Tuesday, December 21, 2010

wonderland of lights III



This is the third installment of luminary displays taken during the 2010 Holiday season. These photos where taken at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, Columbus Zoo, Dawes Arboretum and various other places throughout Columbus and Cincinnati.

Enjoy the charms of the Winter Solstice!


WONDERLAND OF LIGHTS III



Thursday, September 23, 2010

accents of autumn II



The warm colors of decay and cool evenings are upon us once again. Last year, I took these photos in the lush season of wonder and bliss at various metroparks and arboretums in Ohio every weekend I could manage. Here are some those best moments captured from Dawes Arboretum, Slate Run Metropark, and Woodland Cemetary & Arboretum in 2009.


Enjoy the charming colors of the Autumnal Equinox!



accents of autumn II


Monday, September 20, 2010

chariots of the summer skies



This past summer, I have been fortunate enough to witness some of best Balloon Launches and Glows, Ohio has to offer. Every year, several different counties throughout the state put together their annual weekend Balloon festivals for native Ohioans to enjoy. Even people and Balloonists from nearby states participate in these activities to see these beautiful chariots ascend to the skies and illuminate their brilliant colors at dusk.


So this year, I made it a goal to finally capture these massive sky ornaments of color throughout this beautiful state. I started and ended with smaller festivals such as Ashland’s Balloon Fest in July and ended with Grove City’s final sunday morning launch in late August. In between, I witnessed Urbana’s Balloon glow, Middletown’s MidFirst Ohio Challenge & Glow, and Canton’s spectacular Balloon Classic invitational.


I may have missed a few other ones in between, but there is always next year! In the meantime, here are some moments captured of these stellar launches and glows!



chariots of the summer skies



related links:

Ashland Balloon Fest

Urbana Balloon Fest

MidFirst Ohio Challenge

Balloon Classic invitational

Grove City’s Balloons & Tunes

Central Ohio Balloon Club



Wednesday, June 9, 2010

of a star • finding gaia



One of my favorite netlabels, Archaic Horizon has released a premier album by a very promising new musician known as Of a Star. John Glaunert opens his heart for us to take a glimpse of his enchanting summertime atmospheres that reminisence of blissful moments of the past, what is to come, and what cannot be explained. Finding Gaia is a refreshing mixture of idm, ambient and experimental using both acoustic and analog electronic elements that are truly inspired by Mother Nature. You can download this beloved release directly at Archaic Horizon or a very limited free copy from the musician himself! Special thanks to Harry Warren at Breauhare for creating a beautifully nostalgic font.


archaic horizon


of a star



Saturday, April 10, 2010

botanical harmonies • white


This is the closing series of my botanical harmonies collection. The perfect summer color of white can represent a variety of meanings depending upon its shade and tonality. It can represent such meanings as: light, purity, clarity, neutrality, virginity, sterility, innocence, truth, honor, helpfulness, remembrance, reverence, spirituality, and transcendence.


Because of its pure and neutral properties, white is one of the most commonly used colors in the design and decoration. It can accent other colors while making other colors more lively and prominent in just about any case. Knowing that white flowers can produce a vast spectrum of color combinations, we can assume that they can take on even more additional meanings combined. White is a key basis of all color and considered the color of perfection by many cultures throughout the world.


botanical harmonies • white





Wednesday, April 7, 2010

botanical harmonies • purple



This is the fifth series of the botanical harmonies collection taken in various beautiful aboretums and gardens throughout Ohio in the past few years. The cool and magical color of purple can represent a variety of meanings depending upon its shade or tonality. It can represent: enchantment, mystery, creativity, independence, ambition, intuition, royality, nobility, wisdom, nostalgia, clairvoyance, euphoria, gloom, and sadness.


botanical harmonies • purple





Saturday, April 3, 2010

botanical harmonies • red



This is the fourth series of the botanical harmonies collection taken in various beautiful aboretums and gardens throughout Ohio in the past few years. The warm & stimulating color of red can represent a variety of meanings depending upon its shade or tonality. It can represent: desire, passion, love, joy, courage, friendship, compassion, confidence, purity, leadership, energy, strength, power, rage, vigor, danger, malice and wrath.


botanical harmonies • red



Monday, March 29, 2010

botanical harmonies • orange



This is the third series of the botanical harmonies series taken in various beautiful arboretums and gardens throughout Ohio in the past few years. The warm and vibrant color of orange holds a variety of meanings depending upon its shade or tonality. Orange can represent: enthusiam, encouragement, stimulation, creativity, determination, success, attraction, vigor, strength, endurance, illumination, desire, pleasure, aggression, vitality, wisdom, wealth, desire, deceit, and even distrust.


botanical harmonies • orange



Wednesday, March 24, 2010

botanical harmonies • yellow



This is the second series of botanical harmonies I have taken at various arboretums and gardens throughout Ohio in the past few years. The warm and stimulating color of yellow can represent various meanings depending it’s shade or tonality. Yellow can represent such things as: optimism, happiness, joy, peace, hope, courage, energy, intellect, support, loyalty, relaxation, prestige and even cowardice.


botanical harmonies • yellow



Saturday, March 20, 2010

botanical harmonies



For the past few years, I have been focusing my personal macro photography directions in a slightly new direction–the colorful and bold world of Botanicals. I have to admit this is almost an entirely new subject matter for me as I had limited knowledge of so many species of plants and how similair they are to each other and the environment in which they thrive. But after two years of visiting just about every public Botanical Garden and Arboretum in Ohio, I have gained a much better understanding and appreciation vast variety of species that surround us and make this planet just bit more beautiful throughout the seasons and keep ecosystem in balance.


In the next few weeks, I will be presenting six colors groups that represent some of best varieties of what I have experienced throughout the seasons in Ohio. Plus a little insight to some of the universal meanings and symbolism each color. The first series begins with variations green and ends with variations white.


So let’s begin the with the color most associated with the Spring Equinox. The cool color of green can very well represent vast array of meanings depending on the shade or tonality. Some of the most common denoted are: nature, harmony, stability, balance, growth, health, healing, calmness, renewel, vigor, fertility, generosity, posterity, eternity, inexperience, misfortune, jealousy, greed, and envy.



botanical harmonies • green



This entire series is dedicated to my mother–Donna McClelland for her unconditional support of my work over the years.



Saturday, March 13, 2010

inspiration & the appreciation of animals




Ever since I was a child, I have had a profound fasincination with nature and the beautiful creatures that live within it. My late grandfather and older brother were my biggest inspirations towards appreciating these creatures. They spent much time teaching me about various species of animals from amphibians to mammals by raising them around me, lending me animal books to study, taking me on nature walks, and simply drawing pictures of them. Which inspired me to constantly draw these creatures ever since I could pick up a pencil. Throughout the years this eventually started to evolve into much of my illustration work later in college and got me my first job as a full-time illustrator for an international t-shirt company. Which later evolved my transition into freelance Graphic Design & Photography for years to come.


My grandfather–Paul Markel who was a Lithographer most of his life in Ashland, Ohio who had a small farm and breed a variety of animals from ponies to various breeds of rabbits. For the last thirty years of his life, his dedication to raising award winning breeds like New Zealand Reds and Black & White Dutch breeds payed-off with an endless stream of trophies for decades. This made an impression on me even as a small child, as it made me gain a tremendous amount of respect for these creatures and many other animals alike.


Numerous summers I spent time at my grandparents in the mid-late 70’s, exploring the creek that ran along the outside of their property looking for crayfish, small creek fish and salamanders. Much of which I always seemed to catch, but usually returned to the creek as I knew they would not survive well in captivity. These were definitely exciting times for me as a child and keep me close to nature despite the age of video games, home computers, and sci-fi movies & tv that were slowly evolving into place that occupied the other half of my life growing up.


My brother Paul continued on this journey of appreciation with introducing me to the world of amphibians, reptiles and various freshwater aquatic species of fish. Ever since he was a young teenager, he had always had a deep understanding of animals and raised a variety of these creatures with me up to my first years in college. In the mid-late 70’s pet stores were exploding everywhere and several species of amphibians, reptiles and fish were completely accessible in purchasing, raising and breeding without endangerment. In addition, we lived nearby to a wildlife area that during those times flourished with various species of snakes, turtles, frogs, fish and other creatures in the nearby ponds and lakes within it. So finding and noticing these splendid little creatures was always a charm whether it was at the newest pet store or in our backyard.


Both my grandfather & brother had several books always laying around of which I always engaged myself into immensely. From various books on how to draw animals from my grandfather to guides on reptiles and amphibians and how to raise/care for them from my brother. This fascination with various species led me into drawing them alongside their drawings as well with me as early as I could pick up a pencil. Some examples of my brother’s very inspirational sketch work can be found below.


I have grown and explored new directions with my personal work throughout the years, but I have always kept animals and nature itself close to me, never forgeting all those times my grandfather sat down with me while drew pictures of animals such as wolves and rabbits after dinner or when my brother helped me raise my first newts, toads and freshwater fish in our aquariums. Their inspiration will always be with me and close to my heart.


In memory of Paul Markel(1908-1980) & Paul McClelland(1962-2007)



Paul McClelland’s mid-late 70s sketches



selected early work 1988-98(animal related)


selected personal animal photography series

amphibia


reptilia


mammalia


aves


insecta


Saturday, February 6, 2010

ocean life



This is a collection of colorful and calm creatures of the sea that I captured at the Newport Aquarium, Columbus & Cincinatti Zoo Aquariums in 2009. Enjoy!