New Activity

Claremont was hit by an unusual hail/sleet storm last night. This is one of number of images associated with this event.

Malayasia

I've added some more HDR images from Malaysia to the ones primarily from Tongren. I'll be organizing them when I get back, but I've had fun working with them today, the day before I return to the US.

Labrang Monastery

Again, I want to respect the privacy of the monks at this important monastery. There are six major monasteries in the world. Four are in Tibet, but two are in China. One is Labrang. The other is the Kumbum monastery outside of Lanzhou, Gansu province.

Inside Monastery Halls

Typically, it is not possible to photograph within a monastery hall, especially an old one. But there are exceptions, but I want to handle these images with respect, and am looking for a way to make them selectively available.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photos

The image is linked to a small set of HDR images on Picasaweb. The advantage of the the High Dynamic Range process is that the range of good exposure is much wider. This means that skies and shadows can both be normally exposed at the same time.

This is a temple on the mountain above Kangding, destroyed in the Cultural Revolution but recently rebuilt.

A Palladium Candidate

Could work....

MMS Images, iPhone

These are lower resolution images sent via MMS from my iPhone rather than through a data link. Neverthess, many are quite interesting. The image links to my On-The-Fly Blog.

These are farming terraces in the mountains approaching the pass that will bring me to Tongren and its monasteries.

Along the Moat, Xi'an, Facebook

This is a series I did with my Olympus 350 along the southern wall of the old Ming city. The URL points to a Facebook album.

Kangding Sampler, Facebook

I thought it might be helpful to link out the various other albums I've created from this Blog, making it the central place to look for my photos. Some albums are larger than others, some are less connected to my palladium work, though a good color photo is always a candidate for a palladium print. Here I start with some albums on Facebook via their public links.

Nanwu Temples Series, Picasaweb

The Nanwu Temple is a fascinating combination of color, architecture and tradition. I was especially interested in the banners, flags, and scarves and the challenge of photographing large buildings due to perspective.

Da Fo Temple, Xi'an: Through the Incense

Da Fo Temple, Xi'an:Guan Yin

Da Fo Temple, Xi'an:The Great Buddha

Da Fo Temple, Xi'an: The Courtyard

Da Fo Temple, Xi'an: Approaches

Fences Series, Xi'an - Reprise

Fences Series, Xi'an - Outside

And outside the fence.

Fences Series, Xi'an - Inside

From inside the fence looking out.

Fences Series, Xi'an - The Shards (Detail)

Fragile?

Fences Series, Xi'an - The Shards

Top of the fence.

Off to China and (Hopefully) Tibet

I'll be in Xi'an in June, but will then head to Tibet. This time I want to explore a bit outside of Lhasa. In particular, Shigatse, where the Tashilunpo Monastery stands. This is a picture from Flickr on R. L's site.

SCA Entry This Saturday: Birds Circle Gong Er

This is my "Wing It!" entry for the new show opening this Saturday, May 14th. Official opening time: about 6 pm at the SCA Gallery on Thomas Street, just north of 3rd, in Pomona, CA.

Just Wing It! -- Second Saturday May 14, 6-9pm

I'll have a print in the SCA's "Just Wing It!" show opening May 14th. The Show's theme is all about birds, things that fly, UFOs. Should be interesting!

• Opening Reception is Second Saturday May 14, 6-9pm
• Last Saturday Reception May 28, 6-9pm

New Twist: The Pinhole Camera

As a result of seeing the "First Photograph" I'm now interested in pinhole photography and have ordered a Holga Pinhole Camera. My plan is to explore the depth of field of the pinhole, develop the analog negatives (probably T-Max 400), scan them in high resolution, then print them using the palladium process. There is some really great work on Flickr in the "pinhole" and "palladium" fora. Follow this link for an example of what a pinhole camera can do.

The "First Photograph"

1826 - view from a window captured on a metal plate using bitumen of Judea. This has kindled my interest in doing some palladium prints using a pinhole camera. But it would seem it could not be done directly...

More posts coming on this.

Future Shoots and Shows

Plans are coming together for a photographing several key monasteries inside and outside of Lhasa, Tibet, in July. I'm hoping also to combine these with photos from additional monasteries within China (besides Labrang) and also photos from two northern provincies of Malaysia for a Fall show at a venue to be determined. There will be both color and palladium prints and at least one Blurb book by then, so stay tuned!

On Second Saturday in May I'll have one or two prints at the SCA in their "Just Wing It" show, which will include art work of all sorts having to do with wings, birds, planes, ufo's - you name it!

That will be on May 14th. "The Last Saturday" will be on May 28. Receptions will be on the 14th and 28th, 6-8 in the evening as a part of the Pomona Art Walk.

The Print Collections Are Available Unframed Also

The Prints from Labrang and the earlier Palladium Prints were framed for the SCA shows, but frames are hard to ship or carry as luggage, so I'm happy to make them available unframed for those interested. Check with me on a particular print that you might like, but in general the cost would be $35-$50 less on the larger prints (the 16x20's in the 20x24 frames) and $25-$35 less on the smaller prints (the 11x14's in the 16x20 frames). See the March 22nd posting for the links to the two online catalogs, or click here to go directly to that page.

For show prints which have never been framed, I'd be happy to make them available with or without matts. Check with me on prices. I'll post a price list soon which will take into account these options.

"Last Saturday" Coming Up - Labrang Show Coming Down

This Saturday will be the last opportunity to see the Labrang Monastery prints at the SCA Gallery. The show comes down after the Art Walk, which concludes this Saturday evening. I'll be there in the 6-7 pm window when it will be much less hectic than when the show opened on Second Saturday, both in terms of parking and people. Always fun to talk about photographs and remote places in the world. (If you have not been to the SCA Gallery, it is in the basement at 281 S. Thomas. Look for the entry on Thomas north of the restaurant. Take the elevator down one floor or take the stairs, which are on the right as you enter.)

For those who are interested in purchasing a print, you can do so at the Gallery through Bob Pece, the Curator. I think you'll find the prices quite affordable. A portion of each sale goes to this excellent gallery, which I am pleased to support. Check the online version of the catalog, which should open in your browser courtesy of Google Docs. (If it doesn't, there is a hard copy at the SCA.) I would be happy to help as well, so contact me if you have any questions. The best way to do this is via email at jcmanleyy@gmail.com.

Palladium prints from my first show are also available. Check the earlier online catalog at this direct link, or check back to July in this Blog.

Two Blurb books are available as well. The first features prints from the June SCA show; the second, my trip to Western China in November (which did not include Labrang, but did include images from along the Silk Route).

They can be purchased directly from Blurb, which has a neat "preview" program. The links below let you preview each book in your browser for free. If wished, they can be ordered with several options, including a premium lustre paper option. In my opinion, Blurb does a very high quality job on these books.

• Sense of the Distant Past (Palladium Prints)
• Xingjiang: From the Karakoram Highway to Hemu

Catch you Saturday!

Extended Catalog of Labrang Prints

The prints in the show are the tip of the iceberg of my recent work on Labrang. Follow this link to a PDF catalog of the prints in the show and also many more. I've focused on color, but I've done some palladium work as well, especially portraits. Also, I've done some "grouped" prints, including two "quads" which present a composite view of a single image. The composite is made of four 16x20" images. Framed, the dimensions are 32x40".

There are also two "diptychs" -- two 16x20" prints forming a single image if placed side-by-side, and a ""triptych" -- three 16x20's forming a single image. However, I've tried to "frame" each panel individually from a compositional point of view so that they need not be placed together, only near each other.

Finally, the 17x75" panorama of the Labrang Monastery and surrounding territory is also available with its plexiglass and hardware. (If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jcmanleyy@gmail.com.)

The Second Saturday Event

The SCA Gallery was absolutely innundated this past Saturday. My show went up with a Cal Poly faculty and student show in the rest of gallery. There was an event in the Fox theater down the block, plus the other openings during Second Saturday in the Arts Colony. The result was a fierce competition for parking and some gasping for air in the gallery. Nevertheless, some twenty or so friends braved these challenges. Ed, Julie, her husband, and Ed's daughter are in this picture.

Xiahe and Monastery from the North

Xiahe and Labrang Monastery from the South

Show Poster

Labrang Monastery Prints at the SCA Gallery in March

Come to the SCA Gallery on Second Saturday, March 12, for a glimpse of an emerging set of color prints on the Contemplative Spaces of the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe, Gansu Province, China. These were taken on my fall trip to China where my interest in Tibetan Buddhist architecture has been rekindled. The show will be in the Members Gallery, a part of the main SCA Gallery. As with other Second Saturday openings, it will start about 6:00 pm. Join me then for refreshments and perhaps dinner later.

Dunhuang was the focus on my June show at the Gallery. Tibetan Contemplative Spaces is the theme of this show, which will be up for two weeks. The images are from the Labrang Monastery the largest Tibetan monastery outside of Tibet. I'm continuing to use the palladium printing process, but I'm also creating color prints from this fascinating area as well.

According to Wikipedia, ...the monastery complex dominates the northern part of the village. The white walls and golden roofs feature a blend of Tibetan and Han architectural styles. The monastery contains 18 halls, six institutes of learning, a golden stupa, a sutra debate area, and houses nearly 60,000 sutras. The number of monks has now recovered to over 1,000. The clean white wall and open spaces shift one's perceptive mode into the contemplative.

Illumination II: Dark Triangle

Illuminations: Portrail Orientation

The clean whites of the main hall provide a design canvas for the opposing triangles, which also suggestion illumination with respect to the single monk.

Prayer Wheel

There are well over 1,000 prayer wheels along the pilgrim route or kora of nearly 3 miles around the Monastery. Here you see two of them.

Main Hall in Smoke: Monastery

Viveza2 helped define the smoke using "structure".

Faces: Monastery

A traditional teaching/debate stance.