Photo Pro Lab. What does it Mean?

I might get too wound up in my work but then again it is my name I am putting on the image. I have been dealing with the same lab for some time now, and from time to time they seem to come un-ravelled for one reason or another. This time I had them print an image they had printed numerous times, and since they didn't have the color corrected image with out the original dirt spot removed I got the image with the dirt spot. I then brought the dirty print that was able to sneak by Inspector 142 back to the lab and they printed another one and the bad one was ripped up and thrown away. I then got a call and was asked if I paid for the print and I said I hadn't but then again the print you gave me had missed the Quality Check. After I explained it to the owner and his daughter today I was then charged for the second print which meant I paid twice for a single usable print. If some one needs to make a lot of money in Miami all they need to do is open a pro lab, and not come unravelled like my current lab seems to do when I need them most.

Looking Ahed with a Little Help From My Friends Please.

I am asking for any ideas you might have as to where it is I could possible show my Everglades Work? I have a few places lined up but I am trying to find a few new places that would help me show my work and build my name. I am still building the show but I do have about 75%of the show ready if I don't create something new that could very well beat out what I already have created. Please give me a call at (305)-721-7770. I went to the Everglades Foundation and all they could come up with is some Walgreens Drug Stores on Miami Beach that has a small space where they show local art. Sorry but this is an idea I couldn't take seriously. The person I spoke with flipped through my portfolio more like he was trying to fan himself rather then taking in what it is I created in this body of work. I figure he was more into the traditional snapshots of the everglades then showing something new and creative. Remind me not to go back to the Everglades Foundation for any creative ideas. Thanks Brian. . . . .

Here is an instillation I completed with my friend Antonio yesterday. This is a public location where the work was purchased and installed for a permanent display of four works. I hope there are more of these type opportunities to come in the near future. Thank you Pat and Tom for your support of my ideas and work.

Is life a dream or should I feel it when I pinch myself? I had a show cancelled when I find a Museum that is considering the possibility of carrying one of my shows and maybe even a second show at a different location. I Had offered my assistance to a well known local commercial photographer, and I have a meeting with them on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of helping out on a large project they have coming up. I have also located a nice location where I could possible do my show if they approve me as well as have the date I would like to open the show. What a great week it has turned out to be after they way the week started it was great to end it in a positive way.

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Everglades National Park Cancelled My Show Due To Their Poor Planing.

The curtains have been closed on my Everglades National Park show in December 2011. I was told that Allen Scott one of the lead rangers was going to replace my show with a ten year anniversary show of the A.I.R.I.E. program. I just hate when a tenth anniversary sneaks up on you with out any warning. I was offered a show date in 2012, and 2013, but I have declined the chance to show as a statement about their poor planning and lack of respect to an artist. I had turned down several chances to show my work in other venues prior to doing the show in the Everglades Gallery out of respect and out of knowing what was the right thing to do for the park that gave me a show and a residency for my Everglades work. So I have turned down the offer to do a show sometime in the next two years, and have turned it all over to Karma. Things happen for any one of a number of reasons, and in the end I know this will be something that turns out right for me and my images of the Everglades. I heard some news today, and it seems that things are coming to a lot better for me and my work as a whole.

I had the chance to attend a lecture by Robin Hill of Robin Hill Photography this week. He was one of the Judges in the American Institute of Architecture Photo Contest this past November. He did a lecture/presentation at the Kendall Camera Club on Thursday night. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was very cool to see his work while hearing about the creative as well as technical approach to his work. His web-site is www.robinhill.net so check it out if you have the chance. The image attached to this post is the image that I won the AIA Photo Contest with. I was in the student category on the count I was taking a drawing class for my Everglades Residency.

All Hands in Recycling

So here is my first cover photo to be used on a local leisure magazine. I was given a topic for the photo, and this is where my creative thought process brought me. I have done some other recycling type images, but never for publication so this was a great pleasure to have the chance to do such an image. I would like to do some more of these images and do work on other publication images but lets see what happens in time. I am working on a few other possibilities but time will tell more.

Everglades Buttonwood Grave Yard.

It seems the more time I spend in the Everglades the more ideas I seem to come up with. I really didn't have any idea to shoot the Florida bear and Panther Skulls till I came across some dried out and cracking muddy areas that to me looked like a desert picture where the earth appears like a mosaic of the earths surface. This particular image was done in what some might call the Button Wood grave yard of storms from years gone by. So with driftwood and a skull captured in black and white I have created this image that I have to say I really like a lot, and I hope you do aswell.

Drama and Support

Do you ever feel like you try and do the right thing but no matter what you do there is always that one person who just doesn't understand what working together is or the importance of it in todays society. I have been working with this person even before my daughter first started middle school, and when I really needed them they weren't there. I don't do things expecting payment in return, but I also don't expect to be pooped on when you need some help. I guess you know who your true friends are when in times of need they are there and ready to help you. So to those who seem to find more importance in self then in self and others together I salute you with the bird of freedom as it fly's before you and your gracious self centered ideals of self importance. If life is a stage then this is a performance not worth seeing.

Fly away and be free if you can.

It seems like this month is about to fly right by as I start to realize that I haven't posted anything to my blog lately. This is an image of my daughter Brianna wind drying the cover of her tent. We had camped in one of the hammocks on Elliot Key, and with an early morning break down we were forced to bring our tents out to the shoreline for some solar and wind drying. So here is my versions of tent drying and a great picture of my daughter.

Here is some of the winter time foliage from the Everglades, and although its not the Famous New England autumn foliage, the colors are very comparable. I have found some hints of color through out the park but once I found this large cluster of color I had to shoot it. I am now starting to re work the technique of putting the camera in the cooler. I really like the feel it creates when you chill the camera, but this is the new version of a chilled camera. I hope you like it Brian Trainor

To Flamingo and Beyond.

This is the view from my early morning drive to the Flamingo District of the Everglades. I often feel as if I could do it blind folded from all the times I have made that journey to Flamingo. Myself and a few others make the journey amongst so many boaters going out from the Flamingo Marina. zIt is so worth the trip but it seems to go on for ever so I often makes stops along the route west to the Flaming Beach.

Home Sweet Home Everglades Style.

So here is my living quarters while I am working in the Everglades. In the past I would always set up a tent but as long as I am working by myself or with one of my daughters this is the substitute for the tent. I move things around, and I can have two people in sleeping bags sleeping comfortable. I really like the idea of having a van rather then a pick up now that I am doing a lot of camping in the Everglades. I sure do like not having to set up and break down a tent every time I want to go camping and working in the Everglades. I don't need my bike rack or any other travel tools since everything fits so easily into the van. A few towels over the windows, and it is Home Sweet Home. I have to say with some of this cold weather we have been getting it's nice to be in the van when the windows are being covered with frost on the outside.

Willimantic Thread Mill.

This is an image from the former textile mill in my hometown back in Connecticut. Although the image might look a little un-even it was done intentionally, and it makes the framing of the image so much easier to complete. I really don't know what all the fuss is about when it comes to photographs being horizontally level and vertically straight. I do know that when the image isn't completely straight it makes the framing so much easier to matt and frame since I don't have to keep the horizontal or vertical lines straight. Try it you might just like it.

One of my favorite Photographic Artist.

My daughter Rachel working with her new camera. I have to say she is learning her new camera very quickly. I like a lot of the ideas she is coming up with, and I look forward to seeing her progress as she grows with her new camera.

Breakfast with a view.

Here is the view from Breakfast on our last day in the Everglades on our recent trip into the Everglades. Two great days of Weather followed by one not so great, but all in all it was a great time even if it did rain. I always feel that the not so good weather always makes for some good photos even if you'r getting rained on.

A new angle for the Everglades.

Now that I have started seriously working on my Artist Residency I am realizing the true importance of presenting the Everglades from a new angle, and it seems to be working. Today I went on a random ride in the rain around the everglades, and found some new places I am going to return back to for another visit. I went fishing for some new images this weekend, and was lucky enough to catch and keep a few really good images this weekend. Shooting on a rainy day in the Everglades with a water proof housing makes for some interesting looks by the passers by. Not that strange looks are a new thing to me and my way of getting the shot. Those looks don't surprise me they just entertain me for what ever reason.

M I A Fair

So here's my side of the story or at least the story I want you to hear. I invited my friend Larry to attend the opening of Miami International Art Fair, and of course he had his camera and I as well. He shot a several images through out the night, and I pretty much left my camera in my pocket till I saw this one. This is one of those images that you can't help but see before you even get it on your preview screen. I shot two or three images and this is what it was. It all comes down to the fact that you either see it or you don't.

Do You See What I See?

I have no know system of how it is I search out what it is I see other then to observe my surroundings and then try to present my interpretation of what it is I have witnessed. I often find great interest in the way light effects the colors and shapes in my images. I am continually searching my surroundings, as well as trying to compose the story for the message I am trying to tell to others. Seeing what I see and not what others see is what makes my images mine. I only want to be me and do what feels right to me.

Learning To Fly.

I think flying is like seeing in that once you learn how to do it it will serve it's purpose. As I have spent most of my life looking I feel I now have the ability to see what it is I am looking at. I am finding that now that I have learned to see I have a better understanding of what I am looking at. I also find the ability to see helps in my ability to convey to others what it is I would like to show others. I find my images are at their best when I am able to convey a message or meaning to the work I am creating and presenting to those who can see what I am presenting. If the message in my work can not be seen I am sending a blank message, and therefore the message is not serving it's purpose.

Thinking about what you see.

Have you ever seen something that made think about what it is you do? Yesterday while presenting my work to a local Broadcasting Class I noticed that there are certain thing I often do in my images. This image is one of those things I often do when creating my work. Capturing the view through a primary medium that alters my photo in one way or another is one of those things I often do. Although I repeat certain thing in my work they don't all look a like.

When I do talks and present a large body of my work together I often become more aware of different aspects and ideas in my work. Some of the style as well as the techniques I often use in creating my work is almost like the DNA of my work. Although my work is continually growing and expanding in ideas I often re-visit some of the same concepts and ideas from time to time.

Here is the second image from the Wynwood Art walk this past Friday night. I am thinking how can I possible get back there to shoot some more images of the original tenants of of Wynwood, and the surrounding neighborhoods. I have a feeling it will end up waiting for the next Art Walk.

An original store front in the neighborhood of what is quickly becoming the happening Wynwood Art District. I hadn't been there since Art Basel, and it seems to be a fast changing area of Art Gallery's, and Studios. I have known this auto body shop to be a busy place well into the night, and as the art walkers leave the streets this garage seems to continue to work well into the night.

Made In The Shade

So here I am trying to add new images everyday, and for today's image I went digging through a great number of images before I found this image and so here is a 2006 image from a hotel we stayed at on a family vacation that took us up the West Coast of Florida.

Cards for your thoughts.

I am now considering a possible venture into creating a line of cards for the various occasions that come with every passing month. I am thinking it would be something to do as long as I limit the number of cards created from each image. My goal is to create cards that display my artistic creativity without creating a mass produced line of cards like the cards at every super store. I will have to see what it is that will work best before I start producing this line of cards, but I feel my idea would work well if I follow my plan.

Sunrise In A Bottle

Wouldn't it be great if we could keep a sunny day in a bottle for those rainy days that seem to happen when you don't want them to happen. This image was from a recent camping trip to Elliot Key in Biscayne National Park. One of the few places in Miami where you have the opportunity to see a sunrise in a sen set all with in the distance of a five minute walk.

Lilly in the Dark.

A lilly in the dark comes to life with a wind up flashlight. After a few attempts at getting light to evenly expose the flower this is what I got. I have a great deal of fun creating these flower images in the dark. I don't alway seem to have a great deal of success working this technique in Black and White but this one seemed to work out pretty well. Hope you like this one cause I sure do.

Catch Of The Day.

Catch of the Day is an image from my Biscayne National Park that was intended to tell the story of how on any single day you can catch as many bottles on the Beaches of the parks coastal islands. However the catch of the Day policy does have a catch and no release policy.

Another Day at Flamingo Comes To An End

I never really like sunrise or sunset pictures, but I guess there is the exception to the rule, and here it is. I don't know that it is so much of an exception to my rule about shooting sunsets, but it did catch my interest, and here it is. The image is a minimalist view from the Flamingo district of Everglades National Park.

Image Title A little Place on the Outside of town called the Everglades.

Images from the past.

While in Connecticut last summer I met a friend, and we went to one of our friends family barns, and this was the keeper that never got away. The image is a rusty door on one of the farm vehicles from years gone by. For me this is great pallet of colors that have come together on their own, and I just had to see it before me.

Where man meets Water, and Water meets Man

This is where man meets and becomes part nature. I like the mix of textures between the soft water, and the very course cement ramp. I am not sure what it was that brought interest to the boat ramp, but I am just glad that I was able to notice the mix of textures, colors and feel that his image presents.

Boat Ramp at the Flamingo District of The Everglades. November 2010