Spring, on the inside

I was tired of waiting for spring so I did the next bet thing, visited Longwood Gardens’ conservatory. This amazing indoor garden is my favorite place to find spring when it isn’t coming as quickly as I’d like. Of course, this was  a couple of weeks ago so spring is now here (just mowed the lawn to prove it to myself).

What I especially like about the Longwood conservatory though is the ability to work in a rather controlled environment. Typically the light is soft, the only breeze comes from the air circulating fans, the temperature is constantly spring-like, and it never rains. This type of situation allows me to concentrate only on making images, which is good. On the flipside, the consistency of conditions also limits the creative process. So it’s a trade-off, but one I understand when going in. When spring does hit at Longwood, I can have the best of both worlds. Working inside and outside allows for all the creative freedom I want.

This particular image was made indoors in bright, but diffused, natural light. The colors of the flowers are astounding so my main goal was to create an image with strong lines and geometry. I used a Panasonic GH2 camera with a Panasonic 14-140mm lens and an extension tube to focus more closely. I focused on the buds in the middle, diffusing the flowers around them and composed to place the brightest pink flower at a power point visually.

(c) 2013 Paul Grecian

*****************************************************************

Artistic Process

The artistic process differs from medium to medium and is of course a never-ending learning process. As an artist working in the medium of photography, I cannot help but compare my medium and process to others. I find it both helpful in understanding my own medium but also in growing with it. And although I have been working in digital format for almost 10 years, the medium still feels new to me.

There is one aspect of working in digital format  that may be more important than any other. Unlike working with film, having immediate feedback on the camera’s LCD means being able to respond both to the scene in front of me and to the image I just created. And so as in painting, sculpture, or even composing music, I can analyse the result and adjust the process to do things differently.

Mostly, people think of that feedback as a way of checking that the camera is working correctly and that the image reflects what was desired. That is helpful, but maybe even more important is that the image itself becomes a new thing to which I can respond. Just as a painter lays down a brush stroke and then responds to how that brush stroke changes their feeling about where to lay down the next brush stroke, the photographer can respond to an LCD display of an image to determine what next direction to take.

In the image below that I made in Acadia National Park this past August, I was able to respond to the image I made as separate from the scene in which I was working. The image I made then could send me in a different direction than the scene itself would have.  As a result I could respond by changing focal length, perspective, polarization, exposure, composition, and if I chose to, also white-balance and application of a variety of other camera-based controls. The immediate feedback offered by the camera’s LCD allows me to be more creative in the field and ultimately with the final print.

This image was made with a Panasonic GH2 with an Olympus 9-18mm m4/3 lens at 18mm hand-held.

Cloud and Grasses, (c) 2012 Paul Grecian

**************************************************************

The Maine Thing – Day 6

Day 6 in Maine was fairly overcast, perfect for hiking in wooded areas. The image below was made on a trail starting at Jordan Pond. The trails are mostly for hiking, but also horse-riding and offer wonderful views of rather pristine woodland. What really amazed me was how interwoven  the Plant-life is with the geology. Trees were growing out of stone and even in the nooks of other trees! For example, I saw several fir trees growing out of  bifurcations in birch trees.

For this hike I selected to use a light weight Micro-Four-thirds system again. In this case it was the Panasonic GH2 with an Olympus 9-18mm lens (equivalent to an 18-36mm in 35mm format). Compositionally, I am using the trees to frame the distant view. From a color standpoint, this is a monochromatic piece, so I am emphasizing the different tonalities of green (as I would with grays were this a black-and-white image).

View from trail near Jordan Pond

**************************************************************

The Maine Thing – Day 4

Day 4 in Maine was a washout, I mean it poured! Perfect for some outdoor photography with saturated colors! I had my sights on Sieur de Monts Nature Center to work the birch woods. For this kind of really wet conditions, I rely on my Olympus E-5 DSLR and Olympus SW 50-200mm lens which are both weather proof. Even in Gore-Tex though, I felt wet from this rain, and water finds ways to get inside your jacket and shoes.

The wet leaves and boardwalk added color and reflection to the image and pretty much guaranteed I would be alone. It was really quite fun to work in conditions about as wet as I’ve ever experienced.

 

Boardwalk in Birch Forest

 

*************************************************************

Just a Drop Will Dew

Soon after I started making pictures (over 30yrs ago), I quickly became enamored with “macro” photography (photography of small subjects working with specialized lenses which allow you to focus close to your subject). My first “serious” lens was a used Sigma macro lens. It allowed me to explore nature in a way that made even the yard of my Philadelphia apartment seem like a wilderness.

I continue to explore nature through this close-up photographic technique, although now I do it with a variety of close-focusing lenses and in natural areas rather more diverse than my Philly front yard. However, it is the visual simplicity that I can achieve with macro-photography that really keeps me going back to it.

In the case of the image below, a simple line (leaf edge) and the contrasting almost-perfect orb of dew create an image of simplicity and tension. I am drawn to water droplets as characters in my work. They appear as jewels on misty mornings, after a rain, or when the appropriate dew point and I intersect.

For this image I was working with a Canon 40D and a Canon EF 100mm f2.8 macro lens set at f2.8. I had a shutter speed of 1/640 and set the ISO to 400. I set the camera to Aperture Priority and metered in Pattern mode.

Dew Drop – (c) Paul Grecian – http://www.paulgrecianphoto.com

*******************************************************************

 

Strawberry Festival – May 5-6, 2012

This weekend I will be exhibiting and selling my work at the Strawberry Festival in Peddler’s Village. Located in Lahaska, Peddler’s Village is in the heart of Bucks County. Not far are New Hope, PA and Lambertville, NJ, well-known art centers on the east coast.

The festival runs from 10am – 6pm both days and is free to the public. The artists and craftsmen will be set up along Street Road on the Green. Follow the link for more information – http://www.peddlersvillage.com/visit/

Tulip abstract

……………………………………………………………………………………..

“Winter’s Whispers”

The joy of winter for me is mostly a visual thing. I don’t like the cold, at least not real cold. And ice and snow make driving a hazard I don’t need. But they also transform the landscape into something found during no other time of the year. There’s also something nostalgic about snow that brings one back to their childhood that I enjoy. In any case, I do find working in the snow and ice exciting for image making.

Since most of my winter imagery is based here in Bucks County, it was nice to be a part of the current Winter Issue of Bucks County Town and Country magazine. Bob Waite, the magazine’s editor, named the piece “Winter Whispers”, a title I truly like. The photo essay is an eight page spread and laid out nicely. I especially appreciated Mr Waite’s comment on his Signature page – “All I can say is that Paul’s ability to capture the beauty of Bucks County’s winter scenery and wildlife is almost remarkable.”

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been in this fine magazine, I’m pleased to be back.

First pages of winter photo essay

*********************************************************************

Gardens as Natural Oasis

Last Saturday, as part of the Artists’ Gallery’s participation in the Kalmia Club’s  Garden Tour, I spent several hours exploring private gardens within Lambertville, NJ. These are mostly small gardens designed to maximize their beauty and feeling of retreat. Several had water features and Zen-like elements that made them not only attractive to look at, but also peaceful to be in. The weather was overcast, my favorite light condition for gardens.

For many people, the garden is their everyday nature experience and so also a very important link to the natural world in general. I was amazed by how much could be done in such small spaces yet still allowing one to feel that they were almost in a wilderness.

The Garden Tour has been an annual event for years and the Artists’ Gallery participation has now become part of the tour more than ever

One particular garden that struck me for both design and it’s inviting feeling had an eating nook that drew me closer. A lace tablecloth added texture and the shade gave the scene a bit of a mysterious feeling. I emphasized both by exposing for the white tablecloth and using a lens adaptor to shift the plane of focus in a way that concentrates the viewer on the ornate pattern of the table cover.

(c) 2011 Paul Grecian - Photography

*******************************************************************

Artists’ Gallery and Kalmia Club Garden Tour

Artists Gallery Again a Destination

for Lambertville Garden Lovers

LAMBERTVILLE, NJ —  Fine art photographer Paul Grecian and other artist members of the Artists’ Gallery will again join gardeners and garden lovers this spring in supporting the Kalmia Club’s 15^th annual Lambertville Garden Tour on Saturday, June 11, from 10 am to 4 pm. The Gallery, located at 18 Bridge Street in the heart of Lambertville, is an official stop on the tour, if a unique one. 

“Clearly, we’re not a garden,” said Gallery spokesperson Laurie Nicholson, “but visitors will find beautifully rendered representations of flora and garden landscapes on display in the Gallery. There’ll be an opportunity to further support Kalmia too, as we’ll be donating 15 percent of the sale of select pieces to the Club. Also, light refreshments will be available to our Kalmia friends and their supporters.” 

Art and artists will likely be on display along the tour route as well throughout the day.

“If the weather is good, several of our members plan to be working on site in their own favorite Lambertville garden locations,” said Nicholson.

The self-guided tour begins at the Kalmia Clubhouse, 39 York Street, Lambertville, and showcases a variety of garden types and plants, from eclectic to formal, orchids to cactus and beyond. Net proceeds further the Kalmia Club’s mission and assist with its community outreach and annual scholarship programs. Additional information about Kalmia Club and the Garden Tour may be found at http://www.kalmiaclub.org.

About Artists’ Gallery

Artists’ Gallery is a partnership of eighteen established artists with national and international reputations who attract collectors and art lovers from throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware.  The Gallery is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 am to 6 pm, and by appointment.  For more information, call 609-397-4588 or visit the Gallery online at www.lambertvillearts.com.

(c) 2011 Paul Grecian - http://www.paulgrecianphoto.com

**************************************************************

Strawberries

It’s the Strawberry Festival at Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, PA this weekend! I will be set up in my gallery-on-the-go canopy both Saturday and Sunday. The forecast looks great! Oh, and did I mention there will be strawberries?

In this colorful image bellow of a brilliant red flower, I have isolated the stamen with emphasis on the bright yellow anther. This is one of the fun and creative ways I like to work with macro photography. Simple form and strong color can make for a dynamic image. Here I was using a Panasonic G2 with a Lensbaby attachment that allows me to use a Nikon 55mm micro lens.

(c) 2011 Paul Grecian

************************************************************