Looking Back Fall 2011

Bend of the River ~ Pure Vision Studios ~ Teri Lee Niedrich ~ Sun Valley Idaho 

Winter days are the best time to edit.  Hot cup of coffee, wrap up in a sweater, turn up the tunes.  My office becomes a welcome cave.  My own little universe.  My dog hates it.  He can't understand why I don't want to go outside. He doesn't understand that I don't do 19 degrees unless I am snowboarding.

Winter days are also a good time for reflection.  The New Year forces me to pause and look back.  I am editing the photos from one of the most beautiful fall seasons that I have ever seen here in the Wood River Valley. I am thankful and happy to, in the midst of a colorless winter, look back and relish the brilliant colors of fall.  Arguably one of my top four favorite seasons.

Canadian Geese on Golden Sun Valley Pond ~ Pure Vision Studios ~ Teri Lee Niedrich

Canadian Geese on the Golden Sun Valley Pond

This is a great location to photograph all year round but especially when the golden trees are reflecting in the pond. 

So many times the best places to shoot are in your own back yard.  No doubt when I am traveling outside my comfort zone, the sheer excitement of a new location gives me the extra edge of enthusiasm.  In any new location, though, it takes time to learn the "golden hours" and light patterns.

I had been thinking about shooting in this location for a few weeks and when the first bit of snow graced Baldy surrounded by the golden trees....well foget about it...I was out the door and headed down the road before I was really conscious.

Sun Valley Idaho Fall from the Pond ~ Pure Vision Studios ~Teri Lee Niedrich

I love this valley.  30 years and I am still awestruck.  I hope that you enjoyed reflecting on the fall with me.  Next up an amazing location in magical Thousand Springs State Park.

Sun Valley's Golden Pond - Flippin Beautiful!  Pure Vision Studios ~ Teri Lee Niedrich

The Navajo Medicine Pony ~ Living a Magical Life

Navajo Medicine Pony ~ Pure Vision Studios

In my last post, I promised the story of The Navajo Medicine Pony.  I think we all get to choose the type of life we live.  I have chosen a magical life.  I believe.

Angel Wynn of NativeStock Pictures is my dear friend, mentor and co-creator.  Angel is the leading supplier of Indian Country Imagery. We both share a great love and respect for the Native American People and their culture. She, my husband (who is a very brave man) and I were on a mad adventure in Arizona in 2009. It will take many posts to tell you all of the amazing places we were honored to see and photograph on that journey.
 

Certainly one of the highlights of our trip was a visit to Canyon De Chelly in Chinle, Arizona part of the Navajo Nation. I will post the story of our unforgettable tour through the bottom of Canyon De Chelly another time. Epic doesn't even come close to covering it.

After a very long and magical day, we were headed back to the campground at sunset.  Horses are everywhere in Chinle.  I understand the Navajo Nation is not in the habit of restricting their horses behind fences.  Several times we had already witnessed horses running freely through town.  At the end of this day, however, a beautiful single pony stepped out of the brush by the side of the road bathed in the beautiful light of an Arizona sunset. 

Angel and I were nothing but ##@es and elbows grabbing our gear from the back of the cab and we were out of the car in 2 seconds.  The horse just stood there patiently posed.  We shot like crazy thinking this was going to be over as quickly as it started and the horse would run. No....just looking at us with it's soulful eyes and "gifting" us with a magical moment. Finally, we decided to move along before we caused an accident on the highway.

I felt we had just experienced something really mystical but I really didn't know what it was exactly.  I still don't know. Maybe I don't ever have to know. Do we make the magic or does it make us?

I printed a big 40 x 40 canvas of this photo for one of my first big shows.  It has always been a treat to see people drawn to it.  Some are analytical about it's magic...I was even once asked if I had something "blowing" the horses mane.  Most people ask for the story and I am happy to tell it again and again.  Many people are moved to a memory of their favorite horse and I am honored to hear "their" story.  I have sold many of the smaller prints of this photo but the big canvas stayed with me.

As I told in my previous post, this was the canvas viewed by Michael Wamego.  His face lit up like that Arizona sunset and he smiled the most beautiful smile. He knew it would be his.  I am honored that my first big canvas of the Navajo Medicine Pony has now found it's true home in the workshop of such a beautiful spirit, Michael Wamego of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma.  Michael told me this is a medicine pony and explained they have a special aura. He tells me his dog will sit patiently staring at the pony while he works, but he turns away if you catch him staring at it.  How honored am I? Michael loves his pony and I love my beautiful flute. Someday I will return to Canyon De Chelly and Chinle,  Arizona and learn more about this amazing spot on planet earth.  In the meantime I just continue to love this Navajo Pony and it's great gift to me. There is something so powerful about the southwest. It draws me back time and time again like a long forgotten home.

Canyon De Chelly - Pure Vision Studios

Sunrise at Spider Woman Rock  ~ Pure Vision Studios

Magic is all around.  Just look for it.  I think I will take a walk in the woods now.

Wagon Days 50th Anniversary

Wagon Days Echoes of the Past
The Big Hitch, Wagon Days, Sun Valley Idaho

The Budweiser Clydesdales in Sun Valley, Idaho

As celebrations go in Ketchum, Sun Valley, Idaho it doesn't get any bigger than Wagon Days.

The Big Hitch Parade is the highlight of the celebration. It has grown into the largest non-motorized parade in the West, displaying more than a hundred museum-quality buggies, carriages, tacks, carts, buckboards, and wagons of every variety in existence today. The Wagon Days Big Hitch, historic wagons used to haul ore from the area, are powered by an authentic 20-draft mule jerkline.

Adding spice to the parade is a lively assortment of authentically costumed individuals, numerous breeds of horses, from Arabs to Morgans to Pasos. Plus, professional and scholastic marching bands from around the state and the intermountain west.

This year was the 50th Anniversary of Wagon Days and the legendary celebration did not disappoint. The Budweiser Clydesdales were invited to join the parade along with the past Grand Marshalls of previous parades. The event was not only a great tribute to the history of Idaho, but also a tribute to this close knit community, the organizers and voluteers of Wagon Days who truly make this celebration a successful party.

I felt privileged to be be invited to photograph all of the activities of this event, including a ride in the lead ore wagon of the big hitch at the practice session. As I bounced around like a rag doll in the massive wagon trying to capture the moment, my mind raced back to history when these great wagons traveled much more treacherous paths through the mountains. I was in awe of the skill of Muleskinner Bobby Tanner and his amazing crew. The mules of his team were exceptional world class athletes by anyone's standards!

Check out Pure Vision Studios Events and Celebrations Gallery/Wagon Days 50th Anniversary and double click for the slide show. Here you can see the massive ore wagons, historic wagons and the beautiful horses, mules and donkeys who pull them. The classic colorful characters of the old west come alive to tell the tale of Wagon Days.

The Wells Fargo Stage, Wagon Days, Sun Valley, Idaho

The Blackjack Ketchum Shootout Gang Wagon Days Ketchum Idaho

Eh-Capa Rider, Wagon Days Parade 50th Anniversary,

Sun Valley, Idaho

Pure Vision Studios Contracted by Personal E-ssistant

Personal E-ssistant, an exciting new service also based out of Sun Valley, Idaho has contracted Pure Vision Studios to supply their clients with creative, cutting edge, photographic and digital imaging services. Personal E-ssistant creates and manages blogs, social networking, audio/visual postings and marketplace listings for businesses and professionals.

Pure Vision Studios is really charged about becoming a part of this new "state of the web" service. We know how much time is involved in really working the internet to its potential and are extremely aware of the value of being truly connected. We are certain Personal E-ssistant will become E- ssential to the success of many businesses and professionals both locally and world wide.

Isn't it great? It is like the old west baby! Trail Blazin'! Who knows where this trail goes to? We don't.. but we are having a really good time on this ride. We welcome Personal E-ssistant as our partners on the trail.

Visionary Portraits

We love nothing better than being asked to step outside the traditional when it comes to capturing the essence of a personality. These can sometimes be called "lifestyle portraits". Of course, we prefer to call them Visionary. Sometimes, actually most often, these ideas come in the middle of the night, after pondering the spirit you are trying to capture. There are no rules. At least not from our perspective.

See more portraits at Pure Vision Studios. Who's work do we love? Annie Leibovitz. See this NPR interview, New Leibovitz Collection Reveals Personal Side .

Also this link to her timeline and photos from temple.edu. The only photo in this series that I do NOT like is the one of the Trumps. Please...I would have loved to see one of him combing his hair in the mirror.

Who's portrait work do you love and why? Let us know. Send us comments and links (please, no photos) we will post the first 25. Here's looking at you.

Baby Portraits

What says "Holidays" better than baby Christmas photos? Oh the joy of photographing a beautiful child and creating that "OOOOH How Cute!" moment for the family to treasure forever.

We had a wonderful season shooting family and individual portraits this year. It is a great deal of work, but the result is completely satisfying. The photo above was shot at Pure Vision Studios using a Gary Fong Whale Tale light diffuser. I love this product. The light is soft and natural. It is so nice not to be using harsh, hot lights with the little people. They tend to get cranky.

No Photoshop Cs3 editing required with this photo. We liked the the soft, warm, natural richness and tone just the way it was.

And....ho ho ho he peed all over this lovely blanket shortly after this shot. The show was over.