place, especially covered in white, and even more exciting when you get to experience it with someone visiting for the first time.

Carrie and I came around a corner and spotted this bull. I veered over, and with the car still running, doors wide open, there we were running back down the road to try and get in front of it. Out of breath and laughing out loud at the sheer thrill of it all, I managed to snap this shot. Another amazing adventure with Carrie!

Saving Wishes

Saving Wishes

#33

May 2007 - Santa Barbara, California
Dandelions are perhaps the greatest of all weeds! As I mentioned in October’s write-ups, I have a large collection of images featuring these dainty, little, wish blowers. This particular image was the result of trying to recreate my business logo, and for so many reasons it seemed appropriate to use something that has so many complimentary inferences to my life. While I was trying to capture flying tufts on a different dandelion, this one rested in a vase waiting for me to catch my breath, and then start blowing some more. The black in the background is a piece of fabric thrown over a chair.


Miller Hill

Miller Hill

#34

September 2004 - Goleta, California
Miller Hill is the short stretch of pavement that runs from my parent’s driveway down Thompson Creek Road about 250 feet. It is a small hill in my eyes today, but as a youngster the perspective was very different. Named after the people that lived half way up the hill, it was a common route my siblings, cousins and I would peddle up, smack the road sign at the summit, turn around and race back down. When I was trying to think of a concept for one of my Commercial Advertising assignments, it was that exhilarating feeling of racing down the hill that inspired this image. The model for the photo shoot was a friend of one of the girls I nannied for in Santa Barbara. The effect of the background was created by using a blur and motion filter in post-production.


Painful Tears

Painful Tears

#35

September 2004 - Solvang, California
On one of my random drives to take pictures, I found myself on a road with this barbed wire fence running the length of the golf course it was protecting. It had just finished raining, the sun was peeking from behind the clouds, and it was the sparkle in the water droplets that actually made me pull over. A golf cart carrying four club members saw me and curiously drove over to see what I was up to. After I got their approval to keep shooting, this was one of the results. I later found out the golf course belonged to the Alisal Ranch, a beautiful piece of resort property and also a working ranch in Solvang, where I would two years later assist a New York photographer on a shoot for American Airlines in-flight magazine. That was a great couple of days full of horses and cowboys!


Opening Day

Opening Day

#36

July 2007 - Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
It was 4:30am when my sister Jennifer and I arrived at her Droolin Dog Espresso stand for opening day. Pushing the day back a week made us all the more excited to flip on the lights and get busy serving lattes. None of this was going to happen without first documenting the event with my camera. The stand that Jennifer purchased came with this spectacular sign, which sits on the roof and on this glorious, summer morning, set against the sky at daybreak, made for some fun photographs.

A Building's-Eye View

A Building's-Eye View

#37

May 2000 - Bucharest, Romania
Bucharest was only going to be an airport stop in between countries for Shyree and I during our backpacking adventures of 2000. With nearly a six-hour layover, and no Visa required, I wasn’t about to sit at the airport and not venture out into the city. Unfortunately for Shyree, being an Australian, she would have needed to buy a Visa, and with funds dwindling and being tight on time, she decided to hang at the airport. I, on the other hand, caught a taxi downtown, and spent the day wandering the streets. What a beautiful city! The architecture was stunning, but also very intriguing. While traveling, it always caught my eye when a modern building was set into the landscape of older ones. The distortion happening in this mirrored building made the sight even more interesting.

Wind

Wind

#38

July 2006 - Applegate, Oregon
Just off the oats field and wedding site where my sister DaNel was married, exists a line of oak trees, in fact right near where Gavin proposed to her. Underneath the canopy of those trees, where the tall grasses barely escape the blades of the mower, is where I found myself laying on the ground…again! This wild growing grain, hit by a whisper of wind, got in between my lens and a blown-out sky. It seems I have a nice collection of images shot in the same fashion, remember image #5, and you will no doubt see more of those in the months ahead.


View from the Balcony

View from the Balcony

#39

March 2007 - Santa Barbara, California
While sitting out on my balcony, this crow was squawking its normal, annoying afternoon melodies. When I decided to go inside and grab my camera, the crow was still sitting on the chimney. I managed to sneak back out and snap a few shots before it flew off, but this image was by far my favorite. This serves as another example of the fact that we don’t have to look very far to find interesting perspectives on ordinary things. To say this crow was ordinary is an understatement!

Perfect Fall Shading

Perfect Fall Shading

#40

October 2007 - Blanchard, Idaho
I truly enjoy experiencing nature, especially in an unfamiliar area and at my own pace. As I was walking along this dirt trail at Stoneridge Resort, fall was in full force. This small plant caught my eye for no reason other than the existence of each of fall’s colors perfectly shaded into its leaves. Much like those “snow covered mountains shaded down perfectly into tree lines of fall gold” I saw on my way back from Jackson, nature has its way of proving to be the purest form of art.

Autumn Guardian

Autumn Guardian

#41

November 2005 - Norwalk, Connecticut
Riverside Cemetery
Cemeteries back East seem to have the most incredible statues guarding the grasses below them, and in the fall the place is full of colors so bright they practically beg you to drive in. On one of my return trips to visit friends and family, I couldn’t resist and pulled into this particular one. I had driven through it before, but had never seen this concrete beauty. She became even more beautiful when I walked around and saw how the glowing hues of the nearby tree were illuminating her face.

The Color of Rust

The Color of Rust

#42

November 2007 - Applegate, Oregon
I am not certain the story of this rust covered truck, who drove it, what is was used for, or how long it has been sitting in this spot. I guess when I write it out like that, and also think about how many times I have taken pictures of it, that becomes somewhat of a shame. I’m not sure why I haven’t just asked, as this old truck rests just above my Gram’s house. Just like many things along the journey of life and truly living it, we forget or neglect rather, to inquire about the important details that go deeper than the surface. When I find out the story, I will come back and share it with you…

An Unfortunate Attempt

An Unfortunate Attempt

#43

May 2007 - Santa Barbara, California
And so I share yet another dandelion image, but this one and its title speak for themselves. Regardless of these circumstances and if they happen to you, remember at the end of the day, it is just a weed!

The First Frost

The First Frost

#44

November 2007 - Applegate, Oregon
On a walk up beyond my Gram’s house toward the back fields, this leaf lay peaceful on the frozen ground. It seemed a little unfair that it was still green, not getting the opportunity to experience the changing of the seasons. There was just something about the ice crystals that intrigued me, and when you shoot digital, well there is no reason not to capture it!

Red On White

Red On White

#45

November 2004 - Santa Barbara, California
Remember image #29, the yellow flower pedals on the black background? This image was shot in conjunction with that, but rather than color on black, it had to be color on white. The assignment was intended to teach color collection, ensuring blacks are black and whites are white. So using some red paint I had sitting in the cupboard, I dipped the brand new brush into it, and ran it across a textured surface. Can you guess what was used to create the white surface? Those are lollipop sticks I purchased from a craft store, which are only about five inches long.

Grounds

Grounds

#46

November 2007 - Applegate, Oregon
There are many treasures on my Gram’s property, some are big and obvious, and some are tucked away waiting to be discovered. I found this old coffee can in one of those tucked away places, and moved it about two feet from where it had probably been sitting for more than twenty years. As you might have noticed by now, I tend to favor shooting very simple things, in simple environments, and this, on both accounts, fits the bill.

Lookin' Up

Lookin' Up

#47

February 2007 - Santa Barbara, California
On the same spring day I shot Kelly’s Hydrangeas, image #8, I noticed all these precious, little flowers in the grassy area behind me. I had never seen this flower before, and am not even sure what it is, but loved the decorative purple stripes that ran from the top of the stem to the tips of the pedals. In order to share that, it needed to be shot from the underside looking up, as most of its beauty was hidden underneath. I have become quite good at remembering to capture all angles of a flower. This one typically says more than any of the others and the inspiration for shooting from this point of view all started with image #54.

Truly Worn Out

Truly Worn Out

#48

November 2007 - Applegate, Oregon
So here we have another one of those hidden treasures, and this one was no more than ten feet away from the coffee can in image #46. An explanation seems unnecessary here, as I think just looking at the boot tells the whole story. I do wonder whom it belonged to, and how long ago it was worn, but maybe in this case it is better not knowing and simply letting the imagination go to work.

It Makes A Dandy Vase

It Makes A Dandy Vase

#49

July 2005 - Santa Barbara, California
I decided to throw in another one of the images from my purple wine glass series, and yes we must enjoy looking at another dandelion. I will confess that this, for all the non-wine connoisseurs who didn’t notice it right away, is not a wine glass but rather a champagne flute. I will also confess that undoubtedly on more than one occasion, I have enjoyed wine out of just such a glass, therefore it was given clearance to be in the series! Mortal sin? Maybe, so I ask forgiveness for both confessions, but I also needed a glass deep enough to hold the dandelion upright.

Without Direction

Without Direction

#50

February 2005 - Santa Ynez, California
I was in search of tall, green grass when I saw this tree. I had decided to use “seeing green” as a theme for an assignment, and also an excuse to drive up through the rolling hills of Santa Ynez. I didn’t notice until I started looking for images to use for this project as to how many times I shoot the same subject matter in the very same way. Sometimes this is intentional, such as flowers shot from underneath, however just as often it is simply intuitive. A single tree, open background, one-third from the left side of the frame, click! Look familiar?

Seeing Through Bamboo

Seeing Through Bamboo

#51

February 2004 - Ojai, California
Speaking of seeing green, this photograph could easily carry the same theme. This image, of three pieces of live bamboo, was captured while having my lens focused on the piece furthest away. The two pieces in the foreground because of their distance from the back piece, and also choosing to shoot with my aperture wide open, are out of focus. It’s all about the simplicity of shapes, lines and color.

Chasing Pigeons

Chasing Pigeons

#52

April 2005 - Santa Barbara, California
I don’t recall exactly where I was when I shot this image, other than being in Santa Barbara somewhere. I do remember that I wasn’t holding my camera up to my eye, but instead kept it at my waist and when I had had enough of these encroaching pests, I gave them a little chase while clicking my shutter. It was a pure chance that one turned out interesting enough to call art.

Houses On The Square

Houses On The Square

#53

June 2000 - Lomza, Poland
Taking the opportunity to backpack overseas in 2000 is one of the best decisions I’ve made thus far. One aspect that made the experience all the better was meeting up with the European friends I had made in Connecticut, but this time in their home countries. Sometimes it was even friends of those friends or family members of those friends that I would meet up with, and several times stay with. You are able to see the true spark of a town or city when it is revealed to you by its locals. I was so excited when my friend Danuta offered the open invitation to come visit her and her family in Poland. Danuta was the house cleaner for the Daifotis’, the family I nannied for in New Canaan. It didn’t take long for her and I to become good friends, and I will be forever grateful to her for the embracing hospitality she showered me with during my stay with her, her husband and her daughter in Poland. This image was taken just a short walk from her mother’s house, and with clouds like that overhead the adorable buildings became even more intriguing.

Underneath The Beauty

Underneath The Beauty

#54

February 2005 - Santa Barbara, California
When someone mentions a daisy to us, we instantly and easily can picture what it looks like in our minds. Despite the many variations, I will venture to assume that the Gerber Daisy is most commonly what we envision, or at least I do. They are distinctive and easily recognized, however that is when looking down on them from above. Have you ever turned one over to discover what exists underneath all those petals? This image shares that and is the reason I always try to remember to shoot from this perspective. I took it in the exact spot I captured image #22, only this time I leaned a white piece of paper against my black TV stand, and then leaned this daisy against it.

Field of Prayers

Field of Prayers

#55

June 2000 - Pisz, Poland
Thank goodness I made the commitment to keep very detailed notes of the images I took while traveling, otherwise I would have mistaken this for some place in Ireland. Danuta, her daughter and I came across this field on the drive back from our weekend stay at some bungalows in the Masurian Lake District. I had never seen anything like it, and loved everything about the scene. The only thing I know is that these small temples were built for people to pray over the land. I am not sure if they were still being used, but the whole notion seems very romantic.

A Glowing Blur

A Glowing Blur

#56

February 2004 - Goleta, California
This shot is the truest form of a happy accident. I had set up a still life consisting of a vase and a couple candles placed on a mirror. In retrospect the idea was a bit cheesy, but during the shoot I accidentally hit the shutter button, and when I looked at the LCD monitor on the back of my camera, this is what I saw. Then I started purposefully moving my lens while the shutter was open, but couldn’t quite achieve anything close to what happened by accident. There is just something about it, the colors, the mystery of it, how it looks more like a painting than a photograph, the fact that I couldn’t recreate anything even remotely close to it, making it it’s own one of a kind…all these facets make it special and an image I have become very fond of.

The Streets of Prague

The Streets of Prague

#57

June 2000 - Prague, Czech Republic
Of all the images I took while traveling in 2000, this one has to be in the top ten. Prague was one of the towns I explored on my own, and to be honest there is something extremely exhilarating when you take on a city in a foreign country, all by yourself. With black and white film in my camera, I strolled the streets in shooting heaven. When I saw this old car parked in front of this restaurant, set in front of this amazing architecture, it was like I had stepped back over generations of time. Prague has a beauty unlike any other city I explored and was truly one of my favorite places to visit.

Pick A Hat, Any Hat

Pick A Hat, Any Hat

#58

June 2004 - Bisbee, Arizona
Any time you are thinking about taking a class and you notice that travel is required…take it! I had been looking forward to taking the travel class at Brooks since starting, and when the time came, my sisters suggested I take my allotted trip to Bisbee, Arizona. Not only did they think I would love it, but it was also just a couple hours south of Tucson, allowing me to visit DaNel in the process. Well, they were right, Bisbee is an American treasure, much like Jacksonville, Oregon, a historic mining town. The travel assignment was to showcase a location, and sharing Bisbee wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the very talented hat-maker S. Grant Sergot and his downtown store, Optimo Hatworks. Your mouth can’t help but drop when you walk in and discover the incredible talent that goes into creating these beautiful Panama hats. The experience was made delightful when Mr. Sergot stepped from behind the counter and introduced himself, and his hats!

Breakthrough

Breakthrough

#59

February 2004 - Ojai, California
This is one of those images I don’t really remember taking, or at least don’t recall it making an impression on me at the time to be worthy of a print. But when going back through my images it jumped out at me, and certainly on that particular day, there was a reason I framed it up in my viewfinder. The longer I look at, the more I appreciate it and the statements it makes. It is some kind of vine growing plant coming through an old weathered fence. Sometimes all we need is a small crack to make a breakthrough possible.

Finding A Quiet Place

Finding A Quiet Place

#60

November 2005 - Norwalk, Connecticut
Calf Pasture Beach Park
Do you ever need to find a quiet place? Let me make a suggestion…go to a park in the middle of the day when everyone is at work, and better yet, go when it is cold outside and not ideal park weather. These were the circumstances present when I took this photograph overlooking the protected shorelines of Connecticut. This park is a crowded place during the height of Summer, and in fact I played many games of volleyball with friends here during that season. But visit on a crisp, Fall day and you can achieve solitude.

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