The Creative's Corner

On May 8th, there was a large fire in Prescott, Arizona. It started in the BBQ on Whiskey Row, and ended up severely damaging or destroying not only the BBQ, but the historic Bird Cage Saloon, and a food store. We went to see the damage on the 10th.

Many residents of Prescott were afraid that this fire would be a repeat of the fire that hit this same area in 1900. That fire leveled Whiskey Row, and destroyed a total of 80 businesses. However, fire fighting techniques and technology has greatly improved, and only the three above mentioned businesses were destroyed this time.

When we arrived, the street was blocked, and there were fire engines and police cars all over the streets on all sides of the buildings.

The three businesses destroyed by the fire.

You can see the plywood that has been put over the doors windows of the businesses.

Another view of the destroyed businesses.

Many people showed up to see the aftermath of the fire. Once the street was opened, the crowd grew much larger.

This is the inside of one of the stores. You can see the light coming in from the new hole in the ceiling. In the front left of the picture you can see some bags of popcorn. The tops of the bags have a fine layer of soot on them from the fire.

The police and fire department had the foresight to have a beer truck present to calm everyone’s nerves. Just kidding.

I agree with the sign. Firefighters and police do amazing work, and can’t be thanked enough.

Great Horned Owl

On our way out of town, we stopped by the Lowe’s Home Improvement store. As we were looking at pots in the outdoor garden area I notice a bird dropping on the ground that was about 7 inches across. I warned Linda-Ann to avoid the area, and then I looked up. High on a beam were two Great Horned Owls. An employee told me they had nested there last year, and came back this year.

They were basically sleeping, except for the “stop taking my picture jerk” look the one owl gave me. The employee said sometimes they are up there with a mouse or rabbit’s leg in their beaks.

Life is full of wonderful surprises.

Have Fun,
Jeff

In April, Linda-Ann and I went on the Prescott Peavine National Recreation Trail. It’s part of the national Rails-to-Trails program. Old railroad tracks, that are no longer used, are removed and the bed where the tracks were are made into hiking trails.

In the 1800′s, the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway laid the tracks that now form the Peavine Trail. The tracks went into Prescott, which used to be the territorial capitol of Arizona.

The Peavine Trail is about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) long, and goes around Watson Lake and through the Granite Dells. While you’re hiking, you can get even closer to the lake by taking the Lakeshore Trail, which connects to Peavine Trail at six locations. The Peavine Trail also connects to the 4-mile (6.4 kilometers) Iron King Trail, which will take you to Prescott Valley. You will find historical markers along these routes, which adds a historic context to this beautiful hike.

Me photographing cactus in bloom

Claret Cup Cactus, Echinocereus triglochidiatus

When we first started on the trail, it wasn’t really that impressive. But as soon as we reached Watson Lake, everything changed. The lake is beautiful, and in places teeming with birds and wildlife. I saw this turtle and heron just after reaching the edge of Watson Lake.

Common Slider Turtle, Trachemys scripta

Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias

Besides the beautiful lake, there are also the otherworldly rock formations of the Granite Dells. They are just begging to be photographed. I visit Prescott several times a year just to photograph the Dells.

We wanted to get closer to the lake, so we took the first connection to the Lakeshore Trails. This allowed us to get right to the edge of the water and in among the rocks of the Dells where there are some great photo opportunities. The wildflowers and cactus were starting to bloom, so I was able to get some nice photographs of them too.

Lots of birds in the sky

The great thing about this trail is that it’s flat and well maintained, so it’s easy for anyone to use. Those seeking more of a challenge can try to cover the trail in one day. I would find it hard to do this because of all the times I would stop to take photographs.

It costs $2.00 to park in the lot off of Sundog Ranch Road, which connects to Prescott Lakes Parkway. There’s free parking at the north end of Side Road off Centerpointe East Drive. The trail is open for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

As we were driving through Prescott we came across this old gas station. It looked like something from the fifties to me. With its wings and futuristic appearance, it must have been quite the site when first built.

Have Fun,
Jeff

I just put up the free wallpaper for May at http://www.jeffcolburn.com/wallpaper.html

It shows the most amazing example of a Parry’s Agave, Agave parryi, that I have ever seen.

Head on over and get your copy.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Last night I attended a presentation at The Well Red Coyote bookstore  by photographers/writers Colleen Miniuk-Sperry and Paul Gill. They gave an excellent talk on photographing wildflowers, based on their new book “Wild In Arizona, Photographing Arizona’s Wildflowers.”

If you photograph wildflowers in Arizona, you must buy this book. It’s full of great information that will save you a lot of time and energy. Some of the things you’ll find in their book include:

• Maps of hiking trails that not only list what flowers you can find on the trail, but where on the trail you will find them.
• There’s also a good description of each trail, and a listing of when the flowers bloom, the best time of day to shoot, what kind of vehicle you need to reach the trail and how difficult the trail is to hike.
• A bloom calender that lists all the trails in the book and what month flowers, cactus, trees and shrubs bloom.
• A list of flowers by color, so if you need a picture of a specific color of flower, you can find it easily.
• Links to useful websites.

The book also has a lot of information on photography basics and predicting when wildflowers will bloom. They have also sprinkled great little tips on photography and equipment throughout the book.

If you photograph Arizona wildflowers, you know how unpredictable their bloom is from year to year. But with “Wild In Arizona” much of the guesswork will be removed, and your chances of finding the flowers you want will greatly increase.

I don’t often recommend buying photography books as I find them to be too general, and they don’t usually contain information that’s very useful. But “Wild In Arizona” is definitely the exception to the rule. I strongly suggest that wildflower, nature and landscape photographers in Arizona BUY THIS BOOK.

You can purchase “Wild In Arizona” at www.wildinarizona.com for $24.95 for the print version and $12.95 for the ebook version. The time you will save, and the frustration you will avoid, is more than worth the cost of this book.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Hi Everyone,

I’ve just put up the April wallpaper with a great image of the Grand Canyon. Head on over and get your copy at http://www.jeffcolburn.com/wallpaper.html

Have Fun,
Jeff

If you’re a photographer who’s been asked to shoot for free, check out what this clever photographer did in response. http://pdnpulse.com/2012/03/photographer-counters-requests-for-free-work-by-asking-people-to-work-for-free.html

Have Fun,
Jeff

Recently I was at a popular trade show. There were many vendors and a crowd of people in the isles. It was hard to see what some people were promoting, but those with banners stretched across the front of their tables could be easily identified. I could tell what product or service they offered at a glance.

A banner can be the perfect tool when you need to stand out in a crowd and want everyone to notice you.

They can be made almost any size, to meet whatever need you may have. Banners can be a few feet wide for use at tradeshows and conventions, or large enough to hang from the front of your building.

Choose the photographs you want to use carefully because people will be driving or walking by the banner quickly, so they will only see it for a second or two. The photographs you choose should really grab a person’s attention, either with bright colors or a very interesting image.

If they are walking by a trade show display, you want the picture to be so enticing that they will stop to learn more. And the right image will pique a driver’s interest enough to make them remember you after they get to their destination.

The advantage a banner offers when showing photographs is that you have a lot of space to work with. Almost any banner can easily display large photographs. And you can also use a photograph as a background that covers the entire banner.

Or combine them and have a photograph for a background with other photographs on top. In this case it’s usually best to have the background image made with muted or faded colors. Otherwise, it may compete with any photographs you put on top of it and be confusing to the people looking at it.

On your banner, photographs can be used to present yourself as a specialist or generalist, or even be a mini-catalog.

I was at a trade show and saw a banner that had several photographs on it. As I scanned the banner I didn’t see anything that interested me, until I saw the last photograph. It was a strobe unit I was thinking of buying. I immediately went to the table, talked with the person there and left with the information I needed.

If you use several photographs, each illustrating different aspects of your service, or various products, the banner will indicate that you offer a wider range of options. And having many pictures of your different products will work like a catalog where people can see many of your products at a glance.

When selecting images for your banner, think outside the box. Don’t just use images that realistically represent your products or services, but express emotions and how you want people to feel about your business.

Photographs can represent energy, happiness, simplicity, problem solving and more. And you can also have images of people happily using your products or services.

It’s important to make your banner the proper size. If it’s too big or too small, it won’t work. Draping a twenty-foot banner over a five-foot table looks bad. And putting that same banner on the top of a thirty-story building, with the intention of drivers seeing it from the freeway a mile away, is a waste of time and money.

Choose photographs for your banner that have real punch. Ideally, each image should perfectly represent your business. Everyone who sees that photograph should clearly understand your business or the key message you want the public to have about your business.

You can easily design your own banners, and have them printed out at a local Big Box store, office supply store or many online companies. All of these places also offer templates. You just supply the photographs and text.

Banners are easy, affordable and can be used for a long time. They are the perfect tool when you want to make a big impression.

Hi Everyone,

I’m in the current issue of Shutterbug Magazine (page 34). I’m one of several photographers interviewed about using Social Media Marketing to promote your business. The information will be useful to photographers, and anyone who runs a business. Check it out.

Have Fun,
Jeff

Book marketing guru John Kremer brings seminar to Phoenix, Arizona.

If you want to know how to promote and market your books more effectively in 2012, John Kremer, author of “1,001 Ways to Market Your Books,” will be giving a one-day seminar in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 31st.

Learn:

• The top ten things you can do in 2012 to sell more books.
• The key secrets to setting up and carrying out an effective virtual book tour.
• How to have your book, your website, and your brand go viral via the Internet.
• The inside secrets to developing relationships that will help you sell a lot more books.

To sign up for this insider’s Book Marketing to the Max seminar for only $130, go to the following link.

http://blog.bookmarket.com/2012/02/book-marketing-to-max-in-phoenix.html

Have Fun,
Jeff

Life always has a way of surprising us. For example, last weekend we went on a hike to Clear Creek, Arizona. As we were walking down the path I saw this. Do you notice anything strange? (Hint: Check out the red arrow.)

Here’s a closer look. Now what do you see?

Yep, that’s a Prickly Pear cactus growing about 20 feet off the ground in this tree. And from the size of it, it’s been there for years. I have no idea how it got there, but it sure is pretty amazing.

Look around when you’re out hiking. You never know what you’ll see.

Have Fun,
Jeff