No BWS!

Because I have been in real estate for 48 years, I have a natural, built-in, defined market for my Photographic Art since real estate, both residential and commercial, is where most people would hang it.

So I came up with what I think is a good way to broach the subject:

BWS stands for “Bare Wall Symdrome.”

So No Bare Wall Symdrome!

Now all I have to do is fill my Fine Art America galleries with billions and billions and billions of beautiful Photographic Art and then find billions and billions and billions of people living in real estate who might have some disposable income to spend on, uh, me!

Fine Art America has a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee, so if you have BWS and would like to get rid of it, check out my Fine Art America galleries.

If you see something you would like to buy, use discount code

VBBRKZ

for a 20% discount. The discount is good only on my markup on my Photographic Art, not on anything else you might buy from Fine Art America, such as frames, matting, etc.

Here are three recent Photographic Art creations:

Coronado Library

Sunset Surfer

Imperial Beach

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Some days are longer and more glorious than others

Today is going to be a long but glorious day, first teaching chess at a fabulous Rancho Santa Fe mansion….

….then a home inspection at a beautiful City Heights home….

….followed by an outing with the Pacific Photographic Society at Comic Con’s Zombie Walk.

Going anywhere with the Pacific Photographic Society is fun, but fun events make it even more fun!

Here are a few pictures from past Zombie Walks and Comic Cons:

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

I cannot be trusted

I first started taking pictures in sixth grade when the principal, Miss Gustafson, asked for a volunteer photographer. She explained that the volunteer photographer would get in free to all sporting events, and the rest is history.

Even though I was using a Canon SLR in sixth grade, my first pictures really were just snapshots of the sports team and crowds.

In high school and college, my photography became more serious. I endeavored to understand the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Then throw in there film speed, film type, lenses, filters, and even film processing methods.

After college, I tried to develop a photographer’s eye for composition. Sometimes that meant sitting in the same spot for several hours waiting for just the right combination of things—light, weather, people (or lack thereof), etc. Sometimes I would take a picture and then go back several times over the next weeks and months, hoping to get a better picture.

Them days are gone………………………..

In today’s world of Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom, Corel Paintshop Pro, and many other digital photo software editing programs, I think I have come full circle, back to taking snapshots with my Canon 550D. I’m more interested in getting the picture and then making something out of it when I get back home. I think someone calls it “Photographic Art.”

For example, here’s a picture of two pigs sleeping at the San Diego County Fair:

It’s a cute picture, but I thought it could be better if I removed the bars from their pen, not to mention the food dish and the butt of the black pig in the other pen. I even thought about that while at the Fair because I took a picture of sawdust which I thought would be good to replace the bars with:

First I removed some sawdust from the pigs, as well as a few pigskin imperfections, by simple cloning, which Photoshop makes real easy. I cloned out some feathers from on top of the sawdust as well.

Then I masked the bars and deleted them. That left me with a huge blank space behind the pigs’ heads, but Photoshop also makes it pretty easy to insert just about anything into a picture.

Here is the result:

Isn’t it a lot better picture without the bars in there?

Lets you focus on the two pigs, especially the smiling pig, obviously in the midst of sweet dreams.

What you see at Russel Ray Photos might not be what you get. I just can’t be trusted.

Need a unique gift? Check out Photographic Art!

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Sea lions at play in the wild

As much as I love visiting zoos, aquariums, and animal sanctuaries, there’s still something special about seeing wildlife in the wild.

So yesterday Jim and I took a walk along Fisherman’s Landing between Harbor Island and Shelter Island. We were there rather later, when the day fisherpeople were coming in and the night fisherpeople were leaving.

At the side of one of the just-arrived boats were three sea lions playing in the drainage from the boat. Normally the docks are private, for owners and fisherpeople, but since there was an arriving crowd and a leaving crowd, I snuck onto the docks and got a 3-minute video of the sea lions at play.

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

A visit to La Jolla, California, jewel of the Southern California coast

If you have been following along with my recent posts, you might have detected that I was in La Jolla recently, several times since Hillary Clinton was here signing books a month ago.

• Marine mammals of La Jolla
• The brown pelicans of La Jolla
• At least they have new fences

Let us stay with the La Jolla theme for one more post.

Following are Photographic Art based on pictures in and around La Jolla, mostly along the coast and in the central business district.

Let’s start at the coast first, the La Jolla cove, which is where you’ll find billions and billions and billions of brown pelicans, white-breasted cormorants, harbor seals, and sea lions.

Look back at the very first picture, the panorama, smack dab (smack dab?) top center, you can see a little platform. Here is what was happening on that platform the morning I was there:

The coastline is awesome, so you can find all sorts of art for sale. Of course, the best La Jolla art is in the La Jolla Gallery of Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America! (I might be slightly prejudiced.)

There are many art galleries in La Jolla, and some of them put their art outside for the enjoyment of all:

Along with murals on exterior building walls….

….you can find “trash can” art. Virtually every trash can and public utility box is painted on all four sides….

Native Indians (the Kumeyaay and the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians) enjoyed La Jolla before the white man (actually Spaniards) ever got there. One trashcan’s art features an American Indian, and the feathers spell out the names of several areas along the San Diego County coast:

I find it amazing that we have so many murals, trash can art, and utility box art here in San Diego yet California schools continue to dismantle K-12 art (and music) programs. Of course, sports programs live on…. Sad….

You can find wall art at restaurants and on the front walls of many homes:

Some restaurants and stores make art out of plants:

Because of the cool, coastal climate, as well as natural watering via night mist and dew, virtually any plant will grow in La Jolla, and they make some beautiful Photographic Art:

Of course, La Jolla would not be a seaside, (rich) beach community without common seagulls:

If you plan to visit San Diego County, be sure your plan includes a trip to La Jolla for awesome views of the coast and the amazing wildlife which choose to hang out there. You might even see me walking around with camera in hand!

Visit La Jolla on Google Maps

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Mug shot reveals identifying characteristic

 

 

Seems law enforcement agencies are posting mug shots to Facebook and agency blogs in today’s world.

Some of them do make for an interesting break from work. Justin Bieber’s comes to mind.

Recently I went for a walk at Lake Murray, a large lake about a half mile from me.

Lots of birds, and this beautiful pigeon decided he wanted his mug shot taken:

It kept walking up and down, back and forth, perhaps used to people feeding food to it.

I, on the other hand, was looking for identifying characteristics, sometimes difficult to find on wildlife that is all white.

A-ha! (not the group)

We found an identifying characteristic:

It will not get away from us now! We’ve got him!

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Marine mammals of La Jolla, California

I have accomplished so much today that I thought I would treat y’all to an extra blog post.

Since my blog post earlier was Photographic Art of the brown pelicans of La Jolla, I thought I’d stick with the wildlife of La Jolla theme and show you the harbor seals and sea lions.

Smile (or leave a comment) if you know the two quickest ways to tell a harbor seal from a sea lion.

If you plan to visit San Diego County, be sure your plan includes a trip to La Jolla awesome views of the coast and the amazing wildlife which choose to hang out there.

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

The brown pelicans of La Jolla, California

The first time I visited La Jolla in 1993, it was to watch the people.

Over the years, though, it has become much more fun to watch the wildlife—pelicans, cormorants, harbor seals, and sea lions—as they seem to have taken over the La Jolla Cove.

Following are some Photographic Art of pelicans based on pictures from a recent trip to the Cove. We’ll get to the cormorants, seals, and sea lions in a future post.

If you plan to visit San Diego County, be sure your plan includes a trip to La Jolla for the views of the coast and the wildlife.

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Who am I to argue?

Generally I respect people’s opinions of themselves.

I mean, who am I to argue with them?

Need a unique gift?

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!

Blog Love (7-20-14)

I haven’t done a Blog Love post since June 22 because I’ve been so busy creating the infrastructure for Photographic Art. It’s been hectic since Julian was in Texas from June 19 to July 8. Now that he’s back, of course, I have to keep him busy, too. When oh when does the busyness end? Wait! I love busyness. Nevermind….

Up until four days ago, my visits to blog friends had suffered. However, visits to my blog friends has not, so today I want to recognize those people who continue to pop by and visit me here at my blog.

The following are just a few of those bloggers. Click on the links to go visit them, and be sure to tell them that Russel Ray sent you their way!

1. ABC of Spirit Talk
2. allaboutlemon-All Around, In, and Out Of My Own Universe
3. Animalcouriers
4. Artifotoblog
5. Container Chronicles
6. Crazy Life
7. draliman on life
8. Hands on Bowie
9. Jayden Miller Photography
10. Krishna’s Pictures and Notes
11. laurie27wsmith—The Adventure of Writing
12. Lens and Pens by Sally
13. LScott Poetry
14. Petals Unfolding – The Embrace of Love
15. Reading With Rhythm – book reviews from Rhythm the Library Dog
16. Texan Tales & Hieroglyphics
17. The Mirror Obscura
18. Through My Lens
19. Trópico de cancer
20. Writing Between the Lines

Need a unique gift?
Consider Photographic Art!

Visit Photographic Art by Russel Ray Photos at Fine Art America.

►►►►◄◄◄◄

Looking for real estate services in San Diego County?
I can highly recommend James Frimmer, Realtor, CDPE
CA BRE #01458572

►►►►◄◄◄◄

If you’re looking for a home inspector,
I recommend Russel Ray — that’s me!