Barns and Books

     This week I received a copy of my new photo book.  This one is on Sharron’s and my trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks from back in the summer of 2010.  After being on my to-do list far too long, I finally got motivated enough to complete the layout, which had been in production for well over a year.  That is not typical for me.  Generally, I like to put these books together soon after returning from a vacation or business trip, and well before the memories begin to fade, dates forgotten and locations confused.  I always try to keep good notes along the way to help refresh my memory once I get back home. Unfortunately, those notes became a casualty of the tornado that came through North Alabama in April and destroyed our house.  The meticulous notes I kept for the course of our two-week trip to Wyoming and Montana vanished along with countless other important documents that were picked up by the 200 mph winds and deposited, who knows where.  We lost our vital information, and I lost my interest in doing another book as we tackled a host of other priorities like rebuilding a house.  Before we could do that however, we had to deal with the insurance company.  The eight months spent fighting the insurance company, though very stressful, did at least give me time to reconstruct the lost notes while selecting and editing the images.  Once I did that, my interest in this latest project was reignited.  The book turned out to be one of the larger ones I have done.  Sharron and I both took the photographs.  In it, there are even a few of the two of us together, which takes it out of the category of pure photography book and puts it more into the realm of a family album, which is fine with us.

We went with Blurb company again, as they continued to be most cost-effective in the self-publishing book world, offering what I feel is still the best bang for the buck.  If you are interesting at looking at the finished product, you can see it at this link and view all 120 pages.

One mention about this cover photo – it is of one of the most photographed barns in the Jackson Hole Valley.  Know at the Moulton Barn, it is located in the southeast corner of Grand Teton National Park and is one of a few still-functioning barns built by the original Mormon settlers back in the early 1900′s.  The barn was high on my must-photograph list (along with the Cunningham Cabin – see my previous post), so I planned for an early start, as I knew it was a sunrise shot.  By the time I finally found the place, the sun was already above the horizon, but fortunately, I was the only one there.  Within thirty minutes, however, about three more photographers arrived on the scene with another half-dozen or so arriving within the first hour.  I shot fairly unrestricted for the first half hour or so, but soon had the feeling that I was always in someone else’s shot as all these other shooters began jockeying for their own vantage point.  I kept asking if I was in someone’s way since I tend to shoot with wide-angle lenses and would be closer in on the barn.  After a little while, I could sense that everyone was getting a bit antsy because the best light was being lost.  I decided to drop back and give someone else a shot at the closer position.  I wanted to stay longer, but I felt I had at least one good image, so why press the point and piss off a bunch of fellow shooters.  As it turned out, the Moulton Barn shot was the one I chose for the cover of the book, not because it was the best photograph I took on the trip, but because I think it best captured the feel of those magnificent parks.

If you are interested in putting together your own photo book, let me know.  I’ll try to give you some helpful hints to get you stared, and guide you with respect to choosing the best publishing company and software for your particular project.  I’ve made all the mistakes and have learned from them, so maybe I can help you avoid making the same ones.

Teton Homestead

Do a search on Flickr for Cunningham Cabin and you will wind up with literally hundreds of images.  If you are not familiar with Flickr (flickr.com), it is easily the largest and most socially active site for photography out there.  It is fed by members who upload thousands of images every minute of every day.  Members run the gamut from novice photographer to accomplished professional, and the images posted clearly reflect those distinctions.  On the pages of Flickr, you will see fuzzy, poorly composed, blown out snapshots  right next to stunningly gorgeous landscapes and expressively soulful portraits.  It is the ultimate equal opportunity website.  Often,  I’ll do a search on Flickr to see pictures of a place I’ve never been, but plan to see at some point in the not too distant future.  It acts to familiarize me with the place and prepare me for what lies ahead, photographically speaking.  Before heading out to Wyoming and Montana last summer, I did a search on Flickr for the Cunningham Cabin.  I knew it was a very well photographed spot, lying as it does at the foot of the Grand Teton Range near Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  I was not disappointed, when the site quickly returned hundreds of images showing the cabin in every season of the year and from every conceivable position and angle.

Cunningham Cabin

The Cunningham Cabin is classified as a double-pen log cabin, a direct adaptation of an Appalachian building form brought westward.  Built by John Pierce Cunningham in 1885, it was the first home to the trapper who turned to ranching a few years later.  In 1895, Cunningham built a larger house for his growing family, but continued to use the cabin as a barn or smithy.  Along with ranching, Cunningham was one of the original county commissioners and would also serve at various times as justice of the peace, game warden and postmaster.  When the territory was absorbed into the Grand Teton National Park in 1928, the Cunninghams moved to Idaho.  Few of the original structures survived.  The cabin was one that did.

Cunningham Cabin & Teton Range

The cabin is certainly not a unique building.  I found that it is not particularly large or attractive.  If not for the fact that it is situated in one of the most beautiful valleys anywhere, it surely would never have garnered the attention that it has.  That it has survived all these years in one of the harshest climates in North America, is remarkable.  That it has survived the hordes of amateur and professional photographers who descend upon it each year, is truly amazing.  I can now include myself as a member of that horde, having followed the same beaten down path that leads from downtown Jackson Hole to the cabin.  Fully cognizant of the thousands of photographers who stood in the same spot long before I got there, I wanted to try to capture the cabin in a slightly different way.  Almost all of the renditions on Flickr are in color.  I thought maybe the subject could be successfully rendered in monochrome.  Although well familiar with black and white photography, having been a newspaper photographer for 20 years, I have not done a lot of black and white lately.  Digital photography made color so much better and easier that I naturally moved in that direction.  It is also more commercial, although that is beginning to change a bit these days.  Admittedly, both of these shots were originally taken in color and converted to monochrome in post-production.  Not every image works well in black and white, as I soon found out.  Those with a wide tonal range, and have good detail in both highlights and shadows work best, which is why I chose these two particular frames.  Nice clouds don’t hurt either.  Say, maybe I’ll post them to Flicker.

Photo Safari Coming

A few weeks ago I began to think about the Dismals Canyon, a nature preserve near the town of Phil Campbell, Alabama.  I knew that Phil Campbell had taken a direct blow from the tornado that caused so much damage to north Alabama on April 27, including my own house.  I hoped that the Dismals had not been affected too much by the storm, and I was relieved to find out from the owners, that the gardens sustained very little damage.  It was then, that I decided to pay another visit to the Dismals, and maybe even lead a group of photo buffs out there to experience one of my favorite places in the entire state.  I am always amazed at how few people have  actually been there, and even more surprised to find out how many people have never even heard of the place.  It’s not exactly on the beaten path, but it’s not that isolated either.  I’ve probably been there twenty or more times throughout the years, but as a photographer, I’m naturally attracted to the natural beauty the canyon has to offer.

Swinging Bridge and Rainbow Falls

Back in April, I helped chaperone a group of photography students from Sparkman High School on a trip to the Dismals.  I posted (April 10) after that trip so I won’t go into all the details of what the place is like.  Suffice it to say, the preserve, formally known as the Dismals Canyon Conservancy, is a wonderful 85-acre, privately owned quiet wilderness in the heart of Franklin County.  It is a nature-lover’s paradise, and for the photo enthusiast it presents numerous opportunities for excellent photography by way of moss-covered cliffs, sparkling waterfalls, lush forests and pristine streams.

The absolutely best time of year to visit the Dismals is now.  The cooler temperatures make it so much more pleasant an experience. The waterfalls and streams are generally running faster and cleaner at this time of year too.  I am hoping to keep the tour to 12 – 15 people.  A smaller group is much more manageable and I can spend more time with each person.  I will be there, not only to lead the way, but to offer photographic assistance in pointing out the best photo locations and vantage points along the easy 1.5 mile trail.  I will offer whatever technical guidance I can, realizing that I’m not familiar with every camera out there.  The safari is open to anyone who shares an interest in photography, be they a complete novice or advanced amateur.  So, if you are interested in coming along, let me know.  We still have space available.  The date is October 15 and we plan to meet up at the Publix in Madison on Hwy. 20 and caravan over to Phil Campbell.  It’s about a two-hour drive and we’ll have lunch somewhere along the way.  The cost is $125, but if you sign up before Oct. 1, the price drops to $99. That includes the cost of admission to the conservancy.  Call me at 256-658-5506 to reserve a spot.  You will have a blast.

Dismals Safari flyer

Revamped Site

A few weeks ago I thought it was about time to update my website.  After a little research, I discovered that the web hosting service I was using is one of the more expensive ones out there.  A change was definitely called for.  I mean, there are now so many web authoring/hosting companies out there catering specifically to photographers, that the prices have come down substantially in recent years.  I decided it was time to take advantage of that development.  My new hosting company is Zenfolio, and so far I have been very happy with them.  Their website building software is more intuitive and user-friendly and it offers capabilities that my old service could not, and for less than a third the cost.  A definite no-brainer.  I think this new site is cleaner, easier to navigate and provides an overall better experience for displaying and selling fine art.  So take a look at it and tell me what you think.  Turn up your speakers and enjoy the show.

Tony Triolo Photography

Home Page

Brighton Beach Memoirs

Last month we had a big family reunion planned for the New Jersey shore.  My nephew’s wife’s family owns a beautiful beach house on Long Beach Island within sight of the casinos at Atlantic City.  Although the event had been in the making for close to a year, we seriously considered passing it up due to the tornado that seriously damaged our house back in April (see the previous post).  Since that day, my wife and I have been preoccupied looking for another place to live, locating available storage space for recovered items, fighting with insurance companies and on and on.  By the time June rolled around, a break from all the craziness sounded very appealing, so we went ahead and told our nephew to put us back on the guest list.  We really need a break, and the prospect of sitting in a beach chair watching the fishing boats heading out of Little Egg Harbor for the day’s catch, was just too good to pass up.

Coney Island Boardwalk

The four days of sun and fun passed by all to quickly as they always tend to do, but I was not ready to go home to Alabama just yet.  I had agreed to drive my father on to New York so that he could visit his sister and a close family friend once the reunion wrapped up.  He had not seen either person in a very long time, so I volunteered to take him.  My only requirement, was that once we reached the big city, we would rent a car.  I did not want to subject my new (tornado insurance money) vehicle to the rigors of the road or the whims of the insane drivers of that fair city.  While I haven’t been home in a long time, I can still remember the deplorable condition of the roads there where the potholes have their own potholes.

Beach Umbrella

My aunt lives in Brooklyn.  She always has.  She was born there and has not travel very much.  My father grew up there as well, and I think he was more than a bit excited to get a chance to visit some of the places he remembered from his childhood.  He was anxious to show me his old school, the old neighborhood diner, and his favorite bakery, Cucio’s, which is still in operation.  His memory isn’t what it once was, and we had to rely on my GPS to find the place.  The custard-filled donuts were still as good as he remembered, so the effort definitely paid off.

Nathan's Hot Dogs

My dad’s mission on the day following our arrival was to get my aunt out of the house.  Her eyesight has been in gradual decline, so she tends to stay close to home where things are familiar.  He felt she needed to get some fresh air.  I didn’t quite see the logic in this suggestion.  After all, this is New York City.  Not until I moved away to college, did I realize that the sky was not a constant shade of gray in most places.  So, after donuts and coffee, my father suggested he take my aunt for a walk on the boardwalk at Brighton Beach on Coney Island.  I wasn’t too keen on the idea recalling unpleasant visits there during my childhood, and more recent news accounts of the increasing crime and vandalism there.  It was almost a moot point, however, as we struggled to find the place.  How do you not find an island?  It took another request for assistance from our trusty GPS to finally find the boardwalk which turned out to be less than three miles from my aunt’s house.

Italian ice vendor on the boardwalk

As it turned out, my fears were unwarranted.  The beach was reasonably clean and the boardwalk was in good repair with only a sampling of graffiti.  After taking several photos of my dad and his sister, I focused on some other things.  It was really a beautiful day, unseasonably cool and the sky actually was blue – a rare sight indeed.  I’d hoped to get some photos of what remained of the amusement park there.  This was once the home of the famous Steeplechase ride and is home to the Cyclone, still considered one of the best all-wooden roller coasters in the country.  Nathan’s hot dogs were born on this boardwalk, and I can still remember the French fries they sold there.  It was too bad that they didn’t open up for another hour or I would have checked to see if they were still the best fries I had ever tasted.  Never mind that I had just consumed two custard-filled donuts just 90 minutes earlier.  I felt bad for initially dismissing the prospect of revisiting this city icon.  Coney Island proved to be better than what I remembered.  Give a lot of credit to Mayor Bloomberg and the borough leaders for making the place better than it once was – or at least the way I remembered it was.  I would have loved to have spent the entire day there making pictures, but we were on a tight schedule and we had to leave.  The next morning we had to head back home to Alabama.  Of course, that’s assuming that our GPS would get us there.