Ann-alog, a Pixel Remix, where Ann Torrence blogs about photographing for a book on U.S. Highway 89, the greatest road trip route in America. Photography tips, locations, trip reports, and real life.

Box Elder trees in side canyon along Burr Trail

I found out last week, right before I went down to Torrey for a Michael Gordon/Guy Tal photography workshop (more on that in another post), that the Entrada Institute had selected me as their 2010 Artist-in-Residence!

My project will be focused on the volunteers who make things happen in the town of Torrey, one of the most interesting gateway towns to a national park in the west (Capitol Reef NP is just to the east). The interest in volunteerism comes directly out of the U.S. 89 project, and while Torrey isn't on "my" highway, has enough similarities that I can build on what I learned, but approach it with a fresh look. Or so I proposed.

The mission of the Entrada Institute is to serve as an arts and educational center to further public understanding and appreciation of the natural, historical, and cultural heritage of the high desert Colorado Plateau." To support its efforts,the Entrada Institute is hosting its annual fundraiser gala on October 24 at Westminster College. If you enjoy Torrey, Capitol Reef NP and the work they are trying to do for the region, I hope you will consider joining us at the party.

Ferris wheel at the blue hour

I was honored to be asked to reprise my IgniteSLC talk, The Blue Light Special, for a special session to entertain the Utah Open Source Conference. The public is welcome to this IgniteSLC session, however, free tickets are required.

Here's how an Ignite session works: each speaker gets 5 minutes to deliver 20 presentation slides. The projector advances automatically every 15 seconds, whether the speaker is ready or not. Hilarity can ensue. Our snappy emcee Andrew keeps things moving at a fast pace between talks, so even if you aren't interested in Balinese drumming or the other 15 senses of vertebrate animals you never heard of, the next talk will be bound to capture your interest.

I'm changing up my slides just a bit to add some new images from the Highway 89 project. Wish I had actual books to offer for the giveaway, but that will have to wait until Ignite Salt Lake 4.0.

Fun and free: what more reason do you need for some Thursday night entertainment in the south valley? Hope to see you there.
Thursday, October 8, 7pm
Miller Free Enterprise Center Auditorium on the SLCC Sandy Campus
9690 South 300 West
Sandy, Utah

Beaver mother and kit underwater

Now here's something you don't see too often: a beaver mother swimming with her kit on her back. I was glad I had carried the camera on our walk from the St. Mary's campground in Glacier National Park to the Visitors' Center. The smoke from the 2007 fires had been awful, and I wasn't expecting to get anything. After she swam under the footbridge, she tried to hide baby by kicking up a bunch of mud from the river bottom.

What does that have to do with SparkArts? Nothing. Well, maybe the idea that unexpected surprises can go your way if you have the tools and skills at hand. I was asked to give a beginner's intro to Photoshop. In 60 minutes. Um, yeah. Right. The organizers and I have refined the subject to strategies for learning Photoshop, or just about any other full-service digital imaging software package out there. It's still too much to cover in 60 minutes, but I'm going to give it a go. So like that little beaver kit, grab on tight, because we'll be moving fast.

SparkArts at the Salt Lake City Main Library, Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd of November. Check out the schedule for the Intro to Lightroom talk, scavenger hunt, digital music composition and Dance Dance Revolution contests. This won't be your usual photography weekend.

Antelope Island Marina, Great Salt Lake

I'm not showing this picture tonight at Ignite Salt Lake, although it fits perfectly in my theme, "Blue Light Special." Too late now. I turned my slides in on Monday, on time. Yesterday at 6 pm I threw away my first script and started over. This is generally not a good idea 24 hours before a talk when the slides are already nailed down to the deck.

An hour later, I met some of the other presenters for dinner, and I'm sure I made the right decision to take a more informal approach. They are smart, funny, and an interesting sampling of what's happening in Salt Lake City. They don't need a lecture on the Rayleigh scattering equation, and if they want one, I'll be accompanied by my household color vision expert, and they can talk with him at the break. I'm going to talk about what I learned about photographing neon and the urban landscape after sunset on America's greatest highway, and leave the equations for someone else.

Neon at the blue hour

Thanks to a well-timed introduction from fellow Photowalker Mike Calanan, Ignite Salt Lake has added me to their schedule for next Thursday's event at the Leonardo at Library Square. I have 5 minutes and 20 slides to tell the audience something that I am passionate about. Ignite events have been going on in the geek world for a while, but this is the first one in Salt Lake City. I gave them the title "Blue Light Special." My talk is about the spectacular photographic things you can do during those brief twilight moments when the sky turns ultramarine.

I am looking forward to meeting the other presenters, especially the one talking about "How to turn Christmas LEDs into a 10,000 lb. Jellyfish from the Future" and what anyone can say in 5 minutes about "Teaching Artists To Write Code." It looks like a fun event.

Doors open at 6:00 pm, talks start at 7:30. Directions to the Leonardo.

American White Pelicans at Bear Lake, Idaho/Utah

Sometimes I can only shake my head at myself. This photo has been sitting, languishing even, in the archive. When I took it (June 2007), it didn't "fit" into my vision of the Highway 89 project. Now that I'm writing about Northern Utah, I see that it might work in just fine.

There's a lot of news, and a lot of miles to put on the chariot in the next few weeks:

• 18 October: Gardner Village Photowalk, which somehow I ended up hosting. This one is going to be great for families.
• 24-26 October: I'll be showing my Highway 89 work at the first Bear Lake Regional Photo Seminar in Montpelier, Idaho. The organizers would appreciate it if you would get your registration in if you are planning to attend.
• 1 November: Antelope Island Photowalk to capture the working of the herd.
• 8 November: Ladies Special Photowalk at the Salt Lake City Cemetery. I am hosting this one too.

I am also excited to announce that in March 2009, I will be teaching "Introduction to Digital Photography" in Park City for the Lifelong Learning program of the Continuing Education department at the University of Utah. I will post details about how to register for the course when the spring 2009 catalog is on-line.

Somewhere in that schedule, I hope to finish a book too. Won't that be grand? In the meantime, peregrinations, but no migration to warmer climes for me.

Traffic jam on U.S. Route 89 in Idaho

U.S. Route 89 cuts off the southeast corner of Idaho around the margin of Bear Lake. The folks there make up for the shortage in Highway 89 mileage with an excess of enthusiasm. For example, the SharpShooters Camera Club is putting on the very first Bear Lake Regional Photo Seminar in Montpelier from 24-26 October 2008.

I met the club ringleaders, Ross and Linda Walker, about a year ago when I was on an expedition in service of the US 89 project. The Governor was a no-show at the anti-drug coalition luncheon in the park, so they had to make conversation with...me. They suffered politely through my one minute elevator talk. Then the conversation got interesting, as they told me all about their Montpelier camera club. Now one of the things I absolutely love about my project is meeting the people in small towns who bring folks together and get stuff done. Bear Lake County, Idaho has a population of just over 6,000 people, not exactly a metropolis burgeoning with photographers, but these folks are busy. They have rotating member exhibits in local businesses, guest speakers at their club, and now they have gone out for funding to put on this weekend seminar.

Ross called a while back and asked me to tell the Highway 89 story at the seminar. How cool is that? We are going to have a great time in Montpelier. There will be a participant exhibition and contest, a Photoshop lecture, and an optional dinner at the National Oregon/California Trail Center in downtown Montpelier. I already have my sunset shooting expedition figured out. The registration cost is an absolute bargain, only $25 for the whole weekend. So plan to hit the trail with me to Montpelier for the weekend of 24-26 October.

P.S. I advise leaving a bit early in case of traffic jams--you never know who will be on the road in Bear Lake County, Idaho.

Morning Glories from the Palace Potager

A few months ago, I did something I wasn't supposed to do, at least according to the self-appointed blogging guardians of the serious business of photography. I gave away an image.

Patti Digh's blog 37days had become one of my daily must-reads, and I was excited for her to hear that her essays would appear in a book. Born out of her stepfather's 37 days between cancer diagnosis and death, her themes of "say yes, be generous, speak up, love more, trust yourself, slow down" resonated with my better wiser thoughts. I like my daily doses of "live with intention, live in today" to shut down my every-so-helpful internal critic. So when Patti suggested that her readers contribute images for her book, I had a profanity-laced conversation with my critic (Don't Break the Rules, it squeaked) and I participated. My wiser self admired Patti for asking her readers and her publisher to help make her book the one she envisioned. Now she's hosting a blog book tour, and today the Annalog hosts Life is a Verb.

Adopt me!

I have posted photos for sale from the Wild Horse & Burro Festival. Congratulations to all fifteen horses and burros who have new adoptive families!

Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, Utah

I haven't been to Moab in almost two years, mostly because it's not on U.S. 89. But come 1 May, I will make a detour for the Moab Photo Symposium. Bruce Hucko, the symposium organizer, asked me to talk about my Highway 89 project. I'm also giving a workshop on some fun and fab techniques that use Photoshop's layer blending options and modes, like this line drawing effect I layered over an image dating back to 2006.

It's an honor to be on the same schedule as the other presenters: Victor Beer, Bill Crnkovich, Chris Conrad, Jeff Foott, Adriel Heisey, Dave Hiser, Bruce Hucko, Brian Parkin, ViviAnn Rose, Tom Till and Steve Traudt. The symposium runs from May 1 to 4. That's four days in Moab to make photos and friends - it will be a blast. Hope you can join us!