Archive
The Art of the Sea from the Motion of the Ocean
When most people look at the ocean they see the waves as they ebb and flow. Although most find it enjoyable to the senses, something additional happens to me. I tend to follow the actions of the
Ebb and Flow, Deerfield Beach 2013
waves as they come ashore and then again as they retreat back out. I also gravitate to those sea shores that contain rocks, piers or any other solid structures around which the water must traverse. I visually slow the motion of the water down in my mind’s eye and foresee the beautiful form it takes as it surrounds the rocks or pylons in its way.
Time and Tide Wait For No Man, Deerfield Beach, FL 2013
Using a tripod during the dawn or dusk hours I can capture the slowed down motion of the water as it crests and eventually hits the beach and returns from whence it came. Seeing the scene in advance helps me create the final image and timing is everything.
I am sure that for all eternity, one of my favorite forms of art…will be that of the Sea.
Granite Flow on a Rainy Day
Another black and white image of water flowing downward over and around hard granite rock in the beautiful state of Colorado. Although I usually stay away from even the slightest political
Granite Flow, Boulder, Colorado 2008
reference in my photography, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to achieve considering the way things are going, which certainly wouldn’t be described as smooth.
Notwithstanding, in my work I always try to concentrate on the natural beauty that has (so far) survived all that has occurred around it. This image was created on a rainy day, just outside the classic Colorado city of Boulder. The muted sky allows for the tripod mounted camera’s shutter to remain open long enough to slow down the motion of the water and the rain emphasizes the sharp detail of the granite rock.
Here’s to hoping things around us flow more smoothly going forward… although as I hear myself write it, I recognize just how hard it will be to achieve.
Flowing Downward / Rocky Mountains
A classic black and white image of a mighty river flowing downward in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Downward Flow, Colorado 2010
After a particularly snowy winter, the melting runoff created a powerful flow down river. Captured using a tripod from a bridge over the river, the slow shutter speed caught the motion of the rushing water as it made its way around boulders and fallen trees.
Happy New Year 2017
Happy New Year 2017
Torch Run, New Years Eve, Keystone, CO 2007
An image that has always represented the celebration of the New Year to me was capturing the “Torch Run” on the slopes of Keystone, Colorado on New Years Eve ten years ago this year. As the clock struck midnight, skiers, holding red flares, slowly came down the slope in a wide “S” formation. The resulting scene was spectacular to behold live.
Due to the darkness of night and the motion of the skiers, it took quick experimentation to capture just enough blur to show the movement, while maintaining enough detail to see some of the individual skiiers holding up their flares.
This was clearly an image I pictured in my mind before taking it, and had set up my tripod at the bottom of the mountain at the correct angle to capture the snaking skiers.
Here’s hoping the future year…is a bright one, I could certainly use one about now.
Duncan Miller Gallery, Los Angeles recognizes Barry Steven Greff’s image: Rush Hour, Grand Central Station in their Your Daily Photograph
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Rush Hour, Grand Central Station, NYC 2009
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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.
Save the Tiger…and Many other Animals that Desperately Need Saving
I recently came across the story of an animal rights organization (Four Paws International) http://www.four-paws.us/ whose relentless efforts resulted in the closing of the “worst zoo in the world,” saving the last 15 of its 44 surviving inhabitants and rescuing them from their tiny cages
Amur Tiger, 2010
in the war-torn Gaza Strip for re-location to far better places to live out the remainder of their lives http://theatln.tc/2cigT6F
It has also been the long-time goal of the well-known (WWF) World Wildlife Fund http://bit.ly/2creLHa to protect these magnificent creatures. In a common sense pairing that utilizes the influence and (social media) power of celebrities, many organizations bring attention to the overall, and often specific cause(s) of protecting many rare or endangered species. For example, http://www.savetigersnow.org/ combines the power of the WWF and the celebrity of actor and environmentalist Leonardo Dicaprio @LeoDiCaprio. A list of many other celebrity fueled efforts can be found at http://bit.ly/1iucgGh and a few more animal rescue links can be found on this blog.
Of all of the animals I have seen and photographed over the years, I have been most drawn to the Tiger which has always struck me as being particularly regal and spectacularly beautiful. As with many things, it wasn’t until later in life, after I had lost my Dad to the test of time, that I realized his nickname for me growing up had always been…”Tiger.”
