Photo Processing

I've known for months that I have a 60 ft wall of photographs to provide for Texas Clinic. And I have a theme: water. Sounds easy - I choose 15 photos from my extensive inventory of appropriate images, process and print to size, then deliver to my framer. Well installation is weeks away and I've only printed four images. What takes so long?

See the example above? That's only one choice of image processing. I always go for drama and my style may not suit everyone. But to get to that point ( the processed image) I can literally spend hours if not days. Perfection is elusive -- but I never give up the search for it.

In other news, I got approval for the sculpture design, and the modeling foam arrived yesterday. That means I'll be teaching myself how to carve this weekend. What fun thing do you have planned?

Another Manifestation

I've mentioned this occurrence so many times it shouldn't continue to surprise me, but here I am, surprised.

I've just spent 10 days photographing the most beautiful seascapes and waterfalls in Oregon. Today in a business meeting about the Texas Clinic project, a fabulously contemporary space, the owner confided to me that his original idea for the building was to call it "Cascades" and use a waterfall theme. Perfect for me, since when we walked the space this morning he added at least 20 more images, which he would like to be photography. He mentioned the waterfalls in Oregon, and in the ten minutes I've been back from the meeting I've already sent him a photograph I took just days ago.

So is this a form of manifestation? I haven't read "The Secret", but I'm pretty sure I'm living it.

My studio is full of projects! Before I get paint on me I'm going to sit here and do some digital mockups for the Ritz-Carlton. I want to be sure to wow them the first time.

Equipment Malfunction

With only one day left in the Oregon trip I was standing in a creek with water rushing all around me, and I got an error message on my camera. A call to my camera store in Dallas told me it was something that I couldn't fix. Since Nancy and I have similar equipment we shared that one last day. The bad part is that I've just come from the repair store, and my D2X has been sent back to Nikon for repair. I have separation anxiety! And if that weren't enough, the flash on my Canon point and shoot quit working and it's been sent off too. Ouch!

In the good news department, I've just previewed the model room at the Dallas Ritz Carlton, and will spend the rest of today doing mockups for the additional piece they want to add to the room. Whoopee! It's a gorgeous place (of course) and very luxurious.

And after a long meeting, I have a list of new commissions to get started on, and several things to quote, so it's a good thing I came home when I did.

Offroad Photography

Golden Falls, Oregon

The best photos are never right off the road. Sometimes you have to hike. And today, after two full days of carrying a loaded backpack, my tripod, and camera, I'm beat. I'm achey in weird places from the repetitive motive of pulling that camera up to my eye. But oh what things we've seen!

We explored estuaries, deep forest, and salt marshes. We climbed to elevations that made our hearts pound, to be rewarded by sparkling waterfalls and no signs of mankind. Yesterday we followed a suggestion by a local and arrived at a place not on any map, a hiking trail beside a small river crashing through round shiny rocks with eleven waterfalls. We were alone there, and didn't stay as along as we wanted, since the sun sank behind high cliffs and we didn't want to get trapped in the dark.

We've seen seal colonies (and heard them barking). Today we'll see more of them as we make our way to Seal Beach. We're in Yachats now, with an ocean view room, but soon we'll be packing up to make our way north.