A NIGHTHAWKS for the 21st Century

Last week, my wife and I took our daughter, a high school senior, to Chicago to visit a couple of colleges.  We stayed in the historic Blackstone Hotel on Michigan Avenue, putting us within walking distance of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and literally hundreds of other attractions.

As our time was limited, we did a quick run-through of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, then crossed the street to head North on Michigan Avenue.  Almost immediately, my daughter pointed to the barber shop inside the old Congress Hotel and said, "That would make a good photo." Sure enough, the Headrest Barbershop was the perfect subject for an early evening photograph. Because of the glass windows and its corner location, you could see the activity of a typical big-city barbershop inside.  I took several images before we moved on.

The Headrest Barbershop is at 520 South Michigan Avenue. (You can click on images in this blog for a larger view.)

Later in the evening, we spent several hours at the Art Institute of Chicago.  One of the many impressive paintings we saw was Edward Hopper's Nighthawks (Click here to view the painting in another window) from 1942.  It's the nighttime scene of a diner at an intersection of two streets, with three patrons at a counter and an employee standing behind it.

Later, as I was looking at my photos on the computer, it occurred to me that my photograph of the barbershop, while very different from Hopper's Nighthawks, has much in common.  We're viewing ordinary people doing ordinary things through the very public glass window of a corner shop.  My photo certainly doesn't portray the loneliness of Hopper's image, but it does capture real people living their lives in 2016.  For me, that's what street photography is all about.

Despite the bright colors of the scene, I also decided to do a black and white image.

We also found time to visit Millennium Park, where my daughter got friendly with the famous "Bean" sculpture.

Cristina and the Bean.

You can view my fine art photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Another Exhibition

An exhibition of 18 of my recent fine art photographs is on display through October 1 at the Yellow Moon Cafe in Cobden, Illinois.  If you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by.

My wife María and I celebrate my birthday at the Yellow Moon Cafe on the first night of the exhibition.  My daughter Cristina was there, too, but she took the picture. (You can click on photographs for a larger view.)

The Eyes of Santa Nonia is from my recent trip to Spain.

Patriotic in Makanda is a scene from my home town, just before the 4th of July.

Hours for the Yellow Moon Cafe are:  Wednesday - Friday, Lunch  -- 10:00am - 2:00pm; Friday, Dinner -- 6:00pm - close.  Saturday, Lunch -- 10:00am - 4:00pm; Saturday, Dinner -- 6:00pm - closeCLOSED: SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY.  Reservations are recommended for dinner.

Click here for the Yellow Moon Cafe's website.

You can view my fine art photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

An Up-Close Photographic Look at the Garden of the Gods

Yesterday, my daughter Cristina and I hiked along the trails of Garden of the Gods in Southern Illinois' Shawnee National Forest.  It's known for spectacular cliffs and rock formations.

My daughter Cristina takes in the sights of Gardens of the Gods. The views behind her are typical of this part of the Shawnee National Forest.  You can click on any photo in this blog for a larger view.

Garden of the Gods is a great places for hikers, nature lovers, and those who love to scramble among the rocks.  For my photography, I didn't concentrate so much on the distant giant rock formations, but rather on the those that were up close to me.  I've seen hundreds of landscapes taken taken at Garden of the Gods, most of them with similar views, and I wanted to do something different. 

The circles and swirls in the rock formation are called liesegang bands.  They are the result of geologic processes that started in a shallow ocean about 320 million years ago.

The red in the liesegang bands comes from iron that mixed with ground water when the stone was forming.  The stone is in multiple layers, some harder and some softer. They have weathered unevenly, leaving the swirls as one of nature's works of art.

More liesegang bands.

You can view my photogaphy website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Updated Website Alert!

Several of you have asked me when my photographs of Holy Week in Spain would appear on my website:  www.tombellart.com.  Well, they're now there -- along with new fine art photography in the galleries United States and Other.

Below are a few of the photographs I've added. You can click on any photograph for a larger view.

Early in the morning, Holy Week procession participants head toward the church of Santa Nonia, to discover that the procession has been postponed due to rain.

Elvis serenades a window washer early in the morning. León, Spain.

An old farmstead near Nashville, Illinois

A Ford among the honeysuckles.

Setting up an order of drinks in a tapas bar - León, Spain

There are many more new photographs on my website.  Please feel
free to take a look:  www.tombellart.com.

Photographing American Pride for the Fourth of July

There are many proud Americans who demonstrate patriotism and love-of-country in the days surrounding the 4th of July.  Red, white and blue flags and banners wave off mailboxes, porches, and flower boxes.  People celebrate with barbecue and Budweiser and fireworks.  They remember the sacrifices our ancestors made to forge a new country, and those that every generation since have made to secure liberty and freedom for the most exceptional of nations.

My hometown of Makanda, Illinois is one small village where patriotism is alive and well. Each 4th of July, I'm always impressed by the efforts made by the owner of an old abandoned house at the entrance to  town.  It appears that the roof of the house is caving in and moss covers much of it, but because of its location, an American flag and a window box with flowers and a patriotic theme are on display and highly visible  to everyone leaving the Makanda boardwalk and heading back to the civilization of Carbondale or beyond.

The boardwalk of Makanda is a tourist stop and setting for artists' studios. It has an amazing history which you can view here.  You may click on photographs in this blog for a larger view.

Every year before the 4th of July, an American flag appears on this abandoned house.

Look closely and you'll see an American flag in the flower box. Maybe the frog on the bicycle is that great American hero, Kermit.  If you remember The Muppet Movie, Kermit was quite the cyclist.

I hope you all have a happy 4th of July.

You can view my photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

The Detour to Fine Art Photography Revisited

About 11 months ago, in this blog I presented some photographs I took of an old house near Nashville, Illinois.  I discovered the old house when I took a detour due to major delays on the Interstate.  Yesterday, after dropping  my wife at the airport in St. Louis, I revisited the site of the detour, as it was only about a mile out of my way.  It had been raining heavily for most of my trip back into Illinois until I got close to Nashville.  There were dramatic clouds back to the west, but the rain was holding off.  I was richly rewarded by views of the same old house, this time surrounded by golden cut straw or wheat rather then corn.

You can click on images for a larger view.

You can see the photographs of this old house from last year here.

You can view my photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

More Artistic Celebrations of Holy Week in León, Spain

In my last entry, I shared some photographs of an amazing window display celebrating Holy Week in León, made with Legos. 

Many businesses in León get into the act with their own window displays around Easter time. 

This display in a drugstore window was popular with passersby.  It used pharmaceuticals to represent some of the Holy Week pasos (floats).  You can click on photos in this blog for a closer view.  Use the Escape button to exit.

A close-up of some of the figures in the drugstore window.

 

 



The display in another window uses dolls for some of the figures.

Although this fabric store was closed when I went by, I believe that its Holy Week items were for sale.

While this is probably the last blog entry for the miniature Holy Week displays, in the upcoming days I'll be posting more photos of the real processions, and maybe another entry or two on one of my favorite Spanish subjects:  tapas.

You can view my earlier entries on Spain and Holy Week by viewing the archives from March and April.

My website is at:  www.tombellart.com.