Blog
Photo 365 No. 67 – Framed
During Portland’s July 4th celebration along the waterfront, local trumpeter and comic Kirk Reeves works his magic on a passerby.
Framed
Photo 365 #66 – Sparkle Motion
During the last seven weeks my Photo 365 project has taken a back seat to the accelerating success of my web design and development business. I’m very thankful that word of mouth for my business continues to be strong and that I keep picking up one fascinating web client after another.
Given my Photo 365 absence, I’m going to add seven weeks to the end of this project, in which I post a new photo each day for a year. Shooting, editing and processing photos exercises a whole different set of artistic muscles and I love to “feel the burn.”
This is a shot of a fellow reveler at Portland’s July 4th celebration along the waterfront. (I couldn’t resist titling this post “Sparkle Motion” because one of my favorite movie phrases is from Donnie Darko, delivered in Beth Grant’s delicious Southern accent: “Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!”)
Sparkle Motion
Photo 365 #65 – Walking and Wildlife
I want to pick at this sign … and keep picking, and picking …
Walking and Wildlife
Photo 365 #64 – The Fallen
It’s sobering for me to count the rings on this tree (on a nature trail at Rock Creek) and realize it’s older than I am.
The Fallen
Photo 365 #63 – Portland Maelstrom
After experiencing a year’s worth of blandly bright, cloudless, smoggy skies in Los Angeles, I’ve been reveling in Portland’s dramatic skyscape.
Portland Maelstrom
Photo 365 #62 – All Dressed in White
I’m not sure when my apartment parking lot turned into a dealership specializing only in white cars, but I’ve yet to receive my cut.
All Dressed in White
Photo 365 #61 – So Inviting
I can’t wait to sit here for a spell and let all my troubles wash over me. I mean, wash away from me.
So Inviting
Photo 365 #60 – The 300 Look
This shot might not scream “SPARTANS!” but I used Matt Kloskowski’s “300 Look” Adobe Lightroom preset, which was inspired by the film 300‘s visual style, to accentuate the white and red of the bench, while giving the rest of the image a sepia tone.
The 300 Look
Photo 365 #59 – Lego My Arm
OK, so I’ll admit that as a Lego-loving kid I used to play a little rough with the little plastic people … going so far as to melt a hole in one hapless soul’s chest with my mom’s glue gun, and then wrap twine around his neck and pull at both ends until his head popped off. But at least I didn’t disrespect them to the point of just discarding their body parts in the middle of the road.
Lego My Arm
Photo 365 #58 – Convergence
Modern lines at PCC’s Rock Creek campus.
Convergence
Photo 365 #57 – Flight of the Bumblebee
I must have looked absurd as I was spastically bouncing around a little tree to keep this bumblebee within my sights.
Flight of the Bumblebee
Photo 365 #56 – Drips & Etches
A close-up of an outdoor sculpture at PCC Rock Creek.
Drips & Etches
Photo 365 #55 – Double Rainbow
The sky served up a special treat this rainy afternoon, beyond my balcony.
Double Rainbow
Photo 365 #54 – Liquid Ideograms
One of the themes that’s emerging in my Photo 365 project is the effect of Portland’s rain. I find it refreshing, invigorating, and mysterious.
This pattern made me think of ancient ideograms. I applied a “Lomo” effect to the image, lending it a green stylized look.
Liquid Ideograms
Photo 365 #53 – Lazy Afternoon Rays
I caught this on my cell phone while walking through my apartment complex.
Lazy Afternoon Rays
Photo 365 #52 – Bursting Forth
Along the lines of “Scratchy 3D“, here’s another plant reaching out at you.
Bursting Forth
Photo 365 #51 – Pseudo-springs
You could try bouncing on these, but doing so will void your warranty.
Pseudo-springs
Photo 365 #50 – March of the Tiny Trees
They will take root … they cannot be stopped.
March of the Tiny Trees
Photo 365 #49 – Angles & Undulations
A view of a greenhouse from a dry vantage point.
Angles & Undulations
Photo 365 #48 – Tumbling Flowerpots
A jumble of color that caught my eye at Portland Community College’s student garden.
Tumbling Flowerpots
Photo 365 #47 – The Madness of Blue & Pink
Just let the insanity wash over you.
The Madness of Blue & Pink
Photo 365 #46 – Dirty Veneer
I’m fascinated by how post-production on a photo can dramatically alter its mood. The original of this image had a similar misty feel to yesterday’s “Clouded Veneer,” but boosting the contrast and the depths of the blacks gives it a dirty sheen.
Dirty Veneer
Photo 365 #45 – Clouded Veneer
Mysteries lurk inside this greenhouse …
Clouded Veneer
Photo 365 #44 – Hungry Blossoms
This student will likely be delicious.
Hungry Blossoms
Photo 365 #43 – Converging Bark
Another view of yesterday’s “Briar Patch.”
Converging Bark
Photo 365 #42 – Brier Patch
Getting out of here might be a little difficult.
Briar Patch
Photo 365 #41 – Oily Sheen
The oily sheen and organic textures here kind of creep me out. Which is good.
Oily Sheen
Photo 365 #40 – Scratchy 3D
I love the feeling that this plant is about to jump forward off the screen.
Scratchy 3D
Photo 365 #39 – Rivulet
Another view of the student garden at Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus.
Rivulet
Photo 365 #38 – The Greenhouse Effect
Here’s a greenhouse on the Rock Creek campus at Portland Community College.
The Greenhouse Effect
Photo 365 #37 – Pretty in Pink
From a student garden at Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus.
Pretty in Pink
Photo 365 #36 – Markings of the Species’ Young
I found these markings near my apartment. Based on my analysis of similar glyphs on a cave wall in France, these originate from the hands of small humans.
Markings of the Species' Young
Photo 365 #35 – The Mauveness of It All
Between pink and aubergine is a world known as …
The Mauveness of It All
Photo 365 #34 – High Voltage
Don’t get too close.
High Voltage
Photo 365 #33 – MAX Gliding By
Portland’s MAX light-rail glides past on its journey into dusk.
MAX Gliding By
Photo 365 #32 – Swoosh
The Nike world headquarters is just a few minutes’ walk from my place, and I’m surrounded by satellite offices such as this one.
Swoosh
Photo 365 #31 – Abandoned
There’s something enchanting about abandoned shopping carts … I love finding things in incongruous contexts.
Abandoned
Photo 365 #30 – Deep into the Warehouse
A follow-up to yesterday’s “Swimming in the Ikea Sea.”
Deep into the Warehouse
Photo 365 #29 – Swimming in the Ikea Sea
I love to let the blue and yellow Swedish waves immerse me.
Swmming in the Ikea Sea
Photo 365 #28 – Gold & Green Sheen
A still life experiment with a bottle of Method cucumber hand soap, the fake sunflowers from my windowless bathroom, and a pair of candles.
Gold & Green Sheen
Photo 365 #27 – Evanescent Grids
One view of the rain from inside my dry, cozy office.
Evanescent Grids
Photo 365 #26 – Rail Ties Revisited
Here’s another perspective on the grid of rail ties alongside my apartment complex.
Rail Ties Revisited
Photo 365 #25 – What Dreams May Come
After today’s rains we were treated to a sunset whose colors reminded me of the living oil paints in the 1998 film “What Dreams May Come.”
What Dreams May Come
Photo 365 #24 – Under the Glass Awning
We Portlanders often have to stand under awnings to avoid getting drenched, so here’s one at Portland Community College’s new Willow Creek Center.
Under the Glass Awning
Photo 365 #23 – Third-Story Blooms
For the first time I have a bird’s-eye view of treetops from my balcony, since I live on the top floor of an apartment complex. These have just started greeting the spring.
Third-Story Blooms
Photo 365 #22 – Heart of Leaves & Stone
Alongside the road here in Beaverton.
Heart of Leaves & Stone
Photo 365 #21 – Architectural Layers
One of my favorite things about modern cities is the interplay of old and new, as with this shot from Seattle.
Architectural Layers
Photo 365 #20 – Globe Path
This staircase leads out of Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Globe Path
Photo 365 #19 – Chain-Link Abstraction
Today’s photo leans toward the abstract … at least until you look at it while squinting. It’s a mosaic of … (answer below).
Chain Link Abstraction
Seattle Pike Place Market’s unofficial mascot, Rachel, a bronze cast piggy bank weighing 550 pounds. The area around the market is undergoing renovation.
Photo 365 #18 – Neon Fish
I’m a sucker for neon, so here’s an after-hours shot from Seattle’s Pike Place Market.
Neon Fish
Photo 365 #17 – James Her Son
I’ve never seen a curved headstone like this one at Portland’s Mount Calvary Cemetery (from the same shoot as “Melancholia“). Its colorations feel organic, like animal skin.
James Her Son
Photo 365 #16 – Hold On to the Hand Railing
Here’s a companion piece to “Fall Up the Stairs.”
Hold On to the Hand Railing
Photo 365 #15 – Melancholia
One of my favorite Portland spots is Mount Calvary Cemetery. It’s nestled in the West Hills, just five minutes from downtown. For me, this statue captures the cemetery’s romantic melancholy.
Melancholia
Photo 365 #14 – Tangled Color
Many of the roadsides in my neighborhood are adorned with little marshes. The frenzy of patterns and tones in this one caught my eye.
Tangled Color
Photo 365 #13 – What a Beautiful Baby You Have
Do not leave nonfat mochas unattended in child seat.
What a Beautiful Baby You Have
Photo 365 #12 – Fall Up the Stairs
Watch out — the last step is a doozy.
Fall Up the Stairs
Photo 365 #11 – Signposts Up Ahead
One of many tree-lined paths branching throughout my neighborhood.
Signposts Up Ahead
Photo 365 #10 – Bubbles Transcending
Portland’s late afternoon sun sends the bubbles on the balcony into other planes.
Bubbles Transcending
Photo 365 #9 – Fallen Pink
The cherry blossoms have been blanketing my neighborhood with pink.
Fallen Pink
Photo 365 #8 – Cascading Multiverse
I’ve been catching this image out of the corner of my eye every couple of weeks in the bathroom – and finally decided to capture it.
Cascading Multiverse
Photo 365 #7 – Crappy Birthday
Is this one of those candles that won’t go out no matter how hard you blow on it?
Crappy Birthday
Photo 365 #6 – The Day of the Triffids
Since I was one of the lucky few who didn’t watch last night’s mesmerizing green meteor shower and thus didn’t go blind (my eyes were locked to my Mac as usual), I am currently defending Portland from the Triffid spores that landed in the marsh next door and are now stalking humanity.
The Day of the Triffids
Photo 365 #5 – Cat in a Fortune Cookie
I promise this Photo 365 project won’t be filled with felines, but I couldn’t resist how the lines of our cat Butter’s face extended his fortune-cookie blanket.
Cat in a Fortune Cookie
Photo 365 #4 – Impressions through Steam
Since today was cold and rainy outside, I decided to turn my lens inside the apartment. I lit a few candles in the shower, set up the tripod, worked up a cloud of steam and unfocused the camera for this shot.
Impressions through Steam
Photo 365 #3 – A Hand Under the Tailpipe
This morning I came back out to the parking lot of New Seasons (my favorite environmentally conscious local supermarket) to find that a circus clown must have had some horrible accident underneath my car.
A Hand Under the Tailpipe, Beaverton
Photo 365 #2 – Rail Ties
One of the benefits of living adjacent to MAX (Portland’s spiffy light rail) is the work access path alongside my building — and the stacks of old rail ties. When I spotted these ties covered in pink graffiti, I knew they’d go nicely with yesterday’s cherry blossoms.
Rail Ties, Beaverton
Photo 365 #1 – Cherry Blossoms
With sunlight bursting throughout Portland, today felt like the perfect day to launch my first Photo 365 project. Each day for a full year I’ll shoot and upload a photo, with the dual goals of broadening my photography skills and of living the Pacific Northwest life to the fullest.
These cherry blossoms are blooming in my apartment complex.
Cherry blossoms, Beaverton
AIDS/LifeCycle Screensaver
Today we delivered a screensaver to AIDS/LifeCycle, who will gift it to participants who complete a survey about the event. The director asked me to gather my best photos from the last few years of the event, provided me a list of inspirational quotes, and let me loose.
(more…)
Check out our new portfolio
We’ve added an extensive portfolio of the Studio’s web design and web development projects.
Gross Belsky Alonso LLP launches
Today the Studio launched Gross Belsky Alonso LLP, which we developed based on designs from Lockman Design.
Somerset Restaurant goes live
Somerset Restaurant, designed and developed by Jeff Brock Studio, is now live. Jeff also photographed the Oakland, California restaurant for the site.
Southeast Marketing launches
A new site developed by the Studio, Southeast Marketing, went live today.
A Valentine’s Flash eCard for AIDS/LifeCycle
In the midst of a rough economy, non-profits such as AIDS/LifeCycle are looking for creative ways to fundraise. So they asked me to build a Flash eCard that participants could send to friends and family, directing them to the participant’s AIDS/LifeCycle homepage. (more…)
Mama Cash Campaign 88 Days launches
Campaign 88 Days, the annual fundraising campaign for Mama Cash (an international women’s rights organization based in Amsterdam), is now live in English and Dutch. The Studio built both sites and will maintain them throughout the campaign.
The Kidney TRUST Launches
The Studio launched the revised website for The Kidney TRUST from designer comps, using customized WordPress templates.
Complete gallery of AIDS/LifeCycle 7 photos
The complete gallery of AIDS/LifeCycle 7 photos is now posted. These galleries feature nearly 2,000 of Jeff’s photos from this life-changing event, including many that were not in the daily uploads.
Manilow Fund for Health and Hope
The submission forms and CSS menus that the Studio built for Stilletto Entertainment are now live at the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope.