Paul Grecian - Photography

I listen carefully to what show attendees say to me when seeing my work. At this last show in Hawley, as in many others, a regular comment is that I must be a very patient person. I often hesitate at this because I simply feel it misses the mark on how I approach making an image. Truth is I’m not a very patient person.  I don’t just stand or sit waiting for something to happen or some creature to pass my position.

I think the confusion is that many people equate wildlife photography and nature photography in general, with hunting. I am not hunting with a camera. Maybe a better description is that I am exploring with my camera and then communicating with as much emotion as I can, the visual experience. Sometimes my images are the result of pre-visualization, maybe for months or just seconds before making the image. Sometimes I just walk around and allow myself to respond to what I see and feel. Other times I do stand or sit in a spot where I have pre-visualized a certain image or type of image I want to make. Usually though, I am on the move observing and thinking about color, form, perspective, and compositions, but mostly letting myself respond to the visual experience I am having.

It is more often true that any image I make was made as I came upon a subject or situation in the field. Many of my images are the result of planning to be in a certain location under specific conditions in order to attempt to make an image I had already considered. This means being in the desired spot often while it’s still dark with the needed equipment and a predetermined creative approach. In fact, this approach may be considered the exact opposite of patience. I’m not saying I never exhibit patience, it’s just not my strongest character trait (at least with regards to making photographs).

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This coming weekend (July 19-20) I will be participating in the Audubon Art and Craft Festival in Hawley, PA. This is a show of talented artists and crafters in a range of mediums. Some of the artists are truly of national renown and specialize in the wildlife genre. I have been showing my work with some of these artists since 1995, sometimes several times a year. This show has become the last one in which I get to exhibit with them. The other shows have dissolved over time. The wildlife art show genre seems to be less successful than it was during the ’90’s, so the Audubon Festival has become a standout event.

This is also the only show event in which my wife and daughter travel with me, so it’s special for that reason as well. In fact, my daughter Hannah has been looking forward to it for weeks. I working late into the night preparing for this show and one in Delaware the weekend after. Lots to do.

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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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One of the prints that I sell with some frequency is this one entitled Colonial Yarn. It is a fun picture, lots of character and great texture. I composed the image to maximize symmetry and the fun nature of this sheep. The image was made in Colonial Williamsburg, VA where these sheep are raised as part of their rare breeds program.

I am sometimes asked what breed this is and only recently checked the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation website to find out. So if you have asked me before, it is a Leicester Longwool. These were originally a British breed for the colonies, but the Foundation started their herd with sheep from Tasmania.

I have been offering this print only in the 5×7 size (for $32), but will now also make available an 8×10 size (for $45). Both are matted and mounted on 11×14 acid-free board.

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My wife Donna and I have been going to Colonial Williamsburg, VA since 1986. We started taking our daughter Hannah there when she was 2 years old. Hannah loves it there, so we have been going during her spring (read Easter) break. This year Easter was quite early so spring was not in full swing in Virginia. But the weather was great and we had a great trip. Temperatures were in the 70’s in the afternoon, and it was bright and sunny.

We walked through the streets, visited gardens, went on a house tour, enjoyed excellent meals (including maybe the finest dinner I’ve ever had out), and took in a museum. I have been photographing within the colonial city for years and have several prints with me at shows. So, each visit is an opportunity for me to create something new.

However, without much real spring growth during this trip, I concentrated on imagery of a different kind. I focused on people and vignettes of colonial life. The first image was made in Shields Tavern were we had lunch. Character actors often will just be engaged in typical behaviors of the period sometimes greeting other actors or visitors like us. The second image is one I made in a favorite garden where I emphasize the repetition of line and simple arrangement. In addition to some great memories, we also brought back two framed prints and a small original watercolor. Next year, Easter is later, maybe we’ll get back to Williamsburg again.

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The Reading-Berks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen will be presenting our Spring Fine Arts and Crafts Festival this Saturday and Sunday (March 29-30). This show which is held at the Kutztown University Field House, will offer high quality, original art and fine crafts. It is a hidden treasure of a show that I have been involved with since it’s first year (2003). Here is a link to the show web page - Spring Festival

My wife, daughter and I just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Colonial Williamsburg. We really enjoyed great weather, a good deal of history, and some fine dinning. I also use this annual trip to create new imagery with a spring theme. This year with Easter being so early, we were too early for any real spring garden activity. I did very little work, but will post a couple of images in the future.

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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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It’s been two months already since my last show. Next month marks the beginning of a new show year. Check my web site www.paulgrecianphoto.com for my anticipated schedule so far. I am expecting to be at shows during some 40 plus days again this year. I know the schedule will be a bit different from last year, but overall it will look very similar.

I do try to make some change every year so that I force myself to try new venues. As the year progresses, I may still add a show or two, especially if the anticipated shows do not all pan out. My first show of the year will be in New Jersey with the Sugarloaf people. This is a large show with quite a few other photographers. It may also represent my only Jersey show this year. Take a look at the link below for all the details.

Sugarloaf in NJ

I’ve attained my Delaware sales licence for 2008 and expect to do at least one show in that state. All the rest then are in Pennsylvania, and only two (in Lancaster and Hawley) will require that I stay over.

I am also going to look at alternate venues such as exhibitions and galleries again this year to see if they may be appropriate avenues for my work. It’s a never ending process to place one’s work in front of as many eyes as possible while being cognizant of which audience may be most receptive to it.

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A lot of excitement in New Hampshire last night made me think of my one and only visit there in 2006. I really enjoyed the two days I had photographing in the White Mountains area during the fall of that year. Senator Clinton is the come back kid they say. Well I wouldn’t mind “coming back” to New Hampshire for some primary……….primary colors that is.

The image below was made after coming back out from a trail off of the Kangamangus Highway. The light was soft from heavy overcast and the colors were strong. I composed to strengthen the contrast between dark and light trees and the kind of symmetry that their positioning created. This is an isolation landscape. That is, I used a telephoto perspective to create the composition, isolating just those elements that I wanted to emphasize. The lens I used is my favorite landscape lens - a Canon 28-300mm L which is big and heavy, but gives me the freedom to compose as I please without having to constantly reposition myself.

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If there was any doubt that photography is a life style, this weekend put that to rest. Yesterday I was able to make images both in a pumpkin patch and a Moroccan restaurant. It was actually a beautiful day yesterday and so a local pumpkin festival here in Bucks County, PA was the place to be to pick a wheel barrel of pumpkins. And so we did. My wife, daughter and I walked through the pumpkin fields to find and pull from the ground, pumpkins both large and small. This also gave the opportunity to photograph the field with a sunny, blue sky. The contrast between the orange pumpkins and blue sky was wonderful. With the help of a polarizer, the color all came through.

That evening we all went to a Moroccan restaurant to take in a feast and some belly dancing. My sister-in-law is part of the troupe and they put on a great show. The place was packed and the music and dancing were brilliant. Of course this too gave me an opportunity to do some image making quite different than my norm. I went prepared for low light and a bit of action. Working with a digital SLR allowed me to see how I was doing and try different approaches. It was a lot of fun and I expect I will try it again.

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