Archive
Happy Holidays from Barry Steven Greff Photography 2019
Magnificent Christmas Lights at the Eustace Mansion, Hutchinson Island, FL 2019
On beautiful Hutchinson Island is a $8 Million mansion built on 50,000 square feet of oceanfront property. To the delight of families driving by each holiday season owners Robert and Elsa Eustace have the property adorned in the most spectacular Christmas light display one can imagine.
Creating holiday memories for generations to come, this display is clearly second to none and should be experienced by anyone that finds themselves on the Treasure Coast during the holiday season. These are just some of the images that are my take on this overwhelming sight….
All images © Barry Steven Greff / All Rights Reserved
– WTC TRILOGY – WE SHALL NEVER FORGET – NEW YORK CITY –
WTC Trilogy
New Bern and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Pre-Hurricane
Lightning, OBX, North Carolina, 2005
Thinking about all those in the path of Hurricane Florence, the Outer Banks (known locally as OBX), New Bern and much of the rest of the states of North and South Carolina.
While staying in the historic city of New Bern, a two and a half hour road trip north to the Outer Banks resulted in the image above. Having forgotten my tripod in New Bern, I rested my camera on a towel on the railing of the hotel room’s terrace during a lightning storm and timed the opening of the shutter just right to capture the largest strike I have ever seen. It shook the building and the composition of the bolt and the lifeguard stand in the flowing sea oats made the image.
These are images of the Tryon Palace and New Bern Grand Marina, North Carolina, created in 2005. These are images from beautiful New Bern which is now already under water because it is located at the confluence of the Neuse and the Trent rivers. It is a historic city much of which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the buildings, residences, stores and churches date back to the early eighteenth century.
The Governor’s Palace, New Bern (also known as Tryon Palace, above), served as the capital of North Carolina from 1770 until the state government relocated to Raleigh in 1792. George Washington actually slept in New Bern. Visiting the room in which he stayed, was an eerie and historically moving experience.
Here’s hoping that both survive the Hurricane and can re-build as soon as possible.
Cityscapes – Lights, Camera, Action…
Although the majority of my work tends to be of the natural world, I also have an affinity for creating images in urban spaces, particularly big cities such as New York and Chicago. The combination of architecture, artificial lighting and constant movement creates a multitude of 
Times Square Cab and Kiss, NYC, New York, 2013
photographic opportunities. The image above was one that I first formulated in my mind’s eye. Dodging rain drops, once the traffic light changed allowing cabs to pass in front of me in the middle of Times Square, I moved my tripod out from under cover. A slightly slower shutter speed caught the cab’s motion while still being fast enough to freeze the surrounding people and constantly changing, brightly lit signs. An extra bonus in this image is in the lower left corner, just behind the cab’s rear window, a couple kissing under an umbrella waiting for the light to change.
Rush Hour, Grand Central Station, NYC, New York, 2009
Again, pre-conceiving the image, I set my tripod up on the upper level concourse of Grand Central Station. Using a slow shutter speed I captured the rush of people heading to and from their trains while others stand and wait for theirs. The classic architecture and subject called for a Black and White image here. 400 year old Fine Art paper maker, Hahnemuhle must have agreed when they used it to show off their product at the Photo Expo Plus in New York City.
Don’t Let the Lights Go Out on Broadway, NYC, 2012
This image was the result of an opportunity that arose while I was shooting in Times Square with a tripod fixated on the usual nightly action. Upon spotting this scene I quickly swung my camera around and caught this image of an electrician maintaining the antique street light posts that run up and down Broadway and 7th Avenue. Juxtaposed against the massive, modern, brightly lit digital video screens, these small, classic covered lights, atop antique poles, maintain the charm of old New York amongst the city’s modern-day extreme urban brilliance. The trick with shooting in Times Square is catching a pleasing composition of the quickly and constantly changing imagery on the screens.
(With a nod to the Billy Joel song) this worker (who, when the image is enlarged, can be seen on his cell phone), is extended high up and perched inside an electrician’s crane basket making sure the lights (no matter how small)…don’t go out on Broadway.
Happy Holiday Season 2017 / Let there be Light… Displays
Wherever you are located in the country, this time of year brings out varying forms of holiday light displays. For generations they have come to represent the spirit of the season. So, whether you are in the city:
Ornaments, New York City, NY 2012
in the suburbs:
Holiday Light Display, Davie, FL 2013
or even in the mountains:
Lit Tree, Winter Park, CO 2007
The tradition will inevitably be handed down for generations to come:
Enlightenment, Davie, FL 2013
Wishing a Happy Holiday season to all.
Varying Techniques used to Photograph Supermoons Over the Years
A supermoon is a full moon (opposite Earth from the sun) that closely coincides with perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly elliptic orbit. When the moon always swings farthest away from Earth once each month; that point is called apogee. These perigee, or
Nuclear Supermoon
supermoons, result in what seems like a larger-than-usual apparent size as viewed from Earth. There are 4-6 supermoons a year on average and can cause real physical effects, such as
Supermoon Reflected
larger-than-usual tides. From a photographic standpoint, supermoons also take on a deep reddish tint as they rise from the horizon, lightening in color to yellow and/or tan and then, eventually
Supermoon and Cruise Ship
to the regular, although a bit brighter, white. Due to the unique nature of this phenomenon, I have tried to capture supermoons in various ways over the years. In order of presentation here:
Supermoon and Distant Bird
(1.) has an effect similar to a nuclear explosion as the moon seems to be exploding from the horizon, (2.) within a second or two after that, the moon has risen above the horizon and
Birds Eye View
leaves a glint of reflection underneath, (3.) a cruise ship’s embarkation timed to pass the supermoonrise, (4.) a dusk supermoon also has a very distant bird silhouetted against the
Clouded Supermoon at Dusk
bottom, left corner,(5.) several birds silhouetted against a blurred, high rising moon offers another take on how to capture the scene. Finally (6.) a clouded moon framed as it rises between the silhouette of two trees at dusk.
Clearly, the phenomenon offers countless possibilities to capture a…super image.
America….My Country, Tis of Thee
Through the lunacy these days of our political “landscape” (pun intended), it is crucial for us all to remember the simple basics for which we stand. From the physical beauty of our land to the inner
Nubble Light, York, Maine 2004
beauty of so many of our good people, it is a national pride that should join us all. To me, these classic images created along the coast of Maine are the epitome of the feeling of Americana. The commonly shot Nubble Light above was perfectly lit at low tide when I came upon it while two seabirds were circling the tiny island that sits 100 yards off of Cape Neddick Point.
I watched as the two birds circled, and timed the shot so that one bird fit the composition of the scene in the sky while the other blended into the image just above the little red shed.
New England Light, Maine Coast 2004
The bottom image was shot at dusk in what was again, perfectly warm New England light. The tiny white specs on the rocks and in the water are seabirds settling in for the night.
I will never forget stopping to ask directions from a local to the best place to eat lobster. He was out for an evening walk and did everything short of drawing me a map, going well out of his way to make sure that I knew exactly where I was going before I pulled off.
To me, these are true examples of America…and, btw, the lobster was unbelievable.
Happy Holidays 2016
Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season…
White Christmas, Rockefeller Center, NYC 2009
As if on cue, while visiting Rockefeller Center during the holidays in 2009, the snow began to fall over this iconic scene. Backing up behind the row of trumpeting angels, I shot this familiar, but still magical, view.
It was lucky that I got this shot when I did. The next year I went back their was a photographic set up at this spot, with a long line of tourists willing to pay big bucks to have their photo taken in front of this scene.
Lesson learned, always capture the classics when they come up, you never know if…or when they will ever be available again.
Duncan Miller Gallery, Los Angeles recognizes Barry Steven Greff’s image: Rush Hour, Grand Central Station in their Your Daily Photograph
|
Rush Hour, Grand Central Station, NYC 2009
|
Thunder Road / Diary of a Storm / Approaching Destruction
For those of you that do not live in South Florida, or on the southeast coast, you are most likely unaware of our “hurricane protocol.” As Hurricane Matthew approaches within the next 24 hours, I thought I would reflect on what we have become accustomed to with these storms.
Thunder Road, Weston, FL 2013
Unlike other major weather events around the country we have the advantage of “notice.” We know a hurricane is approaching within a few days. The actual path, intensity and final landfall are still speculation to the weather experts until almost the last-minute. Even though the news stations broadcast 24 hours a day about the storm, showing its “projected” track, it is not until just before it reaches us that we know who it will hit and how hard. A slight “wobble” east or west can make all the difference in the world but when the male weather forecasters remove their sports jackets and roll up their sleeves, you know we are in for a rough ride.
The Wind of Wilma, Weston, FL 2005
In Andrew I took a hit, while my friend’s homes a bit further south were obliterated. The aftermath looked like a bomb had detonated, even the street signs were gone and it was almost impossible to navigate. As time goes on, your luck runs out and for Wilma, I was ground zero. To see your pool screen being ripped and mangled out of the ground and your large trees being uprooted is a surreal experience. The wind sounds like a fright train, the exterior walls move in and out and your front door rattles as if it will burst open (if it does, you’re toast). Finally, when the heavy, attached cement barrel tiles start to rip off your roof, you know you are close to disaster. That’s when we grabbed a mattress and hunkered down underneath it as far away from any windows as possible. Luckily, Wilma stopped just short of total disaster, but still took several years to come back from.
Going, Going…Gone, Wilma, Weston FL 2005
Thankfully, we have lived through the storms we have faced so far and hopefully will do so with Matthew, which is bearing down on us right now. The anticpation of its arrival motivated me to get this post out while I still had power…and a roof.
The Power of Mother Nature, Wilma, Weston, FL 2005
Here’s hoping that we just experience some really bad weather without the potential destruction it can bring… until the next one.
BSG Featured in Photo District News September Print Issue
Photo District News (PDN), the award-winning monthly magazine for the professional photographer, has been covering the professional photographic industry for over three decades. No other brand covers professional photography like Photo District News. A trusted, unbiased 
Cab Ride in the Rain, NYC, NY 2009 (Featured in the Issue)
source of news and info on photography for over 30 years. Every month, PDN magazine delivers unbiased news and analysis, interviews, photography portfolios, and information photographers need to survive in a competitive business.
PDNonline covers breaking news stories and delivers in-depth features on the photo industry, including interviews and profiles, reports on new products, and information on useful sources for professional photographers. PDNOnline’s photo essays and galleries explore the work of photography’s masters and today’s emerging talent.
Subscribe at: http://pdnonline.com/ Additional work can be viewed at: http://www.barrystevengreff.com and http://www.adventuresfrombehindtheglass.com
_________________INDEPENDENCE DAY 2016__________________
“Whose broad stripes and bright stars, Through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, Were so gallantly streaming”..More stars than in 1814 when Francis Scott Key wrote those words, but this is my version of the image upon which they are based.
Broad stripes and bright stars, so gallantly streaming, 2014
Here’s to independence….it cannot be overrated.
Meet me in St. Louis…at least my work.
St. Louis Fine Print Fair – May 6-8, 2016
CITYSCAPES
Touch the Sky, 30 Rock
Cab Ride in the Rain, NYC
This weekend, from May 6 through May 8, is the 10th annual St. Louis Fine Print Fair http://bit.ly/R5eI8K. Stop by the booth of photography addict/rep, Jeff Appel of Photography Past & Present, Missouri http://www.photographypastandpresent.com/ to see the work of some highly respected photographers as well as some terrific emerging artists.
Jeff works with many prestigious photographers such as Roger Ballen, Paul Caponigro, John Sexton, Jock Sturges, Roman Loranc and Alan Ross, who was Ansel Adam’s photographic assistant. Other artists such as Cole and Kim Weston, whose father was the famed 20th Century photographer Edward Weston, have created great work themselves. Finally, Jeff works with some talented emerging and/or mid-career artists such as Camille Seaman and…yes, Barry Steven Greff. The four images above will be available at the fair and many others can be viewed at http://www.barrystevengreff.com. So, “Meet me in St. Louis” (sort of) this weekend. Anyone interested in getting on the guest list can reach Jeff through his website or on FB at http://bit.ly/1WECQN7. Friday night is a Silent Auction and Preview Party from 6-9 pm.
So if you happen to be in Ole St. Lou, stop by and see Jeff…and tell him Barry sent you.
Diary of a Fine Art Print / Amongst other things, it’s all in the Details
Niagara, 2006
(Cropped portion of people and bird from- Niagara, 2006)
The discussion as to what makes a Fine Art photograph is one for the ages. I have long respected the genre and have worked diligently to hone my craft. Although there are various definitions of what makes a photograph fine art, I subscribe to a more tradional theory that such an image is created with an aesthetic intention, that the value lies primarily in its beauty, rather than for journalistic, editorial or commercial purposes. I also believe that the image should tell a story, be unique, iconic, powerful…or all of the above. As beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, so goes a fine art photograph which usually entails vetting by those respected in the field. Knowing this, I fearlessly spent my early years placing my work in front of some of the most well respected photographers, gallerists, curators and collectors in the business. With the help of their support, the work was widely published in fine art magazines, exhibited in galleries across the U.S. and over time, a significant resume was built.
I believe that one of my signature images, Niagara, clearly exemplifies these equalities (shot from atop a hotel two miles away to capture this angle)… It has countinously been singled out by many of those alluded to above, in that the composition juxtaposing the grandeur of the falls with the minutia of the toursists indicates just how small we humans are in comparison to the forces of Mother Nature.
After getting past the composition (and then lighting, both of which cannot be adequately discussed in a blog post, if at all), I personally take significant pride in capturing the exacting details of a scene, whether it be the people in this image or the fine feathers in one of my close-up animal portraits.
Then, finally, and consistent with the teachings of the great Ansel Adams himself, capturing the image is only one half of the process. The printing (again, not something that can be covered here), is crucial to the creation of a fine art photographic print. Being true to the process, I hand print each of my images (up to 17″ x 22″) on a professional Epson 3800 printer using Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl paper and I personally oversee the larger prints to make sure they are color correct (again, another significant concern for another day) and that they print without a single unexpected blemish.
Finally, I pride myself on the key details of my images being “tack” sharp, as exemplified by the enlarged cropped portion of the image above. Although some of the older images can go only so far, as a perfectionist, I have gone through an entire roll of paper (athough thankfully not often) in order to ultimately create a single large print for a collector, and to my exacting standards. When a gallerist who regularly sells the work of masters such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston calls my prints “magic,” I know that I am doing something right.
Hence, there are many sources by which one can obtain a Fine Art print. I simply offer one that is created in my mind’s eye…and always from my heart. It is universally accepted that the first rule of collecting fine art photographyy is to actually enjoy the work. Hence, I strive to create images that make the viewer not only think…but feel, and I have been honored to have satisfied a wide array of selective collectors, and look forward to doing so for many others in the future.
Colors of the City / Broadway Lights
Cab Ride in the Rain, Radio City Music Hall, NYC 2009
Tonight Belongs to Phantom, NYC 2008
Don’t Let the Lights Go Out on Broadway, NYC 2012
As a photographer, even one whose first love is nature, I never could walk around the streets of Manhattan at night without a camera. The constant motion of the yellow cabs, the continuously changing mega screens in Times Square and even the lit billboards, create a canvas of possibiities to make a great image come to life. Cab Ride, shot from the back seat of a Yellow Cab as the CNN cast scrolled by, took several drives around the corner to get just what I was looking for.
Phantom was much easier to shoot as long as I avoided being run over by any one of the various forms of NYC’s transportation vehicles such as taxis, limos, or tricked out bicycle chariot/rickshaws.
Finally, being able to spread out tripod legs and use a long lens allowed me to capture an electrician repairing a single light amongst millions in the heart of Times Square. Timing the capture was critical to its composition because the images on the screens changed every few seconds. Clearly, this man’s job was to make sure… the lights don’t go out on Broadway (nod to Billy Joel).
Movin On Up to the City…
30 Rock, Touch the Sky, NYC, NY 2009
Atlas in Snow, Rockefeller Center, NYC 2009
Essex House, NYC, NY 2012
Although my first love is creating images of nature, even in the City, I can’t put my camera down. Notwithstanding, I tend to bring some nature into my Cityscapes, to contrast the natural elements with the man made subjects
Cases in point, the first two New York City images were created during some beautiful weather (fog, then snow) while the third was shot through Central Park trees after closing hours of one of my exhibitions in NYC.
Hence, whether I’m movin on out, or movin on up, there is always something to shoot when you keep your eyes open …and don’t put your camera away, no matter how bad the weather gets (just make sure it’s covered if required.)..That’s for another story
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016 From BARRY STEVEN GREFF PHOTOGRAPHY
HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2015 From BARRY STEVEN GREFF PHOTOGRAPHY
Note for Santa, 2013
No studio, no lights…just me, my camera and the right moment.
Probably one of the last images I had taken for some time now.
I know what is on my wishlist.
Rainy Night Dock / Weather or Not, Expect the Unexpected
Rainy Night Dock, Deerfield Beach, FL 2014
I haven’t posted for a while, because I have been laid up due to a couple of surgeries. When I do post, I often look for an image that relates to an event, season or mood I am in at the time. Although I actually enjoy inclement weather personally, and for photography, a dreary, rainy night sums up my situation (and has for some time).
On one of the last nights I had actually been able to go out to dinner, a casual dockside dining experience was cut short by a South Florida rain storm. Although the outdoor patio was closed to diners, I used a bit of an overhang to capture a moody image of the scene. The rain was so intense, it was blowing the door closed and I was barely able to shoot without my camera getting soaked. Notwithstanding, sometimes the worst conditions can result in the best images. Using a soft filter and shooting the scene in black and white, I like to think I created a moody, timeless image from a scene that many would avoid.
Moral of the story, don’t let some unexpected weather keep you from creating something…. unexpected.
Twin Towers – 9/11 – Never Forgotten – Remembering and Rebuilding
Twin Towers, Never Forget
Unable to Post my usual 9/11 tribute yesterday, better late than never, I do so today. Three of my own fond memories of the Towers include this (never before published) pre-digital image I took from a New Jersey hotel room; having an elegant business dinner at the Windows on the World and a wonderful tourist visit with my buddy JC and Goddaughter Ari.
To say that the buildings, their occupants and the first responders will never be forgotten…is an understatement for the ages.
WTC Memorial, NYC 2013
Here in their place, as I have posted before, the WTC Memorial and new One World Trade Center tower rising to the Heavens, to always remind us of our loss….and our determined spirit to rebuild.
Rising to the Heavens, One World Trade Center 2013
Happy July 4th / Independence Day 2015
Light Up the Sky, Independence Day, Sunrise, FL 2014
Not having been creating much new work lately, I re-post this image from last year with a more specific explanation of how it was made.
Using a tripod and opening and closing the camera shutter, I caught various single July 4th Fireworks bursts as the rockets took off and exploded. This Composite image was created in post production from six or more different sets of explosions from the same overall display, but captured minutes apart..
The colored lines on the bottom of the image are the streaking headlights of vehicles driving by the celebration.
Here’s looking forward to more independence (for me) to shoot…some day soon.
Looking Ahead.
Hope is on the Horizon, Coeur d’ Alene, ID 2010
Here’s hoping that 2015 brings bright new light…after the fog.
Happy Birthday to Me / Ballroom Memories
Ballroom, Coral Gables, FL 2013
Over the years, I have spent birthdays inside Ballrooms and atop Granite Cliffs, in New York City or in the Pacific Northwest. This, being a particular dark Birthday for me due to persistent health issues, I have posted a particularly dark image (plus I just like it). Having always come back in the past…here is to better and brighter days, and if not future ballroom dancing, at least to some great scenery…
As for the image above:
When you peak inside the doors of a Hotel Ballroom, especially a classic old one like above, think of the wealth of memories that have been created over the years. The Grand Ballroom in the iconic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida is just such a special place. http://www.biltmorehotel.com/
At the time of day this was taken, the particular lighting begged for black and white and the beams of light streaming in from the vintage windows added a touch of mystery.
So, added to the countless memories having been made inside this Ballroom in the past, here’s, looking forward to the next happy occasion. May we all share in some of that happiness…inside or out.
Cab Ride in the Rain chosen by Ogilvy & Mather for NJ Office Installation
Cab Ride in the Rain, Radio City Music Hall, NYC 2009
Advertising powerhouse Ogilvy & Mather http://www.ogilvy.com/ recently chose Cab Ride in the Rain for an installation in their New Jersey Offices.
With all the great work available for the project, my sincere gratitude to the creatives at Ogilvy and to Frank Meo at The Photo Closer http://www.thephotocloser.com/ for making it happen.
BSG shows 3 Images at “Forgotten” Exhibition at A Smith Gallery, Texas
Road to Old House, Ohio 2013
River of Fallen Trees, Yellowstone N.P. 2010
Old Pilings, Naples, FL 2013
Esteemed juror, Blue Mitchell http://bluemitchell.com/ has chosen three images from three different series of my work to be shown at the “Forgotten” Exhibition at the A Smith Gallery http://asmithgallery.com/.
Established in May, 2010, A Smith Gallery is located in Johnson City, Texas in the Nugent Avenue Arts District. The gallery exhibits the work of both amateur and professional photographers through juried and invitational exhibitions. Amanda Smith is the Gallery Director assisted by Kevin Tully serving as Assistant Gallery Director.
Blue Mitchell is an independent publisher, curator, educator, and photographer. Based in Portland, Oregon, he has been involved with many facets of the photographic arts. Mitchell received his BFA from Oregon College of Art & Craft where he teaches studio school classes and workshops. Mitchell is the Founding Editor of Diffusion: Unconventional Photography, an independent, reader and contributor supported annual that highlights and celebrates unconventional photographic processes and photo related artwork. In addition to organizing and curating physical exhibitions around the country, Mitchell curates Plates to Pixels, an online photographic gallery that bridges the gap between antiquated photographic processes and new digital media.
Exhibition dates | September 19 to November 2, 2014
Reception | September 27 & October 25, 2014 both 4 to 7pm
My gratitude to Blue and Amanda for their support of my work.
Independence Day / Light Up the Sky
Light Up the Sky, Independence Day, Sunrise, FL
Composite image of July 4th Fireworks lighting up the sky as the streaking lights of vehicles drive by the celebration.
Miami Vice / South Beach Blues
South Beach Blues, South Pointe, FL 2008
A bird’s-eye view of the tip of South Pointe (South Beach) captures the change in water-color from aqua to blue as it gets deeper. The colorful lifeguard station, beachcombers and incoming pleasure craft, round out the composition of the image and are reminiscent of our Miami Vice era.
Bringing the Heat
Wildfire, Florida Everglades 2007
Summer brings lightning strikes to the Florida Everglades. Combined with dry Sawgrass, the resulting wildfires can be seen for miles. The electric power line towers at the bottom of the image show the scale of the towering inferno.
This is also a metaphor for our Miami Basketball team going for their third straight Championship, and how I’ve been feeling lately…not in a good way.
Dedication
Never Forget, 911 Memorial, 2013
The 911 Museum was officially dedicated this week. Let us never forget.
BSG Exhibits Niagara at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont
Niagara, 2006
One of my signature images, Niagara, 2006 is included in the Black and White Exhibition at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont. http://www.vtphotoworkplace.com/index.html. PhotoPlace Gallery’s mission is to support contemporary fine art photography as a means of creative expression and cultural insight.
The Exhibition runs from March 28 through April 25th. The Exhibition Catalog is available at: http://bit.ly/1ls8XP5
Black and White was juried by Karen E. Haas, Lane Curator of Photographs, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. https://www.mfa.org/
Niagara has also been juried into exhibitions around the U.S. by legendary collector and curator, W.M. Hunt http://www.wmhunt.com/ as well as iconic Fine Art Photographer Joyce Tenneson http://www.tenneson.com
.
Adventures from Behind the Glass 