August 20, 2012

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4x5, beauty, color, f164, Fine Art, Nature, technique, travel

Winters End – Solder Summit Utah

Winters End – Solder Summit Utah, Early Spring

What a beautiful place to spend the morning with my son. It was mid April and in the mountains of Utah there were still dotted with snow. We camped off Sheep Creek Road the previous night and I went out early with my son to Solder Summit.

I made this on my large format system in the Utah mountains. I had seen all this beautiful color the day before and was amazed by how vibrant it was. We’re used to seeing such colors in the Fall. But Spring was just coming in and still the color sang in the Utah hills. I love this State.

I love Aspens too. No matter when you look at them they’re stunning. My 4 year old and I discovered this remote spot filled with color and lots of bare Aspen groves, just as the sun was streaking across the hills. The sky was blue and the snows were melting. Afterward we stopped an a little gas station on the summit and bought snacks before heading back to the trailer and the rest of the family for a peaceful afternoon drive into Salt Lake.

Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.

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July 10, 2012

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4x5, f164, Fine Art, journal, Nature, science, signature, silver, technique, travel

Ghostlands

Ghostlands – Eastern OR, Spring 2012.

It was towards the end of our Winter 2012 your. More like Spring as it was late already early May. But we were still on the road and winding thru the nearly deserted back country of Oregon towards home. These are hills and forest where you find a tiny town every hundred miles or more and if you’re lucky it might have gas and groceries.

I saw this neat old house turned store turned abandoned farm off of the highway and turned the truck around in a truly tiny town a mile or so down the road. I returned and setup my for large format film, using the height of our camper roof to get me a high vantage point.

I must have taken at least a half and hour setting up for a single frame of film. When I finally had it composed just the way I wanted I waited for the late afternoon sun to peek through just right and release the shutter. The light and shadows were magic and the result is exactly what I had hoped for. Ghostlands.

Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.. Learn about Limited Edition values here.

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July 10, 2012

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beauty, color, f164, Fine Art, journal, Nature, signature, technique, travel

The Dreamers Tree

Dreamers Tree. Near Yuma Arizona, winter 2012.

I found this back near Yuma during our Winter tour and I took my time on it. It’s a perfect scene for a relaxing afternoon, but it has just a bit of mystery thrown in too. We were taking a Sunday evening drive and the tree was just off the road. But had the light not been hitting it just right, I would have passed it right over.

I frantically turned the truck around and was able setup my tripod and photograph it before the light faded behind the hills. I think I could go back and almost lie in it’s threading braced and fall asleep. But the question is, would it eat me?

Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.

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June 29, 2012

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art study, beauty, f164, Fine Art, journal, National Park, Nature, signature, silver, technique, travel

The Giants Court – Carlsbad Caverns NM.

The Giants Court – Carlsbad Caverns NP, New Mexico, 2012

I’ve spent three days at 750 feet below the surface, photographing in the dim light with digital and film. It’s truly awe inspiring and it was one of most challenging subjects I’ve worked with and not for lack of beauty or interest, but perhaps for to much of it.

A subterranean wonderland that’s a challenge to capture in a natural sense, since natural here is total darkness. The artificial lights here have been beautifully done and you rarely see a cord or a bulb, but they are low and were designed for seeing with the eyes more than seeing on film.

It was breathtaking. One day I hiked out the natural exit, packing all my gear all the way to the top rather than use then subterranean elevator. I’ll admit it was more than I bargained, but a stunning hike and a great exercise.

Behold! The Hall of Giants! Perhaps my favorite place in the caverns. It’s Stalagmite columns like towering kings watching over the royal court. It took some time and study to gain a grasp on how this beauty beneath should be best captured, but I feel I’ve in part conveyed that feeling I had as I stood, looking on in awe.

 

Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.. Learn about limited edition prices here.

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June 21, 2012

1

f164, journal, musings, signature, technique

Ultra Thick DIY Inkpress Business Cards.

Custom business cards made using rubber stamps and heavy mount board. Cost is roughly seven cents each.

These are the new gallery cards I made up for Nathan and I. I’m always trying new card designs, but I’ve been wanting something with a hand made impact that can be produced easily and on demand here in the studio.

They’re made using a heavy 4 ply white mount board and self inking rubber stamps that cost about twenty dollars each. Using our straight mat cutter board, we cut slices about 3.5in x 1.5in from the 32×40 sheets of board that cost less than ten dollars each. The cards are them stamped, our names on the front in brown with lots of open space. The back is stamped with the studio details in black.

The neat thing is we can make thee on demand. They’re beautifully thick and we can change the look at any time with a fresh stamp. Making it far less expensive than order small batches of custom cards of this weight. They’re minimal, but based on the board price and the cost of the stamps, these cards come out costing about .07 each if the stamps are only used for about 1000 cards before being updated. They can be re-inked of course and be used for far larger quantities. Of coarse there’s some labor involved, but they don’t take long and it’s part of the fun.

Just one of the many ways to produce hand worked a card with a bit of impact. So far I’m enjoying them… Gav

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