I’m excited to announce that my “Lace Bud” photo was selected for the “Secret Gardens” juried show at Pacific Art League, in Palo Alto, CA. The opening reception is tomorrow night, April 6, from 5:30 to 8:30 at 668 Ramona St. Come join us and see this print in person!
I just finished hanging a show of a selection of my California photos, which will be on display until March 31, 2012, at the Lakeview Branch of the Oakland Public Library. If you would like to view them, stop by during the library’s open hours during the next couple months.
I’ve learned a lot in the process of getting ready for this show, and may have more to talk about as I absorb it. In the meantime, I’ll share one of my favorite new images featured in the show. This is Stovepipe Wells dunes in Death Valley.
I hope you all had a fantastic season. Mine was wonderful – spending time with loved ones I don’t see often enough, and plenty of precious quiet time with my husband.
Now I’m plunging headlong into the new year, with all sorts of goals for FocusLight. My big project right now involves preparing for my very first show, starting February 1 at the Oakland Public Library (Lakeview branch). It’s exciting, but I’ve got an enormous task list to tackle in preparation.
In the meantime, this is a photo I took at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles in November. If you ever have a chance to get to the Getty, GO! It’s an amazing space, where the architecture is just as memorable as the artwork it houses. In this case, I couldn’t resist this abstract of wall tiles on the building as we were leaving. The wall curves, presenting some gorgeous perspective play.
Back to the Mono Lake collection, this image really evokes the somewhat zen state of mind I get in sometimes when seeking out just the right shot. This was another from the same sunset, in August 2010, as my earlier post. The colors reflecting in the water were stunning, and no one else was anywhere in sight.
I think this might be my favorite of the photos I’ve just had printed for the Urban Bazaar Vagabond fair. Stop by and see it in person; I’ll be there (1371 9th Ave, San Francisco) tomorrow, Oct 16, from 11-5.
Reflections of a sunset on Mono Lake, August 2010
I went into Sunday’s photowalk not really knowing what to expect, but planning on making the most of it. I was pleasantly surprised to not only make some new friends and have a great time talking with other like-minded photographers, but also to receive some fantastic tips on using light to its best advantage when photographing people, and on bringing depth and interest into your photos when dealing with flat, overcast light. It was a great experience, and I plan to do my best to attend next year’s walk, as well.
This photo was taken in the Japanese Tea Garden, pictured earlier in my blog. Nearly every photographer on the walk stopped to capture this little meditation garden, and each of us caught it in different ways – one of the most interesting things about group photo expeditions like this.
Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco
Another Golden Gate Park image from a couple of years ago, this time stunning Victorian-era greenhouse, the Conservatory of Flowers. Built in 1878, it’s the oldest building in the park, and is said to have been modeled after the renowned Kew Gardens palm house. It’s well worth a stop if you’re in the park. The building itself is stunning, and the collection of rare and exotic plants & flowers inside is beautifully curated and maintained.
Conservatory of Flowers, Golden Gate Park
The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is one of those mysterious places you’d never expect when looking at it from outside. There’s a Japanese-style gate, but the foliage and fences surrounding the garden completely hide all sign of the magic inside. When you walk into the garden, it’s as if you’ve been transported across the Pacific to Japan. The garden is exquisitely landscaped and manicured, and although it’s a tiny little enclave, it’s easy to get lost in your surroundings and spend hours in there, finding new tiny little details. I took this a couple years ago, but wanted to go ahead and put it up today, since I’ll be heading to the area tomorrow for the photowalk being hosted by Catherine Hall of TWiT Photo fame. Stay tuned!
Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco
Mono Lake, just east of Yosemite National Park, is an amazing saline lake that nearly disappeared when Los Angeles diverted water from the Mono Basin. The Mono Lake Committee launched a legal battle that ultimately managed to save the lake, and it is nearly back to its former levels, supporting a diverse ecosystem of flora & fauna. It’s another frequently photographed spot in my new home state, and one I finally managed to visit last year on a solo road trip up to Idaho.
Morro Rock is a giant solitary rock jutting out of a tiny strip of land that extends out from the Central Coast of California, not too far south of Big Sur. It’s a striking landmark that has been a frequent target of photographers, for good reason.
I came away from my one visit to Morro Rock and its Bay with several photos I was happy with. This is one of them, viewing the Rock from the state park to the north, during the magic sunset hour.
