Abstract nature images have been a large part of my fine art photographic work  for quite some time. This abstract seascape entitled Ocean Tones was mentioned in a blog  post on Erinn•V•Style.

Erinn Valencich is a world class designer who has appeared on many television programs including the View and HGTV.

You can read  her comments about the image here: http://bit.ly/xkXzy8. Erinn’s showroom in California is exquisite and we are honored to be a part of it. Below is a photograph of the image framed and hanging in the showroom.

….and still sorting through more than 3200 images! The heavy rains in the northeast this year knocked a lot of the leaves off of the trees early, but that presented new opportunities. Water was flowing much heavier than usual in the waterfalls and streams. Ferns were extraordinary this year as well. I have a lot of work ahead to get through all of the photographs. For now here is a small selection of my favorites thus far …. CLICK HERE

“I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained.” Confucian scholar Zhou Duny

I have mentioned before, I am drawn to photograph water lotus and water lilies flowers and leaves. In preparing some lotus images for a client I decided to do a little research on the water lotus and discovered some interesting facts:

The plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. It is often mistaken for a water lily. The lotus is a completely different plant unrelated to the water lily.

In has many uses for food. In Asian cultures the roots, leaves, and flowers are used in many recipes as garnishes, teas, medicines and soups, just to name a few.

From ancient times the lotus flower has been a divine symbol in many Asian traditions.

I have recently tested and added into the mix of papers that I offer for my prints, a new paper which is made from sugar cane pulp. It has the textured surface of a fine art paper and it adds a slight warmth to the photograph. The sugar cane paper that I am using is a heavy weight natural white paper. It is made from 75% sugar cane (bagasse) fiber, which is a by-product of sugar cane processing and 25% recycled cotton fibers. Bagasse fiber is an eco-friendly resource endorsed by many environmental organizations worldwide. Since it is made from the leftover material of the sugar making process it saves trees and helps to maximize the use of materials that are consumed when sugar is produced. In addition to it’s environmentally friendly properties it shows off prints beautifully!!

Today we are announcing a brand new addition to the website! The new gallery will be a collection of cloud images. Images of clouds and skies can be healing and peaceful as well as giving a generally more uplifting and inspired mood to a space. You can view the gallery by clicking HERE

As our lives become increasingly complex, an inner urge emerges to simplify our living areas to create balance and peace internally.  Interior designers are being asked to create minimalist spaces for their clients that still resonate with character and sophistication. This is a task that is easier said than done, as less is often more difficult to achieve than more.

Choosing just the right works of art to adorn walls is key to creating a Zen living space that also has warmth and life. Many intriguing photographs can be found to achieve this effect. The goal is to select those that are simple yet imaginative and evoke a sense of nature that can serve as a focal point for such designs.

Each room in a Zen design should have only one central focal point – a small Zen garden, a leaf print, or a simply stated wooden bench would suffice.  Such spaces should be highly functional and efficient, with many pieces of furniture serving a double duty.

Colors should be nature-oriented, and can be defined by the Zen photography placed on the walls.  Sage, coffee, taupe, and shades of balsa blend nicely together and create a natural, simplistic setting.

Also complementary to a Zen design are the photos of leaves.  As the humble leaf is the “factory” where food is produced for the mighty tree, it is symbolic of small things creating great results.  Dried leaves symbolize the harvest, while green, fresh ones symbolize the newness of spring. Photos of leaves fill the viewer with a sense of peace and harmony, making them ideal choices for stress-free living spaces.

Recessed lighting adds to the overall ambiance of such a design, and helps to illuminate the tastefully chosen Zen photos for decorating adding interest to the space.  A few candles sparsely spread throughout each room will add the Feng Shui element of fire for balance.

We have a large number of images suitable for imparting a Zen feeling to the design of a room throughout our site. You can visit a special gallery of our Zen imagery created using an exclusive technique by clicking HERE

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One of the fastest growing trends in the art photography world has been printing fine art photography on canvas. Photographs on canvas have a luxurious look and feel and offer some interesting options for displaying. For example, stretching the canvas and applying a gallery wrap has become extremely popular. The gallery wrap image is mirrored, extended and folded around the edges of the stretcher bars, thus doing away with the need for a frame. This gives a modern look which is sometimes less expensive than traditional framing.

We have been reproducing my fine art photographs on canvas for many years now with great success. We have learned a few things that are important in getting the best quality and greatest longevity possible from a canvas print. We use a special canvas that is designed to be coated after the image is applied to protect the image from fading, scratching and scuffing. The canvas is then machine coated with a UV protectant sealant. It is applied by a machine rather than being hand rolled or hand sprayed. The machine removes residual dust as the coating is applied and can do a much more uniform job of application than a human can. Photographs on canvas produced in this way are projected to be fade free for 100+ years.

After 3 weeks of on and off the road traveling to photograph the fall colors, I am back eating a bagel at Panera (my other office). Spent the weekend getting some rush print orders done and I will be delivering the prints for my Water Abstraction show at Metro Arts Center shortly. Then back to fulfilling print orders  and sifting through 6000 images. I will be adding more images to the website soon. For now above is a preview of coming attractions.

Removing color from a photograph can add a lot to it; it can reveal details that would otherwise go unnoticed.  Color, in some cases, may obscure the texture and form of the subjects, while black and white emphasizes the structure of the composition.

Black and White Botannical #80407_190bw

© Byron Jorjorian

There are many ways in which the different colors turn into different grays, meaning that you can experience great light and dark richness when using black and white nature photography.  While color may emphasize the shape of a subject, its black and white version may add a lot of character and feeling by highlighting its texture.

In black and white photography, the absence of light is as important as its presence.  The profound shadows add depth and strength to an image.  Photographers know how different colors, and lighting, react, and they use this knowledge to create impacting black and whites that deeply arouse, shock, inspire or relax.

Healing Waters #070508-03bw

© Byron Jorjorian

Black and white photography allows you to see color in a different way.  The artist detaches himself from the effects of color and brightness, and this lets him use color more effectively, to really provoke a strong emotion, one that can be translated into a space to create a special and intense mood.

Black and white photography may offer dramatic stone carving textures, wild active skies, or unusual atmospheres.  Shadows are a basic part of a black and white composition, as the aim is to create contrast between light and dark, between what is known and what remains a mystery, between stillness and turbulence, only to find out in the end, that both are always there, as a part of life and its balance.

Twisted Oak Tree Image #32107_76bw

© Byron Jorjorian

So, why use black and white photographs to decorate when you can use color?

Good black and white photographs enhance a space with the image’s strong mood.  Color can get in the way of the message you desire to convey when it is full of momentum, force, drama and beauty.  Black and white makes color work better, under its shades and tones; you reach out to the viewers, showing them a side of nature they have yet to discover.

Any of Byron’s images can be converted to black and white. If you would like to view some images that have already been converted, click HERE.

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We all have a favorite piece of nature photography that we love, or home decor photos that we want to display to beautify our homes and just simply enjoy.  Some of us are collectors and buying that next gorgeous piece of art photography that we’ve found is just too hard to resist.  But now we are left with the question of what to do with it all.  We only have so much wall space, right?  Well the good news is, there are a number of ways to display these cherished pieces without taking up every square inch of wall space.  When you need something a little different, be sure to try out one of these cool ideas for getting your art off the wall!

© Byron Jorjorian

One obvious solution that has become very popular is to display art on a shelf.  There are even specially designed shelves available that have an edge on the front to keep your art from sliding off.  Arrange a single photo or an arrangement on a shelf and see how effective it is.

Take a hint from the artist himself, and try displaying a piece of art on a freestanding easel.  An unused corner of space can suddenly become the focal point of the room.  Easels come in a variety of materials from shiny aluminum to highly polished ebony.  Choose an easel that compliments your art and matches your room for a very dramatic effect.

Another thing to do when using photos for decorating is to try and downsize your prints somewhat so they can be placed on bookshelves or other decorative shelving.  Arranging a few photographs among the spines is a great way to break up the monotony of a bookshelf.

Try putting some art in chunky freestanding frames that can sit proudly on a piano, in a curio cabinet or even on open kitchen cabinets.  After all, looking at our art gives us pleasure and should be all around us.

Large pieces of framed art can even be displayed on the floor.  Lean a large picture against the wall and arrange some smaller pieces in front.  This type of display is especially effective with country style frames in a more rustic setting.  Create a little vignette by adding a vase, sculpture or other decorative piece to the arrangement of pictures.

Floor screens that are designed to hold photos or art are another option for displaying pictures once your walls are full.  The advantage of one of these types of frames is that they allow you to display a large number of photos in one place.

If you’re both an art collector and a craftsman, you may want to create a table that displays some of your favorite pieces.  For this, your art is displayed under a piece of glass that is fitted to the top of your coffee table.  Instead of picking up that coffee table book, you can admire your mini art collection every time you sit down to relax!

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