Something Different

And now for something Completely different!

This is probably my favorite image from a series I had hoped to complete of close-ups of neon signs. In concept it is quite intriguing... in practice, a giant pain in the a$$...

I spent countless hours seeking out interesting signs in shop windows, driving all over Cleveland... trying to get the perfect angles. I took nearly 200 total shots... I have 2 that I actually like (yeah 2, 1%, it's a little depressing)... I don't think this series is dead in the water yet... but I have put it on a hiatus for a while... with hopes of revisiting this summer.

Let me know what you think... is it worth resurrecting the series? Should I keep trying?

Something Different

"And now for something completely different"... I always loved that phrase...

Right now I am posting a 'greatest hits' collection... my abstracts are coming up next and I really hope you like them, as always I totally value all feedback.

On that note I am also taking requests... what would you like to see? Portraits? Landscapes? Abstracts? I am working on about 4 projects right now, god bless being ADD, working so many things at once would probably drive a normal person crazy.... but I can't seem to focus one thing, I have to run with every idea in my head all at once.

OK, Promise to bring my favorite abstracts to ya in the next couple days!

Playhouse Square

One more Downtown Picture for this little series so far, a different angle on Playhouse.

Ok so this is the last picture I have finished perfecting enough to post (I almost never consider an image 'done' and frequently go back to rework them) from my December downtown shoot... I am digging through the raw images this week and hope to post a few more this month... let me know what you think.

Lakeside Avenue

Now some images fall into your lap by accident... others take patience. The Justice Building on Lakeside Avenue. This took 20 minutes and about 16 similar shots that I discarded, just so I could get the angle and the lighting on the building just right... not to mention timing the stoplights to get them both green...

Totally worth it.

I have to smile, as I was preparing this image for posting, Kendall peaked over my shoulder, and said "wow... you make Cleveland look elegant". I will agree, I think elegant is the right word.

Playhouse Square

Continuing in the rain, at night, through cleveland... takes a lot of artistic drive... and courage.

Cleveland embarked on a very expensive project... the Euclid Corridor project... basically expanding the street and revamping the bus line in the hopes of bringing the people downtown and rejuvenating Cleveland... construction took over a year, businesses languished as people couldn't get to them through the barrels... mom and pop shops that had been here for 50 years closed down....

I think the Jury is still out of whether or not this was worth it...

But the new bus terminals are architecturally beautiful, and lit blue, in the rain... I find them to be stunning. This is a guerrilla style photograph, shot very carefully through my windshield while I was stopped for the briefest of seconds.

Here against the red and green lights of Playhouse Square old meets new.

Terminal Tower

On my first trip through downtown I had taken a similar picture... but on this night it was raining... the streets practically glowed, and off I went to reshoot everything... I am in love with the bronze cast overall.

Terminal Tower

I would like to take complete artistic credit for this composition... but its an extremely happy accident.

So, in december, I decided to begin work on a series featuring downtown Cleveland, show it off. As I was winding my way through downtown, with my window down, I would occasionally take a quick shot out the window. This I do to help remember a location once I park the car and head out on foot.

So I am there at a stop light in Public Square, which is lit up for the holidays, when I decided to take a quick pic... and of course the light turns green... shutter still open, I take the camera back down and begin to drive away... when I check my camera later, I found this image.

A happy accident... only needed a little tweaking in photoshop to adjust the contrast.

The Monastary

Senanque is a beautiful monastery in the rural south of France, lovely architecture.

The Musicians

I get very mixed reviews when it comes to this image, I happen to love it... like a quiet little slice in time.

From France

I have been accused of being a "Micro-Retoucher" by one of my professors... ok so maybe I blew this pic up to 400% to get the perfect contrast on the leaves of the trees and brighten up the highlights in the waterfall... totally worth it, i think it really needed the subtle shifting in contrast to bring out texture...

Yeah, I am a Micro-Retoucher, and proud of it!

Avignon

For the entire week we were in Avignon, Rachel and I would grab our lunch, from a crepe stand, and walk up to the palais to eat... sitting on a little wall that overlooked the square. (the little red star in the image below)

One night I dragged my camera and tripod to the same spot to try and capture the full moon over the tower of the palais, instead I caught it between the two, even better if you ask me.

From the top of the tower on the right I shot the photograph below.

Avignon

Taken from the Tower turrets of the Palais des Papes (blue star in picture below). There was a flutist who would play in the square everyday, Gonzolo Vera, he was amazing and the acoustics in the square made it all the more wonderful. This image really takes me back.

Avignon is the home of the Palais des Pape, (palace of the Popes) a beautiful and monstrous structure at the heart of Avignon. We stayed in a sweet little b&b not to far from the palace square, so we went there everyday to enjoy the music and scenery. Each evening we would get a Crepe from a little stand along the way and then sit on the wall in front of the Palias (red star in the picture above) and watch the sun set. Some of the most wonderful evenings I have had.

Eiffel

This image was taken from the elevator as you move up one of the legs of the Eiffel Tower, looking back down, if you look carefully you can see the people standing on the ground waiting. The white stripe is a highlight of the sun hitting one of the wires carrying us up.

I like the contrast of the upward motion of the image and yet your really looking down.

Eiffel

Anyone can photograph the whole Eiffel tower....

I fell in love with the angles of the composition and the way the sun played in the highlights and shadows of the architecture. I did have to do a little correcting in Photoshop, there was a netting on the underside of the tower deep in the shadow that I removed.

I think there is something to be said for a squared image.

From France

Gorde, a small town in france, east of Avignon.

From France

This is one of my absolute favorite images.

Chartres Cathedral is incredibly beautiful famous for its labyrinth floor and the intricacy of its "flying Buttresses". After climbing the taller north-west tower, I found this amazing view of the buttresses and a stained glass window.

Spring 2002, I spent 3 weeks of my last semester with Hiram traveling through out France with our Art History professor. It seems fitting to start my blog here with some of my favorite Black and whites.

Traveling through-out France brought many great opportunities to photograph classic locations from a different angle. This seemed like the perfect place to begin.

These images were shot on Tri-x 400 of Agfa 100 Black and White film. Then scanned into photoshop to tweak the exposure and contrast.

I love the grain in the images that is achieved from shooting on film... however the advancements in digital are making it more and more obsolete, and I worry that some day we may loose the art of film altogether.