Right in the Room

 Backgrounds are a key to successful images, and I found this one right in the classroom. Besides having such a great subject, a simplified background draws attention to this center of interest.

Multiple Me

 "Selfies" shot in a dark room with a strobe light. No alterations to these images, but I would like some more time to explore the possibilities of slow shutter and the strobe effect. Repetition and pattern forming an interesting play of textures and color.

First Semester Returns

 These two students dropped by the gallery the other day and were clowning around, much like they did in my first semester black and white class. They  are good friends and you can see their connection in this piece,

No Day Like a Snow Day

 This image found my camera during the last nor'easter we had, and it reminded me so much of the first post I made on this blog site. There was no snow falling in that first one, but this one features the large flakes making a pattern across the entire frame. There is a sense of light on the snow laden branches that gives this image a strong sense of three dimensional form.

Haystack SBL 2017

Amazing that after helping to start the SBL program back in the 80's, that I would have a chance to bring students from my school to this amazing site to learn. Three days of more than eight hours in the studio helps students to realize what an intensive learning experience working in the Haystack studios can be. Even though I have worked in and on the campus dozens of times, each studio session is a magical experience. Here's the mosaic that i did this past few days!

Sunshine Boys

Glorious days with my Grandsons give so much joy to Jen and I. Here they are "hamming" it up for the camera, which they are very aware makes for a more interesting picture. Shooting with the sun at their back is one of those "no-no's" I'm always telling students is a rule. But as with any "arts" rules, sometimes it is the breaking of those rules that gets you the images that are "creative" (unusual and purposeful). In this case, for me, the glow from the sun over their heads is the key to constructing meaning in this shot. I have several possibilities in mind, but won't take the time to elaborate these here, but rather let anyone that's viewing create their own "content".

Happy Anniversary, Hunny Bunny!

Thank you Jen, for all these years of "sharing"! I think it's what got us through it all!

3 Macros

Watering the "upper driveway garden" caused me to take the set of three lenses for my phone (which I now carry with me at all times) and take some close-ups of the flowers in that flower bed.The depth of field becomes so narrow that the thing I have the most difficulty with is making compositions interesting. I always am telling students to "push" for the shot that is not only unusual, but that also tells a story. I think I discovered that with this set of exploration shots from the "macro" viewpoint.

As a viewer, I will leave it up to you to decide if the last one is actually the better of the three. Here are some criteria for you to consider:  composition, originality, and subjective (content) interest.

Display Case

I visited the Lighthouse Gallery in Bucksport last week to place some of my fused glass jewelry (earrings) for sale. I met with the arts director and have completed the paperwork, and I am now setting up a display case to show my work.
It is a somewhat difficult process to choose the pieces that I should show, but hopefully if get a few sales I can get a better idea of what would be most popular pieces and the qualities/characteristics of those. Selling is a very different beast than making. It seems to be much more left-brained!

Youngest Son & Youngest Grandson

During a recent picnic  event I got this shot of Torrey and Emerson with a very similar look on their faces. I'm not sure of the context of those expressions, but it seemed to me they were pretty much responding in the same way to something that someone had said to them. Facial expressions are the most important aspect of portraits to me, and this one seemed to hit the mark!