Moorish Beauty…

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architectural, downtown tampa, moorish, photo, photograph, photographer, photography, photos, sharon cummings, sharon cummings art, tampa, tampa bay, tampa fl, tampa florida, the university of tampa, university of tampa

If you find yourself in Tampa, Florida and want to see some beauty, head downtown and check out The University of Tampa. The Moorish architecture is breathtaking!

GET IT HERE!

Not So Angry Birds

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art, Artist, beach, beaches, birds, bradenton, coastal living, faabest, florida, gull, gulls, miami, naples, photograph, photography, photos, sarasota, sarasota beaches, seagull, seagulls, sharon cummings, siesta key, Siesta Key Beach, siesta key florida, vacation

Growing up, my Mom always admonished me to “never feed the seagulls!”  For one thing they may poop on your head and for another they can become aggressive and come for food that you have not released from your hands yet. Then Alfred Hitchcock came out with the movie “The Birds” which further instilled the idea that these creatures were angry little monsters.  The truth is that I have been around these beauties of the beach my whole life and I have never been attacked.  Yes, I have fed them (shhhhh….don’t tell Mom!).  I find them to be shy and aloof most of the time.  To photograph them, you have to be quiet and move gently.  It is true that they will swarm for food, but that is just normal animal behavior.  In this photographic art piece I try to capture their beauty and gentleness.  These two look to be dancing.  While they may not be angry after all….they just might drop a bomb on you when you aren’t looking. 😉

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The Surprise…

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art, art prints, Artist, beach, beach art, beach house, beach prints, beach themed art, clouds, digital photography, faabest, heaven, heavenly, ocean, people, photographs, photography, photos, prints, sea, seaside, sharon cummings, sky, summer, sunset, sunset art, sunset photography, sunset prints, sunsets, vacation, water, waves

When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with photography.  I had my little Kodak Ektra camera and I would take quick snaps everywhere I went.  The most exciting part of the process was always going to the drug store to pick up the developed photographs.  Back then there was no one hour photo.  It took about 5 days and the anticipation would drive me crazy!  I would constantly ask my Mom if they were ready yet.  Then I would revel at the surprise shot.  The one that wasn’t anticipated.  A casual shot that turned out to be a “wow”.  Today it isn’t much different.  I still take snaps wherever I go whenever something catches my eye.  And then when I get home, the anticipation of downloading them on my computer is the same as when I was young.  The only difference is now I wait mere minutes instead of days.  Recently I had a beach getaway where I took over 300 shots and this was the “surprise”…the “wow” shot….

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Here Comes The Sun…

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beach sunflower, botanical prints, daisies, daisy, floral, floral prints, flower, garden, gardening, nature, nature photography, photography, photos, pretty flowers, sharon cummings, sun, sun flower, sunflower, weeds, wild flowers, wildflowers, yellow, yellow daisy, yellow flower

 

And I say…It’s alright!  After 2 days of dark, wet and windy weather, I welcome the sun today with open arms. We are having unseasonably rainy and cooler temperatures here in Florida.  May is usually hot.  Just hot.  But the rains have started early.  I just hope this isn’t a premonition for Hurricane Season.  Let me worship the sun while I can!

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Collaborations

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alice in wonderland, art, art collaboration, Artist, beach, bears, butterflies, butterfly, collaboration, collage, collage art, collage work, creating, creativity, mixed media, mixed media art, muse, ocean, Paint, painting, photography, photos, pretty art, sea, sharon cummings, tampa, tampa artist, Teddy bear, teddy bears, the mad hatter, women, women's issues

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/on-the-rocks-teddy-bear-art-by-william-patrick-and-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Do any of you other artists ever collaborate?  Work on photography together?  Paintings?  Music?  I tend to be a loner when it comes to my work, but I have had some really great opportunities to work with some amazing artists from around the World on pieces of art that really challenged me but ultimately brought me great satisfaction.  

The piece above is a joint effort between me and my husband William Patrick.  We headed to the beach with his box of toys and I handled all of the choreography and staging while he snapped the shots.  I also handled the post processing.

 http://fineartamerica.com/featured/down-the-rabbit-hole-sharon-cummings.html

Down the Rabbit Hole was a very interesting project that I shared with a Canadian artist named Geraldine Gracia.  What we did was each sent each other a package filled with all sorts of bits and pieces of things we collected.  The rule was we had to use EVERYTHING in the package in a mixed media piece.  We could add to it, but we could not subtract.  It really got my imagination going and the end result was a surprise to me.  I to this day continue to sell this piece regularly…so glad it speaks to so many.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/balancing-act-sharon-cummings.html

Balancing Act was another collaboration piece.  I have done these many times with other artist and it is always fun to see what we create!

 

The One

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anniversary, art, beach, best friends, blue sky, bradention, brothers, canvas, coastal, coastal living, encouragement, encouraging, engagement, Family, florida, friend, friends, friendship, ft. myers, gift, help, helping, love, lovers, miami, naples, ocean, paintings, palm, palm fronds, palm tree, palm trees, palms, paradise, photography, photos, prints, romance, romantic, sarasota, sea, sharon cummings, silhouette, sisters, st. augustine, sun, suncoast, sunshine, tall trees, tree, trees, tropical, tropical palms, tropical trees, wedding

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/stand-by-me-palm-tree-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

If you are lucky….you have that one person in your life that has stuck with you through thick and thin.  No sin has been so great that it has not been forgiven.  No hardship so horrible that the burden could not be shared.  That special someone has a voice and heart that beckons a phone call at any hour.  A hand that is always at the ready to steady you or just to say “I am here” and “I will stand by you”.  For many it is Mom, but my Mother abandoned me emotionally and physically from a very early age.  My Dad passed when I was 10 and though I have had friends come and go in my life, for the past nearly 12 years, I have had that special someone.  Thank you Bill….my husband….my love….the one who is always by my side….

And we were side by side when this shot was taken….

The Details

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anchor, anchored, boat, boat dock, boat docks, boater, boating, boats, camachee, camachee harbor, camanche, camanche harbor, canvas, captain, comanche, comanche harbor, dock, docks, door, doors, florida, harbor, harbors, harbour, historic, marina, marinas, photographs, photography, photos, prints, saint augustine, sea captain, sharon cummings, st. augustine, st. augustine florida, vintage, wall art, wall decor

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-door-vintage-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I just returned from a little 3 day getaway to St. Augustine, Florida.  The weather was absolutely perfect….crsip….cool and sunny.  The kind of weather we Floridians live for.  I had been through this historic town one time in my life, but never really explored all of the nooks and crannies.  Of course we visited all of the typical suspects….The Castillo De San Marcos National Monument….The Lightner Museum….Flagler College….etc.  But what really intrigued me the most were the out of the way places.  The smaller details that are so often missed by most tourists.  One cool morning we decided to make our way in the opposite direction of the hubbub and we found some really beautiful old homes.  This vintage door really grabbed my attention.  

We also found this cute little harbor….Camachee Harbor near St. Augustine Beach.   There were colorful vessels docked and waiting, but there was also this gorgeous line of white boats.  The big crystal clear blue sky made the perfect backdrop.

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-yellow-boat-coastal-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/sea-grass-shimmer-coastal-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Wish You Were Here

Tags

air, alone, art, barren, barren tree, blue, blue sky, brances, branches, breeze, bridge, bright sky, cabin, calm, calming, camping, canvas, cloud, clouds, earth, elegant, fall sky, florida, foliage, forest, galaxy, green, hiding place, hiking, journey, landscape, landscapes, leafless, lonely, lonesome, meditation, minimal, minimalism, minimalist, mountain, natural, nature, note 3, paintings, path, peace, peaceful, photo, photograph, photography, photos, prints, relax, relaxing, samsung, samsung galaxy, samsung galaxy note 3, samsung galaxy note 3 camera, scenery, scenic, secret place, sharon cummings, sightseeing, silence, silent, simple, single, skies, sky, skyscape, skyscapes, solitude, soothing, spring sky, stroll, strolling, sumemr sky, tree, tree branch, tree branches, trees, walk, walking, wall art, white cloud, wilderness, wildflower, wildflowers, wind, winter sky, wood, wooden bridge, woods, woodsy

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/solitude-blue-sky-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Yesterday was one of those amazing Florida days where I wished everyone I knew could be enjoying the fresh air, the sunshine and all of the beauty that was embracing me.  We took our new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phones out into the wilderness to see what the cameras could do.  I bought the phone for my business and that is what it is used for 90% of the time, but since we had heard so much about the photographic capacity of these new gadgets we gave them a whirl. There was no shortage of subject.  The cameras took some really nice pictures, but no where near that of our DSLR’s.  My favorite is the piece above titled “Solitude” as it expresses how I feel most of the time.  Working from a home studio without coworkers and/or employees leaves me with a lot of alone time.

But I had the most fun playing with the panorama setting.  This piece below turned out really cool and shows a true slice of Florida wilderness where man has intruded by building a bridge between the city world and the great outdoors:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/around-the-bend-sharon-cummings.html

Lastly, there were so many wildflowers blooming it was unreal.  Some of these beauties were taller than I was with large golden and yellow fronds reaching into the sky.  Really it was perfect and it turned out to be a lot less about the camera and a lot more about capturing the beauty…..

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/florida-beauty-landscape-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Passionate Photography by Zina Zinchik

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art, Artist, beach, buy prints, camera, camera lens, emotional, fine art america, Music, ocean, photographer, photographs, photography, photos, pictures, prints, red dress, romantic, stunning photography, wolf, women, Zina Zinchik

 

Many people these days take pretty pictures.  Digital photography makes it easier and easier to get stunning imagery. However, most of these attractive photos do not create an emotion or make you think.  True art comes from a technical aspect and even more so from a great eye and heart.  Zina Zinchik is one artist who has both of these qualities.  When I look at her work I can “feel” the emotion behind it.  I can see that she is meticulous at setting up her shots, but also that she makes a story as she does so.

I caught up with Zina recently to learn more about her work.  Here are her answers:

What inspires your works? Photography for me opened the doors to share my fantasies, my anxieties and my emotions with people. 

Which of your photographs is your favorite? My favorite is Night Sonata which was taken quite a few years ago. This image comes directly from the camera with just minor adjustments in post-processing and it took very precise calculations of time and angles to get the picture just right. The musition is part of holidays window display at Bergdorf and Goodman and trees reflections comes from the park across the street. 
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/night-sonata-zina-zinchik.html 

Is there a photographer you relate to? And why? I am self-taught — started to learn craft of photography from online forums and discussions and it hard for me to pin-point the names. But if I must I would say that my biggest inspirations are coming from works of Annie Leibovitz and Peter Lindbergh. 

Do you ever feel like giving up? Not yet… So far the universe has been very kind to me, giving me support just when I needed it the most. 

How long have you been taking photos? 11 years for me. 

What’s the best thing about being a photographer? Being able to open hidden beauty and show another dimensions of every day objects. 

What’s the worst thing about being an photographer? Having to choose the best frame out of hundreds. 

Is there a purpose to your photography? Open another world to the viewers and stop time forever. 

How do you feel when people interpret your photos differently? We all are different and I am delighted when someone finds another meaning in my photographs, for me it means that picture ‘hit the spot’ for someone else. 

What advice do you have for aspiring photographers? Don’t afraid to experiment and push your limits. 

 

You can see more of Zina’s amazing work here:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/zina-seletskaya.html

Gerald Marella Patience To Perfection Photographer

Tags

art, Artist, bird, birds, buy prints, eagles, feathers, fine art america, floral, flowers, Gerald Marella, landscapes, nature, nature photography, nature prints, owls, patience, photographer, photographs, photography, photos, professional photographer, scenic photography, selling prints, skill

I’ve always envied people with a lot of patience.  When I take photos, I just randomly snap whatever catches my eye.  This is not the case for Gerald Marella.  When I was first introduced to him and his work, I could tell that he was different.  He was certainly interactive in our social media group, but it was obvious that his heart and mind were always on his craft.  He made excuses for absences sometimes, but there was really no need.  His work shows where he spends his time and the results are utter perfection.

I recently asked Gerald the same questions I have been asking other photographers I am featuring.  Here are his responses:

What inspires your works?  I love being there.  When I’m out photographing I try to become invisible. That can take time and patience, but if I can become part of the landscape a lot more natural behavior happens around me. Even when photographing eagles in an area where they aren’t habituated, it takes time to become ignored as part of the environment.  Getting to that point and capturing a good photograph is very satisfying.

Which of your photographs is your favorite?  I’d have to say the Barred Owl. It took a while to get to the point where the owl didn’t mind my presence. After that I was able to slow down, watch, and photograph the owl in a natural pose. I was careful to be respectful of it’s space and back off if it became too aware of my distance.http://fineartamerica.com/featured/barred-owl-portrait-1-gerald-marella.html

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/bald-eagle-over-ice-gerald-marella.html

Is there a photographer you relate to? And why?  I don’t know if relate is the right word, but Thomas Mangelsen’s work is amazing.  When I see his nature photos I see some similarities in style.

Do you ever feel like giving up?  I’ve never wanted to “give up”, but there are days when I think that I shouldn’t be allowed to own a camera.  That’s when I know I need a break.

How long have you been taking photos?  For many years, but for the past 15 or so with my focus on nature.

What’s the best thing about being a photographer?  I love the process.  Being out trying to become part of an environment and attempting to capture a photo that reflects a moment in time as if no one was there to see it.

What’s the worst thing about being an photographer?  The equipment can be heavy to lug around. I always use a tripod and for small creatures a long lens is necessary.

Is there a purpose to your photography?  I’m very literal. When I see a subject that I’d like to capture, I like the result to be an accurate portrayal of what I was seeing. That can be a tack sharp stop action, or the blur of a running animal. When I get the right result I feel that I’ve captured a second in time that will never be captured exactly the same way again.

How do you feel when people interpret your photos differently?  I feel great! When people interpret a photo differently it means that they’re emotionally involved in the moment of capture as if they were there when it happened.

What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?  Learn the mechanical and technical functions of your camera. You can’t effectively portray the emotion of the moment if you don’t know how your camera settings will manage the light and background. And, don’t accept OK. Your vision and style will change over time.

You can view more of Gerald’s amazing work here:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/gerald-marella.html?tab=artwork