Paul Grecian - Photography

Day 9 was this past Sunday and was the last day of the show. Whew! Overall, it was a very good show. The weather was not as great as last year and the crowds didn’t seem as big, but I’m not complaining. I did see quite a number of previous patrons who came to add another piece or pieces for their homes or offices. I also met many new people and had purchases made by several who live near me. Having people close to home buy my work is fun because my work generally is done close to home. This means we both have an intimate knowledge of the subjects.

My first sale on day 9 was of The Gathering. With all the colors in this piece, frame choices are endless. The image itself is one I made on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with a Canon camera and Fujichrome film. I used a 100mm macro lens designed specifically for this kind of close-up work. A tripod allowed me to lock the composition in place and use a small enough aperture to gain sharpness and depth.

I have two weeks to prepare for my next show in Hawley, PA and to begin working on  several orders taken at the show. It was nice though to wake up yesterday and not have to hit the road. I took my daughter to breakfast and actually was able to sit down while drinking my coffee. That said, I’ll be looking forward to the Kutztown Festival next year. My application payment has already been made.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the show!

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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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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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