Peter J. Crowley

The Daily November 13th. Now that is a Big Cookie.

11.13.2015 by Peter J. Crowley // 4 Comments

A Life in Photographic Art my second book

That cookie is as big as your face! No it isn’t grandpa. Come look in the mirror. A little smile a big bite on to the next adventure. The cookie is from Marconi’s on a visit there we stand in line we order Inara do you want a cookie? There is a rack on the counter way above her. Yes a chocolate one. There are chocolate chip, oatmeal in the rack I say they don’t have chocolate. “Yes grandpa in the basket” there by the cash register is a small basket with chocolate cookies high above her head? How she saw them no clue.

Lots happening images adventures over the end of Autumn. Moms birthday they pick me up as I get in the reports from the back seat begin. The pumpkins have rotted and the tops fell inside “Yep” there is a definitive way she says yes. A couple miles of updates, school friends etc. Lunch at Mekong 125 Columbia St NW Sticky Rice a bit of sugar. Maybe a taste of mommies and my lunch. A fortune cookie and off to the Capitol Dome to walk the stairs, ride elevators. Grandpa the door opened on the other side. Silly elevator trying to fool us laughing we go to another elevator and the door opens there’s mom. Off to the market. Getting out of the car I have a camera, camera bag, a bag of groceries, my coffee cup the Honda is low to the ground I struggle a bit with balance, Kirsten “You got all of it.” From behind me “Grandpa put the coffee cup in grocery bag.” Problem solved. She is sharp. We have a routine when I get out, I look over the seat and say See you later alligator. She says I’m a frog we laugh. Today I say see you later……..she waits for it a little smile eyes focused “frogigator” surprise her face lights up. Laughing she repeats frogigator. Walking up to my apt. I can hear her talking turning I look back her window open she hollers “see you later frogigator.” It is a new word, our word our goodbye.

A wholly bear at Nisqually back in September. We put it off the pavement over by some trees.

This year the frog is a Penguin. Off to Boo Bash at The Hands on Museum

I am a proud grandparent I am amazed by her intelligence, compassion. My best friend Carl died on Halloween I got the call when Inara was visiting I start to cry immediately she is hugging comforting me empathy. I am a lucky man. Due to ankle problems I couldn’t go trick or treating with her a hug and a smile that’s ok grandpa get better.

Peace pjc

Photographic Art Halloween 2009

Daddy Got Some “Eye Candy” and Gave Me Some.

10.09.2015 by Peter J. Crowley // Leave a Comment

Well that’s what she said as we walked to the car after arts walk. My daughter, me and the woman 20 feet ahead laughing uncontrollably. Where does she get this? Pre school and telling jokes new to her but our laughter encourages we continue to the car a pleased smile across her face. At Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on Sept 26th we stroll into the Insects Extravaganza first stop the Honey Bee Booth. She greets the woman at the booth and launches into her stand up routine, “What’s the biggest Ant in the world? pause “the elephant.” Ta Dum she had tried the joke on us and feeling the response was good she took it on the road.

But not all fun there is science to learn over to the life cycle of a Salmon she wants this explained.

Art and Salmon, Mom look a Glitter blue eye, it’s a real fish. Mom I’m eating vegetarian today.

A teacher from The South Sound Estuary remembered Inara from December and took her over to the rail on the deck. There behind the sign was a Red-Eye Tree Frog she pulls me in for a close look, then a gentle touch and the frog hops away. She glows and “Ribit’s” a thank you. In her frog life she is a Red-Eye Tree Frog which I am sure she told the teacher in Dec. and I think the teacher remembered.

There was a a parade, she was a parrot, a story inside an inflatable fish and some real food hidden under the jelly.

Eat the bread too see it, under the jelly.

A couple of adventures spliced together as notes and memory merge. At three it is moments not as much as days, smiles, learning and licking up the jelly of life. With an eye candy chaser.

Photographic Art Nature a short walk away to sit on a bank of sand and watch the river flow.

Making Photographic Art is about Communication

08.23.2015 by Peter J. Crowley // 10 Comments

Why I make photographs is to tell stories or parts of stories engaging the viewer to become part of the tale. Communication by a passionate observer of humanity. I very rarely shoot people without their knowledge if not prior to the making the image then after. In this digital age you can show the person your image and talk a bit, gain a little insight. I have worked this way forever. Recently saw a post of a “street photo” where the shooter said “she didn’t even know I was taking her photo” to me that’s akin to masturbation.

Design, the triangle and negative space. Everyone shoots the train tracks, a road rolling away into the distance. Perspective right up the middle of the frame. But simply stepping to the right or left one step and your disappearing line to the horizon now travels diagonally through the frame implying the 3rd dimension in a stronger way. This way of splitting your image create triangles in the negative space. The above image made by stepping to the left first view was looking straight down the sidewalk one step to the left and the walks negative space drives the viewer to the subject with an array of triangles.

The subject, the center of you image is not the absolute center of the universe, it is in fact a composition black hole. Let your subject escape into the frame and negative space. If your subjects are always in the center what it says to me is you are allowing your camera to take the photo. The subject is 50% of the image when I depress the shutter I know what is going on in the frame not just the subject but all the space. The chalk in the left corner of the above image I put it there.

You could say I am pointing out pet peeves I spend too much time looking at images here online by “photographers” people who own cameras. Cropping something I rarely do but framing is done in the view finder. Image above uses the perspective vanishing point but sort of in reverse the fence rather then heading away leads you back to the subject. As you look at this image that is full of triangles directing you to the person. When framing image look at the whole frame, if person is moving is there space for their next step? Amputees cropping at the wrist, ankle, forearm are a no no in my photographs if the above image was cut higher say just under the right elbow the left hand would be cut and visually lead your viewers eyes off the image.

EDIT! If you shoot an event, portrait whatever, you make 50 images and post them all. Why cause you can you have the app.

An Art Photograph should say more than “I have $800 of post process programs.” Cool is okay for the first days of creating.

My Mantra from Brian Berry at Paier College of Art 1971 “Every image you make is a self portrait” working this way allows/compels me to be more intimately involved with my creation.

All anyone photographs is light the subject is merely a vehicle to transform the light into an emotion.

Spend more time with each image prior to depressing the shutter. See and speak with your composition.

Simplicity is the most difficult concept to grasp.

I hope these thoughts help to improve your work comment here not on FB or other sites. If you only see the images at these sites then you are seeing how the Artifiscal Intelligence has cropped my visual words.

enjoy pjc

Photographic Art

New Galleries, B+W Comments on individual images greatly appreciated.