2010 Fundraiser Print Auction for InFocus at Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ, Nov. 9

2010 INFOCUS Fundraiser

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 • 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Bentley Gallery • 4161 North Marshall Way • Scottsdale, Arizona 85251

Join us Tuesday, November 9th between 5:30 and 8:00 pm at The Bentley Gallery in Scottsdale for our Annual INFOCUS Fundraising Auction.

The INFOCUS auction is a great opportunity to see the work of nearly twenty photographers, shop in advance of holiday gift-giving, and show your support for the Phoenix Art Museum’s INFOCUS support organization. This event is targeted at the new collector and bargain hunter, with silent auction bidding beginning at just $150. Historic and contemporary works will be sold and some of the photographers will be attending the event. A range of photographic media, subject matters, and styles will be included so there will be something for everyone. It is a wonderful occasion to get involved with the Phoenix photographic community, and is open to the public – all are welcome!

The auction will feature three framed showcase photographs: an Edward Curtis gravure of San Xavier, a Cole Weston cibachrome of kelp, and a Harold Jones gelatin silver print of an Arizona monsoon sky, with higher starting bids and buy it now prices.

Light refreshments will be served.

A PDF of the flier can be downloaded here:
http://www.infocus-phxart.org/pdf/In...aiser_2010.pdf

INFOCUS
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004-1685
For more information about INFOCUS please call (602) 307-2079 or visit us online at www.infocus-phxart.org.

I am also very honored to have been invited to donate a print.

I'm a Book Publisher!

I was recently asked to design and publish a book by friend Randy Efros. Randy was Brett Weston's last assistant. The book is a portfolio of 10 platinum prints made during Randy's last trip to Scotland in 2008.

We had talked about all the current self-publishing options out there. Blurb was considered, but I have yet to see a Blurb book that I considered a quality product. Quite a few of my photographer friends have gone this route and all have consistently had quality issues. Another thing that made me cringe was that, until very recently, you could not design your own book. You had to use their software which did not leave much room for being in total control of the design. We finally went with Edition One in Berkeley. They are a small boutique shop utilizing the latest technology (HP Indigo, same as Blurb), but with a personal touch and a traditional book publishing background. Overall, we were very pleased with the quality of the product AND we had total control over the design. The book features a linen cover, foil stamp and dust jacket.

I did all the scans of Randy's original platinum prints, spotted them and adjusted the contrast. I then did a test with Edition One, sending them both RGB and CMYK images for some test prints. The CYMK images ended up looking most like the original platinum prints.

The book is available as a limited edition of 15 (plus 1 artist copy, 1 presentation copy, and 3 artist proof copies), signed and numbered book with an original 4x5" platinum print made by Randy. It will be available as a non-editioned book, as well. The limited edition is priced at $300 for pre-publication orders, and $400 post-publication. Currently there are 10 copies already pre-sold. Non-edition books will be in soft-cover and sell for $50. Books are available by contacting Randy directly at randy@randyefros.com.

Next up is a portfolio of 8x10 silver prints from his Hawaii Portfolio, which will be available for pre-publication in December with a publication date of January 1, 2011.

If any of you out there are interested in this book design service, please contact me at rich@rcodaphotography.com.

Inspirations #26: The Hubble Space Telescope

Primordial 2827, 2006 by Richard M. Coda

Maybe I should credit the Cosmos, the Universe, or God for this one, but the Hubble Space Telescope is the vehicle to the stars.

I have always been fascinated by clouds, as I'm sure most people have been at one point in their life. As children we see bunny rabbits in them, maybe Abraham Lincoln's profile or an alligator. As I got older, though, I started to think more metaphysically about what I was looking at. Was I witnessing Creation itself? Or possibly the Apocalypse? Whatever it was that I was witnessing was drop-dead beautiful.

The Pillars of Creation, Hubble Space Telescope


Primordial 4245, 2010 by Richard M. Coda


M17 - Omega Nebula, Hubble Space Telescope


Primordial 2878, 2006 by Richard M. Coda


PS16 Orion Nebula, Hubble Space Telescope


Primordial 4148, 2010 by Richard M. Coda

In the past 5 years I have taken few cloud images because I was too busy. When I lived in New Jersey these types of skies were rare, but again, I was too busy. This year I am still too busy, but something clicked in me to take 15 minutes at the end of my day and hunt for clouds. Almost all of these were taken from either my back yard or my front yard, occasionally a hundred feet or so down the road… but never far. That is one of the things I love about this series. And the Arizona skies are a far cry from those in New Jersey. They are dramatic and sometimes you can see for 50 or more miles (try that in Jersey).

Anyway, every day now I am on the prowl. I am in the process of editing these down to a portfolio of 10-15 prints and am working on a book/print package. I may do one every year because the subject matter is endless and never the same.