Before I took an architectural photography workshop in LA last month I did not know this little gadget even existed.  But one of my fellow photographers had one and I quickly added it to my “must have” list of photography gadgets.

There are several varieties of hot shoe bubble levels available.  Button, two axis and three axis are the most common.  You can also find them from numerous manufactures and at numerous price points.  On the high end they go can go for about $35 and all the way down to $6-7 for a low end one.

The one I ultimately went with is from Polaroid and is a triple axis variety.  Polaroid Triple Axis Bubble Level – Flash Hot Shoe Mount

These are great for architectural and landscape photography.  They allow you that extra bit of confidence that your horizon or building is straight, saving post-processing time or worse a ruined photograph.

There are a few pros and cons of the hot shoe bubble level of course.  Lets get the cons out of the way first.

Cons:

1. As the name suggests, this device slips on to the hot shoe of your camera, where the flash goes.  So obviously you cannot use this with a flash.
2. It really is only useful for tripod photography, which most architectural and landscape photography is anyway.  But as you can imagine, if you are looking through the view finder you can’t see the level on the top of the camera and if you move to see it you lose your composition.
3. Beware of the cheap versions.  That generally goes without saying for most anything.  Although the one I bought works great, I have seen complaints that some of the low priced ones are not calibrated right and do not give accurate readings.  Your photographs are probably worth investing a little more for the better quality.
4. Pay attention to what you are buying.  This may not impact most people.  But for Sony Alpha users the hot shoe is the reverse configuration of most other camera brands, Canon and Nik0n.  So when the description says “fits all standard SLR/DSLR hot shoes,” know that yours is not standard.  You need one made specifically for Sony Alpha.

Pros:

1. Level photographs nearly every time.  This is such a simple little gadget but for those of us who have a hard time keeping that horizon straight this really does save a lot of post processing.  Bottom line, it works (see #3 above of course).
2. Go for the triple axis.  I have not used the button type or a two axis variety, but for a few more dollars the versatility of the three axes (I looked it up, that is the plural of axis) is well wroth it.  You can double and triple check your layout and make sure you are getting a level shot in all ways.  It is also great for when you change your camera orientation from horizontal to vertical.
3. I can only speak for the one I bought, the Polaroid Triple Axis Bubble Level, but this one is well constructed.  The bubbles are truly level and the plastic housing is durable and well constructed.
4. Again, only speaking for the one I bought, the price was great.  I’m not sure what you might get for 3 times the price, but at $9.99 through Amazon this was a good deal.

Overall, I definitely recommend getting one of these if you shoot architecture and/or landscapes.  It is an inexpensive little gadget that gives a lot of value and that little bit of help to make sure everything turns out right after you have clicked that shutter.  A tool worth having in your camera bag.

I have reviewed several other canvas printing companies in the past including Easy Canvas Prints, Arts Cow canvas prints and ZaZa Prints.  I have gotten some great art with the photos on canvas process and with the exception of artscow.com I have been really satisfied with the quality of the canvas prints I received.  So when Groupon was offering one of their too-good-to-be-true deals on canvas prints from Canvas on Demand I of course did not pass it up.

The hardest part of the process was deciding which photograph to have printed.  It took me a few months to just come to a decision.  But once I decided on a recent photo I took of my pug (left) the rest was very simple.  The Groupon was for a 16″ x 20″ thick (1.5″) gallery wrap which normally sells for $112.00 plus shipping, about $125.00 total, for only $45.00.

• Shipping Time: I placed my order on a June 13th, it shipped 10 days later on June 23rd and I received it 2 days later on June 25th.  So that is thirteen days from start to finish.  That is about twice as long as Easy Canvas Prints took and on par with Arts Cow’s shipping time.  To their credit Canvas on Demand did warn of a longer lead time due to the large number of orders due to the Groupon deal.  Compared to most internet shipping time frames nowadays this is on the long side, but still totally within reason.  And keep reading, it was worth the wait.
• Packaging: This being my 4th canvas print order from 4 different companies I have learned that canvas printers have gotten packaging down to a science.  Canvas on Demand is no exception.  They pack it to survive a trip around the world and back.   First they wrap the canvas in a foam wrapping to protect it.  That is then strapped in a corrugated cardboard holder of sorts.  The purpose of the holder is to center the canvas in the shipping box so that it is kept away form the sides.  So should there be a UPS of FedEx mishap and the box gets crushed the canvas inside should still  be safe and sound.  Bottom line, if your canvas arrives damaged, someone tried extra hard.
• Image Quality:  I didn’t have a review icon with more than 5 cameras.  But if my scale went over 5 Canvas on Demand would get some extra cameras for image quality.  I was blown away.  Obviously it helps to start withe best quality highest resolution image you can but the printing job was e-x-c-e-p-t-i-o-n-a-l!  Nothing was lost in the transfer from digital image to canvas, in fact, they might just have worked some printing magic to make it better than the original.  The colors POP and the details are crystal clear.  This is a superb printing job and I have no complaints whatsoever in the image quality department.  I am confident you can trust them with any print and get fantastic results if my print is an indication.

• Overall Product Quality: The construction of the Canvas on Demand product lives up to its print quality.  The gallery wrapping is neat and tight.  The wood frame is solid and the canvas is secured to it with plenty of staples.  It comes with hardware to hang your canvas out of the box.  I was not able to find any information on the Canvas on Demand site regarding the type of canvas and inks they use.  Judging from the quality of the print I would guess they are using top quality cotton canvases and archival inks.  But they do not seem to disclose that information on the site.  In the end, overall product quality is top notch and I am very satisfied with the end result all the way around.
• Final Rating: If you have read this far the 5 camera rating and my rave final review should be no surprise.  This is by far the canvas print I am most impressed with.  Production and shipping time totaled about two weeks which may seem a bit long, but the Groupon deal may have increased regular lead times and in the end 2 weeks for top quality really is not too bad.  The packaging was just done right.  Nothing is getting past this shipping box’s defenses.  The image quality – spectacular.  Can’t say anything bad even if I wanted to.  The construction of the frame and canvas quality were very good although I cannot attest to the exact type of ink and canvas they use.  Would I recommend getting your next canvas photo print form Canvas on Demand?  Hell yeah.

Note:  Unlike some of my other canvas reviews, Canvas on Demand did not
provide anything in exchange for this review.  I purchased the canvas
with a Groupon deal and made this review of my own free will.

If you have a DSLR camera you quickly learn that dirt and dust are not your camera’s friends.  The consequences of dust on the sensor can range from annoying spots on your images to a damaged sensor depending on it s severity.  So like all electronic equipment, you want to make sure you keep your sensor and the camera as a whole clean.

Many higher end DSLR cameras have a mechanism to shake dust off the sensor.  But it is almost a guarantee that at some point you are going to get dust on the sensor that the camera can’t dispose of on its own.  You are also going to get other parts of the camera, like the lenses and LCD screen, dirty just from day-to-day use.  So a small investment in some cleaning tools will go a long way to keep you and your camera happy.

I recently purchased two such tools.  The first is a Giottos Rocket Air Blaster. I got the large version in black, but you can go for some color in your life and get red too or for those with limited space there is a small version as well.  Regardless of the color or size you chose I am certain you will not be disappointed in your purchase.  For an investment of about $10 this is a powerful little tool.  It far surpasses those little blowers with a brush on the end that often come in camera kits.  And it is far safer than canned air, which is a DSLR no-no by the way.  For DSLRs with a cleaning mode where the mirror is flipped up to allow you to blow dust off the sensor the Rocket Air Blaster makes quick work of this task.  It also does wonders on getting pug hair out of your keyboard, should that be a problem that plaques you.

Highly recommend the Giottos Rocket Air Blaster.

Second tool I bought is a LensPEN Lens Cleaning System.  This will set you back another $10 or so but like the sir blaster, so worth it.  I’m not sure what a “patented carbon compound” is (here’s where paying more attention in Chemistry 101 would have come in handy) but I can tell you it works.  The carbon compound end of the pen has a cap over it, like a pen, and removes fingerprints and smudges from your lenses way better than then micro-fiber clothes or lens tissue.  The other end of the pen is a brush that slides out and is perfect for keeping the surface of your camera dust free.  Very handy little tool that easily fits in any camera bag.

Highly recommend the LensPEN Lens Cleaning System.

To make your camera even more happy check back tomorrow for some keeps on keeping your camera dust and dirt free in the first place.  Or if not dust free, less dusty.

Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home Camera Bag Review

I gave the “teaser” last month about my new camera bag.  Now that I have been using it for almost a month I’ll give my full assessment and review.  But be forewarned, I love, love, love this bag, so I don’t have too much to say on the negative side.

Why the Crumpler? I have several camera bags but not one that fit two criteria I really wanted in my next camera bag.  1) I wanted a bag that would hold my iPad but was not designed to hold a laptop as those tend to be much bigger. 2) I wanted an over the shoulder, messenger style bag.  I did my online shopping and review reading and there were a few bags that fit the bill.  But the Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home won out based on its styling and the reviews I had read (and watched).

What I love about this bag;

1) The style: It comes in several color combinations but I went with the orange and brown (with a blue interior).  I liked the way it looked online and was very satisfied with it in person as well.  The messenger bag style of the bag is also great.  It does not appear to be a camera bag which can be great for not attracting “hey look at me, I’m carrying $1000s of camera equipment” attention.  This style of bag also keeps it right at your side so the camera is in easy reach whenever you need it unlike a back pack camera bag.

2) Roominess: The Crumpler design makes very good use of space.  It does not look that big on the outside, but I manage to pack quite a lot into this bag and still have room for more.  It also comes with several different sizes and shapes of movable dividers.  So whatever your equipment you can configure the Crumpler to fit your stuff.  In my bag I have:

• Sony Alpha 850 with a battery grip and lens attached
• External flash
• 5 additional lenses (for a total of 6) including: 12-24 mm, 50 mm prime, 28 mm prime, 100-300 mm, and 18-70 mm
• 3 extra batteries
• 4 compact flash cards
• remote shutter release
• and an iPad

3) Construction: I mentioned this bag looks good.  As important as that is it doesn’t matter too much if the bag isn’t constructed well.  But Crumpler has that covered.  The 7 Million Dollar Home is a durable camera bag.  Although it is not the bag I would chose for a rugged outdoor adventure, for urban adventures and standard airport to cab to hotel travel it is ideal.  The Velcro closures holds things shut tight yet keeps it easy to open when an unexpected shot pops up.  The adjustable strap is extra comfortable with its cushioned shoulder strap.  Finally, it holds its shape, even when empty.  This bag doesn’t collapse flat when empty which makes it easy to pack and return your camera to its secure spot after shooting.

4) Any Cons? I am hard pressed to find something about this bag I don’t like.  The Crumpler is not an expensive bag.  At $142 it is a bit of an investment, but it is also a great example of the “you get what you pay for” cliche.  I think I just turned that con into a pro.  For that price you might consider that the Crumpler is limited to where you will want to use it a negative.  As I mentioned this is probably not the bag you want to use for your nature photo shoots out in the woods.  It is water resistant, but not water-proof.

Bottom line – great style, well constructed, and holds everything you will need.  It is pricey and not an all around every-use bag.  But if you can save up for it you’ll have a great investment and you can buy a cheaper bag for your outdoor photo shoots.

As the hobby of photography continues to grow and as digital point-and-shoot, DSLR and even mobile phone cameras become commonplace in most households amateur photographers are always looking for unique and creative ways to display their photography.  The 4×6 print in an album just doesn’t cut it anymore.  Countless companies have popped up on the web with photo printing on everything from mugs to t-shirts even pillow cases.  And as you can imagine, the quality varies as much as the pricing from company to company.  Photo key chains and mouse pads can be a cute novelty display of your photographic talents.  But one method of printing your images for display that is becoming ever more popular and affordable is canvas photo prints.

A canvas photo print is just as it sounds, your photography printed on artist canvas, think PBS’s Bob Ross painting a happy little tree type canvas.  This method of printing photography, when done well, makes an image appear like a work of art.  Of course you generally have to start out with a quality photograph.  Composed well, interesting subject and such.  Although many of the canvas photo printers out there today will do image correction for you, they haven’t invented the post-processing software yet that fixes a boring photograph.

You can get a photo printed on canvas everywhere from Costco to well known online photo printers like Shutterfly to smaller specialty printers.  So how do you know who to chose and who can print a quality final canvas print versus those that crank out mediocre “mass-produced”  prints that you would not want hanging on your closet wall much less over the sofa?  Read the reviews!

I recently got a canvas print from Easy Canvas Prints, one of the online specialty canvas printers – in that canvas prints is all they do, no photo dog tags or place mats here.  Here are my thoughts on Easy Canvas Prints as one of your options when considering who to turn your next photographic masterpiece into something you can hang on your wall to oooh and ahhh the neighbors.

• Shipping Time: I placed my order on a Wednesday, it shipped on Friday and I received it on Tuesday.  Seven days from start to finish is pretty fast turn around.  If you take out that weekend from the shipping equation it was only a 2 day shipping time.  No complaints with that.
• Packaging: Easy Canvas Prints’ packaging is something a lot of companies can take lessons from.  Bottom line, they took great pains to make sure the product was going to make it to me in one piece and without any scratches or dents.  We all know UPS and FedEx can get a little “careless” transporting a package cross-country – it happens going from truck to plane to truck to doorstep.  But what Easy Canvas Prints has done is to first wrap the canvas in stretch film, then in bubble wrap, then they sort-of suspend it in the middle of any over-sized box.  This method of packaging means that even if it does get dropped or crushed chances are good the canvas inside will make it through unscathed.
• Image Quality: The image I had printed was black and white.  So first off I cannot comment on the “true to color” aspect of Easy Canvas Prints.  But we can do some inferring based on the image quality of the canvas I received.  As is the nature of computer monitors, without calibrating and all that fancy stuff, no two are going to display an image exactly the same.  So you have to understand that what you see on your screen is not what the printer will see on their screen (exactly).  So expect some variation in the final product compared to how it looked on your monitor.  What sets a good printer apart from a great printer is their ability to minimize this variation and get your final print as close to “reality” as possible.  My print came out darker than I saw it on my monitor with the grays more pronounced.  But in the end, the image was sharp, the tones of black and white were defined and I feel that overall image quality is very good.
• Overall Product Quality: Easy Canvas prints uses archival inks (not the non-water proof inks some canvas printers use) and cotton-based material for the canvas itself.  The construction of the frame is solid and the canvas is secured to the frame well with plenty of staples.  Product quality is top notch and these canvas prints should hang over your sofa (or wherever you choose to place it) for a long time.
• Final Rating: My final review of the canvas print I received from Easy Canvas Prints is five out of five cameras.  Production and shipping time totaled about a week, including weekends.  The packaging made sure nothing was going to damage the canvas on its trip to me.  The overall image quality and the construction of the frame were very good.  So if you are looking for something a little different than a standard photo paper print to hang on your wall, canvas prints are a great option.  And of all the possible printers out there Easy Canvas Prints produces a quality product that you are likely to be very satisfied with.

Disclaimer - Easy Canvas Prints gave a free canvas print for reviewing purposes.

Sony Alpha 850 Battery Grip Review

I recently purchased the Sony VG-C90AM Vertical Grip for my Sony Alpha 850 Full Frame DSLR camera and after having used it for a few weeks now I figured I would pass on my review of this battery grip.

The Technical Details

• Although most places (including the box it comes in) indicates the VG-C90AM is for the Sony Alpha 900, it is actually compatible with both the 900 and the 850.
• Hold 2 batteries – that is about 1,700 shots according to Sony.  I have not had a chance to test that but keep in mind it is dependent on many different factors so your actual battery life may vary.
• Magnesium alloy body for light weight – officially 11.3 oz (without the batteries)
• Battery life indicator – on the LCD screen.  You will see two battery icons with the combined percent of life left.
• Gasket sealed controls to keep the dust and moisture out.
• Approximate Dimensions: 5.89″ x 3.39″ x 4.85″

The Pros

• It does not add significant weight to the camera overall.  You will notice the difference, it is not THAT light, but the camera is still very manageable for hand held photography.
• The design is very comfortable.  In fact, I almost find the camera easier to hold with the grip than without because of the additional hand-molded grip.  There is a comfortable place for both hands allowing for steady holding of the camera.
• Double your controls.  All of your key controls are now doubled because they are on the camera and the grip.  This can come in handy and give you the flexibility to release your shutter of adjust exposure with either hand.  You can also turn the controls on the grip off if you prefer to stick to the camera controls only.

• The alignment of the control on the grip make shooting with the camera vertically much easier.  You get yet another option for holding the camera.
• The addition of the grip really does balance the camera well as Sony claims.  It just feels more comfortable and evenly weighted.

The Cons

• The battery door has an open/close dial that does just that, allows you to open the door or locks it closed.  But it seems a bit flimsy to me and not a secure close.  I have not had any problems with it, but I feel I should get a click or a snap really indicating it is shut tight.
• It is a bit pricey.  B & H Photo has one of the best prices I found at $259.88, but even still that is a lot for an accessory.  However, I have no buyer’s remorse.

Neither Pro nor Con but Nice to Have

• Secures tightly to the camera using the threaded tripod mount on the bottom and is easily attached with a dial.  There is also a tripod mount on the bottom of the grip so you do not lose that functionality.
• For even easier holding you can get an optional strap that attaches to the grip for your hand to slip through.  Although it is a bit expensive at around $50 direct from Sony.

Overall Impression

Like I said, I have no buyer’s remorse for  this purchase.  The pros far outweigh the cons and the Sony VG-C90AM Vertical Grip has been a very welcome addition to my camera.  This grip just feels right.  It is comfortable to hold and gives you added versatility for holding and controlling your camera.  That along with the doubled battery life make the addition of a grip to your Alpha 850 or 900 a great enhancement.  The price is a bit high, but for serious professional or aspiring photographers I feel it is an investment well made.  Absolutely necessary?  No, but a big “nice to have” that can make the photography job a lot easier.

One problem I have had with my photography, that I have never quite been able to correct no matter how much on concentrate on it before clicking the shutter, is a slightly skewed image.  My horizon is just slightly off at an angel.  I am not sure if I ever so slightly shift the camera when I click or if I never get it perfectly straight to begin with.  But whatever the cause it has resulted in me having to go through the additional steps in PhotoShop to rotate the image and then adjust or crop of the extra white space this causes around the edges.  It is not a big deal, but a minor frustration that I was not sure how to correct until recently.

I was reading Adrian Schulz’s Architectural Photography(side note: this problem can be particularly noticeable in architectural photography because the horizon and parallel lines in the structures are so important to the overall image) and he mentioned a device called a “grid screen” (or focus screen) – page 37 if you’re interested.  In the simplest terms, the focusing screen is the piece in the camera that allows you to view what the lens sees through the view finder.  They are often etched with lines or guides that are then visible as an overlay on top of the image as you view it through the view finder.  I had known that some cameras had grid lines when you look through the viewfinder to help with composition (think rule of thirds).  But I did not know that on many DSLR cameras the focusing screen was interchangeable.  But a quick search on my favorite camera supply site, B & H Photo, revealed that for my camera, the Sony Alpha 850 DSLR, the focus screen was indeed interchangeable and a grid version was available.

For just over $30 (free shipping too) I ordered the Gridded Type L Focusing Screen.  (Note: I have seen these for as much as $56 elsewhere – yikes) This is such a simple solution to the tilted image problem I was having I cannot believe I never came across it before or did not search it out.  But once I switched out my standard screen with the gridded screen I instantly had multiple points to reference to make sure everything lined up just right before I click the shutter.  Is it a crutch?  Maybe, but I look at it more as a tool to help me do my job better -a “work smarter, not harder” thing.

I do have a few tips on installing one of these based on my own experience.

1) Steady hands are important.  The screen comes as a kit with a storage case and a specially designed tweezers to remove one screen and install the other.  But they are tiny parts and you have to be very careful not to touch the mirror or the sensor in the process.  So no coffee immediately before the operation.

2) Make sure you are doing the switch in as clean and dust free of an environment as possible.  For one you are working on your camera with the lens off so you wan tot keep dust off your sensor.  And two, anything that gets on the focus screen will show in your view finder.  I peak from experience here.  I had to do this twice because I got a speck of something on the screen and although not on the images it was very obvious through the view finder.

3) Watch the very detailed and well done video below.  It is for making the switch in a Sony Alpha 900 or 850 but there are similar videos out there for Canon, Nikon, etc.

I think I have become a bit of a collector of camera bags, on a small scale at least.  I am up to four bags, but in my defense, each serves a unique purpose.  My latest acquisition was the Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home Camera Messenger Bag.  I just got it the other day and have not had an opportunity to do much beyond transfer my equipment into it.  My initial thoughts are “very roomy” and love the style.  But I will post a full review once I have had a chance to take it on a few shoots and test it out.

I’ll see if it lives up to the reasons I selected this particular bag as the next one in my collection and pass on the details of how it measures up.

1) Style – I wanted a messenger type bag both for the look and the easy access.

2) Space – I need the room to hold a lot of equipment.

3) Laptop vs iPad – I have a bag big enough for my laptop and one just for the camera.  But I wanted something not as big as necessary for a laptop but still big enough for my iPad.

4) Versatility – I wanted a bag with lots of compartments, pockets and way to divide up the space.

So I’m going to take this bag out for a test drive this week and will report back my findings.

I need to make two slight clarifications to my Review of the 26 Blocks Show.  My interpretation of Chris Loomis‘ photograph was a bit off.  Joey Robert Parks, the creator of the 26 Blocks Project, filled me in on the details of how Chris accomplished this photograph.  There was no camera “trickery” involved.  Rather, a lot of forethought and planning to turn a vacant dirt lot into a work of art.  Knowing the process behind this photograph brings about a new appreciation for the finished work for me.

What I said “appears” to be was indeed reality.  The girl was in the lot and the “crop circles” were a photographer’s painstaking work to get the perfect shot.  Very admirable.  From Joey:

There is no photographic trick going on. The woman is not Photoshop. She’s actually standing there in the dirt lot. The crop circle took Chris seven hours to make. He did it all by himself.

I had also indicated that it appeared Chris Loomis had captured the image from high above.  In fact it is not just appearances, it was taken from high above.  Very high in fact.  Again from Joey:

It *was* taken from high above. From a helicopter, in fact. How’d he get such a clear shot? He steadied the camera only with his hands. No mini-gyro stabilizing equipment used.

I stand by my original statement that “The artist saw what was and turned it into his own vision through photography.”  But need to append it:  “…through photography, creative vision and a lot of hard work.”

Thanks for clarifying Joey.

Read more about Chris Loomis’ Block E and the entire 26 Blocks project at 26blocks.com or in an article printed in the AZ Republic in May.

Update: Be sure to read an update to this post with more detail on how the photographers created their pieces here.

26 Blocks is an art project that “…showcases the work of 26 of Metro Phoenix’s best photographers working with 26 of Metro Phoenix’s best writers.”  They worked together to offer their interpretation of one of 26 downtown Phoenix city blocks through photography and the written word.  Then the sculptor, Rafael Navarro, topped off each presentation with a 4″ x 4″ square block sculpture of each block.  The exhibit began at the After Hours Gallery in Downtown Phoenix last month and in now starting a tour of venues around the city.  I missed the opening at After Hours but was able to see the exhibit at the University of Arizona College of Medicine’s downtown Phoenix campus last Thursday, the first stop on its city tour.

The College of Medicine show was not in a normal gallery space.  Rather it was in the auditorium of the old Phoenix Union High School that has been renovated and now houses the college.  As a result a traditional gallery layout was not possible.  So each city block’s pieces were propped up on tables around the large auditorium room.  I do not think the unconventional setting distracted from the works however.  In fact, the history of the old high school building now having been re-purposed and given a new life, almost added another layer to the stories of the Phoenix city blocks being told through these photographers, writers and sculptor.

One of the most interesting aspects of this show was the unique interpretations each pair had of their individual city blocks.  Blocks that may not have been separated by more than one street could seem miles away as each photographer and writer approached them from very unique perspectives and visions.

The photography ranged from the very straightforward architectural and portrait to much more abstract interpretations involving post-processed works.

Two that stood out as favorites to me were Block E from photographer Chris Loomis and Block V from Stephen G. Dreiseszun.

Chris’ photograph of Block E, the lot of dirt that splits 3rd St into two separate lanes to the east and west of it, just south of Roosevelt, stood out to me for two reasons.  1) It was a bit more on the abstract side and 2) whereas most of the other lots were developed and alive with urban life, this lot was in more of a “what once was” state being dirt and foundations of former structures.  So some creative license had to be taken to make an image out of a vacant lot.  Appearing as though it was taken from high above, crop-circle like shapes fill the dirt and weeded lot while a girl in bright blue appears to be dancing inside the shapes.  Chris’ photograph is a great example of the art of photography to me.  The artist saw what was and turned it into his own vision through photography.

Stephen Dreiseszun’s photograph of Block V was very different than Block E.  Block V encompasses the construction site between Washington and Jefferson on the North and South and 1st Ave and Central Ave. on the West and East.  The very urban scene of high rise construction was captured by Stephen beautifully.  The lighting of late evening makes the sky a deep, rich blue while the lights of the street sign and construction crane highlight these urban elements.  The perspective captured in the photography for Block V is one that the casual passer by may not take the time to notice.  But this image captures what I feel the 26 Blocks project is all about, seeing urban downtown Phoenix at more than everyday street level views and taking the time to stop and notice the subtle beauty of the built environment.

The pairing of two art forms, photography and writing, has resulted in a show that speaks to a broad audience.  The art lover, the lover of the written word, the urban dweller, the suburban admirer of the urban environment and fans of a diverse and dynamic city such as Phoenix.

26 Blocks is on Tour through the remainder of the year at venues around the Valley.  This is a unique project that is well worth seeing regardless of which of those categories you fall into, or even if  you fall far outside of those categories.  Check for tour dates and locations and make sure you see the 26 Blocks exhibit before it is gone.