San Diego County Fair, Del Mar - Photography Exhibit 2012

This year was my first entry at the Del Mar Fair photo competition.  The process started in February, as I began matching some of my new Rock abstracts with the various entry categories.  The one that excited me most was the theme this year, "Out of this World."

Recently, I had found a rock from Namibia, South Africa.  It was a Pietersite specimen - organic in shape, polished, maybe 2in x 1in x .5in in size.  What interested me about the composition of the rock was the area where the blues and golds collided.  There was a sense of duality and clash that was very powerful for me.  I had seen it long before I ever got behind the camera.

Revelations by Ryan Montgomery

I took the shot using cross-polarized light - a technique I learned from Bill Atkinson - which gives an incredible since of depth to the image.  I used 2 LED lamps, linear polarizing film, and a digital circular polarizer (set 90 degrees to the polarized LED light) attached to my older 90mm 2.5 Vivitar Macro lens (OM mount), finally mounted to my Canon 5d mark ii.

While I was very pleased with the final digital image, it took me several combinations of print materials before I finally arrived at the combination I submitted for the fair.  My favorite was the Fuji Supergloss printed on the Chromira by West Coast Imaging.  The paper has an almost "wet" look to it.  Some people explain that it looks like glass.

When I arrived at the artist reception, June 7th 2012, I was in a simple state of joy, finding my photo titled Revelations, right in front of me.  It was positioned at eye-level, in the very center of the exhibit, just inside the entrance from the south stairway.  It had earned the first place blue ribbon for the theme category, Out of this World.  My aspirations for the contest had been reached.  The photo now has a chance to be seen by the thousands of people who will enter the exhibit this year, and perhaps there will be others who enjoy the photo as much as I have.

I owe a great deal of thanks to Jeremy Kidd, a photographer based in Los Angeles, CA, who spent the day with me a couple years ago, inspiring me to focus on my mission as a photographer.  I also owe a great deal of thanks to Sue Linder, who showed me the appreciation, reaction, thought and interaction these types of photographs could inspire.  To David Vince, the owner of South American Imports, whose friendship and trust allowed me to learn most everything I needed - about the rocks and compositions - that led to this photograph.  And to my family, who reminds me of the potential everyone of us have inside, and the value of support in helping us realize what we set out to do.

Feel free to browse my site, ThePhotoBus.com, for more images and to purchase prints.  If there is a particular size you are looking for that is not available to purchase online, contact me at ryan@thephotobus.com

Cheers,
Ryan

Sweet or unsweet

Back in the south. Sometimes I miss the little things - the friendly people and unassuming hellos, and my favorite question at any restaurant. "Would you like that sweet or unsweet?"

Last night I had one of the best dinners I've had in a long time at Palm Valley Fish Camp. Thank you Yelp. What a cool little local spot. Watermelon salad, the best piece of veal I'll probably ever have, and a pale ale from Sweetgrass. It's too bad Mitch isn't still around. This is the quintessential chair, lunch, dinner!

Today we've enjoyed the local art fair, and now were exploring the Atlantic coast. Cheers from the southeast.

Ryan

Pears are better in Portland

This morning I woke up at 8am - after a long evening enjoying the conversation and company of my uncle Dan. The first the I do is rush to the windows. It's still early. The clouds are still flowing slowly in the populous valley below - like a river that could only be captured in time lapse. Mount Hood is maintaing its imperial stance - king of the skyline to the many people and valleys below. It appears that snow is covering a good portion of the mountains slope, even now in early October. I miss my lens, the obnoxious telephoto that constantly garners attention. I would love to fill the frame with the clouds, pines and Hood, but for now I'll have to leave that for another day.

Step 2, stalk the Asian pear tree. Dan mentioned yesterday that the pears were ripening late this year. It seems that none have fallen to the ground, so I can only imagine that it would still be early for most of them. In the upper branches, I spot one that is larger and starting to yellow. I suspect it'll be worth the climb. One bite and instantly my thirst is quenched, and I remember how much better the pears are, right off the tree here in Portland, Oregon.

Lights Out, San Diego

"My husband just texted.  They lost power out in El Cajon too" I heard from the lady across from me.

"Okay...so this is a fairly big deal" I thought (maybe 10 seconds after the power first went out).  My next thought was "Okay, I can get in my car and head home this second, or I might be waiting a while."  After witnessing the mass scare of 9/11...the general public is pretty predictable when it comes to scares.  Everybody freaks out.  We run to gas stations to fill up our cars, to the grocery for food and water.  The one thing I've learned is...you're probably better off not doing what everybody else is doing.  Sure...keep a spare tank of fuel in the garage; most importantly, some extra water under the house, but never...I mean never...get in your car in Mira Mesa at the same time everybody else is.  You will surely regret it.

After a couple hours, I headed home just before sunset.  As I got to the house, Linda had dozens of IKEA tea lights scattered throughout the house.  You don't see beautiful flickering light like this everyday.  What a treat.  She pulled meat and green beans from the fridge, and we had a romantic dinner out on the back patio.  In our neighborhood, it was amazing how clearly you could hear the few people rustling around.  One guy out in his yard playing the acoustic (I'd soon be doing the same).  You could hear all the insects around beating their wings, rejoicing at how much more natural the city now felt.

As a photographer, I knew that I needed to go out for a shoot.  My first thoughts were "I could either go atop Mount Helix and get a view of the lines of cars on highways parting the darkness, or head downtown and see what the city looked like from Coronado."  I ended up choosing the latter.  There was a definite allure to see skyscrapers and stars.

When I arrived at the Ferry port, I quickly noticed that I wasn't the only photographer around.  There must have been 25-30 of us out with our tripods and digital SLRs.  The city wasn't exactly what I expected either.  There were still several backup lights on, probably from diesel generators running on the building tops above.  And the red airplane safety lights dotted the skyline for all but the twin Harbor Club buildings.  Now, I don't know if this is some kind of city requirement, but if it is, Harbor Club, you failed the test.  You are totally busted.

From the residual light, the stars were still not visible at the lower levels of the horizon, but I still saw stars above the skyline (probably the only time I'll ever witness that).

I struggled to find the right shot.  I started by shooting the backs of people gazing out at the dark city.  To me, it was enjoyable to see the old retired navy officer chatting with the student from the middle east.  A simple, virtually meaningless tragedy had brought them together this night.  Unfortunately, the old man certainly took offense to me shooting their blurry forms during a lengthy exposure.  Technically, I have every right to post them, but at his discomfort...I agreed to scrap them.

The moonlight was a blessing and a curse.  It cast beautiful shadows and provided great light to work in, but it was difficult to get shots that really portrayed the darkness I needed...the reason I was there.

The red safety lights allow you to make up
the outline of the skyscraper.  The American
flag stays illuminated with backup power.

After a few shots, I was content...enough anyways.  I put my gear away, when everything lit up around me.  At 11:43, it appeared that SDG&E and flipped a switch, and the entire skyline came to life again.  Across the bay, you could hear hundreds of people shouting out their windows from the tall building - a harmony of "Woos" filled the air.  There wasn't a single soul near me who wasn't smiling.

Well, I hope you enjoy the photos...and any unique situation you might come across.  You can find enjoyment in almost anything if you look closely enough.

Cheers,
Ryan

Greensky, Bluegrass, and Duct Tape Jerry

Well today I turned 31.  My favorite number, only backwards.  And even on a Monday, you couldn't ask for a better birthday. 

The girls and Johnny joined me for Turkey Nachos at Tony's Jacal in Solana Beach.  Man, nobody can beat those nachos.  They make them the way you would make a plate of nachos for youself, if you had the right ingredients, and a big plate.  No pile.  Just a flat, even layer of crunchy homemade corn tortilla chips, jack and cheddar, some of the best turkey you can cook, chorizo, and even dollups of sour cream and guacamole.  Hold the jalepenos Tony, the salsa is spicy enough for me.

Later we went to Belly Up to see Greensky Bluegrass play a Jerry Garcia (and Ryan Montgomery) birthday celebration.  Some things just don't get righter :). 

These guys can jam.  Ole boys on the mando and slide guitar would have kept me entertained for hours.  Four solid voices, a stand up bass, banjo and acoustic had EVERYBODY dancin. Right now, you can download part of their new album for free @ http://www.greenskybluegrass.com/ .  Click on the video below to listen to these guys play an uptempo version of Friend of the Devil at Belly Up last night.

After set break, I went to the stage front to see if I could get a few shots of the guys when they first came back.  As I waited, a guy to my left leans over and says "Man, that's the greatest accomplishment of my entire life."  "What do you mean?" I said.  He pointed to a sculpture of Jerry Garcia, now placed atop the mixer case.  "I made it all out of duct tape" he said.  You know...I've seen some shows and hung with some hippies.  Sometimes they dance funny, but they always surprise me with their creativity, their ingenuity, and their ability to put a lighthearted smile on your face.  It was a pretty damn good sculpture.  I can hardly imagine working so carefully with duct tape.  Every time I pull it off a roll, I somehow manage to get it stuck to itself.

Mr. Duct Tape Jerry

Well, cheers to good music, good friends, the superest of nachos, and yet another fine use for duct tape.  Happy Birthday, Mr. Jerry Garcia.

Cheers,
Ryan

P.s.  Here are some photos from the show...



 

Taste of Adams

Just getting around to editing some of the photos from the Taste of Adams event a couple weeks ago.  That's the second time I've been, and the girls are right.  There is so much food to taste, getting a single ticket, sharing it between 2 people and alternating tastes is definitely the way to do it.

As usual, the Blind Lady Ale house was a favorite...stopping by for some great beers and pizza.  My favorite restaurant of the stop was the Farm House Cafe (http://www.farmhousecafesd.com/).  My other favorite was the iced Toddy from Lestat's Coffee House.

Along the way, we stopped to see some rather cool street art...

...and it was just a pleasant day with friends and family.  Especially, having Terri and her mom in town before Terri's big world vacation ;). 

Good times!

Cheers,
Ryan

Interior Photos for Surfside Animal Hospital

Just finished editing the interior marketing photos for Surfside Animal Hospital, based in Oceanside, CA. 

We owe Dr. Haver and Dr. Siebert continuous thanks for their help with our young dog Otto.  Soon after we adopted Otto, he became diagnosed with a disease called Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (or IMHA).  Otto's condition quickly became life threatening, and there was a good stretch when we honestly didn't think he was going to make it.  Dr. Haver and Dr. Siebert administered an after hours blood transfusion, and came into check on him regularly (on and after normal business hours).  After months of medicine, Otto is back to puppy life...getting into all kinds of trouble he would have otherwise missed out on.  I couldn't possibly recommend them enough.  For more information, visit:  http://www.surfsideanimalhospital.com/ .

My wife, Linda, did the interior design of the building.  I'm obviously biased, but it looks great.  It was pretty awesome to observe the project through its initial phases to where it is now.  Dr. Haver and his wife, Dana, also added a lot of great touches throughout the project.  It's really neat to have seen it all come together.  The space is clean, comfortable and casual.  And the fish tank is really cool.  Kudos on all the great work!  See more of Linda's interior design at http://www.spacesid.com/ .

More photos at www.ThePhotoBus.com/surfside ...

Cheers,
Ryan