Postcard from Washington DC

This is a recently completed digital painting of the Georgetown Barge in Washington, DC. Its from an original photo I took a few years ago on my one and only trip to D.C.  The barge is on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, part of a National Historical Park. The canal runs about 185 miles from Georgetown in Washington, D.C to Cumberland, Maryland. It rises from sea level to 605 feet, thanks to a series of 74 locks along the way.

Construction began on July 4,1828, with the groundbreaking ceremonies featuring President John Quincy Adams. It reached Cumberland in 1850. So, it was a serious undertaking, to say the least.

It has the name Ohio in it because it was originally scheduled to run from D.C. all the way to the Ohio Valley. But, by the time it got to Cumberland, it was already obsolete as the B&O Railroad had reached Cumberland eight years previously. Such was the fate of all canals in America. Their candle burned for a short time, only to be snuffed out by the Iron Horse.

Today the canal is maintained by the National Park Service as it is a National Historical Park. It is one of the many historical sites one sees when visiting our nation’s capitol.  On the day I was there, I was fortunate to see the Georgetown Barge as it passed under the bridge I was standing on where I took the original photograph. It took me a while, several years actually, to create a painting I really liked. I wanted to convey a sense of history in the painting as well as something of beauty…For that is what I always strive for. I read recently that beauty in art died off some time ago. Not for me.

The path on the right side is called the towpath and is where horses or mules walked when towing the barges. If you look closely, you can see the tow rope leading from the front of the boat to the horses off in the distance. The path is very popular among joggers, walkers, and bicyclists. The barge you see is a replica of the barges originally used on the canals. The Park Service offers rides...and, just like the old days, the boats are pulled by mules and park rangers in historical dress work the locks and boat while presenting a historical program. I wish I would have had the time to take a ride.

(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.

Postcard from Chicago

This fountain is in Grant Park, a lovely park, part of which runs parallel to Michigan Ave. in Chicago (you can see the street off to the left). The park is often called the “front yard” of Chicago. I assume the back yard would have to be Millennium Park.

As I mentioned in a previous blog about the “Legs” sculptures, I walked the length of Grant Park from Roosevelt Road all the way to the Chicago Institute of Art, where this section of Grant Park ends (Millennium Park begins on the other side of the Institute). This fountain is part of the “Beaux Arts Garden.” The are, in fact,several gardens and flower displays throughout the park. It is not the most famous fountain in the park...not by a long shot. That honor is reserved for the famous Buckingham Fountain, one of the largest fountains in all the world.

I really enjoyed my walk on this beautiful morning in downtown Chicago…and I have more photos from Grant Park to share with you in the future.

(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.

Postcard from Sedona

 

This is Sedona’s most celebrated natural landmark…Cathedral Rock. I photographed it in December at sunset. Each of the three parts of the rock are called “saddles.”

Sedona is surrounded by red-rock monoliths named Coffeepot, Cathedral and Thunder Mountain. It is a popular tourist destination in Arizona. It is also considered a powerful place to receive energies from the universe to those who follow New-Age beliefs. Legends have it that the lands and rocks around Sedona contain “Vortexes” where visitors can receive large doses of pure cosmic energy. Here is a quote from one such believer about Cathedral Rock:

“With or without the legends, Cathedral is indeed a sacred spot. The vortex is a conical pile of black lava rocks just below the western ledge of the saddle. You can follow a very narrow trail there and climb carefully up the rocks. I felt quite happily dizzy when I attempted this. Go slow. If you are sensitive to energy you may feel as if you are entering a strong current at this point.”

I do not condone or condemn any religious beliefs here…I am just reporting the simple facts about the Sedona area. When you visit Sedona, you will see many shops and tourist attractions that promote New Age culture…as well as more standard religions.

Me, I just go there to photograph some of the most beautiful country in all of Arizona. That is my religion.

(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.

Postcard from Rome–The Vatican at Night

I took a late afternoon flight from London to Rome. By the time I landed and took a shuttle bus from the airport to my downtown hotel, it was getting towards sunset. Here I was in the Eternal City for my first visit, and I wanted to do something besides find a local ristorante and sit in my room.

At the front desk, I saw a brochure for a night tour of Rome. The hotel called for me and there was room on tour bus…and best of all, the pickup for the tour was only a couple of blocks away. So my evening was set. I should explain that often when I visit a city for the first time, I take a tour bus to get my bearings and learn my way around town. It works!

So I set off on the tour. It was very nice and exciting. I saw the Roman Coliseum lit up at night…an incredible site. Our first stop was the Trevi Fountain. That was amazing. I later saw it in daylight hours…and trust me, it is better at night. Wow!

After that the bus took us all over Rome, and I enjoyed the sites. Sadly, after Trevi, the bus made only one other stop where I could get out…the Vatican. Now, realize I did not own a digital camera at this time, and of course, the old film cameras did not have anti-shake mechanisms. So I did the best I could to brace myself and take this photo and a few others. I half expected that none would come out…so I was a bit shocked to see that this photo actually came out. Hooray for me!

Still, after converting the original slide to a digital image, the processing power of the earlier versions of Photoshop and add-on software was not enough to get this image where I wanted it to be. But in the last few months, a new version of Photoshop and some new plug-ins have allowed me to create the image you see here. And even with the new tools, it took a couple of hours to get it right. There was a ton of digital noise that had to be dealt with, not to mention dust spots that always accumulates on negatives and slides. But, I think I finally got the image I wanted. It is what I saw with my eyes on that very special night.

By the way, did you know that the Vatican is a sovereign nation? When you cross over the border you are technically no longer in Italy. I believe it is the smallest nation in the world. Of course it is surround by Italy, but there are no border guards or passport checks. You just walk in and out with no hassles. Don’t you wish all the world was like that?

PS…if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook (and now Google+) the photograph of me on those sites was taken the same day, just after I landed in Rome. Lots of good memories of Rome, for sure.

Postcard from Oakland–Orchids

My brother Dave grow orchids as a hobby…has for years. So whenever I visit him in Oakland, I drop into his greenhouse to see what is in bloom. On this last visit in May, I remembered to bring the camera along.

The orchids you see here are named “Stanhopea.” At first glance they looked like a bunch of tiny fried eggs hanging on wires. But a closer look revealed there is a subtle shade of purple in the petals. Brought out into the light, the purple became more intense, as did the yellow centers. No doubt this is beautiful plant and not something you see growing in people’s yards. And their rarity is part of their charm.

I love photographing flowers, as you might have figured out by now. The colors and variety, as well as their shapes and form make them attractive and intriguing subjects. The key, of course is to get as close as possible to bring out their details and subtleness. 

There were other orchids in bloom that day in my brother’s greenhouse…and over time I will show you more.

Postcard from Oakland–Windows not by Microsoft

Welcome once again to beautiful downtown Oakland. I promised more architectural photos from this city on the east side of San Francisco Bay, and today I deliver another one. Every time I think of Oakland, I am reminded of the infamous quote by Gertrude Stein (part of the Lost Generation of the 1920’s in Paris). Of Oakland, she said, “There is no there, there.” Sorry Gerty, I tend to disagree…especially in the 21st century. Where once I might have agreed with her, I find Oakland a changed place.

I can’t tell you exactly where I photographed these old windows, but it was very near the old Fox Theater, so it may be on Telegraph Ave also. Boy, did I hit the light right on this image! I love how the 2nd and 4th windows reflect blue sky and windows 1, 3, and 5 have a more Cyan color with some green thrown in for good measure. Trust me when I tell you that this is not some Photoshop or LightRoom trick…this is how they came out. And of course yellow always offsets blue quite nicely…and thrown in the other elements of composition here and you can say I hit the jackpot. Also, trust me when I tell you I did not see all of this when I took the shot. But, I do love this final image very much.

There are two adjustments I did make with the image that made it so much better, thanks to Adobe Lightroom 3. First is a lens distortion correction, a new tool that adjusts any distortion that a particular lens puts in an image. Lightroom knows what camera and lens I used on this image and makes the correction if I request it.

The second correction I made, thanks to another new Lightroom feature, is a vertical distortion correction.  Although these windows look as if I photographed them straight on, they are actually high on the second floor of the building, so the original image looks like I shot up at them. By using a vertical correction tool, I was able to straighten them out to what you see now.

I didn’t mean to give you a Lightroom commercial here…I only wanted to point out some of the neat things you can do with today’s software. And I for one, am glad to have these tools. The digital darkroom has become a place of wonder and excitement.

(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.

Postcard from Chicago–Macaroni

I couldn’t resist showing you this image of a macaroni noodle, or should I say and Macaroni and Cheese noodle. I laughed when I saw it sitting in a park at the entrance to Navy Pier. And that is the perfect place for it.

As I said before on a previous blog, Navy Pier is where Chicagoans go to have fun…its like the the boardwalk in Coney Island…lots of things to do including carnival rides, games, colorful carnival-type food vendors (like the Billy Goat Café), rides onto Lake Michigan in various vessels (my friend Susan and I took and hour’s ride on sailing schooner), theaters, and more.

Since it is such a fun place, having a sculpture like this one only makes sense. When taking photos at places like Navy Pier, never ignore the little thing that are part of its makeup.

Now if you look in the upper right corner of the photo, you will see Chicago’s 2nd tallest building, the Hancock Tower. On the very top floor is a wonderful restaurant and bar, where I ate a great lunch and got to see Chicago from on-high. As you might guess, I took some pictures while I was up there, including one of Navy Pier. At the bottom of this blog you find that picture…it is not one of my best by a long shot as the lighting was terrible that day…but at least you know know what Navy Pier looks like. The Hancock Building is one of the few places where you can photograph it in its entirety.

Have a great weekend, everybody…and thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

(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.

Postcard from Oak Park - Autumn

 

Frank Lloyd Wright lived just down the street from this lovely home. If you remember a previous blog, Oak Park is a suburb of Chicago. Mr. Wright, America’s most celebrated architect, built his home and studio here and also designed several of the homes and buildings in this city. But, my best guess is that this is not one of them. It is just a lovely older home in a beautiful neighborhood that happened to have a stunning tree in the front yard.

My friend Susan and I had taken a Green Line train east to Oak Park one lovely afternoon in October. From the station, we hopped a local bus down to the street where Mr. Wright lived. After visiting his former home and studio, we decided to walk back to the train station rather than take another bus…and we chose a quiet residential street. I am so glad we did. This street was filled with beautiful homes, many of them obviously designed by Mr. Wright. You do not have to be an architectural expert to spot one of his designs. His “Prairie School” style of architecture becomes easy to spot, once you know what to look for. Which is why I guessed this home was not one of his designs.

But there were plenty of his homes on this street, but none had a stunning tree in front of them displaying such wonderful autumn colors. October is a beautiful time of year in the Chicago area. In fact, the weekend after venturing into Oak Park, I was in my usual shorts and t-shirt.

Oak Park is such a nice city to visit, even without it’s notoriety. Highly recommended for a visit.

(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.

Postcard from Las Vegas

Las Vegas and I are old friends…having traveled to this city many times over the years…for visits with friends, trade shows or just passing through. That was the case four years ago. We had just driven all day from Yuma to Las Vegas (I was married then) and were staying overnight, on our way to Zion National Park.

We got there late in the afternoon and were leaving early next morning. We stayed at the Flamingo and decided to take a walk just after sunset. I took my camera and snapped some night-time photos, including the one you see here. Remarkably, I never used a tripod that evening…all the shots I took were hand-held. Several did not come out, but quite a few did…thanks to the fantastic anti-shake mechanism built into my Nikon Lens.

What you see is the Mirage Hotel as seen from the front of the Venetian Hotel. You can also see a gondola in the foreground as well as the bridge across the canal. The street in the middle of the photo is Las Vegas Blvd; aka: “The Strip.” Of course the original photo was made better thanks to Photoshop and a couple of favorite plug-ins.

I remember the evening very well as we wandered around the Venetian Hotel, feeling a little superior as we had been to the real Venice several times. I recall one lady somewhere in my past saying that the Venetian Hotel was just as good as Venice, even though she had never been to the real city. Yea, sure!

We did find a wonderful art exhibition inside the hotel. At that time, there was an extension of the Guggenheim Museum on-site. Saw some original Picasso’s and other painters from the early 20th century. Sadly, the museum there has closed. I think there is only one art gallery left in the hotels on the strip now…at the Bellagio. But it was nice to spend part of the evening looking at masterpieces of art rather than gambling in one of the casinos.

Truth-be-told, I am not much of a gambler, although on this evening I did place a bet on the Monday Night Football game. Anyway, after finishing our art tour, we left the fake Venice behind and found a restaurant for dinner, snapping more photos along the way. Eventually we wandered back to the Flamingo, and retired for the evening.

The next morning we were up and at ‘em and left Las Vegas behind. Every once in a while, it is a nice city to visit, but I would not want to live there. Oh, one more thing…before we checked out of the hotel, I did pick up my winnings from the Monday Night game. Sometimes I get lucky.

(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.

Postcard from Chicago–Tulips

 

I had only just landed in Chicago the previous evening…it was April and the beginning of Spring. And it was my very first trip ever to the Windy City. I didn’t know what to expect, but was really excited to explore the city, especially the downtown area. The next morning, the first thing I noticed when I got off the bus downtown was the abundance of tulips. They were everywhere, thousands and thousands of them! And they were just beautiful.

Three special friends took me out to lunch on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building so I could see the city from up on high. What a view! By then, I think I was falling in love with the city. After lunch, we walked the aptly named Magnificent Mile along Michigan Ave. Again, the tulips were everywhere. I got the immediate impression that the City of Chicago knows how to celebrate Spring.

Finally , we turned in to Millennium Park, that magnificent, amazing park I’ve written about here previously. I saw The Bean and other architectural wonders that dazzle the eyes and imagination of the first-time visitor. It was here, near the entrance of the park that I came across this large bed of tulips.

I should explain that all the tulip beds I saw were all color coordinated. They were not just haphazardly planted…oh no…a great deal of thought and planting went into each and every bed. And that held true for this planting. For some reason, it was my favorite in the city and fortunately, I was able to capture it in it’s full glory.

Flowers are best photographed in diffused light rather than harsh sunlight. On this day, the skies above Chicago were overcast, providing me with the absolute best light to photograph these flowers. Sometimes, if I am photographing flowers in direct sunlight, I will use a special white reflector umbrella over the flowers to diffuse the harsh sunlight. Shooting flowers in shade can also work, but be careful as shade will give digital images a blue hue.

For more information on photographing flowers, check out the interesting article on the Digital Photography School Web site. This article is written for cameras of all types.

And…somehow, someway, find your way to Chicago in April to see (and maybe photograph) the tulips around this great city.

(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.

Postcard from Rice–Abandoned!

This is a new painting I finally completed after many stops and starts. I took the original photograph back in the summer of 2007, knowing full well I wanted to paint it as I’ve done with other old, abandoned trucks…except in this case, I could never get it quite to the end version I wanted. Well after several failed attempts, I finally completed the painting…and I am happy with it.

The truck was located in an field near Rice, WA. There is very little to the town of Rice…a post office mainly. It is quite rural and is located along Highway 25, many miles north of Davenport, WA along the shores of Lake Roosevelt and not far from the Canadian border. I found Highway 25 to be a hotbed of abandoned old trucks like this one, as well as interesting old barns.

I have some great memories of this area and some interesting adventures along the way. Someday soon I will share some of them with you. But, for now, just enjoy the painting.

(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.

Postcard from Eugene–Fireworks

 

Happy 4th of July from hot and muggy Tucson. Looks like we have entered our Monsoon Season…a little early this year.  It’s the time of year when we have lots of thunder and lightning, not to mention heavy downpours of rain and occasionally high winds. We had it again last night, with some lightning strikes very, very, very close. Forecast says thunderstorms every day for the next 10 days.  Oh well, its just part of our ever changing world.

Anyway, I shot the above photo on the 4th of July, exactly 6 years ago today in Eugene, OR. I was doing an art show there and their annual fireworks show was held in the same park as the art show. I got to try out my new Nikon on the fireworks show. It was the first time I had ever tried to shoot fireworks…but I did get some good shots (and a few turkeys).

If you would like to try your hand at it, here is a great tutorial from the Digital Photography School Web site. Be bold, be daring…give it a try. Oh, and by the way, if you ever want to photograph lightning, the techniques are pretty much the same. Will be giving that a shot sometime this summer.

But, regardless whether you take your camera or not tonight, do have a happy and safe 4th of July.

(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.

A Special Postcard–Send this Image as a Free 4th of July Greeting Card

 

Happy 4th of July Holiday. I shot this image on film several years ago in my old home town of Ephrata, WA. I am placing it here in case you might want to send a loved-one or friend a 4th of July Greeting. Just click on “Free e-Card” button just below the image, fill out the e-mail address of the recipient, and write a message. Then click send. That’s all there is to it…and its free.

For those of you who get this blog via e-mail, you must click on the special link above the image that will take you to the official blog page, then send your greeting card(s).  This service is now available for every photo I post in this blog. Please make use of it as it makes me happy to share. Enjoy this wonderful holiday.

(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.

Postcard from Oakland–The Fox

 

Come with me to downtown Oakland and step back in time…to the extravagant days of movie madness, when the motion picture was king and  movie moguls built extravagant theaters resembling oriental palaces.

For this is the Fox Theater.  Constructed in a more elegant time, it took two years to build, opening in October1928 to a crowd of more than 20,000 people. But it was more than movies that brought the people…it was a mighty Wurlitzer Organ and live stage shows that preceded the films. Back then,  the San Francisco Chronicle called it "different, novel and mystic," noting "its spaciousness, luxurious appointments and beautiful designs." Rich colors and gold leaf were abundant, including two bejeweled golden figures flanking the stage who were quickly dubbed Buddha's, though historians now believe they were designed as warriors.  Even back then, the Fox was considered far more elegant than most other similar-style theaters. It was opulence personified.

For well over 30 years, this theater held its own against all competition. But then, times started to change, as they inevitably do. Television came to the forefront of the entertainment world…and people started moving to the suburbs for a better lifestyle where there were shopping centers and large theater complexes. Many downtowns died, including Oakland’s. In 1966, the Fox Theater closed its doors.

It remained closed for more than 30 years…surviving arson fires, vandalism, decay from heavy rainstorms, and even the wrecking ball. In 1996, the City of Oakland bought the theater, designated it as a historical landmark, and began looking for ways to restore it to its past architectural glory.

To make a long story short, restoration began in 1999, but didn’t really end until 2009. Now, the theater is open again…but not for movies. This time it is for live concerts, featuring many well known performers. It is magnificent on the inside once again, but the outside will just as easily catch your eye from several blocks away.

If you ever find yourself in Oakland, look for it. It is not hard to find…but if you need directions, it is on Telegraph Ave., one of Oakland’s most important streets. As you might gather from my photo, it is worth seeing.

(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.