Shutter Mike Photography

When local businesses support local artists it is a win-win situation for both parties.  One business in my area that frequently supports local artists is Bergie’s Coffee Roast House in downtown Gilbert.  They offer up their wall space to display and sell the work of artists of all mediums.  I had the photograph below hanging in Bergie’s for about a month.  They called yesterday to let me know it had sold.  So this is my first photograph that I have actually sold for real money.

The mystery of the Ansel Adams long lost negatives that I recently wrote about deepens.  As reported by KTVU in Oakland, CA someone has stepped up to cast more doubt on the authenticity of the negatives.  The family of Ansel Adams claims the negatives bought at a garage sale for $45 are not the work of Adams.  Experts disagree and say they are his work and are worth upwards of $200 million.  But now a California woman has presented images taken by her uncle that are remarkably similar to those that are said to be from Adams.  So similar in fact that one Adams expert is questioning if the garage sale finds are in fact the work of Adams.

So the authenticity is still up in the air and the owner of the negatives can’t quite collect his $200 million yet.

Give Us Your Best Shot is the theme of warehouse superstore Costco’s 2010 International Photo Contest.  Open to Costco members and employees worldwide, the contest is rather simple.  There are no theme limits or regulations on post-processing your images, but you do have to be a member of Costco.  For the complete rules and legal mumbo-jumbo click here.

To enter online have your membership number ready and go to the Costco International Photo Contest entry page.  For some inspiration take a look at the winners of the 2009 photo contest.

The prizes this year are as follows:

International Grand Prize:

Most avid garage sale shoppers dream of finding something with a $1 price tag that turns out to be worth much, much more.  The original Picasso thought to be another replica print; the vase that really was “Made in China,” but during the Ming Dynasty; the long lost hand written memoirs of insert famous name here.  It has happened from time to time and like picking the 6 winning lottery numbers, many have dreamed of such find.  One such find by a California man has caused quite a stir with experts claiming he has authentic long lost negatives created by none other than Ansel Adams while the famous photographer’s descendants are saying “no way.”

Experts on Adams along with hand writing analysts concluded that the $45 garage sale buy of 65 negatives are in fact early work of Ansel Adams and are valued at $200 million dollars.  Matthew Adams, Ansel’s grandson, says they are not his grandfather’s work.  He claims the handwriting on the negatives that the experts attribute to his grandmother, Virginia Adams, is not a match and she would never have made the spelling errors found on the negatives.  He also claims his grandfather’s meticulous record keeping and organization would never have allowed for losing such a valuable piece of his collection.  The experts are standing by their conclusion however.

In the end, they are worth what somebody is willing to pay for them.  If the dispute raises questions of authenticity in the minds of potential buyers, then they may just be worth the $45 that was originally paid.  However, if the Ansel Adams family’s doubts are silenced with enough scientific evidence there may be a lot more garage sale shoppers out there hoping they stumble upon such a win fall.

You can read the full story Ansel Adams’ Grandson: ‘Lost’ Negatives Aren’t Real from AOL News.

Moon Over Balboa

Balboa Park in San Diego is one of my all time favorite places for photography in general.  But the night photography opportunities in the park are some of the best of anyplace.  Throw in a full moon night and it is just extra icing on the cake.