NATURE'S ABSTRACT 2012

Creosote Bush

This is a desert plant which is commonly found in the western United States and Mexico.


This particular shrub happens to be in my back yard, and that made it easy for me to capture this image.

There is a heavy fine snow falling, and this wipes out the background and enhances the bush. I have often used snow as a means of covering up obnoxious distractions and bringing out the beauty of an otherwise unattractive subject.

TEAM OF WORK HORSES 1979

This team of work horses was spotted along a back-country road in the northern perimeter of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The weather was just perfect for my planned trip, and it was not only a bit foggy, but there was a fine snow sifting down from above. The weather conditions made it possible to drop the background down a bit and place the emphasis totally on the horses.

The fence post with its touch of wire and several weeds were included for good measure. This added another artistic touch which was purely a personal thing. Bottom line, it works, and that's what counts when it comes to creating a work of art. All of the elements should come together as one.

When I worked with black and white, I always used a twin lens medium format 120 roll film camera. The bright viewing screen was fairly large, and I was able to spot every speck of detail in the composition. That is one major advantage that medium or large format cameras had over the much smaller 35mm. You know exactly what you are looking at. And, hopefully, you will know exactly what you will end up with.

A few years ago, I donated my entire lab and all of my camera equipment to a nearby college. When you cross the line from about seventy on, it's time to reduce the weight of the equipment you pack on a field trip. i simply got to the point where it was no longer enjoyable to tote that forty-five pound camera pack and tripod around. It was not only that, but it was time to take off in a totally different direction, and digital was just starting to make a name for itself in the field of photography. This made my change in direction quite easy. I now carry a small camera pack along with my trusty old tripod, and the combined weight comes out well under twenty pounds. Now, I am having fun again.

This blog contains black and white images from years gone by, and there is also a healthy mix of my new digital images. I sure do miss that large view finder. This tiny little opening, which I now have to sight and focus through, can drive an older person nuts. However, the joy of being able to make good photographs outweighs the irritation of the peep hole.

This is not the first time I have used a 35mm camera. Far from it. In working for a university back east and for many of my commercial assignments, the 35mm was a primary choice. Often, I would use more than one format for a single job, and that included a four by five view camera. Still, over he years, the 2 1/4 was my overall choice for my fine art photography.

I am having fun with this blog. It is yet another major innovation which popped up along the road to new adventure. It enables me to share my work with others, and I hope you enjoy viewing this collection as much as I enjoyed creating it.

To enlarge these images, simply left click on the above illustration and you will be surprised at what pops up.

COAST OF MAINE 1986

To view an enlarged illustation of the above photograph, left click on image.

GROUNDED FISHING BOAT Reedville, VA 1975

LOBSTER SHED NOVA SCOTIA 1988

To enjoy a larger view, left click on above image.

TOM LUCAS DUBOIS, WY 2011

If you ever happen to pass through central Wyoming heading west toward the Wind River Range, stop by the Silver Sage Gallery in Dubois and say howdy to Tom Lucas. He and his partner own and operate this neat western gallery.

When we made our Wyoming trip back in mid September, I made it a point to stop by, and there sat Tom working on another new western painting. Tom is a realist, and his paintings are just astounding; displaying exquisite detail. I will have to admit, this is the first time I have ever seen an artist working with their favorite pal tucked under their arm, but Tom made it look easy.

Our paths crossed early on when we lived in Wyoming, and what immediately drew me to Tom was his skill in flintknapping. He is a real pro when it comes to making stone arrow heads and other primitive implements. But his greatest accomplishment, in my opinion, are his horn bows. I first saw him on Wyoming Public Television, and he went through the entire process of making and shooting an original horn bow. Now, folks, that takes real skill and countless hours of patience. The horn for his bows comes from the Big Horn Sheep which live in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming.

Making wood bows and arrows was also one of my favorite pass times over the decades, and I still do a bit of leather work in my spare time. Small stuff compared to the days when I was making quivers and arm guards from steer hides.


Visit Tom's web site at: http://www.silversagegallery.com/

Left click on the illustration above to view a large image of Tom.

COLORADO BARN AND THE CHANGING OF THE LEAVES 2011

The Uncompahgre Valley, in and around Montrose, Colorado, is now in full color.

This neat little shed, west of town, is on it's last legs, so I decided to stop alongside the road and save it for posterity. It can now be enjoyed by others who have access to the Internet. The change of color, the fencing, and the shed itself reminds me a lot of those many landscapes I captured several decades ago back in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and well into the highlands of NW Virginia.

To view a larger image, left click on the photograph above.