Postcard from Chicago–The BP Bridge

Another fascinating architectural wonder of Millennium Park is the BP Bridge, a 935 foot-long pedestrian bridge that snakes it way up from the Park, across Columbus Parkway, then down to Daley Bicentennial Plaza, Grant Park and Lake Michigan.  And snakes is the operative word here as it winds its way up over and down.

It is difficult to photograph the bridge as a whole unless you are in an airplane or helicopter…so I can just show you parts of it here. I find it to be a photographers dreams because of its unusual construction and its twists and turns.  Its fun to create images from different angles both on and off the bridge.

For a pedestrian bridge, I found it quite wide as you can see from the second photo. The walkway is covered with weather-resistant Brazilian hardwood boards.  It has a gentle 5% grade which makes it easier on folks with handicap issues and there is no railing along the sides. The sides of the bridge are made of stainless steel.

Photo #3 shows the bridge crossing Columbus Parkway and how close it is to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion…and how the bridge and the pavilion designs blend together.

After the park opened, some of the bridge's foibles became apparent. The bridge has had to be closed during the winter because freezing conditions make it unsafe. Since the bridge is over an expressway-like trench of Columbus Drive, shoveling the snow onto passing cars is not an option and the Brazilian hardwood would be damaged by rock salt. The city not only mandates that the bridge be swept and washed daily, but also that the parapets be wiped free of fingerprints.

It is called BP Bridge as British Petroleum (of gulf oil spill fame) paid $5 million for the naming rights.  Believe me, there was some controversy over that.

If you would like more in-depth information about the bridge, its design, construction, aerial photos, and controversies, check out the interesting article on Wikipedia.

Postcard from Chicago–More from Millennium Park

 

In my last entry, I showed you the Chicago skyline as seen through the trellis works of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Now, here are 2 photos of the pavilion itself:

The first photo shows the pavilion as seen from the Great Lawn. Now, you can see how the trellis connects to the stage…and by having people in this photo, you get a better feel for its immense size. As I said last time, the Pavilion itself seats 4,000 people and the Great Lawn, under the trellis, accommodates an additional 7,000 people. The Pavilion stands 120-feet high, with a billowing headdress of brushed stainless steel ribbons that frame the stage opening and connect to the overhead trellis of crisscrossing steel pipes. It was designed by Frank Gehry.

The second photo, which I photographed last spring on my first visit (which explains why there are tulips in the photo), is the side of the pPvilion.  The structure which rises above the stage needs to be seen from all angles to be appreciated.

As I wrote this blog, I suddenly realized how much a role architecture played in my last visit to Chicago. Besides Millennium Park, I saw photos on display at the Chicago Institute of Art of the many buildings designed by Louis H. Sullivan as well as architectural remnants from his buildings that have been demolished over time. But, I also got to see a few of his buildings that still exist today. Amazing structures…way ahead of their time.

In addition, I also visited the home of another famous Chicago architect and one-time apprentice to Sullivan, none other than Frank Lloyd Wright. A future blog will cover my visit to his home in nearby Oak Park. 

Postcard from Chicago–Millennium Park

Millennium Park in downtown Chicago is an architectural wonder…amazing structures that defy description and must be seen to be believed! You have seen some of those wonders here before…the Fountain with the changing faces of Chicagoans, the Bean (of course) and a few others I have not shown you (but will).

I love this picture of part of the Chicago downtown skyline as seen through part of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, home for concerts and music festivals. In a future edition, I will show you the stage which deserves its own blog to be really appreciated. What you see here is a huge trellis that connects to the stage. The trellis supports the sound system, which spans the 4,000 fixed seats and the Great Lawn, which accommodates an additional 7,000 people.

Enough of the explanations…just enjoy this photo…the vertical straight lines of the Chicago skyscrapers as seen through the curved lines of the pavilion's trellis. It’s a photographer and artist’s dream…straight lines offset by beautiful proportional flowing curves, with some lovely autumn colors thrown in for fun…so pleasing to the eye.

Such a beautiful downtown.   

Postcard from Chicago–Marathon

We were up early and out the door by 7:00 AM on Sunday Morning, 10/10/10. My friend Susan and I took a bus to a Green Line elevated train station, then headed north into the Loop to transfer to a Pink Line train.

So what were we doing up so early to get a Pink Line train? We were off to watch the Chicago Marathon from the Pilsen Neighborhood as the runners came by at mile 19. Chicago’s Marathon is one of the biggest and most important marathons in the world (one of the five top marathons)…38,000 runners competing to run 26+ miles in the fastest times possible. Of course, only a handful of world-class runners are part of that crowd and they are in it for the money, competition, and glory. The rest are just amateurs who want to push themselves to the limit of their endurance and better their existing times.

In Chicago, the Marathon is a big deal…streets are shut down, bus routes are changed, a hundreds of thousands of people line the 26 mile raceway. For us, it is an exciting and moving experience to see this event, and even in our small way, to participate. More on that later.

As we rode the elevated train through The Loop, we could see thousands of runners crossing the Chicago River on the LaSalle Street bridge heading north on the first part of their journey. That in itself was amazing to see.

We chose to go to Pilsen as it is mainly a Hispanic section and we were told they really put on an extravaganza for this event….and our information was correct. Pilsen residents were cheering, banging on drums, holding signs encouraging their favorite runners and celebrating this major event.

We got there just in time to see the lead runner heading down 18th St. As I said earlier, the runners had already done 19 miles when we saw them. We joined in the crowd cheering them all on. Most looked in pretty good shape, but a few showed signs of exhaustion. Ambulances and police were there to assist any runner who needed help.

Soon, the number of runners passing us got larger and larger. Walking down 18th Street, we came to the Gatorade and water stations where runners could refresh themselves.  There were a ton of volunteers to help with that.

Soon, we came to a number of large children’s swimming pools, filled with water and sponges…and volunteers handing out water-soaked sponges to any runners that wanted them. They appeared to be short of volunteers, so Susan and I grabbed some sponges and started handing them out.

That morning, we gave out hundreds of sponges to runners. Some of them had enough energy to thank us, which I found amazing. For that moment in time, I was part of the Marathon and part of Chicago…and it felt very good.

The Marathon itself lasted long into the day. We even saw runners down on 33rd St. as we headed home in the late afternoon on the El. Of the 38,000 who participated, just about 36,000 finished. All 23 of the wheelchair participants also finished…as did 8 runners from the Achilles Team of Wounded Veterans. The first nine finishing runners were from either Kenya or Ethiopia. Those guys can run.

It was very special to see these runners and wheelchair participants from all over the world. It was a highlight of this Chicago trip, for sure. When I get some extra time, I will post some of the best photos from the Marathon into an album and post them to the Net. Will let you know when it is done.

Postcard from the Cascades - Autumn

It was around 92 today here in Tucson. As usual, I was running around in shorts, a t-shirt, and sandals. I took a short trip this week to spend time with my son and his wife in Yuma, where it was in the mid to high 80’s. Let’s face it, I live in a land where summer lasts 6 months and the rest of the year is like a warm Spring…Which of course explains the existence of snowbirds.

Anyway, I was talking to a friend up in the Northwest where the temperature was in the low 50’s today and heading down…and I began to miss the beautiful autumns I experienced up there in the Cascade Mountains for so many Octobers. Thankfully I have many photos from those times, a few of which I have shared here from time to time.  Here is another.

Another friend of mine, who was born and raised in Maine, came through the Cascades one year to visit and he remarked that Maine had nothing on the Cascade Mountains. It is spectacularly beautiful…so I hope you forgive me if now and then I share a photo from that area.

Postcard from Rome–The Coliseum

I am taking a break from my Chicago trip to show you an image from one of my trips to Rome…the famous Roman Coliseum. I love this image as it reminds me of all my special times in Italy.  It was shot on slide film, then converted to Black and White.  It was photographed at sunset.

This most famous structure of the Roman Empire was completed in 80 AD. It was originally called Amphitheatrum Flavium (Latin), or the Flavium Amphitheater. It is located in the center of Rome, at one end of the Roman Forum and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.

In the days of the Dark Ages, after the fall of the empire, it was stripped of all its marble, and much of its stone…not to mention the bronze clamps which held the stonework together. These were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today. What makes it even more remarkable is the the structure is still standing as it should have collapsed with these supports removed. The Romans knew how to build.

Originally, it was used for gladiator combat, animal hunts and other such Roman entertainments. It was once filled with water and used for a naval battle with real ships. But, contrary to the belief of many, it was never used to burn or crucify Christians during the days of persecution. But funding for the construction did come from the booty collected during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

The original structure must have been a site to behold. But even in its current condition, it is a major tourist attraction. I hope you can all see it in your lifetime.  As the old saying goes, “When in Rome…”

Postcard from Chicago–The Drug Deal

Today’s blog has nothing to do with the picture you see here.  This photo is of “The Bean” in Millennium Park, which I‘ve written about here before...and while this photo shows one of the best parts of Chicago, my story concerns a more seamy side.

It occurred on my last day in Chicago…in fact, my last few hours. My friend Susan and I were riding the #55 bus that starts at Jackson Park along Lake Michigan and travels along 55th Street, all the way west to Midway Airport. I was headed back to Tucson and Susan was riding with me to the airport.

As we caught the bus early on its route, we were sitting right up front with my suitcase.  The ride to the airport takes about an hour…and while the bus route starts in Hyde Park, one of the more beautiful areas of Chicago, it also passes through some of the lesser desirable neighborhoods of Chicago.

Somewhere along the route, a young man in a baggy t-shirt got on board. I didn’t think anything unusual about him. He sat down near us and shortly began talking on his cell phone. As his voice was loud, it became clear he was talking to someone he was going to meet and that his friend had a somewhat limited intelligence.

He began telling his friend what bus he was on and to watch for it. He had to explain several times what street the bus was on and which side of the street it was on. As the bus approached the appointed rendezvous, he had to keep shouting to his friend that he was in the front of the bus and to look down 55th Street so he could see the bus.

His friend apparently figured it out and was waiting for the bus as it pulled up at the stop. The man on the bus (let’s call him the dealer), stood by the driver at the front of the bus. A couple of other folks were there also, ready to get off. As the doors opened the dealer allowed the two people to get out, then stepped down to the bottom step by the door and held out his hand, which I could see carried a wad of cash. His contact, the drugee, reached in with his hand, took something, then took off running down the street.

The dealer then stepped back and resumed his seat on the bus as if nothing had happened. It all happened so fast that it didn’t register for a few seconds what was going down. At first, because I had seen the wad of cash, I thought he was lending a friend some money, but after a few seconds, I realized it was a drug deal. Had to be. It was a move that had been practiced several times and the drugee was probably a regular. We guessed the drug passed off was crack as it is a cheap drug of choice for many poorer drug users.

After a few more stops, the dealer finally got off the bus and we continued on to the airport. Nobody on the bus said anything, not even the driver. I figured it happens many times a day on buses all over Chicago and that the driver would put her life in jeopardy if she said anything.

It was something to see and we had a ringside seat…and I hope never such a thing again. It was a reminder that Chicago and other cities are not just all peaches and cream for tourists like me. There is a darker side of big and little cities alike that haunts us all.

Postcard from Chicago–Here’s Looking at You

Now this is something you don’t see everyday…and you won’t be seeing it for much longer if you live in Chicago.

This is a 30 foot sculpture of artist Tony Tasset’s eyeball. “What?” you say. True enough. It’s a piece of art designed to help attract tourists, or so its rumored. Well, it attracted me anyway…the Tucson tourist. It’s made of steel reinforced fiberglass and it costs somewhere in the six figures, though Tasset is not very forthcoming about specific dollar figures.

The sculpture is installed at Pritzker Park on State Street in downtown Chicago, but will be taken down after Halloween (how appropriate is that). So if you are in Chicago sometime in the next two weeks, be sure and drop by. 

I will have more images and stories from my most recent trip to Chicago coming soon.

Postcard from Chicago

I thought I would show you another photo from my first ever visit to Chicago in April. This is the Chicago River, flanked on both sides by skyscrapers, with some lovely clouds thrown in for good measure. I really like this photo and as you may have read here before, I really like Chicago.

In fact, I like it so much that when my friend Susan invited me back, I decided to go. Actually, I leave in a couple of days. So, this blog is going on a two week hiatus, or as they say in educational circles, I am taking a short sabbatical to improve my photographic skills and widen my horizons.

I will probably visit a few places I went to on my last trip, like the Chicago Institute of Art and Ditka’s restaurant…not to mention some great Chicago Dog places. But, I hope to spend the majority of this trip seeing new places like Little Italy, Old Chicago, the Lincoln Park Zoo, Northwestern University, and more. Also I plan to spend this Sunday night watching Chicago Bear football from one of the many sports bars by Wrigley Field (the Bears are playing the Giants in New York). Chicago is arguably the most rabid sports city in America, so it should be fun. I will be a Bear fan for one night just for the experience. 

Will also be enjoying some cooler weather. On the day I leave, it will be 100 here and 54 in Chicago. That should be interesting. The long range forecast says most days will be in the mid 60’s for most of my visit.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may see some photos from this trip as I move from place to place. So, don’t forget about me and I look forward to sharing more photos with you soon.

Postcard from the Arches

Consistently, when I‘ve shown you any of my photos from the Arches National Park, they include an arch. Of course it makes sense since the Park is called “The Arches” and there are approximately 2,300 arches in the park to photograph. But, there are also some other interesting non-arch rock formations throughout the park.

This wonderful formation is called, “The Three Gossips,” and I am sure I don’t have to explain the reason why. This is part of the park called “Park Avenue,” although I have also heard it referred to as “Wall Street.” Although not seen in this photo, if you ever go to The Arches, you will understand why it got that name.

I am showing you this photo to celebrate the completion of The Arches section of my Web site. I invite you to visit this new section and enjoy the special photos from my Arches collection. There are 38 of them, if memory serves.

Enjoy.

Postcard from Tucson’s 4th Ave.

Welcome to the 4th Ave. Street Festival here in beautiful Tucson. Well, one of them anyway. There are two: on in the late fall and the other in early spring. And they are very, very big. Vendors selling all kinds of different wares from art to belts and bedding run for several blocks up and down 4th Ave.

And, as you can see from the photo, plenty of food vendors of all types on the side streets. Some very good food to be had while you wander up and down 4th Ave. Wherever there is room for a tent on the side streets or any old empty space, you will find a vendor.

4th Ave is a unique place, even without a festival. Quaint and quirky shops line the streets along with some interesting restaurants and bars. I have often called it Hippyville, mainly because there is a store called Hippy Gypsy and because it reminds me of the Haight Ashbury back in the 60’s, without the drug culture.

My favorite places to eat are Brooklyn Pizza and Bison Witches for great sandwiches. Anytime you come to Tucson, don’t miss a trip to 4th Ave. Its one of those unique neighborhoods that every city should have.

Postcard from Blue Basin

No your eyes do not deceive you…and it is not a Photoshop trick.  These are the real colors of Blue Basin, part of the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument in Central Oregon.

Getting here requires an easy hike through a box canyon, but definitely worth the effort. The colors you see change during the day…here they are sort of blue/green in midday light, but change to a more blue color as you approach sunset. According to geologist, the blue colors come from volcanic ash that has turned to claystone which eroded over eons of time. It has become even more brilliant thanks to the help of minerals that have leached into the soil.

But a walk through this canyon is also to walk back through time. These blue rock formations contain a nearly unlimited number of fossils that go back 40 million years. Many years ago, the National Park Service forbade digging for fossils. Fossils are only harvested here when they are uncovered by natural erosion caused by wind and rain. There is a nearby visitor center where you can see a large number of fossils from the area. There is also a small display of fossils along trail.

If you are ever in the area (and it is a bit off the beaten path), take a walk through Blue Basin and nearby Painted Hills…and definitely bring your camera!

Postcard from the Arches

This photo is of Delicate Arch, arguably the most famous arch in the Arches National Park. It is depicted on the Utah state auto license plates and was once on a stamp commemorating Utah’s statehood. And, I was surprised to learn that the Olympic Torch passed underneath it on its way to the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Getting to Delicate Arch is a strenuous 3-mile round trip hike that scores of people make every year. I will admit I was not one of them. These old legs are not quite as great as they used to be and I had just completed a long hike in another part of the part.

If you continue down the road past the trailhead, you will wind up at a viewpoint where you can see the arch quite clearly, which is where I took this photo. But, I got lucky with some nice light at sunset, and with the help of a long lens, I made this image. At that moment in my life, I was happy just to have this view.

Although Yosemite remains at the top of my favorite national parks, the Arches is in 2nd place. I hope to go back soon, as there are over 2,300 arches in the park and I have only seen a few of them.

Postcard from Yosemite

This photo is from my 2006 Spring expedition to Yosemite Valley. As mentioned here before, this was a spring of heavy snow runoff, 25% above normal. So all the falls were full beyond capacity and there were new waterfalls all over the valley, most with no names.

This is the upper half of the famous Bridalveil Falls. I took it with a long lens as I could not get anywhere near the falls without getting soaked.. You can see from the photo how high the mist bounces up from the falls hitting the rocks below. Translate that into a mist that is more like a heavy rain and you could feel it even in the parking lot. The Bridalveil Falls trail meanders its way slowly up toward the base of the falls, and you  feel the mist even more as you approach.

So with a very expensive camera and lens in hand, I decided not to go to the falls to take a picture. Thus, you see before you a photograph of the falls from a distance done with a long lens. Still, it is quite lovely to behold and I only received a mild dose of mist.

Postcard from Tucson

This is another photo from my Spring visit to Tohono Chul Park here in Tucson. This is the place to visit in Spring if want to get a gander at the vast variety Southwest flowers.

As I stated in my blogs last Spring, the park is 37 acres and is divided into several sections, each with a theme. And there are many trails throughout the park, some long, some short…and in Spring it is a treasure trove of gorgeous flowers. Every so often I like to show a flower or two from both the Northwest, where I lived for many years…and here in my new home in the Southwest.

I like this one particularly because of its background of muted colored rocks offsetting the brilliant reds, yellows and greens of the cactus. You probably can’t tell, but I also darkened the edges ever so slightly to bring your eye to focus on the center of the photo…an old Ansel Adams trick.

This weekend I will be attending the big college football game between the University of Arizona and the University of Iowa. I have season tickets on the 36 years line behind the visitor’s bench and 19 rows up from the field. Great seats! I will sneak my camera in and take some photos to share with you here. The game is on ESPN, by the way. Enjoy your weekend, whatever you do.

Postcard from Tucson

How well we all remember the date 9/11. It was a day that changed our lives forever. Last Saturday was the 9th anniversary of that terrible tragedy…at it was memorialized all across the country…including here in Tucson.

That same day was also the opening home football game for the University of Arizona. There were plenty of pre-game ceremonies inside the stadium. But as I was leaving the student union on my way to the stadium for the game, I came across this wonderful and moving memorial on the plaza near the administration building and the student union.

Hundreds of small U.S. flags formed the numbers 9-11, and the whole scene was surrounded by thousands of more little flags. It was quite beautiful and I am glad some folks at the university put this together.

I am sorry the picture quality isn’t better. I used my small little Canon point and shoot as it was the only camera I had with me. It can’t hold a candle to my Nikon DSLR that has taken most of the photos you see in this blog. But, it did catch the spirit of the moment, and for that I am grateful.

Postcard from Canyonlands

Love to share the occasional great sunset photo with you. Took this one in the Canyonlands National Park and it is included in the Canyonlands photos on my Website.

That night, I also took some sunset shots with “The Needles” in the background (also on the Web site). I usually find sunset photos to be a bit more beautiful than sunrise photos. As a rule, sunrise light is “cooler” in color temperature than sunset light. You will almost always find light a bit more red in the evening.  Such was the case here.

To quote from an article by Alain Briot:

“Sunset and sunrise light is the best because at those times the light is horizontal. Horizontal light is light which is parallel to the horizon, grazing the subject and giving it a strong three dimensional quality.

Because the sun is low in the sky at sunrise and sunset, just above the horizon in fact, sunlight has to go through all the layers of dust, atmospheric haze and pollution before it reaches the scene in front of you. During this process the intensity of the sunlight is greatly diminished and softened, because the layers of dust and haze filter the light of the sun. This filtering also removes both the green and blue part of the visible spectrum leaving mostly the red part visible. As a result, sunrise and sunset light is warm, tinted either pink, red or orange, depending on the particular situation on a specific day. The combination of diffused light and of the warm glow of sunrise and sunset, creates a light which is excellent for photography. Furthermore, light which is both soft and warm is extremely pleasing to the eye.”

Interestingly, “Golden Hour” light is longer at sunset (20 minutes at sunrise vs. 40 minutes at sunset. And, as this picture shows, there is plenty of beautiful light available long after the sun is below the horizon. But when you photograph at this time of day, your foreground objects will always be silhouetted.

And now you know….

Postcard from the Canyonlands

After several long days, I’ve finally finished organizing and editing the photos I took in Canyonlands National Park in Eastern Utah. This magnificent park is divided into three sections, each without access to the other. My photos are all from The Needles section. They are now up on line for your enjoyment.

My visit to the park was nearly two years ago, so I had almost forgotten about some of the excellent photos I took (if I do say so myself). It was fun going through them and seeing them evolve in post production. I did a lot of different things so please visit and comment if you wish.

Canyonlands, The Needles, is a bit out of the way for most people. Far more people visit the section of the park known as “Island in the Sky.” I think that because it is so close to The Arches National Park that people figure they can visit two national parks in one visit. Perhaps. But they have no idea what they are missing by not going to the Needles.

Actually, each can see the other as Island sits up high on a plateau, while the Needles sits down in the canyons. When I was there in early November, I pretty much had the park to myself. It was quite wonderful. I think I saw more park rangers than I did fellow tourists. No matter.

I can’t remember in what part of the park I took this photo. But it playing with it in Photoshop, it really grabbed me as a perfect candidate for a black and white photo. I hope you agree.

Postcard from the Desert

This is another one of my special effects fun photos that I play with in Photoshop. It is a desert plant of some kind with lots of straight spiny leaves that you find in the deserts of the southwest (sorry, don’t know the name). I photographed it looking straight down. That is a large, flat rock at the bottom of the picture.

I like the composition, but not the colors.  So I tried it in black and white…still no excitement there. So, I found a filter called “Antique Solarization,” and, bingo!! I had the start of something. I played around a little more and got the center of the plant to give off a little glow. A few more tweaks, and it was done. You never know what you can come up with playing in Photoshop. Of course, it is quite helpful that I have a large library of plug-ins from different companies that work inside of Photoshop.

It is just me having fun, trying to make something out of nothing…and I liked it. I hope you do to.

Postcard from the Palisades

Here is another painting of mine of an antique truck…again from that treasure trove of old vehicles near Palisades, WA. You’ve seen a couple of them already in past blogs, but this one is my newest.

As I have written here before, this canyon lies along a semi-improved road that runs from Ephrata to near Wenatchee. Here are several old vehicles in various states of disrepair, but that make excellent subjects for photographs or paintings.

If you visit my Website, you can see more truck paintings from Palisades and other places. And, I have a few more to paint….one of these days.

Postcard from the Canyonlands

One morning, I got up early to take a hike along a trail that would supposedly give me a great sunrise view of “The Needles” in Canyonlands National Park. I have hiked many a trail in national parks, although I admit most of them were in mountain parks like Yosemite, Glacier, Mt. Rainier, Shasta, etc.

Canyonlands is nothing like any of those, so I should not have been surprised that the trails would be different also. But, here I was, happily minding my own business, hiking along a beautifully carved trail in the desert, when it just suddenly came to an abrupt end. You can see it for yourself in this picture…it just ends against these rocks.

After a few seconds of mystification, I realized I had to climb this rather steep set of rocks to continue on to my destination (they are much steeper and taller than they appear in this photo). Thank God I wear an excellent pair of hiking shoes. They gripped the rocks very well as I was on all fours to make the ascent up to the ridgeline where the white rocks met the red ones. After making it up there, I traversed that ridge to the left to the point where I could make another ascent up to the top of the red rocks.

I was able to make it to the viewpoint to photograph the sunrise on The Needles. The morning light, and the beautiful clouds you partially see here made the trip worth it. By the way, I had to slide down these very same rocks on the way back. The sweatpants I was wearing on this cold morning still bear the holes from my descent.

In the next few days, I hope to have the best of my photographs from the Canyonlands up on my Web site.  I will let you know when I’ve finished.

Postcard from Bisbee

I am back from an extended weekend visit with my son Eric and his wife in Yuma. Didn’t take any pictures there, although I wish I could have photographed the incredible monsoon I drove through on Friday morning. It took me 20 minutes at 70 MPH to get through a blinding rain storm complete with lightning and thunder. Many of the lightning strikes were close-by…straight down into the desert…one was perhaps 500 feet from my car. No photographs though as I was too busy trying to keep the van on the straight and narrow.

Moving on to today’s photo, this is one of my artistic endeavors from Bisbee, AZ, one of my new favorite places in all the Southwest. It is a digital version of a Polaroid Transfer technique, an imaging tool used by some artists and photographers because of its unique rendering qualities. As I’ve written here before, one never knows what one will get using this technique. I simulate it here with a digital filter inside of Photoshop.

It is a simple composition, showing only a table, chairs and a plant. Sometimes the simple things make the best photos. I think that this can best be described as an atmospheric picture. I found this tiny area outside between two buildings, both hotels as I remember it. There are a couple more tables off to the right. It is used by hotel guests for relaxing with their morning coffees. A very relaxing atmosphere…and a nice place for a simple picture.

Postcard from Ephrata

Ah yes…back home again in good old Ephrata. I enjoyed my 16 years there. Life in a small town. I miss a great deal of Ephrata, even though I have a very good life here…albeit totally different.

This photo is from the garden of the home I occupied all those years with my friend Susan. She really knew how to make her garden grow. She and I both love roses and I shot these climbing roses after a little rain storm. It was a nice garden and I miss it.

I show you this photo as I just completed another new section of my Web site entitled “Northwest Flowers.” I invite you to drop by there sometime and take a peek. The Pacific Northwest has a great variety of flowers, and I by no means captured them all. But I did get some good ones… especially the Iris, some of which you have already seen here.

I am enjoying adding more and more photos to my site. Soon I will add some of the flowers I’ve photographed here in the Southwest. I think you will find them interesting also.

Postcard from Tucson

Sometimes you just have to do something crazy and different…and when the opportunity shows up, you just grab it and run.  So it is with this abstract image. 

This is not one of my paintings and was not done in any painting or artsy software. It was done totally in Photoshop with a little help from some of the software’s built-in controls...taken to the extreme. 

I should probably let you guess what the original image is, but I will tell all. It is a small, unusual flower I photographed up-close with a green background of mostly grass. I am sure it was taken near Leavenworth, WA. I am sorry I don’t know the type of plant, but it is quite unusual.

I won’t explain the process I went through to get this, other than I accidentally tweaked a wrong control slider and liked what I saw. So I continued playing for a while till I settled on this final image. I like it, but you may not. It was just fun to do something totally different and a bit off the wall. Your comments are always welcome. 

Postcard from Chicago

After several days of work, I completed the new Web site section about Chicago. It has 40 of my best and most favorite photos from the Windy City. It was a bit of work as I had over 700 photos to chose from. Most of the final 40 have not been seen in public before now, so I invite you to take a peek.

This photo is one of the 40 and shows Chicago replete with spring flowers and blossom. It was taken near the Chicago Institute of Art and looks north along Chicago’s famous Michigan Ave. If you kept walking north, you would shortly be in Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile.”

As I said here before, Chicago is a wonderful city and it took me totally by surprise. The downtown area is quite large and is exceptionally beautiful.  And the people there are so friendly. I so look forward to another visit there in the near future.

For now, my photos and good memories will have to suffice.  I hope you have time to take a look and would be interested in hearing your comments.  What is next for my Web site, you ask? Have not made up my mind yet, but am thinking about flowers from the Northwest. Lots of Iris, to be sure.

Postcard from Sedona

I just finished updating the section of my Web site for Sedona, AZ. There are new and updated photos there now, including some photos from my latest December trip.

This is a new image from the December trip that I like very much. You see some of the red and white rock mountains of Sedona along with some drifting clouds and some lovely trees in the foreground. 

But if you look closely, you will see my friend and fellow photographer Dave Forester in among the trees, setting up to take a photo. I know it is difficult to see him in the small size, but he is there.

What I like about this image is you see how small a man is compared to the world he inhabits…or, if you will, man juxtaposed against nature. Sedona is such a beautiful place that it just overwhelms the senses, much the same way that Yosemite and Zion do. We are so tiny compared to the world that surrounds us. And here is this man, trying to capture one small piece with his camera while a world of beauty and grace surrounds him on all sides.

Please check out the rest of my photos from Sedona on my Web site.

Postcard from the Northwest

It’s Autumn in the Northwest. The air is cold and crisp. Frost is on the Autumn leaves. I am bundled up in a coat and gloves and my breath is visible in the air.

Of course, it is not Autumn…and I am now in the Southwest, not the Northwest. But, when its 106 outside, I can dream. I sure as hell am not walking outside with my camera!

I love this image and others like it that I have taken over the years. In fact, in a couple of days, I will have a similar picture on my Web site that I took in the Southwest last December…not in Tucson, of course, but up in Sedona.

Putting aside the weather for a second, I love the Autumn colors in this photo, both in the foreground and background. The Northwest is so special for photographing Fall’s beautiful displays. There are good places down here also for colors, but not like the Northwest. But, of course, on the day I photographed this image I was bundled up to stay warm. If I had been in the Tucson that same day, I would be in shorts and a t-shirt.  There are trade-offs. 

Postcard from Yosemite

There is an old expression, “When in doubt, go back to Yosemite.” Actually, it is not that old as I just made it up. But I came across this photo and realized I had never shown it here in this blog.  Strange, as it is one of my favorites. I actually have 24x30 print hanging on the wall of my hallway.

The photo was taken in the Spring of of 2006, a year that had a melting snow pack 25% higher than normal. In the foreground is the Merced River flowing fast and high.

To the right is El Capitan, the largest single piece of granite in the world. It soars over 3,000 feet above the valley floor.

And to the left is Ribbon Falls, a lovely waterfall that only flows in spring. If memory serves, it the largest single drop waterfall in North America.

This photo works because of the myriad of colors displayed, and, of course, the beautiful subject matter. It was taken in late afternoon so you get a little more red light in the image than if it were taken in midday.

I would love to get back there in the Spring again…in fact I would love to get back there at any time of the year.

Postcard from Kodachrome Basin

This weekend, I finished up a new section of my Web site…photos from Kodachrome Basin in Utah. Last November, I wrote about my visit to this unusual park, just west of Bryce Canyon National Park.

Here is one picture that did not get into that blog…one of several pictures of the unusual rock formations you find throughout its landscape. Kodachrome Basin contains many multi-colored rock formations of red, yellow, pink, white and brown, as well as massive sandstone chimney spires, called “Salt Pipes” or chimneys.

As I said a year ago, geologists believe Kodachrome Basin was once similar to Yellowstone National Park with hot springs and geysers, which eventually filled up with sediment and solidified. The name comes from the original name given to it by National Geographic photographers who came through there in 1948.

I promised in my original blog I would tell you when all the good pictures from the park would be posted to my Web site…and I finally have completed the task. Please have a look if you have some free time.

Postcard from Mt. Rainier

As I continue the massive makeover of my Web site, I just completed revising the section from Mt. Rainier National Park…I posted it yesterday.  In reviewing past editions of this blog, I realized I never showed you this image…and it is one of my favorites from the park.

This is Christine Falls, which is a simple short hike off of the main highway. When the light is right, you get this golden glow off of the rocks at the bottom of the falls. The same can be found at nearby Narada Falls.

I used a slow shutter speed to achieve the white flowing artistic glow of the falls. But, because of that, the leaves in the foreground show movement as it was windy that day. But, frankly, I like that effect in this image. I mean, leaves do move when it is windy and it adds to the motion of the water. It is a more realistic effect.

The photographs in the revised Mt. Rainier section of my Web site were shot nearly five years ago on a three day photographic expedition. It was my first outing with my then brand new first digital camera. I learned a lot on that trip about the differences between digital and film. But, would you believe that in the 15 years I lived in Washington State, it was my one and only trip to this beautiful National Park?

I wish I could have gone more, especially with my newer Nikon camera. Maybe someday. I invite you to look at more Mt. Rainier National Park photos on my Web site.

Postcard from the Grand Canyon

This photo was taken on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I spent about an hour out at Bright Angel Point trying to get some good sunset shots of the canyon. I recall the wind was blowing quite ferociously that afternoon making life difficult...and the sun was playing peek-a-boo with the many clouds that dotted the sky that day.

Finally after taking all the photos I could (hoping I would get one good one) the sun disappeared for the day. I walked the rocky trail back toward the North Rim Lodge and came across a few interesting trees silhouetted against the partly cloudy sky. This was one of them: a slightly crooked tree at a 45 degree angle, hanging over the canyon.

I thought it was a good image, especially with the lit clouds behind it. In post processing, I added the dreamy filter to the image that I mentioned here recently. Besides a dreamy effect, I think it adds some ghostly qualities to the picture that I really like.

It’s another one of those images that you must always be on the lookout for. I realize that places like the Grand Canyon can overwhelm you with its beauty, but don’t forget to look for those smaller photo opportunities that you find everywhere you go.

If you would like to see a couple of the other trees I photographed on this sunset walk along the Bright Angel trail, plus some other spectacular views from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, please head over to a new section of my Web site that I just put on line today. 

Postcard from the Grand Canyon

I believe I mentioned previously that I am adding new images and new categories of photos to my Web site…almost on a daily basis. Over the weekend, I worked on images from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Although I had several pictures from there already on line, I took them all down and started over. I only want the best of my images available for viewing.

That Grand Canyon South Rim section is now finished and available for viewing. Twenty-five of my best images from there now on line. This is one of them.

It is a side canyon off the main canyon, but further east from the main section of the Grand Canyon that most people see. It was taken in Autumn of 2007 on my very first trip there.  I love the two trees in the foreground set against the red rock of the canyon in the background.

Today and tomorrow, I will be finishing up photos from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and will add a new section to my Web pages just for them. Stay tuned.

Postcard from Sedona

A traditional Polaroid Transfer is used by a few artists and photographers to obtain interesting image results. I say interesting, because you mostly don’t know what kind of effect you are going to get. Often, it is a dreamy looking image just barely out the realm of reality.

How does it work, you ask? It is similar to a photo taken with a Polaroid camera back in the good old days…but there are some big differences. Thanks to Wikipedia, here is a description of  how a Polaroid Transfer is achieved.

“Using a camera, enlarger, slide printer or Day Lab, expose Polaroid film. You need pull-apart type film, such as Polaroid 669 (now discontinued, or Fuji FP100c, which is readily available). Develop by pulling the film from the holder. Wait about 10-15 seconds and quickly pull the film apart, not letting the two sides (the picture and the negative) touch. Put the pulled apart negative face down on paper (or other material). Place pressure over negative and let sit for about 20 minutes. Then pour hot water over each side of the negative/paper sandwich. Gently peel the negative from the paper. Allow transfer to dry, face up.”

The image I present here is a digital version of a Polaroid Transfer. Being digital, I have more control over the final image, but it does fairly well represent what you might get with a genuine Polaroid Transfer. I enjoy playing with this filter in Photoshop to see what I can achieve.  I don’t do it much, but I do occasionally find an image that it works for...such as the image you see here.

This image was taken in Oak Creek Canyon, a wondrous piece of nature that is a few miles north of Sedona, AZ. You can see more images from the canyon on my Web site.

Postcard from Zion

For a couple of weeks, I have been putting together a collection of my favorite photos to put on my Web site. Currently I have selected 60 of them, most of which have appeared here at one time or another. No doubt that list will grow.

It has been a labor of love, sort of, as I had to label and price each photo individually…a tedious job at best. But the first 60 are on line now, if you care to take a look.

In putting the first 60 together, I added this one just today…and realized it has never appeared on these pages…so I present it here for your approval.  I call it, “Autumn as in a Dream”…as it has a dreamy feel to it. Of course, it is by design, using a special filter that is part of my arsenal of digital toys.

As my headline says, I photographed it in Zion National Park a few years ago. I was fortunate to catch the tail end of autumn, so most of my photos from there have an “autumn feel” to them. I look forward to more photographic adventures this coming autumn…and, believe me, it can’t come too soon!

In the meantime, on these hot and muggy summer days, I continue to work on my Web site, making lots of changes and additions. More about them as they unfold.

Postcard from Bisbee

Bisbee, AZ is a town full of color and charm. It has been sometime since I wrote about this charming village and artist colony, southeast of Tucson and just barely north of the Mexican border. If you don’t remember my previous blogs on the place, just do a search on Bisbee in the top left corner of my blog home page.

Bisbee reeks with color and personality, from its buildings, offices, retail outlets and especially its homes. In my time there, I was also fortunate enough to find many colorful plants and gardens.  Case in point is this photo of a local flower, packed with vivid color and personality. I wish I knew the flower’s name.

You can also go to the special pages on my Website devoted to Bisbee. See if you don’t agree with me that it is colorful, charming, and very unique.

Postcard from Soap Lake

Over two years ago, I shared an image similar to this one of storm clouds over Soap Lake, WA. This is a different image, although taken around the same time.  Its not often you see such dramatic clouds like this (although some similar ones are over my home right now and are dropping a load of rain…Monsoon season is here).

I actually saw these clouds over my office in Ephrata and chased them to Soap Lake…about a five mile drive. The lake offered a much better location to photograph these clouds than my office…trust me. Off in the distance, you can see the small town of Soap Lake that hugs the east shore of lake. 

For photo aficionados, I used a split neutral density filter to adjust for the brightness difference in the dark clouds and the bright sky. It was obviously a photo made for black and white. Enjoy!

Postcard from Leavenworth

The other day, I opened a box of framed pictures that I once used used in my art shows. Inside, besides pictures, I found a few souvenir tiny seed pods from my days at Leavenworth’s Art-in-the-Park. These little pods were from the trees that grew in the park…beautiful trees (either Ash or Aspen, not sure which).

But when they seeded, oh my God, watch out. It rained pods by the gazillions. They were everywhere and even got behind the glass of some framed pictures. The trees were beautiful, but their seeds were a pain in the rear. And now, a few of these seeds are in Arizona. Good luck with our climate.

Anyway, this is a special photo of one of those trees, obviously at the beginning of Autumn. What made these trees so unusual was that all the leaves would hang straight down. When you photographed shooting straight up at them, it looks like they are all rushing right at you.  It is quite an effect that you really don’t see with your eyes. Another one of my many memories and souvenirs of Leavenworth and the Pacific Northwest.

Postcard from Autumn

I took my morning walk around 5:45 this morning. It was 85 degrees with the humidity of 51%. I do this nearly every morning…and every morning, when it is over, I am greeted by the wonderful cool air of my A/C…and I am in for the day. Contrary to some misconceptions, the heat of Arizona in July and August is not dry…no, no, no…it is the monsoon season when we get rain, lightning thunderstorms, and humidity to accompany our heat.  As I have said before, it is the price we pay for 8 months of great weather.

But there is a positive side to this…I get spend more time creating new paintings. And it is only natural that I select subjects that reflect a cooler time of year. Similar to the autumn leaves painting I showed you last week, this is another painting with an autumn theme, this time on a slightly larger scale.

It is titled, “Path Through Autumn.” The original photograph on which this painting is based, was taken just outside Leavenworth, WA in October 2005.  I remember walking this path wearing a warm coat as it was quite cool that day…perhaps in the 40’s. That sounds so nice now, being that it is 106 outside as I write these words. 

I have such great memories of autumn in the Northwest, so it is only natural I continue to look for ways to enhance those memories through my creative abilities. Don’t be surprised if you see more autumn paintings in the future.

By the way, Leavenworth offers a wealth of beautiful autumn scenery and if you are ever in that area in October with your camera…or your paint brushes, definitely take the time to express your own creativity. I promise you will not be sorry.

Postcard from Leavenworth

This image brings forth memories. It is the gazebo in Leavenworth, WA, located in the park in the heart of the city. Leavenworth, if you don’t know, is a Bavarian-themed town on the eastern slopes of the Cascades.

For some years, I came here as the occasional tourist, poking my head in all its shops, dining at its unique restaurants…then, for five years, I came as an artist, displaying my art often in the weekly “Village Art in the Park” show on weekends.  I wasn’t there every week, as I did art shows all over the Western United States. But, I was there often enough that I developed a love/hate relationship with the town. Those feelings ring true today.

I loved doing the art show there, not because I made a lot of money, but because of the special relationships I developed with many of the artists who showed there also. We became a kind of family. It was always good to see them when I did the show, and occasionally run into some of them at other shows.

But, some of the worst shows I ever did financially were here. I remember one time I did a show in another town and made several thousand dollars. Then, the following weekend, did the Leavenworth show and made less than $100. You never new what was going to happen on any given weekend…completely unpredictable.  Not good if that is how one makes a living.

The gazebo itself holds many memories…the beauty of all the flowers…the weddings I photographed in the gazebo and all over town…and the incessant noise of polka-type music played on accordions week after week.  I know the tourists loved it, but the artists who were set up in the park right next to it hated it. The same musicians playing the same songs over and over again, year after year. And they are probably still doing it now.

As I said, it was a love/hate relationship.

I miss my friends and fellow artists, but do not miss doing the show…or any art show for that matter. But, it was a part of my life that I am glad I did.  

Postcard from the Sierra’s

Continuing with the Autumn theme I started in the last blog entry, here is a recently finished painting of some Autumn leaves.  In fact, it is titled, “Autumn Leaves on Rocks.”

I took the original photograph in October of 2008 while camping about halfway up the eastern slope of the Sierras, between Mono Lake and Yosemite (I recently showed you another photo of this area). It was so beautiful there in the fall, although I remember how cold it was at night, snuggled in my sleeping blanket inside a tent.

This was the time when me and my camera were traveling all over the Western US, before I moved to Tucson.  That was a great time, full of great memories, even if it was a bit too cold at times. I later figured out how to make it warm enough for me at night.  After a few months of that, I settled down in Tucson where it is plenty warm at night and I could sleep in a bed.

Anyway, I do love this image, both as a photo and now as a painting. I only wish I could make it larger here to show you all the brush strokes. Look for more Autumn paintings in the future. By the way, I have put together a collection of my newest paintings on my Website, although this one is so new it is not on there yet. Please take a look, if you like.

Postcard from Yosemite

Now that most of you have joined me in the heat of summer, maybe its time we look forward to autumn once again. It is not that far off, and right now it sure sounds good.

Frankly, there is no better place to enjoy autumn more than in Yosemite. It is so beautiful there at that time of year…lots of colors and cool weather.  It sure sounds good right now.

This image shows just a sample of color that you can find all over Yosemite. This photo was taken just above the valley floor along the Big Oak Flat Road. Actually, I don’t know if they still call it that, but that is what I know it as and it will always be that for me.

In the few days that I explored the valley in the Autumn of 2008, I took many colorful photos as I happened to hit the autumn season just right. I have shown you a few in the past and will from time-to-time, show you a few more. I hope you don’t get tired of them.  I only wish I could make them bigger here in this blog.

Postcard from Venice

I suddenly found myself in Venice today…well sort of. My body is here in over-cooked Tucson, but my mind and artistic talents were back in one of my favorite cities in the world as I reworked a few of my art pieces from that great Italian city.

This is one of them…a sketch I did some time ago that I felt needed upgrading. You see, I am working on upgrading my Web site with new works and redesigned spaces…and as I look at some of my works from the past, I feel a few of them need an upgrade…or in one case a complete new beginning.  When I finish that one, you will see it here.

Never-the-less, I had originally done a color sketch of these buildings on the Grand Canal. But, it didn’t pass the test of time. So, as I looked at it with new eyes, I began to work on it again.  And work, and work, and work. It’s a bit different now than it was, and I like it much better. But will it pass the test of time? Who knows?

As you may have read here before, I love black and white sketches and engravings. In a short while, some of my old and new and reworked sketches like this one will pop up on my Web pages…I am organizing them and creating the pages in my air conditioned home while it remains too hot to go outside. I hope you like this one…and some of the ones you will begin seeing on my Web site soon.

Postcard from Sedona

In looking through some of my thousands of images today, it occurred to me that I’ve only shown one picture from my trip to Sedona in December of last year. My friend Dave and I spent three days there, shooting at sunrise and sunset…and we got some great images. In the middle of the day, we mostly just messed around in Sedona and Cottonwood, waiting for the light to get good again.

One morning we were shooting at sunrise on a mountain above the town with temps in the low 20’s…and we did not get one good shot. The next morning was better, but even colder.  What photographers won’t do for that one great photo!

The Sedona area is a photographers dream, red rock mountains in all kinds of wonderful formations, desert landscapes, blue skies and if you are lucky, some great cloud formations. It is especially rewarding in the so-called “Golden Hours”…around sunrise and sunset. Those red rocks get even redder.

This shot was done near sunset. The rocks on the left are part of Sedona’s most famous mountain, Cathedral Rocks. We were some distance away from them, so this picture was taken with a long lens. I remember I had to hold the camera as my tripod broke as I went to set it up for this shot. Thanks God for anti-shake lenses.

I was lucky to get sunlight on the rocks, but dark rain clouds in the sky in the distance. I must say the the larger I make this photo, the better it gets.  So even in this smaller size, I hope you like it.

Postcard From Eugene – Fireworks

Happy 5th of July, everyone! Yes, I know the 4th of July holiday was yesterday, but, according to federal mandate, today is also part of that holiday since the 4th was on a Sunday. Don’t believe me? Try going to the bank today or checking your mail box.  Today is an extension of Independence Day.

In keeping with the spirit of this 2-day holiday, I hereby present you with a photo I took in Eugene, Oregon a few years ago. For a couple of years, I did an art show there that always fell around the 4th of July. It was held in a park on the Willamette River, very close to the University of Oregon. After the show closed down on the evening of the 4th, they would hold their annual fireworks display in the same park…and it was a good one too. This one year, I set up my camera on a tripod to record as many fireworks explosions as I could.

I got some good ones. This particular image shows multiple explosions as one must leave the shutter open for some seconds to record these low light images.  It’s one way to get some interesting photos.

This actually is the second fireworks photo from the Eugene show that I‘ve shown in the last two days.  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, hopefully you got to see the other one. 

Regardless, I hope all of you had a great 4th (and 5th) of July.

Postcard from Tucson

I must admit I am a bit of a military aircraft fan boy…not overly crazy, just always loving to see these marvels of aircraft engineering… old and new. I’ve prowled the halls of the Imperial War Museum in London looking at WWII aircraft hanging from the ceiling. I’ve been to several air shows on military bases to see more modern aircraft on display. I even found some great older aircraft on my recent visit to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

And, I am lucky enough to live in a city that houses a huge collection of great airplanes from our past. The Pima Air and Space Museum is a wondrous place for people like me…hundreds of aircraft from all over the world are permanently on display here, both in hangers and outside (not a place to visit in the summer).  As a bonus, the museum sits right next to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where thousands of military airplanes are stored, some to be repaired, some to be salvaged for parts and others to be destroyed. The place is nicknamed “The Bone Yard.” You can take a tram car tour of the base directly from the museum. Well worth it.

I’ve shown you a couple of aircraft pictures before on these pages, and today I am sharing another one:  This is a B58-A bomber (nicknamed the Hustler), formerly used by the Strategic Air Command.  It could carry up to four nuclear bombs and was flown by a three man crew.  Here is more about the B58 from Wikipedia:

“The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber, and the first capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the late 1950s. Originally intended to fly at high altitudes and speeds to avoid Soviet fighters, the introduction of highly accurate Soviet surface-to-air missiles forced the B-58 into a low-level penetration role that severely limited its range and strategic value. This led to a brief operational career between 1960 and 1969. Its specialized role was succeeded by other American supersonic bombers, such as the FB-111A and the later B-1B Lancer.”

In my much younger days, I always thought this was a cool airplane and secretly wanted to fly one. It never happened of course, but I still think it is a cool.