And Now for Something Completely Different...

Aboard BULLDOG

For me, these are very different.

I made these images while aboard two of Crescent Towing’s tractor tugs working on the Savannah River. The tugs, “SAVANNAH” and “BULLDOG”, assist the cargo ships calling at the port with maneuvering, docking, and undocking in the narrow and swift flowing tidal river. The skill of the crews and the tugs themselves made a lasting impression.

Bound for Sea

The Working River

It has been many, many years since I have done night photography on any level. The port of Savannah at night is a spectacular sight. Of course, the work was riddled with challenges; shutter speeds were low and apertures wide, and my shooting platform, the tugs themselves, were constantly in motion. Nonetheless, I got several shots I like. I’m looking forward to getting back aboard the tugs again, this time for some daylight work.

The M/V Charleston Express

This experience has definitely pushed me closer to the goal of getting away from controlled shooting environments and I have to say I enjoyed myself immensely. You can’t get much more uncontrolled than shooting subjects at night without a tripod, and from a moving object, especially when the subjects themselves are frequently in motion.

View From the Wheelhouse of SAVANNAH During Undocking Operations

I can’t wait to do it again.

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Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers. Enjoy!

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You'll recall from the last post, in which I wrote about my time aboard "SAVANNAH" and "BULLDOG", that I lost my glasses overboard before we even left for the frst job. I've spent most of life around boats, so losing my glasses to the river was embarrassing - and, as it turns out, expensive.

I managed to get them replaced quickly, a good thing, as I had more difficulty without them than I cared to admit. So on this American holiday of Thanksgiving, I'll add the staff of Boland Eye Center along with LensCrafters and their 50% off clearance sale to my list of appreciation.

Well there's your problem...

Last night, I rode aboard one of Crescent Towing's harbor tugs, the “SAVANNAH”, and photographed the tug and crew at work on the Savannah River as they assisted with the undocking, docking, and escorting of container ships and tankers. It was a good, fun and somewhat chilly experience and I made some pretty good images. At least I think I did,

Before we were ever underway, I lost my eyeglasses overboard. Now I’m experienced at being aboard boats of all types; I’ve worked in the marine industry for over twenty years and I’ve owned my own boats for longer. I know how to move around on and conduct myself aboard boats. But in a moment of haste to get my camera strap over my neck, the strap caught the side of my glasses and flipped them off of my head into the murky and fast moving Savannah River. Gone.

So, while I believe I got some good shots last night, I can’t be sure just yet. They do look interesting. I’ll keep you posted. I should have replacement glasses by Monday afternoon.

I want to extend thanks to Crescent Towing and the captain and crew of "SAVANNAH" for allowing me to be aboard as they worked through the night. Special thanks go to Justin Taylor, Crescent Towing deckhand and aspiring photographer, (and a damn fine one too!),  for making the tug boat opportunity possible.

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COURSE continues to hang, and will be on the walls at Gallery Espresso through December 2. If you’re in or near Savannah, please drop by the gallery to see the work.

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Here’s an old image of model Kirsten, shot in Savannah in early 2006, the beginnings of my work with nudes and natural light.

The Artist's Reception...

COURSE has officially opened – albeit quietly.

The remains of hurricane Ida lingered and fussed, and did not move through quickly as forecasters had promised. The weather was simply gross, with heavy rains during the morning hours and by showtime the skies were dark and misty. The evening was blustery, with chilly temperatures. However, the most significant impact on attendance was due to the fact so many of Savannah’s art scene events also took place on the same night. The volume of buyers and lookers seemed to be quite diminished compared to past gallery events. Many of those that did show moved through quickly.

I don’t want to imply the reception wasn’t well attended. There was significant interest expressed in several of the prints by prospective buyers, and some prominent Savannah artists came, for which I’m most grateful. Also, and I just found this out today, the local National Public Radio affiliate had been announcing the opening as a part of their events calendar and a Savannah newspaper columnist praised the work in his most recent column. With the exhibit hanging through December 2, it would seem time is still on my side.

On the lighter side of things, I neglected to check the charge on the little P&S camera’s battery that I brought to the opening. My lovely wife was in charge of taking pictures, and after only six shots, the batteries were drained. She didn’t know the spare battery was in the camera pouch, and I didn’t know she had brought the pouch along with the camera.

The show is at Gallery Espresso, 234 Bull Street (corner of Bull and Perry, on Chippewa Square) and will hang through December 2.

Veteran's Day, 2009

Bridge, 2003

Apse, 2005

The opening reception for my photography exhibit titled COURSE will be at Savannah’s Gallery Espresso tomorrow evening, from 6-9pm. All are welcome to attend; the more, the merrier!

Everything is settling into place. I spoke with the gallery director this morning and confirmed the wine is chilling, the cups are plentiful, and tables are made ready for the food spread. The work still looks fabulous on the walls.

If the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida will clear the area as forecast, we’ll have a beautiful fall evening filled with art and friends.

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Happy Veteran’s Day to those that serve our country. Sincere heartfelt thanks are extended to the men and women who, along with their families and loved ones, have sacrificed their lives and endured suffering for the greater good of all.

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Today’s images are from the film and darkroom days, and are also a part of the COURSE exhibit.

Work is now hanging in Horizon Gallery. For the initial delivery, I had chosen five pieces, but gallery director Luc Ebner protested five wasn’t enough, so I eventually delivered 13. Nine of those thirteen are now on the walls and I have to say myself, they look pretty good.

The space is still undergoing quite a lot of renovation and I’m holding off on posting pictures here until things are closer to being completed. Luc’s plan, he told me yesterday, is to eventually have my work on three walls between the main floor gallery and the upstairs gallery. I’m still very excited by the opportunity to exhibit at Horizon.

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No new news on COURSE; the show continues to get a good bit of attention from visitors to the gallery space, but no pieces have sold as of yet. My artist’s reception is this Thursday, November 12, from 6-9pm. The gallery is Gallery Espresso, at 234 Bull Street, Savannah, GA. Come one come all, and bring guests!

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Today’s images are from The Revelations Project and were created in 2006 at studios in Atlanta and Savannah.

COURSE is getting a lot of attention and has been well received thus far; if you’re in the Savannah area please stop by Gallery Espresso for a look. The address is 234 Bull Street, on Savannah’s gorgeous Chippewa Square. The opening reception is Thursday, November 12, 6-9pm. Any and all are invited.

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I’ll be delivering art work to Horizon Gallery tomorrow. Luc continues to work hard to transform the space from the souvenir shop that it had become to a true fine art gallery. I’ve chosen five framed works with which to enter the space. We’ll see where it goes from there.

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I’ve started a FaceBook fan page, as a quick glance to the right will tell you. If you’re on FaceBook and like my work, then please become a fan. I’m not able to post a full range of images under the FaceBook TOS, but it is another way to keep up with show and gallery information, and general information.

"COURSE: Selected Photographs of the Nude Female Figure, 2002 through 2009" is Open!

COURSE: Selected Photographs of the Nude Female Figure, 2002 through 2009, is on the gallery walls and officially open.

The show was hung this morning and if the interest shown during the hanging is of any measure, indications are it will be well received in general. Here are some images of the space.

I apologize for the poor picture quality. Yes, I am a photographer, but I got lazy and took my little P&S camera with me to get these images.

They look much better in reality, I promise. If you're in or near Savannah, go and see the show. All are invited to the reception.

The show details are:

COURSE: Selected Photographs of the Nude Female Figure, 2002-2009
November 2 – December 2


Opening Reception Thursday, November 12, 6-9pm


Gallery Espresso
234 Bull Street
Savannah, GA 31401
912.233.5348