Tamron Lens

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a Tamron lens, 18 - 270.  I did this because I was getting tired of carrying around two lens: my primary 18-55, and my long lens 75-300.  Changing out my lenses only happens when I'm really out in the field on a trip and so actually, I rarely did whip out my zoom.  But still I'm carrying two lenses and I thought by getting this all-inclusive lens my problem would be solved.  Well, I wasn't happy with it.  Number one, the zoom was not that smooth and so hence not so fast.  Secondly, when you pressed the shutter button there was a lot of movement, which I realize (and was also told by the professionals in the store) that was the stabilizer.  There was movement when you pressed the shutter button and movement after the shutter had closed and re-opened.  So you didn't really know if you were taking a solid, focused image.  I went back and forth in my mind over this purchase and finally took it back.  I hadn't registered the lens as I wasn't that sure about it in the first place.  So the store did take it back, with a 10% less re-stocking charge.  But, hey, that's okay, I just didn't want to be stuck with a lens I wasn't going to use.  I don't have that kind of money.

I've been working on and off on some images I took for a family portrait session.  As I'm working on these images, I'm wondering how many images other portrait photographers take in one sitting??  Just curious.  I mean, when is enough, enough??  I'm being more and more selective as to which ones I pick to include in the CD.  When the customers are friends, it's always kind of touchy in that they are going to want even the ones that aren't so good.  But again, I am being more selective!

Christmas is keeping me busy with decorating and starting to shop, so don't know how much will get done in the way of photography this month.  Will be working at the High Hand Gallery two times month, and I just posted more images on their FB page.  And I will have to come up with two or three new pieces for January.  Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season so far and wish me luck with sales in the gallery!!  I need it!! ; )  Here's an image of mine that is 'seasonal' to say the least, and I've hung it up in the living room for the holidays!  It's printed on metallic paper and looks fabulous, I must say!

New Website

With the upcoming demise of my old website, I finally got in gear today and started working on the new one.  I pretty much spent all day on it.  Got the basics going, dialogue About Me, and all that other stuff; uploaded two galleries to it.  Wrote a lot of notes of other galleries I want to add, with one gallery devoted to some of my own favorites, rather than posting more of my older stuff.  I want fresh and new!! ; )

The new hosting company is RedFrame.  They seemed to be one of the most reasonably priced web templates, including hosting and e-commerce with no commission taken.  I won't have my e-commerce up right away.  I'm just concentrating on designing and completing the galleries for now.  Then Blue Cat Studio will help be re-direct this Blog to the new website, and tie up any loose ends.  For the most part I am doing the work.

Worked my two shifts at High Hand Gallery (within a 5-day period) learning our new POS (Point of Sale) system.  I think I'm getting it down.  There are approximately 33 artists learning this new system so it will probably be a couple of months until we all are on the same page.  But I really like this new system.

This weekend I will be taking in three new images of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles to High Hand for the new re-hang.  I posted one of the images my last post, and here's another.  I really get a little crazy when I see such great architectural designs for many of the museums.  They are a piece of artwork themselves!

Bodie Ghost Town 2012

Busy week amidst the smoke up here in the foothills.  I finished cutting mats and framing some of the new pieces for the High Hand Gallery's next re-hang on Monday.  These are all from the Bodie Ghost Town Series of 2012; all of which I have never printed.  It's interesting that I almost passed up some of these images, as I didn't (or couldn't) see their true value.  That happens sometimes.  Once they are enlarged, it's like WOW!  ; )  Take this one for example.  I had no clue about the colors in this shot.  They are so subtle, that I had to see the whole thing enlarged.  But then again, a lot of the time I really do see in black and white, so it takes me awhile.  These colors lend even more so to the antiquity of the whole image.  I love it!  These images were printed on 13x19 Museo Silver Rag and that paper just makes them so much more beautiful.

Of course, there's always the making of the labels and the inventory list.  Working at the gallery tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get it done manana! ; )  I will also be bringing home the majority of my European framed pieces, as they will be in the October Auburn Artwalk.  

I'm really looking forward to fall and winter as I am anxious to get back into the darkroom.  It's been way too long, but it's also been way too hot in my studio to close that door.

High Hand Gallery's Artful Bra Show - 2013

Been working frantically to finish up the bid sheets for the Artful Bra Show at High Hand Gallery.  So far, 51 entries, but that number will increase after tomorrow.  My husband and I made another bra entry over the weekend and he's actually finishing up with the last touches right now!  I'll post a picture when we get it done.  I know there are other artists that have already submitted additional bras.  The bid sheets entail including an image of the bra on it and the artist's information.  Then printing them out and attaching them to foam core board.  I'm half way done.

Yesterday I gave my first class on photo transfers and it went really well.  It's really not a hard process to begin with, but since I've worked out all the major bugs, it's a streamlined process for newbies.  The lady really enjoyed the class, gave me compliments on my instructions/patience/my 'eye', and said that my class really increased her knowledge on the process.  She learned a lot she said, as she had already made some transfers on her own. She was also going to send other people my way!  Awesome!

Today I'll finish up the bid sheets.  Tomorrow I head back to High Hand Gallery to take additional photos.  I would like to invite you to the Artful Bra Show on Saturday, May 25th, silent auction at 5:00 p.m., with the live auction starting at 6:30 p.m.  There will be wine and hors d'oeuvres and plenty of bras to bid on.  All the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

Here's our artful bra creation from my husband and I.  It's called "The Key to the Cure" - a door with old keys hanging off the cups which were made out of wire mesh, and the key in the doorknob is PINK!

Wonderful Christmas-time!

The only photography I've been doing is putting together some photo albums. I don't print out what I call 'snap shots', I take them to Walgreen's. I reserve my precious ink for my artwork! ;) And the photography I have done this week is for our family when we took the grand kids out fishing the other day to Folsom Lake. Well, the water was waaay down, I mean we had a bit of a hike to find the water. We weren't really depending on catching any fish, it was all about being with the grand kids, which was a lot of fun for us. I did take quite of few shots using my Canon T2i - both color and black and white. I'm posting a photo that I took in digital black and white. The lake was so eery looking, almost like the surface of the moon.

We have a family gathering tomorrow so I've been busy baking and getting ready for that. I'll be working the High Hand Gallery on Sunday and of course on Saturday is our Third Saturday, but it's also our 3rd Anniversary of being in business! If you'd like to come out to High Hand Nursery, the High Hand Gallery, we will be open until 8:00 p.m. Don't forget the '3Vigne' wine tasting will be open from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. (They may even stay open until 8:00 p.m. - I don't know!)

Kayaking

I wasn't able to get the photography transfers juried in at High Hand Gallery. I misunderstood the directions, and so I will bring them back in on the first Friday of September.

I honestly have not done a whole lot in my studio the last couple of days. Had to work outside in the yard. Also on Thursday my husband and I took our granddaughter out kayaking! That was fun. She was quite the natural and she did quite well for her first time! We couldn't believe it. But I guess that's youth for you. That's her in the kayak!

I did receive my supplies Thursday that I ordered from Freestyle Photographic Supplies. One of the supplies were some coloring pens for hand-tinting black and white photographs. I practiced on some old RC prints I have stashed in a drawer. The pens will work on both RC paper and Fiber paper. At first I didn't think they were going to work - or that maybe I wasn't that good at hand coloring. However, once the ink dried they actually looked pretty cool.

Tonite I took my neighbor with me to High Hand Gallery for Third Saturday Reception. It was held supposedly in conjunction with the High Hand Nursery's Tomato Festival event. But apparently we missed the tomatoes!

Photography Transfers

Like I said before, I really hate to leave my studio!! The last two days I have been working on transfers. It's easy, it's addictive, and FUN! Yesterday, with the High Hand Gallery's theme for September " Autumn Glow" in mind, I pulled up some Autumn leaves type photos and printed one out and transferred it to watercolor paper. Then I proceeded to work with the ink and a paint brush. Then for added emphasis I added some additional color, not that much, to enhance what was already there. Needless to say I think it looks great. I wished I had taped it off, but I can mat it. It's just that I think it would have looked even better with a margin around the actual photographic transfer image and THEN the mat. The next one I did tape it off with artist's tape, but I basically ruined it because that tape isn't quite right - it's too much adhesive and it tore off the paper. I might have to go with the household blue tape for painters.

All in all, I've completed about 6 or 7 transfers. Some have the photographic image feel, and others are literally paintings. Now I just need to get juried in to see if I'm even going to be allowed to use them at High Hand Gallery. I ran out of 140 lb, cold press watercolor paper (smooth surface), so I'll have to make a run into the local art supplies store. I need to pick up a couple of square and round paint brushes too while I'm at it!

Photographing Plein Air Painting

This afternoon I am heading down to the High Hand Gallery in Loomis to photograph the Plein Air Painting event. Artists were invited to participate painting in the fruit sheds which also coincides with the Iris Festival. Since I am the official photographer for the High Hand Gallery, it's upon me to capture these events and place on the High Hand Facebook page! You can find our page under High Hand Gallery, naturally. In a couple of weeks, we will be receiving entries for the Artful Bra III show, which is a fundraiser benefitting the American Cancer Society. Again, I will be photographing all the entries for two days. But more about that later.

Secondly, I have to get busy and select the photos that I will be hanging in the High Hand Gallery for the upcoming next two months. I kind of have an idea that the photographic images will be ones I already have framed that haven't been shown at High Hand yet. Today's going to be a busy day!!

Third Saturday Artists Reception

Last night at High Hand Gallery was definitely craziness! In conjunction with our normal 3rd Saturday Artists Reception, the High Hand Nursery hosted "Wings, Wine and Art" a benefit in support of the Gold Country Wildlife Rescue Organization. They had a few endangered species on show for short periods of time, including a red winged hawk, named Dakota. They also had a white faced owl, but I couldn't get close enough for a picture. Lots of folks out for the evening - 450 people paid to attend - and I think they all showed up. So it was good exposure for the gallery too as they overflowed into the gallery and we actually had some art sales.

The High Hand Gallery had a special display made by three of the artists: Susan Cawthon (fabric), Kat Oliver (copper and silver utensils), and Cindy Rubado (glass fused dinner ware). Beautiful setting!

There were also two live art demonstrations. Here's Ann Bowns with her silk painting demo.

Win some - Win some

Remember about a month ago I was turned down from High Hand Gallery? Well, yesterday late afternoon I receive a call from them saying their 'photographer' left and now they were calling to see if I was still interested in showing my works with them. I played really hard to get and immediately said, 'yes'! Someone will be getting in touch with me soon - someone from the welcome wagon! ;)

So, now I need to figure out what I will submit, although it will probably be Bodie B&W's that are already framed, although I might even put together some of the ones I took of High Hand that I have displayed on my website. You can go check them out. The website gallery is called "Historic Loomis Fruit Growers". I'm posting one of those pics here today!