Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Arts Walk Exhibit

Olympia Spring 2008 Arts Walk photography display - photos ©Scott Allan StevensOlympia Spring 2008 Arts Walk photography display - photos ©Scott Allan Stevens
Olympia Spring 2008 Arts Walk photography display - photos ©Scott Allan StevensImages from my photography exhibit at Olympia's Spring 2008 Arts Walk. Thanks to everyone who dropped by to look and chat! I had a great time and got some very helpful comments on the pictures and presentation. Also sold a few pieces, so special thanks to those people!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Procession of the Photos

samba olywa - procession of the species ©Scott Allan StevensThanks to everyone who came to my debut photo exhibit during Arts Walk! Downtown Olympia was teeming with people last weekend, and I had some great discussions with many of them (you) about photographs and other things. People seemed particularly interested in my Planet Olympia image and other miniplanets, so I'll keep working on more of those curious creations.

Above is something simple and pink: a small part of the great sea of flamingos known as Samba Olywa, the culminating group in the Procession of the Species.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Oly, here I come!

Alley Wall Still Life - ©Scott Allan StevensGot the Arts Walk exhibit set up this evening, and I'm all a-tingle with anticipation. I'm eager to learn what people like (and, yes, don't like) so I hope you will drop by. My display is at the Christian Science Reading Room, 120 4th Ave E. in downtown Olympia, WA.

I'll be there much of the time Friday and Saturday evenings, except perhaps when I'm out looking at other folks' work, and except definitely for 4:30-5:30 pm Saturday, when I'll be enjoying (and taking photos of) the Procession of the Species. I will NOT miss that!

This image was taken in a downtown Olympia alley. Something about the subtle shades of paint on the way contrasting with the rust and red of the pipes. Also, there's a funny red-nosed face in the pipes, but don't look for it if you're afraid of clowns.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Taiko Intensity

Bruce Robertson of Fubuki Daiko
I may be scrambling to finish last-minute details before this weekend's Arts Walk here in Olympia, but that doesn't mean I don't have time for fun. Got up to Tacoma to catch the show by Fubuki Daiko, who are both musically talented and photogenic. Bruce Robertson (who, according to the band's website, "enjoys jumping around like a monkey...then laying inert for long periods of time afterwards") gets the most intense look on his face when playing. This photo captures a bit of his intensity.

More pictures of the show here.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Planetwear

Planet Olympia - photo & shirt ©Scott Allan Stevens - available at CafePress.comSome cities feel self contained. Well, what about the concept of a city as its own planet? I've been experimenting with the idea, and creating some miniplanets from ordinary photos. I hope to create these for other cities as well, but for now you can trumpet your Olympian-ness, or become an honorary Olympian, by wearing this shirt. Available at CafePress.com.

Image detail.

Want one of your own city? Let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Building an onion

Orton Lily - ©Scott Allan Stevens
I recall a story I read once about a disgruntled court artist who created a portrait of the king that looked fine on the surface, but made everyone uneasy for some reason. Turned out he had created it through a process of compiling many layers, more than a few of which showed the king in some embarrassing position or with an unflattering expression.

I recalled this story this morning when trying a new photographic technique, called the Orton effect. It does something similar, building a finished image from disparate parts. In this case, several layers of the same image that are exposed differently, or with differences in focus. This image is my first attempt, and I'm fairly pleased with the results.

Traditionally, this was done with two different film exposures. Today, of course, I'm using Photoshop to Ortonize things.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Arachnophilia

One of the most unusual attractions in Victoria, BC, is the Victoria Bug Zoo. Inconspicuously located in the heart of the city, the Bug Zoo is not for the squeamish. It features an elaborate ant farm with tubes running through several rooms; many displays of giant, odd, and even dangerous creepy-crawlies. Guides even let visitors handle some of the bugs including a foot-long black millipede.

The crowning attraction, however, has to be the giant spider exhibit. Protected by thick panes of safety glass, even the arachnophobic can enjoy the antics of the mammoth birdeater spider, which in its native habitat of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela actually catches and dines on birds. (Oh, they can live for up to 25 years.) I love this image of a father and son fascinated by the spiders.