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Friday, January 27, 2012

A few January ducks......

The weather has been really strange this winter. Almost like Spring everyday....but there's still February and March. I found some ducks this morning that seemed to be oblivious to the month. The images seems to have a Japanese feeling to it, a "print" quality.

Alaska, The Book

I will receive my proof of the Alaska book I am publishing on Tuesday. Needless to say I'm more than excited. The book will consist of 40 pages ( 20 pages, 2 sides ) of images I collected this last fall while in Alaska. All of the images are in color and the book is 12" x 12" ....perfect for your coffee table. I have several images that are new favorites and one especially, of the wake of the ship. It is almost mystical to say the least. This is sort of like waiting for the secret decoder ring.....is it here yet ?? I'll keep you posted.

Friday, January 20, 2012

The Maddest Guy in Kansas......

Running down the Blue highway headed west we were on high alert after seeing the Dinos and the Pasture Sculpture. This trip could probably get to be even more interesting. Kansas is flat. The longer you drive the more you realize it....I'm keeping the car between the Barditches Kieth. Up a head traffic seems to be slowing. Some people are getting out of their cars and walking the fence line where there seems to be some type of movement on top of the posts. There is a slight breeze. Some just moving by in their car....looks to go on for three quarters of a mile. Hot Damn ! Another Roadside attraction !!!

I drive a bit and see we are receiving messages from the fence. The messages aren't squeeks.....they are shouting at the top of their visual lungs ! KICK OUT THE SCHOOL BOARD ! NO MORE ILLEGAL TAXES !!!!! on and on. This guy was mad at everyone. Using the farmers tools of display, people were constructed from plowing disks, Smaller round disk head, larger round disk body,and scrap iron arms and legs. Ears were sheet metal as were the noses. Everyone had BIG ears. These "people" were stationed on the hedge fence posts holding a sign that read of the problem of concern the creator had. Being extremely creative he would take cans, slit them giving them wings, and mount them on rods so that as the wind blew you could read complete sentences as the cans turned. The most amazing part of the 3/4 mile Fence of Complaints was that it was about half a mile out of a very small town. Individuals were named by the plow shear "people" and gossip was rampant on the sides of the spinning cans. There were all sorts of accusations, implication, and just plain bitching. Today I'll locate the video of it and drop in some snippets. It will be worth the return to see.

I believe I'm correct in saying though, that several years ago a tornado ripped through the town destroying everything, probably even the 3/4 Mile of Complaints.
Strange things happen.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Don Quixote rides again !!!!!!

As I said yesterday we were traveling the"Blue Highways" across the flatness of Kansas on the way to Denver. We had marveled at the dinosaurs in the front yard of a farmhouse that were true works of art and I really thought they was cool and unique. Didn't expect much more from the long flat.......just keep it between the bar ditches...thank you Kieth Hall. Bar ditches are the proper name for the drainage ditches that run along country roads...Kieth says so. Radio playing and cruising and suddenly to my right in the middle of a field, I spot a Cubist Buffalo.

Buffalo brown in color, and an angular shape as if Picasso had drawn it, the buffalo seemed to be running across the field. Closer visual inspection revealed a Cubist Indian riding a Cubist horse, shooting Cubist Arrows from a Cubist Bow. There are a lot of angles to the story.........I slowed down.

Taking in the total view of the pasture I realized that I was driving beside another Kansas Field of Art ! There was a Windmill which was patterned after the ones you see in Holland, WITH A GUY IN FULL ARMOUR RIDING A HORSE CHARGING AT IT....DON QUIXOTE !! There were 4 excellent sculptures running down the hill, Pan playing his flute led the group with a boy doing cartwheels, a girl skipping, and a boy pushing a hoop with a stick. He was taking the children from the village. Absolutely astonishing.

All of this really makes me remember some of the people I attended College with.I was always amazed by the sculptors vision and talent for making the vision reality.
Whoever made these sculptures thankfully had the foresight and talent to capture the visions and make them real enough to share them with strangers on the road. What a great gift.......and totally unexpected.

Tomorrow.........the maddest guy in the world.........or at least in Kansas.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Roadside Attractions

Ok...the hacked hassle is over ...all passwords have been changed and the computer cleaned out....HOW SCARY IS THAT !!!!

Going on the road again soon as I have an account that has encouraged me to travel to their town and produce some Senior Portraits for friends. I love the road trips because Karen and I travel the "Blue Highways". They are the blue roads on the map that always take longer and have more character. We've seen some pretty amazing stuff.

Highway 54 west out of Nevada Mo for instance has the Not so Famous Yellowstone Park. Passing down the road, headed west, we suddenly notice dinosaurs in a field to our right. We stop. I think it was a Sunday as no one was home in the house, we knocked, so we looked around this farmers front yard. I didn't realize that two oil pans from a V-8 could make a dinos' head. Camshafts are neck bones, the disks from an old plow make great scales.....it was amazing. He must have had 25/30 life size (I guess) beasts around his house. Obviously he had several things going for him. A great imagination, mechanical ability, time, and an understanding wife. I'll try to locate the pictures....Loved that trip. Don Quixote's coming up along with the Cubist buffalo.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Frustration !!!!!!

GOT Hacked !!!

A new challenge. My email got hacked yesterday and evidently bunch of junk got sent out in my name. I am sorry if you received any of it and some changes ere being made concerning my email address. I will keep you posted. Hopefully this won't happen again.

Mike

If your mail is returned due to a bad address call me and I'll give you the new one that should be up after today. 918-760-1575

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Last weekends Senior Session

I have spoken in the past about relationships that have been built through my career with clients and their families. Last weekends session is a good example. I had received a call from a former client asking me to photograph his son for his Senior Portrait and also include the family. We scheduled the session for last Friday. As the Dad was growing up in Carthage, the location of my first studio, I photographed his family and even HIS Senior Portrait. Soon the wedding bells were ringing and I photographed his wedding in Dallas, I as I remember. A few years later I did family portraits in Hawaii for them and we've kept in touch since. I was pleased to receive his call about the session, it had been years since I had seen the family. These portraits are the a few of the results of the session, it was a good time.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Cityplex Towers

Every now and then old visions come together and can be made into reality. The planets align so to speak. As we were coming home from the store it appeared as though the moon, in its' full state, would be able to be seen rising between the towers of the Cityplex, which is basically across the street, west of our home. I grabbed my camera and tripod and drove down to the parking lot to gain a vantage point. What's seen in the minds eye is seldom the case in reality. ( Refer to Platonic Ideals ). I drove behind the building and due to the location of an electrical service transformer, a fence, a few vehicles, and the close quarters with the street, building, and other unexpected items, there was no way I could get the angle I needed. I don't give up easily so I walked to the northwest through the parking lot. The moon was rising and it was getting darker and I was losing the western fill light. You never notice how fast the sun fades unless you need it. Tonight it was sinking like a rock.

I found a location I liked and banged off a few exposures. The designer of the building was using his head in the design of the top of the building. He extended the "reach" upwards of the corners of each wall to visually extend the height of the building. Pretty foxy idea. In the photograph this effect is even more visible than it is if you look at it from the street. Great building, fun to shoot.

5000 !!!!!!!!!!

I just checked my stats on Google and amazingly enough this blog has been up less than two years and has been read by five thousand people. I find that truly remarkable, and I thank you for doing so. There's more coming at you......

Yesterdays Senior Session...

We had a great time ! I may have mentioned yesterday that whenever I photograph a Senior Session I try to get the whole family involved.....it worked again. We got all combinations, Mom & Dad, Brothers, the boys friend that moved from Dallas to Tulsa and the boys, and the entire family. The session took four hours but it was truly worth it. We primarily worked outside and casually as that was the preference but the locations made the difference. On bright days, as yesterday was, I have to scout primarily secondary lighting, and sometimes that in itself can be a problem. I've been in Tulsa long enough to know where I think the light will be right for virtually any location I select. This quality of light changes throughout the day, and with the seasons with the shifting of the sun from North to South. I must have a gazillion options.....I haven't used that word since I was 10. Tomorrow I'll Load some images.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

New Images.....

I just confirmed a Senior Portrait session with a client of mine from Pratte Kansas. I have photographed the family for years starting with the parents Senior Portraits, Wedding, and family portraits in Hawaii. We will dedicate Friday to the session and it should be a kick. The weather is projected be in good shape and I have some really interesting studio shots in mind. I have some sites that are exclusive to me and quite frankly, I can't wait. Of course I'll include family portraits within the session both inside and out. I'll post images from the session next week.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Expectations

Every new year brings the usual resolutions of new things to do, start, finish, or move on. This year will be different. Before the magic day when the slate was wiped clean, I had a thought on working smarter and intend to follow that thought throughout the year. I've been a believer in positive thinking for most of my career and would wait for things to happen as I had projected. As I have grown older I have noticed that nudging the process really doesn't hurt any. In fact....duh...you have to. The decision makers need to be reminded that I have a service and vision that can make them enhance their products and increase sales.

I have noticed one particular industry here in Tulsa that is responsible for adding millions of dollars in sales to the economy and employees a thousand or so employees. I can help these companies become more visible as to location and style. I have really not seen any great images of them in their advertising and have test marketed two of them with outstanding success. Stay tuned for the results....the marketing plan goes into full swing next week with the first mailing to the prospects.

Monday, January 2, 2012

The new year .......2012

I did something I today I thought I'd never do and have struggled with quite frankly for years.
I boxed up my RB67 Camera, 4 lenses, three backs, filters, and prism viewer and sent it to NY to find a new home. My film days are getting very close to being over. I still have my Linholf 4 x 5, lenses, and film holders but they are probably shaking in their boots. That set may be next.

The digital revolution has been so encompassing that virtually no present media source has not been changed. First it was sound, then printing, now imagery, still and motion. All along the path the computerization of processes have leaped out of the bushes and complimented the production side of the creation. Not only in time savings, but creative innovation has been expanded.

This brings into the forefront the question of education and taste. It seems as though anyone can be a "photographer". Snapping a bunch of shots and then selecting the "best" doesn't really fill the bill. The nuances of the trade, from lighting, preconception, finishing, and client designed imagery, actually are the keynotes separating the pros from the wanna be's. But there we go, a client MUST be able to see the difference or the professional hasn't lived up to the expectations of the client OR his peers. I have a truly great profession that has allowed me to fulfill many of my life dreams taking me places that I thought I'd never see, meeting people that have been truly amazing. Primarily because I knew I could produce what I said I could in terms of imagery. I generally know in advance what I want as an end image/product and how to get there. That is becoming the lost art of photography.

When I'm looking for a certain feeling in an image I figure out in advance what the conditions should be like in a given environment to get me there. Then I need to figure out location, how to light for that location, the "style" of my client and time to shoot. This is why, during my consultations with my clients, I have so many questions. If I don't know what THEY want, how can I satisfy their wishes ? I love my job.....