EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

The Thornapple Arts Council of Barry County, MI is presenting a three-month gallery exhibition of 12 selected Jonderson photographs at the Walldorff Brewpub and Bistro in Hastings, MI!

The exhibition runs from January 7 through April 10, and the works can be viewed during regular Walldorff business hours.

The selection of works are varied, and contain some old favorites as well as a number of images no one has ever seen before, so you won't want to miss it! 

I will be posting specific dates and times that I will be there later on, so keep checking back!

In like a lion

No, no lion photos this month.  :)  I have them, but that is not what I meant by the post title.  No, it is rather a reference to the weather.  There is an old saying about winter here in Michigan:  "In like a lion, out like a lamb."

Well it certainly has come in like a lion this year, and as a remedy for the early winter snow and chill, I thought I would post a fiery red orchid to take off a bit of the chill.

There, that's better!  :)

Now that you are all comfy and cozy, I want to encourage you to stop back by the blog here in a week or so (definitely before Christmas) for a couple exciting announcements!  The final details are still being arranged, so I am not going to tell you quite yet, but some very big things are afoot at Jonderson Photography these days! 

In the meantime, keep warm!

Side note

The BBC chose my flamingo photo (see below) to run on their website last week, in the "Your Pictures" Section. 

The theme was "Resting".  You can see the whole gallery in a new window here.

Digital Effects

I am not a huge fan of digital effects, and try to stick to basic old-fashioned darkroom effects with my images, but sometimes I get an image which just screams for a little digital manipulation.  This photo is one of them.  The lines in the photo are very simple waves, and the "ghosting" effect just adds another layer to the dreamlike quality those flowing lines impart.

Happy November!
Jonderson

Oc-TWO-ber

Yes, you get two photos this month.  Aren't you lucky??  :)  Actually  you are, as I have been very busy this month and was worried that I would be late with updating again. 

The first is the photo which I had planned for this month, a non-typical view of DaVinci's famous horse sculpture. 

The second was taken as part of a shoot I did for Michael Gard, a San Francisco artist who was in town for ArtPrize.  He created this 13-foot wire sculpture, lit by over 1000 LEDs, and suspended it from a 10-foot helium balloon.  (It made the top 10, btw!)  As he flew it around downtown we happened upon a couple who had just been married.  They were enamoured with the spectacle, and Michael offered to let them "hold the reins" and pose for me.

 

Happy October everyone!

Street Portrait: Two Strange Birds

I spotted my friend Junior with a female Eclectus Parrot on his shoulder at Jazz Festival, in Grand Rapids, MI a couple weeks ago.  He ignored my wisecrack about someone giving him the bird.  Eclectus Parrots are native to the Solomon Islands.  Junior is local.  :)

One Year

It hardly seems like it, but it was a year ago today that my friend Mike died.  I still think of him often, and find myself laughing at what I imagine he would say about things.

This photo is from the series I took of his short battle with esophageal cancer.  It is the last photo I ever took of him, and it may be my favorite.  Being too weak to talk never stopped him from being able to express his opinion, which should surprise no one who knew him.  He hated having his photo taken under the best of circumstances, and was feeling pretty ill when I showed up for my regular visit.  When I got ready, I asked him if he was feeling well enough for me to photograph him and this was his response.  I like it because it captures so much of what was going on.  His attitude towards cancer, his attitude towards having his photo taken, and his attitude at having a friend see him in this really dehumanizing and utterly helpless situation.  To see him that openly vulnerable, and to see that although his physicality was rapidly deteriorating his personality was every bit as it always had been, that cancer was not going to beat him on that front at least, really makes this a powerful and personally touching photograph for me.

More Macro Madness

This little guy is only half an inch long.  Isn't he adorable?  :)

I am especially pleased with this shot, because I was able to remain so steady for it.  This was done with a non-VR macro lens, with me manually focusing by moving the hand with the frog on it closer and/or farther away from the camera, which itself was not on a tripod but simply held in my other hand.  Not bad for an old man, eh? 

Happy Fourth of July!

To purchase an 11.25x17 inch poster of this image, send a check or money order for $5 to:

Jonderson Photography
17400 Sparta Ave
Kent City, MI
49330
Attn: Flag Poster Offer

Macro Time

This month's photo is a detail shot of a Polyphemus Moth wing.  Polyphemus was a famous Greek cyclops, which is how this moth got its name...each underwing has an "eyespot".  Polyphemus Moths only live as adults for about a week.

Painted Turtle Hatchling

Found this little guy out behind the house last week.  Only about the size of a quarter.  So cute!

Another Spring Arrives

No, really, it does!

Despite the April Fools joke of waking up to snow this morning, spring is indeed here.  To make up for the snow, you get two photos this month.  The woodcock was taken just a few days ago, and the fawn was taken last year.  (It will be another six weeks before this year's fawns begin to show up.)

Happy Spring from Jonderson Photography!

Local Coverage

The Grand Rapids Press has put one of my photos up as the "cover photo" on their Facebook page.  It will be up only for a couple days, so go look at it soon! :)

Here is a link: https://www.facebook.com/grpress

Crowned Cranes

African Crowned Cranes, from 2009.  Silly looking and handsome at the same time.  Like me, according to my wife. :)

Abandoned Madonna (bonus photo)

Outstanding Los Angeles photographer Kevin McCollister is holding "Madonna Month" at his blog right now.  He will be posting Madonnas of varying sorts throughout February.  In celebration of that, and in the spirit of camraderie, you get a bonus photo from me this month!  This is the madonna statue which was left on the front of the empty church I posted a couple months ago.

Online Outdoor Gallery at Mlive

Mlive currently has an online gallery of outdoor photos posted here.

It looks like 5 of mine are up there, including some not seen on this blog or at my website.  I think they will be adding new ones for the next couple days.  So go check it out, and share it with your friends!

Gesichert

Gesichert is the German word meaning "secured".  In this case, it means that the gun's safety mechanism is engaged, but the possible implications of having the word "secured" on a firearm are numerous and enjoyable to contemplate. 

-1940 P-08 Parabellum (aka "Luger")-

Keeping Watch