Suzhou

Away from jet airplanes,

computers, and CNN

is a garden in Suzhou.

A child waits there,

quiet and pure as a peach.

It was like Christmas; opening boxes  -  two Quattro Flourescent light sets, daylight balance light bulbs (35 watts each), reflector diffuser,  and a portable translucent shooting  table. After taking a class at Calumet http://www.calumetphoto.com/on how to photograph small things, I bought some equipment for my studio.  I needed some lighting anyway. When my studio ceiling began to fall down (the chunks were an inch thick)  I tore out the light fixtures.  I have no lights in there – only a wall of windows – great natural light. So I needed the lights anyway . The table top desk is good because I can put it on the floor and shoot looking down at the object. Now I will have no excuse – better photographs of my Artists Books.  I’m not counting these images though. I took these with my iphone, I couldn’t wait. I just wanted to set uo everything right away and try it out. The “book” is a collaborative book I  made with my grand daughter. You can see I  borrowed her swan which has become a permanent part of my Artist Book, ‘ The Queen’s Swans.’

‘The Queen’s Swans’  is made up of 20 accordian books containing original watercolor and graphite drawings of the swans on the river Thames near Windsor Castle and a plastic swan. The pieces are housed in a  box with a bamboo cover.

This was the actual view from our apartment. I have a series of photographs taken at this time. This one was shot at 1/500 sec at f 5.5 ISO 400. We had a friend who was a pilot for these boats. He would tell us about his mornings out on the water before the San Francisco area woke up and started the activities of the day,

Friday morning the fog crept under the Golden Gate bridge and quietly moved along the water over to Coit Tower. Sts Peter and Paul Church in North Beach/ Telegraph Hill peaked through the frothy shape.  Joe DiMaggio, who grew up in the neighborhood, returned to live there with his wife Marilyn Monroe during the 1950s.

January 27, 2012 1/160 sec at f/29 ISO 400 8:28 AM

This was the view we had from our apartment. We looked at a picture that was always changing. Besides making drawings and paintings for my Artists Book, I made photographs. This photograph was taken at 5:34 in the morning.1.3 sec at f/4.0 The focal length was 28mm ISO 200. I didn’t have a tripod so I set up my Canon EOS Digital rebel XTI  on a pile of books on a table. Then, I put the camera on  timer and experimented with different settings. A bit crazy, too, it was dark, I’m trying to see the dials with a flashlight – I have to remember where they are on the camera!  I’m trying to be quiet so I don’t wake up my husband, then of course when I do try that, I usually crash something.There’s not a lot of time to fiddle around because the light changes rapidly.

I’m working on how to show bigger images on my WordPress site here but so far all I can say it click on the image to see it bigger. It makes a difference. If anyone has a suggestion on a better layout for my blog, I’d love to hear about it.

I’m thinking about adding a page for my photographs.

Right now you can see them on the following  website  http://www.carla-saunders-photography.com

Stacked up inside this pyramid are separate books.

Luxor, Egypt ,Karnak and The Nile

Each book is filled with poems, transfers, rubbings, collage,

drawings and paintings. All drawings were made on site.

Polaroid transfers  from slides are included  in the pyramid,

so is an accordion book made out of tickets to the various monuments.

The monument tickets have a photo of that particular monument which gets stamped when you go in.

Egypt   2001

9″ x  9″ x 8″  pyramid base, grid paper, polaroid prints, transfers, rubbings, collage,

drawings, paintings, tickets, poems, one polaroid transfer on papyrus.

There are two photographs of mine in the newly published book, ‘BetterPhoto Guide to Creative Digital Photography’ by Jim Moitke and Kerry Draper. The above image,’ Your Tax Dollars at Work,’ illustrates  Rule of Thirds. Another one of my images in the book illustrates high-key photographs, http://www.photopoly.net/how-to-take-high-key-photos/. Go to Amazon http://www.amazon.com/BetterPhoto-Guide-Creative-Digital-Photography/dp/0817424997/ref=pd_sim_b_4 Where it says,  Search Inside this book, type in Carla Saunders. You’ll be able to see both photographs. Computer technology is so amazing to me.

The book came out just in time for the Christmas season. Besides being able to give the book as a present, I think it is a really good book. Composition, color and design  - no mater if you paint, draw, make photographs, this book reminds you of all the classic principles of art.

This photograph taken by David Alosi reminds me of the art schools in Bhutan where traditional art is taught.

My friends wore the traditional costume of Bhutan when they were in public. As soon as they got home they would change into jeans.

In front of the Oakland – San Francisco Bay Bridge, fireworks fill the sky over the Transamerica building. During the holidays, more  than 17,000 lights decorate four buildings in the Embarcadero district.

Have you thought of your new years resolution? I have. Tomorrow starts a new series – back to slow art, drawings from my travel sketchbooks starting with Seattle. My plan is to create short posts more often.