Full moon over Barn Bluff
The Largest and Brightest Full Moon of 2009: The Wolf Moon
Last night (Saturday, January 10, 2009), we witnessed the largest and brightest full moon of the year. This month's full moon is known as the Wolf Moon in Native American folklore. January's full moon is also called the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.
A full moon rises right around sunset, no matter where you are. This occurs because the moon and the sun are on opposite sides of the Earth during a full moon, allowing sunlight to hit the full face of the moon and reflect back to our eyes.
At moonrise, the moon appears even larger than it does later in the night when it's higher in the sky. Scientists can't fully explain this illusion, but some believe it has to do with our perception of things on the horizon versus overhead.
This photo was taken at 5:06 pm with the following settings: f/3.2, 1/320 sec, ISO 1250, -1.67 EV, 70 mm focal length, handheld. I used levels to bring some details back into the image without destroying the polarized sky and applied a very modest amount of unsharp mask.
Mister Becker's neighborhood
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
It has been an unusually cold and snowy winter so far (cold is mentioned twice because it has been just that cold), but it hasn't slowed down neighborhood activities.
Just a half block from the shop, the new Red Wing Central Park Bandshell is slowly growing from the ground. This project, the result of a generous donation from a local family foundation, is going to have a major impact on the cultural community. The first use of the bandshell is scheduled for July 4, 2009, and it will have regularly scheduled community and cultural activities going forward. It is an exciting design and promises to have excellent acoustics.
On the wall outside the shop, I am field testing some new large format materials to see how cold tolerant they are. The image is a self-portrait photo taken by my son. The colors were de-saturated, and the image highlights were blown out to create this very interesting "Chuck Close" effect. I slit the image every 4" to create movement in the wind, and the final image size is 6 feet wide by 10 feet tall.
Chuck Close is a terrific artist. He is a photo-realist and paints portraits on a massive scale. And in this case, size does matter.
Meanwhile, The Giant Dan is always smiling in the neighborhood of make-believe.
Beauty and the Beast
A Contrast in Projects
Beauty:
The first project is for the new Norton's Downtown and Lucky Cat Lounge. This restaurant-lounge-fine wine store has some very large and high walls, and it needed a tasteful image that befits the atmosphere of this white-linen restaurant.
The image used is "The Flaming June," selected for its gracefulness, color, and impact. It is one of the first things you see when you enter the restaurant from the parking lot and walk towards the hostess station.
The final image size is 8' x 8', printed on a satin fabric with an unfinished and unweighed bottom edge. Because of the 'hand' and drape-ability of the fabric, the entire image has a beautiful waft to it as it moves with the air circulation, almost as if it were breathing.
Beast:
Right next door to Norton's restaurant, the new Red Wing Shoe Company store is being built. This store will be a showcase for The Shoe, which has its world headquarters directly across the street. Red Wing Shoes are simply the best-made boots and shoes in the world. I wear my Model 414 boots for nine months out of the year, and I can personally vouch for the high quality and ruggedness of their products.
This project is labeled the beast because of the harsh conditions these images have to tolerate... beastly. The weather was -15°F with snow and high winds when they were installed. The construction wall is literally 6 inches from Highway 61, and the images have to endure heavy truck traffic, rocks, dirt, grime, and salt, along with the weather extremes.
Each image (there are two) is 6' x 15'. It is a reprint of the architectural concept drawing, with an opening date and The Shoe logo. A heavy-duty scrim material was deployed and further reinforced with the thickest laminate available. The edges were treated with a super glue-like adhesive, and 1/2" weather-resistant, reinforced nickel grommets were used every 2.5 feet.
Too much fun.
Ode to W. H.
This is on a load-bearing post in the basement of the frame shop.
”W.H., July 17, 1919, Age 14”
Old is the new new
Red Wing Holiday Stroll: A Nostalgic Family Event
Last night was the 7th annual Red Wing Holiday Stroll. This event, hosted by the Downtown Red Wing Mainstreet organization, serves as an alternative to the enclosed mall exodus that typically occurs the day after Thanksgiving.
Anyone downtown can define whatever activity they want to do during the stroll, and many merchants provide discounts and free snacks. We opted to work with The Sheldon Theatre to create a fun family event that is both corny and nostalgic.
We decided to re-create an Eisenhower-era tradition: the family Christmas photo.
We set up a faux outdoor-looking Christmas photo set, obviously taken indoors, reminiscent of a Macy’s Department Store in 1955. This allowed us to use period overcoats, hats, and fake snow to re-create the era and move clients in and out of the set quickly. Fifteen minutes later, they would stop by our shop to pick up a keepsake 5”x7” photo, printed in period fashion and in a stylish envelope. Most clients ‘got it’ and really embraced the spirit of the event.
All for $5, with all proceeds going to the Friends of The Sheldon, the fundraising arm of The Sheldon.
A small army of volunteers was recruited, and it was a mostly smooth workflow of production. There were a lot of laughs, and there are too many people to thank here who made this work. Ideas are already brewing for next year.
Good times.
CSI: Red Wing
Solving Crimes, Dragnet Style
Growing up on Dragnet taught me how crimes like this are solved.
First, you interview all the neighbors, gather what they might have seen or heard. Talk fast to get fast answers. If they wander off-topic (as citizens tend to do), bring them right back on track. Rattle their cage a bit, leave a business card in case they remember anything later.
Next, look for motive. Investigate the victim to see if there are any gambling issues or large debts owed. Determine if there's a 'dame' involved. Follow up on any motel matchbook covers or cocktail napkins you might find.
This case quickly boiled down to one of two theories: an expert sharpshooter with a middle-European accent was poised on the roof of The Sheldon Theatre and, in a case of mistaken identity, attempted an assassination under the cloak of darkness.
Or...
Two punks in a beat-up car fired a wrist rocket at my window and several of my neighbors' windows.
Thanks
