Artist Fred Howell

Immerse Yourself in the Expressive World of Artist Fred Howell: A Lifelong Artistic Journey

A devoted husband, loving father, and playful cat wrangler, Fred weaves the variegated threads of his personal experiences into his art, creating a vibrant tapestry that invites you into his world.

With a storied academic background, graduating from The University of Oklahoma Fine Arts with a focus on painting, Fred has dedicated most of his 67 years to the canvas, maintaining a presence in the art world. His medium of choice? The timeless allure of oil on canvas.

Fred's portfolio takes you on a journey through a multitude of subjects, reflecting his adept versatility as an artist. From the bustling energy of cityscapes to serene landscapes, and especially through the depth and complexity found in his primarily focused portraits, Fred exhibits an uncanny ability to grasp and convey a spectrum of moods and moments.

Fred will be displaying several of his pieces at the St. Luke’s Art & Wine show this weekend Friday Oct 13th & Saturday Oct 14th 6:30-8:00 p.m.

FREE ADMISSION FREE ADMISSION

Address: ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

124 S 6th St, Chickasha ( 405) 224-1296

Fred is available for commission work.

Contact fredhowell55@gmail.com

Explore the landscapes and faces of Fred’s world, and you'll discover a favorite among the variety; however, Fred’s heart holds a special place for a particular piece – "The Knit Hat," where a young lady gazes contemplatively out of a window upon a cityscape, inviting viewers to ponder alongside her.

Currently, Fred is channeling his artistic prowess into a heartfelt project, painting a portrait of a friend's fiancée, showcasing not only his undeniable skill but also his aptitude for capturing intimate, cherished moments.

Embark on a custom artistic journey with Fred Howell and make your visions come to life. He is available for custom commissions, allowing you to bring a piece of his enchanting world into your own. From rustic barns and cozy farmhouses to tranquil nature scenes, and family, individual portraits Fred intricately crafts each commission into a personal masterpiece.

Connect with Fred at fredhowell55@gmail.com and explore the possibility of creating something truly unique and meaningful together. Your vision, through Fred’s experienced hands, will materialize into a timeless piece of art that tells a story – your story.

Wes Hallmark Metal Art 2023

Wes Hallmark

If my art makes you pause and think or even if it makes you a bit itchy, that’s exactly what I want it to do.

Art Bio Wes Hallmark

I have always been a creative but not an Artist. A few years ago I was working on a hand full of art projects to prep for a party. In the vortex of the rush to get finished it dawned upon me, I was happy in the chaos of creating. This was a transition, a wakeup call, in becoming an artist.

All my life has been filled with doodling, Leather tooling, wood working, and photography

but this was different, it was an opportunity to break out of being a retiree.

My background has made me uniquely prepared for my commitment to create.

My career was based in still photography that transferred into a long employment of

Television News Photography. Being in the world of photographer caused me to “see light”

and to understand how it defines everything.

My work is not perfect it’s not even pretty this is intentional. I feel Art should be as much

about content and meaning as its form. If my art makes you pause and think or even if it makes you a bit itchy, that’s exactly what I want it to do.

The Peace Guardian

He is not an object of force but instead a beacon of enlightenment for the world.

 I feel Peace is very important in today’s climate of conflict and controversy, this why I continually develop themes of Peace within my art.

I think if you think about Peace it exist within you, just as any other principal you may consider. The Peace Guardian is a representation of this concept. He came about as my friend Gina donated a exercise frame designed for pull ups. I immediately saw the potential for a sculpture with its form.

He is always on watch to marshal Peace into people’s lives.

The Peace Guardian’s purpose is to search out and promote Peace. His eyes project Peace to those whom view him. He is always on watch to Marshal Peace into people’s life. He is not an object of force but instead beacon of enlightenment for the world.

Suffering Man

Suffering man

with time, will recognize the power within him to shed the ongoing terror and replace it with hope through enlightenment.

   Suffering Man consist of recycled and repurposed items. His torso was discovered in the back of a ’48 Chevrolet Panel truck in the original form of front fender linings. These interior steel pieces were flipped upside down and joined together. The appendages are fabricated from scrapes of pipe, barrel hoops and expanded metal. The vacuum was re-assigned as his head.

Hand creation

various size metal pipes created suffering man’s detailed hands.

Metal tubes welded and hammered to create Suffering Man.

The appendages are fabricated from scrapes of pipe, barrel hoops and expanded metal.

     Within suffering we maintain our privacy, this discomfort is universal to all of us. This is why this man has no face, he is “everybody” but maintains his anonymity within suffering. He carries his pain, in the form of the luggage, symbolizing “carrying extra Baggage.” His perception of this luggage, is an emotional relic of terror, inflicted upon him from various family members, people, organizations and religion.  He truly is a victim of his own thoughts. He struggles with the load to a point of stumbling.

His mental state falls in a crystal tear as he hopes his sorry will end. He will never rid himself of this burden until he opens the traveling cases to exam and release the terror enclosed. Suffering man, with time, will recognize the power within him to shed the ongoing terror and replace it with hope through enlightenment.

Is That an I.C.B.M.?

AT THE FLEA MARKET!

“Is that an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile?”

   As I strolled through the Flea Market, I heard it call my name, Wes look over here! There it was,  captivating me, it’s form.. it’s mechanical look. I had to ask “Is that an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile?” He replied “ It Can be!!” “SOLD!”

  Sometimes I acquire things simply for their aesthetic value. In the back of my mind this item was such a thing and had potential to become a piece of my work.

If it truly was a I.C.B.M. I have converted it to a Intercontinental Ballistic Peace Machine (I.C.B.P.M.). Locating a few other parts in my shop, I created the I.C.B.P.M., another item, to promote Peace.

I.C.B.P.M.

Intercontinental Ballistic Peace Machine

The Ancient One

  As I visited Utah a stranger suggested I spend time at a little known place North of Moab on the Colorado River. He spoke of this area with passion that drew me there. The locals always know about the best places. I remember the cottonwoods flapping their leaves as the cool wind off of the river blew over me. They were there, staring down from the canyon walls mocking time, as they had been there for thousands of years. They were the petroglyphs of the Ancient ones, The Anastasi of the Hopi, Navajo and other Natives. These images were some of the original artists that walked our continent at least ten thousand years ago!

I fabricated the “Ancient One” to recognize and honor those people in their efforts to create Art.

 

See Wes’s Metal Art Friday April 14th, 5-8 p.m. at The Shakespeare Wine Co, 524 West Kansas Ave, Chickasha Oklahoma

Wes Hallmark quote about Art:

Wes Hallmark, local artist, said the students’ work accomplished the goal of making the viewer feel something. 

“It’s very different. I like it because it’s itchy,” he said. “Maybe it’ll cause people to not be totally comfortable and wonder what it is. And what it is, is what they think it is. That’s the way art should be.” 

Full Article about the CAAC Visual Art ShowCase March 6th 2023 Reporter Jessica Lane

Artwalk 2023

Below you will find more information about the 5 Art pieces on display at The Chickasha Art Center during the March 2023 Artwalk.

Please e-mail reginnazhidov@gmail.com for print inquiries.

Professional prints on Giclee Fine Art Photographic paper and E-surface Photo paper.

Example print sizes and pricing: (Pricing does not include frame or mat)

Giclee Fine Art Photographic paper print 10x13 $130 plus shipping

Giclee Fine Art Photographic paper print 12x18 $150 plus shipping

E-surface photo paper print 11x14 $130 plus shipping

Echoes # 3 - is part of the Echoes collection. Photographs of the landscapes and wildlife of the Oklahoma Wichita Mountains. In 2020, during a winters drive seeing the pale gold of dead grasses and the dark bark of bare leaf trees I started thinking how one day in the future there may only be symbolic art sculptures reminding of what was once…..Echoes.

This series combines the realism of the landscapes with the abstract forms to represent the echoes of the living art that once was or is currently threatened: a bison, a bird, a turtle. The series Echoes was featured in the Volume 1, April 2022 of FITA MAGAZINE

Echoes # 1 - The artist imagines a time when all that is left of the wildlife will be their echo. The construction and deconstruction of the abstract animal forms bring attention to the dwindling biodiversity. the strong geometric shapes of the forms contrast with the natural landscapes and feel foreign and yet represent all animals that are disappearing from the environment.

Thinking of you dear - this image was created in 2017 during my Painterly images phase. I created photos that looked more like paintings by using various techniques such as light and shadow, shallow depth of field, slow shutter speed. During this time I studied the Old World Masters paintings and took note of the subject and placement along with the color choices.

Upstairs light - In the summer of 2022 I sold my studio building. This was a bitter sweet moment because it allowed me to move on to other journeys but I will always miss this space. The studio brought so much creativity into my life and I met many good and talented people many who are now friends. This was a moment I noticed as we were moving things out. The light was absolutely the best in every room of the upstairs.

Fallout 2023 - This is a collaborative image created by myself and my friend Wes Hallmark. This is a scene hanging in Wes’s shop. I had been in the shop many times but for some reason at that moment I noticed it. I took out my cell and started framing the shot, Wes stopped me and said hold on let me cast some light to get some shadows! He used a shop light and placed it for the best shadows. Then I framed out the scene looking for the best composition and took the shot. And yes that is a dried armadillo.

To inquire about prints or commissions please contact reginnazhidov@gmail.com

All of my Art is professionally framed and matted by Meng tong Lim 405-222-0450

Artist Bio:

Gina Zhidov is a photography instructor and visual storyteller.

Throughout the past 17 years, she has worked hard to help artists of all varieties get their work out from behind the couch and into the hands of buyers who appreciate their work.

Gina takes pride in helping creatives make real connections, creating opportunities to use their craft for paying jobs such as murals, window art, teaching art, and working professional careers in the arts as well as participating in art exhibits.

In 2009, she served on the on the board of the Chickasha Area Arts Council and was the chair for the first annual Rock Island Arts Festival, which is now on its 14th annual celebration. For her efforts building festival up from scratch, Gina was recognized as the Chickasha Chamber Volunteer of the Year.

In 2018, she received the Friends of Guidance award from the Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) which honors individuals outside of the field of education who have made significant contributions to the advancement of career guidance and counseling.

The following year, in 2019, Gina’s Painterly Portrait series was featured in a collaborative artist exhibit at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma called “Pros from Drover.” 

Although her training and Professional work is with portraits and headshots her favorite type of photography to create is painterly images.

Over the past 7 years, Gina has created her painterly image style through which she has explored creating photographs that look more like paintings: "I use various techniques such as shutter control, shallow depth of field, moving the camera while taking a photo, photographing moving subjects like water and wind all to create a more painting-like feeling straight out of the camera!” said Gina. “I will use Photoshop to either create a composite image (using two more photos) and/or I’ll enhance a photo with a filter layer giving it a more aged feeling."

Gina recently in 2023 retired from teaching photography and now considers herself a hobbyist Photographer.  Her new journey is currently taking a Trauma Recovery Coaching course so that one day she can help others heal from trauma.

FITA Magazine and E C H O E S

Exciting news!

My E C H O E S images have been accepted into the INVISIBLE ATLAS edition of FITA MAGAZINE.

FITA Magazine is an international published art magazine that communicates artistic research from all disciplines. The gondola departs on FITA Magazine's first trip through the artistic and cultural canals of the world, leaving empty seats for those reading these pages. You can sit back and enjoy the view of this journey. The person who gave us the coordinates for this epic was Marco Polo, through the imaginative words he proffered in The Invisible Cities, written by the famous Italo Calvino. There, Venice assumes the role of the eternal and unique city, a bastion of imagination and creativity, a place without borders, just as art should be. As Calvino writes in the same book: “the shortest distance between two points is not the straight line but a zigzag.”

Friends In The Arts is a mirror of these teachings, connecting people from around the world in the search for jobs in arts and culture, blurring borders through talent. The platform was conceived in the canals of Venice and created in the streets of Lisbon, under the morning call of the gondoliers and the late night rebel fado. FITA Magazine is the place to showcase these qualities and mastery, so that everyone feels represented.

It’s an impressive 160 pages of International Artists, Writers, Photographers, Poetry.

I’ve been asked “How did you get in?”

I discovered FITA on LinkedIn and they had a call for submissions!

I submitted my E C H O E S project and was accepted.


Article: Echoes is a collection of photographs of the landscapes and wildlife of the Oklahoma Wichita Mountains. While in the winter driving and looking at a field of pale gold where the tall grasses had died and only a handful of contrasting trees with their dark bark and bare leaves, Reginna started thinking how one day in the future there may only be symbolic art sculptures reminding us of what was once…ECHOES.

This series combines the realism of the landscapes with the abstract forms to represent the echoes of the living art that once was or is currently threatened: a bison, a bird, a turtle. The artist imagines a time when all that is left of the wildlife will be their echo. The construction and deconstruction of the abstract animal forms bring attention to the dwindling biodiversity. The strong geometric shapes of the forms contrast with the natural landscapes and feel foreign and yet represent all animals that are disappearing from the environment.


To inquire about prints or to learn more about the other ECHOES series Art please contact reginnazhidov@gmail.com

Fun stuff at The Jewelry Box

Hey photo peeps!

Today I got in all of the items that I’m going to use for The Jewelry Box image NFT!

This means NEXT WEEK starts the setup for the image.

This has become such a beautiful visual story of a 70’s teen and her journey growing up with her keepsakes and memories safely tucked inside her childhood ballerina jewelry box.

SOON it will be minted and listed on either Portion.io or I am considering trying Open Seas.

A really FUN thing about this 2nd NFT is that the Collector will also receive the authentic vintage AEROSMITH 1976 concert ticket stub that is in The Jewelry Box!

The ticket helps tell her story. The concert is in TULSA OKLAHOMA.

Watch the blog for updates and also you can see more posts about the process of creating THE JEWELRY BOX on

Twitter, Instagram and Linked.

Wanna check out the Photography Classes?

2nd NFT The Jewelry Box (process)

I’ve started the process of creating my 2nd NFT visual story called The Jewelry Box.

a visual story of a teen in the 70's and her journey of growing up. She keeps her mood ring that mom gave her, the valentine day card from someone special, a secret note from her bff and her future dreams in her ballerina jewelry box.

I spend a lot of time researching the time period and searching for authentic pieces.

I start with writing a story line.

a teen in the 70’s and her journey of growing up.

I ask myself who is she?

How does she see herself?

Does she have a best friend?

I love these charms for a charm bracelet.

I love these charms for a charm bracelet.

Maybe she wants a Love Bug as her first car?

Creating a story line really helps me have a better focus on what items I need in the visual story.

Watch the B R E A T H E blog for behind the scene photos and updates of the process!

Wanna check out the Photography Classes?

NFT dimensions, resolution, file size OH MY!

Here I want to show my process of how I created an image for online viewing with zoomed in details.

NOTE: Please understand that I am still learning about this NFT adventure!

I suggest making a DUPLICATE of your final image before and then do the EXPORT steps on the duplicate.

I spent two weeks researching and asking other Photographers, Art Professors and Graphic Designers the best pixel dimensions, resolution and file format for online detailed viewing for NFT artwork.


When creating The Writer’s Desk NFT image

it was important to me for the viewer to be able to interact with the photo, to zoom in and explore the details. 

I also needed to consider the final file size so that it would load quickly for the viewers. Because of this I wanted to keep my file size under 10MB .


My final image file size was huge 137MB.



I knew this file size wouldn’t work for online viewing! It wouldn’t load quickly, it was too large to UPLOAD to the Art platform.

Here are the steps on how I got a zoomed in detailed image for online fast upload and viewing.


dimensions: I created the file dimensions based on what I would do for print i.e. 16x20, 11x17, 8x10 for example my final image dimensions were 4000x6000 pixels (13x20 inches) at 300 res and a TIFF format, file size 137MB.

blog image size screen shot.jpg

Then in Photoshop I went to FILE>EXPORT>SAVE FOR 100% WEB LEGACY it brings up a screen where you can change the format to JPG and also adjust the quality slider I set mine at 83 because if I set it higher it made the file size larger than 10MB (adjusting this will change your MB size).

blog screen for Save As WEB legacy.jpg

Make sure the Optimized box is checked and make sure the Convert to sRGB box is checked and if you look at the lower left you will see the file size has changed and you can even preview the image on the browser. Which I did and it was sharp, zoom detail and exactly what I wanted for online viewing.

Now SAVE.

My file size was now 9.22 MB and a JPG and it is fast to upload and view.

The file I uploaded to mint and list as an NFT dimensions 4000x6000 pixels, 72 resolution JPG (web legacy 100%) and 9.22 MB size.

NOTE: This is how I did it. Please understand that I am still learning about this NFT adventure!

I suggest making a DUPLICATE of your final image before and then do the EXPORT steps on the duplicate.

Please feel free to comment and share if you have a different way of doing this.

Wanna check out the Photography Classes?

Genesis NFT blockchain What the What?

Fun news, today I minted and listed my genesis NFT!

CLICK TO VIEW NFT THE WRITER’S DESK

What’s an NFT? Simply an NFT (non fungible token) as applies to Art and Photography means that it is a one of a kind. It authenticates the online Art very much like a Certificate of Authenticity. It confirms that you are the artist of the work and that it is the original Artwork and is valued as such.

Part of the process when listing an Artwork online as an NFT is called minting. Minting is when a blockchain (a public history of ownership, purchases and trades that cannot be edited) is created and attached to your Art. This blockchain creates an online public history that you are the original Artist and it lists the original buyer along with if the buyer resales to others. It creates a long chain of code documenting all of the transactions that cannot be tampered or hacked.

The NFT and the blockchain allows for the Art to be tokenized. To be listed for sale and sold online using cryptocurrencies. There are many kinds of cryptocurrencies that can be used to pay for minting including the gas fees. “Gas fees” are fees that pay for the data miners to maintain the block chain.

NOTE: I am still learning! That’s why I highly suggest you do your own research so that you can have a solid understanding of the terminology and the process steps.

Here are three GREAT Youtube VIDEOS by

Photographer Lindsay Adler on NFT 101 for Photographers.

Part 1 NFT 101 for Photographers

Part 2 NFT 101 for Photographers

Part 3 NFT 101 for Photographers

If you are thinking about creating your own NFT I highly encourage you to watch Lindsay’s videos.

Portion.io screenshot.jpg

I chose Portion.io as my digital art platform primarily because I liked the design. It’s clever.

As far as I can tell, they are beta testing the NFT process. There were some hiccups, but it worked out. I do feel the minting and listing process needs more prompts to explain to a newbie what is happening and what to expect next.

I chose to use METAMASK to set up my Crypto currency wallet.

Once it was set up it allowed me to transfer U.S. dollars into the wallet and then convert into ETH.

What is ETH? Ether is the cryptocurrency built on top of the open source Ethereum blockchain, which runs smart contracts. The cryptocurrency acts as a fuel that allows smart contracts to run. Simply ETH is how you will pay your gas fees.

“Gas fees” are fees that pay for the data miners to maintain the block chain.

Metamask.jpg

I know it can be CONFUSING!

I’m still confused about a lot of it!

What I want you to get from this post is that it is possible to create your first NFT and that there are many solid and informative resources to help guide you.

Don’t be afraid to try it!

Here is my #1 TIP

Start and give yourself plenty of time and be patient with yourself and the overall process.


Wanna check out the Photography Classes?

A walk with my camera

I took a long walk (longue marche) on a windy (venteux) and gray sky (ciel gris) day and I brought along my Fujifilm X-T20 as my companion.

The Fujifilm X-t20 is a great, lightweight cropped sensor mirrorless camera.

Because it is a mirrorless and very lightweight I am able to easily take it anywhere and when a photo moment happens I can capture high resolution images.

In this blog post I want to show you how just by keeping a few things in mind like subject and composition you can get beautiful photos.

I will show the final image and then the original so that you can see the adjustments; exposure, shadows, blacks, highlights, whites, vibrancy, clarity and cropping.

SETTINGS: It was a windy day so I used a fast shutter 500-1000 for sharp photos and I wanted detailed subjects so I had the aperture on 5.6 and I adjusted my ISO accordingly.

I shot on JPG. NOTE: When shooting in JPG format because of the compression of the photo there’s little wiggle room in editing the image.

FYI: when in JPG format the camera throws out a lot of the information creating a smaller file size, this process is called compression. NOTE: When you want to make sure you can bring in the details of the shadows and highlights and manipulate the colors you need to shoot in RAW.

The white balance on AUTO because the Fujifilm xT-20 does great with outdoor light and AUTO. Since it was a gray, cloudy day I chose to be on AUTO. If it had been sunny I would have used Daylight WB.

One of the best things you can do for your photos when shooting JPG format is to AJDUST the WHITE BALANCE. If it’s sunny use Daylight. This can make a huge difference in your colors, highlights and shadows.

Wanna check out the Photography Classes?

When I was taking this photo I saw in my mind the white bloom floating in darkness!

This photo has the most adjustments. Close up cropping, rotated to be horizontal in frame, adjusted exposure, shadows and highlights for texture. Black and white filter. Final adjustment clarity for detail.

DSCF3671 web 72 res.jpg

This is the original JPG.

I always photograph in color and then convert to b&w in post so that I have both versions. Unless I am purposely challenging myself to shoot only in monotone. This is a great way to train your eye to see photos that will look best in b&w.

DSCF3671 8 72 res.jpg

I cropped into it, rotated it to be vertical, adjusted the shadows, highlights, contrast, turned it black and white and then used clarity.

I thought it might be good to give you some TIPS on the adjustments you can make with a JPG file.

1) Remember to set your White Balance accordingly.

2) SHARPEN You can lightly sharpen jpgs or use the clarity slider. FYI I’ve noticed that most camera manufactures actually have a sharpening filter applied to JPG and RAW files.

3) CONTRAST Using the contrast slider can make a big difference in your lights and darks.

4) SATURATION A light touch on saturation in post.

NOTE you can also adjust and set these settings in camera Sharpness, Contrast, Saturation and other adjustments just be aware that if you set them in the camera menu, once you take a photo it will be almost impossible to change them in post.

This is why I prefer to change my adjustments in Photoshop.

DSCF3619 black and white flowers.jpg

Inspiration

is everywhere

I hope this post inspires you to go out and take photos!

Watch the B R E A T H E blog for a new post about an NFT project I am working on! This is something you will want to know about!

Painterly Images class

Hello photo folks!

Thought I would share a project I’m working on.

I've started creating an online Painterly images class!

Collage WEB.jpg

DAY 1 My focus is to create a simple setup with easy to follow instructions.

Setup1.jpeg

LIGHT I want to use natural window light because it is the most accessible. I will show how to use highlights and shadows to more interesting visual stories.

SETUP I want students to see that they can a photo that feels more like a painting just by using simple subjects and compositional elements.

SUBJECT (S) Deciding what visual story you want to tell will help you choose your subjects.

Which subjects you use, how many and how you place them are all important to consider.

BACKGROUND It is important to consider the background and surfaces in the image.

Here, the wall color is a perfectly aged and worn patina.

There are endless possibilities of what you can use for a background. Fabric, paper and even organic materials can be used.

Setup2.jpeg

COLORS The use of color is crucial in creating a mood and expressing an emotion with a photo and color can have a profound effect on a viewer.

Today was a great start!

I thought you might like to see the room I am working in. I’ll post more behind the scenes photos as I go along with the process.

Cheers, Gina

room.jpeg

An Artist Sees Beauty In The Mundane

Bonjour!

An Artist Sees Beauty In The Mundane.

When you read this, how does it make you feel?

Do you agree?

As Photographers we are always observing.

Ce matin (This morning) I wanted to soak up some sun.

There’s an old crabapple tree with dried milkweed vines in my yard.

I noticed the contrast of the dried pods and the background of the blue sky.

The shapes and lines of the twisted vines.

The moment encouraged me to get my camera.

DSCF3563.jpg

It’s the simple things that attract my eye.

As I was taking these photos I would think about how the photo would look best in color or black and white.

DSCF3572.jpg

To consider, the placement of the subject within the frame, the angle (perspective) of the subject, the light and shadows.

Does the background contrast with the subject or is it harmonious?

What is the visual story I am wanting to tell?

DSCF3576.jpg

Here I focused on the branch and let the white fluff of the seed pod frame it.

With these three photos I see beauty.

One a capture of contrast.

One a capture of simplicity.

One of poetic abstraction.

It’s not just about what you see, but HOW you see…

Happy Holidays and check out this offer at KEH!

Hello Photo Folks,

Popping in to tell you about this warranty offer I found on www.KEH.com

KEH WARRANTY

Until December 31st they are extending their normally 180 day warranty to 365 day warranty on USED gear! That is amazing. So, if by chance you are in the market for some quality USED gear check out KEH and enjoy the extra warranty.

Also, I created this slide show on how to photography Holiday lights.

I truly hope everyone is safe, warm and healthy.

Gina

How to Photograph Christmas Lights indoors and outdoors

CREATIVE challenge →

FYI UPDATE I am extending the SHADOWS creative challenge another week and I will post my favorites Sunday the 8th.

Hello PHOTO FOLKS!

With everything that is going on I bet a lot of you haven’t picked up your cameras in months.

That is perfectly understandable.

I can even see how Photography might remind you of how things used to be and how they’ve now changed causing a bitter sweet connection.

I’ve had many of these moments. Asking myself what’s the point? Should I keep working hard at getting the Photography classes online? Does anyone really care about creativity right now?

But, as CREATIVES it is important to continue to create.

Being creative allows us to disconnect for a bit.

Being creative allows us to have some control over how we interact with the world.

Being creative allows us to have a way to express ourselves at a time when a lot of us feel like we’re not being heard.

Read more

It's all about t i m i n g

I’ve started researching the best way to explain shutter control for the SHUTTER control online class!

I’m wanting to use objects in the home so that it is easy for students to practice.

Today, I used these vintage dominoes to test if they would convey a fast shutter (freezing motion) and then a slow shutter (capturing motion.)

This test photo is 1/30th of a sec. A slow shutter.

1/30th of a second. Focus is on the middle domino.

1/30th of a second. Focus is on the middle domino.

And it really is all about T I M I N G because this photo is also set at 1/30th of a sec, but because I chose to click the shutter just a little after they started falling I got a more blurred, in motion effect!

1/30th of a second, but I chose to click the shutter just a little bit after they started falling.

1/30th of a second, but I chose to click the shutter just a little bit after they started falling.

It’s really all about the STORY you want to tell!

Which one do you feel tells a better story?

Here are the fast shutter photos:

Shutter 1/640 of a second. Focus is on the middle domino.

Shutter 1/640 of a second. Focus is on the middle domino.

at shutter 1/640 of a second it freezes the motion of the falling dominoes!

Shutter 1/320 of a sec . Now either 1/320 of a sec is not fast enough to capture a little space in between as they are falling or maybe it was the timing and when I clicked the shutter.

Shutter 1/320 of a sec . Now either 1/320 of a sec is not fast enough to capture a little space in between as they are falling or maybe it was the timing and when I clicked the shutter.

Maybe the shutter 1/320 of a second would have worked and had a little space in between the dominos so they better conveyed that they are falling… or maybe it was when I clicked the shutter. Playing with the shutter is such a fun activity and it is all about experimenting.

Next experiment will be with a deck of cards!