Washed Ashore Photography in 2017
Good Morning, Washed Ashore fans:
It's been another long and cold winter. Maybe not so much snow as years past, but still enough to keep us all waiting for the summer.
Tia and I are ready to create more Washed Ashore original photographs. I'm teaching Tia how to use her new Canon DSLR as she has upgraded from a smaller camera. We tried about a month ago at IBSP, but the winds were too cold. Now that spring has sprung we're ready to hit the beach with our cameras in hand!
We've also updated our website so stop by and check it out if you haven't seen it yet.
Our first show of the year is set for April 22nd at this year's Smithville ArtWalk in beautiful Historic Smithville at the Towne Shoppes. We'll be showcasing our newest art from 10am until 5pm. See you there!
J. R. Warnet
Washed Ashore Photography, LLC
Photo edit backlogs and our next upcoming show
Any other photographers out there backlogged with photos to review? It seems like I have multiple shooting days worth of photos to review and not enough time to edit them. My Lightroom App must hate me because I keep toggling back and forth between catalogs trying to sort out the digital media mess.
I've been sorting out images from the last shoots, trying to free up room on the hard drive. Tia and I competed (unofficially) in the World Series of Birding this past Saturday. It's a statewide birding competition to see who can spot the most birds. Although we topped out at 31 we did capture a few new birds I've only seen before a handful of times. The Edwin Forsythe Wildlife Refuge is truly a great spot for birding and it didn't disappoint with plenty of black skimmers, plovers and terns chatting up a storm. I also spotted a few song birds I've never seen before. It must be the spring migration in full force as our feathered friends return home for the summer. Tia and I hope to get a larger team ready for next year's World Series now that we have a little practice (Go Team Washed Ashore!)
I've also been honing my bird photography skills in my backyard at my own custom built bird buffet. I call it the Bird Bar and since I started taking pictures last Monday I've seen over a dozen species stopping in for a snack. I'm still working on getting the right angles for photos, but I'm off to a good start. All I need is a cup of coffee and a fully stocked feeder station. That and a few days without rain. As long as I can keep Tia's squirrels away from the peanut cage I'll be OK. It seems we have new baby squirrels in our tree enjoying the Corn on the Cob stand Tia bought them. Within two weeks we ran through an entire bag of feed corn so I guess we have another blockbuster restaurant on our hands; The Squirrel Supper Club - open for brunch and dinner...until the corn runs out!
This past week has been fllled with editing a round of lighthouse photos taken about a month ago. We visited the Cape May Lighthouse in the middle of April before the rush of visitors took over. I posted one photo that's up on our site if you'd like to take a look. I should have another round of edits done before long and will try to post the best ones.
This Saturday we have our next show: the 2nd Annual Keyport Antique and Artisan Festival in lovely Keyport, NJ. We'll be in attendance from 11am until 6pm showcasing our latest photography on Canvas and Metal. Drop in and say "hi" if you're in the area this weekend! As always, thanks for reading our blog and check out our new photos as we post them online.
J. R.
Washed Ashore Photography
Present idea for your Jersey Mom..?
Mother's Day is this Sunday and I'm sure you've got it covered, right? Maybe a potted plant, perhaps a brunch at her favorite restaurant...
Two years ago, when Tia and I first started Washed Ashore, we had a show two weeks before Mother's Day. It was very early in our business, back before we had a full year of art shows booked. I think it was maybe our second or third show ever when we met a nice young man. He came into our booth towards the end of the day wanting a gift for his mom. It felt good to think someone wanted one of our photos to give to their mother on Mother's Day. He decided on a matted/framed of one of our gull photos near the sunset.
It's wonderful to sell our art to people who appreciate it. Believe me, to see how our customers react when they see a favorite photo is worth more to me than anything. It validates why we started this business: to make people happy while showing them the beauty of the Jersey Shore.
Since our first year in business Tia and I have learned a lot about where we want Washed Ashore to go. Our first year we booked six shows and spent the whole summer on the shelf. This year, we have 12 shows confirmed with two to three more possible before the end of September. And we love doing more shows during the height of the summer, when people really enjoy the beach. This summer, you can find us in places like: Stone Harbor, Long Beach Island, Hereford Lighthouse, and Island Beach State Park.
This weekend we'll be in Fanwood, NJ; one of our only shows not near the shore. We'll be at the "Celebrate Spring" Arts and Craft Fair at the Fanwood Train Station from 10am to 5pm. If you're in the area please stop by to say 'hi' and maybe pick up a gift for mom for Mother's Day!
J. R. Warnet
Washed Ashore Photography
Busy week after Rutgers New Jersey Folk Festival
Tia and I had a wonderful time this past Saturday at the New Jersey Folk Festival. This was our second year in attendance and we hope to be displaying our artwork there for years to come. One of the more memorable experiences were the two little girls who absolutely loved our seal photos. It was love at first sight! Both of them were very happy to say the least. So happy they both had to have a photo of our lovely seal Sally. It makes me happy as a photographer to put smiles on our customers faces of any age. That's one of the reasons I do what I do.
Another reason I love what I do is to see past customers come back to say hi. We had several people from last year drop in to see our new work and a few of them purchased from us again. It's also great to meet new people who love our work so much they want to display it in their home or office. New and old customers are what drive us each day and we thank you for all your support!
In other news, this week will be devoted to photographing new wildlife in our area. Hopefully the weather holds off so I can practice with my new Wimberley Gimbal Head and Gitzo Tripod. Until recently I've been using a Manfrotto Monopod so I'm looking forward to trying my hand at a sturdier tripod. I'll try to post new work sometime this week.
Tia and I are also gearing up for our next show this Saturday, May 7th in glorious Fanwood, NJ. We'll be at the "Celebrate Spring" Arts and Crafts Fair from 10am until 5pm. For more info please visit J. C. Promotions on the web at: www.jcpromotions.info
Until next time:
J. R. Warnet
Washed Ashore Photography
Backyard birding 101 and how to start
Several years ago I purchased a very nice bird feeder pole for my backyard. I say "very nice" but I have to admit this is the Cadillac of Bird Feeding Poles. This tall pole has two arms jutting out from the base, a small metal suet holder and a small dish near the middle perfect for either small seeds or extra nesting material. It even has a red cardinal weathervane perched on top, calling to its live counterparts to drop in for a snack. The pole has been staked into the ground for about 5 years or so and hasn't let me down yet. Problem is I neglected it and the bird feeder tubes have been barren for quite some time.
So this past weekend I started my bird feeding station off with a bang. I purchased two long tubes for the two metal arms leading off from the pole and filled them with basic bird seed. I'll most likely switch one of the tubes out with either black sunflower seeds or a berry bird seed. I then added a small thistle seed sock for the middle of the pole, perfect for enticing finches. Even though is springtime the birds still go for suet so I put in a fresh sunflower seed suet block to add some variety to the station. Soon I'll be adding another extension pole for other seeds and maybe "squirrel repelling" cone (lets see how well it does!)
Any suggestions for my new/old bird feeding station? I'd like to get a total of three or four seed options for songbirds. The area around the pole is empty; no trees or shrubs within twenty feet or so. My task for this week is to take some old sticks from the yard and prop them up around the base of the feeding station. I've been doing a lot of research on attracting birds to feeders so I know I need a few resting areas. My goal is to have a few angles to photograph birds from as they come in to feed. I'm planning on photographing birds more often so my feeding station needs to be up to standards, so to speak. A lot of tutorials say placing sticks or wood in the ground without any leaves or stray branches on them is better for taking pictures. This way I can get a clear shot at the bird as it rests after eating a beak full of sunflower seeds. So far, my feeders are still full so maybe word isn't out about the newest bird restaurant in town!
A trip to Wild Birds Unlimited in Toms River should help out with the missing bird conundrum. I'll have to post more updates when I finally have visitors to the feeders. Don't forget, our next show is this Saturday, April 30th at the New Jersey Folk Festival in New Brunswick, NJ. The event also happens on the same day as Rutgers Day which drew approximately 20,000 people last year! The festival will be held on the lawn of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at 191 Ryders Lane. For more information visit: www.njfolkfest.org.
J. R.
Washed Ashore Photography