I’m still feeling like winter………

I know what the calendar says, but I’m still scrapping my car windshield and wearing winter coats. I’m also still working through some wintry images and enjoying it. We didn’t get much snow this past winter, but some of what we did receive was lovely. It was the kind of snowfall that left a visual impression of the land instead of overwhelming it.

The image below was made during one of our March snows and it was one of the most visually pleasing snows I’ve ever experienced. As a result I bolted out of the house the morning of and went to work. With the sun rising, there was both warm light and cool shadow to work with. I concentrated on those aspects of the land that excited me the most, contrast and form.

I used an Olympus OM-D E5 with a Panasonic 100-300mm lens to isolate and compress the composition. Working in RAW format, I then developed the image in Lightroom and finished it in Photoshop.

(c) 2013 Paul Grecian – http://www.paulgrecianphoto.com

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Foggy January

I’m really appreciating being able to get back to making photographs. Earlier this week I saw fog again when I awoke and took off, straight to my favorite lake! There were Canada Geese in large numbers and a distant Bald Eagle perched on the opposite shore high in a tree.

Even when working at a location I’ve been to a thousand times, I need to take time to absorb what I’m seeing and feeling. What moved me to start the process was the mist rising off the water against a winter woodland and a large stone in the foreground.

In the field, I used a Canon 5D Mark II camera and a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II lens on a Gitzo tripod with a Really Right Stuff  head. I like to work with the mirror locked up and a 2 second self-timer. This image was made in color and converted to black & white. I developed the image further using levels, curves, shadows/highlights, and some sharpening. When all was finished I applied sepia toning to emphasize the mood.

(c) 2013 Paul Grecian

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Audubon Show – Recapped

The Audubon Art and Craft Festival was well attended and a fun event. I missed having a couple of friends there who had previously participated but was pleased to find other familiar faces I haven’t seen in a while. Such is the nature of these types of shows. The weather could not have been better and the new location for the show worked out well.

The magazine This Week in the Poconos did a cover feature about the show accompanied by my image which I’ve titled simply- Blue Bird. It is an image I made here in Pennsylvania some years back and one which is part of many private home art collections.

 

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Audubon Show – Hawley, PA (July 21-22)

This weekend I will be participating in the Audubon Art and Craft Festival (http://www.audubonfestival.com/)  in Hawley, PA. This is a fun show with a nature oriented theme. There are live animal shows and a variety of some fine craft and artworks. Held around Lake Wallenpaupack, it’s also just a nice day out.

Great Blue Herons are wonderful birds and a favorite subject of mine. These two images are titled after the yoga poses that this bird is “obviously” holding (Warrior III on left and Downward-facing Dog on right). Both images were made at Lake Galena in Bucks County, PA . I used a Canon EOS 1D Mark III camera with Canon EF 500mm f4.0 L IS and Canon TC 1.4 (700mm optic equivalent). To hold this system stable and yet still have mobility, I use a Foba Superball tripod- head and Wimberley Sidekick.

“Warrior III”

Blue Jay in 7×14 Series

I have been putting together a series of images printed at 7″x14″ and will be now offering this new image. The bird of course is a Blue Jay, an image I made here in Bucks County just yesterday. Blue Jays are handsome birds with sharp features and unique coloration. We’ve had one visitng around the house lately, so I’ve become more conscious of them.

The colors in this piece are very complimentary giving it a somewhat peaceful feeling. The branch lines lent themselves well I think to this more panoramic presentation. Importantly, the branchs diverge toward the right of the frame which balances the figure of the Blue Jay on the left. I had nice soft light with which to work, but a long focal length lens (400mm w 2X TC = 800mm) and low light required a higher ISO (1250). I was very conscious of the way the leaves frame the bird and the over framing of the image so that it would be a successful 7×14.

Blue Jay in Spring Foliage

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Peddler’s Village Fine Art Show – June 2-3

One of my favorite shows of the year is this wonderful event at Peddler’s Village in the heart of Bucks County, PA. I will be set up on the main green. The show runs both Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm and offers an enticing selection of both fine art and contemporary crafts. For more information click HERE

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

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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

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Kutztown University – Reading-Berks Guild of Craftsmen

I am looking forward to this weekend’s show event with the Reading-Berks Chapter of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. This show is a great opportunity to shop some of the most respected makers of fine handcrafts and art in the area. It is an indoor show with both food and entertainment included.

Check out this link for more information – Show Info

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Some Good Press….

It never hurts to get good press coverage. I was especially pleased with the coverage in the Entertainment section of the Lancaster Intelligencer this past weekend. In addition to a teaser spot on the front page, my image Three’s Company (three cardinals) was given full-page representation on the cover of the pull-out Entertainment section. Inside was the interview I gave last week and another image of mine – Beach Sitter (red fox).

The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen show was a fine success with record crowd. The Lancaster Convention Center also happens to be a very attractive venue. We’ll be back next year.

Here’s a link to the article – Newspaper 

Cover of Entertainment Section

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Back to Lancaster, PA

This weekend I will be a featured artist at the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen show   Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen show at the Lancaster Convention Center in Lancaster, PA. As a featured artist at this show, I was interviewed today by Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. The interview should appear in the Friday Entertainment section of the paper.

The Convention Center is a new venue for this fine Guild show and will allow a clean floor plan for patrons to enjoy all the great, original work to be purchased.

The image below is one I made in the White Mountains of New Hampshire during a fall trip. Somewhat ironically, I am shipping a framed print back to New Hampshire for a client who is making it a gift.

Kangamangus Palette

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