Don’t forget today’s Empty Bowls fundraiser at the Burien Community Center, which will benefit the Highline Area and White Center Food Banks!

Stop by for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or dinner from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Your donation will get you the opportunity to pick out a beautiful handmade bowl, as well as a simple but wonderful meal of soup, bread, dessert and drink; all donated by local businesses. Sponsored by Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services and Discover Burien.

Suggested donations are:

• $15 (minimum) Adult Donation
• $10 (minimum) Child Donation

Empty Bowls events can be found around the country raising money to combat hunger in our communities. Moshier Art Center Potters have donated bowls to be filled with soup at this fun event… and all are invited!

The community center is located 14700 6th Ave SW in Burien.

While you’re there, be sure to check out the new art installation (shown above) by BTB’s own Michael Brunk hanging on the walls of the Community Center.

The installation consists of two photographs from Seahurst Park split into triptychs of 20″ x 30″ panels. The final result is a pair of images measuring 60″ x 30″ that reflect a small part of Burien’s natural beauty.

The gallery will focus on photography produced on a mobile device, and will be on exhibit beginning at 5 p.m., with live music from DJ Spinja (local DJ celebrity) until 8 p.m. for the Opening Reception, which will be held Jan. 5th during Seattle’s famous First Thursdays Art Walk.

A Closing Ceremony will be held Jan. 28, 2012 at 3 p.m., and will begin with a photowalk/shootout through Pioneer Square. This is an opportunity for Q&A with the photographers about their photographs, processes, and inspirations.

The gallery will remain until Feb. 1, 2012.

The local photogs included in the gallery are Mellow Longfellow and Jennifer Phillips-Dilly, both from the Burien area.

Jennifer said:

“There is almost nothing I love more than when objects and light align to create undeniable clarity that demands my attention.

I grew up in Seattle, but as soon as I’d saved enough money for a house, I chose the Burien area. I’ve spent many glorious (and soggy) hours at Seahurst Park and can’t imagine living anywhere else. I went to the Northwest School of the Arts, Humanities, and Environment in Seattle (with Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam, Jason Finn of The Presidents of the United States, annnnd Steve Turner of Mudhoney) and then The Evergreen State College in Olympia.  My focus of study was always in the arts and humanities, but I’ve worked full-time for Group Health Cooperative for over 20 years in various positions. Not until I found a place to share my photos on Instagram (an iPhone app) did I become completely obsessed with taking and editing photos with my iPhone.

You can find samples of my photos on Flickr here, or find me on Instagram as ‘eelnej’.”

Here are some samples of Jennifer’s mobile photography (click images to see larger versions):

Here’s more from a press release:

The Darkroom Series: In today’s world of constantly evolving technology, mobile photography is an emerging art form. The advancements in functionality and design for cameras on the iPhone and Android platforms have been astounding. The imaging is simply amazing, and the artistic content truly fascinating. Anyone with a camera phone can snap a picture or preserve a moment. What we present to you in this series are individuals taking mobile photography to higher levels; the casual user as Artist, the casual user as Photographer.

In towns and cities, in rural and urban areas all over the world, mobile photographers have the ability to capture moments in time with unprecedented clarity. The advantage mobile devices or smart phones provide is that ultra-spontaneous element: Your phone, your camera, is always with you. Every ordinary moment becomes an opportunity to compose a stunning photograph. The Darkroom Series will show that mobile devices are not just phones, but are now valid cameras and darkrooms. A photographer can now edit, much like in a darkroom, the shots they take on their mobile device through a multitude of apps. All of which can create the same effects of an actual darkroom. This series will highlight mobile device photographers from Seattle and the Puget Sound who continue to amaze through mobile device imaging.

Juxt: Originating in 2011, is an organization designed to cultivate and foster art created through mobile device technology. Juxt believes that through cultivation and fostering of art created by casual users through social networking, that this community will flourish. Mobile device technology has empowered the casual user to tap into their creative and artistic side. This artistic merit is where Juxt finds its niche in ensuring legitimacy in the art form. Juxt staff are artists themselves with long histories of community arts organizing and event planning. For more information about Juxt, visit their website at www.wearejuxt.com or email at info@wearejuxt.com.

Sponsors:
Advanced Mobile Photography Team (AMPt), Keepsy, International Mobile Photography Awards, and Trover Mobile Photo App.

Here’s what Maureen said on her blog about them:

The alarm went off at 4:15 a.m. so I could get up on a cold night and watch the moon and its light on the water change with the lunar eclipse. The sky started out pretty crystal clear, but advanced into thin clouds.

I was just shooting with my little Canon G10, so I have to accept the equipment limitations, but the image sequence is still dramatic and beautiful.

This image was shot at 5:24 while sitting at my desk, looking out through the window to Puget Sound. Note that the eclipse was well underway. The three red light towers are on Vashon Island. (A street light illuminated the cherry tree down in my yard, and cast just enough light into my office to cause a slight reflection on the window.)

Click image to see larger version.

Here’s a series taken during the two hours that I watched out my window, shot at these times:

• 4:44
• 5:05
• 5:15
• 5:18
• 5:48
• 5:59
• 6:01

No, the moon did not “flare” and cause a brighter image in the third shot. At times I changed the camera settings to pick up details either in the moon’s shadow or highlight.

They had predicted a very orange moon, which my eye did not see at all. The camera did, however, in the 5th and 6th shots, when I adjusted to capture the shadowed part of the moon.

A couple of notes jotted:

• 5:58 Just a shimmer of light.
• 6:00 A wisp at the bottom edge.
• 6:04 Not enough left in the sky to shoot.
• 6:15 NO moon. NO light! Time to go back to bed.

Scroll down to view each phase, or CLICK HERE to see a separate, horizontal version.

Click image to see larger version.

Be sure to follow Maureen’s most excellent blog here.

Click image to see larger version.

Have a cool photo you’d like to share with our Readers?

Please email editor@b-townblog.com and we’ll do our best to post ‘em!

Imagine having photos with Santa without waiting in line at the mall or downtown in bad weather. This year it’s happening right here in Burien at Photography by Steven.

You can call it a “virtual” line, as all you have to do is click here to schedule your completely private photo session for your kids or family.

Santa and Mrs. Claus are stopping by for four weekend days at Photography by Steven’s Burien studio at 243 SW 152nd Street:

• Saturday December 3rd – Sunday December 4th
• Friday December 9th – Sunday December 11th

Packages start at $20 and Christmas cards are available.

Steve and Ann have been providing professional photography in the Highline area for over 10 years. They specialize in high school seniors, babies, family and wedding photography.

With their state-of-the-art digital studio they also offer immediate viewing. Yes, you’ll get to see your picture of your special time with Santa and the family right then and there!

No lines… no malls… photos… cards… all starting at $20.

Remember your Santa photos are just a click away.

Complete package pricing is online.

For more information call us at 206-433-0988.

Here’s more info from a Facebook Event Page:

Laura Beth Peterson

Laura Beth Peterson was a business manager and the Director of Development for Gene Juarez Salons for twenty years, before following her passion and becoming a photographer. She spent three years shooting local events, and writing and shooting for Palm Springs Guides. She is currently a King County Advisory Board Member for the Salvation Army, and also sits on the Advisory Council for The Salvation Army, White Center.

Laura Beth was born in Seattle, and lives in Seattle with her husband Scott and their two black labradors, Ruby and Eli. The images on display were taken in the French and Italian Riviera in September of 2010.

On a personal note, BTB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer has had the privilege of working with LB as co-chair of the Three Tree Point Fireworks Fund, and he can attest to her outstanding artistic abilities.

Go LB!

The two part “Taking Your Photography to the Next Level” workshop happens on July 23 & July 30.

According to the course description, you’ll:

Capture wonderful images and get creative with the world around you. Join Burien’s own Michael Brunk in learning the basics of photography. This two-part photography seminar is intended for beginning photographers. Session 1 will cover the basic types of cameras and how they work, techniques for composing photos and the use of light, both natural and flash. Session 2 will consist of a guided photo-walk in Seahurst Park where you’ll be able to put your new knowledge to work. Pre-requisite: digital camera and enthusiasm for photography and improving your results.

The class fee is $30. You can sign up online through the Burien Parks & Recreation website. Search for barcode# 13206 or browse the catalog to the Adult Enrichment classes.

Michael Brunk, B-Town Blog Photographer

by Greg Wright

I’ve known Michael Brunk a long time, and he’s a man of many talents: Boeing technology guru, actor, director, webmaster… and photographer.

For several years now, he’s been keeping a pretty low profile as one of the key figures behind the B-Town Blog and its family of online publications, including our own SeaTac Blog. In addition to providing all the webmastering for the blogs, he’s also the organization’s primary photojournalist. If you’ve seen photos of Three Tree Point fireworks, Link light rail, or dazzling Des Moines and Burien sunsets on the blogs… well, that’s Michael’s stuff.

Michael had his first public exhibition as part of the Poverty Bay Art Festival in Des Moines last September, and this spring he has become one of the founding members of Tyee Photography Alliance, a group of like-minded South Enders providing photographic services for the community.  He’ll also be conducting classes at the Burien Community Center starting this June!

If you’d like to see Michael’s work in person, the next chance will be Mother’s Day weekend, May 7 and 8.  From 10 AM to 5 PM, Tyee Photography Alliance will have a booth at PowellsWood on Dash Point Road. That Saturday, May 7 at 11 AM, Michael will be presenting a talk entitled “Nature Photography: Right Place, Right Time.”

I ran a few comments and questions by Michael earlier this week.

GW: I imagine that when you’re shooting for art’s sake, or for your own pure enjoyment, you prepare somewhat differently than when you’re on a photojournalism assignment.

Michael: Assignments are nearly always very schedule-driven. An event is happening at a certain place at a certain time and I have to be there to get the shot. For me that means getting there early so I can get the “lay of the land” and talk to people so I know how the event is going to flow and what I need to do to be in the best position to shoot the photos I want to tell the story.

Shooting for pleasure can be much more organic and relaxed. I’ll sometimes throw the gear in the car and head out without a specific destination in mind.

GW: I recently took my first photography class, and it seemed like the instructor’s whole point was, “I’m not really trying to teach you how to use your camera. I’m just trying to get you to slow down.” It’s almost like photography is a zen-like experience.

Self-Portrait at Salmon Creek Park

Michael: I would say, “It depends.” If you’re shooting the news, slowing down isn’t typically an option. You’re capturing an event as it unfolds and you sometimes have just a moment in time to get the image you want. Still, it can be zen-like in that you really have to focus on what you’re doing and push everything else out of your mind. You’re often juggling a lot of variables to make the photo happen and you can’t afford to be distracted.

Shooting anything else, I would agree that slowing down is a good thing. The best photographers don’t just capture random images, they create the photo. That means they take time to visualize what they want before they press the shutter release.

GW: The subtitle of your talk at PowellsWood on Mother’s Day weekend is “Right Place, Right Time.” How much of that is hurry up and wait, how much sheer patience, and how much of that is planning?

Michael: As I already mentioned, photography in one sense is making the image you want happen. That’s not a random process. I shoot a lot of landscapes and the variables involved require a lot of forethought. What’s the weather going to do? Where’s the sun in the sky and which direction is the light in the scene I want to shoot? Shooting around the water here you have to take the tides into account.

Even with planning, there are a lot of elements out of your control. Wind is often an issue here in the Northwest, so if you’re shooting outside you may need to wait for the brief lull to take the photo. Wildlife photography definitely requires patience. You can be in the right place, and have great light and weather but animals don’t always cooperate!

GW: You’re going to be teaching an introductory photography class at the Burien Community Center. What’s going to be your primary goal there?

Michael: The Burien class is going to focus on fundamentals of photography. The goal will be to help students take their first steps from being a person with a camera to being a photographer.

The first session will be in the classroom at the Community Center where we’ll be exploring composition techniques to make photos instead of taking snapshots. In the second session a week later we’ll visit Seahurst Park to put what we learned into practice.

GW: What are some of the funnest photo ops you’ve had with The B-Town Blog?

Michael: For me, there were two main draws to working with The B-Town Blog. The first was the opportunity to get involved with the community and meet new people. In that sense, just about every photo op is fun.

The second was the ability to see things and shoot photos that I wouldn’t otherwise be have access to. Examples of those have been shooting runway construction at SeaTac Airport with airplanes landing and taking off just yards away, wading through local creeks in search of spawning salmon with Dennis Clark, and photographing Town Square from atop a ferris wheel.

GW: Where are some your favorite places to shoot just for fun in the Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac vicinity?

Michael: Anyone that has seen my photos knows that I spend a lot of time at Seahurst Park in Burien, but I’m also a big fan of Salmon Creek Park. Mathison Park is also an interesting place to visit.

In Des Moines I seem to spend a lot of time on and around the fishing pier. I really like the variety of images you can find down at the Marina. And of course, Beach Park and the trail is a beautiful spot.

I don’t spend as much time in SeaTac–though I keep meaning to do something about that–but I do love airplanes and often visit the little park on South 146th Street when they’re landing to the south to shoot photos. I don’t even know if this spot has a name; it’s not much more than a small parking lot, a big grassy field and a large water tank.

At the Pier in Des Moines

‘Photo Friday’ is an occasional photographic series we post on The B-Town Blog, and this week’s edition is ‘Film Friday’ by area resident Kirsten Geyer, who says:

“Film Friday” is a photography project I started in order to re-discover my love of film.

The project itself is simple – take and show a full roll of film every week.

As a professional portrait photographer, I was curious to see what kinds of images I could come up with if I spent a few minutes each week taking “portraits” of (mostly) non-human subjects.

For the first week I decided to venture out of my own neighborhood of White Center and head South to B-town.

If you would like to learn more about the project or get an urge to pull out your old film camera and play along, visit my blog!

Kirsten lives in the White Center area, and her gear for this shoot included:

• Nikon F100
• Fuji 400h
• 50mm 1.8
• Walgreens 1 hour photo
• Photos are uncut and unedited…welcome to my first roll!

She also said this on her blog about the photos below:

• All of these photos were taken … in the pouring rain I might add…since the lab I sent my other roll too gave me a 2 week (?!) estimate! All I can say is that those photos better be GOOD! So, thanks, Walgreens 1 hour photo, for saving my butt (plus you can’t beat $5 for a 1 hour develop/scan!).
• If you ever need an open pass to photograph anything you want without making people nervous, bring your charming 4-year old with you, they make a pretty fine entrance ticket.
• This was the first roll of film I’ve seen from my f100! I’m in love.
• I over-exposed the film 1 stop or so…ala Jonathon Canlas (see his link below).
• 35 exposures is ALOT…I was stretching it towards the end trying to find things I wanted to photograph, but as always I think my best shots come at the end of a photo-session…once my brain has had a chance to warm up a bit.

To see larger versions of each photo, just click an image:

“To me, the most beautiful moments don’t happen in a perfectly-styled Photography Studio,” she said on her website. “…they happen while you kiss your baby’s feet on the changing table or when you roll around the living room floor with your four year old. These are the moments that, as a Mother, make me want to shut my eyes tight and remember forever. And, as a Photographer, those are the moments that I want to capture for you.”

Kirsten’s work can be found here:

• Project Blog: www.filmfriday2011.wordpress.com
• Personal Blog: www.somethingcheeky.wordpress.com
• Portrait Site: www.kirstengeyer.com

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Are you a local Photographer? Have some pics shot in Burien you think we should showcase? Or just some amazing photos worth sharing with our Readers? Please email us a link and explanation (including technical details) and we'll consider posting yours!]

Last week, 2008 Highline High School graduate and University of Washington student Carly Henley, 20, was found dead at a fraternity house, the victim of suicide.

On Friday night (Oct. 8th), hundreds – possibly thousands – of people gathered at the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house near the UW, filling the street and adjacent yards with candlelight in remembrance of this talented, attractive young musician. According to comments made on Facebook, people lit candles all over the world, whether or not they had known her.

Nearly everyone brought a candle, and some brought extra for those without. Blue and pink ribbon pins were passed around, as well as fliers commemorating Carly’s life. Many women wore colorful headbands, something Carly was known to do herself.

Many of our Readers knew Carly. Several knew of her, perhaps as classmates, acquaintances, or fans of her YouTube Channel. Here’s her obituary as published in The Seattle Times:

Carly Danielle HENLEY
Carly Danielle Henley, 20 years old, of Seattle, passed on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. Born on July 30, 1990 in Long Beach, California to Dede Henley Norris and Dr. David Henley. A loving sister to sister, Blake Henley, and brothers, Bryce Henley, Spencer Norris, Christopher Norris and Jeremy Hunley. Cherished by extended family Steven Norris, grandmothers, Charlotte Dolezal and Mim Henley, adored by her uncles, Doug Dolezal, David Dolezal, Mike (Theresa) Henley and Mark Henley, aunts Denise (Tim) Wilcox, Kathleen Milne and many cousins. She attended Highline High School and was a junior at the University of Washington and a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. She had a passion for music and was an accomplished singer songwriter who performed her original songs and garnered legions of admirers locally and via YouTube and the Internet. Carly’s beautiful smile, loving, kind nature, filled the hearts of all who came in contact with her. She was constantly seeking new experiences and ideas, a friend to many, ever giving of herself unselfishly. She loved the rain. She loved her family. She loved God. A Celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, October 10 at 3:00 pm in The City Church, University District Campus located at 4740 17th Ave NE in Seattle. Remembrances may be made in Carly’s name to The Hunger Project at www.thp.org.

Photographer Nicholas Johnson took pics at the vigil, and the following Sound Slideshow includes those, set to music recorded on the scene of some of her sorority sisters singing the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah.” Other pics in this slideshow include pics of Carly by Photographer Kinsey Gross, and pics of a local makeshift graffiti memorial shot by Scott Schaefer in Burien’s Three Tree Point neighborhood (be sure your speakers are turned on):

Click to Play Our Sound Slideshow Tribute to Carly Henley

Read our previous coverage:

• Memorial Open Mic For Carly Henley At Infusion Tea & Coffee Oct. 23rd
• UPDATE: Highline High Grad Carly Henley Died From Hanging; Vigil Friday