The very nature of a photographer is to capture moments in time, to preserve them for future generations. To create immortality in the form of a time capsule. For the photographer themselves it may be an attempt at notoriety but for me personally it is a Zen moment. A moment in which the photographer literally steps into a realm that is separate from the rest of the universe, and observes life as if the only thing that exists at that moment is the subject being photographed and the photographer. In such moments the constant of time doesn't exist.
Depending on what is being photographed, time can pass either very quickly or very slowly.
As I photographed this blue Heron time literally seem to stop and what seemed like a few minutes in actuality was almost an hour. Literally sitting 10 to 15 feet away as this bird leisurely caught several fish and didn't seem to be the least concerned about my presence. The universe opens wide and says let me show you what is possible, if you simply allow it to happen, then time starts up again. You move on to your next shoot, your next subject and wonder if you'll ever have another Zen moment?
I'm often asked where I get my inspirations from and I usually joke about my muse and how they inspire me. But I often get my inspirations from just everyday things that most people do not pay attention to. We live in a world where the majority of people do not see anything and it is probably why humans do not see fairies or any other mythological creatures anymore.
My beautiful daughters sometimes surprise me as to how often they actually did listen to me. In one such case, my daughters pointed out the different faces in the walls. It is a simulated wood paneling with the many different wood grains and if you look closely you begin to see faces in the walls. Kind of like making pictures out of clouds that float by.
So recently I have noticed that different faces have been appearing in my bathroom rug. So here I give you an example of one such creature that has appeared as a result of bath powder falling on the rug and then my wife or I walking on the rug. The impressions have left some very interesting things to look at, as well is inspiring some of my artwork.
I was once told by one of my mentors," art is everywhere, but most people do not see it because they are trapped in the matrix of illusion and their minds will not allow them to see what is really there." If you simply take the time to sit quietly, look around you and then sprinkle in a little bit of imagination, you'll be surprised what you see.
Our education system has decided that imagination is a bad thing and have removed art from the classroom. Yet problem-solving and finding solutions to the world's problems can only be done with an imaginative mind. It is unfortunate that our school systems frown upon such imaginations, but yet some of our most brilliant minds come from such imaginative places. I am beginning to think that the real monsters are in Washington D.C.
There are times when the universe clicks together presenting you with something unique and unusual. A Zen moment that you know will never be repeated again. A moment in time itself that seems to stand still and the universe opens wide to show you and only you something that few if anyone ever sees in person.
At times like this, you can't help but be in awe of the universe. This is just one of those times when having a camera on you at all times is not only helpful, but I would not have gotten the photographs otherwise. It is at times like this, you will find yourself taking photos as fast as you can and when it is over it seems as if only a moment has passed.
The event was somewhat strange as I had just got back from town and decided to go out back of my house to find something to take a photo of. This was not normal as I usually take the time to put away food and other groceries that I had just bought but instead left them sitting on the counter and immediately went outside. As I walked around I noticed a young rabbit near one of my gemstone rock piles. I immediately moved towards the rabbit thinking that this would make a good photo, but I had moved too quickly and the rabbit ran out of sight behind one of the ammo boxes. Moments later I hear the rabbit scream and not realizing what was going on, immediately moved towards the box expecting to find another rabbit. To my shock and delight I came upon one of nature's life and death struggles. Within moments the snake had suffocated the rabbit and was in the process of trying to move his kill out of sight of my intruding camera. I began taking photos and video as quickly as my camera would take the photos.
As I moved about I couldn't help but feel the presence of my muse and the gratitude that washed over me for this opportunity. I had the feeling of wishing for a better camera, but a voice from one of my mentors telling me," A great picture is not made by an expensive camera, great picture is made by a great photographer." I was surprised by the size of the snake and how much bigger the rabbit was and tried to imagine how this small Bull snake was going to eat this rabbit. The snake was only 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches in diameter and may be 2 1/2' to 3 feet long, which was about medium-size for a bull snake.
I was also thankful that he was eating such a large meal because I knew that he would at least leave my chickens alone for a while. And predators have a tendency to have a favorite pray, and with any luck he will continue to feed on rodentsand leaving my chickens alone. Although that may be too much to ask for, I have learned to live with nature and understand that it is better to work with nature than against it. I use to throw rocks at the Hawks that came to feed on my chickens, but after researching their extremely difficult life in the wild I've come to find that it is easier to build a better chicken coop and a lot more profitable to photograph the wildlife than to try and get rid of it.
Photo editing program such as Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro X8 and other programs offer photographers the ability to create more than just photos.
Not only do these programs offer the ability to restore photographs, but they also offer the ability to create the impossible and allow the photographer to be more creative.
Although most colleges will promote and push Adobe Photoshop as the program, I personally have not found that to be true. Paint shop Pro X8 in my opinion is a comparable program for a lot less money, and for the average person who is not doing photographic work for a living this program will take care of most of your needs. I have also found that this program is easier to use and probably why Photoshop requires college courses in order to understand how to use it. In my own personal work I use both in addition to several other programs in order to accomplish the work I do. In the end it all comes down to your own personal preference. As one wise college professor once told me," It is not the camera or the program that makes a great photographer."
Macro photography can be some of the most difficult work to do, but it is also the most rewarding and most interesting. Photos of this type can be difficult because the insects or other lifeforms only stay still for a few seconds. I know I don't have the best equipment for doing such a thing but I still love doing it, and as an old professor once told me it's not the equipment that makes a great photo, it is the artisan photographer.
Unfortunately in this photo I have also had to add watermarks, which sometimes can detract from the photo. But in this day and age of cyber theft, and ignorant people who think anything that's on the Internet is free for the taking, I and many other artisans have had to resort to drastic measures.In some cases distorting the web copy to the point that nobody can use it without having to do major restoration. What makes it even more difficult is that many countries such as China do not recognize such work as something that the artisan has the right to own or protect. Until international laws are changed a great many creative people will be restricted in what they can create and who they can share it with, and the world with suffer for it.
At first glance this hole in a tree would not appear to be anything out of the ordinary. But after I got home and enlarge the photo to my surprise I saw several sets of eyes staring out of the hole. I do not know what they are but it makes me wish I had inspected the tree more closely as there had been reports of people seeing fairies in this area around Mount Shasta.
The image has not been altered or Photoshop in any way. All that I've done here is to enlarge the photo so you can see the eyes more clearly. The eyes do not appear to be that of animals and have almost a human quality. The whole is about 3 to 4 inches wide and about 6 to 8 inches tall.
This is a good example of why it's important to enlarge your photos after you've taken them. Not only to determine if they are in focus and how much clarity you have, but you also may find things in the photo that he did not see before.
Antique photo restoration has long been one of my passions.
Not only restoring the color but also making digital alterations to the photo that I could not have done when the photo was originally taken. Removing a post from the middle of my head, to removing a partially seen dog in the background are just some of the things that digital restoration is now capable of. If I need to I can literally move or remove people and things. Make people look younger or older, heavier or skinnier. Even in some older photos replacing damaged or missing areas in the photo. The real trick is to make the restoration without altering the photo anymore the necessary. When done the photo should appear as close to the original as possible without making major alterations that would change the historical value. Repairing sun damage, cracks and tears are the usual repairs made to heirloom photos.
It is said that sometimes your creations take on a life of their own and I found that out for myself this winter. The universe always has a way of reminding us that we are not always in control of anything and that we are more co_creator than creator.
The universe is a living thing that we are a part of and connected to, co_creating what we dream.
So what will you create today that will make the world a better place?
This photograph is a good example of two things. The first is that the best camera you can have is the one that is in your hand, at the time you need to take the photo. Had I not had a camera in my hands at the time I came upon these two, I would not have gotten the shot. As it was they were as startled to see me as I was to see them. Their first instinct was to stand still which gave me time to take several photos using an old Kodak digital EasyShare Z981. The camera has an agonizing lag time between photos, but I still managed to take nine photos before they both took off in separate directions. It is hard to say who would've won the battle as I think they were evenly matched, but personally I think the leopard lizard had bit off more than he could chew.
The second is, that in this day and age of high-tech, an artisan needs to protect their artwork by whatever means necessary. It is unfortunate in this day and age that as an artisan we must protect our work with such drastic measures as using watermarks and other high-tech protection. The Internet has made this even more important not only because so many think that anything that is on the Internet is free for the taking, but because so many international laws around the world are so different from one another.
At one time decreasing the resolution to 72 ppi might have been enough, but now there are computer programs that can enlarge a photo without any distortion. There are also photographic editing tools that would allow me to remove any visible watermarks such as these. Although in this case it would take a great deal of work to do so, it is not impossible. Yes, even the invisible watermarks that are encoded into the photograph itself do not guarantee a 100% protection. With technology moving so quickly, it is almost impossible to keep up and stay ahead of the criminal element.
As a result, most of my work is on a third-party website which helps give a second layer of protection. One such website is Zazzle.com which sells products with my artwork on them. I retain all the copyrights and receive a royalty for any products that I sell. I set up a virtual store with products such as clothing or housewares and use my photographic images on those products. I then sell the products and upon completion of the transaction I receive a royalty from the sale of those products. I also have the option of keeping those products and images private which means I can show the images and products to a select private group. Keep in mind that even the best of third-party websites cannot guarantee 100% protection.
My three latest creation are now drying out from their week long soak in water. The one on the left I created for Corie Candee, if she decides to keep it. They are not signed or numbered and I no longer name them. I have always felt that naming them was a little precocious. After all, would you want someone else to name your kid? I think of them as stone Cabbage Patch kids rising up out of the garden. The one on the right is still being worked on as I intend to add a glass jewel to the four head.
My back yard. Some would say it is just desert, but I think it is magic.
My back yard
Life gives you want you need but not always the way that you want. Like swimming a raging river, there is no point to fighting it. Move with it and see where it leads you before you call it good or bad.
This is my latest fetish. His name is George and I enjoyed creating him so much I have decided to creat an entire city, not just the family. Yes, freinds, relatives, and total strangers. George is presently visting the Rising Sun Gallery & Art Studio in Fallon, Nevada. Actualy he is looking for a new home to live in.
This is Boo, (or wind) he is related to George but George won't admit it.
This one, I haven't decided yet if he is related or just looks related, his name is Gee. Both Boo and Gee will be sitting in the hot tub for about a week to cure. After that I am not sure were they will be living. ( note: all are signed art work and no two are the same as they all hand carved statues)
In some cases it's a matter of taking the every day things and turning them into something else. Take a dandelion, photograph it and then subjected it to different special effects. The end result is a piece of artwork that no one has seen before. A world that everyone sees every day but is blind to it because the mind does not think of it as important.
In order to capture humming birds in flight and freeze thier beating wings so they don't look like a blur, the shutter speed needs to be at least1/1600 of a second. This photo was shot at 1/2000 of a second and because it was shot in the shade adjustments had to be made in raw.
Some photos present themselves because we are in the right place at the right moment in time . This photo is typical of why a photographer always has a camera at hand.
The struggle of life and death goes on eveven if we do not notice. In this case it was a little hard not to notice. The leopard lizard chasing a post lizard over my feet caught me a little off guard , but I had my camera in hand. I pulled my camera out of my camera bag and proceeded to take as many photos as I could . I could not believe what was taking place at my feet . The post lizard struggles free and runs back under my feet . The event over , I stepped into my truck to find on the floorboard the post lizard. He was more afraid of being eaten by another lizard than hitching a ride on the pant leg of a giant.
This is my latest sculpture, a 3-D clover sculpted in cement. The process is
rather difficult as your working with a semisolid. Cement is poured into a
general shaped mold where it cures for a period of time. The trick is not to let
it cure too long, where it would be too hard to work with or too short a time
and it would fall apart when it was taken out of mold. Once it is out of the
mold it can be sculpted into various shapes. Although there are limitations in
working with semi-cured cement as too thin and the sculpture would be too
brittle or fall apart. Once the sculpture is finished it must be placed in a
bath of water for several days. The myth that cement needs to dry is wrong. It
is actually the opposite in that cement needs to absorb water and the more water
it absorbs the harder and stronger the cement becomes.
For the photographer themselves it may be an attempt at notoriety but for me personally it is a Zen moment. A moment in which the photographer literally steps into a realm that is separate from the rest of the universe, and observes life as if the only thing that exists at that moment is the subject being photographed and the photographer. In such moments the constant of time doesn't exist.
