Peter J. Crowley

Fine Art Photographer

June and July 2020 my images recent and what I have seen in my archives.

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A smorgasbord of my seeing now and then.

My first day out since March 16th a ride in N. Olympia to Steamboat Island. May 28th 2020 a barn abandoned is reclaimed by green.

July 9th 2020 West Bay Park Puget Sound a gull a Ferry and a conversation. 

Steamboat Island May 28th 2020 just after the three day weekend that makes Memorial Day more convenient. 

Northern Vermont Autumn. 

Artspace Norwich Ct. my studio 2009. Space I do miss studio space. Just after moving to Norwich Jeff an old friend visited. This room was empty as I had not unpacked. No ladders, sculpture stands, checkerboard floor just space. Jeff said I have an old wood diner booth it would fit here nicely. I looked around and said no I don’t think there is room for it here.

Norwich Ct. November 2013 shopping downtown. 

April 6th 2001 one month after moving to Norwich Ct.  I fill the space and show this image to Jeff.

Newport  RI Summer 1981

Manchester Ct. 2010 triangles and texture on a visit to Carl’s

August 26 2006 Artspace Norwich Ct  four images of her at the beginning of a roll of a model painted. I first thought it was the painter but on further review it isn’t. Seventy and my memory fails me, a resident or friend of one at the elevator or in the hall then 15 minutes in the studio. I’ll ask Roberta I think she will know.

Lacey Wa. December 31 2014 a librarian at Timberland Library. 

peace pjc

Look around gallery links at top of page or tags by subject at the bottom of this post. 

 

Elma Washington a Summer Afternoon

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A trip to another Mill town. Walking new streets I have seen before.

This one being a Lumber Mill. Two towns actually Elma and McCleary. This on the road out of Elma but I found more compelling images in Elma. 

Reflections of days gone by suit my seeing.  Stories seen in the layers of downtown. In both towns tales of boom and bust told by residential homes sections that were built at the boom time all very similar. Then another group built 10-20 years later. 

Downtown repurposed store fronts some with false fronts like a western movie. But here it is life past and present. Thrift shops pot shops and wood pellets. Friendly people 90% wore masks and greeted us as we strolled through town. 

Eloquent detailed mosaic speaks of better times. 

Peace can be found among the Goldenrod’s, the sun and the breeze. Breathing well Nikon in hand strolling. Seeing  a blend of  memories, emotion a moment happens when I depress the shutter. The moment, the emotion is complete to share with you. 

The Bank of Elma sits waiting for the next boom, restoration life. Many moments this day present, past,  joyous, sad woven into humanity.

Seek the highlight as I do but also see the shadows without which there would be no highlight. 

peace

 

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

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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

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