The Golden Photo Blog

A spot of warm weather...

2009-02-08T09:32:00.002-05:00

We have had snow twice here this year. We normally have it once every few years, so it was a nice treat for the kids, but the cold weather has been a bit much for me. Especially since the heat in my studio is on the fritz. I could easily get it fixed, but thinking about how much stuff I am gonna have to move so the repair folks can get in there... well... nothing a little space heater can't fix, right? No... the cold has been more than the space heater could even take edge off lately. It's okay, it keeps me awake.

It has got me wishing for warmer weather, and the warmer weather usually means at least one kayak outing. As much as I would like to go at least once every week during the warmer months, I have not been all that successful the last few years. I do have to get the kayak out and put it top of the car and all, after all... Lazy bum.

This photo was taken mid-day at the former location of the Salt Marsh Kayak in Wrightsville Beach. Salt Marsh is no more, but I know a guide from there is starting up Watersmyth Kayaking. There is little that compares to getting out in the marshes around here, and away from the hustle and bustle as it were. And you get exercise as a bonus.

This photo is a good example of the type of light we get here. This was mid-day, bright sun, but there was still that deep blue sky. We get our share of almost white skies here, but we get a lot days like this one.

3 Pigeons

2009-02-07T11:23:00.003-05:00

This was one of the very first pics I did in my Rovinato series. A nice little slice of urban text with some urban architecture.

Still working on getting a book of these together. Too many projects going probably, but I'm not sure I could have it any other way. No complaints there :).

Getting bookish...

2008-04-03T08:28:00.003-04:00

So...it's been over a year since I posted on the photo blog. Sorry about that. It has also been over a year since I began shooting and altering photos for my Rovinato series.

The series now numbers over 100 photographs, and I am in the process of creating a book of the series. The preliminary layout is done, and now I have to write all the copy. In the meantime, I thought that I might start blogging here again.

This photo is called Fort Fisher Moon. The scenic photograph that it uses was taken in the early, early morning hours way back in 1991. Fort Fisher is at the south end of the Pleasure Island area, and was the site of some battles during the Civil War. It is said that a ghost or two can be seen there.

I had been contracted to shoot a cover for our local phone book, and while waiting for the sun to rise, I got lots of very moody shots like this one.'

I used one of my favorite textures in this one, the sign from a building in the Cotton Exchange that housed a wholesale grocery a long time ago. In the shot of the original texture/sign, you can see where the sign was rotated from time to time, and a new sign was painted over the top of it.

Another New Series

2007-03-19T16:11:00.000-04:00

Taking a similar approach as to my Urban Naturals series, I have managed to expand the amount of time that I have to take pictures. Using photos of urban texture as background images to add a little interest and character to scenic images and architectural images, I can now take photos on gray days when the sky is a bit dull, or even on sunny days when the sun is high and a bit bright for good color photography.

I am calling this series Rovinato, the Italian word for ruined.

They are available in my Etsy Shop.

New Wrightsville Beach Sunrise Pictures

2007-01-04T11:37:00.000-05:00

Went out extra early on the last day of 2006, and got rewarded with a beautiful sunrise to photograph. I kept thinking it was over, and before I could leave, the sky would blaze again.

These will be available for purchase on johnwgolden.com soon, but for now you can view the results on my flickr page...click the post title to go there.

New Series to Mark 20th Year in Photography

2006-12-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

To mark the occasion of 20 years in photography, I have begun a series of photos that marry my love for the random design that occurs when nature and manmade object meet with my love for random design in nature. Sounds confusing, but I am very happy with the results.

For now, these images are available at my Etsy shop.

New Wrightsville Beach Photos

2006-09-14T22:21:00.001-04:00

Crystal Break
Originally uploaded by jwgoldenphoto.

Returning again to Wrightsville Bech, the waves were head high from a tropical storm that was out near Bermmuda. Got some really nice shots of and from both Johnnie Mercer's Pier and Crystal Pier.

Next up: a trip up to Topsail and down to Southport, maybe over to Bald Head again.

Composite Panoramics

2006-08-23T10:26:00.000-04:00

I have been doing quite a lot of composite panoramic photos as of late. That's where you take multiple shots of a scene, each concentrating on a different portion of what you see, over a 180° arc. It takes some work in the computer afterwards to correct perspective differences between the shots, but it is pretty amazing what you end up with in the end.

I take mine without the use of a tripod, unless the light is low. The featured picture was taken from the bridge to Wrightsville Beach, NC, looking out over the intracoastal waterway. What is really interesting is how the image goes from what is a late afternoon light on the left to a sunset on the right. That effect was created as the exposure changed during the shot.

Kayaks...

2006-07-24T10:24:00.000-04:00

The good folks at Salt Marsh Kayaks allowed me access to their dock on the shore of Banks Channel in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina to photograph the channel and their colorful armada of kayaks and catamarans.

If you are in town, and want to take sailing or kayak lessons, or a kayak tour of the surrounding area, give them a call at (910) 509-2989 or visit their website at www.saltmarshkayak.com.

The photo E-tail site is underway

2006-07-17T11:39:00.000-04:00

For some time, I have been working on getting all of my "analog" photography available for purchase online. After recently beginning to work digitally, the process for all new photography has gotten easier, and we even now have a backlog of new images just waiting to be entered on the new site.

We will be launching a new site for this purpose, www.johnwgolden.com. The site is just barely functioning at this point, but we hope to have a fully functioning site by the end of the summer.