RF Denver skyline footage

Largest Collection of Royalty-Free Denver Skyline footage can be found here:

Classic Reflections

Not my typical subject matter, but I like shiny things...

Scott Carlin Photography on Facebook

While it has been entirely too long since I have updated my blog, I have been busy shooting! I am in the process of setting up a blog on a new platform and updating my website, but in the interim felt the urge to keep posting photos, photography news, and gallery information. For the moment, My Facebook Fan Page will be where I post my latest work and announcements.

Please join us there! On the right column of this blog, in the Facebook Widget,
click on "Become a Fan".

Also, to those of you who signed up for my newsletter months ago, rest assured that will be in your inbox soon!

My photo in the Ansel Adams Gallery Photography Contest

If you like this image, please give me a vote at this link:


The Ansel Adams Gallery

The most popular images in the gallery go on to the final judging round.

Many thanks for your support! More posts coming soon.

The Open Spaces

When I tell people one of my favorite shooting locations is the farmlands and eastern plains of Colorado, (which I often do), I am typically met with a look of absolute confusion, as if the person I am talking to is being punked. I'm a nature photographer - what on earth would interest me about the open plains and farmland??

It all goes back to my formal graphic design training, which permanently engrained in my brain and imagination the concept and beauty of minimalism. Less really is more. I grew up in the Rocky Mountains; a land of magnificent peaks, rugged terrain, and vast forests of Evergreen, Pine, and Aspen, yet I do not have one single photo in any gallery of this type of landscape. I do have a few photos that I may share someday, but overall find it extremely difficult to compose a strong image in the Rockies, whereas in the farmland and desert, it's as if I have to pick from so many exciting and accessible options. For some reason the mystery of big skies, old trees, farm relics, decaying barns, and open land really are what connects me and my art.

Here's a few of my photos from eastern Colorado from the last couple of days. It seems the thunderstorm season is a bit late this year, but incredibly magnificent as the ominous clouds roll over the vibrant sunlit wheat fields. While shooting, I find myself playing a game of hide and seek with the sunlight through the clouds, trying to position myself in areas where the foreground is illuminated, while the sky is obscured by the daunting thunderstorms, creating a surreal contrast.

Some of this is very temporary land, and as urban development is sure to encroach upon and swallow many of these wonderful places within a few years, conforming them to urban sprawl and strip malls, there will be barely a memory of the natural peace and wonder that existed here previously.




You can see some of my previous journeys to eastern Colorado here , and here as well.

Beauty in a Yucca

The Yucca, commonly thought to be a type of cactus, is actually
a plant within the agave plant family and is an evergreen shrub.
Those who have spent time in certain desert climates in the
Western United States and Mexico know about the Yucca plant.

While they are visually unobtrusive, and often growing around
other small shrubs and bushes, they have long, very rigid
needle-tips that are ridiculously sharp. Throughout
the years, they have always provided a wealth of jokes
(and pain) for myself and my friends. If there is a Yucca
anywhere in the close vicinity, it is inevitably
going to stab someone.

Never have I had any desire to spend much time around them
until recently. Once I resigned myself to the fact that I was
going to lose some blood that day, I put the 100mm macro
lens on my camera, on a mini-tripod, laid myself on the desert
floor, and got up close and personal with one. Within a single
Yucca plant, I found a surprising beauty. Within this hostile
and vicious product of survival-of-the-fittest plant-evolution
lies the most wonderful tiny little world, delicate and whimsical.





The second image shown here has been juried into, and will be on display at the 18th Annual Louisville Arts Association National Photography Show, of which I am also the co-chair for. Please join us for the opening reception of the show on Saturday June 27th, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, at the Louisville Art Association. More information can be found at http://www.louisvilleart.org .

07/04/09 Post Note:
The second photo on this post won 2nd Place in the in the Louisville Art Association- National Photography Show (Color: Still Life, Scenic, and Abstract Category) on June 27th, 2009.

Defying Gravity

Afternoon Abstractions

...of days long past; through the veil of the conscious mind...

The High Desert is calling; it wants me back.

It has been an interesting and challenging few months. Delays caused my house remodel to drag on longer than I expected. My business is feeling some effects of the limping economy. I am learning many new technologies, and have jumped full-force into SEO analysis as well. I am learning new studio lighting techniques. I am learning to multitask more than ever. The final piece (for the moment) of the four-month remodel was having the carpet installed yesterday! I will finally get to move in upstairs, have a bedroom, and set up the office.

For the last four months I have lived in about 400 square feet of the house, sleeping on a mattress in the living room, next to my "office"; a shanty-town of a studio which consists of two computers on the dining room table surrounded by ever-increasing stacks of paperwork, computer accessories, printers, scanners, headphones, and hard drives . I feel like it is consuming me. This all changes today! Nice new bright carpet now adorns the base of my new office. Ample space, and a beautiful view out the window make a perfect new beginning.

Just in time for spring. I am emerging from a long winter's hibernation, and have really missed being outside, hiking and shooting. With the critical parts of the remodel complete, I can get back outside with my gear and soak it all in. My body seeks to awaken. My mind and spirit long to breathe and reconnect. The buds are on the trees. I need to embrace every day, and keep things moving. I miss nature photography. With my new dwelling now habitable, I can get a bit of the balance back. The balance that feeds me.

I am starting off the season spending another week in the desert around Moab again at the end of April. For a few of the days of the journey, I will be attending the Moab Photography Symposium. If you are attending this event, please contact me and I will look forward to meeting you there! It will be an amazing few days with an impressive line-up of photographers and artists.

Here's a few photos from last year's personal Utah expedition (unrelated to the Symposium), that have been gathering binary dust up until now…

Holeman Spring Canyon in a Sandstorm

Scattered clouds over White Rim Canyon

Strata and Erosion

A Warning to be taken very seriously on this road: "Soft Shoulder"

Justice on the Rails

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Nailed 'Em - Amtrak Photographer

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Funny Political News

Christian Bale Parody
Joke of the Day

Mima's House

Old Dwelling

Lower Tropospheric Visions?

While it has been a while since I have had time to devote to shooting much, I have picked up my camera once in a while. Mostly I've been engulfed in the sometimes overwhelming project of remodeling my new townhome. After a hectic three weeks of work, I finally have the place remodeled and ready to move in, and am starting to move my furniture, studio and office this weekend.

I believe that homes have certain energies - partially caused by their location and surrounding environment, partially by architectural features and design, and partially due to unexplainable conditions that cause certain living spaces to feel warm and inviting, while others convey a sense of cold discomfort and uneasiness, and even hostility. Fortunately my new home is the former; warm, comfortable, and inviting. Situated in Southeast Denver, it is one of the rare places in the city that is surrounded by a somewhat natural environment.

My first day in the new home, I noticed these wonderful trees along the trail behind the townhome. Also, the magnificent red-tailed hawks circling overhead, and overall lack of city-noise gave me a great feeling. At around sunset, I looked out of my bedroom window, and saw the first signs of iridescence in the clouds, and grabbed my camera.





While this vibrant and iridescent display of color only lasted for about 15 minutes, and then faded into darkness of night, I took it as a wonderful blessing upon my new home.

To learn more about iridescent clouds and other atmospheric phenomena, Les Cowley's "Atmospheric Optics" website is the definitive source of information.

Wide Angle Abstractions

Orphan Works Bill Legalizes Theft of Artistic Works

I have held my tongue long enough. I have tried to keep my blog free of politics, but I cannot remain silent any longer. The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act was passed through senate in a sneaky maneuver of "hotlining" the bill through at the end of session last Friday (09/26/08), amidst the panic of the US banking system collapse.

This bill compromises every artists' works and right to self-copyright, and practically invites opportunistic thieves to steal it. If an artist was to catch a hypothetical thief who stole creative works, wording in the bill states that if the artist sues the thief, that the thief and artist would have to come to a "mutual agreement" about the value of the stolen creative work. Preposterous.

Rather than try to summarize many other problems with this bill, and try to say what others can express so well, please just read Ted Rall's recent article on the topic. Ted Rall is president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

This bill's next stop is in the House Judiciary Committee, and there is still time to stop this bill from going into law. If you are an artist working in any medium, please educate yourself on this issue. It effects all of us in some pretty frightening ways.

TAKE ACTION: EMAIL CONGRESS TONIGHT
Tell the House Judiciary Committee not to adopt the Senate version.

The Illustrator's Partnership of America has supplied a special letter for this purpose: http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11980321

You can learn more at the Orphan Works blog here:
http://orphanworks.blogspot.com/

Saturday Morning Portrait

Life can be overwhelming sometimes.

So many new things to take in all at once. Adventures and interactions. New places, smells, creatures and people. Nature trails and creeks that demand to be explored. Squirrels that taunt, and snakes that slither. Mice that dart to the safety of their burrows upon my arrival. These are the things that must not be ignored.

After the adventure is over, sometimes a nap is in order.

"All Things Horses" Photography Exhibit at The Center for Fine Art Photography

There's something about horses that
make them fascinating photography subjects.

Never having been much of a horse person, I was not holding my breath for the upcoming exhibition. I was greeted with a great surprise once I saw the final results of the juried photography exhibition. Juried by world-renowned equine photographer,
Christiane Slawik, this exhibit brings together wonderful visions of a great variety of horses, and the impressive power and beauty of these animals, together in a cohesive and impressive display of art by forty two different artists from four countries. If you are of the equestrian-persuasion, you are sure to enjoy this gallery, and if you are not, these photographs might just change your mind! Click here to see the web gallery.

The All Things Horses Exhibition runs from September 5 - 27, 2008, at The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO. The artists and public reception is tonight, September 5th, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.
___________________________
PS While it has been an incredibly busy and exciting summer, I have not posted any articles on my blog lately. To my faithful readers, rest assured that several of my personal photography adventures and themed galleries will be posted in the upcoming weeks.

Postcards from the Rocky Mountains

There's nothing quite like the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the summertime...

Foggy Vision

I was born and raised here in Colorado, choosing to be in the Rocky Mountains or in Denver. Until recently, I never spent much time in the eastern plains and farmland. Once again, my camera and my curiosity got the best of me when I followed some thunderstorms out in that direction one evening in 2006. Since that time, it has become one of my favorite shooting locations. With sparse, open landscapes, farm relics, old trees, turbulent weather patterns, and abundance of wildlife, it now excites me to drive out on these dirt roads. After just a handful of songs from the stereo of my truck, I am out in the wide open spaces, away from the congestion of the city. Reminding myself how fast it is to get out of the metropolis provides me comfort. I suppose I might move to a less-populated area, but for the sake of my businesses, Denver is a good place to be, for a while anyway.

Earlier this week I took the drive out to eastern Colorado at dawn, on a wonderfully foggy Stephen King-esque (books, not movies) morning, with fog so thick that it seemed to be as tangible as the fields of earth it covered.

Driving was a very near-sighted journey, but I was really enjoying the eeriness of it all.

Every once in a while an object off the side of the road would break up the endless grey that blanketed my view. This old windmill caught my attention.

Gradually the fog lifted enough to actually see something, as the sun rose over the horizon. The trees, as usual, are my favorite shots from the morning.

These train photos will become part of a series I've been working on over the past two years. The body of work will be posted on my site sometime in the next few months.

All of this excitement, and I was back home by 8:30 in time to start my work day.

The New Generation of Photography Sites

Lately I have noticed a few photography sites that have some very creative photography. The two most notable are JPG Magazine and File Magazine. These sites are definitely edgier than what you might find on the mainstream photography sites such as BetterPhoto, although not quite as edgy (and tattooed) as DeviantArt.

JPG and File have very different models and genres, so I should not inadvertantly group them into any category other than that of "photography sites that make me happy". Both of them have a good mix of street photography, nature, studio, and abstract/experimental photography.

File Magazine allows photographer submissions, and selects the photos they want to publish and include in their collections and projects. No user comments, voting, rating, or any of that other community-oriented stuff. Just a website chock full of "unexpected photography". I encourage you to spend some time there, as there is some really fantastic and unique work.

JPG Magazine has grown tremendously popular since it's inception just a couple years ago, and follows more of a photography community model, with comments, friends, and votes to help persuade the editors in which photos to publish. A beautifully printed magazine is published bi-monthly with the selected photos and stories for the previously posted theme.

Without any sense of self-shame in cramming this one image down your blogosphere, I have submitted the photo below in the theme, "Favorite Hangouts". There's six days of voting left, so if you are already a website member of JPG magazine, and like the photo, please give me a vote! If you are not yet a member, it's a very non-committal type sign-up process with no small print, so if you are so compelled and actually sign up and vote for my photo, I will grant you three wishes. And, yes, one of them can be that I start posting different photos on my separate posts and site.

Right now my photo has 23 votes, and is listed as "HOT" so you never know, it may be selected, with your help. Thanks for putting up with my shameless self-promotion. We will return to our regularly scheduled shenanigans soon.