Shooting from the Heart

I tend to photograph from the heart, which is very different than working with your head. When I spot a scene that stirs my soul, whether it's automotive, roadside relics, or even plants, I photograph it. Then it's on to the computer, where I start working on the texture, value scale, and colors in post-processing. Here's an example, shot on a walk with my wife in La Jolla one warm sunny afternoon. We were making our way down a small dirt path on the edge of a cliff overlook when looking down it stopped me in my tracks with its unique shapes, opening to the sun and saying, "I dare you to touch me." As usual, my photograph, a little raw with some attitude.

Botanical Blend #6

This is from my "Botanical Collection " collection and is printed on archival paper. The image is 12"x 12" and is matted, with a black museum frame 16"x 16", ready to hang, and enjoy.

You may purchase it here and have it shipped to your door, or if you're in San Diego, pick it up at my studio on 30th Street, and I will refund the shipping. $275 + $30 to ship anywhere in the continental U.S. or Canada.

Shooting Pictorialism

I've always been drawn to "Pictorialism" for some reason when it comes to photography. It just resonates with me. In definition, it's an approach to photography with a soft-focus such as this gas station that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality. Maybe it's my underlying desire to go back to slower times, as this was the hallmark of photographers in the first decades of the 20th century. Some of the greats that started shooting this way were; Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, and Imogen Cunningham. They would later reject the painterly atmospherics of pictorialism and set a course of sharper focus followed by the rest of the photographic world.

"Cafe 11"  © John Straub

This image was shown for the first time at Art Walk in Little Italy in May. It's from my "Road Side Salvage" collection and is archival pigment on high quality archival paper. There are two sizes available, a 16"x 24" for $95.95 plus $20.00 postage and 24"x 36" for $210.00 plus $20.00 postage shipped within the US or Canada. The larger of the two is signed and numbered out of a limited edition of 25. Both will come ready to be matted and framed.

Sizes Available

16"x 24" $95.95 USD 24"x 36" $210.00 USD

"Mission Federal Art Walk 2016" is here...

"Mission Federal Art Walk, Little Italy" is just around the corner, in fact, it's going to hit us in the face. This April 30th through May 1st, Little Italy's vibrant streets will be spilling over with color for the 32nd year. It really does have something for every art lover and one of the things that makes it so special is, you get to meet the artists, over 350 of them. But, I'm not here to tell you about the other artists, I'm here to tell you I will have a booth full of sweet color botanical images, framed and ready to hang, as well as some special black and whites. You can preview some of my images on my site: JohnStraubImageWorks.com

So, come by, check out my art, in booth 318, at the corner of India and Cedar. You never know, you may find that unique image that you can't pass up.

Here's a link to Mission Federal Art Walk.