Peter J. Crowley

Too Much, of Too Little, of Too Many, of Not Enough, Projects

03.29.2016 by Peter J. Crowley // 1 Comment

Too much, keeping pace with life creating commenting moving in a direction the journey continues. Back to film the 70’s, 80’s 90’s. Swirling from age four to sixty six in a 1/250th of a second. A brief ramble through 45 years a beginning, a tease, a new book, a retrospect. Now Available Another Door Entered a sample chapter from A Life in Photographic Art

January 1974 a cold morning stroll on State Street New Haven. It was very cold but the light was perfect a thin gray overcast sun softened by the clouds. I knew I had it one image made Kodachrome 64 and walk on to the next shot. This image had a feeling that knowing you had spoken that there was more to say. The journey will go on the moment brief lasting forever created. Forty two years later the moment this moment still feels right.

April 1973 a walk in the woods of Columbia Ct. Mike Sirak’s parents home. Frozen puddles speak of the past season shivering Mike and I wander seeing abstract color patterns seeking spring in frozen Oak leafs.

The sound track was as sweet as I will ever know as the eighties dawned in Providence in love with a women then the city. The moments, multiple moments erupting in the theater, dancing across my shutter plane. I was the moment, the muse. The fall was a devastating crash, a betrayal, a pistol… seeking a place to hide.

Coventry back to youth, trust, safety unable to find the map the journey stalled at a rest area. Where is the muse?

The Dance of color, light, seeing returns slowly. The North Carolina Dance Theater invites me to dance the blues away. The muse visits, structure, determination, hope, life. The journey re starts. Trains, ferries, summer my daughter propel the journey forward.

January 2016 the station is now Olympia. The Wolf dances with the Bears the circle nears completion.

So that’s the story of my journey, seeking the highlight finding the muse. Forty Five years of visual and verbal comments on the human condition. Forty thousand images whittled down to six images and a few words here a preview, taste of my new book. Seeking a publisher investors want to be part of the journey? Email me mail@peterjcrowley.com or just contribute here start a trend, pave the Road Between Here and There

Photographic Art 1998 North Dakota the eyes of a poet sing a song of peace

Digital IR 2, Thoughts on My Creative Process

02.24.2016 by Peter J. Crowley // Leave a Comment

A stroll with film camera shooting Rollie RPX 400 an orthochromatic B+W film. Using this film with a Red 25 deep Red filter produces a negative similar to IR. Well this digital age has me a bit less patient so standing at the bus stop I thought. In theory digital doesn’t react to color filters yet last spring I exposed some orange Poppies with a red filter with a good result.

Setting the camera on B+W I went into the menu and applied a Red/Purple filter the darkest available. My idea being if the filter was applied internally I might have a better starting point to create this effect. So convert even when shot on BW, to B+W IR followed by contrast and sharpening. The second image is re opened in PS Convert again save in Newspaper mode contrast and sharp.

IR close but not quite, perhaps over sharp yet it feels like I saw it staring almost into sun just out of frame in left. Opinions on effect? Thoughts appreciated.

The trick is not found by letting the camera tell you what it can’t do, it is found by making the camera do what you want.

enjoy pjc

Photographic Art Meanwhile back in the 70’s scanning new/old negs

The Editing Process, Time Travel……

02.20.2016 by Peter J. Crowley // 3 Comments

Youth still seeking a ladder to my tree fort. Early 70’s on the way back from a Stratford News assignment only in my twenties but looking back to tree climbing, secret places. Some many images, experiences so much life.

Mountain from Manchester Ct. days

A concert in someones yard with Mountain offering free dogs. He never slept and always smiled. Once on a 19 Foot Daysailor with a couple of friends, a foggy day off Bridgeport, mountain eating cashews “can I have one?” “They’re electric.” Sure eat a couple and drift on a windless day into the now colorful fog. When a Texaco Tanker appeared 100yds away the capt. said we should get out of here the ship didn’t see us and if it were closer we would capsize. Home to the Capt. house where we had fried chicken with his dad a Minister we didn’t eat much just picked at the food and watched. Then up to his bedroom to review a copy [1st edition museum quality prints] of Dante’s Inferno with original etchings by Durer Whoa what a long strange trip.

Cosey Beach 1972-3 on my walk many miles traveled since yet I still walk and seek the next image the next adventure. The next moments of childhood. The big sister leads the youger brothers linger. A new book is in the works early edits some shown here. Tales that highlight my life, the image an imaginary biography.

enjoy pjc

Photographic Art More childhood