abstract photography - The Lardner Report

(Pic #1) Mukluk finds a fashionable moment with my blue bandana. Ten seconds later she was out the door.

Savor the seconds. Save the sentiment.

I’ve started relying on my iPhone for little visual bursts of joy. Whether it’s a goofy or graceful pose choreographed by our cat, one of our garden blooms reaching up toward the morning light, or a concrete wall sporting abstract patterns of smudges and cracks, I make sure to document the moment. (Pics #1,2,3)

(Pic #2) Okay, this pic was shot by Josh — but the point is the same — it’s all about capturing the moment — and it’s why he ALWAYS has his Fuji Camera in tow.

These flashes of beauty, art, and love can disappear in an instant. In nature, they can leave as quickly as they came into view. I’m making a point to cherish these ephemeral gifts, as long as they keep presenting themselves.

(Pic #3) A deteriorating exterior wall (with cool smudges) outside an old recording studio in San Pedro, Cal.

Fine art photographer: At home on the field–or on the farm.

"Windy" Photo Sculpture by Robin Layton, 2007

When you first see her fine art collection of photographic images, you know she was born an artist. Then you hear about her days as a photojournalist, and you realize she’s always been breaking new ground.

Case in point: If you’re a baseball fan—you can’t help but remember the photo below. Ken Griffey, Jr. joyfully smiles at home plate under a “dog pile” of fellow Mariners, after he scored the game-winning run in the playoff series against the Yankees in 1995.

"Dog pile" Ken Griffey, Jr. scores game-winning run against Yanks in 1995. A Layton sports classic.

Layton shot that.

She wasn’t supposed to be assigned to third base that night–her editor at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer told her to take her place at first. But at the last minute, a fellow shooter asked if he could work that position, and Layton said okay. That dude is probably in rehab right now. Many consider this photograph one of the most memorable images of Griffey’s storied career.

Celebrity Cool:

Layton has since carved out a super successful, lucrative career shooting celebrity portraits and weddings. Some of her clients include: Oprah Winfrey, Felicity Huffman, Jennifer Aniston, Kenny G., and Tobey McGuire. Huffman, seen below at a recent Layton exhibition in West Hollywood, raves enthusiastically about Robin’s unique gift to capture what no one else can.

Robin Layton (left) and "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman at Layton's solo exhibition in West Hollywood, May, 2010. Photo Credit: Jayson Mellom .

Perfect Pairings:

Now, this super cool Angeleno/Seattleite has turned her lens toward the marriage of an unlikely duo: nature and industry. Once declared one of the world’s eight most talented photographers by Life magazine, Layton gracefully juxtaposes stunning photographic abstractions with quirky remnants of industrial hardware, antique farm equipment, and weathered doors and windows. At top, she pairs a rare Midwestern barn vent with delicate images of egrets captured in Point Reyes, California.

Below, Layton nestles “Nest Egg” within a set of blue shutters with original paint from the 1800s, and (at bottom), she frames Big Bear “Monet Trees” with a funky cranberry picker from the 1930s. Definitely worth checking out her sites: (Fine art: robinlaytonworks.com) (Commercial: robinlayton.com)