Covered Bridges Oregon Style

 

I would like to think I had some semblance of knowledge, but frankly I have found myself totally ignorant of the fact that Oregon has more covered bridges than any other western state and has one of the largest collections in the nation. My wife and  I live in San Diego and have a daughter that lives in Seattle. On a spur of the moment thing, we decided to drive up to surprise her for her birthday. Looking for a photo shoot opportunity mixed in with the trip, my wife suggested I look at covered bridges in Oregon. I really thought she was pushing the envelope a bit, but what the heck….humor her. Ok, so strike one for the me and a home run for her….I truly had no idea. No offense Oregon, but my  exposure to your state has been flying over numerous times and driving through it a couple of times. We have spent time in Portland, but have not spent much time elsewhere. It is a beautiful state and that I have never questioned.

With limited time, we stuck to covered bridges along Interstate 5 (main north and south interstate from Mexican border on our end to Canadian border on Washington end). Most of the shoot occurred around Cottage Grove, Myrtle Creek and just north of Grant’s Pass. I’m sharing a few of them as I photographed them. The final pictures that I will end up posting in my gallery will be done in watercolors, oils and maybe sepia….not sure yet…I always wait to see final results to see what presents best…I hope you enjoy!

White Covered Bridge north of Grants Pass, Oregon

Dorena Covered Bridge

Dorena Covered Bridge Interior

Near Cottage Grove

Red Covered Bridge

Stewart Covered Bridge

As always, I hope you enjoy! Check out my gallery Thewallgallery.com and follow us on Facebook….likes are always appreciated!

Black and White Photography – The Power of Matting and Framing.

When you are hanging prints in your home or office, don’t underestimate the visual power of picking the correct matting and frame to accent and highlight the existing decor. I have a variety of examples, but wanted to start with Black and White Photography. Black and White Photography is so versatile and works in so many decors. I’ve attached examples of the original picture and then that same picture framed and matted. My examples are from the same office suite and are all matted in white with black frames. I thought these examples would be good as we won’t be getting lost in the world of which color of matting and frame, but can focus on the impact matting and framing alone have in the presentation of your art…this particular office suite is the San Diego office for a multi national company and they chose San Diego landmarks for their art.

San Diego Downtown Tower

This is the original print and it’s a great black and white shot of one of the office towers in San Diego.

Framed Tower piece hung on wall.

Here’s the same print matted and framed and hung on the wall by an office. Notice the white matting frames the picture nicely (even on a white wall) and pulls your eye into the scene making the “tower” pop visually.  The small black frame completes the look and works with the black trim throughout the office.

Downtown San Diego Office Tower

Another shot of same picture closer up.

San Diego Skyline

Here’s the original print of another picture hanging in the same office suite.

San Diego Skyline

Again, after matting and framing, the picture stands out and becomes a focal point. In this case, the thicker frame compensates the smaller size matting. What you can’t see is a sister picture of this one to the right of the camera shot over the credenza and they both have spot lights on them. Both are heavier frames and a little more formal as this is the entry area to the suite.

Point Loma Lighthouse

This is the original print of the Point Loma Lighthouse and is in one of the offices.

Point Loma Lighthouse

And here’s the same print matted and framed.

Below are a series of examples, the first one in the entry…

Example 1

Note the visual impact difference by using wider matting…

And not using any matting….

And I think this is a good example of not being afraid to go with a bold frame and bold matting.

So, those are just some examples of what matting and framing does for hanging art.  You create impact with matting size, some pictures lend to large matting, some pop better with smaller matting. The same thing goes for frames. The decor and all of the elements in the room dictate what size of frame works best….not necessarily a right or wrong, but more along the line of personal preference.  That said, for my personal taste, some of these pictures should have been in wider frames…especially the art on the white walls.

All of these shots were done by me and are available on my website TheWallGallery, along with my galleries at Imagekind and Fine Art America. I also have a Facebook page that follows the activities and additions to my galleries and “likes” are always welcomed!Thanks!