Stormy Weather

I'm don't usually take pictures of clouds and ocean landscapes but after several days of heavy rain it was good to get out during a break in the storm. Once down at the beach I just couldn't help myself.  Making the most of what you are given I guess.

GRADUATION DAY

Today was one of the bigger graduation days in our little guys life.  As of today he is sleeping in his crib, rather in his "new big boy bed".

A little over two years ago when my wife Siri was pregnant and we first starting looking for Cribs for our boy we could not find one that we liked for a reasonable price.  There seem to be two camps with children's' products these days.  Mass produced, big, poorly made and cheap, or "Modern" design and very expensive.  There did not seem to be a good middle ground of good design at a reasonable price.  That being the case and having recently invested in new power tools I decided to make the crib myself.

We wanted something simple, clean in it's design with a sense of whimsy.  After all it was going to be a kids room.  After some sketching on paper I settled on a final design. White end pieces with faces in them and walnut rails. From there I bought the wooded needed  and the hardware from Rockler.  

Once the crib was finished and time passed it was time to start thinking about the next bed as he was getting too big for the crib.  I liked how the crib turned out so I decided to make a bed in the same style as the crib.  In addition whenever #2 come along they can have matching beds.  The emphsis on the bed was to make it easy enough for my son to get in and out on his own.  (I know, what means to our mornings from now on)  but have some support on the sides as he still rolls around at night.  Hopefully the final outcome works well, tonight is his first night in it.

Below are pictures of The crib being dismantled and the bed being assembled in his room.  I'm really happy with how the final crib and bed turned out. I throughly enjoyed making them and look forward to all the future items yet to be made.

The Crib

Bed In Progress

The finished "new big boy bed"

 

  
While this is one of the bigger graduation days thus far, it is only the beginning of many many  to come

Norman Rockwell Photographer?

Here is the are two links to an article in Vanity Fair this month. about Norman Rockwell and his extensive use of Photography to plan and compose his illustrations.  The photos stand on their own in part because of what he brought to the process of casting, staging and lighting.  It's also nice to see how he changes them as he worked through the process of his illustrations.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/11/norman-rockwell-200911?currentPage=1

And here is the link to the Book of Photos that recently came out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316006939/ref=s9_simz_gw_s0_p14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1C7BS49DFN81FAY3BN1Z&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

SITE'S UP! BLOG'S UP! SURF'S UP!

This is the first blog post of many to come.  I'll be posting things of interest here: photos, design, and illustration alike. 


So to get things started, here are some images from a seven A.M. surf session.  Throughout the summer I've been going out surfing in the mornings.  I continually find myself torn between grabbing my board and grabbing my camera.  On this particular day I had to shoot from the beach because of stitches in my back.  While I prefer getting in the water I'm pretty happy with how these turned out.   


I'm trying to document a local surf vibe rather than get the "cover shot" of a surf mag.  I am much more interested in the time of day and the light combined with the every day guy and kids getting out before work/ school. 


To see more check out my site at www.jeffberting.com  


Enjoy.