Art Exhibit - Summer Nights

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 3^rd to August 10^th, 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

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

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.

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• Art Exhibit - Neon Spring
• Art Exhibit - Into the Woods
• Art Exhibit - The Silence of Winter

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!

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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

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Art Exhibit - Neon Spring

Neon Spring

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.” - Rainer Maria Rilke

I am happy to announce that my photograph, Elegance has been selected for the Neon Spring exhibit at The Gallery @ Thompson Park. The show runs April 1^st to May 21^st, Wednesday to Sunday 12pm-4pm. There will be an Opening Reception on 1 April 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

All artwork is available for sale. This is my third time exhibiting at The Gallery having participated in Into the Woods and The Silence of Winter. I will leave links to blogs posts about those exhibits below.

Elegance

Elegance

This may well be my favorite photo of a flower that I have ever made. It dates back to an early spring trip I made to Deep Cut Gardens in 2012. The parking lot used to have a median in which seasonal flowers were planted - I was lucky enough to be there when the tulips were in bloom. I got down low (it was a lot easier back then....), a telephoto lens (135mm/216mm) at f/5.6 gave me a nice, shallow depth of field. I metered the white blossom, causing the background to be dramatically underexposed. When I got home and uploaded the image I noticed the faint red tulip in the background - to me it made a good image even that much better. My only regret is that this was done before I learned of the power of shooting RAW and only have a jpeg to work from. 😔

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• Art Exhibit - Into the Woods
• Art Exhibit - The Silence of Winter

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!

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Technical information:
• Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i (crop sensor - 1.6 factor)
• Lenses: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
• Tripod: MeFOTO Roadtrip Classic
• ISO 100
• All focal lengths are as-recorded - the full-frame equivalent in parenthesis.
• Shutter tripped with wired shutter release.

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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

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Art Exhibit (online) - Landscapes

Landscapes

Certificate of Merit

I have been submitting some of my work to local and international exhibits lately. Locally, I had prints in two (2) exhibits at The Gallery @ Thompson Park that I have already written about (see links below.) In 2021 I entered the Monmouth County Senior Art Show (senior?? ouch!) and was selected for the exhibit but did not place in the Amateur Photographer category. Two years ago I had a black & white image selected by Blank Wall Gallery in Athens, Greece - it wasn't hanging on the wall but displayed via large projector in a rotation with others (see link below.)

It is my pleasure to announce that I have, once again, been selected by an international competition to be included in an online gallery exhibit presented by Art Room Gallery. The theme of the exhibit was "Landscape" and it was open to any 2D medium; the three (3) winning entries were watercolor painting, photograph, and oil painting, respectively. While I would have liked to be in the Top 3, I am happy to have received a Merit Award for my work.

Reflecting on the Spectacle of Autumn
Pakim Pond - Brendan T. Byrne State Forest

You may recognize Reflecting on the Spectacle of Autumn from an earlier post, Scouting New Locations, while Reflecting on a Kiss would be new to you unless you follow me on Instagram or Facebook. Both images have become some of my most popular captures with both currently over ninety (90) "likes" on Instagram and more than ten (10) comments each.

Reflecting on a Kiss
Round Valley Recreation Area

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!

Links:
• My First Group Gallery Exhibit - Athens, Greece
• Into the Woods - Art Exhibit
• The Silence of Winter - Art Exhibit

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Technical information:
• Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i (crop sensor - 1.6 factor)
• Lenses: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
• Tripod: MeFOTO Roadtrip Classic
• ISO 100
• All focal lengths are as-recorded - the full-frame equivalent in parenthesis.
• Shutter tripped with wired shutter release.

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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

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Art Exhibit - The Silence of Winter

Lone Pine Seedling
Framed print available - information below

The Silence of Winter

“There is something strange in the silence of a winter view: Something seems to happen, but nothing happens, as if all reality is frozen!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

I am happy to announce that this image, Lone Pine Seedling, has been selected for the Silence of Winter exhibit at The Gallery @ Thompson Park. The show runs February 4^th to March 26^th, Wednesday to Saturday 12pm-4pm. All artwork is available for sale. You may remember my post from last October announcing my participation in another exhibit at The Gallery - Into the Woods - Art Exhibit.

This image was first featured in my blog post, Playing in the Snow, last February along with others. I love the snow, as long as I don't have to drive on treacherous streets, and try to get out to play whenever possible. One reason I love shooting in the snow is that it simplifies everything; this image is a perfect example. This sapling is growing thru a lot of dead leaves and branches with even more in the background. The snow covers the distractions and all that is left is the tree.

The tree is still growing and I hope to photograph it again after, or during, the next storm. We have only had one substantial snow this year but I was unable to get out. This will be an interesting tree to chronicle over the years - it is right over my property line so I can easily keep an eye on it.

If you cannot make it to the exhibit, you may be able to make a purchase on-line – give them a call or send an email. For more information on this or upcoming exhibits, please email ccarlson@monmouthcountyparks.com, or call 732-842-4000, ext. 3343.

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!

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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

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Art Exhibit - Into the Woods

"The Serenity of the Woods"
11x14 print / 16x20 frame

Into the Woods

The Gallery @ Thompson Park holds several themed art exhibits throughout the year, featuring local artists in a wide variety of media. The current exhibit, Into the Woods, is the first that I have participated in; hopefully it is the first of many. When a theme is announced, artists are encouraged to submit up to three (3) images representing their art to be reviewed by their guest juror. You may not have all your submissions selected; you may not be selected at all – this time I had one of three chosen, The Serenity of the Woods. Once chosen, you have about a week to prepare your art and bring it to the gallery for hanging. All work is offered “For Sale” with a 30% commission for the gallery.

Into the Woods had its opening reception on Friday, 17 September 2021 drawing a nice crowd. The reception is nice because it gives the artist an opportunity to interact with their audience and for visitors to get to know the artists. This was my first experience seeing my work hanging on a gallery wall and seeing the reactions of strangers; I did have an image exhibited in Greece in 2020 (you can read about it here) but was not able to attend for a variety of reasons. It was exciting and scary at the same time – I kept wanting to have a recording device running so I could hear what people were saying, at the same time I didn’t want to know what they were saying! Talk about conflicted!

I was happy that I was able to share the experience with my wife and daughter, unfortunately my son was stuck in traffic on the BQE…. In 2015 we attended the Senior Art Show to see my daughter exhibiting some of her fine art portraits and now it was my turn, who knows, maybe we will both be exhibited in an upcoming show! It was nice to see some familiar faces, too. I was happy to see that I was sharing the experience with two (2) friends, Sue, and Padma. Sue has a unique photograph of a dinosour “sculpture” (it is made of twigs and branches) and Padma has a beautiful watercolor painting. I have links to their entries below, along with a link to my image without the frame.

I am proud to announce here that, as-of this writing, I have sold the framed print hanging in the gallery and a request has been made by another patron to purchase a framed print. I had hoped to make a sale but never imagined I would walk away with two! If you are interested, there is still time to get a copy. The exhibit runs thru 13 November 2021 – follow this link for further details. I would also encourage you to check out Sue and Padma while there and consider bringing their work into your home, too.

If you cannot make it to the exhibit, you may be able to make a purchase on-line – give them a call or send an email. For more information on this or upcoming exhibits, please email ccarlson@monmouthcountyparks.com, or call 732-842-4000, ext. 3343.

Check out the work on Instagram
• "The Serenity of the Woods" (https://www.instagram.com/p/CSUVvYirhqD/)
• Padma Aleti (https://www.instagram.com/p/CT1pCqChyed/)
• Susan Peckman (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLAfzmCgV0A/)

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!

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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

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