Postcard from Chicago

There is a unquantifiable trigger in the mind of an artist when they know immediately they have created something special. It is a special feeling that overwhelms one’s state of mind and is impossible to put into words. So it is with this image.

I started with a concept based on a sketch I had done previously. And although the final image turned out to be different than what I had originally envisioned, the original concept was fulfilled. In fact it was fulfilled way beyond my original expectations.

I recently watched a film called “The Prestige” about magicians and their tricks. In it, one of the characters said that to reveal the secret of a trick is to give away its value, and something very special becomes quite ordinary and unspectacular. I thought about that line in depth and how it applied to my photography and paintings.

So for that reason, I won’t go into detail about the creation of this image…except to say it started from an original photograph I took in Chicago that I turned into a sketch. You have probably seen photos of the Chicago Theater on State Street as it is one of great landmarks of the “Windy City.”

Unlike a magician’s illusion, this illusion is real. I created it out of my own artistic voice and it hit an artistic home run, at least in my mind. I titled the image, “The Old Chicago Scrapbook.” But it is not a photograph of a real book. It is the pure invention of an artist.      

Thank you for letting me puff out my chest and brag a little…I hope you understand. I would be interested in hearing your views on this image, if you care to share them.

(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 Tucson

Spring is bustin’ out all over…to paraphrase an old, old song. It also describes perfectly what is happening now, here in Tucson. The wildflowers are out in abundance. I live in the western foothills above Tucson, and the hillsides are carpeted in yellow and pink. On Monday, I ran an errand…and there they were. Surprised the heck out of me! I was out and about two days before and didn’t see a one. 

Frankly, I am surprised to see any this year. I wasn’t sure we had enough winter rain to make it happen. Last year, we had no wildflowers to speak of. But, it all must have come together because we are loaded this year.

I will let you in on a little secret…this picture is from 2010 when we had a banner wildflower year. But, right now, it looks just about the same. I haven’t been out with my camera yet, but will shortly.

Spring is a special time in southern Arizona. Not only are the wildflowers in bloom (and soon the cactus flowers), but the temperatures are just perfect…it was 72 yesterday and will be 77 today. Baseball has already started, college games are underway; major league teams are in camp and will start the Cactus League games shortly. Even though we don’t have any teams training here anymore, there will be three major league spring training games played in Tucson in March.

In a couple of weeks, we have the Tucson Book Festival, one of the largest of its kind in the nation. And of course concerts and lectures continue. The UofA Jazz Festival will be in two weeks. Spring is an amazing, wonderful time here in Tucson, and you can bet I will be taking it all in…in shorts and a t-shirt of course. 

(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

Now admit it…when was the last time you saw a speech made in 1893 spelled out in lights on a grand staircase? Well here it is. This is inside the Chicago Institute of Art. Here you see just one of the staircases. There are others, all with parts of the speech spelled out in lights. It was quite a sight to behold for the first time.

The speech was given in 1893 by Swami Vivekananda at First World Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago in conjunction with the World’s Columbia Exposition. The Parliament was the earliest attempt to create a global dialogue of religious faiths, and Vivekananda, eloquently addressing its 7,000 attendees, argued for an end of fanaticism and a respectful recognition of all traditions of belief through universal tolerance. A great idea.

The staircase was the brainchild of Indian artist Jitish Kallat. His goal was to connect two historical moments: the First World Parliament of Religions held on September 11, 1893, and the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on that very date, 108 years later.

The work is called Public Notice #3 and is a comment on the evolution, or devolution, of religious tolerance across the 20th and 21st centuries. I think the latter is more the case. I personally find religious intolerance to be intolerable, but once more, we find ourselves steeped in fanaticism throughout the world, even among religions that supposedly have their origins in the same place.

It’s ironic that this staircase, representing a speech on religious intolerance, leads up to some of the most beautiful paintings in the world. I guess the Swami’s speech fell on deaf ears.

(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 Utah

It seems there is no end to the beauty of southern Utah…and there may not be. This image was taken in Long Canyon, a fantastic part of the Burr Trail. The Burr trail is a side road that comes off of Utah’s famous Highway 12, maybe one of the most beautiful highways in America.

The Burr Trail begins in Boulder, UT and is clearly marked. It winds for 68 miles, of which only the first18 miles are paved. I must admit that I never went past the point where the paved road ends, mainly because it has just rained.

The complete road runs down through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument into Capital Reef National Park and then to Bullfrog in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Almost the entire road can be called “scenic,” to put it mildly.

Long Canyon is 12 miles from Boulder and is 7 miles long…hence the name. It is absolutely beautiful as you might guess from this photo. You approach the canyon from up on high which gives you a spectacular view of the first section of it. When I got there, a rain storm was just ending, so I had fabulous clouds all the way through the canyon. I got lucky that day!

The narrow canyon itself is enclosed by sheer walls of Wingate sandstone which tower hundreds of feet above the road. The sandstone has fractured and eroded, forming alcoves. Some of the dark red sandstone has been leached by water to a whitish shade, and black desert varnish stains some of the vertical walls. There is even a small arch, if you look closely.

If you ever make it down that way, be sure and take a drive down this amazing road…or even part of it. Be sure and stop often in Long Canyon to appreciate all of its treasures. A word of caution…if you want to do the entire drive, make sure it has not rained for a few days. The dirt section of the road can become impassable, even for all wheel drives.

(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 Zion

Wouldn’t you just love to sit by yourself at this spot to watch the sun go down and contemplate your life, nature, and how good it is to be at a place like this? Actually, so would I. When you are at this spot at sunset, especially in Autumn, you are not alone. You are usually surrounded by many photographers…in fact if you want a good spot, you better get there at least an hour early.

Zion National Park is an extremely popular place in November because of the Autumn colors, of course. And this spot is probably the most popular spot in Zion at sunset…or really any time of day.

It easy to find. Its only a couple of miles from the south entrance to the park…and its on the only automobile bridge that crosses the Virgin River. One must stand on the sidewalk on the bridge because if you don’t, you run the risk of being yelled at by a park ranger. And it’s a narrow sidewalk, which is another reason to come early.

The large mountain formation in the photo is called The Watchman. To get a good shot, it needs to be at sunset, so you get a red glow off of the the Watchman and the other nearby rock formations…and you definitely want some clouds. This is probably not the best collection of clouds ever seen here, but it was by far the best of the 4 days that I tried to get the right shot. My friend Dave, who was next to me on the bridge, says he has come here for 10 years and has only been satisfied with one photo over all that time.

So me, I will have to settle for this shot, but I do like it as I captured the sunset glow off the mountains as well as a few clouds. Like some of the other Zion photos shown here, this was a five exposure shot, reduced into one using the Exposure Fusion method.

By the way, if you turn 180 degrees and walk to the other side of the bridge, you will see this view:

  

Not a bad spot to spend sunset at, eh?

(To see a larger version of either 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 Zion

In this blog, I am going to give you a chance to compare an HDR photo with an Exposure Fusion photo. In my last blog, I talked about the differences between HDR and Exposure Fusion…without showing you the differences. Today, I am going to give you the chance to compare two similar images.

Back on December 12, I shared a similar image in this blog. The difference between that one and this one is I used the Exposure Fusion method on this latest image. In the December image, I used HDR (High Dynamic Range).

Both shots were originally done using five exposures at the same location, then blended down into one shot using one of the two methods.

You can click on the above link and see the HDR image in the original December blog. But a better method would be to click on this link in one tab of your browser (this image), then click on this link (the Dec. 12 image) in a second tab. What you will see are the two images in a larger size to give you a chance to compare each method side-by-side.

In my opinion, the newest version done with Exposure Fusion image gives a better photographic rendering and is less painterly. But, you decide which is better. I would definitely love to hear your opinion.

If you would like a little more detail on the differences between the two processes and why they differ, I recommend this short article from the Digital Photography School Website. Don’t worry, it isn’t too technical.

Again, please drop me a note a share your impressions.

(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 Zion

This photo was taken early one morning at the Court of Patriarchs inside Zion National Park. It only shows part of the “Court,” but that is fine. Turns out this is the only shot I got this morning with any semblance of the dawn’s early light. My friend Dave, who was with me on this expedition, arrived before dawn and set up our cameras and tripods.

Dave chose a spot further down the Virgin River, while I was a little further upstream on a sandy beach. We had preselected our spots the day before. This location is difficult to find the right spot as there are a ton of trees on both sides of the river. I don’t mind the ones on the other side, as you see here, they enhance the scene. The ones on this side of the river block the view, making it difficult to see the Court in all its splendor. Shooting through trees seldom renders any quality photo.

After setting up, we patiently waited for dawn…and waited…and waited. Oh,  the sun came up right on schedule, but it was behind a cloud. Then, for one brief moment, it partially broke through just enough for me to get this shot. Then hid itself once again while I patiently wait for another breakthrough. It never happened.

Still, I like this photo with its little bit of sunlight and, of course, the setting moon sneaking into the picture. A little pink in the clouds doesn’t hurt either. Sadly, Dave came away with nothing. Such is the photographer’s life.

For those interested in the technique, I exposed this scene in 5 rapid shots, each with a slightly different aperture setting. My original plan was to use and HDR software program to combine the images, then finished the final image off in Photoshop.

But by the time I got to finally work on this image, I discovered a new technique called “Exposure Fusion.” It works the same way as HDR, but (without boring you with details), it combines the images in a different manner. My experiments show that most Exposure Fusion photos come out with a more photo-realistic image, less painterly than HDR.

I will continue to experiment with both processes and see which will win out in the long run. But right now, I am pretty excited about this new process. Stay tuned…and you be the judge.

(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

I photographed this image back in May last year while cruising downtown Oakland for architectural masterpieces…something I love to do in big cities This image is from inside the Catholic Cathedral, appropriately named “The Cathedral of Christ the Light.” I titled this image, “A Not-So-Divine Mystery.”

Now I thought that was pretty clever on my part. But to explain, the Catholic Church has a term called “Divine Mysteries”…and according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “This term signifies in general that which is unknowable, or valuable knowledge that is kept secret.” That would be things like communion, where the host turns into the body of Christ…or Christ’s ascension into heaven. In other words, mysteries that cannot be explained in logical, scientific terms. (Apologies to any Catholics or Christians if I get this wrong)

But the not-so-divine mystery here is…what the heck is this thing I photographed? Well, I won’t hold you in suspense. This architectural oddity is above the the rear of the church, where one enters or exits. It appears to be convex on the inside, but outside it is concave. So directly behind this structure is downtown Oakland…and the diagonal lines you see is light coming through. I think it works well as a black and white photo.

Interestingly, there is an exact replica of this structure in the front of the church, over the altar. But this one has a very large projection of Christ that appears to be behind it. It is quite striking, to say the least.  

The slats you see coming into both sides of the structure are louvered slats that run the entire length of the church that can change the amount of light being fed inside. The entire structure is quite innovative and ingenious and I encourage you to make a visit if you are ever in Oakland. It is open every day for visits and tours…and non-Catholics are welcome. After all, they let me and my camera come in. 

(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 Yosemite

This is Mirror Lake, although its closer to being a pond these days. It is located at the lower end of Tenaya Canyon, just below the famous Half Dome. I’ve been coming to this spot since I was a little boy. Although I have taken its picture many times, this photo was shot in May of 2011 on my most recent trip. The mountain reflection you see is Mt. Watkins.

In the old days, you could drive right to it. Today, you have to take one of the shuttle buses that drops you off at the trail head to the lake. From there is a mile walk to this spot. Actually, it is not a trail…it is the old paved road my family used to take back in the 50’s. I am not sure when they shut the road down for regular traffic. No matter. It’s a lovely, easy walk along Tenaya Creek directly below the face of Half Dome.

If you would like to see it, I recommend you do it sooner rather than later. You see, Mirror Lake is disappearing.

Mirror Lake is about the last remnant of the Old Yosemite Lake that once filled the entire Yosemite Valley. The lake was created by the melting of the last glacier that helped carved out this magnificent landscape. The original lake was anywhere from 300 to 600 feet deep, but was eventually filled in by the process of sedimentation. But a few remnants of it can be found throughout the National Park.

Today, Mirror Lake is fed by Tenaya Creek, which flows out of Tenaya Lake up in the high country. Over time, the creek deposits sediments from the lake and from its long journey down the canyon, thereby eventually displacing the water. For years, the National Park Service went in to remove the debris in order to keep Mirror Lake in a more pristine state for the tourists.

Eventually that policy was changed so Mirror Lake will one day disappear. A sad ending for me personally as this place is one my sacred icons. But our planet is always changing. The old expression, “Let nature take its course,” is perfectly suited for Mirror Lake.

(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 Virgin

Yes, my friends, there really is a town called Virgin, and its in Utah (of course). This small town, located near Zion National Park, has less than a thousand people, and is known for two things…first and foremost, the town passed a law that requires every homeowner to keep and maintain a firearm, which includes ammo for it. There is a $500 fine for not complying with this law. The town council passed the ordinance in the year 2000 after residents expressed fear that their Second Amendment right to bear arms was under fire (no pun intended).

Exceptions have been made for the mentally ill, convicted felons, conscientious objectors and people who cannot afford to own a gun. I for one am happy about those exclusions as I passed through Virgin several times in November when driving to and from my hotel to Zion Park.

The second thing that makes the town interesting is this old west village just outside of town. I think it is a museum of sorts. What you see here is just part of it…these rather strange-shaped buildings that make you think you are in the Twilight Zone. There is very little info about it on the Internet…even the town’s official Website doesn’t even mention it.

In some shared photos, tourists have incorrectly identified it as a ghost town. I don’t think there ever was a town in the old west that looked like this! Some of the buildings have signs on them like,”Undertaker,” the “OK Corral,” “The Wild Ass Saloon,” and, of course, “The Virgin Jail.” 

Sadly, I never went in to explore the place…the only time I stopped was to take a few pictures. It looked like a tourist trap to me.

As a side note, I hope someone someday will explain the obsession that Utah folks have with the term, “Virgins.” There is the town Virgin, located on the Virgin River, which runs by the Towers of the Virgins mountain formation inside Zion Park. With no disrespect meant to any religious faith, its just a little eerie…that’s all. But each to their own.

(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 Glacier

This is Avalanche Creek, a lovely, normal creek that flows out of beautiful Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park. It’s normal, that is until it hits this rocky narrow canyon, then it becomes what is commonly called “rapids” as it rips through these narrows on the final part of its  journey to Lake McDonald.  

To get to this lovely view spot, just take the trail to Avalanche Lake. Shortly after leaving the parking area, you will see a bridge off to the left of the main trail. Just walk over to it and enjoy the beauty you see here.

But, if I were you, after viewing this lovely scene, I would rejoin the trail and keep going until you come to Avalanche Lake. It’s only about 3 miles round trip and well worth it. I showed photos of it here some time ago…it is a beautiful lake surrounded by steep high mountains with several waterfalls pouring into the lake. It is spectacular! And the scenery along the trail (and the more quieter parts of the creek) are also very enjoyable. Take your time and breathe it all in. Its well worth the journey if you are ever in Glacier National Park.

(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 Lassen

This is Mt. Lassen as seen from Kings Creek Meadow. The creek meandering through the picture is (surprise!) Kings Creek. This meadow is at 7,400 feet elevation and about 4,000 feet below the Lassen Summit.

Nothing tricky about getting here as this scene was shot from alongside the road that traverses Lassen Volcanic National Park in California.  But it will involve a substantial drive, elevation wise. It is not far from the road’s highest point. But it is worth the drive as there are many rewards along the road including some lakes, meadows, rivers, steam vents, and of course, some tremendous views of this magnificent mountain.

It was pretty evident when I shot this photo that I would render it in black and white. The scene was perfect for it as it rendered the visual elements far more persuasively than if I had left it in color. Being so high in altitude, the light was crisp and clear of any negative elements like haze.

For your information, Lassen Park is in Northern California and is part of the Cascade Range, not the Sierras. The Cascades run from just north of Redding, California into Oregon, Washington, then on into Canada. It is a range of volcanoes, many of them considered active. Besides Lassen, the mountains include Shasta, Hood, St. Helens, Adams, and, of course Rainier… to name a few.

Of all the volcanoes in the Cascades, several of them are classified as active. We all know about St. Helens, but did you know that Lassen erupted during the years 1914-17? In all, 11 of the 13 volcanoes in the U.S. portion of the Cascade Range have erupted at least once in the past 4,000 years, and 7 have done so in just the past 200 years.

It would be a major catastrophe if a Rainier or Hood blew their tops as they are so close to major cities like Seattle and Portland. Vancouver, BC would be devastated if Mt. Garibaldi blew. In all, over 10 million people live around these three volcanoes.

But, after eruptions, over many years, and long after they quiet down, Mother Nature heals the damage, leaving behind some spectacular scenery…such as Kings Creek Meadow.

(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 Quartzite, AZ

Colors Colors Colors

Colors colors colors
Give them to me
Full sky and spaces
My longing to see
Fill every dream way
Of its inside food
Let harp strings play
Their songs hued

Colors colors colors
Come here to be
Vast as the ocean
Tinctures explosions
The rivers of dreams
Inside their reams
Calling out the fire
Of spring come desire

Colors colors colors
Never be empty
With shading in places
Their tone so free
With nature in bright
And greenery lay
And in summer's night
With coming of May

Peter S Quinn

 

(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

I’ve talked about the “El”, aka the Elevated Railway that runs throughout the great Chicago area, but I don’t believe I‘ve ever shown a photo of it. To be more precise, this section of the El is known as “The Loop” in downtown Chicago.

The El is Chicago’s Rapid Transit System, the second longest system in the US, smaller only to New York’s subway system. It began operations in 1892 and now consists of 8 separate lines, each designated by a color. It is run by the Chicago Transit Authority. All the lines, except the Red Line converge into the Loop, make a giant circle, then head out again on their various routes. The Loop is circular, but is actually shaped in the form a giant rectangle in the downtown area. This, of course, lets people from all over greater Chicago enter and exit into and out of the downtown area.

For instance, the Green Line starts way down on the Southside, comes into the loop, then heads due west to places like Oak Park. The Blue Line takes you out to O’Hare Airport while the Orange Line runs from the Loop out to Midway Airport.

This photo, looking north, shows the Loop as it runs on top of Wabash Street, near Adams. To get to a train, you would climb one level up from the street. The second level you see is just a bridge above the tracks to take you to the other side, if your train comes in there.    

I mentioned that the Red Line does not go into the loop. When I took this photo, I was standing on top of the Red Line as it comes into the downtown area underground. However, most of the Red Line is elevated above the city. FYI, the Red Line runs north and south and goes by both baseball stadiums…US Cellular Field on the Southside, and Wrigley Field to the North.  

In my trips to Chicago I rode on several of the lines and always found it to be an enjoyable experience. The El got me where I was going as fast as it could. I will never forget my first view of Wrigley Field was from the car of a Red Line train coming into the Addison Street Station. WOW! Chicago is definitely a very special place.

(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 Tucson

This is one of those images that started out as one thing and turned into something entirely different. Let me explain.

My camera and I were wandering around the University of Arizona campus looking for different architectural elements. You have seen some of these photos in past blogs. I saw these interesting steps that were wide at the bottom and nearly converged at the top. I tried photographing them at different angles and thought I might find something of interest.

Later, when looking at photos in Lightroom, they were all duds! And I mean really boring duds. I almost erased them when I started playing with one of them and narrowed down the point of view to just the end of the steps and the rail. And for some reason, I liked what I had.

As you can see, there are lines that are straight, then take off in right angles and a rail rising up at and angle that gave the image depth. A little more cropping and some more Photoshop magic and I had a special image. Of course it is in black and white as there is no color to distract your eye (there was not much color to begin with).  So, you see the elements of the image as they are meant to be seen. 

Unlike some of my photos, I never tire of seeing this one. I hope you enjoy it also. If nothing else, it is a good lesson on the value of cropping and never giving up on an image until you have explored all the possibilities.

(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 Yosemite

Back in May of last year, I showed you a photo very similar to this one. In fact it was taken on the same day and nearly at the same time. In going through my photos the other day, I found that I had a better composition of this same scene.

This one has much more emphasis on the reflections in the water. I must admit I am surprised I missed this image when reviewing the photos from my May trip to this great National Park. I am glad I went back and looked again.

Like the previous one, this can be classified as an HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo. I shot 5 successive photos instantaneously at different exposures, then combined them into one shot in post-processing…plus a little touch-up in Photoshop. I must say I love experimenting with HDR as it puts one’s photographic skills to the test like none other. But, in many cases, like this particular shot, it is the only way to go.

Here’s why:

This was photographed at the last waning moments of sunset where only Half Dome and the sky are lit up. The Merced River and the surrounding forest are in deep, deep shade. There is no way a single exposure with today’s camera could capture this scene…even using graduated neutral density filters (that is a topic for another day). I would love to thank the person or persons who came up with the concept of HDR…it adds new dimensions to what is capable with digital photography.

For your information, this was taken on the bridge that leads to Yosemite Village, just past the chapel. Trust me…you can’t miss it. It’s a good place to bring your camera (and tripod if shooting at sunset) to photograph this wonderful scene.

(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 Ellensburg

There is a special little section of Washington State where I used to go every October to photograph when I called that state home. It is located just south of Ellensburg and yielded some wonderful Autumn images over the years. It had country roads loaded with trees, small farms, a river, ponds, nature trails and more. A few images from there became best-selling paintings and one photo even showed up on the cover of a music CD.

As I approached the area early one October Sunday morning, I saw a ground fog had enveloped the area and I knew some special images might just come my way. What you see here is one of them. The newly risen sun was filtered by the fog enough that I didn’t get any lens flare and the filtered light let me capture everything in the photo. I have a few more images from that morning that I will share with you in the future. As you might guess, the fog burned off fairly quickly so I had to move pretty fast to capture what I could.

Living here in the deep Southwest, I don’t get to see very much of Autumn. In November, I had to travel up to Zion to see those colors again. So I hope that those of you who live where Autumn shows all its glory can appreciate how special you have it.

On a personal note, I enjoyed my time away from blogging during the Christmas holiday, but am happy to be back. My wonderful son surprised me on Christmas day with a brand new high speed computer system with a large 23” monitor. Now, I can do my post processing and painting work at vastly accelerated speeds and they look better than ever before. I am a lucky guy.

(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 Zion

This image, from last month’s trip to Zion, shows the “Great White Throne” (left) and a large rock formation known as “The Organ.” Barely visible at the bottom of the image is the Virgin River. I am not sure of the significance of all the names used in Zion National Park. You would have to ask someone with knowledge of the Book of Mormon…and that is not me. Obviously, since it is in Utah, the names make sense.

All I know is that it is one of the most spectacular places on the planet and I love going there. By the way, the location of these two rock formations is nearly at the end of the canyon. I photographed this image in the later part of the afternoon at a place nicknamed “Photo Point.” It is located on a short trail, down below a small parking lot. There is a plaque on a rock that talks about photography…hence its name. Trust me, it is easy to find. Let your eyes be your guide.

I would love to go back in late spring or summer and capture this scene in sunlight. In November, the sun is lower in the sky and circles around the back of these two monoliths. Of course, I would not be able to capture the Autumn colors then. Stayed tuned for more photographs of Zion and other great places I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph.

(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.

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card using this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site. Don’t forget, e-mail greeting cards are free.

Postcard from Winterhaven

Free!!! Here is another photo for you to use to send out free e-greeting cards to friends and relatives. Just click on the “Free E-Card” button below the photo and follow the simple instructions. If you want to be remembered to someone and did not send out Christmas cards this year, here is your easy solution. Another Christmas gift for you!

(Note: If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card of this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site. )

Just like my last blog, this photo was taken in Winterhaven, a special neighborhood in Tucson that goes all out at Christmas. It is a tradition here to walk the neighborhood at night to see the spectacular displays set up by homeowners here. This home may not be as spectacular as the last one I showed you, but its hard to pass up a good reflection. See…it does rain in Tucson!

(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 Winterhaven

Free!!! Use this photo to send out free e-greeting cards to friends and relatives. Just click on the “Free E-Card” button below the photo and follow the simple instructions. If you want to be remembered to someone and did not send out Christmas cards this year, here is your easy solution. My gift to you!

(Note: If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card of this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site. )

If you have a good memory and read this blog on a regular basis, you know I used this photo last year at Christmas time. A year ago I didn’t have a free e-card solution…which is why I published it again…so please make use of it.

This photo was taken in Winterhaven, a special neighborhood in Tucson that goes all out at Christmas. It is a tradition here to walk the neighborhood at night to see the spectacular displays set up by homeowners here. I hope to go back again this year before Christmas and do it again.

(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 Kolob Canyon

This photo is of the Kolob Canyon in Utah. Never heard of it? Actually it is in Zion National Park. If you have spent any time in Zion, you are probably scratching your head wondering why you have never seen these mountains.

Well, they are not in the back country on some long arduous trail.  No, no. I took this photo from the road. Actually, Kolob Canyon are in the northwest section of Zion National Park. To get there, you must leave the main section of the park, head west about 30 miles to Interstate 15, then go north for about 17 miles to the Kolob Canyon exit. You will also gain in elevation from about 3,500 to approximately 6 ,000 feet (hence the presence of snow).

There is a visitor center right at the exit where you will pay your fees if you haven’t already done so at the main entrances to Zion. From there it is a short drive up and along the canyon viewpoint road where you can see views like the one here. It is a beautiful section of the park with some interesting trails to explore.

This is not one of my artsier photos, rather much more of a postcard. It was an overcast day, so the light was not good…and while Autumn was flourishing in the main part of Zion, it had long since passed here. I hope someday to go back and see it in sunlight with clouds. But, I went anyway this day as I had never been here. I am glad I did.

(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.

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card of this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site. Don’t forget, e-mail greeting cards are free.

Postcard from Zion

Travel Haiku - Zion Canyon Scenic Drive

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
my eyes rolling round
and round autumn

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
the colours of fall loosen
my frazzled nerves

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
my pressure drops and
trails the leaves

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
i am a mirror to
nature's allure

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
I help nature
admire itself

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
i feel as colourful as
the leaves

by: john tiong chunghoo

Postcard from Bryce Canyon

This is Inspiration Point, or should I say the trail leading up to Inspiration Point. Its an easy walk from the parking lot to this point, then a fairly steep climb to the top. Well, maybe not so easy as it sits at 8,000 feet. You will do a fair amount of huffing and puffing when you take this walk.

But as you can see, on this cold November day, it was snowed and iced over. There was absolutely no way I was doing this trek this day, especially as it was somewhere between 12 and 15 degrees. Still it made for a fine photograph, which was my goal on this frozen day.

Inspiration Point is close by Sunset Point where I photographed the “first light of day” image I shared with you a couple of weeks ago. Although the parking lot sign says “Inspiration Point,” it really isn’t. The point itself is at the end of a long climb up this trail. Look close (click on the image to see an enlargement) and you will see a railing where you can stop, catch your breath and take a photo or two. But that is not Inspiration Point either! It’s only about halfway there. If you look real, real close, you can see a second rail way above this rail. That is Inspiration Point. Not today, thank you very much.

Even if I had made it to the top, I would have to come down again…and I could just see myself slipping on the ice and sliding all the way down…to the bottom of the canyon. It’s OK as I have already been up there and managed to get some wonderful photos on another trip in friendlier weather.

With all that said, I still like this shot very much.

(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.

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card of this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site. Don’t forget, e-mail greeting cards are free. You can also order Christmas Cards using this or any other of my images.

Postcard from Zion

There is a bridge in Zion National Park where knowledgeable photographers gather toward sunset to hopefully capture a fantastic autumn photo of the Virgin River, some beautiful trees along its banks and a mountain known as “The Watchman”…and with some luck, some lovely pink-shaded clouds. Well, I was among the photographers for two nights waiting to capture the perfect image (The other nights the light and clouds were not good, so I did not stop).

One has to go early to get a good spot as the bridge fills up fast. Well, I was there for well over and hour both nights and did not get lucky. It looked especially good on one night, but the clouds disappeared just as the sun set. Anyway, I did capture a good image (but not great) that I will share with you soon.

But, while waiting for the sunset, I turned my camera around 180 degrees, set up on the other side of the bridge, and caught this image.  It is looking north into Zion Canyon. The river is, of course, the Virgin River. The mountain on the right is called The East Temple, and the two mountains that look alike are called "The Twins.”

I just wish I could have moved those clouds behind me near the Watchman. Then I would have had a image to die for. But this one is not bad on its own. I am just glad the photo gods gave something good to shoot that night.

(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 Zion

Here and there in Zion National Park, one finds these small groves of trees with phenomenal color. Obviously, this is one of them. It is located a short way up the Narrows Trail. To get to these groves, one has to go off trail to take the photo. Of course, this kind of color only lasts a few days, so one must plan an Autumn trip to Zion with great care. For your information and future planning, this photo was taken on 11/14/11.

In Zion, during the height of the Autumn season, yellow is by far the most predominate color. Believe it or not, it actually becomes boring to the senses. Yellow is everywhere, so it is easy to become jaded by so much of one color. So when one comes across a grove of orange and/or red trees, one immediately wants to photograph it.

In this case, I climbed a small hill to get to this grove. Once inside it, it was very difficult to find the correct location to make a photograph because there were some many possible locations…all within a few feet of each other. So, as you might imagine, I have several shots of this place. This was the first one I developed in the digital darkroom.

Next time, I promise to show you a photo of some of the sweeping vistas of Zion. Trust me, I have lots of them. 

(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 Zion

This photo shows the reason why my friend Dave and I chose to go to Zion National Park in November….color, color, color…Autumn colors mixed in with the range of colors of the Zion mountains.

This was one of the early photos I took along the Virgin River at a rock formation named “The Organ.” In a future photo you will see why it got its name. The other rock formation in the upper left part of the photo is the lower portion of “The Great White Throne.”

Here is something you can stick in your future file if you ever plan to visit Zion in Autumn: the best colors are located at the north end of the canyon where the road ends at the beginning of “The Narrows” trail. From the parking lot all the way up the narrows, the colors are absolutely amazing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, all of Zion Canyon is beautiful in November…and there are special places of intense color everywhere…some more hidden than others. But the highest concentration of red, orange, yellow and green are at the end of the canyon.

When we arrived on Zion on November 11, we came through Carmel Junction, which means we arrived in the high country of Zion, then descended into the canyon. By this date, most of the color in the high country was pretty well played out. So keep that in your file also.

Now, if you remember the last blog I did, the photo of Bryce Canyon in the snow, you may wonder why there is snow  in Bryce, but not in Zion. The answer is simple: even though the two National Parks are less the 100 miles apart, Bryce is at 8,000 feet while Zion sits at 3,500 feet.

I took lots and lots of photos on this trip, so I will be showing more of them here as time goes by. When you see color as amazing as this, you can’t stop shooting. So, I have lots of work ahead of me in the digital darkroom. So stay tuned…

Postcard from Bryce Canyon

I was not supposed to take this picture…but obviously I did. My friend and fellow professional photographer Dave Forster were on our way from Tucson to Escalante, Utah on an eight day photo road trip. To say it was a great trip would be an understatement. But, I digress.

We spent the first night in Flagstaff, AZ, as we had a late start from Phoenix (Dave flew in there from Seattle). In Flagstaff, there was a fair amount of snow on the ground from a storm that morning. It was clear when we arrived in the evening, but temps were down in the low teens. A weird event for a guy like me who was in shorts that morning in Tucson.

Anyway, we drove north on day 2, from Flagstaff to Page, AZ, then across Lake Powell into Utah. A bright sunny day, but still cold. From there we went west, then north on Highway 89, running into snow on the ground here and there. From 89, we took Utah’s most beautiful highway, 12 east heading to Escalante. By now it was sunset. We drove through Red Canyon then climbed up to the turnoff to Bryce Canyon. At this point, there was snow all over the ground.

Originally, we had made the decision to skip Bryce as we both had a ton of sunrise photos.  But, with snow all over the ground, we changed our plans to come back to Bryce before dawn the next morning to see what we could capture with our cameras.

We spent the night in Cannonville, about a 25 minute drive from Bryce. Sure enough, we rose before sunset and headed back west to Bryce Canyon, which is at an elevation of 8,000 feet. It was cold of course, but we set up our cameras and waited for the sun to break the horizon. This was my first trip ever to see Bryce in the snow.

And obviously, I wasn’t disappointed. An as the sun broke the horizon, I took this photo. If you look on the far left, you will see a little lens flair from the first light of the sun. This was one of those five shot fast exposures, all taken a different apertures, then combined into one shot. I think it turned out rather well. I have more photos of Bryce in the snow that I will share with you over time.   

From there we went a couple of miles down to Ruby’s Inn for breakfast, then headed east again for Escalante and the Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Much more to come so stay tuned.

(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 Zion

This is the Virgin River at toward sunset…taken on my last trip to Zion National Park in southern Utah. I shot this four years ago in Autumn, just a few days before Thanksgiving. It was nearing the end of the Autumn season.

I show you this one today as I am about to leave for Zion again to photograph the the peak of the Autumn season (I hope). That is my way of saying that I am heading out for one of my photographic safaris and won’t be writing this blog for a couple of weeks. I hope you will forgive my absence…but I need to restock my images (so to speak) with all new photos from this magnificent national park. I believe I am a better photographer now than I was four years ago, so I am hoping for some spectacular images.

My friend and fellow professional photographer Dave Forster is flying in from the Northwest to join me once again. We do this about twice a year and I always look forward to our adventures. If luck and the weather hold, we also hope to head further north to the Escalante region of Utah. We need a little luck with this part of the trip as the roads we intend to travel for our photos are all dirt and if it rains, they close. So we are crossing our fingers.

We will probably make some other stops along the way so stay tuned for some unexpected surprises as I take photos along the way and post them when I can. Don’t forget, I also have a camera in my smart phone so can post those right away (if I have signal). So take care of yourselves while I venture into the wilds of southern Utah.

(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 Somewhere in WA

If you take Highway 25 north out of Davenport, WA, you will pass through some lonely farm country, small obscure towns and some of the best artistic photographic opportunities in the Northwest. Now, mind you, your mind must be prepared for all things old and rustic, and you must stop and look at places very carefully to find your best photo opportunities. It will also help to have a good post-processing software like Photoshop to make these images a little more interesting.

Highway 25 takes you by old wooden barns, both standing, half standing, or fallen down…by old abandoned vehicles (they are everywhere), a casino, and some beautiful scenery along the shores of Lake Roosevelt. And, if you stay on the road, you will eventually hit the Canadian Border. But it’s the rustic buildings and cars that captured most of my attention.

If you are a long-time reader of this blog, you’ve seen many many photos and digital painting of scenery along this road. And there are a few that you have not seen…yet.

This is an old barn that is much closer to Davenport than Canada, but darned if I can remember exactly where it is. A friend of mine, who has been on this road recently, said this barn is now gone, blown over by a major wind storm that hit northeastern Washington. I imagine some of the other barns along Highway 25 also suffered the same fate.

I took several images of this barn, trying to find the right one…and it was this one that had the most possibilities. By the way, I did very little to the window frame…like make it black and white. What you see is the real color.

If there is any lesson to be learned here its just that you should not be afraid to take a photo of something old and broken down. I took this photo over four years ago and it was only very recently that I decided what I wanted to do with it. All it took was some cropping and some creative solutions inside Photoshop. But, that is true with most of my images. They almost never come out of the camera ready for display. But the majority are still well composed images that just need a little help to make them pop. Welcome to the digital photo age!

(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 the Oregon Coast

Ocean is as one with the world

As I Stare out into the Sea,
I can feel the soft oceans breeze
the warmth from the sun
the grass dances with the whistling wind
the ocean is filled with thoughts
and mysteries,
I feel the cool water
the ocean is alive filled with lost souls
washing emotions up onto the shore
My feet sink in the softness of the sand
The ocean is made up of dreams
and achievements,
My mind lies in the heart of the ocean
The rocks are bones
Out in the open the waves settle and
wait for their attack,
I feel as one with the ocean
as the ocean feels like one
with the world.

 

Izabelle Sheridan

 

(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

Welcome back to downtown Chicago. This is one of the gargoyle statues that are perched on Chicago’s Harold Washington Library Center, the central library for Chicago’s extensive library system.  The library was named for the first African-American mayor of Chicago. Gargantuan and almost goofy, this granite-and-brick edifice is a uniquely postmodern homage to Chicago's great architectural past.

There is a gargoyle at each of the four corners of the building, plus a large wide one over the front entrance on State Street. Some say that the huge, gargoyle-like sculptures atop the building are owls, a symbol of wisdom. And if you closely at this one, you can see that might be true. But, without that close examination, all I see is a gargoyle.

Whatever they are, the library is quite a special place, both inside and out. Of course it has an amazing repository of books on its 10 floors, but it also features art by many of Chicago’s most renown artists. Chicago's rich musical heritage comes alive in the eighth floor's Visual and Performing Arts Division, home of the Chicago Blues Archives and Jazz/Blues/Gospel Hall of Fame.

Put this on your list of things-to-do in Chicago.

(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 Mt. Rainier

I took this photo on my one and only trip to Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington. It was a beautiful day and I was trekking through a beautiful forest. It just seemed like a natural place to stop and take a photo.

I love this image as it reminds me of the hundreds of trails I‘ve been on throughout my life. I have a fascination with unexplored trails, ever since I was a little boy. I used to stand on them and wonder where they went…and what was over the next rise or around the bend.

I drove my poor parents crazy as a little boy. I would see a trailhead with a destination sign on it and just take off. Mostly I was up in the high country of Yosemite, near White Wolf Lodge. There was a trail sign there that had 8 destinations on it…and I wanted to go to them all. The trail began in a lovely meadow and disappeared into the forest. I took that trail several times to distant lakes and meadows…and oh yes, forgot to tell my parents I was doing it.

Boy, did I hear about it when I got back. I feel sorry for them having a son with an incurable wanderlust. On that sign, there was one destination I really wanted to see, a place called Ten Lakes. It was a 10 mile hike one-way, and I was told it was very difficult, mostly uphill with some severe switchbacks near the end. As a little boy, I never got to take that hike as no one would go with me.

But a few years later when I was in college, I did that hike and made it all the way up and back. And they were right…the trail was a bitch, especially those switchbacks! But I did it! When I got there I had a terrible blister on the back of my foot. Then it started to rain. It poured on me for 10 miles, all the way back to my car…barefoot. That may be one of the prouder moments of my life…setting a goal as a kid, then later making it come true, no matter what the hardships.

So a simple trail like the one you see here reminds me of all the trails I’ve  been on and the many goals I’ve accomplished. And you know what? I am not done yet.   

(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 the Cascades

 

Beautiful Leaves Of Autumn

Lovely memories of the Autumn
Appears once again in life
With yellow, brown, red and green
Leaves of life that scattered and survived

When bitter sweet nostalgic story of life
With shadow and shine appears
And spreads its beauty and its grace
Under which the long path of life disappears

Disappears under the joyful burden
And loads of the beautiful fallen leaves
That dance all around and sing with smiles
The lovely song of Autumn brief

For God has made this lovely season
A source of love, peace and cheer
In which we get another chance
To shed the burden of pain's layer

And this is the magical and pretty season
In which we can joyously gather sunshine
And enjoy lovely breeze that blows all around
And call it the gift and bliss of divine

For the lovely dry leaves of Autumn bring
Beautiful colors like the blooming Spring
Where red, yellow, brown and green is seen
With God's grace and love and beauty's ring.

Seema Chowdhury

 

(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 Monument Valley

This may be the only photograph I ever show here of Monument Valley. For those who are unfamiliar with with it, Monument Valley lies in southeastern Utah, just over the Arizona border. It was made famous in several John Ford western movies, a few staring John Wayne. It is a fantastic surreal landscape that boggles the mind and the photographer’s imagination. A photographer could spend days exploring its amazing sites.

Sadly, unless you have a large bank account, it isn’t really possible. You see, Monument Valley is owned and operated by the Navajo Nation whose sole interest is getting as much money from you as possible to see the place. First, to get into the park costs $5 per person. That seems OK at first glance. But what you get for your money is free admission to the gift shop and museum…and one decent view of a small part of the park…the one you see here.

Want to see more? Then you pay more. You can take a rough dirt road into the valley only during certain daylight hours. So if you want a great sunrise or sunset shot, forget it (the hours are later in the summer months, but still not during the peak “golden light” hours). Oh, and by the way, you cannot get out of the car to take photos or even look. It is sacred tribal land and only members of the tribe can do that.

Of course there are guided mobile tours you can take for a pretty penny. Sorry I don’t know how much and it is not on their Web Site, for some reason. Now, if you want that glorious sunrise or sunset shot, you can pay a native guide and spend the night in the park…but these fees are in the hundreds of dollars.

It is sad that such a place of amazing beauty costs so very much to see. It is also sad that it could not have been taken over by the National Parks Department so its wondrous sites can be enjoyed by all. I understand and respect the fact that it is the property of the Navajo Nation, but still…. When you come to a privately owned place like this, or other places like Sedona, you really come to appreciate how wonderful and amazing our National Park System really is.

My advise if you want to see part of the park, just stay on the main highway…there is much to see along the road. However you will need a long lens on your camera to capture some of the amazing natural stone sculptures. 

Postcard from Oregon

I photographed this image on the Oregon Coast back in January of 2001. Since it was taken over 10 years ago, you can probably guess I used a film camera, not a digital one. The name of the piece is “Infinite Beach.” Since the beach and the sky seem to go on forever, I think it is an appropriate name. I love how the clouds flow parallel to the white sand beach.

Sadly, I cannot remember where I took it, but my best guess is that it is somewhere along the Central Oregon Coast, but I won’t swear to that. Like many good images, I got lucky with the light and the sky. I was worried when I got here (wherever here is) that the clouds would block the setting sun and it would not get a very good image. But, as luck would have it, I got enough of a sunset peaking through the clouds to make it a very special photo.

I have been having fun lately going through some of my old digital images scanned from slides…and updating them with my latest photographic tools. As the technology gets better, so do some of my images. Still, no matter how good one’s tools are, good images are made in the camera, whether it is film or digital. After that, Photoshop and other similar tools can only enhance and improve what is there. Bad images are still bad images no matter how many computer tools one has.

I miss my occasional trips to the coastlines of Oregon, Washington and California. Being in Tucson, my closet beaches are in Mexico…and you know I am not going there.

(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 British Columbia

Back in the 1990’s, I used to go up near Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada to a unique cabin just to rest and relax. I would go for a week to 10 days just to unwind, relax, and take photos. This cabin was special in many ways as it was off the beaten track and right on Kootenay Lake. I loved going there…sometimes alone and sometime with my friend Susan.

Most of British Columbia is all mountains, and Kootenay Lake is set between the Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges. Just a few miles north was the town of Kaslo, which I have written about here before. Go a few miles south, and you can take the toll-free ferry across the lake to Balfour.

But no matter what I did during the day, I always got a glass of wine and sat out on the front porch in the late afternoon to enjoy the scenery and read a book. One day, I just got up from my chair, grabbed my camera, took this picture, then, I immediately sat down and continued my read.

Of course, being in the 90’s it was shot on film…no digital then. But I always loved this photo as it reminded me of good times, relaxation, and peace and quiet…which is why I went there.  There was no radio or TV or phone or even cell service . In the evenings, I would cook dinner, listen to some classical music on CD’s I brought with me, and read some more. I was isolated in perfect peace and contentment. How often has that happened to you?  

(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 Port Townsend

I had some post-processing fun with this photo. This is the Jefferson County Courthouse, located in Port Townsend, WA.  It is a historic building, built in the 1890’s. The day I photographed this image, it was not the best light. The day was a bit overcast and even foggy at times. But with the help of Photoshop and a couple of my favorite plug-ins, I was able to create an interesting photo with a lot of magical, mystical qualities. It has the quality of an HDR photo, but was not done using the standard HDR techniques

Port Townsend lies at the Northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula. It is a charming small town that offers some nice opportunities for browsing, shopping, and even photographic opportunities for camera nuts like me. It is well worth a visit.

Thanks to the on-line city guide to Port Townsend, here is a little more information on its history:

“Originally named 'Port Townshend' by Captain George Vancouver (for his friend the Marquis of Townshend) in 1792, Port Townsend was immediately recognized as a good, safe harbor, which it remains to this day. The official settlement of the city took place on the 24th of April, 1851. Called the "City of Dreams" because of the early speculation that the city would be the largest harbor on the west coast, wealthy and prosperous, somehow though, those early dreams failed to materialize...”

To get to Port Townsend, you either take a ferry boat from Whidbey Island (north of Seattle) across the Puget Sound…OR, drive south from Seattle to Tacoma, where the Olympic Peninsula meets the Washington State mainland, then go north up the Peninsula. Either way is a rewarding trip.

(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 San Francisco

This is a sketch of the famous Ferry Building in San Francisco. I first created a simple sketch from an original photograph, then overlaid it on a piece of digital wrinkled paper. I really like the simple effect and may do some more of these in the future.

As for the Ferry Building, it sits at the edge of the bay the end of the City’s famous Market Street on the Embarcadero. Since the 1800’s it served as the embarkation point for ferry service across the bay to Oakland. In fact it still does, with an addition ferry to take tourists around to Fisherman’s Wharf and over to Marin County. Having been raised in and around the City, I rode the ferries several times in my early life. My family would take the ferry to Oakland, then board the Southern Pacific train to Oregon.

The current building was built in 1898 to replace a wooden structure that stood there for years. It survived both the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes. Until the completion of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s it was the second busiest transit terminal in the world, second only to London's Charing Cross Station.

Today, it serves not only as a ferry terminal, but also as an upscale gourmet marketplace and office building. I will be in San Francisco again in early 2012 and plan to ride the ferry again, just for old time’s sake. I’v traveled a great deal in my life and been to many famous cities around the world, but San Francisco is still at the top of my list as a favorite destination.   

(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 the Cascades

Like most days, I sit here in shorts and a t-shirt enjoying my retirement in Tucson. Today, it’s a cool 85 outside…I say cool because it has been in the 90’s and low 100’s up until a couple of days ago. It’s easy to forget that much of the nation is experiencing Autumn, especially in my old home area of Eastern Washington.

So, I take this opportunity to show you a photo I took a couple of years ago near Leavenworth in the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. It makes me remember how much I loved the Autumn season when I lived there, going out with my camera for many years in October and just taking in all the color that nature had to offer.

When I did art shows in Leavenworth, I stayed in my small travel trailer just outside of town. All I had to do was walk out the front door and I would be hit in the face with some of the most beautiful color nature has to offer. Some of my best Autumn photos shown here in the past were taken within walking distance of my trailer. I really miss those photo opportunities as well as the joy of a clear crisp Autumn day in the Cascades.

Not that I am unhappy with where I live now…quite the contrary…I love it here. My life is rich beyond measure, living in the Southwest. But since October 1st is the opening of snowbird season, I would love to head in the opposite direction of those folks and spend October in the Cascades once again to take in all that glorious color. If I were a snowbird, I wouldn’t leave the Northwest until the fall color was all gone.

But until then, I have lots of amazing photographs to keep my memories alive.

(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

It was just last May. My brother picked me up at the airport and drove me to his home in Oakland. As I stepped out of the car, I noticed these beautiful flowers on a bush near the driveway. As I said to him, I had forgotten how beautiful Northern California flowers are in the Spring. Remember, I live in the Sonoran Desert, a whole different life zone. It was good to see all the beautiful Spring flowers growing all over the Bay Area.

This flower is called a Pelargonium…and in May they were in full bloom. According to my brother, it is a member of the Geranium family and was originally from South Africa.  From my original photo, I created this digital painting using Corel Painter and finishing it off in Photoshop. I think it turned out quite well.

I’ve always loved beautiful flowers and have certainly enjoyed photographing and painting them. Sadly, I don’t have a green thumb so I have to leave the horticultural aspects to those who do…and fortunately I know several people who know what they are doing. Stayed tuned for more flower paintings from my trips around the west.

(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

The name of this photo is, “Where Trees Meet.” It was taken in a small park on the south side of the Chicago Institute of Art, on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago. The white wall you see in the background is the Institute.

I just love the way the tree branches come together above the walkway from each direction. And, in fact, there are two other walkways on either side of this one where the trees also meet. Somehow, they were able to train the tree branches (cock-spur Hawthorne trees) to create this effect. How they did it is beyond me.

I assume these tree branches have a tendency to grow straight out rather than up and by planting them at the proper distances from each other, they were able to make the branches meet in the middle. What is even more interesting is that the branches bend downward, giving a concave appearance above the walkway.

Believe it or not, this was not an easy scene to capture. I took photos both on an April visit and an October visit, trying to find a way to capture that concave look. What you see is the best I could come up with, thanks to a little post processing magic in Photoshop.

Not visible in the photo is the famous bronze “Fountain of the Great Lakes,” which adds to the sights and sounds of this lovely little park. It is a great place to eat one’s lunch or sit and read during one’s lunch hour…which of course, local residents often do. So do tourists, including me.

Postcard from Sedona

This is Thunder Mountain at sunrise, a spectacular piece of red rock that rises high above Sedona, AZ. You can see part of the city in the lower half of the photo. 

This was photographed in December, so it was well below freezing on the mountain top where I took this picture. But it was worth it. Capturing the early light of sunrise can be tricky…or it can be thrilling. It all depends on the light. And you never know how good or bad it will be until the sun peeks its head over the horizon.

The day before this photo was taken, the light was terrible and no photos were taken. But, being the persistent cuss that I am, I went back the next morning and got lucky. Such is the life of those persons who want to make exceptional photographs…you gotta work at it!

(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 Utah

This image was taken at a small, unnamed lake in southern Utah, just north of the Arizona border and the town of Kanab, UT.  I looked on both Google Maps and Google Earth, trying to find a name for this lake. No luck. One person on Google Earth referred to this as a pond. Too big for that designation. It is quite easy to get to as it sits right on Highway 89.

Northern Arizona and Southern Utah are a smorgasbord of beautiful scenery and an endless supply of photo prospects. Even when they don’t have a name they can be beautiful. 

My photographer friend Dave Forster and I are planning another trip into southern Utah in the first week of November. First we will spend a few days capturing the beauty of Zion National Park in Autumn…then head into the back country of the Escalante Region…well off the beaten path. I am really looking forward to this trip. It’s an amazing place to be sure.

(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

It’s an oldie, but a goodie. This image goes back four years ago to my very first trip to Sedona. While huddled inside during our long Arizona summer heat wave, I’ve been going through photos and upgrading my Web site. Recently, I came across this photo and discovered I never shared it here before. I think it is a good one.

I recall most of this day was without any clouds, but as late afternoon approached, some storm clouds approached from the east. As it happens, I was in a good location and got some nice photos of red rock formations with sunlight on the rocks and storm clouds in the background…always a good combination for a photographer.

There is not much else to say about Sedona that I have not already shared here before. So just enjoy the photo.

(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 Tumacacori

I photographed this image on a late afternoon visit to the Tumacacori National Historical Park…about 50 miles south of Tucson. I have shown you a couple of pictures of the the old mission in past editions. This image was shot outside the mission on the wall that surrounds the property.

When I drove up, I was blown away by the shadows being cast on the walls by a few very old trees. As it was in the middle of winter, there were few if any leaves on the trees. It was an artistic shot just too good to past up. I spent several minutes shooting here before I even went in to see the old mission. The cactus and other desert flora in the image give a strong hint that this was taken in the Southwest. Even the old window adds to Southwestern flavor.

Tumacacori is an old Spanish mission church whose actual name is Mission San José de Tumacácori. It was established in January 1691 by Jesuit Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and is located on 310 acres at the town of Tumacácori, Arizona, about 50 miles south of Tucson (and 18 miles north of the Mexican Border), off of Interstate 19. It is a National Historical Park, run by the National Park Service.

(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 photo shows part of the Osaka Japanese Garden located in Jackson Park on the south side of the city. To give you an idea where it is, if you follow the lagoon straight ahead, you would very quickly arrive on Lake Michigan.  If you turned to the left, you would see the back side of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, which has been featured in these pages before.

If you turned around and started walking west, in a few blocks you would come to the University of Chicago. Walk a few miles south of this point, and you would be in Indiana. If you walked 62 blocks north, you would be in downtown Chicago. OK, got it figured out now?

Jackson Park was the site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, a sort of world’s fair of that time. After the fair’s run was completed, the 600 acres was returned to parkland. Only two structures remain from the World's Columbian Exposition, one of which is the original Fine Arts Palace…now the Museum of Science and Industry. 

The Japanese Garden sits in the exact same place as the original Japanese Garden built for the fair. It was destroyed by vandals during World War II and was rebuilt several years later. Like most Japanese gardens, it is a place of peace and contentment, which I tried to capture in this image. I hope I succeeded. 

(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 Red Canyon

Red Canyon sits near the beginning (or end) of Highway 12 in Southern Utah. It is Utah’s most beautiful highway, so Red Canyon is your first introduction to this amazing scenic drive. It is also just a few miles west of Bryce Canyon National Park.

While Red Canyon is not a national park, it is part of the Dixie National Forest. So it has a more liberal approach to exploring the magnificent scenery. You can hike, ride horses, bicycles, and even ATV’s. And there are lots of trails to explore.

Most people driving Highway 12 just pass through Red Canyon on their way to Bryce Canyon. Trust me, take some time to explore Red Canyon if you are in the area. While Bryce is a more intriguing and beautiful destination, you will not be disappointed by what you find in Red Canyon. And here is a tip you may find very handy: Bryce Canyon campgrounds are nearly always full…camp in Red Canyon’s campground. It is less expensive and a far more beautiful campground. In fact, it is one of the nicest campgrounds I have ever been in. Last time I was there, I stayed there four days and used it as my base camp for my photo expeditions to the entire area.

This photo gives you an idea of some of the beauty of Red Canyon. I got lucky with the clouds that day. And some of its other intriguing sites are an easy hike from the visitor center or a short drive down the Casto Canyon Road. At the visitor center, you can learn more about the park and get more info on horse trip and ATV rentals.

I hope I’ve given you something to think about for your next vacation. In fact, not only should you stop at Red Canyon, but consider doing all of Highway 12.

(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 Prescott

Prescott, Arizona is a small town (not real small) about 95 miles northwest of Phoenix. Of course since  North and West of Phoenix, that means it is in the mountains. In fact, it sits at an elevation of around 5,300 feet. What I learned on my last visit was Phoenix area residents flock to Prescott in the summer to escape the Phoenix heat.  In fact, as I write these words, it is 106 in Phoenix and 75 in Prescott. Of course, at that elevation, it gets quite a bit of snow in the winter.

The original city is built around the very large courthouse. Downtown is quite charming and fun to explore. There are many old Victorian homes in the hills and some great beautiful parklands all around the area.

Just west of downtown is a beautiful rose garden built among some very old settler cabins. It is here that I found this old wagon. As you know, I often focus in on a small part of an object or place to go for something more artistic. I was intrigued by the shape of the wheel and the wildflowers growing over the lower part of the wheel. To me, it symbolizes that the era of the horse-drawn wagon is over, which, of course, it is. This is one of those images that tells a story without any words.

And that should be the goal of most every photo you take. Even portraits should tell you a story or a least create an atmosphere of time and place. I think I achieved that here. And by focusing on only a small part of wagon, I let the viewer’s imagination fill in the rest.

Ah…the joys of art!

(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

Well over a year ago, I showed you this image as part of a series of images about my day in Wrigley Field. In looking at it the other day, I decided to improve the original photo by doing some additional post processing. What you see is result of this work. I encourage you to click on the image to see a larger version. I like this image so much more now…In fact it is shortly going up on my wall.

Every time I look at this photo and others from Wrigley Field, I think about that very special day when I took a three hour tour from top to bottom of that great sports landmark. The baseball and football history that fills the place is overwhelming, especially to a fan like me. I grew up loving both sports and never in my wildest imagination could I see myself being at this place…but I eventually did. Somewhere in the top 50 moments of my life, this day is in there.

The light that day outside was terrible, so most of my images of Wrigley are just so-so. But they do make for great memories. But this picture, inside the Cubs dressing room is, by far, the best from that day.

And to think I came within a cat’s whisker of not getting in here. Wrigley Field tours are only given when the Cubs are on the road. They were due back the next day, which is why the locker room looks ready to go. However, if any Cub player is in the dressing room on tour day, you are not allowed to go inside.

At the start of the tour, which began in the right field stands, our guide announced that there was a player in the dressing room, and if he was still there by the time our tour was ready to visit there, we would not be allowed in. Turned out the player was being sent back down to the minor leagues and was there to clean out his locker…and the good news was that he had left by the time we got there. Otherwise, I would have missed this photo opportunity. Whew!

Anyway, it was a great day, and even if you are not a baseball fan, I hope you like this image. Have a terrific Labor Day weekend.

(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.