Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Postcard from Oxford–Broad Street

Broad Street is arguably Oxford, England’s most important street. Walking down it’s broad expanse (hence the name?) you find many of it most important buildings…the Bodleian Library, the Sheldonian Theater, the Radcliffe Camera, Christ Church College, and of course, shopping and pubs. The street dates back to 911 AD. Yes, its that old!

This painting shows three of the most colorful buildings on the street. And before you ask, these are the actual colors of the buildings at the time I photographed it. Since I took the original photo a few years ago, I wonder if the colors might have changed. 

Originally, I did this image as a color sketch. But recently, I updated it to a full painting. I thought the image was just too good to leave as a simple sketch. So I reworked it with some of the latest software and hardware tools. It is so great that advancements in computer graphics  allow me the freedom to continue to experiment in new directions…to stretch my creativity, and to extend the boundaries of imagination.

Now that I am not doing shows, I don’t have to worry about creating images that people may buy. Now, I only care about creating art that satisfies my creative needs…whether other people like it or not is irrelevant…but I do hope you find my work pleasing. Don’t tell anybody I said that.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Postcard from Tucson–Arches

There are so many ways to look at the same scene…and so many approaches to architecture…just like life itself. So it is with these arches. They are part of a walkway at the Old Courthouse in downtown Tucson.  Back in March, I shared a picture of this same walkway. As I was intrigued by the walkway as an element of style in architecture of the building…but also found I was especially fascinated with its old Spanish-style arches. While I set out initially to photograph the entire walkway, I also wanted to experiment and capture the arches by themselves.

I photographed at different angles, trying to capture their special individuality rather than as a part of the whole.  And this was my favorite shot. It was done with the camera held at an angle, as sometimes good architectural photos are. And while the original photo I shared in March was in color, this image had to be in black and white. I knew that when I snapped the shutter.

Looking at the arches, it seems as if they repeat themselves almost to infinity. The lines and form flow on and on. In this photo, as in many others I look for patterns, lines, and repetitions. I think I found them. 

Compositionally, while the first arch is partially cut off at the top, the mind fills in the missing parts. An object doesn’t necessarily have to be shown in its entirety. Consider that when you are working with your own camera. While it is important to know the rules of composition, don’t be afraid to break them when it works.

This photo, of course, is part of my on-going studies of architecture that I’ve been featuring here from time-to-time. I find it to be endlessly fascinating and challenge for my artistic eye…especially when trying to narrow my range to graphic design elements.  If you are interested in doing some architectural photography, or trying it out, I recommend a short, but informative article on the subject in Popular Photography Magazine.

There is also a more comprehensive article on the photo.net Website titled, “How to Photograph Architecture.” Still, another article is, “A Guide to Architectural Photography.” My favorite article on the subject, “Architecture Photography: Beauty of Interior and Exterior Designs,” is not so much about reading as it is seeing so many photos that illustrate architectural design in a more focused, artistic manner. Well worth spending a little time exploring these beautiful photographs. 

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Postcard from Italy–Canale Road

 

I’ve walked this road a few times in my life…sometimes alone, sometimes with a dear friend or two. Canale is a small town in northern Italy in the Piemonte region, famous for its outstanding wines. It lies about an hour south of Turin (Torino), Italy, home of the 2006 Olympic games.

The road and houses you see here lie in the rolling hills above the town where thousands of vines dot the landscape…they are all around, except you can’t see them in this painting.

Some of the most special friends I’ve ever known, have a second home just a little up the road from where the homes in this painting are located. I visited it on every Italian pilgrimage I made. Whenever I see this painting, I harken back to the very special times. If the US Dollar was worth a damn, I would probably be there now.

Regardless, it is a special place for me. When I walked this road into the vineyards, it reminded me of scenes I saw in paintings by some of the great Impressionist painters of the late 1800’s, especially those country scenes done by Camille Pissarro. That is what was in my head when I photographed the original image.

I got to know many of the people that lived in the homes along this road, even though none of them spoke English. How they must have laughed at my feeble attempts to speak Italian. But somehow we communicated and enjoyed each other’s company. Every minute spent in this extraordinary part of Italy is precious to me now…and I hope before my time is done, I can walk this road again. 

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Postcard from Yosemite–The Other Side of Fern Springs

A couple of weeks ago, I showed you a photo of Fern Springs taken on the east side of the creek. This is what Fern Springs looks like from the other side. Of course, since I only moved the camera a few feet, what is the big deal, you ask?

Well the biggest difference is that the first image was done using HDR techniques…meaning five images were taken and combined into one. This image was done from a single exposure. I think you would have to agree they are pretty close in quality, although there is a difference. Whatever the case, I like both photos and am sharing both with you. As you may recall, Fern Springs is considered Yosemite’s smallest waterfall.

I’ve talked a lot about HDR photography lately, and with good reason. It’s a new and different way to create fantastic images. If it is something that might interest you, there is no better source of info on it than the tutorial done by Trey Ratcliff available on his “Stuck in Customs” Website. Trey is the master of HDR photography, and if nothing else, you will enjoy looking at his photos. Another good source for HRD info is the Pixiq Website.

Just a quick note, if you noticed a change in quality in the images shown here lately, its because of a new trick I learned that makes absolutely no sense at all. For as long as I have done this blog, I posted the image directly from my computer to the blog…which makes sense, of course. Well I began noticing a slight blur in the images when they hit the Web site. After doing some research, I found I was not the only one who had this complaint.

One of the folks suggested putting the image up on Flickr, then using it from there to paste into the blog. Since I already have a Flickr account, I tried it…and as much as it makes no sense, it works. So now you can get a better copy of my images. Remember this tip if and when you decide to create your own photo blog.

Currently I am in the process of sending all my best images up to my Flickr account. Feel free to see what I have posted there so far.  More to come. Also look for some huge changes coming shortly to my personal Web site.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

Monday, June 20, 2011

Postcard from Oakland–Reflections

What happens when you set me loose in a big city with camera-in hand? Simple…I start shooting interesting photos of buildings as part of my “Photographic Studies of Architecture” Project. Here are two buildings in downtown Oakland…one reflected by the other.  Sadly, I cannot tell you the names of the two buildings as I was too busy at the time to ask. So, just enjoy the image as it is. Again, I am focusing on line and form…and I think I have successfully created an interesting image. But don’t stare at it too long as you will get dizzy. Just kidding.

Since this photo is in black and white, I thought I would pass along a tip or two on that subject.  Black and white is not as easy as you might think…in fact it is in many ways harder than color. It is helpful when you compose a photo to think about how it would look in black and white. I always do this when photographing architecture. Color can be a real distraction in bringing out the power of an image. 

A recent article on black and white was published in Digital Photo Magazine entitled, “Thinking in Black and White”…It might help you get started. There are some good tips here.

Another interest article can be found on the Digital Photography School Web site, titled, “Key Ingredients for Black and White Images.” I found this one especially informative. As long as I have been involved in photography, I continue to find new good info on a wide variety of subjects. I will be passing some of them along in the future. Photography is a never-ending learning process…as are all forms of art.

(To see a larger version of this image, just click on the photo.)

To see more of my work, just head over to my Web site.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Postcard from Yosemite

 

This is Lower Yosemite Falls, photographed and processed using HDR techniques. A few weeks ago, I showed you an image from the same falls (with a rainbow) that was not done with High Dynamic Range (HDR) techniques because of the tremendous amount of mist coming off of the falls.

Here, several feet to the left of where I shot the rainbow photo, I found a location that was sheltered from the mist. I was able to set up my camera on a tripod and shoot the five exposures necessary to create an HDR image in the digital darkroom. Sadly, one cannot see the rainbow from this vantage point, but I think the foreground and the HDR effects more than make up for that.

Using five exposures and because the falls were still mostly in shade, I was able to capture more details for the falling water. In fact, you should remember that when shooting your own photos of waterfalls. Water details are lost when the falls are in bright sunlight.

It was very special to visit Yosemite Valley this year in May because of the higher-than-normal winter snowfall that filled the waterfalls to overflowing. There was so much snow, in fact, the the high country roads, like the Tioga Pass Road, are only now just opening for traffic.

Please feel free to share this photo or use it in an electronic greeting card. It is free. Just use the buttons below the photograph.

(To view a larger version of this image, just click on image.)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Postcard from Canada–Three Canoes Painting

 

It was a sunny morning on the shores of Kootenay Lake near the charming little town of Kaslo, British Columbia where I photographed this image. Back then, I lived in the Pacific Northwest. I used to take a vacation now and then up in this area. I found a cabin for rent a few miles south of Kaslo on the lake and would spend time there just relaxing or wandering about with my camera. It was a wonderful place to unwind.

On this morning, I came across these three canoes just sitting on the beach. The colors and the shapes of the canoes screamed out to be photographed…so I did. Realize this was still the era of film cameras.

It worked well as a photograph, except for the giant weeds that invaded the picture. I could never get rid of them without damaging the picture. Then, recently, along came Photoshop CS5 with a new feature called “Content-Aware Fill.” This allows you remove any image detail or object…then it magically fills in the space left behind. It is really something special.

So, I thought of this older image and pulled it out of storage…then removed the intrusive weeds. Wow! Now I had an image worth painting! Next time, I will pull the weeds out of the ground before I take the photo!

I worked on this image for several days to get it where I wanted. I am more than happy with the way it turned out. Your comments are more than welcome.

Special Note: If you are seeing this image on the “Postcards” Web site, you may have noticed four new buttons…Buy Print, Buy Card, Share, and E-Card. If you receive this blog via e-mail, as many of you do, you cannot see these buttons. But, for you, there is a special link above the photo where you can go to the site and use these buttons.

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time…and now I have done it. I am especially excited about the e-card button. This allows you to use the image to send a greeting card….FOR FREE, using one of my images. Click on it and see what I mean. For now, you can only do this from the blog. I am adding this capability to my Web site images also, but it will take a little longer to finish.

I am so happy to have you share my work as a greeting card. By the way, you can also use the “Share” button to share this image with other people…again, no charge. I hope you will find this new service of use.

PS – you can use these buttons on older images also. And don’t forget, you can click on the image to see a much larger version.

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Postcard from Venice

Welcome to Venice.  It’s been a while since I’ve written about this special gem of a city in Eastern Italy. I also take this occasion to present you with a new digital painting…titled “Gondolas at Rest.”

For those readers who only know me from my photographic work, I actually became better known for my digital paintings. That is what I displayed for several years at all my art shows prior to retiring. I was fortunate enough to have some of my works hung in prestigious galleries. To be honest, I haven’t done many since moving to Tucson, 2.5 years ago. But I have taken up the brush again. I have more in the works so you will see them from time-to-time here.

To briefly explain the process, my paintings begin as photographs. Then, using several different software programs such as Painter, I create paintings of various different styles by hand, meaning I use a graphics tablet and a stylus to create a painting from the photograph. In many ways, I work just like a oil or watercolor painter…only I don’t use any paint. The colors you see are derived from the original photo. I’ve coined the term, “Photo Expressionism” for this type of work. 

The Venice paintings, and there are several of them, were always my most popular works. It is difficult to see the painted details of the work because the image is so small, but if you click on it, you will see (hopefully) a much larger version. You might be able to make out some of the brush strokes. To see more of my Venice paintings and sketches, as well as other subjects, please visit my Web site.

The story of this image is quite simple: when I arrived by train in Venice, it was pouring rain…and I mean pouring. It was not my first visit to this fabled city, but still, I wanted to capture as many images as possible.  So I wandered around the city and just started photographing. I found some interesting places, like the one pictured here. I wish it hadn’t rained but I made the most of my opportunity.  I sure hope one day soon I can return…in sunshine!

(To see a larger version of this painting, just click on the image.)

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Postcard from Yosemite

pohono bridge 1

This photo was taken from the Pohono Bridge in the early evening. It shows a blooming dogwood tree out over the Merced River. The sunset refection in the water is coming from the valley walls above Bridalveil Falls as they reflect the orange light from the sunset. FYI, it is not an HDR image.

This is just one of many photos I took there over two nights. I am still at work on other images from there which may show up here in the future. This location is no longer a secret as there were 10 photographers there this one evening, all crammed into a small space to get right angle for this photo. And, of course, the dogwoods have a very short blooming season in the valley, so you only have a few nights to get this shot.  Not only that, the reflected light on the water lasts for only about 15 minutes.

This image was photographed on the first night I was there. I say that as the photos from following evening show an even higher flowing river. The few rocks you see at the bottom of the photo were underwater on the second night. Makes me wonder how high the river is today.  

(Click on photo to see a larger version)

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Postcard from Oakland

cathedral_ceiling

On my recent trip to Northern California, I did more than just photograph Yosemite. As you may remember from some of my recent blogs, I’ve been doing some architectural studies…photographing bits and pieces of interesting buildings wherever I can find them.

A friend of my brother’s suggested I go to downtown Oakland to photograph the  recently-built Catholic Cathedral. So one lovely afternoon, my brother Dave and I drove into downtown Oakland to see it and other buildings of architectural interest.

Our first stop was the Catholic Cathedral, appropriately named The Cathedral of Christ the Light. I say appropriately as it is almost entirely glass on the outside. On the inside of this nearly circular, but mostly vertical structure, are wooden louvers that let in more or less light as deemed appropriate. It is a treasure trove of images waiting to be made by anyone interested in architecture.  To try and describe the inside would be impossible as it is utterly breathtaking. I will show you more photos in the future, but you may also read more about it at their Website. It is a fascinating read.

The image here is of the ceiling. It was one of the first things I noticed and photographed. From their Website, there is a photo of it at night, all lit up in an an intricate weave of lights and color. But even without the lights, I found it a lovely study of line and form, perfect for my architectural collection. I hope you agree. (And yes, it does look like a football)

There will be more images now and then from my trip to downtown Oakland and definitely more from this Cathedral. Stay tuned…