A typical floral shoot starts just about anywhere I see a flower that looks interesting; gardens, parks, grocery stores – wherever there is beauty and beauty is all around us, all the time, just waiting to be noticed and appreciated – but rarely, the ‘Senior Flowers.’

So, I get this flower (usually only one, as it takes me hours to shoot one flower) and I place it in a bud vase on my blackout table in my studio (a folding table with black sheet hung on wire with clothes hanger – fancy! I ‘dance’ with this flower. See macro floral portfolio for a demo of ‘the Dance.’ And when I’m done, I leave that tired flower to rest.

Over the next few months, I’ll stop and look at that flower from time to time, to see how it’s aging and if it’s ready to give up some of it’s magic. Most of the time – not so ready! But, on occasion, when I fire up the lights and crawl around with my camera, every now and then I am shown amazing beauty, a totally different, more refined, more relaxed and utterly spectacular form and vibrant color…

It’s seems so sad that all of this beauty and grace is wasted when we throw them out in their prime. Then again, it’s as if my senior flowers have this secret that is shared with other senior flowers – a club of sorts with a secret handshake – ‘knowing’ that it really doesn’t matter if anyone notices their beauty – they do

I’ve attached a few of my ‘Senior’ flowers to visit with. If you like them, please share with your friends. Somewhere ‘out there’ is just  the right person that could launch my career. Thanks You for your help.

We made a deal with ourselves – the ‘No Matter What’ deal. Most weekends, when it’s actually time to load our packs and get in the car, we just flat out don’t want to. So, we developed this ‘No Matter What’ deal in which we just do it – the whole Nike thing – Just Do It. And inevitably (95%) of the time, we are so happy we did, usually having a great time and capturing some amazing images that would not have happened if were still on the couch wondering what to do with the weekend.

So, here are a few recent images – no mountain hikes yet, but lowland discoveries in our own backyard. Hope  you like them and if so, please ‘Share’ with your friends and family. Thanks!

CLICK on images to see full size!

]]> http://www.louierochon.com/2012/04/my-bad/feed/ 0 http://www.louierochon.com/2012/03/i-dance-with-flowers/ http://www.louierochon.com/2012/03/i-dance-with-flowers/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:17:24 +0000 louie rochon http://www.louierochon.com/?p=1424  

I Dance with Flowers.

I love getting up close and personal with nature, especially flowers. ‘Macro’ photography refers to taking pictures of small things at close range in which the image appears at least as large as it does in reality. In my studio I have a process that I call ‘The Dance,’ an intimate relationship that develops between me and my subject.

‘The Dance’  begins with a single flower – finding just the right flower, one that has something special to share. Not all do and even the ones that do, do so when they are damned good and ready and not a minute before – if at all! I usually dance at night, when I can … CLICK  ‘Macro Floral Gallery‘  for the rest of the story!

I can usually see it coming and dread it’s arrival as it makes me somewhat crazy.

I hear it’s not just me. Talking with doctors in the ER, they say that during full moons, they’re swamped. A full moon, for me, is a mixed blessing, similar to my Bipolar disorder, in that it blesses me with polar opposites. I fluctuate between bursts of energy as well as spontaneous plunges into mild depression. Both of these states elevate my creativity. Most people would think this is a good thing and I suppose it is, from a ‘get a lot of really cool shit done kind of way,’ but it sucks a lot out of me. It’s as if I can’t stop, even if I tried and I do try. It’s as if the energy will have it’s way with me, until whatever it is that I point my head at – is done!

My latest collection ‘Night Lilies’ demonstrates my state(s) perfectly. Last week, I saw the full moon coming. I told myself “Self, this will be like any other day. No need to do anything different. In fact, I’ll work on getting more sleep, meditate and take it easy.” That was my plan. What actually happened …

About 10:00 pm, tossing and turning after getting to bed early, I got up, paced the floor and noticed 2 lilies I had gotten with the intention of shooting, and hadn’t. I knew better than pick up my camera, or even looking at them – but I did. Next thing I knew, I had the flowers in a bud vase in front of my blackout cloth in my studio, camera set up, one small light back-lighting, turned on the camera and “DAMN – there was no turning back now.” The flower decided that I will record it in all it’s glory.

I shot, and shot and shot, carefully adjusting my macro close up lens, nudging the flower in 1/16″ increments, repositioning the light to illuminate every possibly line, shadow and color. 3 – 400 times later, around 4:00 am, I was done – I mean ‘spet’ utterly and completely spent! It’s as if the flower enlisted the power of the full moon to force me to record what they so freely want to show me.

So, here are my two lilies, showing off for you, in all their glory. I do hope that you enjoy them, and if you do, please share it with others. There are many ‘share’ buttons below.

Thanks for showing up.

Louie

PS. I am working on a new ‘Fine Art Graffiti’ collection. Should be out next week.

I’m 58 now and don’t feel (or act) much different than when I was 5, especially when it comes to the excitement of that first snowfall of the winter. I love to get bundled up and walk around our amazingly beautiful village of Langley (Whidbey Island, WA). One of my favorite parts of snow days is hunkering down in the quiet of my studio, light a fire, put on some quiet music, garb my camera (an extension of my eyes) and lose myself within a flower. I call this ‘the dance.’

When I say lose myself – I mean totally and absolutely in the zone! I shut off all the lights, turn up the music, place my flower(s) in a bud vase surrounded by black cloth backdrops, set up my camera on a sturdy tripod, screw in a macro (extreme close up) lens, grab a small handheld reading (led) light and drop deep into the zone. Me and the flower – that’s it. We dance, sometimes for hours with one single flower. Funny, I am scared to death to dance with Sandy, my honey, but feel right at home with my flowers.

This particular ‘dance’ took place over two wonderful days. I experimented with flame – specifically a handheld candle flame as the only source of light from behind the flower. Low light results in very long exposures – this is where the dance term originated – as the shutter is open, sometimes as long as 30 seconds, I carefully move around the flower with my light/candle, all the while watching the effect on the final image. Then the shutter closes and I can see the magical nuance of each flicker on the final image. For some of the these final fire-flower images, I repeated this dance dozens of time to get it ‘just right.’ Being a perfectionist, obsessive compulsive has it drawbacks but in my final work, I consider it an asset. I hope you do.

Thanks for visiting.

Louie

If you like my work, please use one of the SHARE buttons (below) to share with your (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) friends. Thanks!

New photographs (and their stories) are constantly added to THE BLOG.  You can subscribe on the blog site.

Friends often ask, “Where do you find your creative inspiration?” or… “I wish I could be creative but the mood, the inspiration never comes.” I tell them about the ‘cart before the ass’ technique that I’d learned (and forgotten) a while back. Quite simply, as Thomas A. Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” I also refer to this technique as ‘the 5 minute rule.’ This rule, which has served me well, for many years and many creative accomplishments (including walking across the country) says; no matter how I feel, get out there and try, for five minutes – that’s all, five minutes. This was non negotiable – 5 minutes regardless of my mind’s negative dribble. The result – 99% of the time – slowly, but surely, the inspiration would creep in and next thing I knew, I’d been out there for hours, actually creating something. The cart, before the ass!

So, this latest attempt started on a cold, cloudy Seattle day. My love Sandy, and I decided to head out (in a not so motivated mood) to drive around and see if we could get inspired. Like I said, I’ve rarely found inspiration on the living room couch. So, we wound up in a beautiful park in Seattle. We wandered around with our cameras – each in our own world, discovering new worlds. We came across some large pools with late fall colors still present. Instantly I was drawn in, truly excited with the intense vibrancy that I was immersed in. I would picture Monet, with his easel, capturing this magical spot. We were there at least an hour – each capturing the scene in very different ways.

A few days later, while editing the shoot, once again I was drawn into Monet’s world – as if he were speaking to me. I was lost in his world. I’d always wanted to paint, my whole life, yet was constantly frustrated because, well, I sucked! With my camera, I can paint and with Monet hanging out over my shoulder, I can paint well. I’ve included a few photographs from this shoot. I love them. I hope you do too, and if so please share this post/website with your friends and family

Museum quality, fine art prints (canvas and cards) are available at Rochon Print Gallery. – under ‘NEW WORK.’  There are many affordable, fully customizable print/frame options available.

Thanks for dropping by.

LOUIE

Check out My Facebook Site where I regularly post new photographs.

These past 3 weeks (in San Diego – see prior blog) were some of the best and worst times of my life and I wouldn’t trade one second of it – even the 5 days I spent in the hospital, close to death and had the most extraordinary, life-changing conversation with God!

What was I thinking? Having hit bottom (mind, body and spirit), especially body, I’d decided to commit (just the right word) myself to a 3 week, intensive on site re-programming at the Optimum Health Institute (link, prior post). Allow me a brief update leading to my Conversation with God.

13 hour days began with an annoying bell that was hand rung outside of my cozy little cottage at 6:30 am. Half asleep, head pounding from recent withdrawal of coffee, (no walk in the park), I made my way to shove grass (wheat grass) into a juicer, resulting in 2 oz of rejuvenating nectar that had the most disgusting taste & smell. The only way to get it down without retching was to swallow some cinnamon before pounding that shot of frothy green sludge, which I would eventually tolerate to enjoy the amazing long term energy and detoxing properties – Oh yeah, back to my Conversation with God.

The rest of days were a blur (the first week), as my body went thru a massive detox-overhauling. A routine day would include 3 wheat grass juicings, 3 hours of mild aerobic and yoga exercise, 3 disgusting ‘live’ raw meals, 3 group hug and (non-denominational) prayer circles, 6 hours of classes, to be completed with a self induced enema before dropping into bed at 8:00 pm. In the middle of the week, the meals were replaced with 3 meals of vegetable juicing – (this was NOT a tasty V8). By the end of the week, coming out of the fog, I started feeling better than I’d had in years (maybe ever)!

The second week, I’d started feeling strange, noticing muscles increasingly twitching while exercising, disoriented, nauseated and faint. Having prior cardiac issues, both my Primary Care Doctor and Cardiologist urged me to get the hospital right away and get checked out. Symptoms getting worse I jumped a cab and headed for the closest ER. By the time I got there, my limbs were uncontrollably flailing around and shaking from cold. I would soon discover that I was in full renal (kidney) failure. Over the course of the next couple days, IV after IV, I’d narrowly escaped the ordeal of dialysis. A full regimen of tests (including cardiac tests) were performed, all passing with flying colors.

Just as my cardiac doctor was signing my release papers at the nurses station outside my door, an elephant jumped on my chest. Pain crawling up from my heart to the side of my face, struggling to breathe, I frantically gestured to my bedside nurse to get a doctor. My cardiac doctor was in the room within seconds. This man was no normal doctor – he was a saint, a highly recognized practitioner within the medical community. Within minutes, I was being prepped and soon thereafter rushed into the cardiac ER room. A few hours later, I would learn that I was now the (not so proud) owner of 2 new stents, raising the count to eight! Two of my existing prior stents had become clogged (hence the pain) and two arteries were significantly blocked. He repaired the two and inserted two new ones.

I’m not really sure in the course of these few hours, just when exactly that I had my Conversation with God. I think it was shortly after experiencing the intense pain, prior to morphine and surgery.

There was no mistaking this presence that crawled up from my lower abdomen up into my heart. This was not a voice, it was a profound presence! I knew, somehow felt, that this WAS God! I was struggling to make sense of all this.  My version of God came from up above – not from my stomach. Then I distinctly heard/felt “DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?” Woahhh, WHAT was that?

I will never be able to accurately describe this event.  This God was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. This God had NO judgment whatsoever! I was immersed  in unconditional love, kindness and compassion. No white light. No burning bush. Just love. God had asked ‘me’ a simple honest question – “Do you want to Live”? My first thought was, “Of course who doesn’t?” I sensed this was not an ultimatem, but rather an all loving, accepting hand reaching out to offer me, ‘life.’ I was not afraid in any way. I never felt threatened.

I was still trying to make sense of all this. It didn’t make sense. Within seconds (minutes, hours?) another voice came, “Do (I) want to live?” This voice definitely came from me, coming from the same place, starting deep withing my abdomen radiating up to my heart. I knew this was me – but what me? It was me, but not me, not the usual me. It felt like a much deeper ‘me.’ This newly heard ‘me’ was now ‘self,’ a form of deeper me. This is what I sensed. This new ‘presence’ was far more judgmental, less compassionate and definetely less kind – it was the suppressed, unconscious ’me.’

“Do I want to live?” This new ‘inner’ voice haunted me – I felt it gnawing in my gut, pulling at my heart, not mind – heart! As I was scouring my ‘self’ for less obvious ‘honest’ answers, God floored me with one last question – “WHY?” This one word sent me reeling. I felt like I had been stripped naked – there was no where to hide, yet I didn’t want to hide anymore. I was shaken to the core by the depth of this last question that seemed to threaten my entire sense of self.

This question, “Why,” considering the source, asks me to explore my actions to see if they match up with my first answer. If I ’honestly’ wanted to live, ‘why’ had I taken such poor care of myself for all these years – taken such chances with my life? I didn’t like the answers, but they were the truth. I felt guilt and shame and remorse.

I believe that nothing can change without change and without an honest look at myself, I can’t even make a start. For years, many years, I’ve been cloaked in denial, not intentionally, but denial all the less. Now, God has given me the opportunity to truly live and it must start with me.

It’s only been 2 weeks since my conversation with God. What’s changed for me? Just about everything. All of my senses are more alive. Abundant gratitude flows freely. Most of the time, regardless of ‘life,’ I’m pretty happy, far less stressed. I have absolutely no fear of death, yet am doing everything in my power to participate in life, my life.

I can only hope that these two questions, from God, continue to stick in my head, which if I can remain thoroughly honest with myself, can only manifest into a better life, for me and those around me. And I ‘know’ that God is proud of me, like any parent would for a child they love with all their heart.

With Love,

Louie

PS. I’ve included a few prior images from my collection with this blog. Hope you like them. There is a subscription button (upper right) if you wish to receive this weekly (less wordy) blog.

A bit of good news and a few new photographs…

Many of you know of my challenges with mental illness (BiPolar) and alcoholism ( 5 years sober, this time around). What many of you don’t know about (except those that can personally see me) lifelong struggle with food addiction – compulsive overeating – one of the 3 major eating disorders (definition below).

Eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individual’s physical and mental health. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most common specific forms in the United States.

My food addiction has been with me since I was 6 years old and has haunted me ever since, greatly contributing  to a life of Yo-Yo weight, major health problems and manic-depression. Regardless of what ‘ideal’ weight that I had accomplished at any given point in my life, I always felt like a fat kid with each judging glance from others blasting me back to grade school and bullies, beatings and verbal attacks from my peers. Funny, how you can be 58 years old and experience those moments as if it was happening at this very moment.

So…. what to do about this?

My mother has given me a precious gift, a 3 week residency program in San Diego (Optimum Health Institute). She had spent some time there over 30 years ago, to heal and physically empower herself after a run in with breast cancer. She can’t say enough about it. I don’t expect miracles – I hope for a fresh start – a new new beginning. Sometimes, when I’m stuck in some unhealthy habit/addiction, separating myself from the source for a while allows me to build up a little strength to regain some resources.

Similar to when I admitted myself into alcohol treatment in 1989, this ‘break’ from being around my drug of choice (food, this time around) should allow me to catch my breath, long enough to put together a reasonable plan that will work over the long haul. Do I expect this to be a cure? No! No more than I expected alcohol treatment to ‘fix’ me of the disease of alcoholism. This is a one day at a time plan.

So, off to sun-country for a 3 week, intensive, in-patient holistic health program. They say I should lose 15 to 20 pounds. I say ‘big deal,’ as I know that weight will make no difference – only a daily reprieve from compulsive overeating (abstinence) will offer me peace of mind.

Wish me well my friends. I’ll post again when I get back as there is no internet/phones or COFFEE – Oh Shit!

Louie

PS. Hope you like these 3 new photographs. If you enjoy the images and blog, please share it with your friends (subscribe if you haven’t yet – link top right).

PHOTO Titles: Top; ‘Christo in the Rain of Shame, Middle: ‘Stephanie’s Bliss,’ Bottom: ‘Last Gasp.’ Want to see more? Click: Online Gallery Portfolio.

NOTE: Roll mouse over images (below) to discover titles (bunny, alien, etc.).

…work with him and his buddies to see what they have to say. Early mornings, half awake is a good time for bunnies, smoking gulls and aliens to talk to me (read photo titles). And… they do talk, telling me all about what is on their mind. And they have a lot to say – as most people don’t take the time to listen to bunnies.

The rest if pretty easy – add my editing touches, write down their message (they like to talk through me – I just translate) and then I send it out to you – and the rest of world (Flickr, Facebook, WordPress, and 2 websites).

OK, they don’t really talk and I don’t really hear voices, but they do communicate – loud and clear. All I can do is offer up my images and interpretations, for you to develop yours. No one is right – we are all right. What they tell you is dependent upon your frame of mind – the ‘chapter’ of your life in which you are looking thru.

Bye for now.

Louie

PS. Please share this blog with your friends. There are many share links on this page to make it easy to post on your favorite social sites. If you would like to be notified of future blog posts – there is a subscribe option (above right).

My love (Sandy) and I recently completed an 11 mile hike in the North Cascades (WA) and have some incredible new images that I am completing and will soon post. In the interim, I am presenting a few abstracts that have been in my file for a few months.

There are no deep meanings in these images – just abstract shapes that I found interesting. The titles, of course, come from my subconscious mind, a place I dare not explore and prefer to just allow it to blurb as it sees fit – it’s more creative this way. I do hope that you enjoy them and please, if you like my work, share it with others (many share links to the right).

Back soon.

Louie

PS. Your comments are always appreciated (comment at top of blog).