RIP NICK DECKER

Nick passed away on December 15th 2009.

Nick was an instructor at Brooks Institute of Photography and that is were we met. Even though I only had one class with him some twenty seven years ago I seem to still be learning from my friend. He had great impact on many who went through his class, just read the numerous posts on his Face Book page.

Nick you pushed us to the limit, you even made us angry some times bring us to tears, you gave us encouragement and taught us well. I would have it know other way and I want to thank you for every thing you did all those years ago. It is because of you that I am the photographer and person that I am today. Again thank you my friend!

I will remember your joking you called me a stump jumper from Minnesota and I called you the beat farmer from North Dakota.

Nick you will be missed greatly!

Peter, Paul and Mary sung about Puff the magic dragon living near Hanalei on the Hawaiian Island of Kaua’i in the early 60’s, I grew up listening to the song. Some thirty years later while on vacation with my wife on Moloka’i Puff worked his magic on a Hawaiian sunset. The thing is for several years I just saw a nice sunset until one day someone pointed out that I had a photo of him. ..... Aloha Puff

New Images

I've just uploaded some new images to my website! Follow this link to the New images section to see what I've posted http://www.phawkinsphoto.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1π=10000&s=0&p=0

1005

I seem to be drawn by old buildings, I have a hard time passing one by with out checking it out. Doors and windows on these buildings seem to have the most significant daw for me. Maybe its the weathering, the texture, who may have walked or looked through, I just know I am fascinated by them and probably always will be.

This door “1005” is located on Route 66 in Tucumcari New Mexico, A town that has seen better days, and may see them again thanks to I-40. There are many towns, old farms, and buildings around this country just waiting to fall down, I just hope the most interesting ones can wait until I can photograph them, wishful thinking I know.

iphone photography

When Cell phone started to come with digital cameras I thought “I have no use for that! I’m a photographer and I have several camera bodies what on earth would I want a camera phone for? And I proudly told this the sales clerk at the store where I was replacing my broken phone at.

Fast forward several years and Apple announced the release of its G3 iphone, I was going to stand in line for one (The first and last time I have ever done so). It was going to be this great tool for me to have in my pocket but I thought “I will never use the camera, it can not be good enough for my needs”.

I admit I was wrong the iphone camera is a great little camera and I use it a lot! I use it for snapshots, Location scouting, Ideas and price comparison shopping. It is capable of producing a very nice image, not long after I bought the phone I sent an image to a high end lab that I use to have a 5X7 printed, not only was I blown out of the water when I told my rep at the lab that the image was made with an iphone they were amassed.

With all the praise I have just given my iphone’s camera I still have my DSLR and my 4X5 and I have no plans on giving up on either one of them any time soon.

Steam locomotive #2719

The North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth Minnesota Runs old trails on the rail between Duluth and Two harbors Minnesota. During the fall on four weekends they pull the excursion train with Steam locomotive #2719.

“ Built in 1923, the engine carried troops to WW II and the Korean War and ran until 1959, growing old as the last working steam engine in Wisconsin.
Restored to running order by the Locomotive and Tower Preservation Fund, Ltd. the engine’s last excursion run was in 2003. It had been stored outside in Altoona, Wisconsin since then. In 2005 the L&TPF entered into negotiations with the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth to move the engine north for inside storage, further restoration and eventual operation on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.” (from http://www.northshorescenicrailroad.org/home/2719home.asp)

The train runs along the Lake front walk in down Duluth for several miles before slipping through neighborhoods on its way north.

Rhythm

I believe that everything has a cycle, I also believe the things we’ve do can create a rhythm within that cycle. One thing I have always tried to advocate is stepping outside of the box or getting out of your comfort zone will help the creative rhythm in our lives.

This past winter I stepped away outside my comfort zone. I spent six months working as a resort photographer covering special events, photographing formal portraits and shooting advertising pieces for the resort. It is true that early in my career I worked in a portrait studio however that was 25 years ago and I had not done a single portrait in almost 15 years. The type of event photography that I covered was something totally foreign to me, yes at first it was a little scary and I was unsure of myself but after the first few images I found my rhythm.

As part of my job I assembled and published in a yearbook for the resort, I had in the past designed and published a souvenir book so there was some familiarity there. I think the combination of money formal training and my job experience definitely helped make this trip outside my comfort zone not only easier but successful.

While it’s been five months since I finish that job, and it seems like I have been in such a rhythm that I could probably put my camera at something with my eyes shut and it would work, I know that’s not quite true. this experience outside the box has refreshed my vision and my creative rhythm. My belief in stepping outside of our comfort zone has become even stronger and I intend step outside my zone on a regular basis. What do I mean by a regular basis, well probably an annual basis will suffice. It dawns on me that the more I do this I need to find other boxes to step into in order to keep it fresh, scary and challenging. If I can do this I think that my creative rhythm will respond in a positive manner.

I think we should all step outside of our comfort zone periodically and then reap the benefits of doing so.

Favorite places

I just returned from my one of my all time favorite places to Photograph “Itasca State Park” The headwaters of the Mississippi River. I have been photographing in the park for close to 20 years and it never gets old, I find that amazing.

Each trip to the park I ask myself to photograph the headwaters in a way that I have never done so, and as you can imagine that can become a challenge after a while. Yet some how as time goes by and my vision grows so dose my approach to photography.

There are times when I find myself really having to work to=create images and other times where it seems as though everything works really well. I feel like I have been in that grove where everything just works very easily. That may be a result of doing a lot of image making over the last year, and it could be a result of stepping outside the box (Comfort zone) or both. And I plan on routinely getting out of the box if this is the result.

I will return to Itasca State park at least once a year to create new images as long as I live because it is a very special place in my hart.

Looking Forward

I just posted this on my Photography Blog but thought it would fit here as well.

WOW! I can hardly believe that it’s almost August 1. Where has the summer gone again in oh I heard yesterday on the radio at Duluth has only had I believe three days where the high temperature topped out in the 80s. Sure for some the 60s and 70s are pleasant but I really do like in the mid the lower 80s in the summertime. While as I stated in an earlier post I’ve been sticking close to Duluth this summer and photographing around the city. it actually has been quite fun and challenging and have learned quite a bit about the area.

One of my favorite parts of Duluth is a park called blue Leif Erikson Park, and it lies between I-35 in Lake Superior and as its name suggests heat is dedicated to the first European to discover North America and I’m not referring to Christopher Columbus. The Duluth Rose Garden comprises part of this park it in itself a requires its own post. The Duluth lake walk also runs through the park and is a post all in its own, on the lakeside of the lake walk and there’s an old theater reminiscent of the Viking era. The statue in the photo is of Leif Erikson, in his pose he is looking to the future standing proud and tall. In this time of economic slowdown I’m planning and looking forward to a bright future not just for myself but for all of us.

Co-Pay Relief

in my last post my last post which was yesterday I kind of ranted and raved about the cost of insurance. Being one not to sit idly still I proceeded to do some research with the help of the guy who is my health insurance salesman. And he had said that in most of the pharmaceutical companies do have some sort of program which can help patients with their deductibles so we’ve looked at the human era website and found that they do have a program that will help with co-payments, this is the link http://www.humira.com/Global/FinancialHelp/Default.aspx?s_mcid=DHUZ130309HHR. Even with the Blue Cross insurance that I have I found I do qualify for in additional help on reaching my co-pay on this medication, I have applied and been accepted I’m not sure yet what they’re going to cover but it could be as much as and $80 of my current co-pay of $85. If they cover me $80 that would be an annual savings on my co-pay all for this one medication of $960 that’s pretty significant.

I guess what I would suggest to you if you have any issues with your co-pays or getting your medications would be to check with a pharmaceutical company that produces your medications.

There is a real problem in this country medical insurance, especially if your senior citizen, self-employed, underemployed or otherwise part of a small group.

We recently had our small group policy renewal date it wasn’t bad enough that our premiums were going up almost $100 but our co-pays were going up. For instance I take Humira which I’m sure some of you know is a bylaw chuckle medicine that is injected. Without insurance this medication costs is $1,700 a month, last month the co-pay for this non-formulary medication was $50 now under the renewed policy it was going to be $75 a 50% increase in and the renewal date was July 1. Guess what Blue Cross did as of July 1 and formulary core page is now $85 that is a $35 increase on one medication that as an RA patient I need and there is nothing I can do to get off at like with some up other medications losing weight won’t help all still have RA. A $35 increase may not sound like too much to these great big corporate entities. Okay it’s a small group that are self-employed any good enough for an additional $35 a month or $420 a year.

The insurance industry really need to take a look at the bigger picture because if they keep raising rates and co-pays and no one and I mean no one will be able to afford in insurance at all and then everybody will be in real trouble. is the insurance industry headed the same way as the automobile industry perhaps.

Oh you know even know this is affecting me personally the ones that I really feel bad for a though senior citizens and others that are living on a fixed income they can no longer afford their health insurance or if they can they can’t afford to eat. hopefully there will be health care reform soon so that everybody can afford their medication, their visits to the doctor and to be able to put food on their plate.

I feel like I may be one of the lucky ones. What I mean is that while I have RA and I do get flares, for the most part my RA has not effected my day to day life so much. I am able to carry on at almost the same level that I did pre RA. 

 

In the back of my mind I know that if my meds quite working or the Ra becomes more active it could really slow me down, or even make me stop. With that in mind I try to live each day to it’s fullest and to be satisfied with what I do that day. We never know when the time will come that we can no longer do the things we are accustomed to doing, Or if we will even be alive the next day.

Many people ask why I work so hard at my photography, well I think the answer is above. We just never know. So live today to the fullest work hard and have fun!

National Loon Appreciation Week 2009

Peter Hawkins brings his fine art photography back to the Walker Leech Lake area. Peter grew up in the Walker area spending much of his time out on Leech Lake photographing the common loon. 

Peter has been creating photographic images of nature  for over twenty-five years. He is passionate about his subjects and considers their well-being more important than the photograph. It can take days if not weeks to make a single image, depending on the  behavior of the subject.

Peter’s image of a loon on the nest was selected to be on the National Loon Appreciation Week poster for 2009. This event is put on each year by the Sigrud Olson Environmental Institute at the Northland College in Ashland Wisconsin. In conjunction with this event Peter is doing two poster signings. The first will be held on May 15th at 6:30pm at the Hartley Nature Center in Duluth Minnesota, The second will be at the Artist and Crafters Mall of Walker on May 22nd. from 2pm till closing.

Peter looks forward to joining the other fine local artisans at the Artist and Crafters Mall of Walker who will be the exclusive retail location for Peter’s work in downtown Walker, Peter is constantly creating new images and looking for creative ways to display his work.

Those familiar with Peter’s work will find some old favorites and exciting new images from places like Itasca State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse and around Minnesota. There will be some images from Peter’s travels which may include Hawaii, the pacific northwest and the desert south west. There will be a wide selection of images to choose from.

hands befor the surgery

This was my hand before surgery summer of 2007.