Monsoons, meet 4th of July weekend……

Friday, July 3, 2009

4th of July weekend, meet monsoons!

This morning I woke up to beautiful blue clear skies.  I came into town early to avoid paying to park in the public garage, popped into the gallery to set up some print work, and then I wandered out on to the square to watch the Children’s Parade.  It’s a tradition here in Prescott and kicks off the Fourth of July Weekend.

Big puffy clouds were building before 10:00 a.m.  They formed fast……..And then they did their thing.  Major downpour!

Welcome to Monsoon season gang!

We’ve got a packed house here at the gallery for the moment.  Folks trapped by the rains who are looking to avoid kayaking out of here.  Maybe we should do a special downpour sale.  1 Canvas for every half hour we keep you dry…….

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Blue skies, puffy clouds.....the perfect day for a parade!

:)

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One hour later we're considering kayaking Goodwin Street!

Filed in Arizona, Prescott, The Ian Russell Gallery | | Comments (0)

Fun with flash

Friday, July 3, 2009
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430EX set on the back of the dinette. Click for larger version.

Monsoons have arrived in Arizona.  The large cloud builds during the afternoon, amazing lighting, amazing lightening, fun down pours, the works.  It’s only started, but I think this will be a fun monsoon season.  Hopefully I’ll come away with some interesting photos in the coming weeks.

What does one do when it’s pouring and you’re stuck inside?  How about play with your new 430EX II?  Yup, that’s what I did yesterday.

Yesterday while a black cloud hung over the Airstream (literally) I set up my 580 and 430EXs and tried some wireless triggering.  You know something?  It worked.  The built in wireless on the flashes was extremely simple to setup.  All I had to do was read the manuals.

I know a few people out there gasped with that last sentence.  Manuals are useful gang!  Give them a whirl sometime, they might help you figure out your latest piece of tech.

The 5D Mark II was used for testing.  The 580EX II was mounted on the camera and used as the master for the flash control (you can do that with a 580) and the 430 was set in the middle of the Airstream as the slave flash.  Setup was a breeze on each flash and took me about 5 minutes to complete.

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Same output on both flashes. Click to see a larger version.

The big fun was playing with the flashes’ strength.  High output on the 430, lower output on the 580.  Dark spots and light spots.  I know, I do get bored when it’s raining out.  :)

I’m just getting into using this combination, so you’ll have to check back to see what I do with the new setup.  I don’t have a giant series of output levels and setups to share……  Well, actually, I do have a pretty big series of shots I did yesterday, but I don’t want to bore you with every test I conducted.  In time I hoping to use the combination for some sunset portraits, and at that time I’ll get into all the specs and setup.  Until then, just thought I’d amuse you with yesterday’s rainy day project!

One final note……The 5D Mark II has flash controls built into the menu system.  So, if you hate using all the buttons and big knob on the 580EX you’re saved!  You can set the controls for the 580 right on the 5D’s menu screen.  How cool is that?  Very cool from my perspective, but keep in mind, I’m a guy playing with flashes on rainy days…….gotta get a life, don’t I?  :)

Filed in Digital Photography, R. L. Charpentier Photography, Tech Reviews, Tech Tips | | Comments (2)

Separating the wheat…..

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Recently I commented on PixSylated’s blog about all the noise out there lately.  Syl’s got a great blog, and whenever I go read something new there it’s almost always of value to me.  He’s definitely not part of the noise.  But it sure is hard to sort through with so many blogs, forums, reviews, etc.  Where do you find consistently good information?

Well, for me, that’s pretty easy.  I’ve got a long reading list, and today I added to it once more.

I noticed this morning that I’ve been getting a lot of hits on my Breathing Color Lyve review.  In the interest of seeing what else is out there I Googled Breathing Color and came across a great review on a very good site.  Ken Doo had a fantastic review of Lyve.  Best part, he’s using an Epson wide format, so readers can get a different point of view with another manufacturer’s equipment.  Looking through his site you can see pretty quickly there’s a lot of good information.  Ken’s been added to my list of “must reads” each week.

Also, on the “must read” list, check out Trey Ratcliff’s latest stuff over at Stuckincustoms.  I’m now receiving his newsletter as well.  Trey is an amazing photographer, I’m wowed every time I visit his site and see his latest.  And from his newsletter I learned he reviews things too, specifically he did one on a Nikon lens.  What I loved with this particular post was his disclaimer at the start, and I’m going to include it for readers here to see (you should pop by his site too).

A Stuck In Customs Review Disclaimer: I am not a hardware geek. I don’t go over-the-top in describing every little nerdy feature of the hardware. I’m simply a photographer that tries a lot of hardware, and either I like it, or I don’t. I’m very practical about this stuff and I won’t drone on about things just to hear myself talk. Also, if you choose to buy, all my links go to B&H Photo, who is a sponsor of the site. Note that even if they did not sponsor the site, I would still link to them, since they are generally considered to be the best. Ask any professional photographer, and their eyes will glaze over whenever you mention B&H. And yes, they always have the best prices among reputable vendors.

Ah, this is the disclaimer in my mind every time I write a review about new lenses, cameras, gear, etc.  No going into every detail.  There’s tons of that out there.  And he’s very straightforward about where he’s coming from.

So, if you’re sorting out the noise from the gems, there’s two  gems (in my opinion) for you.

Filed in Digital Photography, Notes from Rich, R. L. Charpentier Photography, Tech Tips | | Comments (0)

New and exciting stuff

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Well, if I say it’s new and exciting it must be, right?  So, here’s what’s new in my little sphere……

30% off sale ends July 5th!

Several weeks ago I decided to discount my currently hanging canvas gallery wraps by 30%.  Why?  Simple, people kept buying custom versions of what I had on the wall.  I’ve been wanting to generate some new prints on canvas and needed to free up some wall space.  The sale has worked, I have some room, and it’s time to wrap up on the sale.  So, the 4th of July holiday weekend will wrap up the sale for me.  If there’s something hanging in the Ian Russell Gallery of mine that you like, this is about as good as it’s gonna get!  July 6th the gallery wraps will be going back up to their normal price, and some new ones will be out next week.  The same pricing goes for all of Ian’s currently hung gallery wraps as well!  Guess this is our economic stimulus package to customers…….  :)

Giving Etsy a whirl

The response to the Mad Hatter Tea party last Saturday was pretty amazing!  Apparently folks really enjoyed the photography and Sadira’s story that went along with it.  Thanks everyone for all the wonderful compliments!

Since the images were enjoyed so much, and not all the visitors are local to Prescott it was decided that we’d give Etsy a whirl.  Never used it before, as I normally utilize Zenfolio for all of my print resale online.  I’ll be keeping the Zenfolio account, and selling from there continues.  But I thought I’d add the Etsy to offer prints directly from the photographer, signed and numbered series, and canvases as well since that what I specialize in.  :)

So, if you attended the Tea Party and had something that you particularly enjoyed, let me know.  I’ve only added one piece so far to Etsy, and I’ll be adding more.  But I do take requests, so by all means, make them.  Leave a comment, drop an e-mail, send smoke signals……you get the gist!

Goodies just in

So, I told myself I wouldn’t be getting any further new camera gear the other month…….Yeah, that’s worked out!

B&H Photo Video received an order from me last week, and it arrived yesterday.  An additional 430EX II Speedlight, a zoom doubler, and a fun little Firewire 400 Hub.  There’s reasons behind all of these, I swear!  Plus the business bought them, I didn’t.  :)

Gotta say, I like the fact that my business meshes so well with my outside interests.  Just too perfect, wouldn’t you say???  ;)

Here’s what’s behind each item……

The new 430EX II:  I needed another slave flash that can be controlled remotely.  See, last week’s fantasy photo shoot for the Mad Hatter Tea Party left me wanting.  The sun was dropping, I scouted a spot with sun still present, and we had to move quickly.  Sadira and Clay were a little surprised how far out I wanted to go, but had we not gone that far into the rocks I doubt we would have come away with any good shots.  In fact, Clay’s juggling toward the end of the shoot got messed up big time.  I wanted the light from the setting sun in the clouds.  I figured I could use Lightroom2 & Photoshop to breath some light back into Clay after the fact.  Well, I thought wrong and got a series of shots that I wished would have been better.  With the additional slave flash, combined with my 580EX II controlling it, I bet I could have done a much better job.  So, there’s the mental justification for that one!

The Zoom Doubler:  Come on……haven’t you read about the Mountain Lion, Cotamundi, Giant Squirrel Puppet quest?  Seriously, I need more zoom power, but I don’t want to drag around a giant lens that’s heavier than my 24-70mm L series (yes, I’m still harping on the weight of that lens).  So, I got a doubler.  And yes, I know I’ll loose 2 stops because of it….but I’m not worried.  The Mountain-mundi-squirrel is out there, and I will get an accurate shot of it yet!  It’s just like the jackalope.  I’m sure they’re out there too, and I need to give myself the tools to capture these critters…….

Yes, the mountain lion has driven me over the edge.  I know that giant squirrel the other week was in fact a puppet being run by the mountain lion from behind a rock….someday I’ll have proof.  And if that doesn’t work out, I’ll photoshop the proof!  :)

The Firewire Hub:  Ok, I’m still a Firewire 400 user.  Why Apple isn’t supporting it any longer I’ll never know.  But for a rock banging neanderthal like myself, I’ve got plenty of Firewire devices and not enought ports.  This is a 6 port hub, and I’m happy now.  Both my OWC portable drives are now connected to it and synced with each other.  My big MyBook Drive which stores all of my movies and media is also hooked up.  I’ve got 3 more ports left……maybe I should get some more firewire 400 devices before they go the way of the dinosaur, just like me!

The flare is officially over…….

This winter and spring I’ve experienced a flare up on the order of the original flare that wrecked my life back in 05/06′.  Pain, discomfort, issues digesting food.  Just not a fun thing to experience.  And I’ve been following up with my doctor to see what’s what inside me.  A scoping is in my future, but lets not dwell on that………

The good news from today’s blood work is that my eosinophils are now lower, my gut doesn’t make me want to leap off a cliff any longer, and my white count is the lowest I’ve seen since 2005.  Ok, the white cells are still outside the “normal” range, but who wants to be normal anyway?  11,000 and some change.  I’ve never had anyone tell me that in years.  The immune system is calming down finally, and it’s not abusing me so much!  Hooray for feeling better.  Oh, and I totally got through the flare without heavy steroids (read Prednisone).  I hate that stuff, and dodged it completely!

Go figure I’d get a rocking stomach bug over the weekend that made me feel like hell.  Not eating for two days left me very hungry, and yesterday I dealt with that!  If it isn’t one thing, it’s another!  But I’m all good now…….maybe I shouldn’t say that outloud……a bus might land on me or something……   :)

Thinking fuzzy and friendly thoughts

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Dixie, the 3 legged rescued labrador that visits me sometimes

Over the past few months I’ve been torturing myself.  Puppies and dogs.  On my mind a lot.  I still miss my girls Dana and Madison.  And I’m considering a pooch in my life once more.

Given the severity of my allergic reactions (which I never used to have) and the flare ups I’ve been pondering things that aren’t Labs.  But I’m a lab junkie.  Just love Labradors!  What to do, what to do?  Maybe a Labradoodle?  Maybe a Wheaton Terrier?  Met one of those recently, very nice.  Apparently they’d be hypoallergenic for me.

Whatever comes will come I’m sure.  If you know anybody with labradoodles who wants to give a guy with a weird autoimmune thing a pup, let me know.  In the meantime I just have to go around petting other people’s dogs……………

That’s all for now!

Well, that’s a long enough news update from my corner of the world.  Now I’ve got to go make a few prints for a client!

Have a great day everyone!

Filed in Arizona, Digital Photography, Notes from Rich, Prescott | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

The Z3100 and Breathing Color’s new Lyve Canvas

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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The starting point for profiling a new canvas

Two weeks ago I contacted my Breathing Color rep, Stephan.  I’d received an e-mail from Breathing Color about a new canvas called “Lyve.”  I wanted to know more.

Since we started using the Chromata White Canvas last year we’ve been extremely satisfied.  After testing out each of HP’s canvases, and then stacking them up against Chromata we junked all of the HP canvas (I still have a smaller roll if anybody wants it).  Chromata stretches easily, the color reproduction is fantastic, and unlike the HP canvas we worked with, it doesn’t crack when stretched.  I can’t say the same for HP, even with a veneer finish on it prior to stretching.

So, Breathing Color is this printer’s preference.  More importantly, it measures up to the requirements my clients have.  It doesn’t matter how much I like a product, it matters what my customers think.  Pretty simple.

Seeing a new canvas from Breathing Color I wondered what was so “new” about it.  I read the web site, went through the hype, and then called Stephan.  He, as usual, was extremely helpful and we boiled the features down quickly.  Higher dynamic range, works even better with the Glamour Veneer, and all the other fun properties I appreciate in the Chromata.  With the new information in mind I requested a test roll to try out for myself.

Generating a Profile with the HP Z3100

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The color swatches generated during profiling

After receiving the Lyve last week I didn’t have any time at all.  Every day was occupied, and I didn’t get around to my testing until Saturday morning.  I would have written sooner, but the stomach bug I got laid me out for almost two days.  And over that two days I really wanted to get this post up……  Sorry for the delay!

Before I could do anything on the testing front I had to create a new color profile for the new canvas.  It’s a pretty simple thing to do with the HP.  You jump into the HP Printer Utility, tell it you want to create a new profile, name the profile, and then the HP is off and running.  A set of color swatches is generated, scanned, catalogued, and added to my paper list.  The whole process takes under an hour, and when complete, leaves you with a correct color calibration for your new paper or canvas type.

With profiling completed I moved on…..

Testing Lyve Out

Once I had a new profile in hand I picked a photo with a dynamic range that I hoped would really test out the new canvas.  It was a print I intended on putting on canvas, so no waste of canvas.  The image?  “A Tea Party’s Ending,” which was part of the Mad Hatter Tea Party shoot from last week.

After running the image off on the new Lyve canvas I unloaded the printer and reloaded it with one of my Chromata rolls.  The image was generated once more, allowed to dry, cut down, and then set next to the Lyve print.  I labeled the back of each print and then started looking at the final image quality.  I also enlisted the help of others…….

Just from a quick eyeballing of the prints I did find that Lyve handled the image better.  There were some noticeable differences in the blues in the sky between Lyve and Chromata, I also notice some differences in the hat on my friend Clay’s head (from the image of course), and I was seeing a little more depth in the contrast in the rocks.  Basically the image popped a little more on the Lyve canvas.  But my evaluation alone isn’t good enough.  I waited to see what other people thought.

Sadira and Ian were the first to see the new prints.  Beyond enjoying the print, each selected the Lyve canvas.  No coaching from me.  Just two independent evaluations of side by side images. They mentioned the same things I mentioned above.  Chromata reproduces wonderfully too, but I think there’s an extra “pop” factor with the Lyve that you wouldn’t notice unless you did a side by side like this.

Additionally I decided to reproduce my Everybody’s Hometown #2 on the Lyve as well.  Comparing it to my other reproductions of that work I didn’t see much gain.  However, it is a darker piece that does not sport such a poppy color spread to begin with.

Beyond the image reproduction and perceived color enhancement, what else can I say about Lyve?  Like Chromata, it accepts the Glamour II Veneer quickly, evens out very nicely, and the drying time is pretty fast.  I normally lay down two coats of Glamour.  One coat on, wait for a tacky surface, lay down the second coat.  Usually a 30 minute process.  I did not see any huge gains in the time taken between both prints, and that’s not a complaint.  Like Chromata, Lyve works well with Glamour II, evens very nicely, and drys fully in a few hours.

My personal conclusions on Lyve

Pretty simple.  I’m calling Stephan after I finish this post to order in a 24″, 36″, and 44″ roll of Lyve along with a few other items.  For the moment they’re taking call ins from current customers who want to use it.  Apparently it will be available for web resale soon, but not quite yet.  Glad I’m a current customer and that garners some favor for me.  :)

Note:  After posting this article I found another review of Lyve at Ken Doo’s blog.  Ken uses Epson’s print product line and Breathing Color’s Canvases.  Interestingly enough, Ken reached similar conclusions on Lyve with different equipement.  Check out his posting for further information on his findings.

Filed in Digital Photography, Printers, Prints | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Reality, fantasy, and Photoshop

Monday, June 29, 2009
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The original image from the 5D "as is."

This weekend’s Mad Hatter Tea Party brought a huge reaction to Sadira’s blog.  Pretty darned amazing how many people stopped by and commented on her story and my photos.  Needless to say, I was surprised.  And I got a fair amount of comments too.

Thanks all, glad you enjoyed the pictures.

I read often how much people liked the photos, the sky, the backdrop.  At points I wondered if people believed the shots were real.  How much Photoshopping really went into the final results?

Not too much.  Maybe 5 minutes per photo.  A little retouching, a little filter play, and a little work with Topaz Adjust and Topaz Clean.  They’re my newest toys and I thought the fantasy photo shoot was the perfect opportunity to get a little surreal with my new tools.

You know what?  They worked pretty well!

So, what are you looking at here today?  One of my favorite images from the shoot.  Both versions.  The first is the unedited, untouched image that the 5D produced.  The second is the edited (Topaz Adjust Color / Exposure Stretch) version.  Ah, the clouds and sky are real in the first, and just enhanced in the second.

The enhancement of the original image was pretty quick.  I used one of Topaz Adjust’s quick settings.  Their color exposure stretch.  I tweaked the settings ever so slightly and the final result was enough for me.

In total this image took about 5 minutes from the starting point to where I declared it “good enough.”  There’s more I want to do with it of course, and I  might toy with it a little more.  Not today though, still getting over the stomach bug.

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The final product. Photoshop and Topaz Adjust and 5 minutes of my time....

What do I want to do extra with this photo?  The lower left corner is bugging me.  The sock monkey legs without sock monkey bodies.  Maybe brush them out totally, maybe extend the blanket where they were?  I’m not sure, but that corner just bugs me and I’m sure there’s something I could do that would make me happier with it.  I’ll ponder more on it as I stretch out on the couch and watch movies today.

Well, just thought I’d show you a before and after so you knew what went into the fantasy photo shoot, and what I did to add a little more fantasy to it…….

Oh, and for those interested, I think we’ll be selling a few of this one online soon.  I’m thinking 12×18 Framer’s Wraps on canvas in a limited series of 100.  Already printed two for another project I’m working on.  And they’re already spoken for.  More about all of that tomorrow……

Filed in Digital Photography, Notes from Rich, Photoshop, R. L. Charpentier Photography | | Comments (1)

Did anyone get the license plate of that truck???

Monday, June 29, 2009

Yesterday afternoon I felt like I’d been run over. Seriously, run over and left in a ditch. Wow, I was sick!

There’s been a stomach bug going around the Prescott area. Last week Ian, Jantina, and their kids had it. I pretty much dodged it and thought nothing further about it. Then yesterday it hit me. The tummy bug truck……

Throughout the day I napped, drank water, barely ate (didn’t want to) and found that I had cramps from head to toe. My first thought was a flare recurring…..but that thought passed and I realized, “Hey, this is ‘normal’ people sick.” It was nice to realize it wasn’t an eosinophillic flare, but just your standard feeling crummy.

Today I’m rehydrating, and I’m considering food. Not much food. But something. I’m hungry now and the concept of eating seems like a good one.

I’ll be back to normal in another day. Talked to Jantina quickly this morning and she said it takes two days. Guess the worst is behind me. The worst being me awake from 12a.m. to almost 4 a.m. this morning. Hey, I watched a couple of movies and survived.

Watch out for this stomach bug!!! It’s a doozie!

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The Prescott Blue Grass Festival

Sunday, June 28, 2009

bgsticker-1Ah yes, that time of year once more.  The courthouse square is green, green, green….and it welcomes visitors from all over for what I find to be the most enjoyable event.  The Blue Grass Festival!

Each year Blue Grass groups and loyal fans descend on Prescott for a fun weekend of pickin, pluckin, and sawin……  It’s a fun event, and a surprise to me.  I’m a digital guy, never been a Blue Grass fan….but after the 2007 festival I found that I am a blue grass fan!  :)

In addition to the groups playing on the stage setup on Gurley Street there are also performers all around the square.  The “pickup” groups.  People drifting into and out of circles playing blue grass.  It’s fun to watch the ebb and flow of players.  One circle of players for 40 minutes, then on to another circle.  And the folks just pick right up mid tune at times.  How do they do that?

If you can’t tell, the pickup groups really interest me.  No rehersal together, sometimes players have never met before….yet they can meet up and start playing together like they’ve always been doing that.  It’s something to see.

We’ve got one more day of the festival, and who knows, I might pop down again.  Yesterday was a work day.  I’d go shoot for a while then return to the gallery.  Ian was in as well.  He took some time off as well, and it made for a good Saturday.  Today is a day off, so we’ll see what happens.  :)

In the meantime, here’s a few more photos for you to enjoy!

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Filed in Arizona, Notes from Rich, Prescott | | Comments (1)

A fantasy tea party it is!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Ah, we’ve all waited to see more about the tea?  Well, tea party that is.

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Days ago Sadira asked if I could help her make her own fantasy tea party come true.  A virtual tea party, but a tea party all the same.  At first I was hesitant.  Never in a million years would I think about photographing a fantasy tea party, but then I thought, “Why not.”  A fantasy tea party it is.

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Readers should note….if you’re looking for the fantasy tale to go along with the shoot be sure to stop by Sadira’s site.  I think you’ll enjoy her version much better than mine.  :)

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So, Wednesday night we set off with several arm loads of goodies, props, blankets, and the heaviest pillows in the world.  I also carried in pounds and pounds of photo gear, multiple cameras, lenses, and a tripod for good measure.  My fantasy would be a little different than my companions’ fantasies.  Mine would be dreaming up what all of this would look like in the end.  Ah, stretching the old mind toward new things once more.

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Actually, I believe I do that every day……..

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Our good friend Clay came along to help make the fantasy come to life.  What’s an arm full of goodies without others to share it with?  Especially when your guests are also talented jugglers and theatrically minded folk!  Clay was perfect for the fantasy shoot!

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While I looked around for light, Sadira and Clay put the fantasy together.  Cupcakes, teapots, tea cups, sock monkeys……the works.  I think the Mad Hatter himself would have approved.  If not then I’d say he was mad……

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With the light fading, a wedding party in the background, and all sorts of pesky wind moving the picnic site around we were finally ready to bring a fantasy together.

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It’s one thing to have a fantasy tea party to be sure.  It’s a totally different thing to try and pull it together visually and make that fantasy come across.  Plates, teapots, and even sock monkeys all together make for an interesting scene……but is it fantasy yet?  Fanciful yet?  Not quite…..there’s a little to be done behind the camera.  And even more after you’ve captured your fantasy to share.

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Is it really possible to capture your fantasy?  Not too sure on that one, but I tried my best!  :) teaparty-11

Just as the sun was setting behind Granite Mountain, and as the soft light faded away we had finished our fantasy tea party.  The sky over Granite Mountain went deep orange and later brilliant shades of pink.  I guess the sun and clouds were trying to participate as well……..

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And in the end, I think the fantasy came through…..  At least I know my friends enjoyed themselves and I captured something different from what I usually take away from time spent in the Granite Dells!

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So, thanks to Sadira for asking me to help make her Mad Tea Party a reality.  Thanks to Clay for helping us out, and adding so much to the scenes.  And thanks to Vanessa for the idea that made me try something oh so different with my photography…..

Now, go read Sadira’s blog that goes along with these images…..just a little more imaginative than my post for sure!


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Why aren’t you already here? The Bluegrass Festival starts tomorrow!

Friday, June 26, 2009

That’s right.  Bluegrass on the square again.  My absolute favorite event in Prescott!

So, I’m working all tomorrow.  But I think I can get Ian to stand in for a while so I can go listen, photograph, and test out the video on the 5D Mark II.  What would you say to a podcast coming back to the blog?  Remember Gadget’s Airstream Chronicles Podcasts back in the day?  Yeah, I think I’ll do one for the Bluegrass Festival.  Totally worth the effort!

If you’re in Arizona, why aren’t you here yet?  Come on, get a move on already!!!!

See you on the square!

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