Ewert Photography joins Edifice Architects in creating the Modern Heritage Project.

Architect Firm Launches Project to Preserve Modern Architecture

Claremont, Calif. , February 9, 2009– Edifice Architects announced the launch of the Modern Heritage Project, a regional initiative designed to pay homage to modern design within the Inland Empire and preserve it from destruction.

The Modern Heritage project will educate, develop, and raise awareness of the modern movement. Edifice plans to locate and identify mid-century commercial and residential buildings. The Claremont-based firm invites the public to participate and help find these structures.

“This project aims to preserve modern buildings and advocates modern and contemporary architecture,” Edifice Co-Founder Ignacio Sardinas said. “I find it deplorable that in many cities in the Inland Empire , it is perfectly acceptable to destroy a significant example of mid-century design with no repercussion.”

“Someone needs to champion and support these structures,” Edifice Co-Founder Hirohito Kuroki said. “Modern architecture is a part of Southern California ; it showed the optimistic spirit of the designers of that era experimenting with new forms and materials and methods of construction.”

Later-generation modernist architects include Lautner, Neutra, Schindler, and Ellwood who practiced in Southern California , Kuroki continued. Patrons such as Eichler and Entanza encouraged and promoted modernism, creating project, case study programs and development tracts in the movement. Edifice hopes to evolve projects and thinking within the region that support those same values of modernism.

Edifice architects have won several historic preservation awards over the past decade, including a 2007 Design Excellence Award for the renovation of the modernist Sangsland Residence in Claremont .

“As more of the public are now rediscovering mid-century modernism with greater interest, I hope the ‘hip factor’ will turn into true appreciation and love of those structures and what they tried to achieve,” Kuroki said.

Edifice has recruited Ewert Photography to assist with photo-documentation for the Modern Heritage Project.

Village Venture

I'll have a booth at the Village Venture in Claremont, CA this Saturday, October 25th from 9 to 5. I'll be located at spot 181 on the SE corner of Yale and Bonita right next to Bert and Rocky's ice cream shop. This is one of the largest one-day markets in Southern California.

After strolling the tree-lined streets of Claremont, stop by and try some African honeybush tea, listen to great music, and view photography from my travels around the world. Beautiful canvas prints will be available for purchase in various sizes. Several framing options are available; including gallery wrap, standard black, and premium walnut. I'll also have information on my Zambia Photo Safari that departs on April 24th 2009.

Gallery Shop Open

I am pleased to announce that my gallery shop is now open.  You can find a variety of colorful images that will go with any decor.  New images will be added periodically so please check back often.  There are three galleries arranged by available sizes, so take a look at each one.

If you see an image on my website that isn't available in the shop or need a custom size, please contact me, and I'll create it for you. 

The prints are are also available on Museum Canvas Wraps that look great without framing. Please call 866-391-9234 or email for prices and available sizes (up to 30"x 40".)  Each canvas wrap is professionally hand-crafted for you, and will last a lifetime.

Fourth of July

The 4th is just around the corner, so its time for the obligatory fireworks photo, and a few tips.  This is one of my favorites from a couple of years ago. Great fireworks images share many of the same techniques as other low light photography subjects.  Equipment basics include: SLR camera, sturdy tripod, and a cable/electronic remote shutter release.  A medium range zoom lens is also helpful, and allows you to change composition as the show progresses.  Point and shoot digital cameras can also be used, but most have limitations on shutter control, and the sensors are typically very noisy which makes post processing more work.

To get the most dramatic shots, I like to get as close to the action as possible.  This makes getting a pleasing composition a little more difficult, but the results are more engaging in my opinion.  Setup your camera with a wide angle setting to start and narrow the framing as the show progresses.  I like to use the lowest ISO setting as possible to limit noise in the dark areas of the image and an f-stop of  F8 as a starting point (use you camera’s manual setting.)  The exact setting isn’t critical, fireworks are bright.  You can open the f-stop up (smaller number) to let more light in if necessary.  Setup your cable/electronic release so you can manually control when the shutter opens and closes.  I like to to hold the shutter open for several bursts of fireworks to get a dramatic shot.  If you hold it open for too long the photo will be cluttered, too short and it lacks drama. It’s all a matter of preference, experiment!  Make sure you adjust your composition to fill up the frame as much as possible.  You’ll have plenty of time to take 20-50 shots at a typical show.  If you are lucky enough to have a show start with residual light in the sky, take advantage, the blue/purple sky adds extra depth and impact.  Don’t forget to enjoy the show!

Grilling Time

This image sums up a few of the attitudes in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Women are not afraid to show a little skin even when in a delicate condition. Men don't seem to mind. Argentineans like their meat, preferably grilled. While strolling around the popular La Boca area of Buenos Aires, most people are captivated by the colorful buildings and artists that feature so prominently.  I found the everyday street theatre even more appealing.  Even after the recent economic upheaval that reduced the currency to dust the people were upbeat and welcoming.  The city is very cosmopolitan for the region and is often called the "Paris of South America."

Usually when doing street photography I walk around with a 24-70mm zoom lens, but I had to break out the telephoto to steal this scene.  Had I been closer, it's unlikely that I would have caught the genuine moment.  This was my last major international trip that I used film cameras.  In 2004 digital cameras were finally up to the task of replacing slide film (in my opinion) and the rest is history.

Baobab Sunset

I know this is a sunset picture, but it has special meaning to me.  On my second trip to East Africa back in fall of 2006 one of my goals was to photograph the magnificent Baobab trees that are common in and around Tarangire National Park in Tanzania.  The first trip in 2005 was very rushed, and it was difficult to get specific shots due to the group travel mode.  This time, I was on assignment for 2Afrika and had a private driver.  Despite a very hectic schedule shooting hotels and luxury camps; I was able to "safari" between shoots without the restraints of group travel.  

On the way back to the lodge for the evening, I saw this tree positioned perfectly for a sunset shot.  I asked Fred to pull over and wait for the inevitable African glow.  After about thirty minutes the light looked great and I started shooting.  Afterward, I returned to the lodge to do my nightly DVD backups, satisfied that I at least had a few pictures of this iconic tree.

After returning home, I started the lengthly editing process, and out of 4000+ photos, all of the Baobab tree photos were corrupted!  I tried several recovery programs, and computers to no avail.  I even sent the card to my brother who is a programmer for Microsoft.  No luck.  So I put the backups in storage and forgot about them for several months.  Then while setting up software on my wife's laptop, I for some reason reached for one of the backup DVD's, and amazingly, the Baobab thumbnails showed up in the preview screen.  I quickly installed Adobe Lightroom on her computer, and processed them into full resolution tiffs.  Not believing that they would be intact, I transferred them to my computer and opened them in Photoshop.  They were fine!

Later, I produced a 20x30 canvas print which is now hanging in my wife's office.  This is not the perfect specimen of Baobab.  They take a beating from wildlife and other forces of nature.  Sometimes they even have huge holes drilled right through the trunk by elephants.  You can see the broken branches (one is still resting in the tree on the left side) but, it is a great souvenir and reminder not to give up on lost data.  

Mt. Arenal Puts on a Show

In fall of 2007 my wife and I visited Costa Rica for the second time.  On our previous visit, Arenal was shrouded in clouds and we saw very little of the ongoing eruption.  Fortunately this time the weather was more cooperative, (despite the heaviest rainfall in at least a decade) and we had a great show.  

Each night, I setup my tripod on the Arenal Observatory Lodge viewing deck hoping for the show of a lifetime.  On this night, I took around thirty exposures that ranged from 30 seconds to five minutes.   I used an aperture of F2.8, and the shutter was open for a little over three minutes.   To give you idea how close this highly active volcano was, I shot it with a focal length of only 43 mm!  50 mm is approximately the field of view your eyes normally see, 43 mm is a little wider.  I could feel the almost sub-audible rumbles deep in my chest and occasionally, the cone would emit a shocking roar that got me out of bed in a hurry a few times.  This is a primal experience at its best.