a sad day

Today the last roll of Kodachrome came off the processor at Dwayne's Photo Lab in Kansas, and with it the iconic look that defined America for most of the 20th Century is gone...another victim of the digital age.

There was no color film as good as Kodachrome. I inherited my love of photography from my Grandfather, and still have Kodachromes he made in the early 50's that are as rich and colorful as if they were taken just yesterday.

Yes, that's me sitting on top of the family Oldsmobile. Kodachrome made me a better photographer because of the workflow. Waiting a week or more to see the processed results was one of the best things about this wonderful film. It made each frame that much more precious, forcing me to learn the nuances of my equipment and how the film responded to certain lighting situations. Kodachrome taught me how to translate the beauty I saw in the world and record it accurately on film.

Two decades after my Grandfather made our family picture I travelled through and photographed the British Isles, with Kodachrome. Again, still as crisp and sharp as the day they were made. Today even with all the latest digital gear, I don't have the same level of connection with the photographic process that I enjoyed then. Kodachrome, it was good to know you!

Season's Greetings!

I like the style of the Art Deco movement and the Hollywood studio portraiture of the 1920's and 30's. Yesterday I had the chance to work with my good friend Audrey and create some portraits in the "Hollywood" style. I love this one, it could be Greta Garbo!

fall colors

I just returned from a great week in the Sawtooth National forest of Idaho. The Aspens were at their peak of dazzling gold, and arranged like a patchwork quilt among the undulating hills and valleys of this forest. Here is a panoramic image of the area just south of the Magic Mountain ski resort. And here is another near Sun Valley in the Boulder Mountains. Finally, a view of the Boulder mountains and the Big Wood river.

Body of Work

Body of Work is a collection of Fine Art figure studies that was published recently, and is available for viewing and purchase in the Blurb bookstore.

rhododendron gardens

Here is another panoramic. This one is the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens in Portland, Oregon. It's a little past the season for blossoms, but the gardens are beautiful anytime of year.

Panorama Pictures

Lately I've become fascinated with interactive panoramas. So here is my very first one. This scene is near Woodburn Oregon, a town about 40 minutes down the Willamette valley from Portland. Although the I-5 freeway will take you from Portland to Woodburn, it's much nicer driving through farm country on secondary roads...you see many more interesting places that way. During "tulip festival" on weekends this place can be crawling with people, but on weekdays it is relaxed and quiet. The panorama was made on a typical spring day in Western Oregon, mostly cloudy but dry with momentary sun breaks. Making the picture was a matter of walking into the fields, picking a spot and recording my series of images. A large crowd would have made it hard to avoid having the same people show up in multiple images. That would have complicated the editing and stitching process. As it was it was a simple and enjoyable experience. I will always remember this day because I spent it with my Dad.

The link below will take you there.

Woodburn tulip fields