ArtWalk Livermore 2010 impressions
One-day art festivals are a lot of work! 
And, they are a lot of fun…!
I am slowly working on my second glass of red wine after my combo pizza dinner! Today was one latté, several bottles of water, and a cheesecake brownie! It is a good thing that today does not typify my regular diet!
ArtWalk Livermore 2010, from the vantage point of my booth on First Street near the Plaza fountain, looked like a wonderful success! Sure, my position was a change from my position on the ArtWalk map, but I am a flexible kinda guy! My congratulation go out to Linda Ryan and her team of hard-working folks! Even the weatherman cooperated, delivering a beautiful, sunny day with mild temperatures! (I have loved Linda’s work since the first time I saw it. One of my goals is to be financially successful enough to purchase one of her originals.)
I wanted to personally and publicly congratulate the family that purchased Print #1 of my photo, “Livermore Vines, October” (one of our Featured Prints), the low-resolution version of which is above! The photo won an Honorable Mention award at the Spring Art Show at The Barn in Livermore, which Angela Johal and I co-chaired. I knew while taking the photo that, if I could get a super-sharp exposure, the image would be something special, because of the back-lighting and the shadows of the leaves in the back on the the grape leaves in front. I succeeded in getting a couple of very “crisp,” super-sharp, exposures. I hope that my photo brings a positive influence into your home and that it brings you a lot of joy! (Note added October 16, 2010: This family later purchased a fine art print on canvas of a California poppy! Once again, congratulations and thank you! The print really “lights up” the alcove in which it was placed in the central hallway of their home! I have marked both prints as “SOLD” on the Cheshire Cat Photo “Featured Print” page.) I also hope that all of the folks who purchased coasters of California scenes enjoy these small bits of California’s Wonderland!
At this point, it is probably worth repeating the three tips for improving almost everyone’s photography. Most people will not take the tips, since they involve a LOT of WORK and TIME! I like to think that the results are WORTH it!
- Always take Camera RAW images. Cameras make a lot of mistakes when they are taking .JPG images. Not only that, but .JPG images involve DESTRUCTIVE compression, and actual pixels are lost from the image. A camera’s “brain” is substantially smaller than our own, and Camera RAW images allow the photographer to BE the camera, capturing all of the data on the sensor, and to make intelligent decisions about things like white balance and exposure.
- Always use a tripod whenever feasible. For my landscape work, this is upwards of 95% of the time. Even so, wind gusts and even mirror vibrations (which are worst with exposures between 1/15 and 1/30 of a second) can make images less than super sharp! California is a seismically active state. Photography HATES vibrations!
- Always take multiple exposures at a single setting, and bracket exposures for important shots. After all, we are not working with film anymore! Electrons are MUCH cheaper than the gasoline that it took you to get to the place of interest. Take a few extra exposures. I usually take 4-8 exposures at a single setting and bracket exposures for important shots. I also use the lowest ISO values possible, and try to shoot at ISO 100 on my Canon whenever possible. Sure, this means HOURS of processing all of the images to give the best to my customers, but there are people who appreciate the extra effort!
Of course, the “downside” of exhibiting at an art show is that I did not get to walk around the show and see all of the art! I know that a lot of the artists from LAA and elsewhere had wonderful pieces at the show.
The “upside” of the show is that I got to talk with a number of folks who had interesting stories about places that I had photographed, and to share with them stories that they may not have heard about places that we both enjoy. A couple of folks in my booth had climbed Mount Dana! One woman told me that the Tioga Road (Highway 120) through the higher elevations of Yosemite National Park had CLOSED on Monday because of snow, and will not re-open until spring! I talked with backpackers and Nordic skiers who had visited Tuolumne Meadows in winter and all sorts of rugged hikers who enjoy California’s Wonderland!
I guess that is one of the reasons that I live here.
I have met passionate individuals who seemingly REFUSE to grow old and who stay actively involved with life and living. They are Californians, either native or transplanted, and they are an inspiration to those whom they meet.
I hope that I am becoming one of them.
-Bill at
Cheshire Cat Photo™ – “Your Guide to California’s Wonderland™”
You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. The Cheshire Cat Photo Store on Zazzle contains a wide variety of apparel and gifts decorated with our images of California. Framed prints and prints on canvas can be ordered from our galleries on redbubble®. All locations are accessible from here. Be a “Facebook Fan” of Cheshire Cat Photo here! If you don’t see what you want or would be on our email list for updates, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.
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