Just to brush off this blog a bit...

Wow, its been busy around here since the LA Auto Show...keeping up with it all has been a challenge.

This weeks adventures took me to Detroit for the North American International Auto Show. What a show it was.  This was all courtesy of Acura who sees the value in bloggers and like what I do here and at So Cal Auto Blog. 

The panoramas here were done with the help of Adobe's CS5.  This program does a pretty admirable job of blending multiple images into one giant shot. It isn't perfect and for reasons I don't understand it will blend some like these examples then completely is thrown off with others that it can't blend.  Anyone have an idea why it is so inconsistent with the combining of series shot  into panoramas and not with others?

The Auto Show is made for HDR images

I've made mention in the past that HDR, High Dynamic Imaging is one way to control contrast and get details in the highlights and shadows beyond what a normal DSLR can capture.

Since it is a bracketed exposure set to capture highlights, mid-range and shadow as "perfectly exposed" when you get around to generating the HDR file you have complete detail across a much broader EV scale than what you can get with just one image.

Both of these are HDR images that I post processed with the help of Adobe's CS5.  The Top image, that of a Cadillac ELR that is set for production in the next few years was done more with a surreal touch whereas the Mustang GT500 was done with a more realistic blending.  Both work for their own reasons.  Both will show up in publications around the web.

I have on flickr an entire set devoted to the 2011 L.A. Auto Show HERE.

What I did Friday night...

Yup we saw Cyndi Lauper on her "Memphis Blues Tour".  Great concert, amazing energy and songs by Cyndi Lauper.

A little panorama action...

Yesterday I went to Torrance to the American Honda HQ for an Acura event.  While there they opened up their museum for a luncheon and a tour.  IT was quite impressive to see their collection of historically significant Honda's and concept cars from over the years.

This image was done with the photomerge too in Adobe's CS5.  The program does a pretty slick job of matching frame content to create a single large image.  Enjoy the sneak peak into the American Honda Museum that is not open to the public, rather is a by invitation only.

Very Foggy Morning

Its not the tool used that makes the difference, its the photogs eye.  This little gem was grabbed this morning with my cell phone as just an example of using a low res tool to its advantage.

Sierra Sunset ala Autochrome

I do love the Sierra's.  I find them a great respite from the rigors of day to day stuff.  I shot this a couple of summers ago while on a trip to June Lake.  This was actually a trail off the main road to Mono Lake.  I loved the suns final ray shooting through the mountains before dusk settled into night.

I decided to do this one in the Autochrome look as I felt the painterly impressionistic results fit the image better than the simple RAW image would have given.

This took several steps, most of which I've outlined here in the past.  I do love the simplicity and WYSWYG preview results you get with Adobe's CS5.

I've got a show this spring and am debating what to do.  Should I present all "ala autochrome" or should I go with all "scanned hand painted negatives".  Hell, I can't even decide what one image I should submit to the LA Center of Digital Art for their "Unjuried" Show, which I just adore, in December.  What to do?  Create more is the answer and let the most powerful series be the choice.

Freeway Daisy from a scanned negative

Just a splash of color in a scanned negative.  This time around used CS5 and just painted a layer.  I don't like the effect as well as a marking pen...lacks that neonish glow and depth one gets when you paint on a negative directly.  Experimentation is half the fun of photography.  I used CS5 to create a layer to color then blended with multiply at 75% strength to get this image.

They strung me up at First City Credit Union

Yup, one artist flaked and I got to go into the First City Credit Union Gallery today.  6 Pieces all hung, and information tags all done now its there for the public to enjoy until January.  The First City Credit Union Gallery is a joint effort with the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts exhibiting works of its members.

The 6 pieces:
Bodie Blue Window
English Rose Bud
Abandoned Church, Paris
La Tour Eiffel
Wild Flower
Lily

Its a nice selection of photographs, digital art and hand colored negatives.

You can see them Monday through Saturday in the First City Credit Union main lobby. First City Credit Union,404 E. Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016

Another adventure into the old bucket...Blondie Live at Club Nokia

Last night I took a break from the Celebrate the Arts prep and devoted the evening to an adventure.  I've always wanted to see Blondie live and last night it happened.  Worth the effort.  Check out the YouTube vids I shot at the concert.  Love these little diversions from the daily routines.

Art for a cause...raising funds for art education in the schools

This weekends Celebrate the Arts that I'm participating in is more than just an Fine Art Event.  ITS about raising money to bring Art to the community. ITS about raising money to help bring art education to the schools via the Village After School program in the MUSD elementary and middle schools.  ITS about Pallete Grants, mini-grants to SGV area schools for in class art education projects.  You can learn more about what the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts does on their website HERE.

At the Celebrate the Arts we have a few things going on that are dedicated to funding our various art programs in the city.  The biggy is the Silent Auction of donated pieces where 100% of the proceeds go directly into the grant funds.  All of the artists (well most of them) in the Celebrate the Arts donate a piece for inclusion in this auction.  Monrovia High School done in the Orton style is my piece being donated to the cause.

Celebrate the Arts will be held in Monrovia's Library Park the weekend of October 8 &9 2011.  The library address is 321 S Myrtle Ave, Monrovia CA to help you find it via google maps.  Celebrate the Arts will be open 10AM - 6PM both days.  Come enjoy the art and of course bid on the Silent Auction Items that strike a spot in your soul.

Handcolored negatives to debut at Celebrate the Arts

Varying degrees of success getting the saturation I want with neutral black and white surrounds. With the exception of the yellow rose...that was purely an exercise in color contrasts and pen point vs broad side coloring to build texture.  I think it all worked, 'cept the first.  Am slowly learning that it isn't exact opposites on the color wheel when scanning hand colored black and white negatives to make them into positives.

A bit on scanner settings. I do scan max DPI with the Epson Perfection V600.  I scan from the profession mode where I can get the best control of the final output.  The max DPI is 12800 which even from a small negative yields huge files...along the order of 50-70 megs depending on the detail in the image.  I chose the scan in 48 bit color to capture all the subtleties of the color I apply to the negatives.  I still use the Black and White film as type as opting for "color negative" gives it all a ghastly orange tint that simply can't be corrected out.

File resizing for image size and usable dpi for images is done with the help of Adobe CS5. While we are on the topic of CS5, have I mentioned recently how much I love the "spot healing brush tool"?  Its simply magic and is the most useful tool in working with scanned negatives and "spotting" out rough spots in the color or removing dust particles.  No matter how clean I keep things there still is dust that makes it into the scan...microscopic stuff that I can't really see until the scan is blown up, yet the tool removes it and blends in the scene perfectly.

These images will be appearing in the trusty satchel of images and possibly framed for the coming Monrovia Association of Fine Arts "Celebrate the Arts" to be held on October 8/9 in the heart of Old Town Monrovia in Library Park.  (Monrovia, California, not Libya).

Hand colored negatives for the Celebrate the Arts

I love the impressionistic look of these images.  Color that is translucent overlayed on a sharp crisp image below.  Adds a dreamy quality to them.  Agree?

You can see them at Celebrate the Arts, dry mounted and all set to go in my satchel of goodies to dig through.

Celebrate the Arts is in its 48th year.  It is hosted by the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts and will take place October 8&9.  More details HERE.  Come see me and all the terrific artists that will be there.

The joy of hand color negatives

In theory using the opposite color on the color wheel will get you the color you want.  In this case for reasons unknown that theory didn't work.  I used a nice shade of green expecting red and got purple.  I still like the result, note how the bleed beyond the signpost seems to make it glow.

This is part of the experimental hand coloring of negatives to add artificial color to a monochromatic scene that I have been working on over the last few months.

The scene was shot on Tri-X pan, developed in 1:1 D76 for max details and contrast range.  The finished negative was hand colored with a Crayola brand "super tip" marker then scanned with an Epson Perfection V600 Photo scanner at max dpi.  Adobe's photoshop was used to resize the file for printing and publication (like this web sized image).

It will be one of several hand colored negatives printed for the satchel of loose prints at the coming Celebrate the Arts.  I'll be in a space right on the sidewalk near the corner of Lime and Myrtle in Library Park here in Monrovia CA 10/8-9.  Come see me and my work in person that weekend.

See me at Celebrate the Arts in 2 short weeks

Its coming and coming fast.  Much to do to be ready for the Celebrate the Arts hosted by the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts.  It will be held in the heart of Old Town Monrovia in Library park located at 321 S Myrtle Avenue here in good ole Monrovia, CA.  It will be on October 8 and 9 from 10AM until 6PM.

The image "Spring Bouquet" will be one of my featured images at the show.  It started life as a high resolution digital file that I reworked in the Orton Style.  This involved numerous steps creating masks and such to creat the off color, partially out of focus view of the world that only a Lomograph can do.  Of course if you are using a real toy camera such as a Diana and good old silver based films you can create such an image with only a quick click of the shutter button and scan in the resulting image.  I have to do things the hard way.

Regardless, enjoy the quick sneak peak at what I will be showing at Celebrate the Arts.

A little time at the LA County Fair

I spent a little time at the LA County Fair the other day.  They had a great little history of neon signs exhibit up. Some cool stuff, of course this one wound up being my favorite.  Have an older folding camera similar to that in the sign, problem being is that I just can't get film for it anymore.  :(

Right now its all about getting prepared for the Celebrate the Arts fair being hosted by the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts here in Monrovia CA.  Its a great little fine art event that is well attended and everyone seems to do well...or as well as anyone can do given the current state of the economy.  More on it HERE.

I'll have quite a bit of new stuff to add to the hamper of loose items as well as newly framed for this show.  That is what I'm doing now...printing stuff for mounting and framing.

Hope to see you all there on October 8-9.

A little low light action photos

I have a bit of a dilemma here.  I love low light and abhor flash.  Making matters more difficult at the Ventura Raceway this past Saturday is the protective fence that keeps cars from flying into the stands also buggers up the auto-focus on the camera as the camera wants to focus on that stationary fence rather than the action.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to focus on fast moving cars manually in low light?  Buggers I tell you.

Regardless, I did get some images that were usable from the races.  The highest ISO (1600) my camera can go to is also a bit noisy, most noticeable in the shadows when viewed at maximum size.  That ISO isn't as high as some of the newer DSLR's can achieve but does yield satisfactory handheld images. The ISO limits speeds to under 1/100 second which yields blurred images of the fast moving cars...not a bad thing when you are trying to convey their speed on the track.

More pics in my flickr set.

Thanks to all who voted for me.

Color me humbled and tickled pink. This little art blog, all about what I do and how I get there made it into the semifinals for voting in the Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011 run by KCBS here in LA.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll be updating with more images very soon now that the dust is beginning to settle with a bunch of projects I have had up in the air of late.  (Look for more examples of hand colored Black and White work in particular).

Its been all about cars the last few days.

I've been shooting, some B&W but need to finish the roll so it will be a short bit before I get to that part. Funny how it works, not like the digital realm where you just offload immediately and not have to worry about "finishing" the roll.

This week has been busy over at SoCalAutoBlog. So much so that its been at the expense of everything else I need to be doing. Its a good thing to be busy, just would like a little balance in the deal. Today was the 21st Annual Street Rods Forever car show here in Monrovia and spent my morning there.

The three images here are HDR images. Today was just a crappy day for car shooting...overcast and dull shadows. It may be an even overhead light but it still sets you up to lose shadow detail. This saved the day. The HDR post processing was done with Adobe's CS5 and is a stupid easy process. Pick the frames, the blending (I chose photo realistic) and voila you are done.

More from the day in my flickr set.

Art Walk Saturday 8/27 7-10PM

I'll be there with this new image all framed and ready to go. It is a hand colored black and white negative that is scanned and printed with the help of a PC on archival quality matte paper. The shadow detail is stunning if I say so myself...this is a big part of the reason why I am doing my own B&W work rather than simply converting a digital image to monochromatic.

Silver based materials really do have a depth of gray that you can't match by simply removing color or desaturating a digital image. For the few extra steps needed to bring an image about and get it ready for show the image quality is in another world. Definitely worth the effort.

Enjoy "Wet Lily" and see it in person this weekend at the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts last Summer Art Walk to be held in Old Town Monrovia. I will be near the Paint n Play Art Studio and Gallery and will be available to talk to you about what I do as well as show you what I have both at the Art Walk and in the Paint n Play Art Studio and Gallery. Look for me on the 400 Block of South Myrtle in Monrovia.

HDR to the rescue in an airplane hangar

The Palm Springs Air Museum is pretty much lit by massive skylights. Makes for bright tops and very dark bottoms of the planes you try to shoot. Also it leaves for dark corners and ceilings. HDR fixes that by blending frames set to expose the highlights and shadows in with that done for the middle tones.

To get these shots I shot "RAW" and bracketed +/- 2 stops...or EV in todays DSLR lingo. I used Adobe's CS5 to do the HDR file generation and tone mapping for "photorealism". If you look close at the images areas that were completely dark such as inside the engine cowl you now have detail. Ditto the tops of the planes that were blown out because of the direct light from the skylights above have detail too. It even helped bring out details from a black plane that was in the shadows. Its all good.