I’ll be giving a talk/seminar at the Westchester Photographic Society tonight titled “Beauty Within – A Journey of the Landscape“, where I talk about my basic approach and philosophy to photography, and present some of my evolving work using a slideshow presentation.
As much as I try and prepare for these lectures, I seem to do best when I just talk from the heart and let the images and the places I’ve photographed inspire me. I do spend a lot of time preparing the actual slideshow (using Apple’s Keynote software), and make many notes about what I want to say. But so often as in photography, the feel of the setting and the audience will dictate my own tempo and direction, and I try and adapt to the people that are present. I guess I can’t get rid of the improvisational nature of my personality, which is why I studied jazz for so many years.
This isn’t always a good strategy for everyone, but it underscores how important it is for any photographer to have a really good grasp of their work, their preferred subjects, and most importantly why they photograph. There is an exercise I recommend to every photographer and you would be amazed at how much you can learn about your creative motivations, and even find some new direction in the process. There’s a great post over on the Pro Nature Photographer website (which I recommend highly) by Brenda Tharp which talks about this exercise - examining our motivations and discovering the gift that is photography and the benefits we all derive from it, including those who purchase prints for their homes or offices.
Becoming as proficient as possible in explaining your work allows you to speak with more authenticity, authority, and ultimately will improve your photography immensely. I know it has for me, an important reason why I love to talk to other photographers, whether personally or in lectures and seminars. I will be giving a free landscape photography seminar soon in my hometown of Beacon, and I’ll post the details here and on my Facebook page in the near future. I’m always available for speaking engagements, so please contact me of you’d like me to speak at an event, whether photography related or otherwise.
New York, NY – Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center has selected five prints by Hudson Valley photographer Robert Rodriguez Jr, to be on permanent display at their new renovated building. The Milstein Family Heart Center, is a six-story, 142,000 square-foot building featuring dramatic glass curtain facade and offers sweeping views of the Hudson River.
Art Consultant Bernice K. Leader from Leader Associates Art Consulting chose “Jordan Pond Colors”, “Lake Tiorati Sunrise”, “Magic Moment”, “Drops of Water”, to be displayed at the 1st floor open space atrium. A 20×60 canvas of “Lake Tiorati’ was chosen for their ICU unit.
Robert is humbled that his serene landscapes is on permanent display at one of the most respected hospitals in New York City. He hopes that patients and doctors will have a glimpse of the beauty of nature here in the Hudson Valley.
If you would like to bring nature into your office, retail, or home environment as a fine art print, canvas, or mural please call us for a free consultation at 888-425-4755.
Beacon, NY – Bank Square Coffee House installed Robert Rodriguez Jr’s “Mighty Storm King” mural at their main street location. Bank Square Coffee House is Beacon’s newest and finest coffeehouse featuring high quality Hudson Valley roasted coffee and vegan baked goods. Long time Beacon residents, Leonard and Katy (owners) are outdoor enthusiasts who wanted to bring the beauty of the Hudson Valley “inside” for their local patrons and tourists to enjoy. They also own Mountain Tops Outfitters, an outdoor recreational shop (right across the street), offering all the gear and apparel needed for hiking and kayaking.
The 54 x 128 mural is at their main entrance and depicts Storm King Mountain, a popular landmark in the Hudson Valley. In the 1960′s, Con Ed proposed to build a pumped storage hydroelectric power plant at the mountain to meet the rapidly expanding power demand in the New York City region. This marked the beginnings of a new era of environmental advocacy in the U.S.
Thanks to objections of the locals and the formation of Scenic Hudson , today Storm King Mountain remains a national landmark representing the start of the modern environmental movement.
For locally grown coffee, smoothies, teas, vegan baked goods, visit Bank Square Coffeehouse at 129 Main Street, Beacon, NY.
If you would like to bring nature into your corporate, retail or office environment as a fine art print, canvas, or mural, please call us for a free consultation at 888-425-4755.
