StillsLife

Cruising the Hood

2014-04-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Over the last year at events, through facebook and on my web site, I've had people ask about a book of my photography.
I have been working on several ideas based on these requests.
I'm releasing a series of themed books that bundle images by subjects.
The first book, " Cruising the Hood" was released yesterday.
It features a number of my favorite hood ornaments and emblems in a bound 20 page book.
The second book, " Back Road Black and White " showcases my favorite black and white images combined with quotes about travel and the road. This book will be released late next week.
Other titles are in development, and I hope to complete at least one more this year. A 2015 calender will be available in September.
All of these books are available through Magcloud and include a free digital version with purchase.
You can go to: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/743916
or www.stillslife.net . I will also have copies available at shows , events and gallery showings.

I appreciate all the interest and support from so many people that helped me push this project forward. If you have specific subject areas or interests you feel would make a good book, please let me know.
I hope you will enjoy these selections.
Michael

Great old car finds along the San Juan Skyway.

2014-02-17T18:32:00.001-07:00

Engineers seat in the Silverton Train

Highway 550 climbs up and over three mountain passes in the mountains of Colorado.
It's history as a toll road linking Ouray and Silverton goes back to the 1880's. It underwent it's final paved configuration as a state highway completed in 1924. Today it is known as the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway.
Summer brings heavy tourist traffic creeping up the the passes, as drivers hold a white knuckle grip on the wheel , afraid to glance over the sheer drop into the canyons below. This area is a mecca for 4x4 recreation driving and exploring the many old mining trails and camps.
Although summer is a beautiful time to visit the mountains, I prefer the Spring or Fall to explore in relative peace. The pace is slower, and the locals have the time to visit.

County Dump Truck - Silverton

It's my custom to take the time to drive or walk the streets of these small towns in a grid pattern, looking for interesting vehicles. I usually travel south to Montrose, after a side trip to the Gateway museum.
On the way south, I found a used car lot featuring a number of used but unrestored cars from the forties through the early sixties. I like to spend the night in Montrose so I can have dinner at the Horsefly Brewery.
The Flat Bread Pizzas or Fish and Chips along with a glass of Tabino Red or Paso Fino Porter make for a relaxing end to the day.

Car lot north of Montrose

It is best to start early in the morning in order to have the pass to yourself. A stop to explore Ouray and soak up the mining history and explore the back streets for interesting vehicles.
The climb up over the passes early in the day is a spectacular drive, that you will never forget. As you drop into Silverton, stop at the Brown Bear cafe, a great little place that serves a great breakfast burrito. It's a good place to strike up a conversation with the locals on what to photograph.
The photograph of the county dump truck was a tip from a fellow diner. It would have been easy to miss it, and the beautiful patina of age on the truck.

It would be easy to spend several days photographing the cars, trucks, trains and historic building in Silverton. The town is small enough that it is easy to walk all of the street. Take time to explore the railroad station and yard. This is best done between arrivals or departures of the famous Silverton to Durango railroad to avoid the massive influx of tourists and passengers.
When I left town, I was able to catch up with the train and run parallel with it for several miles. The drive from Silverton to Durango is another beautiful drive ending in a chance to stay in one of the historic hotels like the the Strater of General Palmer. There are plenty of great restaurants in the Durango area.

Packard - Montrose

Popeye - Oldsmobile truck

The next decision is which route to take next. I like to travel west to Cortez and Mesa Verde National Park. From Cortez, travel north will take you to Moab with Arches National Park, or travel south and west and south through the four corners and onto old route 66 with a side trip to the Grand Canyon.

Old tow truck - Ouray

Add the San Juan Scenic Byway to your list of must drives to make. It will be one of the most memorable trips you can make in the west.

Enjoy your travels

Michael

Shade Tree Mechanic - The story behind the image.

2013-12-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

This has become one of my most popular images in terms of response, publication and print sales.
I've been asked where it was taken and how did I find this wonderful scene.
If you follow my photography or read prior blogs you realize that many of these discoveries are actually the result of being relentlessly curious and straying away from the well traveled highways.

This exploration was on the many back roads between Las Vegas and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Las Vegas was a major trade center on the Santa Fe Trail from the time of the Spanish conquistadors and is worthy of a weeks worth of exploring and photographing.
Stop for lunch or dinner at Dick's, a local institution with great green chili and cold beer.

The side roads toward Santa Fe run somewhat parallel to I-25 and are a maze of county and state roads. This is not a drive for the impatient, like much of New Mexico, roads tend to stop and start with little signage. Parts of these roads were the early paved part of the Old Santa Fe trail and route 66. Small villages with white washed adobe churches at the base of beautiful mesas are scattered throughout this area. Each village has it's own history and story worth checking out.
This trip was primarily spent in and around Pecos, Glorieta and Rowe.
Along highway 50 outside Pecos, I spotted this wonderfully restored 55 Chevrolet pickup parked beside Greigos , a gas station and restaurant outside of town. A sign proclaimed: " Greigos, Best cheeseburger west of Pecos". When I opened my car door, the smells coming from the kitchen seemed to support their claim.
A few quick shots later, I found myself placing an order for a cheeseburger while I visited with a young man working the counter and a local highway patrolman waiting on his cheeseburger. A bit later, the cook brought out a grease stained white paper bag containing that wonderful burger. This is indeed, a stop destined for any carnivores bucket list.

A conversation about old pickups or cars I might photograph brought up the GMC pickup sitting outside of town on jack stands. I had to back track a bit toward Rowe, and cross over the interstate just past the small log and adobe homestead. This scene instantly spoke to me in it's simplicity and the story it conveyed of that project we all hope to complete.

I continued on to Santa Fe for a night at the El Rey Inn, a wonderful old motor inn much like it was in the fifties. Dinner with a friend at Tiny's lounge was a perfect end to a great day exploring at little bit more of northern New Mexico. Tiny's is another of those iconic old bars with great Mexican food, and a constantly changing cast of local characters.

I've found that Northern New Mexico has become one of my favorite areas to explore back roads and small towns. It is amazing to be in villages that were settled before the pilgrams landed on Plymouth rock.
Much of what makes New Mexico are the friendly and interesting people that really seem to love sharing the stories, history and sights away from the interstates.
Please share your favorite photo sites and experiences.
Have a wonderful adventure.
Michael
More of my photography can be found at: www.stillslife.net

My favorite car guy drives- Gateway Canyon Automotive Museum to Moab

2013-12-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

Oldsmobile F-88 Concept Car

Part of the Gateway Automobile Museum

I've driven thousands of miles on two lane roads throughout America. To pick a favorite is impossible, but one of my favorite drives is very remote, spectacularly beautiful, and is anchored by the Gateway Automobile Museum at one end and Moab, Utah and Arches National Park at the other.

Gateway is a remote small town set in a beautiful red rock valley. It is best reached from Grand Junction by driving south on highway 50 until you see a sign for Whitewater to the right on highway 141.
The road takes you through beautiful ranch land framed by towering mountain peaks. As you get close to Gateway, the alpine landscape transforms into red rock country that recalls virtually every western movie you've ever watched.
The tiny town of Gateway straddles the highway and within a few moments, you will see Gateway Canyon Resort as you drive south.
The resort is a world class end destination resort with every amenity and a number of ways to explore the area, from horseback, mountain bike and by Jeep or exotic sports car. They can sign you up to learn to get big air a Pro- Baja dirt trophy racing truck on the private off road course.

Hanging Flume

At this point, a lunch stop and museum tour could easily turn into a weeks stay.
This is one of the most spectacular and well displayed automobile museums that I have ever visited. It essentially tells the story of the American Automobile over a period of 100 years for 1906 to 2006.
This collection has many interesting and unusual cars. Many prototype and concept cars are featured including the centerpiece of the collection, the 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept car.
If you are a photographer, you will be hard pressed to find any museum that stages and lights the cars so beautifully. Rather than the velvet ropes that usually hang right in the way of a good photograph, low black pipes keep visitors from bumping against the cars, and allow you to photograph over them. I found that a few test shots and some white balance adjustment was all I needed to get the colors correct. Many of the cars have a full satin black background so you can get clear unobstructed photographs. Treat yourself to a night at the Gateway resort, enjoy a relaxing meal before departing to Moab the next morning. Gateway canyon and the museum should be added to any car guys bucket list.
Departing Gateway, make sure you have extra camera batteries charged and an empty memory disk, this day will be filled with spectacular images.
Highway 141 is one of Colorado's most beautiful drives. The dilemma is, do I surrender to the wonderful driving experience, or stop every quarter mile or so to take photographs. This wonderful drive follows the river at the base of towering red rock walls and then climbs to the top of the mesa.
As you are climbing to the top, be sure to stop at the overlook for the hanging flume. This flume was a ten mile long way to get water to a gold placer operation. The builders had to hang hundreds of feet above the water attaching the flume to the sheer rock cliff face.
Eventually you will come to highway 90 heading west toward Moab. You drop into Paradox valley with a single town of the same name. Now comes a steep climb up a series of switchbacks that bring you along the backside of the beautiful La Sal mountains. At this point you will come to highway 191, the main road into Moab.
Moab has become a very popular vacation spot. It's so popular that I try to make my visits in the late fall or early spring. Any time of year it is important to have a lodging reservation well ahead of time.

La Sal Mountains

Moab has many hotels and motels all along the main street, but my favorite is to take highway 128 out of town about 15 miles to the Red Cliff Lodge. It sits right on the Colorado River and features 360 degrees of spectacular views. The rancher that originally ranched here was responsible for getting Hollywood to film westerns in this area. John Wayne and virtually every other western actor from that era stayed at the ranch. The ranch is now a great lodge with it's own vineyard, great restaurant and is a great base from which to explore the area.

Pierce Woody Station Wagon

There's is no way to really capture the beauty and scale of Arches National park in a photograph, and there are endless trails and canyons to explore on foot, horseback or with a 4x4 .
This is the end of the drive, but the start of as much adventure and exploring as you have time for. The spring season has two automotive events, the Easter Jeep Safari and in late April, the Moab car show. Either one literally takes over the town, so plan well in advance.
I hope this trip is one you will add to your must drive list.

Michael
StillsLife - Classic Automotive Photography
www.stillslife.net

Exploring the black and white option of your favorite photographs. “Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.” - David Alan Harvey

2013-12-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

On occasion, if you follow my web page or facebook page you will see the best image emerges when I eliminate color in favor of black and white.

The three images in this post, all were shot initially in color, and certainly recorded accurately the color and details of the objects photographed.

With any image, I have an initial feeling or emotional response that I attempt to capture.
Sometimes, I'm initially satisfied with the photograph, but upon returning to it just doesn't seem to convey or express the initial feeling when I photographed it.

The first image of the Flathead Ford is a good example of an engine that really grabbed me with its perfect execution. I liked the color, but when I converted it to black and white, it became what I really wanted to convey of a perfectly executed and very mechanical feel. This has become one of the most popular images in my portfolio. I usually print this on aluminum sheet or Kodak metallic paper to further enhance the mechanical feel.

"Popeye" the Dodge truck is another photograph that has been quite popular as a color image. The various shades of rust certainly work well, but again merely recorded the truck as seen. I spent some time reworking it in black and white. This time I feel it has an even better feeling of the passage of time. Both work well, and are probably equally well received by the viewer. All in all, though I think it was worth producing it in color or black and white.

The last image of the forty Ford headlight and silver flames work very well in color, and with a minor bit of HDR work has the feeling of a painting that I had hoped to accomplish. It has also been a very popular image within my portfolio. So is it worth trying black and white? In this case, I felt that it worked well in black and white, but the color image remains closer to the feel and effect that I was trying to communicate.

My conclusion is that with digital photography, we have more options to experiment with our photography than we ever could with film. I would encourage you to be open to revisit images and try different effects until they get as close as you can to what you first felt when you made the shot.
Sometimes black and white will be the best solution. At other times it's a good alternative or option, and there will be times the original color was the best image.
As always, have the courage to experiment and don't forget to keep it fun.
Just keep shooting. Michael

The rust never sleeps. Photographing the natural beauty and patina of old cars.

2013-12-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

As an automotive photographer , I'm often taking images of spectacular collector cars and hot rods with perfect paint, chrome and body work. These cars, designed and built by amazing artisans, are absolute automotive perfection.

At the other end of the spectrum are the survivors, unfinished projects and abandoned vehicles. The wonderful thing about these cars is that they can be found almost anywhere and often have great stories behind the image.

At art shows, people often ask how do I know where to find these scenes.
Many of my best selling and most popular images are found along rural two lane roads all over the country. I'll share a few tips and stories behind the images in this post.

Be willing to explore and get away from the interstates. The Dodge Charger was found off a two lane road about 20 miles out of Billings, Montana.
Talk to people. I often find great scenes by striking up a conversation at the local store or town café. Even if I don't find something, I often meet very interesting people. The Chevy truck on jack stands was a tip from a local highway patrolman I met at a gas station in Pecos, New Mexico. It was less than a quarter mile from the station, but I would have missed it entirely. I have some oversize post cards with one of my photographs on one side and contact info and website on the back. I hand these out to start the conversation. These are a great ice breaker.
Get off of main street. In the smaller towns, I'll take the time to drive up and down each street and often the alleys. I drive a basic grid looking for old cars as well as great old buildings. Some of my best finds have been on that last street at the edge of town.
Sometimes great images are closer than you think. Your home town as well as local swap meets and auctions often turn up some wonderful images. The 32 Ford above was parked one street away from a local car show. The Dodge truck wheel with the shredded tire was found at a swap meet, and the Oldsmobile trunk was found lined up at a local auction.
Go to the light. Picking the subjects is really a combination of an initial emotional response to the scene, and understanding what the light is doing. Often you hear photographers say you need to shoot early or late in the day. Those are my favorite times as well, but if you take the time to observe the light and work with it good photographs can be taken at any time. Every photograph on this post was taken between 10:00am and 4:00pm except for the Dodge wheel that was taken early in the morning. As I've noted in other posts, experiment with a number of exposures and effects. Digital allows us to take far more images and explore options, so be bold and go for it.

I find that the images of the survivors and abandoned tell great stories with the passage time. I hope this was helpful. Let me know what works for you or feel free to share your images, I'd love to see them.
Michael

The images on this post are available at my website: www.stillslife.net

A night at the museum- Photographing in museums and indoor car shows.

2013-11-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

Many of the rarest and most exotic cars are displayed indoors at museums and indoor car shows. As a photographer, the challenge of shooting indoors is complicated by a number of things. Often access is limited with most cars roped off. Vehicles are often displayed very close to each other making a full view difficult. Much like an outdoor show, other people can be difficult to shoot around, and finally lighting can be a mix of several types of artificial light sources. Lighting can also be uneven if it is a temporary show. Good lighting for a convention or rodeo is often very poor for an automobile.
Here are a few simple tips to help you bring back good images.

If possible, I like to go on a slow day, typically mid-week and as early as possible. Like " A night in the Museum, I once was able to get a curator of a collection to lock me in for a few hours to shoot a private collection in exchange for a couple of prints.
Before you get wrapped up in the cars, step back and assess the light sources and quality.
Take time to try several test shots at various white balance settings and with and without flash.
Once you are comfortable with the white balance and color, bracket your exposures so you have a range of detail through shadow and highlights to work with later.
If a full image of the car is not possible, look for a dramatic detail and angle to shoot such as the Lamborghini in the lead photo. This allowed me to shoot under the ropes and not include the crowd of visitors. A Lamborghini always draws a crowd.
Be patient and allow for people to move on, or go to another subject and return later.
Get a range of full view, details and high and low angles.
Have fun, remember you're there because you love cars and photography. If it's not a paid assignment, relax and enjoy the venue.
Finally, when you download your files, use the multiple exposures to find the best shot to work from. You can employ a number of techniques and HDR within your editing software to fine tune the images to suit your vision.

I hope these tips will make your next indoor shoot more enjoyable and successful.
Michael.
See other images at: www.stillslife.net or Stillslife on Facebook.

Cruising the hood

2013-11-17T13:26:00.001-07:00

Attending a car show can be an overload of makes , models, beautiful paint , wheels and engines. It's pretty easy when you get home and down load your photos you have a lot of front 3/4 views from about 10 feet back. To me it's often the smaller details that tells the story of the vehicle more than the overview . Car people are all about the details.

One of my favorite details are the hood ornaments that are the symbol and often the history of the brand.

When you see an interesting hood ornament, resist the urge to take a quick picture. I like to walk around the car to find a simple uncluttered background to isolate the ornament. Sometimes this is best accomplished by shooting upward to use the sky as a background as shown with the purple Pontiac.

The lead photo of a 1932 Pontiac emblem was parked next to a black car giving me a perfect black background.

The Jaguar is a busier background, but I felt having the curve of the fender echoed the curve of the cat and tells you it is a Jaguar show.

It's good to look at the reflections in the hood. You don't want to see yourself and your camera staring back at you. Often if it's a nice sky with clouds as shown in the Plymouth Mayflower, it adds interest to the photograph.

Another approach I take is to shoot a range of exposures. This allows me to use these later in Light Room to pick the best overall shot to work with. Not every shot will work, but the main idea is to experiment and see what works for you.

Hood ornaments are a great conversation starter with the owner of the car. This is when you will really enjoy the show by connecting with the car owners and hearing the story of their car. That's often when you really get to know the story the hood ornament tells.

Check out other hood ornaments on my web site www.stillslife.net or StillsLife on Facebook.

Regards

Michael

Cruising the hood.

Wrecking yard beauty

2012-07-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever driven past an old wrecking yard in pursuit that beautiful sunset or landscape? Many of these yards are scattered along many forgotten two lanes. I find , being a automotive photographer attending typical car shows, that a visit to the local wrecking yard or swap meet early in the morning presents a creative recharge from the flawless beauty of the six figure hot rods and custom cars. Out here you don't find the smell of carnuba wax and Armour All smothered over perfect billet parts and fine leather. Out here the cars and their owners are long forgotten, somehow they've escaped the crusher, resting quietly letting the patina of age tell stories of long ago travels. The smells are of old oil and cracked rubber. Although I have large files of some of the most beautiful hot rods and custom cars, it's often the wrecking yard images that I return to. These are the images that tell stories of the owners and their vehicles. I hope you will take a short wrecking yard tour to find the unique beauty of these forgotten cars.

Have a great day. Michael

The secret of great vacation photos? Just relax....

2011-07-16T06:14:00.001-07:00

Chapter 88

In the spirit of summer vacations, I've posted a photo from a few summers ago titled, "Chapter 88" The location is a beach in a little town about 30 miles north of Puerta Vallarta Mexico.
I attempted to capture the feel of the most relaxed place I've ever visited.
Initially I noticed the book open to Chapter 88, and then the natural triangular composition from book, to bottles, vendor and back.
I shot about six variations of this picture, made easy since my wife was asleep, the book would stay open to Chapter 88. Sometimes, my best photos come when I relax and let the picture emerge as the scene changes. At the worst, I spent an afternoon relaxing in paradise. This image was my favorite of the six.
I find I don't revisit this photo often, except in the middle of the winter for some tropical inspiration.
I hope you enjoy this photo. Now get out there and relax!
Michael

I've added this image to my web site http://www.stillslife.com/

200 Motels - One day too many on the road

2011-06-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

I always loved Frank Zappa's album title 200 Motels. It captures in a very simple phrase, the grind of traveling for a living. It doesn't matter if your a musician, salesman or circus performer, the travel can be great, but at the same time a lot of down time between performances. Like the title 200 Motels, I have tried in this photograph to capture the essence of that one day too many in a tired motel. I saw this one morning in my room in a old motel in Galt California. It is the morning light just starting to peak around the curtain in the room. I thought the tear in the fabric was a lot like that one day too many. I'm tired and torn and just want to make my way home. It's a bit of a risky shot in that it is simple in composition and hopefully conveys the end of a long trip out.

If you have followed my other posts, you probably see that in many of my photos, I try for a very simple strong graphic to represent a place and a feeling. This type of photograph seems to generate either a strong positive or negative response. It's a healthy visual exercise to try to reduce what you want to convey in a simple way. If you have some similar photos with this type of simple graphic, I'd love to see them or hear your thoughts. .

Have a great day.

Tuesday Morning - Galt

Mike

I will be adding this photo to my web site. www.stillslife.com

Revisiting old photographs to find a hidden image

2011-06-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

Northern Hotel - Original

This image of the metal strap on the Northern Hotel wall was one of those things that worked out of finding a strong graphic image shooting at mid day with very bright sunlight. This photo is for all intents and purposes a black and white photo due to the white wall and strap with its shadows. I really was pleased with this version, but did experiment with Corel Paint Shop Pro water color effect this week.
This worked out well adding slight color to give more of a wall with old paint layers. It's not as strong a contrast as the original, but works pretty well. I think it is equally effective but in a softer way.
This is another revisiting of an old image shot in 2004 to come up with a different effect. The Corel Paint Shop Pro software is pretty easy to use and can add very strong effects to quite subtle changes.
Hope you like these two versions of the same picture.
Regards
Mike

These images are on my web site http://www.stillslife.com/

Northern Hotel - Water Color

StillsLife: New Car Show Abstract photo subjects

2011-06-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

StillsLife: New Car Show Abstract photo subjects: "Open Road Cadillac - Mountain Ave. The car show season is finally underway and I love to look for nontraditional more abstract shots t..."

New Car Show Abstract photo subjects

2011-06-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Open Road

Cadillac - Mountain Ave.

The car show season is finally underway and I love to look for nontraditional more abstract shots that make you ask, "Just what is going on here?"
The Cadillac - Mountain Ave is fairly recognizable but bends and twists the reflected images in the gorgeous 50's chrome.

In the "Open Road" photo I was drawn to the exhaust pipes exiting through the holes in the hood sides of this beautiful black hot rod. I realized as I was looking for the shot that if I stood on a sharp angle to the hood and the street, I got an entirely different view. Are the pipes coming out of holes in the asphalt? Is this some strange Government experiment? I really enjoy the bending of reality in this photo.

I hope you enjoy these. They are both on my website: http://www.stillslife.com/

Thanks for looking
Mike

Everyday abstracts - Finding the unusual in everyday scenes

2011-05-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Shattered

Today I'm posting a few photographic abstracts that are straight shots with no photo manipulation other than cropping and color adjustment. I have a background in painting and graphic arts. I've always liked many of the abstract and impressionist painters. I've found as these photos illustrate, that abstract photo images are all around us. In some of my earlier blogs, you read about how I use reflection to create a new view of a common image.
Shattered was taken at an abandoned building in an old railway station in Midway Utah. The reflection caught my eye and I had to move quickly since the light was changing rapidly. I love the broken sky. This photo has been exhibited a lot and often causes a double take.

Springfield Morning was another image that I noticed out of my hotel window. Lots of layers, distortion and the grid of the window frames make this common picture pretty unusual. It's hard to know where inside ends and outside starts.

Manhattan #3 is a shot from the roof top of an Art museum. Framing the artwork with the gray building behind made for a great contrast of color with the building and again causes a double take trying to figure out what exactly is going on.

I hope you find this a useful tip.
Michael
These image are on my web site StillsLife.com

Springfield Morning

Manhattan #3

Photographing your kids - Capture the emotion of growing up.

2011-05-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

As my daughters have grown over the years, many of the photographs show the expression that responded to , "SMILE FOR THE CAMERA!"
While these certainly record many holidays, sports events and awards, my favorite photographs are when I have captured the joyous and not so joyous moments in their journey to adulthood.
The first photograph is the pure joy of a sudden cloudburst while visiting Orlando. Dancing in the rain while all around her ran for shelter.
The bottom photograph was a quick shot taken just before a Christmas party. The soft focused Christmas tree in the background sets the event, while Caitlin's expression is all about the anticipation and excitement of Christmas.

The middle photograph is one of my personal favorites, even though my daughter did not agree at the time. This was taken after a very disappointing loss, when her training, practice and best effort came up a bit short. To me this is a personally important photograph that represents not just loss and disappointment, but the resilience and ability to go back and try again after failing. Many of our failures are actually our best moments as we apply what we learned from a disappointing moment.

These type of shots are so memorable long after the vacation or sporting event. I find myself reliving the moment in these pictures. The next time you are out with your kids, capture the candid emotions as well as that posed smile for the camera shot. I think you will find the candid shots will become your personal favorites as well.

Have a memorable day
Michael

What's the worst that can happen? Another way to have fun with those average photos.....

2011-05-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

I was reviewing a couple of images,recently that had a surprising bit of success, from just playing with effects just for fun. Corel, Photoshop and other software programs have given us the ability to change and modify images in ways we never dreamed of in the old dark room and airbrush days.
I've found that sometimes I spend too much time thinking about what will please others vs. doing things that I like.
The original images were pretty average photographs from my files. The chairs were along Route 66 in Seligman AZ and the Pontiac taillights were take at a local auction in a poorly lit livestock building in our local fairgrounds. I have a background in graphic and sign painting. I use this as a way to go a bit wild with my Corel Paintshop program just for fun. The key is just opening up to trying a lot of things that you would not typically do.
The chair photo became a postcard that was selected to be part of the national postcard museum from an open submission.
The Pontiac was selected for a couple of automotive art exhibits in California, was used as a T-shirt and as part of a car show poster.
The best advise I can share from this is to have fun and do what pleases you. There's no "right" picture, just various views of the same thing.
These experiments help develop and define your view of the world around you. Have a great time.
Michael

Reflections - The picture, in a picture,in a picture....

2011-05-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Many times I have to remind myself that when I try too hard to find or make a photograph, the result is a photographic version of "Writers Block." I repeat the same photographs and come home with pretty predictable results. In photographing reflective surfaces, we instinctivly reach for the polarizing filters to reduce or eliminate reflections. Over the last few years I have found that a little more time really looking at reflections as a part of the story vs. a technical problem to be solved has opened me to many possibilities for interesting images.
The first image of a hot rod fender, not only shows a great flame paintjob, but tells the story of the show within the reflections of the street , people and scenery reflected in the fender. A shot of the fender minus the reflections or of the street scene would not be as dramatic.
The pond surface reflecting the winter storm clouds approaching again sets the mood of the storm about to sweep across the pond.
The final image of the tire and wheel, would not be nearly as interesting without the 41 Willy's reflected in the hub cap. It's suddenly not a pictue of a wheel but a story of the event. Obviously this requires a bit of trial and error, and I have many "self portraits" of my camera and I looking back at me through the reflective surfaces.
In many cases, I don't fully see the effects until I review the images later. This technique of allowing the unplanned or unconventional image to come to me has helped me expand my vision and see the scenes within the scenes.
I hope you will find this technique useful. Please feel free to share your results of using this technique. Michael

All of these images and others can be viewed at my web site at: http://www.stillslife.com/

Thanks to Mom- Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks Mom. Thanks is a pretty trivial word to express all that My mom, my wife and my oldest daughter and my sister have given to their children and their families. My mom gave my sister and I, with a quite presence, a sense of humor and great determination, the ability to work hard, love deeply and appreciate each day God has given us. In turn, my sister has guided her son Taylor in a similar way to manhood. My wife Robyn has an unlimited capacity to love us all and instill her character of hard work, love and learning that has transformed our daughters into great women. Jennifer, my oldest daughter, is in turn raising three wonderful kids with her determination, creativity, sense of humor. Mom thanks so very much, and thanks to all moms for a job that's never really done.

Happy Mothers Day . Michael

Every picture tells a story....

2011-05-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I'd share how I modified a photo from what I saw to what I felt. The initial photograph was taken of the Christmas lights at mid day in the summer. The composition intrigued me , but some thing was missing. The setting was an old fence in a steel mill town that had seen better times. When you are there you feel the abandonment and hard times. My original photo recorded the scene, but conveyed little emotion. Initially I set this picture aside for quite awhile, but in reviewing it ,I remembered how I felt not what I saw. I opened the photo in my Corel paint shop to spend a little time experimenting with cropping and adding a more painterly feel. This simple photograph, now looked and felt like the town with everything a little grimy and neglected. . After any photo trip, I hold off on deleting any images and often return again to see what memory the picture triggers, and then see if I'm able to recreate the memory and emotional response from my visit. I find that by stepping away for a while from a photograph, that when I revisit the image I see possibilities that I did not see initially. This image has generated a lot of positive comment from people who view it. I hope you enjoy the story behind the photograph..

Regards . Michael

Milltown Christmas

Original

Can you see what I see?

2011-05-04T08:30:00.001-07:00

The subject of today's post is about looking at a photography subject from every angle and possibility. The two photos in this post are of the same subject taken on the same day and within minutes of each other. On an early morning walk, I saw the light coming in under the bridge from the East. I took a few shots and thought I had captured a good photo. I continued walking under the bridge, and glanced back at the bridge. What a surprise, the better picture was behind me.

As you can see, the picture taken back toward the bridge appears entirely different, and to me is far more interesting with a completely different feeling.

This greatly helped me recognizing that often a better photograph only requires a look from a different direction or perspective. I hope this tip will help you find great photographs that you may have walked past or not noticed.

College Ave Bridge -Looking East

X marks the spot - College Ave Bridge looking West

Good Luck. Michael

Bonneville Speed Week - "What'll she do?"

2011-05-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

"What'll she do?" Since man first drove an automobile or motorcycle, the need to find the limits of speed have driven racers to speed trials from the beaches of Florida, the dry lake beds of California and the Salt Flats of Utah. The first speed attempts at Bonneville were for bicycles before the turn of the century. For over a hundred years drivers and crews spend all year building their cars and motorcycles for the annual attack on the salt. Bonneville Speed Week is in many ways unchanged, with every type of vehicle from 400 mph streamliners to motorized bar stools and ancient Deuce coupes. If it can move under its own power, there is a class to run it in. This is the last great grassroots motorsport with none of the mega million dollar teams and sponsors. It's a gathering of gearheads of every age and from every town and country you can imagine. This is a unique event that needs to be experienced by every enthusiast at least once. A growing number of spectators drive their hot rods across country to experience the salt. Much like the Grand Canyon, words and pictures can't convey the sound of a car running at full throttle for over four miles as it disappears over the horizon followed by a plume of salt.

The very nature of this event makes the cars, drivers and crews accessible like no other motorsports event. At night a short drive into Wendover is like a scene from American Grafitti as the streets and parking lots fill up with classic hot rods and muscle cars. As a photographer, the unique light and sky at the salt flats are an amazing setting for photographs. It is an addictive experience. Once you visit speed week, it's hard not to return. The racers talk about "salt fever". It is a real phenomenon. It only subsides a bit between events, and then, the afflicted return for their annual treatment. There doesn't seem to be a cure, but why try. I'd recommend a case of the salt fever for every gearhead.

Hope your travels are safe. Michael

StillsLife-Photo Site

Route 66 - Road trip therapy

2011-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Do you feel the need for an inexpensive escape and relief from the stress of daily life? I found a great cure for the winter blues for about $200, that will leave you refreshed and ready to return to the challenges of modern life. Recently I attended at trade show in Las Vegas. Being a veteran of many of these shows, I was anxious to break away from the bright lights and casinos. Hertz has a well kept secret with a fleet of 800 specially built Corvettes. Five hundred are coupes and three hundred are convertibles. This is not your typical rental fleet car. These were specified for Hertz with virtually every option offered. These cars listed at over $80,000. They have a special engine option with over 400 HP and a low restriction exhaust with paddle shifters and adjustable suspension. My wife had never been to the Grand Canyon, so a plan was hatched to take as much of the old route 66 as possible to the Grand Canyon. After crossing the new Hoover Dam bridge, we headed to Kingman Arizona. At Kingman, we took Route 66 to Peach Springs and on to Seligman. This section is about 160 miles of beautiful two lane highway through some canyons and across wide desert valleys. The Corvette just ate up the miles. In the empty high desert, I was able to exercise all 400HP. This is an amazing car. We drove nearly 500 miles with 25 MPG due to the six speed automatic transmission. The great sound system went unused ,since the sound of the low restriction exhaust across the desert was a soundtrack not available on Sirius or I tunes. Along the way are about eight of the Burma Shave signs. If you are under 50, you probably have never seen these signs with their series of rhymes. Burma Shaves ad campaign was one of the first highway ad campaigns started in the 30's. This campaign made Burma Shave a household brand and ran from the 30's until the late 50's. The Rusty Bolt trading post in Seligman, is a must see stop that offers all kinds of Route 66 memorabilia and is a really funky place to visit. I even spotted a tattered post card of a Shelby Cobra taped to the wall near the cash register that was signed by Carroll Shelby on a trip through many years back. From Seligman, you have to combine the freeway and some of the old Route 66 until you exit just past Williams to take highway 180 North to the Grand Canyon. Williams old downtown is a remainder of Route 66 and is worth a stop. The Grand Canyon has been written about, photographed and painted for well over 100 years. I won't attempt to do this natural wonder justice, other than to recommend that if you have never been, GO! If you have visited before, it is always different and changes minute to minute depending on the weather and the season. We watched a snow storm move from the North across the canyon while we had a hot toddy in the Grand Canyon Lodge. We left to return to Las Vegas in a snow storm, not a condition suited to a 400HP sports car with wide low profile tires. Arriving late in the evening, we had a late dinner and relived our adventure. I found that a little Corvette - Route 66 therapy is a bargain compared to the cost and uncertainty of any health care program. I've now driven all but a few hundred miles of Route 66 over the years. I'd make this section a priority for your personal bucket list. Travel safe. Michael

Jade Mountain - The ultimate Carribean vacation retreat

2011-05-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

This last week I was able to spend a week at the Jade Mountain Resort in St. Lucia. If you are considering the ultimate luxury Caribbean holiday, honeymoon or special occasion, Jade Mountain is unsurpassed. You may have seen articles and television features about this resort, but the experience surpasses anything you may have read and seen. I could spend a lot of time discussing the dramatic architecture, wonderful food and drink or the magnificent scuba diving, but I would have neglected to share the Jade difference. It is simply the people. The resident owners Nick and Karolynn have the most friendly and attentive staff of any place I have traveled. Everyone is dedicated to your experience and with a staff of 4 people for every guest, our every need was anticipated. More importantly, these people rapidly become close friends and feel much like a large family. The photos below were taken from our Sanctuary, not a room in the traditional sense, but a magnificent wide open work of architectural design. Jade Mountain is adjacent to the Anse Chastanet resort, that is owned and operated by the same owners. Anse Chastanet carries through with the same wonderful staff to make a stay a very personal and memorable experience. The lower photo of the Pitons was taken from Anse Chastanet. As you can see views are dramatic from both properties. We will be hosting a scuba diving group trip in October. This is a real jewel of a spot for your next special vacation. Regards, and happy travels. Michael