Monday, March 31, 2008

Photos in Public Places

4th Avenue Bridge at Night - photo ©Scott Allan Stevens
Just saw this announcement, of interest to photographers:

PHOTOGRAPHERS’ RIGHTS: TAKING PICTURES IN PUBLIC PLACES
Photographic Center Northwest, 900 12th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98122
Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

SEATTLE— Venkat Balasubramani will discuss the legal rights of photographers who take photographs in public locations. Incidents of law enforcement harassment of photographers have increased over the past 6 or 7 years, principally in response to perceived threats following 9-11. The seminar will discuss:
· Recent incidents in the Northwest and other parts of the country
· What legal restrictions exist on photographing public property/infrastructure
· What to do if you are approached by law enforcement
· When law enforcement involvement may cross the line

FEE: In advance: $35 Attorneys and Paralegals; $10 Artists and Students. At the door: $40 Attorneys and Paralegals; $15 Artists and Students

REGISTRATION:
To register, visit Brown Paper Tickets, http://brownpapertickets.com/producer/3042 , or phone 24/7 at 800.838.3006. To pay at the door, RSVP to Washington Lawyers for the Arts at 206.328.7053. Please note that the event is subject to cancellation; visit www.thewla.org or call 206.328.7053 for more information.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Seeing Differently


I've shot photos most of my life. But it was mostly vacation snaps, or perhaps an assignment for a class, or family or friend shots. Only in the last couple of years have I gone looking for images. And the other day when I was waiting for a meeting in downtown Olympia, it struck me how much my vision has changed as a result.

Instead of cooling my heels in a cafe waiting, I strolled through alleys. The rain gave way to a wet sunshine, and the light was magical. I shot some buildings, some sky, some details. Then I looked down. At first, I saw only the puddle. In an instant, however, I saw that it was a doorway to another view, an upside-down planet where I saw buildings and sky through the old bricks beneath the thin veneer of pavement.

Yet another reason not to take me on walks, if you're in a hurry to get someplace.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Gifts from Nature

I spent a couple days in the small seaside town of Sequim this week, visiting friends. Taking advantage of a break in the turbulent near-spring weather, we walked along the narrow 5-mile-long arc of sand known as Dungeness Spit. I kept stopping, despite the dull gray overcast, to take photos. Which meant I was constantly playing catch-up with my friends. They were the talking tortoises, I suppose, and I the photographer hare. We all finished the walk at the same time; perhaps the real winners were some photos I got of various bits of driftwood, rocks, and other beach flotsam.The Claw - photo by Scott Allan Stevens

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Images of Music

Vocalist LaVon Hardison asked me to design the artwork for her latest CD, which has just been released. It's entitled Everyday Gifts and she gave me the challenge of finding visuals that represented the inspirational nature of the music without falling into cliches. We settled on a field of flowers for the main theme, which is used in several places. Inside the booklet is a complementary photo, an almost-abstract image of long grasses.

LaVon Hardison - Everyday Gifts - photos by Scott Allan Stevens
LaVon Hardison - Everyday Gifts CD insert - photo by Scott Allan Stevens
You may notice a certain song credit within. Yes, LaVon and I co-wrote one of the songs on the album, which was a wonderfully fun collaboration. The photography/design also was engaging and challenging, and leaves me eager for more. Do you need a cover for your own CD? Let me know.

You can find out more about LaVon and her music at www.lavonhardison.com

Welcome!

After some struggles keeping my photo website up to date, I decided to switch to this blog format. Please visit often for updates on my photographic goings-on, new images, and public exhibitions.

You can now find some of my images for sale at Imagekind -- please have a look at my gallery. There you can order prints or greeting cards in a variety of sizes and formats.

And you'll find a scrappy and eclectic collection of my photos -- from the well-composed to simple snapshots -- on Flickr.

If you would like a print of any image you see on this blog, let me know. And while I have not yet delved into the world of digital stock photography, I'm open to talking about selling digital images for the right kind of use.

You can reach me via email at scott {at} earball dot net.

Thanks for visiting!