Well, it's good to be back from the Christmas Holidays! I can only hope that your Christmas was as swell as mine. Lots of family, friends...and of course, food - much of it Italian. And speaking of/in Italian, "Felice Anno Nuovo!"
The subject of this week's article makes my heart swell up like a watermelon. More accolades were received when this month's (actually it's the February 2016 edition) Black & White Magazine was published. You can find it at your favorite magazine source and it looks like the photo to the right.
I am particularly excited because of the number of photos that were accepted for recognition -- an unprecedented four! That's the most ever recognized for the 'single image' contest.
The four photos are as follows, and as usual, you can click on an image to get a larger view.
Landscape/Nature
Page 46: This field was photographed in the Val d'Orcia in late September. The wheat of this rolling field has already been harvested and sprouts of winter wheat will soon appear.
'Awaiting Rain', Val d'Orcia, Italy, 2014
Here is that same field in the spring...
Architecture/Interiors
Page 108: Here is a popular photo from a Venice photo shoot in the fall of 2012. I really like this photo because of the character of the building exteriors. Note the numerous sculpted heads adorning the building to the left. These buildings have been around for centuries.
'One-Thousand Years in the Making', Venice, Italy, 2012
Music/Sport/Dance
Page 140: This pleasant accordionist sits in the small campo in front of the Church of San Zaccaria (where the body of John the Baptist's father rests). Tunes of all sorts issue from his accordion.
'The Accordionist of Venice', Venice, Italy, 2012
Cityscape/Street
Page 194: I had lots of fun creating this image of a busy day on the Grand Canal. Over 80 photos and about an hour were needed to capture boats in numerous and various positions. I used Photoshop to mask in boat after boat to create the final image. A color version of this photo was selected by National Geographic senior editor Kurt Mutchler for a gallery show called 'The Art of Travel Photography'. And who is that happy couple in the boat at the very bottom-center of the photo? I'll never tell!
'Busy Day on the Grand Canal', Venice, Italy, 2012
So, if you find yourself at your neighborhood Barnes & Noble bookstore, go to the magazine section and give a look at that February 2016 issue of Black & White Magazine.
Ciao for now,
Steve