Gallery Opening - Reception this Friday, 3-7PM

My photography will be on display at the Orland Art Center and Gallery from March 4th to 26th. There will be a reception at the Gallery on Friday the 4th from 3-7PM.

My work - focusing on rural and agricultural landscapes of the Sacramento Valley will be part of a exhibit titled "Beautiful Northern California" and will include works of three other artists - James Gregg, Charlie Osborn and Richard Verkuyl.

I will be there from 5-7PM to sign copies of my book of photography of the Sacramento Valley (Under the Endless Sky) and to talk, so make sure to come by!

The show will run from March 4th through March 26th. The Gallery is open 1pm - 7pm Tuesday through Saturday, and is located at 732 Fourth Street, Orland, CA.

Here are a few of my images that will be in the exhibit:

More Almond Flowers

Well, it's that time of year, and with the weather as iffy as it's been, I've taken every opportunity to get out and photograph the almond bloom before the wind and rain do it in - and the almond crop with it.

I had intended to go up in the air to do an aerial shoot of the almond bloom last weekend, but the clouds made that an iffy proposition, particularly given the cost of chartering a plane. So instead, I headed out in my truck. Turned out to be a beautiful day - go figure.

I got a lot of nice photos of the flowers, and was rewarded with a colorful sunset at the end.

Close up of almond flowers (Glenn County)

Row of almond trees (Glenn County)

Close up of almond flower

More almond flowers - they are beautiful

An almond tree glows in the light of the setting sun (east of Willows, Glenn County)

And finally, the day ended with a dramatic sunset.

I'm still hoping to get up in the air this coming weekend to get the bloom before it ends, but the weather is not looking cooperative - they are predicting snow on the Valley floor, which could ruin the almond crop.

Keep your fingers crossed that doesn't happen and we get some clear warm weather.

An Early Year for Almond Flowers

One of the wonderful things about agriculture is it's cyclical nature. Every year, the same processes occur, blooming, budding, sprouting, fruiting, harvest, etc. They don't always occur at the same or with the same intensity (ask any farmer about the lateness of last year's harvest), but they do occur.

One of my favorite cyclic events of the year is the almond bloom that starts in mid-February and lasts for about two weeks. Historically (I've been shooting the almond bloom since 2004), the bloom starts around February 18 and peaks around February 28th, as can be seen in a chart of the dates of photos of the almond bloom that I've taken in the past 7 years:

Chart of the dates of almond flower photos I've taken since 2004.

However, this year got an earlier start than I've ever seen: I took my first batch of photos on February 12th - far earlier than any previous year!

This isn't really much of a surprise since we have had six weeks of warm, dry weather in January and early February, with many days getting all the way into the 70's. 

I'm not sure what effect this will have on the length of the almond bloom, but knowing that a series of storms was coming, I wasted no time getting into the field this year. True, most of the orchards were just starting to bloom on the 12th, but there were enough flowers blooming to get a few nice shots (below).

All of the photos below were taken at Cal Worthington's ranch in Glenn County.

Hopefully, the weather will clear enough for me (and the bees) to get out again before the bloom is over. If I'm lucky and I get some really good weather, I might be able to even get some aerial views of the almonds again this year.

Wildflower Workshop at Table Mountain!! Sign up Now!

What
A wildflower field macro photography workshop led by professional photographer, Tony Dunn. You'll learn beginning and advanced photographic and lighting techniques for capturing dramatic wildflower photos, learn the settings on your camera that will give you the best wildflower photos, and do it all in the field surrounded by dramatic displays of spring wildflowers.

Where
Table Mountain, North of Oroville, Butte County. We'll meet at the parking lot at the Table Mountain Wildflower Reserve on Cherokee Rd (see map below - zoom out to see the general area). We will hike down to the waterfall where there is the highest concentration of wildflowers.


View Larger Map

When
Saturday, March 26, 2011, 2:30-5:30pm (sunset). Please arrive promptly as we will leave the parking lot for the field immediately at 2:30.

How Much
The workshop is $65 per person in advance. Because of limited space, please make your reservation in advance, as the workshop will sell out. You can pay via check or PayPal. Contact me for more payment information via email or phone (530-321-1753).

Is This Workshop for Me?
This workshop is for beginning, intermediate and even advanced photographers wishing to either begin learning the basics of wildflower photography or learn and practice more advanced macro photography techniques.

What do I Need?
We will be hiking about a half a mile each way over relatively gentle but occasionally soggy terrain to the main wildflower area, so you should wear sturdy boots and clothing appropriate to the weather. Since the flowers are very close to the ground, wear clothes that you won't mind getting down on your knees or belly in. Bring water and snacks if you wish.

You can bring a tripod for your camera if you wish, but it is unlikely that you'll use it.

You will need to bring a camera that is capable of capturing close up images of wildflowers. Most point-and-shoot and 'prosumer' cameras have some level of this capability. For DLSRs it depends on the lens. Some lenses have a 'macro' setting that does not really allow you to get close enough to take pictures of wildflowers really close up. For DSLRs, you will have the best results with a 'real' macro lens.

How can you tell what your camera will do? Try taking a photo of a quarter.

If you can get a quarter to look this big (or bigger) in your camera's viewfinder (in focus!), then your camera is OK for wildflower macro photography. If your camera won't let you get this close, then you can do general photography of wildflowers, but won't be able to capture the dramatic close ups that true macro photography gives. But that might be all you want.

Make sure your camera's batteries are charged!

What happens if it's Raining?

The workshop will occur if it is overcast and or cold. If it is rainy or extremely windy (which makes it difficult to photograph the wildflowers), then the workshop will be cancelled. If it is possible to reschedule for Sunday the 27th or for the next weekend, we will do that. If not, all participants will receive a full refund. 

For more information,  email or call me at 530-321-1753.

Gallery Showing - March 4th - 26th

My photography will be on display at the Orland Art Center and Gallery from March 4th to 26th.

My work will be part of a exhibit titled "Beautiful Northern California" and will include works of three other artists - James Gregg, Charlie Osborn and Richard Verkuyl.

Though my work spans the length and breadth of northern California, for this exhibit my focus will be on the under-appreciated beauty of the rural and agricultural landscapes of the Sacramento Valley. Generally considered to be little more than "hot, flat and dusty", the Sacramento Valley is in reality a rich landscape full of contrasts and beauty.

Come see for yourself! There will be an artists' reception on March 4th, from 3 - 7pm. I will be there, but probably only after about 4:30.

The show will run from March 4th through March 26th. The Gallery is open 1pm - 7pm Tuesday through Saturday, and is located at 732 Fourth Street, Orland, CA.

My Ten Favorite Photos of 2010

2010 was a very busy year. I did a lot more assignment work in 2010, and branched out more into agricultural and aerial photography. As a result, selecting my ten favorite images of the year is going to be virtually impossible. There are just too many images to choose from. But, like last year, I've decided to break it down into categories and pick my favorite images in each.

Landscapes

These two photos were actually taken on the same day in March. I was in the hills of western Tehama County in a remote corner of Northern California and took a road I'd never been on before. I discovered not only beautiful green rolling hills, but unexpected views of Mount Shasta and the coast range. It was one of the single most productive days of landscape shooting I've ever had.

Rolling Hills near Paskenta

Oak and Shasta

Architecture

I did a number of architectural assignments this year.

My favorite assignment was to take an 'iconic' image of the City of Redding in Northern California. I was given free reign as to the exact subject of the image, but it had to say "Redding". So naturally, I focused on the only "iconic" thing in Redding - the Sundial Bridge. I took images of the bridge from every conceivable angle, including from the air. The image below, was my favorite, mostly because of the lighting and the reflections on the river. In the end, the client ended up selecting the aerial photo of Mt. Shasta and Shasta Dam (see below), but I really enjoyed shooting the Sundial Bridge.

Sundial Bridge - Redding

I also had an opportunity to shoot some of the buildings in downtown Sacramento last year. And my favorite image from that shoot is of the relatively new Bank of the West Building. This shot was taken very early in the morning and the building looks almost transparent with the blue-on-blue of the windows and the sky. Taken with a 24mm Tilt/Shift lens.

Bank of the West Building, Sacramento

Agriculture

At the end of last year, I had the opportunity to shoot some lettuce fields near Yuma, Arizona and I fell in love with the rows of alternating red and green mixed greens they grow there. This is one of many of my favorites from that shoot.

Mixed Greens in the Field near Yuma, Arizona

I also had the opportunity to do an aerial shoot of the rice harvest here in the Sacramento Valley. The harvest was very late this year, so I ended up going up twice, but I got some amazing images. This is easily my favorite from both flights. What makes this shot are both the curving lines of the harvest tracks and the contrast between the golden heads of ripe rice and the still green stems that become visible after the harvester passes.

 

Rice Harvest - Sacramento Valley

Aerial

I did a number of aerial shoots this year. My favorite shot from all of the shoots is the one of rice harvest (above). However, I got some great images on all of my shoots. One of my favorites was an unusual angle on some blooming peach orchards near Live Oak. I particularly love the contrast between the pink flowers and the green grass on the levee.

Peach Orchards in Bloom from the Air

I also got some great images during my aerial shoot of Redding. I hadn't actually intended to go up to Shasta Lake during the shoot, but figured that it was only a few minutes away (flight-wise), so we did several loops around the dam. It turned out that the client liked this image better than any of the others from that shoot and used this for a 30 foot wide mural.

Mt Shasta and Shasta Dam from the Air

Food

I didn't do as much food photography this year as last - something I hope to rectify in 2011. However, I did get a few images that I particularly liked. This lamb and cucumber soup was particularly successful because of the contrasting colors of the plate and the geometric composition.

Lamb and Cucumber Soup

Though there was nothing particular special about the lighting or setup of this shot, it's one of my favorites because of the simplicity of the composition, well, that and the fact that I love peaches and any kind of dessert with peaches in it. This layered peach and pecan parfait, was especially delicious.

Peach and Pecan Parfait

Top Selling Images of 2010

Just like last year, the most viewed images on my sites were not necessarily the best selling images.

The following are the top 10 best selling images from 2010 and includes images sold as prints or licensed as stock. Only two images from last year's top 10 made it into this year's top 10.

1. The Tower Bridge over the Sacramento River in the late afternoon.

2. Mt. Shasta and Shasta Dam from the Air.

3. Shasta from Red Rock Valley.

4. Dusk brings out the colors in the lighted walkway of the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay in Redding.

5. Newly sprouted rice grows in fields south of the Sutter Buttes.

6. Rice fields surround the small towns of Nelson and Richvale in the Sacramento Valley, with the Sutter Buttes in the distance.

7. The downtown Sacramento skyline at night.

8. Rice harvest continues right up until sunset.

9. A rice combine harvests rice at the foot of the Sutter Buttes.

10. Storm clouds are reflected in a flooded rice field near Maxwell.