Artistic Balance

A Winter Sunset - at the Celery Farm Allendale, NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:38:00 +0000

After being in the house all weekend I decided to take a walk Sunday around sunset. I decided to head to the Celery Farm Wildlife Sanctuary and walk around its's small lake. I took my camera and tripod for the fun of it and came away with these images.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Back to the Orchid...

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:04:00 +0000

This weekend I felt that the yellow orchid I photographed last week had not finished telling her story. So I set the lights and camera up again and these shots are what I came away with. Quite happy I went back to this flower for a second look!

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Old Pocket Watch....

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:27:00 +0000

My creative demon (or angel depending on your point of view) gets inspired by some of the oddest things. I have been carrying this broken old pocket watch around for almost 30 years. Last night I decided to explore it with my 100mm macro lens. There is plant I can do with this. I may work on it some more today.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Orchid Watercolor

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:45:00 +0000

Orchid 5x7" on 140 lb hot press paper

Orchid Watercolor... My first attempt since some great paintings on the Cape this summer. I love the colors and am glad I stopped before it got muddy. I am definitely inspired enough to get back into the studio and paint again tomorrow...

Wendy Was right there was a studio under all that mess!

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Orchid Studies...

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:06:00 +0000

I turned my Kitchen into a studio again tonight to photograph this Orchid I saw. I just loved the colors and decided it needed to be photographed.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

More Images from Grand Central - NYC in Black and White

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:14:00 +0000

I spent a little more time this week working on the photos from Grand Central Terminal in NYC. I originally saw this as a series in color because of the green backdrop of the mural of the constellations, but the more I look work with and view the images I think the architecture and the space is shown off better in warm toned black and white images....

What do you think? (There are no wrong answers. I am curious what you think.)

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Grand Central Terminal - NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:05:00 +0000

I had the opportunity to get a permit to photograph inside of Grand Central Terminal in NYC this morning. Sunday morning from 9-11 is a perfect time... Not many people so it is not crowded, but enough to show off the scale of this wonderful building. I will definitely be going back to do this again.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Julie Scholz Show at Flywheel Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:27:00 +0000

Check out photographer Julie Scholz's show at Piermont Flywheel Gallery in Piermont NY. The opening reception is this Sunday (January 15th).

Julie is an awesome photographer. Her close up floral work is amazing! and she has a great eye for landscapes.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Orchid

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:45:00 +0000

I was totally inspired by this purple orchid I saw while I was in the grocery store tonight. I had to break out my macro lens and lights as soon as I got home. Inspiration can strike lightning sometimes and usually leads to even more inspiration.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

The Celery Farm - Nature Preserve Allendale, NJ

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:47:00 +0000

We have had unusually warm weather here in NY this winter so far. This morning I took a walk with my camera around the Celery Farm Nature Preserve in Allendale, NJ. It was more of a walk and to check the place out. The Celery Farm is home to more than 250 varieties of birds and waterfowl. I will definitely go back several more times and plan to take more serious photos.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Downy Woodpecker

Mallard Duck

The Best of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000

After much review I have done it. I have narrowed all of my photos from 2011 down to my 12 favorite images for the year. I went through approximately 1500 images to narrow down to my favorite 50. From there I narrowed it down (with Wenderina's help) to my favorite 12... I went with 12 to represent the 12 months even though I did not try to hold my self to one from each month... I just though 12 was as good a number as any. It was great to see the images I took this year and get a feel for how my work is progressing. Some of my favorites were the unexpected shots I took. I need to branch out even more in 2012.

I wish you all a Happy Healthy and Successful 2012!

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Happy Holidays and Peace on Earth!

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:46:00 +0000

just a quick note to say Happy Holidays! Wishing all my blogging friends a Wonderful 2012!

Next week I will be doing my yearly best of posts. Oh the pressure!

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Big News!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Hi Everyone!

I am sorry for my prolonged spell of non-blogging. There has been a lot going on in our lives this holiday season, but I wanted to report a bit of great news. I was up for membership in the Piermont Flywheel Gallery. After the portfolio review and vote this morning I am officially an artist member of the gallery! Wendy was a huge help in assisting me to narrow down five years of photographs into a portfolio of fifteen pieces that gave some idea of who I am as an artist. I will have a three week show coming up in the later half of 2012 and will have some of my images up on display in the gallery sometime after the new year. I really like and admire the artists in PFG (Piermont Flywheel Gallery) and think this will be a great next step in my evolution as an artist. Thanks to EVERYONE who has been supportive of my photography.

More to come on this after the New Year!

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

The holidays are starting to come into focus.......

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:48:00 +0000

My Christmas tree...
an abstract detail.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Post Thanksgiving Ramble

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:53:00 +0000

We were away in upstate NY for Thanksgiving this year. Spending time with Wendy's family and some of our dearest friends. I have a little tradition when we are upstate for the holiday to get up early the following day and head to Mendon Ponds Park. I walk the old orchard trail and then take my camera to birdsong trail. The titmouse's (or is it titmice?) and the chickadees were fun this year and posed for me a little once I offered up some birdseed. It was a great trip in many ways. One of the things I am thankful for is being able to get out and hike with my camera.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

An image from last year...

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

I have not had a camera in my hands in a few weeks.... The leaves have fallen and the tempo of life at work has increased. I can not believe I have not posted in two weeks. I have been on such a roll this year. It has felt weird not to post. I am afraid it will be more of the same this week. Hopefully this weekend I'll get out with the camera. I leave you with this image from fall of 2010 and wish all of you celebrating a happy Thanksgiving!

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Community Photo Challenge - People in Landscapes

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:20:00 +0000

The November challenge over at community photo challenge is 'people in landscapes.' My entry is from a late October morning in 2008 at Harriman State Park. It was a wonderful peaceful morning. This photos conveys that and I think it would not be the same without the fisherman in the boat.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

A Departure From the Norm....

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:07:00 +0000

For those of you expecting flowers, waterfalls or lighthouses from me my apologies.... I planned to shoot nature today, but the leaves were gone, the park was crowded and I was not feelin' the love today.... That is until I saw these beauties sitting out in the sun at the local motorcycle shop... Chrome was just meant to be photographed in High Dynamic Range.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Re-Edited

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:31:00 +0000

Since I had a little time this morning I went back to the raw file of this image from my first Ithaca trip in June. When I first edited the photos I had done a quick version of this one. I have gone back and settled on a crop and worked on the tones of the image a little. It looks like it will hold up to a 10x20 print. I will have one done to see how it looks. I am thinking this one will look great on canvas!

Kee Makin' Art!

Carl

Sunrise and Fog Above The Trees - Ithaca, NY

A whole week of no pictures.

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:07:00 +0000

I woke up this morning and realized I have not taken any photos all week. I will have to do something about that this weekend.... but I am not sure yet what. I will post what ever I find.

Have a great weekend everyone,
Carl

October Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:13:00 +0000

After the late October snow yesterday the sky is clear and bright today. I was able to frame up some leaves and berries in closeup with ice and snow on them and a nice warm fall background to set off the image nicely. This is one of the guidelines I follow with my photography. Take the opportunities that present themselves. You should never force a photo the viewer can always tell when you do that. Let nature show her wonder and capture it when she does.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Sunday Oct 23th Harriman State Park

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:43:00 +0000

This past Sunday I went for a hike and photo jaunt with my Mom in Harriman State Park. We followed one of my favorite streams for a while. It was nice to see so many people in the park and on the trails enjoying nature on that fine Sunday morning. This park is a treasure and it never fails to recharge my batteries walking along its many paths and streams. We are supposed to get some snow here tonight so i amy be able to get some snow photos with some fall color left. It is these moments that make the most striking photos when you are able to show something unexpected. I will be moving into the studio this weekend as well as I can not ignore the call of my watercolor paints and brushes much longer. There are paintings from our Italy trip last year still screaming to be painted. They waited patiently as I set a hectic pace with the camera running around New York and Cape Cod this year..... the paintings will not wait much longer. It is important to follow your art when the muse calls you... If you ignore the muse it will simply call to another who will serve its means..... For now the muse has been in the streams, waterfalls and gorges of New York, but the studio now calls. Maybe just one more hike.....

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl

Home

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 13:14:00 +0000

Sitting at home enjoying a cup of coffee, editing photos and listening to folk tunes on my ITunes. I love the peacefulness of mornings like this. It looks like we will get snow tonight and have a chance for some photos that cross between the seasons tomorrow. Today I will post fall pictures from Harriman State Park I took while on a hike with my Mom last week.

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Moodna Viaduct - Autumn

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:35:00 +0000

One of my favorite subjects!

Keep Makin' Art!
Carl

Unexpected...

noreply@blogger.com (Carl) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:29:00 +0000

On my way back from hiking and taking photos with Mom in Harriman State Park today I found a Car Show that was in the train station parking lot and just ending. I got a few minutes with this beautiful old red Corvette. Gleaming out in the sunshine it was begging for HDR to bring out the details and make the chrome shine!

Sometimes you don't shot what you plan on, but have to be open to what is available to you.

I will be working on the shots from Harriman tonight to see if there are any winners.... The trees are a bit bare after some wind and rain this week.

Keep Makin' Art!

Carl