December 2017: From Behind

I've always been a fan of the "from behind" shot of animals.  You don't usually see them from this perspective in books or on television. I think though that many times we get distracted by looking at an animal's face, and so either give short shrift to (or miss entirely) the beauty of the rest of the creature. Typical photos of lions focus on their manes, eyes, or more commonly their teeth, which tend to emphasize their violent carnivorous behavior and more dramatic physical features.  Abstracting those elements from a photograph forces you to notice the other aspects of a lion, the texture of the fur, the variations in coloration, the thickness of the body, the relaxed posture, etc. I am willing to bet that very few of you knew that African lions had black stripes across the back of their ears until now!

November 2017: Fish Town

The old Fish Town district in Leland, MI a couple weeks ago. Some places just demand sepia.

October 2017: Smile, Crocodile!

OK, this is not a crocodile.  Sue me.  :)
It seems that I am on a reptile kick though...last month a rattlesnake, this month a caiman.  I like reptiles though, I can't help it. :)
Caimans are essentially small versions of alligators.  Their personalities and tempers are the same size, however.
Until next month, see you later alliga---oh never mind........:D :D

September 2017: Autumnal "Danger Noodle"

This is a Massasauga Rattlesnake, the only poisonous snake found in Michigan.  They are fairly small (just over 2 feet long) and the color of dry dead leaves, making it next to impossible to see on the forest floor, especially in autumn.  Fortunately they are quite reclusive and not overly common, so it is pretty rare to come into contact with one.

August 2017: Metamorphosis parts 2 and 3

Last month I posted a monarch caterpillar, which shortly thereafter attached itself to the underside of a yucca frond and entered its pupal stage.  Here is the chrysalis.
A couple weeks later, and out came this gorgeous monarch!

It is amazing to me how allowing just a few milkweed plants to grow will draw several monarchs, and result in them being frequently seen throughout the summer.  I highly recommend it!

July 2017: Metamorphosis

This is a monarch butterfly caterpillar, diligently munching away on a milkweed leaf.  Caterpillars are symbolic of change, and that is what is in store for Jonderson Photography.  Over the course of the next month or two I will be attempting to redesign the main website in preparation for moving the site to a new host.  Here at the blog everything will be going on as usual though.  The hope is that the new website/host will be a butterfly taking the place of the current caterpillar.  I understand it rarely goes that smoothly, however I remain hopeful as always. :)

Sleeping Buddha

Sleeping Buddha...sounds like a new age Disney movie, doesn't it?  :)

I have always appreciated the thought and planning that goes into Asian art.  Especially with regard to scale and perspective.  This Buddha head could be 10 inches tall or 10 feet tall.  You can't tell just by looking at it in one single context.

I will be taking it easy for the next month or two, recovering from a surgical procedure (torn abdominal muscle). So maybe you will be getting bonus summer blog entries. Or maybe I will just sit on the deck drinking vodka for six weeks. Ha!

In the meantime, pick a day and seek out art near you to experience in person.  Find things to view from different perspectives, even though some of those perspectives might not be as pleasant or useful as others.  Discovering perspectives which don't work is every bit as useful as discovering ones which do.  That is true not just of art, but of life in general.

May 2017

Reminder to self:  Do more landscapes!

Sorry this is late, but I have been very sick and very busy for the last 6 weeks.  Hopefully this beautiful garden scene will make up for the delay.

My thanks again to The Gallery: Art for Saginaw for hosting my work for the last six months!  It was nice for me to be a part of something positive in a community with so much love for art, and in a gallery with so much fantastic work!  Special thanks to Lisa Comer and Sara Taylor, for providing such a welcoming and supportive environment.  You really made it a genuine pleasure!

Gallery Event Update

Hi everyone!
Good news!
The Q&A Event at The Gallery: Art For Saginaw has been rescheduled for May 6th at 1pm.
Hope to see you there!

Jonderson

April 2017: Orange Tip on Orchid

Spring has arrived, and with it some illness.  Sorry this is late, but I have been as sick as I have ever been for the last week and a half.  Getting back around is taking time, but the warming weather helps! 

This is a Great Orange Tip Butterfly feeding on an orchid.  Very pretty combination, even if I do say so myself. :) 

My Q&A Session at The Gallery: Art for Saginaw was cancelled due to my illness, and is in the process of being rescheduled if we can find a date that works for both me and them.  I'd love to work that out, as they are a great resource for their community and I urge you all to support them by visiting them (and by buying some of the art of course)!  All their profits go toward art and art education programs for the youth of the city through the Saginaw Art Museum's education department.  What a great way to build a love for art in a community!

Gallery Event Update

Details have just been announced for my appearance at The Gallery: Art For Saginaw on April 1st.

I will be holding an informal Q&A session regarding my work and photography in general from 1pm-3pm.

More details here!

March 2017: Spring is on the way!

Time for a splash of color on the Jonderson Photoblog!
I am actually re-posting Sunflower II, aka "Sad Sunflower", because it is one of the photographs currently on exhibit at The Gallery: Art For Saginaw.

I bring it up for two reasons:
Reason One is that you should make the trip to check this place out!  Not only is it a tremendous art gallery, both in terms of the facility itself and the quality of the works which it contains, but it is also a prime example of what art is supposed to bring to a community.

Reason Two is the big news of the month...although they have not made an official announcement yet, I will be making a special appearance at The Gallery on Saturday April 1, from noon until 6pm!  I normally don't do these sorts of things, but I really believe in what this gallery is doing for the city of Saginaw and I am very proud to support and be a part of its efforts.  And if that isn't enough to get you to show up, they are opening a brand new bourbon bar in the Bancroft Building that same evening!  So not only can you immerse yourself in some of the most amazing art in the state, meet one of the artists in person, but afterwards you can enjoy some finely crafted bourbon or Michigan craft beer, have a light dinner, and enjoy some live music all in the same building!  You really can't go wrong with a schedule like that. :)

February 2017 North Park Bridge

Well, the last week of January here featured 50 degree temps, and a decent amount of rain, which melted most of the snow and created a great deal of fogginess.  Fun weather for photos!  This one is looking north along the Grand River in Comstock Park, MI.

If you haven't gotten over to Saginaw to see the exhibits at The Gallery: Art For Saginaw, you really should do that!  I see they posted one of my photos on their Instagram feed a week or so ago, which was very nice, as were the comments it received.  I am going to try to get over there sometime in late March/early April, probably on a Saturday, and just hang out there for a few hours in case anyone wanted to pop in with questions, etc.

Until next month! 

Happy New Year 2017!

I don't do a lot of portraits, and can't remember the last time I posted one.  So here is one I made of my youngest sister, Megan. 

Wishing you all the very best of life in 2017,
Jonderson