Ideas and Imagery #123

Sometimes there is a certain rhythm to a place that makes it stand out.  This wall was so ordered and the spacing of the elements was so neatly arranged that it almost feels staged to me.

If not for the complete unlikelihood that someone would go out of their way to arrange all of the elements in such and ordered manner, I would have sworn it was like some pet project of the building owner in trying to place visual interest in an otherwise ordinary setting.

Whether the arrangement was intentional or accidental, I certainly found it to be really compelling.  What caught my eye was the relation of the three pipes to the window, which added its own geometric pattern to the whole.

The plant placed on center underneath helped to balance out the gas meters on the left, and the green stripe a third of the way up the wall set against the tan made the colors feel very earthy.

the part that really finished the scene off was the two white had prints.  I would have thought the whole scene interesting even without the hands, but with them there is this mystery that invites you to try and figure out why they are there.  I haven't come up with a decent narrative yet, but it is there, ripe for the picking.

I am happy to share this photo because otherwise this wall might have existed in obscurity until it either was repainted or left to crumble.  At least now a few people will get to appreciate it and will also get to wonder how I came across it in the first place.

What a Great Weekend at the Oregon City Festival of the Arts

This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the Oregon City Festival of the Arts at the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City.  The festival was presented by the Three Rivers Artist Guild of which I am a member and active participant.

While the weekend was a hot one, there were plenty of festival goers and folks looking to own some of the incredible art from folks around Oregon City.  I brought many of my Oregon City photos and was able to connect with people through a love of Oregon City.

For those who follow my blog, this concept will not be a new one, as many of the photos I post shine a light on this place that I have grown to appreciate through my constant desire to show its character, history , and beauty through my photos.

I had some really great conversations with visitors, learned tidbits about Oregon City I had never heard before, and shared stories about the photos and locations that I had photographed.

It was a great weekend full of music, interaction with the 50+ other artist who also were sharing their work, food, with both local and metro area vendors, and folks looking to celebrate the area with local artwork.

If you made it out to the show, thank you!  If not, be sure to catch us out there next year, or at the Three Rivers Artist Guild Holiday Sale in December at The Pioneer Community Center in Oregon City.  Be sure to visit the Three Rivers Artist Guild website to learn about local Portland Metro artists, and to find out about future events.

Ideas and Imagery #122

Seeing these pillars with the moon overhead reminded me of the Disney movie Fantasia.  In the short with Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, the are hundreds of brooms carrying buckets of water in the middle of the night in a non-stop march to fill the cistern where the Sorcerer is conjuring spells.

Seeing the short stubby "arms" dangling at right angles immediately recalled the animation, even though I hadn't seen it for at least a decade.  Coupled with the angle of the pillars seemingly moving single file across the frame and for me the image is a good approximation of a still frame from the short.

Ideas and Imagery #121

Even though I no longer participate every week in the On Taking Pictures Assignments that were a part of my 2014 project of the same name, I do occasionally find an assignment of interest and work to submit a photo.

Last October the assignment was Stairs, for which I have a sort of affinity for photographing, so I sought to find an interesting shot to use.  I don't normally shoot with my iPhone, but this was one time where it wasn't practical to shoot with anything but my iPhone since I was at a conference.

I was on a walk trying to get away from the constant sitting that is a hallmark of conference life, and cam upon these stairs with this great triangular shadow on them.  Being slightly geometrically inclined (code for math nerd), I worked to get the best angle for the shot.

One thing that you really have to contend with when using your iPhone is how close you need to get to the subject to fill up the frame.  With my large camera, I am usually able to shoot from a distance and zoom in to both flatten the image and eliminate my shadow from the photo.

With the iPhone though I had to contort myself and take the shot without looking at the screen in order to keep my shadow out of the way.  I eventually made it work, but picture a guy almost laying on the ground holding his phone out over a stairway and you'll have a mental picture of what my obsession with photography looks like.

Regardless, the shot was worth the contortion and likely public bewilderment, and I now have this end product to show for it.  It's a good thing I am thick skinned!

Come Visit My Booth at the Oregon City Festival of the Arts in August

I am pleased to be showing and selling artwork at the Oregon City Festival of the Arts presented by the Three Rivers Artist Guild.  The event takes place from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm August 13-14, 2016 at the End of the Oregon Trail Visitor Center in Oregon City.

I will be at my booth for the entire event, so be sure to drop by and say hello.  There will be many different artists with various mediums in attendance selling their work.  I am continually impressed with the quality and variety of artwork from folks in the Three Rivers Artist Guild, so be prepared to like what you see.

I will have canvas and matted prints available for sale as well as greeting cards.  Check out my Prints page for an idea of the sizes, formats, and prices of work I offer.  I won't have everything on hand, but can easily order or create what I don't have on site.

I am looking forward to seeing you there!  Be sure to save the postcards above for dates, times, and directions.

Ideas and Imagery #120

Watching the sun set over Willamette Falls is an experience that I try to have as often as I can.  I remember coming to Oregon City in the years before I worked here, and never really knowing that they existed.

I'm sure in elementary or high school I learned about them, and about the history in Oregon City, but being in Southern Oregon it was never as immediate or as significant as features and history in our own back yard.  And I'll admit that Oregon history that I learned in grade school remained in my head until the end of the test I took about it the next week.

I moved to Portland for a few years between my sophomore and junior years of college, but I never really had any reason to come out to Oregon City.  I worked on the west side and moved back to Corvallis to finish school, still unaware of the cultural and historical significance of Oregon City's landmarks.

Fast forward to landing a job in Oregon City in 2009, and I was first introduced to the Falls.  It took some time, but in the years since I have really grown to appreciate being able to spend time along the bluff trail, having more time to explore and enjoy the Falls, the Arch Bridge and downtown Oregon City.

Now I have seen the Falls in all kinds of weather and stages of flow, and I don't think I have ever not marveled at how interesting a landmark it is.  In that time of discovery I have been rewarded with views of the Falls like this one, taken at sunset from the bluff.

It excites me to think that through my photos people can get to see the beauty and history of Oregon City.  It's a gem that I may never have discovered had I not moved here, and I am hoping that people who have never seen the Falls will see my photos and be encouraged to take the time to see it in person.  I know I am glad of my discovery and hope that others can experience the beauty and unique character of the Falls and all that surround it.

Tiles #17

When driving down the main street of Small City, USA, it's rare to find stadium seating. These seats lined the wall and road, set up for a show that was nowhere in sight.  While no one came out to see the crazy guy with the camera, I'm sure they would have wondered what it was that caught my eye.

There was so much symmetry in color that the scene seemed staged, when it was likely haphazard.  The Pepsi sign painted over but still visible added to the abandoned theater feel, and the out of order seating arrangement made this arrangement feel less planned.

There is just a lot to wonder with this scene, and that is what I like most about it.  It invites a narrative and makes me want to create my own version of what it is and why it's there.

Tiles #16

This photo is a reminder that sometimes your spouse sees things better than you do.  But since we are on the same team, what's hers is mine and vice versa, right?

This shot was taken at the Spread Eagle Tavern & Inn  in Hanoverton, Ohio, which was restored back to its original layout from the 1800's.  Part of the fun of this place was the ability to wander around and look at the various rooms and common spaces.

It was during our tour that my wife saw this great chandelier suspended from the middle of a pyramid-like ceiling made of bricks.  She stopped and took a few iPhone pics and I quickly followed with a few shots from my wide angle lens.

Now every time I show this picture she makes sure to let people know that it was actually her that first saw the shot.  So for those who read my blog at least, I am confessing that while I took this picture, I got the idea from my lovely wife.

Thanks, love.  You have a great eye, which we already knew because look who you married!  But seriously, well seen!

Tiles #15

This photo in my Tile project was taken in an Oregon coastal town where they process seafood.  I'm not entirely sure what goes through these pipes, but the color and symmetry of the system was really interesting.

While mostly symmetrical, there is still enough variation present to turn the photo into an exercise in finding the places where the two halves differ.  It reminds me of the Highlights magazines I used to look at when waiting for the dentist as a kid where there were games that required you to find what was different or to find hidden objects within a normal scene.

I also really like that on the whole, the parts are mostly symmetrical in terms of color as well.  It's odd to see such bright varied colors in an area where monotones and drab are the norm. 

One viewer of this photo said it reminded them of a scene from a Super Mario Bros. video game.  Since that observation was made, I have been having a hard time not seeing the same thing whenever I view it.

That wouldn't be a bad thing except that each time I see it, the midi songs full of blips and bleeps that were burned into my head while playing countless hours of Mario Bros. return for a few hours.  Oh well.  At least it isn't John Jacob Jingle-heimer Smith...

Ideas and Imagery #119

It's not often you get to peek inside one of the everyday machines that we take for granted as we move through our day.  This older gas pump, which is obviously not of this time (no circuit boards), was conveniently open on a recent trip to the Oregon Coast.

As unexpected as this find was, I snapped my shot and went on my way, having a great conversation with a local that was helping to rebuild a steam engine.  One of the things I found interesting was the 3-dimensional symmetry that you can infer from looking at the inner working.

I imagine the shot would look very similar from the other side of the pump, minus a few small variations.  It's like looking at both sides of the machine at once.

And while the right side of the top was an empty window, I was grateful for the weed head sprouting into the picture in what otherwise would have been a gaping hole in the composition.  It may be one of the only times you might hear me compliment a weed.