Adumbratio Chapbooks

Weston Beach is a small section of the Point Lobos State Reserve, just south of Carmel California. Point Lobos was made famous by Edward Weston, who made many of his iconic and lasting images of the coastal area. While both inspiring and a bit overwhelming it has been a challenge to make images of any lasting personal value in this ever changing place where land and sea meet. There is always something new and exciting when “edges” overlap. The chapbook contains 9 images collected from Weston Beach.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

In the town of Forney, Texas, there was an amazing antique store called DeRidder Antiques. It was run by “Willie” the owner and proprietor of the most incredible collection of items I had seen gathered under one roof. This was a place I went back to several times over the years and made images of the life that was. It was a sad day when I noted the going out of business sign. This is a small collection of images from that was in many ways a time machine. The chapbook contains 7 images collected from DeRidder Antiques project.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

These images were made while I was deployed to Iraq in 2006 to 2007.  I was intrigued by the thorns, the foliage and the delicate white flowers. I determined the best time to get the flowers was early in the morning before the influx of personnel and vehicles. Once I was through with missions for the day I would go and make some images of the flowers as time permitted. These images are from those forays into the early morning or late afternoon. The flowers would bloom and then die by the end of the day. These plants seemed to exemplify the contrast that was the Iraq I experienced – delicate beauty in the midst of great heat, the fragile white blossoms in the midst of long sharp thorns, beauty in a dangerous world. The chapbook contains 7 images collected from Capparis Spinosa project.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend various workshops on the Nude and to photograph various models. It has been rewarding from the standpoint of working with another artist who is just as committed to making art. The images presented here are from a workshop I attended at Wild Cat Hill hosted by Kim Weston in 2010.

During that intense 2 day experience the photographer has the opportunity to try and connect in a meaningful way with the model. Both the photographer and model bring a unique energy and experience to the session.

As to the reason for photographing the nude I have admired the work of Edward Weston and others over the years, to include Kim Weston. Each of us has a unique perspective and idea of what we desire to stress in the nude image – shape, form, light, softness, color, etc. The human form has been the subject of artists for as long as there has been tools to create art.The chapbook contains 8 images collected from Wild Cat Hill Nudes project.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Tulipa (tulips) is a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes, dying back after flowering to an underground storage bulb. Depending on the species, tulip plants can be between 4 inches and 28 inches high.

On this occasion I purchased some yellow tulips for my wife and we placed them in a vase on the kitchen table. Over the course of a couple of days the tulips started to open and to call to me! And so with great enthusiasm I moved the tulips from the kitchen table to my studio office. There I made several exposures, using both film and digital to create these images.

The more I exposures I made the more I was able to refine my vision and these are the resulting images. The chapbook contains 7 images collected from Tulipa project.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

While out photographing I was suddenly inspired to obtain an old wooden soda storage box and photograph the smaller items I often come upon while out photographing. I have a collection of items like shells, dried leaves and flowers I have kept over the years for possible use in a still life setting. While not all of these items resulted in time spent in front of my camera or in a photograph, they still were of interest to me due to the intricacies and beauty of the natural subject.

The images in this Chapbook are from a series of photographs I made of the various items I found, whether as an isolated subject or as a collage. The soda box provided a wonderful backdrop to photograph either a single subject in isolation or tie together various subjects in multiple holes.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

My time in the Army sent me to Iraq. It was a volatile time to say the least while I was deployed. While there I photographed not just the people (images that can be found in the gallery section and the book section) I also had the opportunity to photograph the occasional still life given the circumstances I found myself in.

The images in this Chapbook were made during the few times I had some down time and it was safe to do so. Most were from the buildings we were using or places we occupied with the Local Nationals.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

I have always been intrigued by the intricate detail and diversity found in all things botanical. The images of the Caesalpinia Gilliesei are no exception. Dubbed the Yellow Bird of Paradise, this is actually a transplant here to Texas from Argentina. We planted a bush here in our yard and within a short period of time plant was covered in fragrant delicate blooms.

The images in this chapbook are a selection of 8 photographs that depict the delicate, intricate, and transient nature of the flowers. The life cycle of the blooms is short and once removed from the main plant quickly begin to shrivel and die.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church is a mission church that was built in 1880. It is about 12 miles south of Boulder, Montana. I was first drawn to the church as I traveled by on my way to my brother’s house several years ago. Montana was having a late spring and so there were clouds most every day. These images were made during some intense thunderstorms in the area. The impending thunder storm and dramatic clouds created a wonderful backdrop for the church and some intense and changing lighting.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Mare Island had been a naval shipyard since the July 1853. It became an important part of the WWII war effort and in its heyday employed more than 10,000 people. When the Congress acted on the Base Closure report, the Navy shut the base down.

The City of Vallejo envisioned rebuilding Mare Island and it has since become haven for artists, remodeled Officer Houses, businesses, a golf course, new residential area and revitalized wetlands. And while all of these things are important what drew me to the island were the many buildings still being repurposed and, in many cases, still in use.

This collection of images are from my wanderings through the older sections of the shipyard, old military buildings and dockside warehouses. Many of the buildings are closed to the public as they are being renovated or are awaiting demolition.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

The American Lotus or Nelumbo lutea Willd is a plant that is seen in many of the ponds or slow moving sections of the waterways in Texas. These plants fill the edges of the ponds or lakes with their huge leaves and yellow-white blossoms.

The delicate and simple elegance of the blossoms are captured here, whether at the height of their bloom or as it slowly wilts.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Collection of images from a mural painted on the side of an auto repair shop. These abstract images unite the art of the mural with the vision of the photographer to create art that emphasizes form, shape, line and tonalities.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Deep Ellum is a neighborhood composed largely of arts and entertainment venues near downtown East Dallas, Texas.

Deep Ellum became famous for its music dating from the before the 1920’s.It was a a hotbed or early jazz and blues musicians performing at clubs like The Harlem and The Palace. By 1991 there were over 50 nightclubs abd bars in the Deep Ellem neighborhood.

The area also became well know for its street art, with a large portion of the area featuring murals commissioned by local businesses of such artists as Frank Capagna and others.

This chapbook captures some of the unique atmosphere that is Deep Ellum.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

One of the many buildings to stand out in Las Vegas is the Cleveland Clinic for Brain Health. While on a trip to the city for business, I discovered this unique building while driving on I-15. The unique architecture, metallic façade, towering curves and supports for the building, offer a wonderful look at the abstract nature of this facility.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Upon moving to Texas over 20 years ago I was presented with opportunities to photograph the Southern magnolia or Magnolia grandiflora. During the spring and into early summer the blossoms are found everywhere, as it is a landscape favorite. But it wasn’t until I had been here for 13 years that I brought my first magnolia blossom into my studio.

I recall seeing the platinum print of a magnolia made by Emogen Cunningham. I was drawn to the detail and delicate spirals of the blossom. My own explorations of the blossoms yielded some wonderful images whether they were new blossoms or those that had dried up..

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

One of the many buildings to stand out in Las Vegas is the Cleveland Clinic for Brain Health. While on a trip to the city for business, I discovered this unique building while driving on I-15. The unique architecture, metallic façade, towering curves and supports for the building, offer a wonderful look at the abstract nature of this facility. This is the second of two books detailing the building.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Traveling some of the less frequented or main interstates can yield some wonderful opportunities to discover new and interesting subjects to photograph. One such occasion occurred while on a trip to visit family in California. I was traveling on I-20 and outside of Gordon Texas I saw a rundown diner on the north side of the highway.

It was covered in layers of various colors of graffiti as well as broken windows and rust. The images in the chapbook capture the feeling of the slowly deteriorating diner and the layers of life and death of the building.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE

Sunflowers came into my life at an early age, with the flower being grown in our garden and my father harvesting the seeds. He would soak the seeds in a weak brine solution and then roasted them in the oven. It wasn’t until much later in my photographic career that I considered the flower as a subject for photographing.

As Paul Caponigro noted, Sunflowers demand to be photographed from their tender beginnings to their dried and burnished husks at the end.

Each Chapbook is $7.50 plus shipping and handling and is available at MagCloud HERE

You can also download a free PDF of the Chapbook HERE