Although I rarely make nature photographs, today proved the exception. One of the things I enjoy most about Florida is the fishing. While I am certainly not the seasoned fisherman, I do enjoy it. Deciding to fish off of my dock this afternoon, I spent a few hours being mocked by sizable fish which took no interest in the jigs I put in the water (having a pair of polarized sunglasses is great because it allows me to see what is in the water, however it is torture when I am able to watch fish swim in circles around my bait without biting). Unable to take it any longer, I packed up my poles and tackle and went back in the house. Stepping into the kitchen and peering out the window, I realized that I had left my t-shirt on the dock and an interesting character had taken temporary residence on top of my orange garment.

In comes the decision to make a few quasi-nature photographs. Getting my camera, I headed out of the garage, walked around the side of the house, and spent the next 15 minutes snapping away while slowly creeping up on my subject. Just as I got close enough to get an intimate view of the bird and isolate him within the frame, Mother Nature once again took her shot at mocking me. My feathered friend picked up one of his legs, tucked it within his body, stretched himself out, and proceeded to leave a huge treat on my shirt. Humored, shocked, and moderately frustrated, my audible gasp spooked the freshly relieved bird. All in all, I guess this is the price I have to pay for taking my hand at making some nature photographs.

January 4th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No comments

Much like Dorothy’s ruby red slippers hanging from a power line against this building front, Miami is home to many idiosyncrasies, including this past week’s assortment of art and design fairs. While Art Basel MB was a tad bit too ‘rich’ for my blood, I felt at home in both Art Miami and Photo Miami, located in the middle of Miami’s revitalized and growing art district. Of all the galleries, I was most impressed by the selection of work featured by Randall Scott at Art Miami and Hamburg’s Robert Morat at Photo Miami. Scott highlighted a sequence of images from his artists that provided provocative storytelling from pairings evoking curiosity amidst abstruseness. Morat’s assortment of photographs, including Jessica Backhaus’ images from her series “What Still Remains” was refreshing considering the work shown by many of the other international dealers at Photo Miami. The story of the day, however, must go to friend, colleague, and fellow Indiana University alum Gregory Scott. Of all the work shown at Art Miami, his two pieces “Depth” and “Tossed” from his “Contraventions” series, featured at Catherine Edelman’s booth, drew the most obvious attention from fairgoers. Viewers were amused, perplexed, and most of all entertained by Greg’s nascent and unique pieces. Seeing this work from its inception at Indiana, I’d like to offer Greg a big “Congrats.”

December 7th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No comments