New Studio Project

 This week I was in the studio on a rainy day - perfect for studio work.  I had some cool old pieces of metal that I'd been saving for some kind of art project and was about to shoot them to sell on Etsy as a vintage recycled supply, but as I was examining them and cleaning off some debris, I wondered how they might look in still life images.  So I found a couple of cool old pieces of wood for background and set them up.

Before long I was clicking away, repositioning them and playing with camera settings.  The wood and metal were perfect for black and white I thought.

Later, as I edited them in Paint Shop Pro, I was moving the slider for saturation, which is how I turn color images into black and white before I decide on sharpness and exposure.  Of course the trick is to get these settings mostly right in the camera while shooting, so very little editing is required.

As I moved the slider on the saturation setting I noticed something I liked.  If I only went to say 90% or 88% saturation, it still looked black and white, but had just enough color to give it a little more dimension.  Hmm, I thought, this is cool.

So here are the first in the series.  I may be listing them on my Pixels site if I'm convinced they're done, but could return to the studio for another run at it. 

If you'd like a print now, contact me and I'll get one to you on either a metallic gloss or matte paper for around $20 for a 5x7 and $30 for an 8x10, plus shipping.

copyright JGP 2021

copyright JGP 2021

copyright JGP 2021

copyright JGP 2021

copyright JGP 2021

copyright JGP 2021

copyright JGP 2021

Black and White Prints for Tiny Homes

I'm getting ready to list the newest collection of black and white fine art prints that I shot in 2020. Now that I'm back on Etsy it's a lot of fun to prepare the listings as there are 10 slots for images. This gives me the creative license to tell a story with each image I offer. While most are just samples and examples of how to frame or display them, I think it will help the buyer to get an idea of how it will look in their home or office. I cater to the Tiny Home Movement, because I think my images are the perfect art for tiny spaces. Simple, clear, organic photography of landscapes or historic architecture. Here are a few of the first images that will be available at J Gray Design .

 

Shoot Local in 2021

 It's official!  It's a new year!  2021, sounds so futuristic doesn't it?  This could be a game changer for us.

I'm keeping my plans humble and realistic.  It hit me just the other day before the end of the year, "Less Art = Better Art".  This is my new motto.  Basically it just means I'll try harder to get better images and choose only the very best to show and sell.  A painful realization that comes to me when I see really, really good work.  But I don't compare myself or judge my work, I just know I need to try a little harder.

Weather, pandemics and my day job are all challenging obstacles to being able to shoot - something - anything, on a regular basis.  Recently I've taken to picking up leaves on my few walks a week I can manage to fit in.  They're a wonderful study in texture and light, my two favorite things, and I now have suitable studio lighting set up for things like that.

Here's one I did recently.

copyright JG Photography 2020

copyright JG Photography 2020

These are available on my website at https://j-gray.pixels.com .
Soon I'll create more handmade greeting cards and these could be among them.  Those are available in my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/JGrayDesign 
 

Back to Blogging

 Photography is a funny hobby.  It ebbs and flows with our inspiration or determination.  

This year I started a new website on Shopify and well, the results weren't as good as I would have liked.  It was fun but the reality of the budget has me putting it on hold for the winter.  

I still have my Pixels site (aka: Fine Art America), at a fraction of the cost, so my images are still available there.  I can also still continue to take custom printing orders in the studio too, but people may have a little harder time finding me.
In a few days my domain name will transfer there (www.jenigrayphotography.com).

I reopened the Etsy shop this month too.  It's really affordable and a great place for the handmade greeting cards.  I also listed the 2021 calendars there for now.  You can find it at  https://www.etsy.com/shop/JGrayDesign .

So the creativity and online venues can continue at least, through the winter.

I never had another leasing client after the first one, but I probably didn't get the word out enough, or people were just too busy staying home and staying safe.

I hope to get back to some blogging this winter here.  What photography topics are people looking for? 
I'm also always on the Facebook page too, Jeni Gray Photography, and on Instagram find me at jenigray.photography.

This year I selected the following photo for my Christmas / Holiday card, from the coastal collection, the last trip out to Ruby Beach in 2019.

"Sunrise at Ruby"

 

Featured Artist

What an honor to be the featured artist for the summer edition of Tracing the Fjord, our local magazine for the Hood Canal.

The profile highlighted this year's new addition of an art leasing program and a little background on me.
The funnest part for me was the challenge of putting something together for them on short notice.  I did a self portrait in the backyard since the chipmunks were too busy feeding to help, and was able to pull it off with two tripods and the timer.

The Hood Canal is a great place to showcase my work that features the entire Olympic Peninsula, in homes, vacation rentals and businesses.

Thanks Tracing the Fjord!!

More Shopping Options

I have finally decided to get more professional with a "real" website, e-commerce and all!  

I'm using Shopify.  I've had my eye on them for years and this year decided it was time.

It's perfect for me because I offer several different products, all hand made or done in house at least.  I can offer my fine art prints, handmade cards, calendars and books, all on one website!!  I'm so excited!

I have used the same URL that used to point to my Fine Art America site:  www.jenigrayphotography.com .  Please visit and have a look around.

I've also created a new way to have art in your home or office.  I've created leased collections that are great for real estate staging and vacation rentals.  Rent by the month, rotate with a new collection.  More info is available on my site, or schedule a phone consultation, right from my site.

A new ad came out in the summer edition of Tracing the Fjord and they also did a nice Artist Profile on me.  My first customer was a local realtor who needed a framed piece for staging a listing.

This is going to be fun!!!

A new tripod called to me this year too.  I have drooled over those ball head types for years, finally one became available in my humble price range and is now proudly set up in the living room.  

I hope you're following me on Instagram @jenigray.photography and Facebook @jenigrayphotography.  That's where the photo sharing has been happening. 

2020 Calendars

Here we go out of 2019 and into 2020, a new decade!  How exciting.

I decided to do a couple of calendars for next year since I had so many new images.  I've done a wall calendar and a desk calendar - January through December 2020.  All the image locations are listed on the wall calendar but the desk calendar is very minimalist.

 

As you can see, the wall calendar has a nice luster black background and the desk calendar is more charcoal. The latter is also the size of a CD case!  In fact that's what it comes in and is used as a stand.  Pretty clever.

These were available on my Facebook page for a week or so but I sold out quickly just before Christmas.  I will now be offering them by special order only, prepaid.  If you are interested, please leave a comment or contact me via email at jenigray101@gmail.com or Messenger (@jenigrayphotography on Facebook) if you are interested.  PayPal or local pick up only.

The wall calendar is $22 plus $5.50 shipping and the desk calendar is $20 plus $4 shipping.  Obviously no shipping charge for local pick up.

Thank you all for a wonderful first full year back in this medium I so love.  I'll be writing a little more about that in my next post.

Happy New Year!!

UPDATE!!!  Hey, these are now available online!!!  Check them out here (prices may vary than from this post).
https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Shop/jenigrayphotography 

Photo Trip to Port Angeles

Eager to take the new gear out for more photos, I headed north up highway 101 to Port Angeles.  I couldn't resist a stop at the Sequim sunny Farms store en route, however, as it has the best produce and local honey!

This trip was a first for me.  I know, I've lived on this peninsula for over 25 years, but going out on back roads is not usually my style.  It's just like they say, get off the main road!  See the sights along the less traveled areas.

My main attraction was the Salt Creek area, on the northern most end of the Olympic Peninsula which views the body of water called the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Not the ocean exactly, but close.  You can look across that body of water and see Vancouver island.

The images from this trip took three stops.  Salt Creek park, a lookout area and the actual beach.
These are the only two black and whites from that area.

This one was from the waterfront of the campground.

This is on the beach at Salt Creek itself.  The tide was coming in fast so I didn't have any more time than to snap about three shots and get back around the bend before the water filled the cove.

The campground there is delightful, I must visit again.

Near this area I found a road that lead me to some old bunkers you could actually drive through!  I enjoyed taking pictures here, and even encountered an apparition, although I didn't know it until I uploaded the photos to my computer.
This place was a little dark, quiet and I was there alone, not my favorite combination but it didn't really feel scary, just empty.

Here are the shots from the bunkers.

If you zoom in on the above image and look near the ground on the right, you'll see an odd shaped spherical object.

 If you enjoy black and white fine art photography in your home or office, please visit the Fine Art Prints page here on the blog at https://jenigraybydesign.blogspot.com/p/fine-art-prints.html or my website directly:  www.jenigrayphotography.com .
If you're on Instagram, fine me @jenigray_by_design .

New Photo Gear

I wasted no time getting out for my first photo trip to test out the new gear.
Just yesterday I purchased a used camera with many choice lenses, several I was itching to try out in the wild.

I decided to drive up to Port Townsend as it's only an hour away and is home to some magnificent architecture as well as waterfront views.
Before I got into town however, I had an idea to first visit the Fort Worden State Park where the Point Wilson Lighthouse is.

Mind you I had not even taken the time to learn this camera, but it was very similar to my previous one.  I just fired at will in a state of complete bliss.

My favorite lens that day was the 10-20mm wide angle lens.  The sky was perfect, light odd shaped clouds and bright sun.  It was a little cold but dry for October.

Here was the take away from the lighthouse area.

These look fantastic on metallic paper too!

As I walked along the beach I came to what looked like a gate entrance, with some odd looking trees and a big metal barrel on a hill - which I'm guessing is the original "lighthouse", where a large fire would burn.

I thought I was done shooting and was about to head back to the car, when I decided instead to see where the trail lead.  I came upon a row of bunkers and when I looked to my left I was completely surprised by the largest bunker structure I had ever seen - two stories and a third floor top room.  This was a massive concrete structure with stairs and many rooms.
No one else was around as I headed toward it, but something told me to instead take some stairs to the left and down to the ground floor.
When I got down there and looked back up at this amazing mass of concrete, a rather seemly looking fellow came out of one of the rooms at the top!  He was leaning in the doorway, looking out, smoking a cigarette.  Actually I wanted to take his picture, it would have been great, however my better judgement decided not to approach him.

Here are a few shots of that area.

I was in awe at the size of it.  The tall creepy trees and interesting clouds this day really made this first trip a hit.
I did end up going into town as well and tried out a few more lenses.

All of my final images are on the Fine Art Prints page at https://jenigraybydesign.blogspot.com/p/fine-art-prints.html or visit my website at www.jenigrayphotography.com .
If you're on Instagram, find me @jenigray_by_design. 

New Photo Shop Open!

Finally!  The time has come and all the stars aligned to have time for this project.
I opened "Jeni Gray Photo Studio" today, April 6th, 2019.  You can visit now here .

I have the first five images uploaded, described and ready to sell.  These are unique, small, and feature my latest work from the coast to the forest.

 

I toiled over paper types, and tried samples of everything.  I decided on three paper types and two sizes to start.  5x7 for standard framing, although the images are often full frame, the paper will always be reliable 5x7 with white borders.  Then there are the square ones, 5x5 with white borders but also square images.  These are great with Instagram folks, and fun for small spaces.

So here's the line up of papers.

Moab Slickrock Metallic Pearl is what I chose for a glossy metallic, rich black and white paper.  It really makes the driftwood and high contrast images pop!

Then there's the artsy Hahnemuhle Matte Fine Art Albrecht Durer, a heavy, textured matte paper that makes images look like a painting!  Only some images will be using this paper, it needs a special kind of artistic print.

Then my standard Matte will be on Epson Premium Presentation Matte.  It's got enough guts for contrast, but still soft enough for a romantic feel.

This way there are several choices for customers. 

5x5 square

Metallic Pearl and Matte

 I'll be adding new images to the store throughout the month of April.
Also, there are introductory specials happening and Free US Shipping all month!

Update 12-2019:  Closed this shop, sorry to get your hopes up!  Some things have changed and I'm taking a step back.
I do have some new images that are all available on my main website at www.jenigrayphotography.com/   .

I'll be back to blogging here early next year, meanwhile I have been blogging about my photo trips over at Huckleberry Hollow.

I'll have this all sorted out shortly!  Thanks for your patience.

Better Late Than Never?

Opening a new photo sales venue has taken longer than expected.  I was sure the new year was the right time, but challenges kept coming up.  Finally I decided instead of feeling behind, I would just change the launch date to the first of February!  There, now I'm ahead of schedule.

So many things have had to happen.  Mailing envelopes, backing board inserts, clear archival sleeves and of course beautiful archival papers to print on!  All from different sources of course, but thank goodness for the Internet!  All ordered and over the last several weeks things have come in.

Many thanks go out to Brendon Burchard's latest book "High Performance Habits".  Even for a tiny one woman show like mine, his advice has kept me on target, clear and inspired!  I'm on my second read through by the way, this time with a highlighter!

My portfolio is up and I'm still working on the layout over at Zenfolio, link coming or you can just go there and search for me.  I'm pretty sure this will be my initial landing page for my domain name, then the images will link to purchasing in the new Etsy shop.  Still a few details to work out there.
I'll continue  to use Fine Art America for products and large prints.

Meanwhile, I'm shooting new work and staying in practice.  I had an idea to shoot a short series of trees.  They're so interesting and contrast well against the fog or bright sun at this time of year.
Follow me on Instagram for those @jenigrayphoto.  Here's a teaser for you.

And here's the collection that was accepted on Displate.  They print metal posters, so these should look really interesting on metal!

A winter blog post would not be complete if I didn't tell you that these long dark days are sometimes challenging for me.  I am not inspired all the time!  But eating good, exercising and meditating are my greatest tools through these times.  I hope you're taking good care of yourself as well.

More updates in a week or so.

Finding Your Pace

I have been in a whirlwind of activity since I returned from my mini vacation out to the Washington State coast in September.  I took over 300 images on two different cameras, one film, one digital.  Shot some infrared too, on a vacant Ruby Beach!  Unheard of - unless you're there really early.

Once back home the editing began, and lasted, for over a month!  Other things to do, pesky chores like work and bathing, but once those were complete, back to the computer I went.

RAW conversions, cropping, a little exposure adjustment here, or straightening that crooked horizon there (oops!).  In the end I had about 60 images I liked, good enough for the website.

I'm proud of this collection, best work I've done in many years.  Basically organic in nature, all black and white, no HDR or over processed looking.  Just nice fine art.

Every artist goes into a project with giddy excitement, or dread, sometimes, but anticipation all the same, for a successful outcome.  They're not all masterpieces, but they are ours, our art, our creation, our heart and soul.  But it's like a bird, you've got to let it fly, release it to the world.  Some will like it, some won't.  I make it for me and for those that like it.  I don't spend any time fretting about opinions, you know what they say about those...

Along with the creation of this new collection, I have had to update some things.  Acquired a new domain name for the site I'm currently using, you can visit there anytime at www.jenigrayphotography.com .  By next year I hope to have a stand alone site with e-commerce and my own printing company, but for now I'll be using the reliable folks at Fine Art America who do everything from printing to matting to framing and ship it directly to you!  

I've also acquired a new laptop that is more current and can handle better photo editing software - soon I hope to be using Lightroom, just like the big kids!  For now I am going back and forth between two computers to make it all work.

A million other things, glitches and challenges have come up too, but I just kept going and moving forward, and staying sane.  Lots of breaks, rest and positive attitudes had to be in order for this journey.

So my lesson, and my advice, is Pace Yourself!  If it's your passion and you love it, keep doing it.

Like that line from The Pursuit of Happiness "If you have a dream, do it, period".  

Back to Black and White

What is it about black and white that speaks to our soul.  Not really a question, but an observation.  I am drawn to the black and white image, it draws me into a zone.  It makes a photograph art.

I just added this image to my new Etsy Shop for instant download.  It will lend itself well to stationery, greeting cards or as a lovely background to someone's clever graphic art text.  (Note that the watermark is not visible on the purchased image).

I also just added this image of some old glass insulators I have sitting on the front porch.  They once lined my fence posts.

It looks black and white, but is actually a very subdued color.  I like the hues.

I'm also happy to announce that you can license any of my images on Etsy if you want to use them to reproduce a product to sell.  I was going to keep the use restricted to just personal use, but realized that I could easily add my own licensing agreement as an added download.

Things are going really well!  I hope you're enjoying the news.