Lizard eating lizard

A once in a lifetime photo.    

    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.

Butterfly statue

Butterfly

My latest art work. Yard art butterfly and flower. Hand carved cement.

Dandelion art

Dandelion art

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.

Humming birds

Humming birds

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.

Photos in the moment.

Photos in the moment.

     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.

3D Clover statue

 3D Clover

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.

Dale Candee profile

Dale Candee .

A lifetime resident of Fallon Nevada began studying art at age 9. Created jewelry and photos which won awards in local competitions while in school. Impressed at a young age by his mentors Leonardo da Vinci and Ansel Adams, Dale has studied for many years to become a multitalented, multi-medium artist. His artwork and graphic media have sold internationally for the past 15 years. He has won lyrics and poetry competitions. He has created life casts and stage props for movie studios and others. He currently owns his own studio Abadu44.com. He has created several websites and currently publishes several blogs. Since 1977 he has studied computer science, digital art and business management at WNC (Western Nevada College).

Studies: lapidary arts – four years.

              ceramics and pottery – two years.

              photography – two years.

              digital art - 17 years and ongoing.

              English and creative writing - 4 years

              electronics - 2 years

self-taught:  sculpting and life casts - 4 years

                sketching and painting - 3 years

philosophy: I believe I am a soul experiencing what it is to be human. That the creator, creates through me and that my art is a reflection of his inspiration. I believe that in order for an artist to grow, one must be challenged and willing to step outside the box. That one must look beyond what is presented and never take anything at face value.

 Goal: To question the illusion of life and open the eyes of the world for the possibility of infinite potential.