I recently purchased the i Phone 11Pro and challenged my self to take it on vacation with me instead of my normal travel camera. That would  be a big no-no for me, but this time I thought "DO It". I was pleasantly surprised at the images I made, especially after I learned how to use and visualize what the 3 lenses on the camera would capture. Of course, now, I make sure that I have my i phone 11Pro wherever I go so I am ready at a moments notice to capture what I see.

There are certain rules that apply to whatever you are using and whenever you are trying to take an photograph. Look for complimentary colors, angles that create visual energy with their direction, that the point of interest is in the best place and check your angle of view.

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I like having flowers in bloom all over my home and property and am lucky to have this red amaryllis flowering. The red flower and the blue pot behind it are complimentary (opposite) colors, so they create a certain amount of visual energy. That energy is in the bottom third which is a dynamic area and a good place for those colors to be. You also can see the arrow shows the angles that are created  by the direction of the flower petals.

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In this image, on the Goddard Park beach, the angles created by the clouds and shadows dynamically lead to the trees and the rising sun behind them. This image is simple and strong. The sun is in the upper right third of the photograph and that is a very good place to be.

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While skiing in Lech, Austria I took this photograph. The image has an incredible amount of angles expressing a powerful amount of energy. The river and the sun are in the important intersections of thirds (see circles). The amount of textured trees (also angles) are opposite the smooth sky which is creates good balance and relaxes the eyes. 

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This is a skylight in my bathroom! We had just taken down a very large tree that always filled that upper space and I was very excited to see the sky that morning! The molding of the skylight makes an interesting frame and the walls of the space add another dimension. The texture of the clouds and trees kind of tickle each other and the strong division of that space emphasize that activity. Lastly, the color of the tree bark and the blue of the sky are complimentary colors and work very well together.  

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I recently posted this image on Facebook. I was walking around my yard inspecting all of the emerging buds and leaves when I bumped into this tree, a chestnut. I don't think that I had ever paid much attention to it in the past, but now while looking I was struck by the engineering of the leaves. It starts as one big bud and then multiple leaves pop out, just incredible! I cropped the photograph on the left to get the bud more into the upper left intersection of the thirds. Note the arrows that show the leftward angle of the stalk, very dynamic.  I purposely changed my angle to the subject and made sure that there was mostly sky behind the bud so that the viewer could see the detail of the bud which would make more of an impact.

If you keep practicing taking photographs and thinking about the space, colors, lines and placement of the subjects you will become more masterful at capturing the story impactfully and it will show in your photographs. It actually doesn't matter what you use as a camera, it matters how you make use of what you have.

That is what I do the minute I feel that twinge of excitement when I visualize a future photograph. I think about what camera and lens I have on hand and what I can do. Sometimes I even think in black and white, strange brain! I think that is from studying Anzel Adams and using the Zone System. That's OK if you don't know what that is, that was the film days but you certainly can use those references now.

Camera Equipment

These images were taken on the Green River in Rhode Island, while paddling around in my kayak, with a Canon Rebel SL1 and lenses Canon EFS 24 mm and a Canon EF 75-300mm. Once I have captured the images I bring my equipment back to my studio and process them using Adobe Bridge, Light Room and Photoshop. Here is what I made, original file on the left and enhanced file on the right.

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Digital Darkroom

The minute I saw the grasses and the composition I knew that I could create an impressive image using post processing in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. When I was thinking about the image from my kayak, I realized that I needed some paddle movement to make the grasses float in the direction that I wanted. Once I had that, I imagined the tools that I would use in Lightroom, specifically the dehaze, texture, clarity, and black & white tools. After working in Lightroom, I moved the image into Photoshop and did some fine tuning and cleanup.

Composing and Cropping

Another thing that crosses my mind when I am composing in camera is cropping. Sometimes you get more of the image than you would like and know that you will have to make changes in your computer.  I processed the image below first in Lightroom, saved it as a working image in my selected folder (I always keep a master folder separately of camera raw images untouched) and then I moved it into Photoshop for cropping. These images are a good example of how cropping can enhance an image and make your message much stronger.

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Changing the tones with Photoshop Tools

You also can see in the images above that I have toned down the background and lightened the bird just a bit using the dodge and burn tools. This moves the bird forward as a light object against the dark background. In addition, the cropping that I did along with changes made to tones in the fore and backgrounds creates many new directions for my eye to follow and an entirely different energy to the story. This is what I saw in my mind, visualized, as I was taking the shot. Sometimes, you might have to take several shots to get the perfect placement of the subject. You might have to change your position to accomplish that. In this case, I am in a kayak and can't do much. One exciting thing is that I am positioned well below what the normal eye level view would be and in fact the tide is low so that puts me in an unusually low angle for a more creative view.

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Looking at the scenes above of foliage and water, notice that I enhanced the tones to create more of a direction from left to right. There is a rhythm that was in the scene in the light colored leaves that really enhanced the story. Here is where you can really see what the dehaze tool does, not only enhancing the leaves but look up in the right corner where the trees meet the sky. It was a very moist morning  and that certainly distorted what I captured. Knowing that I had the dehaze tool to use in Lightroom  gave me the confidence that I would achieve a stronger image than what my camera captured.

Tools in Lightroom and Photoshop

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In these images you can see the tip of my kayak in the photograph. Paddling my kayak to keep me positioned and steady did not allow me to capture the image without the tip of my kayak included.  I knew that I could remove the tip of the boat in Photoshop with the spot healing and healing brush tools. Both did a great job at imitating the color, texture and information just next to the spot that I removed.  Before moving the image into Photoshop I used the Lightroom tools: dehaze, texture, clarity, saturation, vibrance, hightlights and vignetting.Then  I moved the image into Photoshop, retouched out the kayak and used the dodge bush to lighten certain parts of the image to encourage the eye to move toward the head of the river. The dynamics of the image totally changed and that is what I visualized when I was taking the image.

Visualize your final image before you push the shutter and...

Select the right equipment (or the best thing that you have), and use your software in post processing to finalize what you planned for and then I would suggest experimenting to try new things. Always, save your work and create new folders that you can place the finished work in.

Then enjoy and share your finished image! 

I love this photograph!

The woman seated in the back seat, left side is 100 years old and going for her first automobile ride! Seated with her are my great grandmother and her sister. The date was August 10, 1907.  Such a treasure! 

1st car ride

I am lucky enough to have a Stereo Scope, cards to view of my family and some local landscapes and cards that were sold to the general public to learn about foreign lands.

From what I understand, at the Great Exhibition of 1851, Queen Victoria was introduced to the stereoscope and was immediately taken by it. Within three months, over 250,000 refracting stereoscopes were sold along with over a million stereoscopic prints. By this time, stereoscopic prints were made via the collodion process because of it’s nature to easily duplicate prints. In 1856, the London Stereoscopic Company had pushed mass production of stereo cards into most middle and upper class homes. With their success, the company began sending photographers around the world to create stereo cards of over 100,000 different places and views. This contributed to solidifying photography’s place as a tool for education, a tool for discovering, and a tool for recording people or places as a record to be viewed at a later time.  In 1861, a hand held stereoscope viewer was designed that allowed individual adjustments for viewing distance. It had the bonus of being light weight and a cheaper contraption and since it wasn’t patented, copies flooded the market and it became the most popular version. This is the type of Stereo Scope that I have.
 

Below is a view of family members reading and relaxing. Maybe even sleeping! Steroscope card

Cyanotype is a 170 year old photographic printing process that produces prints in a distinctive dark greenish-blue. The word cyan comes from the Greek, meaning “dark blue substance.”  Sir John Herschel invented the cyanotype in 1842. The process depends on the photochemical reduction of ferric salts into ferrous salts leading to the formation of Prussian blue, an iron-based pigment. The process was used sporadically throughout the 19th century, mostly by amateur photographers, and more frequently in the twentieth century for the reproduction of architectural plans and technical drawings, called “blueprints."
 

Below are two images from New Bedford, the Cook Family home and a carriage with Cook family members

New Bedford Home Cyanotype

Below are tintypes, also known as a melainotype or ferrotype, is a photograph made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal coated with a dark lacquer or enamel and used as the support for the photographic emulsion.

Tintype with backing Tintype without backing

A tintype with the full image has the black backing behind it and the image resembling a negative is without the black backing. I just realized that I have a family antique chair that looks very similar to the chair in the photograph. I think that this is a photograph of my great great grandmother.

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These ladies had their photographs taken often. These images were taken in the late 1880's and are  both tintypes.

Brown Cover Tintype album

This is a very early family album, possibly dating back to the mid 1800's.  The images inside the album are just over an inch and I am thankful that some one took the time to label each image with the person's name.

You can watch this video and learn even more about photography and how it was used to record individuals, families and life in the past.

Exploring Photography with Family TreasuresExploration of the ages with Family Photography

I hope that you have enjoyed seeing some of my family treasures! I am sure that you have some of your own. It is my hope that you will consider working with me as a professional photographer and consultant to help you manage your own family treasures and digitize, archive and create collages, albums, slide shows and wall portraits that your family can enjoy and pass on to future generations. I am happy to discuss this process with you. ruthabclegg@gmail.com  401-263-4065 cell

 

Kids

Cousins

The Best Location to describe your family and create an enjoyable situation. Do you have an active family like I do?  Our boat or my son’s boat would  be an ideal place to take our family portrait. Maybe you have a lovely yard that everyone gathers in or a beach that creates many memories for your family. Those are the things that make a portrait session much more memorable for your family and should be part of your gathering and portrait.

Sandy Pt Beach Private backyard

Your backyard

The Best Time of Day for lighting and temperature, and for the members of your family such as young children or older family members. Maybe your children are their best early in the morning. It is important to consider when people are feeling their best, it will create a more pleasing portrait and a more pleasant session.
 

Your deck

The Best Clothing to wear for your portrait session. A visit to your home prior to the portrait session can make the planning so much easier. A discussion about the final location for the finished portrait and a review of your clothing selections can take the stress out of making those decisions. 
 

Portsmouth Polo Grounds

Favorite Park fireplace

Collage 20x20_2 Home Gallery

The Best Way to Review the images and make your final selections a reality. A professional photographer can make the entire process very personal whether you review the images with them in the studio, in the comfort of your home or at your office.

I look forward to spending time with you, learning about your family and helping you to make some wonderful memories! Contact me today to book your planning and photography session. 401-263-4065
 

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Artist Patricia Allen contacted me in the Fall of 2018 to work with her on a video project. Patricia and Mike Fink, a long time friend and writer, had been planning to collaborate on a story-telling project about Patricia's artwork. I was curious and motivated to engage in an art focused project and agreed to meet with Patricia and Mike. From that meeting forward we participated in two very enjoyable filming sessions. Once the capture was complete, I moved into the editing phase and both Patricia and Mike were immersed in that with me. I found that the process was comfortably collaborative and in many ways  impromptu, innovative and creative. The final video is a blend of Patricia's lovely artwork, Mike's creative prose along with my photography and film making. A thoughtful, respectful, personal and ageless story of creativity and friendship. I hope that you enjoy it!

Arist Patricia Allen in Conversation with Mike Fink

Patricia will be presenting the video at Hamilton House in Providence RI.

Hamilton House RI

Every family has a story to tell.... Warwick Neck Family PortraitRelaxed evening portrait on the family beach with their beloved dogs.

Day's at the beach...evening's on the deck

Amadeus Family PortraitFun aboard the sailboat Amadeus in the Greenwich Bay Rhode Island photographed by Ruth A B Clegg.

Afternoon sail...let the youngest steer the boat.....

Red Car Family PortraitFamily fun in a Red Chevrolet Convertible. Family portrait by Ruth A B Clegg www.ruthabclegg.com

Car ride with the grand kids with stories on the way....up the hill,

to that spot ,that Grandma and I would steal away....

Baseball Family PortraitFamily Portrait with Baseball gear by Ruth A B Clegg. www.ruthabclegg.com

Make sure to hit that game on Saturday afternoon, and Dad  will bring

his glove to catch that fly ball.....

Balloon Family PortraitOutdoor relaxed family portrait by Ruth A B Clegg

Mom will bring the food, making a  fun picnic  with balloons for all........

Narragansett BeachFamily portrait taken at Narragansett Beach by the Towers. Rhode Island. Rhode Island Photographer Ruth A B Clegg Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that  you cherished them. ~Richard L. Evans

Gift Certificates and Family Portrait Sessions to help Celebrate Mother's and Father's Day. Contact Ruth now:  401-263-4065

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When I am composing an image I think about the same things that I do when I am using my professional cameras, facing a blank piece of paper for water color or am about to put pencil to paper for a drawing. Where are the points of interest? Are there leading lines into the image? Does the image have impact?

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Should it be color or should I venture into black and white? I make these decisions on the spot and use the camera software to edit the images. I don't go back to my computer and work on them in Adobe Lightroom or  Photoshop. I am in the moment so I work in that moment.

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I learned  the importance of story telling thru the eyes of  water colorist and illustrator, Al Albrektson, I watched him work his magic with color and composition, Al makes things "sing" with his brush. I try to do the same with my camera!

IMG_0795-2 And lastly, I try to put a bit of magic in my images. The magic that I am seeing and hope to share with you!

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Restful ReachA Dye Sublimation Print on Aluminum. Printed by Blazing Graphics

So excited! This image/print won Best of Show at the Art League of Rhode Island's International  Open Juried Exhibition, "Thru the Lens".

https://artleaguerhodeisland.org/2017/09/05/call-for-entry-through-the-lens/

This image is part of my quest to view life from a different perspective. I have been working under water in both fresh and salt water for many years. I find that the ponds of the Adirondack Park are clean and clear and offer me a wonderful world to explore. This image is taken in Clear Pond on the property of The Hollywood Club in South Colton, NY.

The image is available for sale, please contact me for details.

My Dye Sublimation images are printed by Blazing Editions  of East Greenwich, RI https://www.blazing.com/  I feel very lucky that they are a short drive away and that I can work personally and  directly with them.

I will be giving a presentation on Dye Sublimation printing and thoughts on my work February 21st @ 6PM at Blazing Editions. More information to follow.

Ants_ Handcolored Polymer Intaglio_450.

My process includes Carbon Black and Graphite Gamblin Etching Inks ,  BFK Rives Printmaking Paper  , Takach Polymer Plates and Printing Press, Water Based Oil Paints, Wax Based Colored Pencils, Aquacover and framing from Crestar Manufacturing.

Lady Bug_Handcolored Polymer Intaglio_450.

I hope that you enjoy the slideshow of my work! The current show is at Providence Art Club, Mary Castelnovo Gallery May 13-June 2, 2017

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Wandering my property and enjoying the beautiful blossoms puts me in that "Portrait Mood". May brings us the beauty and scents of our precious earth along with the day that honors our Mothers. I don't think that there is a better way to celebrate Family and Mothers than a Family Portrait. Give your mom a Gift Certificate for a family portrait and we can plan and gather at the best time for your family.

Certificates can be tailored to your need. Just let us know.

ruthabclegg@gmail.com or 401-263-4065.     It is never too late!

Welcome Andrew!

At just 3 weeks old Andrew and his family visited my portrait studio. We had a wonderful time capturing the joy that he has brought to his family, his big brother was so excited! Of course, Andrew snoozed away! 

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I created beautiful images and designed a Keepsake Album for his family to enjoy. 

We are planning for Andrew's next visit, when he is making eye contact and cooing sounds. We might even include a pumpkin in the portraits, Halloween will be on the way!

14x14_Lily Dance_400Dye Sublimation Photograph by Ruth A B Clegg, Printed by Blazing Editions, displayed at View Arts

I am very pleased to have a show at View Arts in Old Forge, NY. The work is beautifully presented and was hung by Cory Card of View Arts. The show is a mix of Dye Sublimation photographs printed by  Blazing Editions in East Greenwich, Rhode Island and etching, linocuts and watercolors. Framing was done by Crestar also of East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Images are descriptions of the pond life of Clear Pond located in South Colton, New York. You can visit the show at View Arts until October 16th. If you wish to purchase a piece, please contact Cory at View Arts. Prices are listed in the title of the work in the Gallery.

IMG_6086 copyInitial family portrait creating a base.

First establish your date, clothing and location. These decisions need to be duplicated for the missing family members. It is important to try to create the same lighting, although in this portrait the second session had sun in the background which created more retouching difficulties but it all worked out! 

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Next, make sure that they have the same experience. I try for "fun". The mood has to be the same if you are going to blend all of the images into one image.

Family PortraitFinal blended family portrait

This part is the most important, create trust with your client that it will be beautiful when completed. I usually invite the client to view my work at different stages so that they can feel involved. It does take longer than a traditional one time family portrait session. There also is an additional cost. The value of having everyone in the same portrait is worth it. A timeless remembrance, priceless!

Mother, daughter and puppy in their living room at home.

This slide show can be helpful when you are planning to have a portrait taken of your children and entire family together. Watch for location and clothing ideas including what season is best for your portrait. It might even be appropriate to use the studio instead of outdoors, weather will not effect the outcome! If you would like to discuss ideas, a date or have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.

www.ruthabclegg.com

401-885-4065 studio

SunflowerHand painted image of a sunflower from my garden by Ruth A B Clegg

Planet Tales Greeting Cards

Thirty one beautiful images on 5x5 greeting cards. Cards are printed on heavy stock and come with white envelopes. Send your greetings out on lovely cards and create Unforgettable Moments. You can find them in our Art Gallery section on the homepage www.ruthabclegg.com

Pond LifePond Life Greeting Cards by Ruth A B Clegg

Pond Life

Wonders of NatureWonders of Nature Greeting Cards by Ruth A B Clegg

Wonders of Nature

Adirondack ViewsAdirondack Views

Adirondack Views

Beach ViewsBeach Views  

Beach Views

So excited to introduce these fabulous greeting cards for your personal use. What a beautiful way to correspond with friends and family. You can order as little as 4 each and mix and match or up to 20 each. Four themed groups have also been designed: Adirondack Views, Beach Views, Pond life and Wonders of Nature. I am looking forward to helping you send your personal messages!

Plan your photography session ( make sure to see the prior Blog post- the Value of a Pre-Portrait Discussion).

Visualize and discuss with Ruth your family, children, pets, home, boat or that special family place and how to personalize your images.

Determine colors and design that are important to you. Or just let Ruth come up with some creative designs. Once finished, those designs will be posted on your special area on www.ruthabclegg.com.  Select your favorite design. Review your card list  to determine the number that you need. Always add a few extra!  Select an envelope style: plain  white, or gold or silver lined. Determine if you would like your return address added to the front or back of the envelopes. And.... you are done!  We do the rest!

Flat holiday card designed by Ruth Clegg

Flat Hoiday Greeting card designed by Ruth Clegg

Foil Press Holiday Greeting Card designed by Ruth Clegg

Folded Holiday Greeting Card designed by Ruth Clegg

The Providence Art Club Galleries are hosting a Fall Member Show which has an opening reception September 13th, 2:00-4:00. The public is welcome. There will be some great work! Please come and enjoy the art and refreshments. My piece below is "Magic Tree" and is a collagraph.

I am proud to announce that I have been selected to be represented by Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona in the 2015-2016 Artist Catalogue. In addition I have work in A-Z Gallery in Wellesley, Mass. These pieces of art are all from my Underwater Botanical Series printed in Dye Sublimation. This process allows for custom sizing so that you can tailor your desired image to your home or office. Please ask for details

Rhode Island Collection of handcolored solar plate prints (Intaglio process) are available at The Fleur Delys Studio (by apointment only, please call Ruth at 401.263.4065), David-Max in East Greenwich, RI and  Gallery Z on Atwells Avenue in the Federal Hill section of Providence.

I had the pleasure of photographing Ashley, a Landscape Architect. Our photographic goals were to have her look professional, approachable, and competent. Her business generally focuses on large developments, public streetscapes, low income and affordable housing, as well as residential landscapes. This covered quite a bit of territory and different types of relationships, thus we needed to think very hard about the backgrounds and lighting to create the looks that we wanted. 

Ashley decided on a white tailored top and a black relaxed scoop neck top. We looked for spaces with texture and foliage in the background. I decided to try lighting with hard back lighting, frontal full lighting and edge of shade lighting. The sun added some hard light for a main light, light bouncing off a building across the street added a kicker light to Ashley’s hair and the edge of shade created a softer more approachable situation. 

Ashley’s final selections are both very approachable and professional looking. Each image has texture and the sense of the outdoors. Both will serve Ashley well on her web site, LinkedIn profile and any other social media or professional need that she may have. It was a pleasure to work with Ashley!

In January 2015 I had a show at the Providence Art Club of Dye Sublimation photographs on metal printed by Blazing Editions and hand-colored polymer intaglio prints. The subject matter was underwater plant life found in an Adirondack pond. I would like to focus on the description of the Dye Sublimation  process which is a relatively new and very exciting process. 

In order to transfer the image from the paper to the substrate, it requires a heat press process that is a combination of time, temperate and pressure. The heat press applies this special combination, which can change depending on the substrate, to “transfer” the sublimation dyes at the molecular level into the substrate. The most common dyes used for sublimation activate at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. However, a range of 380 to 420 degrees Fahrenheit is normally recommended for optimal color.

The end result of the sublimation process is a nearly permanent, high resolution, full color print. Because the dyes are infused into the substrate at the molecular level, rather than applied at a topical level (such as with screen printing and direct to garment printing), the prints will not crack, fade or peel from the substrate under normal conditions.

In the case of a portrait, final destination can determine the style, color or lack of color, clothing, orientation and the framing. If a family portrait is the desired outcome, it is important to determine what the location is for photography and how it relates to the family’s life style. Also the quality of light will be an important ingredient and the quality of natural light can be affected by the time of day. Early or late light will have softer and more muted tones while the midst of the day will have contrast and strong white light. An additional thought is the family members might be more comfortable in the cool of the morning or evening rather than the heat of the day.

Clothing is also important as a descriptor of personalities, and how the coloration will fit in the portrait’s final destination. If the wall that the portrait hangs on is red and the group is dressed in a version of orange it might not be a good fit. If the clothing is casual and the room is formal, again it might not be a good fit. It is also very important to look at body types and select the clothing that enhances the beauty of the subjects. Additionally, it can be very distracting if one family member wears a strong pattern such as bold stripes and another wears polka dots. The viewer will be constantly looking at the clothing and not the subject's faces which are the most important. Clothing harmony is an important ingredient to create a pleasing portrait. Although, tensions of multi patterns may be indicative of the family’s lifestyle and could be a rich ingredient for a successful portrait and in that case would be important to include.

Finally, the substrate that the image is printed on and how it is presented or framed is imperative to the enjoyment of the image. There is such a variety today of papers, metals, glass, and wood to print upon that can enhance your image. Possible proofing on some surfaces might be a great way to proceed in order to be sure of the final outcome.

Framing is another decision that can make or break the piece and should be carefully selected. It is best to select your frame after the piece is printed and ideally the selection should be made in the location that the image will hang. I am happy to bring selections of moldings to your home or office. My favorite moldings are from Roma and Larson Juhl. I also prefer to use acid free mats and UV glass. Once you have made the final wall portrait selection there may be images that you absolutely must have. An album is a wonderful medium with which to enjoy those images and a design can be created to artfully tell the family’s story.
The mission and goal of the pre-discussion is to make the entire process a smooth and enjoyable event, thus creating an image that imparts beauty and satisfaction for years to come.

Canon cameras used for wedding and event coverage.

Image below ISO 1600

ISO 6400

ISO 12800