Yes I’m a sucker for a rainbow….

The rain was coming down so hard that I didn’t expect such a bright sunlit end to it all. So once I saw what was happening out my back door, I knew I’d only have minutes to work and it would need to be local. As it was still raining, I selected to work with my Olympus E5 and an Olympus 50-200mm lens. Both can handle the rain.

The color was magnificent and my first thought was to isolate a section of the rainbow against the sky.

(c) 2011 Paul Grecian - Photography

 

As I walked up the street I saw that if I positioned myself correctly, I could place the rainbow right into a chimney. The red star that hung on the side of the house adds additional visual interest and plays on the theme of astronomical phenomena. I can’t decide if the color is entering or leaving the chimney though.

 

 

 

 

A mockingbird made its presence known to me which became another subject to place within a frame strong with color!

 

(c) 2011 Paul Grecian - Photography

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Out of the Studio and into the “Studio”

Title page

Typically when I speak of being in the studio, I mean the space where I print, mat, and frame my work. But in some respects, the natural areas where I create new images is also a studio. In the October issue of Professional Artist magazine, I write about getting away from both kinds of studios and getting involved with other aspects of being an artist.

During the last several days, I’ve been able to get away from the printing/matting/framing studio and into the image-making studio. That’s pretty important also.

Professional Artist magazine, October 2011

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Sometimes rain isn’t so bad…..

If you were to ask me about it, I’ll usually tell you I can do without the rain. That probably means I have a art/craft show coming up. But yesterday the rain (and fog) was just what I wanted. Visually, I like what rain and fog do to the landscape and the moodiness it instills in my images. I like working in the rain if the wind isn’t blowing it too hard. I like the subtle pastel tones it creates in distant landscapes and the rich wet colors it gives to foliage.

(c) 2011 Paul Grecian

Rainy days are usually spent indoors so they become especially interesting and evocative times to be outdoors creating images if I can. I use a weather-proof camera and lens combination – the Olympus E5 and an Olympus 50-200mm lens. It’s just plain fun to work in the rain with electronics and not worry about it! And it’s fun to be out there with a camera when just about no one else would be.

These two images were made yesterday.

(c) 2011 Paul Grecian - Photography

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Rainbow’s End

A new print that I introduced at the Artists’ Gallery show I did in August is this image of a rainbow made near my home in Bucks County, PA. When I saw the rainbow out my rear window, I knew where it was that I wanted to be. A nearby church has a field behind it’s property that offers a clean view of the sky. Being able to get to a predetermined location when ephemeral subjects like rainbows present themselves is very important. I grabbed a camera and a single lens (Canon EF 28-135mm) that would give me the range of focal lengths I thought I would want.

I composed this image as the sun was still high enough to light the tree and allow me to work hand-held. I composed tightly so as to emphasize the tree and chose a perspective that was low to the ground (also emphasizing the tree). The low perspective also allowed me to compose without any extraneous elements thus simplifying the image. I was able to find a position that had the rainbow reflection fall into the tree creating a relationship with it visually.

I titled the image “The Promise” so as to speak to the “promise” that rainbows make that all storms will clear (hope) and that calm  is not far behind.

"The Promise" available matted to 16x20 ($79.)

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Chadds Ford Days – Outdoor Show

In a field across from the John Chads house and on the grounds of The Barn Visitor’s Center, this little show is in the center of historic Brandywine Valley.

Chadds Ford Days is about art and craft and music and food. Shows hours are 10-5pm both Saturday and Sunday.

"Cairns at Last Light"

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