Potatoes and Romanesco

Abstract, Alaska, Black & White, Macro, Photography

Above: The odd green color makes romanesco feel even more bizarre.

Continuing the harvest theme from my last post about blueberries, it is fall after all, today includes some vegetables grown in my garden. Few things are more satisfying then a delicious home-cooked meal made with food you grew. Much like the blueberries, it can be difficult to find time to photograph vegetables rather then planting, picking or eating them. So here’s a few photos of some photogenic plants.

Potatoes are my family’s main crop, and come in many varieties. My favorite is probably Irish Reds. They work for many recipes, and look fantastic.

Fresh washed Irish Reds.

One vegetable perhaps more known for its appearance then its use as a food is romanesco, from the cauliflower family. Occasionally called “martian vegetable” for the lime green color and spiraling fractals that form the structure, it can be a very perplexing plant.

I chose black and white to emphasize the plants form.

Spiraling romanesco – repeating patterns play with the eye.

Cluny Museum: Lines and patterns.

Photography, Travel, Uncategorized

Above: Cascading light and rough masonry from Cluny Museum architecture create lines and patterns. I like how the busts on the left and lady on the right direct the eye toward the smaller lady nearly dwarfed by rock.

Located in Paris, France, Musee de Cluny occupies two gorgeous buildings, the 1st century Gallo-Roman baths of Lutece and the 15th century townhouse of the abbots of Cluny.

The highlight for me was the amazing architecture of the building, one ceiling in particular.

The the many triangles with inlaid s-patterns are perfectly suited to the Weekly Photo Challenge: “From lines to patterns.” The following photo uses a simple tactic. Setting the camera flat on its back, to get as much of the roof as possible.

A ceiling in the Cluny Museum in black a white. July 8, 2013.

A ceiling in the Cluny Museum in black and white. July 8, 2013.

The ancient busts have long seen wear and tear.

Jardin du Luxembourg

architecture, Photography, Street, Travel

The Luxembourg Gardens: The second largest public park in Paris and home to Luxembourg Palace, where the French Senate convene. A popular place in Paris to spend a sunny day. Be careful where you walk, most of the grass is off limits to pedestrians, resulting in quick intervention by a security guard.

Fountains and flowers occupy the central area, backdropped by Luxembourg Palace.

Enjoying sun and scenery at Luxomberg Gardens, July 6, 2013.

2013 marked the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France, the iconic bicycle race which traverses France. To commemorate the milestone large photos of the race from every generation were mounted on the fence surrounding Jardin du Luxembourg.

While they were all very lovely to look at, creating a visual snapshot over a century of change, I found the most interesting photo involved what hid behind.

Sharing a kiss behind a Tour de France photo dated July 29, 1950.

Notre Dame Cathedral as seen from the left bank Seine River.

architecture, Black & White, Photography, Travel

On the right bank of the Seine River that splits Paris in half stands Notre Dame Cathedral. The first stone of this ancient and enormous house of worship was laid in 1163 by Bishop Maurice de Sully. Built of limestone from nearby quarries, Notre Dame, or “Our Lady,” took almost 200 years to complete and today is the most visited site in Paris.

While Notre Dame seems hidden until relatively close due to surrounding structures, once in eyesight it immediately dominates the skyline. In cool morning air and soft light with the flowing water – before crowds arrive in the hundreds – the scene is calm, relaxing.

Something as simple as circling the cathedral is astounding. It radiates history. Everywhere hand-carved statues and motifs overwhelm the eyes. One can’t help but imagine simple peasant farmers in the early days seeing Notre Dame and thinking they had seen part of heaven.

A jogger makes his way along the Seine River with Notre-Dame Cathedral in the background, July 8, 2013.

Notre Dame as seen from the left bank of the Seine River.

Architecture close up.

Black and White, 35mm Moss Studies

Abstract, Alaska, Black & White, Film, Landscapes, Photography

My passion for photography began when I took a darkroom class in high school. To this day I continue to shoot film and make fiber prints, admittedly, not as much I would like.

I have long been working on a portfolio titled Creamers Field on Film. Creamers Field is an old dairy farm turned migratory waterfowl refuge. The criteria for the portfolio is simple: shot on film, at Creamers Field. Right on the northern edge of Fairbanks, with beautiful historic buildings and an incredible range of landscapes, I highly recommend a trip there for anyone visiting Fairbanks.

The three images today were shot on B&W 35mm Illford Delta 100, the digital files are scans from 8×10 fiber prints.

Shot just one day before the first snowfall, the moss was all but dead, resembling skin draped over bones.

Wendy as The Firebird in UAF’s Graffiti Hall

Abstract, Alaska, Black & White, Photography, Portraits

Between performances of The Firebird Wendy did a quick photo shoot in the graffiti hall, right outside the Salisbury Theatre.

With only time for a short shoot, and unsure the aesthetic I was going for, I decided just to experiment with the lively and colorful background. The difference between color images and black and white is stark. Even with slight desaturation, there is a color discord which emphasizes certain forms and elements. Black and white images seem to be more about mood and design.

I think I like the black and white. I’m sure I’m biased.

Music Monday: Bruce Adolphe

Alaska, Black & White, Music, Photography, Portraits

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: raw files are superior to jpeg. It is rather disappointing to be photographing and realize the camera is only recoding jpegs. That is what happened during this shoot. Enough on that.

Perhaps best known for his weekly Pianno Puzzlers segment on NPR’s Performance Today, Bruce Adolphe recently played in Fairbanks. Piano Puzzlers, as his website describe, “…Adolphe at the piano, playing folk tunes and popular songs in the styles of famous Classical composers,” was played with live contestants in the studio for the first time ever on Alaska Live, at KUAC.

All three contestants got the answers right, check out the puzzlers, fun conversations, and great piano playing in a series of two podcasts.

Bruce Adolphe, host of Piano Puzzler, warms up before playing for conetestants.

Bruce Adolphe plays a Piano Puzzler for contestant April Jaillet.

: Left to right: Maryanne Babij, April Jaillet, Jeff Iverson, Bruce Adolphe and host Lori Neufeld.

Bicycle Beat: Welcome to Winter, Spring.

Alaska, Black & White, Landscapes, Photography, Street

Crazy Fairbanks weather continues. That didn’t deter some friends and I from doing an art-show bike on Friday, May 3.

Such an important part of photography is taking pictures of everything. I find it an important way to sharpen the eye and make sure my camera’s settings will give me a well-rendered file. The green fence caught my eye, and the complementary color of the red for-sale sign was enough reason for a quick stop.

Green Fence with for-sale sign, May 3, 2013.

Wind and cold soon swept in snow, which fell in large, heavy clumps. Truly spring with a twist.

Snow falls May 3, 2013 in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Spring is also a chance to see what winter left behind. This is most evident in the trash that manifests on roadsides after being forgotten under a blanket of snow all winter. Fairbanks has a community clean-up day, when scores of volunteers take to the streets with bright yellow trash bags helping make the Golden Heart of Alaska clean again. Not uncommon, clean-up day 2013 had to be postponed, and is now scheduled for May 11.

I don’t know what happened for this bike beside the path to become utterly destroyed, but it must not have been enjoyable for the rider.

A beat-up, rusty bike lays along side a bike path in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Music Monday: More Mountain Stage, Mostly Monochrome

Alaska, Black & White, Music, Portraits

A long-while back I posted a few images from Mountain Stage, when, “Live performance radio from the mountain state of West Virginia,” visited UAF. I also did a feature story for my student paper, The Sun Star. Here’s another selection of photographs in black & white, which is commonly referred to as monochromatic. Though monochromatic means one shade of color, such as varying hues of red, it expanded to include images in black & white.

Tim Easton, center, plays at the Davis Concert Hall, accompanied by Megan Palmer and Kliff Hopson for NPR’s production of Mountain Stage.

Tim Easton, accompanied by Megan Palmer.

Pat Fitzgerald and Robin Dale Ford, accompanied by the Mountain Stage band, play at the Davis Concert Hall. August 17th, 2012.

Backstage Davis Concert Hall for West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage.

And the single color image for today.

Very-Temporary Fossils

Alaska, architecture, Photography, Street, Wildlife

While nothing in Interior Alaska can be considered typical, Fairbanks – typically – isn’t very windy. This winter has brought no shortage of windy days. While occasionally bone-chilling cold, wind also creates exciting conditions. Ravens seem to have fun when currents whip up.

Ravens play in high winds above UAF’s Fine Art Complex. April 17, 2013.

The next day, slowly picking my way down a steep, slippery hill, my preferred route between car and classroom, I found evidence some ravens had been using strong winds and currents to their advantage.

Spiraling strike marks decorated the snow’s surface. A raven had been hunting, likely a small rodent. My friend accurately described it as a “very-temporary fossil.” Indeed unlikely the imprint would be preserved more then a day or two.

A hunting raven leaves evidence in the snow, April 18, 2013.

At the time I was en route to grab class materials, happy just to spot the strike, I didn’t linger. Deciding to court a safer path back up the hill, my attention was once more drawn toward patterns in the snow. I couldn’t pass the opportunity to photograph another strike mark. Even if it meant going back to my car to swap tennis shoes for boots.

A pedestrian walks up a path at UAF, near a imprint a raven left in the snow, akin to a temporary fossil.

A pedestrian walks up a path at UAF, near a raven imprint in the snow, akin to a temporary fossil.

Close-up of an imprint left by a hunting raven.

Far North Light

Adventures starting in the heart of Alaska

black and white