Untitled Series - Part Two

Ironman
2010
© Larry Torno

I enjoy capturing the moment when simple observations of my surroundings turn into something else. I like creating the transition from what is in front of me to what I hadn't known was there until I clicked the shutter.
     Ironman is a great example of the transformation of reality into perception. At Bishop's Landing along the Missouri River in St. Charles, MO sits a series of flood stage pipes that jut out of the water like large, imposing figures. When seen in silhouette, these massive steel structures become goliaths wading at the water's edge.
     Letting my imagination run wild is a gift I was given that allows me to find things that amuse and entertain me.

The Compassion Collection - Part One

BUY A PHOTO, HELP SAVE A LIFE
For some time now I've wanted to do something with my photos besides post and exhibit them. That's why I created The Compassion Collection. Hopefully this will be an ongoing series of photographs offered for sale with ALL of the proceeds going to charity. I say hopefully, because I need you to help me make it work.
     Here's the idea. Today's photo, Esther's Lilies, is the first in a series of images issued in a limited edition of 6 prints. It's for sale at $40.00 for a 5" x 7" image, mounted in an 11" x 14" mat, ready for framing. ALL of the $40.00 will then be donated by me, to a shelter for abused women and their children. You collect an original photograph and together we help someone in need.
     To purchase a print and help save someone's life, send me an email for more details. larry@berkeleydesignllc.com

Overhead Projections - Part Five

Spider
2010
© Larry Torno

When I go out looking for photo opportunities, it's always with an open mind and the anticipation of what I might find.
     In the case of Spider, it started with a sign for a park I'd never heard of. The directions lead through a winding subdivision with plenty of left and right turns that eventually deposit you into a nondescript parking lot. Off to the side was an overgrown ball field with a half-spherical batting cage. That was enough of an impression to get me out of the car and onto the grass to examine the architecture more closely.
     A lone cloud in the sky caught my eye and I waited for it to drift into the composition. It's a simple design with a pleasant balance of objects; just the kind of photo I like to create.

Untitled Series - Part One

Dragonscape
2010
© Larry Torno

Dragonscape is an image I found in one of my favorite locations. Two other posts from this same area included Ride with Traffic and Jaws. Each time I return to this spot, I find something new.
     As I exited my car on this hot, humid, summer evening, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sight of what I thought was a flock of birds. Instead, it turned out to be a swarm of 70 or so dragonflies darting back and forth just overhead, in somewhat of a frenzy. Once I got used to them being there, I began to wander around and found this single fly perched on a signpost. I like the silhouette of the insect and the delicate visual balance it maintains with the vertical post; its lightweight body and transparent wings resting on a solid steel pole.
     It is said that a dragonfly symbolizes "prosperity, good luck, strength, peace, harmony and purity." I prefer the myth that "dragonflies will seek out children who lie or are bad, and sew their mouths shut as they sleep."

LTP | VISION Magazine - Issue 1

ISSUE : 1

LTP | VISION Magazine is a new idea from Larry Torno Photo.
     I wanted a way to showcase my photos and create a design format that allows me to explore whatever catches my attention at the moment.
     Issue : 1 welcomes the return of Barbie as a stand-in model while I experiment with selective focus images.

Look for more LTP | VISION Magazine posts coming soon.

(click on the images for larger versions)

Just for Fun - Part One

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
2010
© Larry Torno

Every so often, during one of my photo sojourns,
I come across something that makes me laugh. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is such a moment and the surprise of the location made me take pause and capture it.

(click on the image for a larger view)

Sign of the Cross - Part Nine

Jesus Saves

2010

© Larry Torno

This is actually an image I photographed in 

2005 but only recently revisited, re-cropped and re-issued.  

     I like the flatness of the composition and the juxtaposition of seemingly mismatched items. And, since I am a graphic designer by trade, I'm fascinated by the layout of the type. The conservation of letters, by using the "S" for both words, and the idea to fill all of the available space, is an unabashed use of design. 

Botanica - Part Six

Mid-Century Modern 

2010

© Larry Torno

Something about this photo reminded me of the home and office decorations of the Mid-Century Modern era of the late 1950s and early 1960s. I don't watch the show Mad Men, but I'm guessing Mid-Century Modern would fit it in quite well on the retro set. 

     Maybe it's the stark simplicity that I recall from those 50s sitcoms or the looseness and graphic layout of the Matisse cut-out leaves, but this image strikes a chord in my heart. Its simple composition, white background and rhythmic pattern remind me of my childhood.

Botanica - Part Five

Layers of Petals
2010
© Larry Torno

A fellow artist commented of this photo, " Your botanicals are always your most emotional images"; a true and astute observation.
     Nature provides us with an abundance of linear, spherical and cylindrical shapes that are the basis of all art forms. I like extracting compositions that I consider to be pure design and I have an emotional attachment to the process of finding beauty.
    With the staggering heat wave that's hit our city, I find myself confined to a smaller radius of exploration and dwell upon what is nearby. To paraphrase a quote from Georgia O'Keefe, "One shoots what is around." This hydrangea came from my backyard and was sitting on a desk in front of a window with sheer curtains. The softness of the light falling on the complexity of the petals caught my eye and started this image.

Botanica - Part Four

Dolphin Devours Tulip
2010
© Larry Torno

It's probably not the best title I've given to one of my photographs but it sure was fun to write.
     A curator once told me, "When you're ready to title your work, think about what you were feeling or what you were seeing at the moment you created the photo."
    Consider this; the coloration in the bowl of the flower, as seen from below, has a soft luminescence that emanates from the base of the stem and fades into the shape of the petals. The unfamiliar cropping makes the black negative space as much a part of the composition as the invasive shapes of the tulip, stem and leaves.
     It would have been easy to keep this image in color, but when viewed in black and white, we see much more than what is obvious and expected.