albradenphoto's blog

Inner Ocotillo Photogaph to be shown at Austin’s People’s Gallery 2012

Administrator — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:40:40 +0000

Austin City Hall features artwork throughout the building, selected from an annual competition managed by Jean Graham of Austin’s Cultural Arts Divison. For the 2012 People’s Gallery over 1,500 works were submitted by over 350 central Texas artists in all media. Chosen for this year’s show was one of my Inner Ocotillo series begun in the heat of August last summer at Big Bend National Park. These wide angle photos look upward to the sun as the branching ocotillos leaf out in response to rain and work quickly to store energy. When dry times return – generally the case at Big Bend – they shed their leaves to conserve water. Going to Big Bend in August is always a challenge and in 2011 it was 110 at river level every day. Many desert plant species were dying of heat and drought, but a few recent showers revived the ocotillos.

Here Ocotillo branches reach for the sun in the heat of August at Big Bend National Park, Texas.

This series of photos has been well received and prints have been chosen for exhibit at Texas Tech University, Texas Photographic Society and now the People’s Gallery. Interestingly – certainly this is a subjective activity – each juror has selected a different images for their exhibit. Additional Big Bend photos can be found on my stock photography website. The Big Bend gallery is at http://albraden.photoshelter.com/gallery/Big-Bend-National-Park-TX-240-photos/G0000LY1P27ShuzI/

Landscape Workshop at Sendero Studio November 19th.

Administrator — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:19:18 +0000

Sendero Studio, Austin, Texas has initiated a series of photographic workshops for the Austin photo community. This studio is a partnership among prominent photo journalists, Eli Reed (Magnum Photos Bio), Dawn Jones-Garcia (www.jonesgarcia.com), and Katie Hayes Luke (www.katiehayesluke.com).

Sendero Studio’s mission includes: “. . . committed to creating a photographic community and ongoing learning environment, dedicated to helping photographers re-visualize and focus on their work. Through collaborative feedback and photography-related events, Sendero aims to foster thoughtful conversations about photography.” These seminars, as well as ongoing monthly portfolio reviews and discussion meetings, further that emerging photographic community. For more information, see Sendero Studios online.

Here is the course description.

Course description for Landscape workshop by Al Braden

See Al’s bio at: http://senderostudio.com/fall-2011-workshops/instructor-bios

Sendero Studios Instructor Bio for Al Braden

For more information on Al Braden’s photography, see www.albradenphoto.com

Lightroom 3 Seminar Scheduled Oct. 15 and 16 by Austin Photographer Al Braden at Sendero Studios

Administrator — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:26:14 +0000

Sendero Studios, Austin, Texas is launching a series of photographic seminars to engage photographers in the central Texas region. The studio is a partnership among prominent photo journalists, Eli Reed (Magnum Photos Bio), Dawn Jones-Garcia (www.jonesgarcia.com), and Katie Hayes Luke (www.katiehayesluke.com).

The seminar outline, show below, can be found at: http://senderostudio.com/fall-2011-workshops

Sendero Studios Fall Lightroom 3 Seminar by Al Braden

See Al’s bio at: http://senderostudio.com/fall-2011-workshops/instructor-bios

Sendero Studios Instructor Bio for Al Braden

For more information on Al Braden’s photogaphy, see www.albradenphoto.com

PhotoShelter Chooses Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Triptych for September Feature

Administrator — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:42:35 +0000

PhotoShelter, the New York based photo archive, with 65,000 photographer contributor/members has chosen one of my Rio Grande/Rio Bravo triptychs for it’s September feature slide show on it’s Find Professional Photos and Photographers page. This image, one of twenty on a rotating basis, is featured for the month of September and highlights images that the PhotoShelter staff finds as the most compelling. PhotoShelter is one of the premier independent stock photo sites on the net, where photographers can feature the best of their work for stock and print sales as well as portfolios to attract new clients.

PhotoShelter monthly slide show highlights images available on the site. This image is by Al Braden of the border fence, Fabens, TX.

The image chosen, ‘You’re In/Out’ is a triptych of the border fence at Fabens, Texas by Austin based environmental photographer Al Braden. It is part of a larger portfolio imaging the border in the historic and contentious border region of El Paso del Norte. The full portfolio is on PhotoShelter at: http://albraden.photoshelter.com/gallery/El-Paso-Texas-Border-Triptychs/G0000VinztvFQldM/

Braden continues to work on the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo as part of an ongoing project to better understand the history and current issues surrounding this iconic river.

Keene Pumpkin Festival Photo Featured at National Geographic Travel Online

Administrator — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:46:21 +0000

National Geographic Travel picked a photo of the Keene Pumpkin Festival at Central Square for the lead recommendation of Top 10 U.S. Halloween Events that are free to see. Strictly speaking, the Pumpkin Festival, which is scheduled for October 22, 2011, is a fall harvest festival. It’s Guinness World Record 28,952 lit jack-o-lanterns certainly associates it with the celebration of Halloween also.

Here’s the link: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/free-to-see/halloween-events-us/

And, since online news is fleeting, here is the full story:

National Geographic Travel Features Keene Pumpkin Festival Photo by Al Braden

Much more information on the Keene Pumpkin Festival can be found at my specialized website: www.picturepumpkinfestival.com

Big Bend Journal: 110 and no rain in a year.

Administrator — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:33:05 +0000

My recent trip to Big Bend in August was the hottest and driest I can remember. A ranger reported less than an inch of rain at Castelon in over a year. Lechugilla – the marker species of the great Chihuahuan Desert – were dying in vast areas. Creosote bush too – the plant you can’t get rid of. And at the river level – 110 degrees – too hot to touch the ground. That, and a dazed crow at Rio Grande Village in the east, created the first of many songs that I don’t want to write. Songs for the new earth. I hope we stop this march over the tipping point.

Lechugilla and Creosote Dying at Big Bend.

Dried Prickly Pear at Rio Grande Overlook.

One Ten at the Rio Grande
Al Braden
8-11-11

Black crow hobblin’ cross the lot
Dry tongue hanging loose,
Too hot to fly
Too hot to walk,
Pant now into some shade,
One ten at the Rio Grande

Hot winds run cross the desert
Lechugilla all dried dead
Creosote bush too,
Some prickly pear, some pitayas gone
Where are those living rocks?
One ten at the Rio Grande

Ocotillas leafed up and hoping
Terlingua Creek ran some last night
Never reaching that Santa Elena
Some Prickly Pears fine, Dog Chollas too.
Just one ten at the Rio Grande.

Coyote lookin’ for rabbits
Rattlers lookin’ too
Rabbits looking for anything green
Greens looking for rain
It’s one ten at the Rio Grande

Black crow hoppin’ to shade
Mouth open for air,
Too hot to fly and
Too hot and dry,
It’s one ten at the Rio Grande

Just got here by car
Survived by my AC
Used coal to power my ice cream taco
Where do I go after this?
One ten at the Rio Grande
One ten at the Rio Grande

Black crow in the shade
Looks the other way
Prickly pears are dying
Lechugilla too
Small rains hit an acre
One ten at the Rio Grande
One ten at the Rio Grande

My son Dan put it to music and animation. While the animation guy has a bit of trouble with desert plant names, the essence of the story comes through loud and clear. See http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12393402/one-ten-at-the-rio-grande

I think he tells the story well.

Prints of Gabriel and Connor at Food Show, Laity Lodge, Leakey, TX

Administrator — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:48:49 +0000

A rare opportunity to use photos of my terrific grand kids! Ginger Geyer, Austin based ceramic sculpture artist, curates an annual art show at the Laity Lodge. This ecumenical retreat center in Leakey offers a chance for over 2,500 people – youth and adults – to meet an explore the greater meaning of Christ’s teaching in a remote and rustic hill country setting. Across all denominational lines, the lodge promotes fellowship and lay ministry renewal. Geyer leads art seminars through the year and brings together an art show each fall.

Many examples of Geyer’s original and remarkable sculpture can be see at her online gallery, www.gingergeyer.com/index.html

This year’s show, titled, “O Taste and See: The Food Show” celebrates the many contexts in which food nourishes us: physically, socially, ritually, spiritually and more. It will run September 2 through November 20 and include works from a wide variety of central Texas artists.

It seemed appropriate to me to create prints of Gabriel and Connor ritually celebrating their 4th birthdays around the birthday cake.

Gabriel blowing out candles on his 4th Birthday cake - now nearly 5 years ago.

Connor takes a deep breath in preparation for making a wish - the birthday ritual.

Of course, when not celebrating birthdays and other festive meal occasions, or following Gabriel and Connor’s sports adventures, I’m known to travel the outdoors in search of photographs. Examples are in my PhotoShelter Galleries online at: http://albraden.photoshelter.com/gallery-list.

New Panaoramic Photos of Austin, Texas Skyline

Administrator — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:21:24 +0000

I’ve just completed some up-to-date panoramic photos of the Austin skyline. Since 2007, a building boom of high rise condos has dramatically added to the downtown view. Here are some pictures of Austin today, taken from the Long Center for the Performing Arts at Auditorium shores.

New Austin Texas Skyline Panorama - Afternoon Light

And later in the evening . . .

New Austin Texas Skyline Panoramic Photo at Night

These, and many more, images of the new Austin skyline are available for purchase or license on my PhotoShelter Web.site.

And for more panoramic pictures, check out this Panoramic Picture Gallery.

New Connecticut River Photos Show Pictures of Spring Freshet

Administrator — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:54:54 +0000

New photos from April show the spring freshet – high water levels due to run-off – at selected sites along the Connecticut River, from Back River in Old Lyme, CT up through Wethersfield Cove and Hartford in Connecticut, then Holyoke and Turners Falls, MA, Vernon VT and finally the high water in the natural channel at Bellows Falls, VT. Also shown is construction of the new dock at Steamboat Landing for the Connecticut River Museum in Essex, Ct.

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Dock Repairs, Steamboat Dock, Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT.

Sunset over Back River at the mouth of the Connecticut River, Old Lyme, CT.

Spring High Water, Wethersfield Cove on Connecticut River, Wethersfield, CT.

Spring High Water, Connecticut River, Hartford, CT.

Spring High Water, Connecticut River, Turners Falls, MA.

Spring High Water, Connecticut River, Bellows Falls, VT.

These photos, and many more from this spring, have been added to my stock photography galleries on PhotoShelter. These pictures and images are available for purchase or license.

For a slide show tour of the entire Connecticut River, from the Fourth Connecticut Lake to Long Island Sound, see my specialized website: www.pictureconnecticutriver.com.

New Firework Photo Web Site Launched

Administrator — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:55:16 +0000

How better to celebrate fireworks than with a special web site dedicated to firework photography? There, a slide show displays many of my best firework pictures. There is also a gallery of firework images, tips on how to photograph fireworks with digital cameras and links into my PhotoShelter archives where firework photos can be purchased or licensed. It’s all at:

www.picturefireworks.com

Picture Fireworks Photos Home

Here are some other sample firework pictures:

Fireworks over Connecticut River celebrate Riverfest at Hartford, CT.

Fountain display blends with aerial fireworks.

Fireworks display by Atlas Pyrovision in Jaffrey NH.

Many more firework images are on the web site. Check it out!