Summer Nights
“Holler if you’re ready for some summer nights.” – Rascal Flatts
I am happy to announce that I will have two (2) photographs, Childhood Memory Maker and Splash on the Rocks selected for the Summer Nights exhibit at The Gallery @ Thompson Park. I am even happier to announce that I will be joined by my daughter, Katie, who also will have a photograph in the exhibit. Check out Katie's Facebook page. The show runs June 3rd to August 10th, Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-4pm. There will be an Opening Reception on 3 June 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
All artwork is available for sale with 30% of the proceeds going to the gallery to help continue programs like this one. This is my fourth time exhibiting at The Gallery having participated in Into the Woods, The Silence of Winter, and Neon Spring. I will leave links to blogs posts about those exhibits below.
Childhood Memory Maker
Childhood Memory Maker is one of my favorite images and is an example of one of those times that keeping your eyes open pays off. I had stopped at the beach in Spring Lake because I saw one of the jettys covered in sea gulls. I walked over to the jetty and took a number of images of the birds, ocean, and rocks. I came away with a few reasonably good images but as I was walking back to the car I came across the winner! I learned a long time ago not to put my camera away until I get back to the car. There have been a couple ocassions when I lost a great opportunity because I wasn't ready. I found this child's shovel abandoned in the sand; immediately drawn to it, I set out to find the composition. I knew it had the potential for being a special image but didn't realize how good it would be. The way the shovel is perched at the top of the "wave" of sand, perfectly undisturbed sand surrounding the shovel, and alternating pattern of light and dark sand repeating throughout was almost too good to be true. I have been asked if I set this shot up and the answer is, "No, this is scene is exactly as I discovered it."“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.” - Sarah Kay
A Splash on the Rocks
A Splash on the Rocks is from a series of images I made during sunrise at Ocean Grove. Whenever the ocean is involved (or any constantly changing subject) you never really know what you are getting until after the shutter is tripped. Sunrise at the beach is a special thing to witness and something I don't do nearly enough. While most sunrise/sunset photographs are wide-angle and show as much of the landscape (or in this case, seascape) as possible, I also like to get a bit more intimate with the scene. Luck was with me this particular morning, the tide was rising and there were plenty of good-sized waves to add interest. After getting my rising sun peeking over the horizon I decided to get closer to the jetty to capture the interaction between the waves and jetty. One of the biggest challenges capturing water is choosing the right shutter speed for the ocassion. A high speed shutter will freeze the water, showing each individual droplet, bubble, and anything caught in the wave. The slower you go, the more "fluid" the water gets, blurring detail while showing motion. I prefer the slower speeds as I feel they have a calming affect to the viewer. There is just enough blur in this image to show motion, yet enough detail to show bubbles in the water and droplets flying away from the splash. I hope you can get a chance to stop by the exhibit to see my photos up-close-and-personal but also to see the work of so many other talented artists - such as Katie. I also hope you will consider making a purchase while there to help support the arts and local artists.If you enjoyed this post, please do me a small favor and share it with others. You will find buttons for many of the popular social media platforms at the bottom of this post. Thank you!
All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia, All Rights Reserved. They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com
Congratulations Joe👍😎
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