Enchanted Oaks…

 Photography  No Responses »
May 132012
 

"Enchanted Oaks"OK…So something really nice happened yesterday…

Sharon and I went over to the Rockport Center for the Arts for a “Gallery Talk” and reception. There’s a new exhibit and we wanted a chance to meet the artists.

Let me back up a bit. Last Sunday was Exchange Day at the RCA. Members are allowed to bring in a piece every month to be exhibited…and HOPEFULLY sold…in the Member’s Gallery. I chose this image…”Enchanted Oaks”. It’s definitely something different from me. This image had been printed on a 16×24 canvas. I made this image about a month ago when all of the wildflowers were in bloom. The oak trees here have been windswept forever….and their gnarled growth reflects that constant battle.

Sharon came up to me and said that a couple was leaving the RCA with “Enchanted Oaks”. We went outside and met this nice couple. I introduced myself as the artist, and we struck up a short conversation. They are locals, and she had REALLY enjoyed seeing this image. They said it “screamed of Rockport”…my EXACT intention. He purchased it as a Mother’s Day gift for her!

I LOVE to meet the people who buy my art. It really doesn’t happen too often, but when it does…

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Roseate Spoonbills…Old and New

 Photography  No Responses »
May 112012
 

Mature Rosete Spoonbill

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The Rookeries…

 Photography  No Responses »
May 012012
 

 

"Morning Flight"

It’s that time of the year…

All of the rookeries are full of mating/nesting birds… and they’re all decked out in their FINEST mating plumage.

We’ve (Mike Collins and John Martell and myself) been spending some time out there…and the production has been rewarding. Everywhere you look there’s “life” happening. The amount of interaction between the various species is unbelievable!  I made over 4000 images these two days. Of course they weren’t all keepers….

Please take a look at the Roseate Spoonbill and Great Blue Heron galleries for more new images of the rookeries. I’ll be adding more soon…

 

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Daisy…

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Apr 152012
 

"Daisy"OK…So I was waiting at a little pond just off of Fulton Harbor Road in Rockport/Fulton. I had spotted a Kingfisher sitting on a post there yesterday, and REALLY wanted to make an image of this bird. Sure enough…He/She suddenly appeared on a small bridge that crosses this little pond…

I had my 70-200 mm lens on a Canon 7D body. I’ve been trying to shoot more with this lens instead of my 400 mm. If I’m going to improve as a photographer, I need to get out of my comfort zone and try something new…

I missed the Kingfisher! I had looked down for a nano-second, and the bridge was empty. I swung around on my monopod and there it was…

Not the Kingfisher, but a REALLY nice backlit Daisy. I don’t do any macro work…and don’t have the equipment to even try. I decided to go ahead and try to capture this beautiful flower. I backed away about a meter and tried to focus the lens.

It’s certainly not a great image, but I was pleasantly surprised to see this bee working the bloom. It works for me. Enjoy…SEF

 Posted by admin at 6:49 am

Pelican Bait…

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Apr 112012
 

"Pelican Bait"There are probably well over a dozen little bait stands around Rockport/Fulton. Sport fishermen wait every morning for the boats to dock with the fresh catch of bait.

This is one of my favorites…SEF

 Posted by admin at 10:17 am

Boats…

 Photography  2 Responses »
Apr 102012
 

"Key Allegro Marina"It’s FINALLY sunk in for me…

Maybe..just maybe…not EVERYONE appreciates bird photography as much as I do. I know…it’s hard to believe…

I’m a photographer. Not just an Avian photographer. I probably enjoy photographing birds more than anything else. But I do MUCH more than just birds…

I gave my an assignment. Wake up early (thats NOT a problem for me)…Grab your Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8 IS II lens (don’t EVEN bring that BIG 400 mm)…and get out there and make some cool images.

So thats what I did. And guess what…I had a GREAT time! Here’s an image I made over the weekend. I took this early Saturday morning at the Key Allegro Marina in Rockport, TX. I spent all weekend just trying to capture the essence of South Texas marinas. Not all of the boats are nice. Many of them have to work hard every day.

I’m putting together a whole new galley on the website for these images. If you click on Galleries from the Home page…select Coastal Bend…and then select Seascapes…you’ll be able to see what I’m trying to do. Please let me know what you think…SEF

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Roseate Spoonbill Mystery Solved…

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Apr 062012
 

"Good Morning"I’ve been thinking about it a LOT! I’ve ALWAYS wondered…

This is an image I’ve posted before. It’s called “Good Morning”…and it’s one of my favorites. I had “Good Morning” printed BIG (30 x 40) on canvas, and placed it in the Member’s Gallery at the Rockport Center for the Arts several months ago. Member’s are allowed to place one piece in the gallery every month. If the piece “Red Dots” (sells), the owner gets the proceeds less gallery commission. It’s a nice benefit of being a member and supporting the Rockport Center for the Arts.

Well…”Good Morning” was sold early in the month. I was tickled for a LOT of reasons. I’m one of THOSE artists who enjoy the positive reinforcement of selling their art! I know it’s probably not exactly right, but thats how I keep score. I really like making killer images…and I REALLY like to sell them!

Many days I would think about who bought “Good Morning”. Where did he/she hang it? Is it a major focal point of their home? And on and on and on…

OK…So I was at the Rockport Market Days last weekend. This relatively young man walks into my booth and starts to look around. Out of the blue he says that he is redoing a historic landmark home here in Rockport and had purchased “Good Morning” as a prominent piece in their home! I was blown away…in the BEST of ways. He told me how much they enjoyed the piece and was going home to get his wife to come back and look. Unfortunately…they didn’t make it back…

I know exactly the house where this “Good Morning” lives now. Mystery solved! Every time I drive by this 100+ year-old home I smile…SEF

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Rockport Market Days…

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Apr 032012
 

Rockport Market Days happens on the last Saturday of every month. It’s ” kinda-sorta” a combination of a flea market,  a garage sale,  and an arts/crafts show all rolled up. You can see it ALL here at Rockport Market Days…

I’ve been trying to display here for several months, but the weather just hasn’t cooperated. Last Saturday…the weather was PERFECT. We arrived around 8:00 AM and the place was already packed with vendors. It didn’t take too long to get the Stephen Fisher Photography tent up and all of the products displayed.

I didn’t really expect to sell a lot of stuff at Market Days (and I didn’t get disappointed!). It’s really not a fine art photography crowd. I don’t mean that in any derogatory manner. I’m VERY proud of my images, and have priced them appropriately. I use high end Canon gear. Ron Brant uses the finest quality archival ink and canvas for the printing. I painstakingly assemble every piece like it will hang in my home. Most of the Rockport Market Days attendees are looking for bargain merchandise. I really don’t have too much of that…

My goal for showing here was to do some market research. I’m trying to establish the Stephen Fisher Photography brand. I wanted to know which of my images garnered attention. Which one(s) evoked a response? Which got purchased? (Again…not many!)  Do people prefer framed or just matted 11 x 14 prints? What size of canvas gallery wraps work? And then the BIG question I have…Do enough people really want an image of a BIRD in their home?

OK…So I didn’t run out of inventory on Saturday. I still had a great day with Sharon sitting there in the sun. I enjoyed seeing people react to my art. I REALLY soaked-up all of the flattering comments. It was a GOOD day…SEF

 

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Rockport Art Festival…

 Announcements, Photography  2 Responses »
Mar 292012
 

I’m in…

Stephen Fisher Photography has been juried into the Rockport Art Festival for 2012 as an exhibitor! This is one of the premier art festivals on the Coastal Bend and is held annually over the Fourth of July weekend. I’m flattered that the jury deemed my submission worthy of being selected.

Here’s how it works. I think this is how it works…maybe. I selected three of my images to be presented to the Jury for consideration. There are always many more entries than booth space for the festival. The Jury then makes it’s selections from all of the entries. I’m not sure who comprises the Jury, but usually it is made up of someone from the Rockport Center for the Arts, distinguished local artists, local gallery owners, etc. Something like that…

OK…So now I’ve got a little over three months to get my “you know what” together. I’ll need to get a booth. I’ve been borrowing a booth from my friend John Martell for Rockport Market Days. I’m sure that John will be exhibiting at the Rockport Art Festival, so I’ll need one my own.

I’ve been working pretty hard building up my inventory. I do everyting myself except for the printing. Putting it all together as a gallery wrap, framed piece, photo note card, or matted print is FUN for me. I like to control as much of the process as I can when it comes to my art. After all…I do have the time!

I’m VERY proud of this! Honestly…I’m pleasantly SHOCKED about all of the great opportunities that have come my way. I’l keep updating my preparations for this show here…SEF

 Posted by admin at 6:15 am  Tagged with: ,

Great Blue Heron

 Photography  2 Responses »
Mar 252012
 

"Black Blue"I continue to spend a LOT of time down in Rockport. It’s ALMOST starting to feel like summer here! The migratory birds should start showing up in a week or two…

My friends John Martell and Mike Collins spent yesterday morning at a new find for us. I found a water-drip not more than 3 blocks from the Rockport house. Water and food are the basic requirements for attracting birds. There’s a LOT of brush around to provide necessary protection. This spot could prove out to be a productive site for us.

This is really a different kind of image for me. I call this “Black Blue”. It a stylized Great Blue Heron that I photographed near Rockport. I made this image with my new Canon 70-200 mm II f/2.8 IS lens. I really like this lens for hand-held flight images.

I should be hearing about several contests that I’ve entered soon. Cross your fingers…SEF

 Posted by admin at 7:27 am
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