Peter J. Crowley

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A Recent Vision Quest, The Shire with Ents leading to Boston Harbor

June 7, 2020 By Peter J. Crowley 6 Comments

Thurston County now in Phase Two. Not running out to a restaurant anytime soon but I can get in a car to see more then the neighborhood.

New visual stimuli freedom. 

The Shire perhaps there is an Elf dancing in the soft dappled light? Magic is here for sure. Burfoot State Park appearing in the role of The Shire. Seventy two days with the same 3-5 block walk. My eyes awoke to see many highlights to create magic.

A smiling Ent greets us as we enter the Shire on my Vision Quest. A child walks past her little excited voice ” hello we are going through the forest to the beach.” 

The forest lush, silence broken by a breeze rustling the spring leafs. Birds punctuate the stillness with songs of delight. One one hundredth of a second at F-7.1. I linger just watching studying my composition. Keeping the highlighted maple sapling at the bottom with space between the frame holding my eye within the frame. Finding the angle to best carry a shallow DOF across the photograph.  A sense of peace rolls through me with each breath that comes easier with the clean air and new inhaler. 

I moved a few paces the forest had so much to offer. Detail seeing what is there focus, refocus the breeze is robust a challenge to sharpness and creating a defused puddle of light in the background. Placing the highlighted repeating shapes around the subject. The negative space should caress my subject keeping your eyes in the frame. I made two exposures and still haven’t decided which will be in this spot when I click publish. 

Outside the Boston Harbor Marina a little more dappled light a thin overcast ideal light still directional but the contrast curve isn’t as steep. We used to call this Kodachrome Light. 

The Marina was everything I hoped for memory flashes of Rhode Island, and Maine. A funky little store a small dinning room with a wood stove and comply chairs. I think during non pandemic times there is live music. 

Ilesboro Maine  to visit friends from high school back in Coventry. The docks in Little Compton R.I. rusty freezers working to keep the catch cool. My vision beyond what is there to what emotion is created. I want my work to seem like a story not finished you complete the image with your vision quest. 

The cook, I caught her outside asked could I shoot her?  An image that isn’t a flower but just as bright. A beautiful spring day with a lovely cook in the spring time of life. So long without a human subject two shot’s thirty seconds I’m pleased. She makes a mean batch of shoestring fries as well.

My learning curve is not so level digital B+W. Here when I made this shot I was thinking B+W but lots to be done after conversion. Too much, here the soft light was a problem the shore line gray’s and greens were tonally the same. I worked to get more drama in the clouds. I spent more time in PS on this then all the other images combined. A bit of contrast and brightness in the Shire almost right out of the camera for the rest. Maybe shoot RAW when I want Black and White. I will learn to simulate TriX.

Triangles a way to see and use negative space. Wood paddles to go with a kayak. Shot in open shade with total shade underneath that is how even the light was this day.  A very low tide a good time to make this photograph. It is always a good day to photograph sometimes a great day for a vision quest. 

peace

Another story

 

Filed Under: A Life in Photographic Art, Between Here and There, Beyond the surface, Color Fine Art, Journeys between here and there, Olympia Wa., Photographic Art, Smiling Eyes, Spring, Washington Tagged With: Blending the past and the present, Color Fine Art photography, Humanity, Olympia, Simplicity

The Winter Side of March 2020

March 14, 2020 By Peter J. Crowley Leave a Comment

March 2nd Mexican Art at Traditions Cafe. These eyes of mine continue to improve steadier opens up my lens selection. Here Nikon 85 mm 1/100 F1.8 ISO 100. 

March 3rd outside my door 1/250 Nikon Micro at F-8 ISO 100 from about 5 inches away. A much lighter prime lens yet shake is still a big problem. The camera to subject distance  magnifies the visual shake.

Simon March 3rd Safeway parking lot. I saw him in the market we nodded to each other knowingly. I caught him outside introduced myself, he laughed when i asked to shoot him. “You have character, history and are the kind of person I am drawn to photograph.” We both laughed two images and a few minutes of talking, laughing a highlight to my day.

March 4th  around the block Spring peaks at me.

March 8th again the 85 mm a dark and cold morning my kitchen window my world view for to much of the time in recent years. But now my health better walking more, seeing better. Now spring!!

Spring!!! a view from March 11th around the block.

A Ray of light March 12th. Nikon AF [not on my D-3100] 28 mm to 105 mm  a much shorter turning radius on the focus ring. ISO 400 1/40 F4.5. No vibration control I am very pleased with the image Tech. and emotion. Is she not quite sharp? Of course she is 8 and never not in motion. 

peace pjc

 

Filed Under: A Life in Photographic Art, Close to home, Color Fine Art, Eyes of the child, Flowers, Nikon, Olympia Wa., People, Seasons, Spring, Washington Tagged With: Color Fine Art, Flowers, Olympia, Portraits, Seasons, Simplicity

My History, My Face

February 10, 2020 By Peter J. Crowley 13 Comments

Mar Lea appts. Ashford CT. First place I lived after the marriage split. A dark time Kirsten visits rarely from daily adventures, out to lunch. Gardening, walking with her ducks to Fritz’s. New things found and once  in a while lousy pancakes.  Now just a day and a half twice a month if I was lucky.

Madison Ct. at Jim and Carla’s visiting for the weekend of the Durham fair. A Molson Golden Ale, a Lunar Pro and a Nikon F. tools of the trade. 

Olympia 2016 Molly’s photo of me and my journal. 

Cosey Beach E. Haven Ct. 1972? We lived on the water or at times in the water. Perched on a little knoll around 17 inches above sea level. But winter storms combined with a full moon the water got very close. Hurricanes flooded the street on the non sound side. Yikes motor boats evacuations we watched, friends would come to see for power of nature eating brownies watching waves crashing over two story cottages party on….WOW!

My Intern Molly Walsh did a series of me in May 2017. A Punk Rock Juke Box tee a Conn College dance print. Editing, archiving a process that continues slowly. I am currently  seeking  a new  intern.  Local  to Olympia inquire mail@peterjcrowley.comA braided beard, art direction and photo by Inara. 


January 2020 a Zoo York tee from Kirsten one of three keeping me warm. Liz my care giver has learned to use my camera like Inara they do well with this odd subject. 

An outtake from my Press Pass photo at the Stratford News 1973. The free press news feature weekly, The Shakespeare  Theater, day to day life community news.  A hippie photo journalist accepted by the community.

This from 1972 previous from ’73 a year and a half later after a trim. “Your hair is getting good in the back” Frank Zappa. This pass still resides in my wallet. From the 70’s to the mid 2014 in Ct. a ticket to almost everything. 

peace pjc

Filed Under: A Life in Photographic Art, East Haven Ct., Faces, Identity, Life, Olympia Wa., Smiling Eyes, Washington Tagged With: Blending the past and the present, Humanity, Olympia, Portraits, Seasons

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