Peter J. Crowley

Fine Art Photographer

Search Results for: Between Here and There

Sunday July 26, 2020 Morning Light

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Yesterday I was out for a stroll at 8 am people time. But 7 am sun time. There is a magic in this light crisp cool even in the heat of summer. I am up most days to see the light but the science project that is my body coupled with morning haze restricts my strolls.  

Delicate light on a neighbors Poppy. Joe came out of his house coffee in hand to tell me I can walk into the yard to get the best angle of the light. The flower bed is his wife’s project he told me not wanting to take credit for her work that he loves. I love when folks greet me. I am more at home here now since the days of being the “creepy old guy with a camera.” LOL nearly six years now in Olympia. 

There are mornings I stroll where the light, birds singing a cool breeze are enough. A few shots but just the light and the walk feed my soul.This was not one of those days. The grass at another friends house drenched in stark back light provided wonder to shoot. 

Not over saturated in PS no in fact saturation and contrast was dialed down for these four images. Just my seeing, the perfect light provided for these exposures.

A gentle breeze the colors danced seeking a solo of focus with each shutter release. 

But this short depth of field highlights the importance of negative space. Here as important as the focused subject.

In the center a white spec? A dust spot? No part of a spider web so strong holding between the shafts of color. A deep breath another image seen I stroll along.

peace pjc

 

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

Another story

 

Places, homes from early in my work 1972-73, 1980’S

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A tidal pool crossing Cosey Beach  Ave  1972. A daily treat to walk the beach with a friend. For a six month or so period I would step out the back door and soon be greeted by a Golden Retriever she was there for a walk. I never found out who she belonged to and she never asked to come in the house. 

Squeeze  loading in for a 80’s summer concert on Madison Green.  Madison Ct. Summers, The Wharf at The Madison Beach Hotel. Arriving there to meet Jim in early May Dewey the bartender announces Peter is here the summer has begun. 

A Radio Flyer to transfer winter warmth to the house.

Cosey Beach wasn’t glitzy the waterfront cottages were nicer. The neighborhood was poor. Strife between the city and the neighborhood after the city sold the playground to a restaurant. I found this all out the 2nd night I lived there. The 4th of July Independence Day  and the streets were full of people expressing there anger in no uncertain terms. 

Stony Creek and Kodachrome a short ride made often for peace, wandering, seeing. I would return here through out my years in Ct. I rarely returned to Cosey Beach Ave. It became a destination as I rushed to get myself ready to move west.  So many places, people to see that Brattleboro and Cosey beach were left out. 

peace pjc