Untitled Series - Part Six

Winter Wait

2010

© Larry Torno

I really, really like my new camera. I like that it gets me closer to realizing the visions that I have when I see a potential photograph. 

     Here in the Midwest, when a winter storm approaches, all the local weather forecasters start spreading panic and making their gloom and doom predictions, often a week in advance. The result is that we have plenty of time to stress out over the pending up-to-the-minute snowfall warnings and just enough time to run to the grocery store to buy milk, eggs and bread. 

     On this particular day, T minus 42 hours, I passed an empty park bench and considered this a more peaceful way to await the incoming weather. It seems like the ideal spot to catch a panoramic view of a white Christmas as it comes true.  

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from St. Louis. The folk lore of this photo is a true holiday tale.
      In 1966, a group of architecture students from Washington University scaled the St. Louis Science Center's Planetarium and left the ribbon as a prank. They would have probably gone undetected, but they left a note tied to a handrail that read "Merry Christmas St. Louis, Washington University School of Architecture."
     No arrests were made, however, because the public's response was so overwhelmingly positive. Planetarium officials made the decision to add the ribbon to their holiday decorations ever since.

Trees - Part Four

In the Balance

2010

© Larry Torno

In the Balance was yet another image found in my favorite location. In fact, just to the right of these trees, is the Dragonscape pole. A handicap parking sign has been added to the post, altering the landscape and making the previous composition obsolete.
     These two trees with three trunks, sit side-by-side in a simple, balanced manner. Although they exist separate of each other, in their current state of defoliation, they visually come together as one.

Untitled Series - Part Five

December 1
2010
© Larry Torno

December 1 is the first serious image created with my new camera and I couldn't be happier with the results.
     True to its name, this photo was shot on December 1; a cold, ugly, brown day when the sun happened to be shining for a little while. I like the rhythmic pattern of the trees all lined up and barely visible over the crest of a small hill.
     As always, you can click on the photo for a larger view. 

Just for Fun - Part Two

What can I say? I just shoot them when I find them. 

Botanica - Part Eight

In Form
2010
© Larry Torno

In Form is another in a series of botanical images that I like creating. There is a simple, understated elegance in the composition of this photo. The balance of form, the repetition of shape and the gentle movement of the leaves, all add to the serenity of this scene.

The Compassion Collection - Part One - SOLD OUT

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
It is with great pleasure that I announce that the first photo of the Compassion Collection has sold out. That means we're sending a check to a shelter for abused women and their children.
     Thank you to the buyers for your generosity and support; you've helped provide a place of healing and a voice of hope for women in need.

Botanica - Part Seven

Aloe, Stirring
2010
© Larry Torno

I've tried photographing this plant a dozen times or so and never came up with an image that I liked. Recently we moved the aloe to a different room and the lighting changed everything.
     Natural southern light gave me a new perspective and makes Aloe, Stirring one of my favorite recent photos.

NEWS - Barbie Goes To Amsterdam

NEWS - NEWS - NEWS  
This month, Barbie goes international. 
The Dutch publication, Psychologie Magazine, has selected an image from my series of Barbie doll portraits to appear in their November issue. The photograph, Frankie, Annette and Moondoggie, is used to illustrate an article on fashion and psychology, and answers the question, "What do you express when you're wearing certain clothes?"
     I'm excited to have one of my photos reproduced in a European publication. 

Sky Painting - Part One

Northern Composure

2010

© Larry Torno

I couldn't have asked for a better sky background than the one I found for the composition of this image. The clouds were already forming as I arrived at the location and I only had to search for a short time to find the appropriate foreground subject to complement the sky. 

     This is my favorite place to photograph and it never lets me down. Recent posts; Dragonscape, Jaws and Ride with Traffic, were all shot within 100 yards of this spot.
     Northern Composure is yet another interpretation of the visual complexity I continue to find in this area.