Blog - Mel Curtis

A Centuries Old Souvenir

I am not sure you are still doing this theme, heirlooms right? I thought about it when the theme first came up but felt my heirlooms are mostly old photographs, mine and my family’s. Then I thought of this. A key to the Abbey of Mont St Michele in Normandy France. I acquired it in 1997 while working on a…

May 5, 2022France, Musings, Odds and Ends, Travels

Celebrations Musings Odds and Ends Seattle

See What You Are Missing?

Too bad you are not here to help me judge the Washington State High School Photography Competition this Saturday. It is something I have been involved with since 2006. I have been a judge on and off and this was to be an off year, but a judge bowed out for some reason and the director of the program, who…

May 5, 2022Celebrations, Musings, Odds and Ends, Seattle

Celebrations Portraits Seattle

Large has Other Meanings

A photo friend of mine recently died and it has put me in a mood of sorts. We weren’t close friends, and he was older and had pretty serious health issues. But he was a really nice guy and someone I always thought of as a real treasure of the photo world. He started out shooting for the school newspaper…

April 22, 2022Celebrations, Portraits, Seattle

Musings Odds and Ends

With Enough Cajoling

Your comment about print versus screen image was interesting. I asked the archivist at MS what she valued more, the original film or the finished print? Without hesitation, she said film. But she is an archivist. If you as a gallerist, the would say print, something touched by the artist and produced in his vision. I see both points of…

April 6, 2022Musings, Odds and Ends

Musings Odds and Ends Seattle

Rush Hour Chicken Run

I came up with an idea that made me think of you. I had told you about running my printer to keep the jets from gumming up and I thought, rather than it being a maintenance exercise, what not do “A Print of the Week” series. And be somewhat serious about it. I have already made a few such prints…

March 31, 2022Musings, Odds and Ends, Seattle

Musings Seattle

If You Can’t Make it Good, Make it Big

Or make it red, or reverse it out or some combination of all 4. Ever hear those rules for good design? Or good art in general? I actually have a poster from a UW design professor that incorporates all 4 of these properties. I even once heard that National Geographic Magazine encouraged their photogs to have red in their pictures.…

March 30, 2022Musings, Seattle

Gardens Landscapes Musings Odds and Ends Seattle

I Can Fix it in Post

Talk about weird weather. The cold blast came in last night as predicted. Covering much of the country as far as I can tell. I didn’t pay much attention to the forecasts as it was so beautifully sunny yesterday. A bit nippy, but not uncomfortable. I wake up this morning and see the roof tops covered with white stuff and…

February 22, 2022Gardens, Landscapes, Musings, Odds and Ends, Seattle

Celebrations Musings Odds and Ends Seattle

Nice Moments

Hi Mel Just to let you know that the birthday celebrations for Mas were a huge success. Merrill Gardens had decorated the dining room in hummingbirds and draped the print on the wall. He thought the birds were the celebration, until they revealed the print. Mas was stunned and overwhelmed, and though the dining room was filled with residents, he couldn't…

February 15, 2022Celebrations, Musings, Odds and Ends, Seattle

Musings Odds and Ends Uncategorized

Keeps Me Focused

I have been in a state of semi-retirement for years. First the recession pulled the rug out from under me. That was a scary period, not knowing if I was going to survive. There were not safety nets back then for self-employed people and I had just signed a new lease for my rental studio. My biggest expense. After the…

January 25, 2022Musings, Odds and Ends, Uncategorized

Musings Odds and Ends Seattle

I Might Have Caved

Panoramic Works Well winter rolls on here with foggy mornings and damp days. But the daffodils are popping up and spring unofficially arrives the first of February, which is also the anniversary of my arrival in Seattle. 38 years. Is it interesting to look back and especially think of those early days. The first 5 years were really quite a…

January 17, 2022Musings, Odds and Ends, Seattle