Paul Grecian - Photography

As part of a series of imagery I hope to continue with, this piece emphasizes the beauty of those incredible eyes of the horse. I am actually focusing on the reflection of the white fence that you can see in the eye. The eyes of this horse are so perfect - deep, black, and mysterious. The eye lashes are almost decorative. I used a sharp, fast lens often used for people photography to allow a shallow focus on just the eye and the lashes - a Canon EF 135mm f2.0 L. It is a tricky lens to use as the depth of field is so shallow that if my focus is off even a little, or the horse moves, the image is lost.

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In a recent visit to a friend’s farm I had several goals for making new images. One of those goals was to work the texture and form of the horse’s mane and markings. The horses at the farm were beautiful but rarely stayed still.  This made fine-tuning the composition challenging, especially since I wanted to be very parallel to the subject in order to keep everything in focus. It helped to know exactly what kind of image I wanted to make so that I could work quickly and precisely. If I could keep from having one of the other horses knocking me as I worked, I seemed to be alright. I will need to got back though as is often the case, each outing gives me new ideas for the next outing.

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For the second year in a row, I made an excursion to Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square, PA for their annual tulip display. We actually had a frost that same morning and that may have effected their condition. As a result, I took a different approach to the popular subject. I still need to develop these new images so here is a piece from last year which I like. I’ve now achieved a nice small body of work of tulips, a subject which I am increasingly growing fond.

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This will be my first spring back at this fine show in a few years. The Holiday show is great and crazy, this spring show will be a bit more easy going. Here’s a link to some info - North Penn Select Craft Show.

This past Tuesday I made the drive over to Reading to the Goggleworks. I was invited to submit my work to achieve Juried status with the Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen. My work was well received and so I am now a Juried member of this chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. The Goggleworks is really a neat place. As I walked through the maze of halls looking for my meeting place, I passed ballet dancers and belly dancers. Throughout the Goggleworks there are studios devoted to a large variety of crafts and big windows allow you to see the craftspeople at work.

Yesterday I took another drive (I’m keeping better track of this stuff for next year’s taxes), this time to Longwood Gardens. I met a friend there and we worked the conservatory for several hours and then had lunch (which is quite good at Longwood). There were actually quite a number of photographers there with us, all very serious in their pursuits.

Photography, like any other endeavor, requires practice. So even if I leave a location not feeling particularly successful, working with my camera and exercising my vision is a must for future success. What I need to do is spend an entire day at Longwood.

This image of orchids is both graphic and colorful and represents well the type of imagery I was looking to achieve. The color in the center (negative space) is of flowers in the distance that I have out-of-focus. I was working handheld with a Canon 70-300mm IS DO lens at 300mm. My depth-of-field is very shallow due to the long focal length and my close focusing of the subject.

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We are finally getting a bit of Snow here in southeastern, PA. I saw my daughter off to the school bus and was getting dressed for an outdoor excursion when the phone rang. “Mr. Grecian we’re calling to let you know there will be an early school dismissal at 12 noon”. What? I just got her on the bus! Well it’s a good thing they caught me when they did. Thing is, it wasn’t even snowing yet when they called. Oh well, they want to be safe, I’m cool with that.

I knew I had a couple hours to work though, and so combined an errand with a quick stop to my favorite local park to see what the ice was looking like. About 20 minutes into my drive I began to notice snow flakes falling on my windshield. They were sharply defined and not melting (it was only 18 F).

When I finally made it to the park I had about an hour to work with but was able to make some images that are interesting. I would have liked to be out there all day, but I am a dad first.

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It’s an intriguing title for a book and so I bought it. The full title is Pictures of Nothing - Abstract Art Since Pollock by Kirk Varnedow (see it here Amazon). The book deals heavily with minimalism, both two-dimensional and 3-dimensional. This is not any easy read for a newbee, but I’ve been pushing through it.

I have very mixed feelings about the work presented. I often think that the writing is better than the art. Some of the work just doesn’t stand up to any standard I have self  imposed. At the same time the book is making me stretch my internal definitions somewhat. I suspect that I will continue to have a real problem looking at what is basically piled trash as art.

However, I do like simplicity in my work, minimalism if you will, and felt that the book would help me look at that element in a new way. And so it has. My reading experience so far leaves me looking at the figures in the book a new way. I get the sense that if what is presented is art, then anything can be art, and if anything can be art, then maybe everything is art. That can be a bit overwhelming. I look at the pen on my desk and see it as a conical form instead of a writing instrument. Heck, my daughter’s rather messy room (clearly not minimalism) may be seen as an installation maybe.

I don’t know where this book will leave me, but it is giving me ideas, and that is alright.

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Maybe this current ice theme I’m working on is my subconscious telling me to chill. This is a transition month and a busy one at that. I’m finishing show applications, I have an exhibit application on my desk, I need to work on my tax returns, and I’m in heavy production mode to print, mat, mount and frame work for next month. Not to mention all of the creative ……….well, I said I wouldn’t mention them.

In any case, I did still get out again this past weekend to make some more ice images. There was a heavy rain the nigh before and a lot of melting. I was out for a few hours and worked pretty hard to create but found less to work with because of the general lack of ice.  

It’s interesting that this image below almost has a marble texture and color. I like it.

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Yesterday morning I spent 5 hours working frozen ponds trying to create new images along the theme of ice patterns. It was cold, but very pleasant. My greatest challenge when photographing during winter is focusing as my eyes water easily in the cold. Physically, the kind of macro work I did yesterday is very straining and I am feeling the effects of long periods of squatting and bending over a tripod while standing on ice. I do regular weight training because show set-up and tear-down can be gruelling. However, I’m thinking I need a different routine for macro work, especially now that I’ve discovered this ice theme. Things will not get any better in the spring when flowers begin to bloom. Where is the book - A Photographer’s Guide to Physical Training?

At least I feel there was a gain. I really enjoyed myself working outdoors yesterday and I am happy with the quality and variety of images I made. The more I explore this ice theme, the more I like it. It seems that the fluctuating temperatures around these parts may actually make the ice patterns more interesting and varied. The cycle of thaw and freeze allows me to go back to the same locations and work new ideas and new images. This small group represents a series that has more complex lines than many of the others I made yesterday.

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We haven’t had any real snow fall yet this winter here in Bucks County, PA. Sure we’ve had some ice and some nice flurries, but no real snow. No landscape changing, winter wonderland like snowscapes that scream winter. I don’t like the cold enough to just be out in it, so visually I need some inspiration. It’s my problem I know and if I would get myself out more I would be able to enjoy the other visual aspects of winter.

I did get out last Saturday and I knew exactly what elements I wanted to work with - abstract ice patterns. These are harder to work with than you may expect if you’ve never done this type of image making. Being perfectly parallel to the subject is important to gain full frame focus. The other major hurdle is setting up a tripod so as not to actually break the ice or just not having the tripod legs slip out of position. Then of course you have to place your eye to the viewfinder without moving the precariously placed tripod or stepping on the subject you hope to photograph.

Field technique is an ever challenging and experience-based process. It is true that one becomes a better image maker the more time they spend making images (and analyzing the results I may add). Anyway, here’s a couple examples of images I made that I like. For these I selected to use a Canon 300mm f4.0 IS lens with a 12mm extension tube (to allow a closer focusing). This allowed me to work in a standing position and not have to be right on top of the ice.

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This time of year is always filled with family get-togethers and lots of decorating. No holiday season is more full of lights and graphic ornamentation. Therefore, it becomes a fun time to make some images of a different sort. I love color and strong design, Christmas offers both. When visiting friends and family, I bring a camera and one lens - a 50mm f1.4. This lens keeps things simple and allows me to work in low light, perfect for little still lives and ambient light portraits. I can set my Canon digital XTi to 400 or 800 ISO and hand hold the camera.

At a friends home I made this image of their stockings, definitely hung with care. They have a big family when you count the cats and dog, so lots of stockings were placed over the fire place. Ambient lighting was all I needed. A shallow depth of field conveys all I wanted to tell and adds a dreamy feeling to the piece. It also allows any lights in the distance to becomes balls of color.

Speaking of balls of color, Christmas ornaments are great subjects too. This basket of glass balls is not only bright, but reflective. It was a table setting at my inlaws. A bit of a self portrait really, but it’s the color and graphics that excited me. Again, a shallow depth of focus allows for a strong festive feeling.

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year!

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