LIBRARY LOVE

In our Bluemoonistic opinion the Ashe County Library is one of the best places ever to hang out!  They have a beautiful facility on top of the hill overlooking West Jefferson, NC, which offers many wonderful activities for the whole community.  I’ve loved libraries since I was a wee lass who thought I was very special because I could take books home with me.  

We consider ourselves especially lucky to be the “Artists of the Month” for the month of May at the Ashe County Library.  They sponsored a reception for us this last Saturday so folks could come by and discuss all the local photos we have displayed (and yes, all were taken locally)!  We also want to offer a special thank you to Julia May and Kim Grindrod, who brought refreshments as well! 

Dale enjoyed discussing where the photos were taken, the different mediums he uses and the variety of techniques.  We REALLY appreciate all the interest and support for Bluemoonistic Images!  Stop by the second floor anytime during the month of May and check out our art and our new book "The Perfect Escape Through Images"!  If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us – bluemoonistic.images@gmail.com! 

How Has Digital Photography Changed the Art World?

As the age of computers and the internet became part of our everyday lives, so has digital photography.  Computers and digital photography basically grew up together and formed a bond that few in the beginning of both creations could have imagined.  No one believed even twenty years ago that every home would have a computer.  The same evolution happened with professional photographers and it was impossible to convince them that the digital camera could ever be anything other than a toy.  Their mantra was that the digital age would never replace film!

That’s history now and almost every mobile device has a camera, but did you know that Kodak developed the first digital camera.  They kept it under wraps  because they did not believe the new technology could ever do as well as their sales of film?  In my opinion, this reinforces the belief that commercial marketers do not always know best! 

The same saga seems to be playing out in the art world.  I just read an article this past weekend in a popular photography magazine, that the only way for photographers to sell their work as a true “professional” was to be in a high end gallery with some type of print media.   I couldn’t believe I was reading this in 2013!  Do you see a common thread here?   

Believe me when I say we know the value of seeing any art form in person!  We love walking through art galleries and museums as much as anyone.  But we also feel there is great value in everyone being able to purchase Fine Art Photography!   The fact that digital cameras are more and more accessible to everyone is a good thing.  However, that doesn’t make everyone who owns one an “artist”!   I don’t believe that professional photographers need to be afraid that will make them obsolete.

However, I do think that the way Fine Art Photography is sold is bound to change.  It doesn’t have to be just for a certain class of people any longer or in a fixed format.  Everyone now has the ability to see and purchase great quality art on the Internet without lowering the value! 

Bluemoonistic has found ways to combine online sales through our website with local events and locations that offer us a myriad of ways to display our images.  Many businesses are thrilled to hang our photographic art and it is always a win-win for us both.  We may not be able to afford our own brick and mortar gallery but it hasn’t stopped us from finding new and creative ways to display our art form.  The upside to this also is that we have total artistic control over our own art work.  We embrace the future and new ways to make the entire world a better place for everyone through BluemoonisticImages!

Thanks to everyone who has supported our efforts!

What do you want your "OZ" to look like?

So you wake up tomorrow morning and realize that right before you is a beautiful, lush green forest!  The calm path in front of you makes you want to jump out of bed and begin your journey.

As you sit at the kitchen table and sip your coffee you gaze into the Far Blue Mountains and they fill you with hope for a beautiful new day!

This doesn’t have to be a dream!  These photographs and others like them could be hanging on your walls.  I know this because we have these Bluemoonistic photographs hanging on ours and I find myself escaping through them many times during the day!

Because The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies, it is easy for me to have a “clicking my heels three times” experience and put myself wherever I want to be by looking at these photographs.   We aren’t Wizards but when I look at Dale’s photographs I believe he sees through a magic lens!  He has the ability to see details that you and I do not.  That’s his magic!  Fortunately, for all of us we can enjoy that magic in our homes, businesses, computers or even phones. 

We have a variety of galleries and you can explore Natural Wonders, a Smoky Mountain High, Grape Imaginations, Tropical Dreams, Man Made Wonders and more!  Dreams can come true!  Check them out including “The Perfect Escape Through Images” book at  www.bluemoonistic.com!  If you need any assistance regarding style or size please give us a call or send us an email.  We can discuss our wizardry and help you create your very own Oz!

8 WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR BLUEMOONISTIC EXPERIENCE

1)   Check out our updated Web page – www.bluemoonistic.com

2)   We have a new pro photo lab for our products and services – BayPhoto Labs!!  The quality of their products is known throughout the professional photographic world.  We are proud to have them on our team!

3)   Now you can get even more variety in the type of prints  available with video explanations on what exactly each one looks like – i.e. Thin Wraps or Metal Prints.  (The video appears on the BUY Button and make your product selection.)

4)   A new “Featured Gallery” each month with a slide show immediately when you pull up our “Bluemoonistic” web page!

5)   A “Book” button to purchase “The Perfect Escape Through Images”.

6)   Access to our blog “The Bluemoonistic Journey” right on our web page.

7)   DOWNLOADS for Personal and Professional Licensing Use

8)   Our “Contact Us” page gives easy access so you can reach us quickly!

Voila!  One stop shopping at your finger tips!

Everything you need to buy prints, merchandise, downloads, our book, our blog and a way to contact us all in one location.  Give our website a look and let us know about your experience!  If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.  We want you to have a “Bluemoonistic” adventure every time you visit!

ENTER NOW

LOOKING BACK HELPS US LOOK FORWARD

Once Christmas is over, the last week of the year is suddenly upon us!  We begin reviewing the past and start making plans for the future.  It is always nostalgic to let go of the good times and the memories of people and events we have to leave behind.  Amazing how current events seem to just appear in the rear view mirror. The most popular events fly by in front of us on TV and computer screens everywhere.  The evaluation of good and bad is an inevitable human trait!

Naturally, for the Bluemoonistic Team reflection begins and ends with the photographs that have been taken.  What sells the most is not always what we feel is our best work.  Therefore, we can never just create our business model based on typical marketing strategies.  Nor do we want to!  We still believe in the mantra of authenticity and doing what we love!  

So here are just a few of our favorites from 2012!  It was a great year filled with new camera techniques like HDR (High Dynamic Range) and our personal favorite accomplishment – our first book together “The Perfect Escape Through Images”!  Thanks for continuing the journey with us!  We appreciate all the support from friends, family and Bluemoonistic fans!   

From our hearth and home and muse

We wish all of you the best in 2013!

MEMORIES OF A MADE IN THE USA CHRISTMAS

This year Dale & I went in search of the old-fashion Santa that we remembered from our childhood.  With a little research online we discovered they were called “blow mold Santas”.  Many of the manufacturers have gone out of business but we located one  - General Foam Plastics in Norfolk, VA.  They do not sell their products directly to the public but with further research we discovered they sell them at K-Mart.  With luck we found our local Boone, NC, K-Mart indeed carried them at their store.  So off we went to purchase our Made in the USA Santa!!!  As you can see, he is a beauty too!  Our childhood has been restored and we are proudly displaying our blow mold Santa on our porch at Blue Moon Ridge!

Perhaps it may seem like a small gesture but we are taking the GMA “Made in America” challenge seriously this year.  We loved their list of items we can all purchase right here in America, however, we know of so many more that were not listed.  The art world seems to be one that is often neglected when looking for gifts made right here in the USA.  There are many local artists who offer a variety of gifts that can help you buy local as well as made in America.  These treasures will offer you a life time of pleasure and also contribute to your local economy.  So we urge you to think “art” when buying gifts this season!

The Bluemoonistic team wants to thank all who have taken our images into your homes and offices this year, as well as our “The PerfectEscape Through Images” book. 

We wish love, joy and peace for all during the holiday season!    

LESSONS FROM HOLIDAY PHOTOS

We all love holiday lights and decorations!  They are part of the holiday experience that brings back the most memories.  Whether it is a crochet snowflake that Grandma made for you as a child, that lump of clay that is suppose resemble a reindeer that your child made in second grade, or your backporch Christmas lights – they can bring a tear or cause a lump to form in our throats at the very sight of them.

Behind these emotions are lessons that holidays continue to teach us.  The true spirit of giving seems to be right there in every simple object.  Decorations have a way of reflecting our own self-worth that we forget about the rest of the year. The Bluemoonistic Elves have been taking photographs of those things that are precious to us so we can share them.  They are always more than just “things” because they represent a special moment in time with someone we love. 

If we share photographs with loved ones over the years and re-tell the cherished stories to the next generation they can live on in real time.  These photographs can be used as holiday decorations that brighten the homes of many even though that special ornament or decoration resides only in one place.  The true magic of photography is a lesson of sharing! 

The beauty you can share with others through your holiday photos and memories will give the holiday season new focus!  Every pun intended in this case!  Focus your cameras on holiday memories that can be shared over and over again for years to come!  Don’t let them languish in your phone, on a scan disk or in your computer where no one will ever see them – SHARE THEM!  Whether you are spending your holidays with family and friends in your own home or your family members are spread miles apart – memories have more meaning when they are shared!!   You might be surprised how many lives you brighten with one single photograph!

Christmas 2009 in St. Charles MO with the Carlsons

Christmas Day 2010 when snow started falling on que

These remind us of our Christmases in Germany

Our first Christmas memory together 

2012

Happy Holidays from Bluemoonistic Images