Emerald Bay Photography News and Updates

If I ever assumed that time could stand still somewhere, I would have thought it could be Mexico, especially Southern Mexico. With its slow lifestyle and vibrant Mayan culture, reaching back many centuries, to me, time always felt like molasses down there, trickling by at a decreased pace, turning minutes into hours and hours into afternoons.

Judging from a travel report by my friend Paulie though (who has just returned from a 4-week trip to Guatemala and Southern Mexico), times indeed have changed now.

The next day we went to the ruins outside of Palenque. Tons of people. At least outside the entrance. We never went inside. I got into a pretty serious argument with the guard at the entrance. They wanted me to pay $300 US for the privilege of being allowed to bring my tripod into the compound containing the ruins. Needless to say, this was not in my travel budget. It seems that regardless of who you are or what kind of still camera you have, it's the tripod that means you are going to make big bucks. They also had a $250 daily fee for any video camera.

What? 300 bucks to bring your tripod into the ruin compound at Palenque? Since when?



My idyllic picture of this area has been utterly crushed. In April of 1994, when I travelled through Palenque, the ruins were pretty much devoid of tourists. Sure there were a few stragglers, but that was it. I faintly remember paying a small fee to gain entrance to the park, but certainly no outlandish charge for bringing in *a tripod*.

Mexico has lost its mind.

Labels: photographer advocacy, photography, travel, travel photographer

People keep sending me links to some cool photo-related stuff, so for the alert reader interested in such things (and to make a permanent record of them for myself), I'm going to post them here:

Thanks to Bryan Bloebaum, a fabulous local photographer, for sending me the link to Lens Babies. This nifty line of "selective-focus" lenses kinda works like an old-fasioned bellows camera, but attaches to your 35mm (or digital) SLR (pretty much all mounts are available - yes, Luke, even for your Olympus). Some of you out there might argue that you can do all that the Lensbaby does with Photoshop too - and rightfully so - but for a mere $96, it's certainly a toy that's worth a closer look.

Thanks also to Jake for pointing me towards this enlightning article on taking off your UV filter.
And I quote: "Good modern lenses have very hard glass objectives, and/or scratch-resistant coatings. They make it difficult to scratch or mar a lens. With reasonable care, and perhaps a decent lens hood for physical protection if the objective is not recessed, there is almost no chance you will scratch the objective of your lens."
I have to say, I haven't had any UV filters in front of any of my lenses for years - I find them bothersome and unnecessary. And I can't say that they've incurred additional, if any, scratches at all. So fellow photographers - off with those UV filters!

Labels: photography, photography gear

For some inexplicable reason, I'm terribly fond of this image:



Or is it just me? Does anybody else like the almost painterly quality of this image? The way the chair, hat, painting, old indidan leather jacket, logs, and set of fireplace pokers come together? How the single spotlight casts this interesting light on the scene?

It was taken on a recent furniture shoot, almost as a sidenote, for no particular reason really, and just because to me, the scene seemed so saturated with Cowboy romance.

I just found out today that two images from this shoot are in consideration for the cover of the updated version of the book "Cowboy High Style".

I somehow hope it's gonna end up being this one.

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, photography, product photographer Bend Oregon, product photography

I love my job.

Especially when I get to shoot assignments that take me to beautiful homes, let me meet wonderful new people - and give me a slice of education I would have never gotten otherwise.

Take for instance a recent shoot I did for a high-end reproduction maker of Molesworth furniture in Cody, Wyoming.



Molesworth who, you ask?

Yepp, I posed the same question. But in preparation for the shoot and to get a feel for the image style of the book (as my images will get featured in the updated version of the book), I read up on this interesting icon of Western style in Cowboy High Style by Elizabeth Claire Flood.

To quote the author: "Bow-legged cowboys, buffalo silhouettes, bucking horses, Indian teepees, an antlered elk - all icons that symbolize the rugged West. These, plus sensuous natural woods, vibrant leathers, and colorful woven fabrics are the raw materials of western casual elegance.

The western decorative style first became fashionable in the 1930s and 1940s, when dude ranches and lodges were among the most popular tourist destinations. Many of these retreats were outfitted by Cody, Wyoming furniture maker Thomas C. Molesworth, who worked mainly with swollen burls, rich leathers, and vibrant Chimayo weavings, to create the sturdy, streamlined furniture for which he has become famous. By adding romantic western and wildlife motifs through detailed wood carvings or paintings, Molesworth promoted a high style of furnishings that captured the spirit of the West."

Indeed. Shooting these beautiful furniture pieces, I started to really appreciate the smooth woods with their characteristic burls; the soft, supple leathers in their rich tones of red, and the intricate hand-carvings of arrows and teepees.

I'll be forever grateful for the education this job provided me - never mind that it also spoilt me for all eternity. I will never look at my furniture the same way again ...

Labels: architectural photographer Bend Oregon, architectural photography, Bend Oregon photographer, commercial photographer Bend Oregon, photography, product photographer Bend Oregon, product photography