Yosemite Workshop

I returned recently from a terrific photo workshop on fine art digital printing in Yosemite National Park with noted landscape photographer Charles Cramer (http://www.charlescramer.com/).  Charlie was a student of Ansel Adams in the 1970s, and, appropriately, our group met each day in Adams' own darkroom next to his former dwelling (now the Ansel Adams Gallery) in the heart of Yosemite Valley.  But instead of mixing chemicals and focusing enlargers as Adams did, we we booted up our computers and navigated the fine intricacies of Photoshop CS4.  We also did some early morning and late afternoon shooting along the Merced River and in the nearby meadows.  I found the experience to be extremely valuable, especially to learn more about Charlie's personal techniques for making beautiful prints and his workflow process.  And, of course, it was wonderful being in Yosemite just as the oaks, aspen, and cottonwoods were at their peak of color.

From Sentinal Bridge, Merced River, Yosemite

Fallen tree, Yosemite

Yosemite Valley

Oak and granite in Yosemite

Nashville Scene

I was in Nashville for the annual meeting of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The place has many interesting antebellum historic sites such as Andrew Jackson’s plantation, and Franklin, the site of a Civil War battle, is nearby.  Most people who know me would expect photos of the latter, but Nashville is also home to the country music scene, and I think my best images catch a slice of it.

Legends Corner, Nashville

Legends Corner juke

The Stage on Broadway, Nashville

Photo Show Opening

A phalanx of photographers, Wing Young Huie's Gallery, Minneapolis

What a great evening, October 3, in Minneapolis, with 20 photographers displaying their work at Wing Young Huie's gallery. In addition to the simple excitement of displaying one's creative work, there was an extra buzz resulting from the impossible crush of the crowd, numbering in the hundreds, and the serendipitous drug bust involving four flashing police cars right outside the door on Franklin Avenue. Inside, the buzz was totally upbeat, fueled by great wine, cheese, sweets, and, of course, great art.

Exhibition in October

I will be part of a group exhibition, October 3-November 3, at Wing Young Huie's Gallery in Minneapolis. The group is Wing's Saturday Salon which has been meeting since early spring. The exhibition will feature several images from each of 23 local photographers, and the range of work includes documentary realism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism. My own contribution will consist of photos of boat hulls in Alaska.

A Shooting in Alaska

I spent a week in Alaska, May 10-17, with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic aboard the Sea Lion as it sailed from Juneau to Sitka, via Tracy Arm, Petersberg, Elfin Cove, and Glacier Bay National Park. It was a wonderfully enchanting trip with lots of time exploring iceberg fields aboard zodiacs, hiking the rain forest trails, and observing the 360 degree mountainous landscapes and native wildlife. As a group, we saw 15 species of mammals, including humpback whales, moose, and bear, and 86 species of birds, such as puffins, eagles, and marbled murrelets.

Lindblad has posted daily expedition reports of our voyage by our naturalists if you want to check out a blow-by-blow account.

I made over 1200 images on this trip, with lots more success with the landscapes and inanimate objects than with the critters (they were usually too far away for my lenses to capture adequately). A few of the photos will probably end up on the website, but here are some examples of images that I found intriguing as we walked the docks of Petersburg inspecting the local fishing fleet. The boat hulls were often funky and offered hints of the often challenging experiences of the fishing crews.