Steve Toll Photo Newsletter

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Scotts Valley Festival 8/19-20, 2023

August 17, 2023  •  Leave a Comment

Sea Otter Mother and PupSea Otter Mother and PupElkhorn Slough, Moss Landing, California

Elkhorn Slough is a wonderful spot to observe coastal wildlife including many bird species and the ever-delightful California sea otter, which congregates here in this wildlife reserve. I choose to kayak (with my camera gear, cautiously!) so I could move slowly and quietly. Due to the area’s protection, the animals are relatively unconcerned with human presence, often more curious than afraid. This mother and her pup came fairly close to my kayak, keeping an eye on me, but not otherwise changing their behavior, clearly interested as much in me as I in them.
It's hard to believe, but summer is going fast!  Come join me August 19-20 for one of this summer's last art shows, and my last for this year, at the Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival - Saturday 8/19 from 10-6 and Sunday 10-5.  This delightful festival is held in the pleasant coastal weather just outside Santa Cruz at the Scotts Valley Skypark at 361 Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley.  I will be exhibiting at Booth B12.  More information at www.svartfestival.com.

Enjoy a fun outing with art, music and wine, and combine it with a hike in the redwoods, a stroll on the beach, or dinner in Santa Cruz! 

If you can’t make it to the show, I'm happy to meet by phone or zoom for a personal “virtual” tour. 

Hope to see you there!

 


Kenya & May 2023 Open Studios exhibit

May 07, 2023  •  Leave a Comment

ScanningScanningMasai Mara Wildlife Reserve, Kenya Greetings fine photography enthusiasts!

I’m excited to catch up with you to tell you about my recent photographic safari to Kenya and upcoming exhibit next weekend which will showcase some of the pieces that came out of that trip. 

In December I went to Kenya with my son in law, a budding photographer, for a two week photo safari, my first major photo trip since the start of Covid.  As you probably know, Kenya is in East Africa, halfway around the world (11 time zones - we stopped over in London for a couple of days to alleviate jet lag).  We were part of a small group of experienced photographers, visiting three of Kenya’s well known wildlife parks - Amboseli, Tsavo, and Masai Mara - in the savannah region of East Africa.  The terrain varied from open grassland to scrub and some forest.  We stayed in lodges or tent camps, and typically did two game drives a day - early morning and late afternoon - when the animals are more active and the light is better for photography.  The open countryside is ideal for observing and photographing wildlife.  We traveled in safari jeeps with open windows and pop up roofs which provided multiple options for photography.  

Our guides were local tribesmen from the areas we visited who were familiar with the back roads, the weather, and of course, the wildlife.  Their familiarity was important because we were the visitors in the animals’ native habitat and needed to know what to expect in terms of their behavior when they were around us.  The animals were clearly aware of our presence, but for the most part they chose to ignore us.  I learned that their behavior was different - less tolerant of people - outside the parks, where poaching is more prevalent.  Park rules prohibited us from driving closer than 100 feet to the animals. But they were free to come closer if they chose, which they often did, sometimes within even a few feet of our vehicles, which gave me the strange feeling of being on the “other side” of the enclosure at a zoo, where the animals have free roam and we were caged in our vehicles.  I have to say, it is discomforting to have a “free range” lion or elephant coming in your direction.  For our safety, we were not allowed to leave the jeeps when we were out on a drive.  But what a memorable experience!  Only possible in a few places around the world.

We observed all of the large animals that Africa is famous for - elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, cheetahs, wildebeest, antelope, warthogs, hippopotamus and more - except rhinos, most of which are critically endangered.  Some of the animal populations have declined dramatically over the past decades, but there are still enough to give you a good idea of what the African savannah must have been like in the past.

I took over 20,000 photos over the course of the two weeks - an average of 1,500 per day.  That’s a lot of shots.  Part of that was due to my getting familiar with a new, high speed / high res camera which I had purchased specifically for photographing wildlife, to supplement my trusty high res but slower camera which I’ve used for shooting landscapes for many years.  (The nice thing about landscape subjects is they don’t move, so camera speed is not essential!)  It took me several weeks after I returned home to go through all those photos to see what stood out.  And even more time to post-process those that stood out.  But I was simply awe struck by the quality of many of those shots.  In the end, I have a lot of really good shots which I am excited to share with you - along with the many stories behind those shots.

You can preview a selection of my Kenya photos on my website (stevetoll.zenfolio.com - Wildlife portfolio).  I hope you can make it to my show to see more in person, but if you can’t, I’ll be happy to arrange a remote show and tell.  My show is part of Silicon Valley Open Studios, which runs the first three weekends in May in the SF Peninsula / Silicon Valley area, with 300+ artists in 100+ locations. More information about this event is available on their website (svos.org).  My weekend is Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14 (11-5 both days).  Directions at: svos.org/artist/stephen-toll

I hope you’ll be able to join me to see and hear about it first hand.

Looking forward to seeing you!
 

 


Scotts Valley Festival 8/20-21

August 13, 2022  •  Leave a Comment

Lanterns at Enomoto ShrineLanterns at Enomoto ShrineNara, Japan The Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival is coming up August 20-21.  I will be exhibiting at Booth C26 on Sat. from 10-6 and Sun. 10-5.  More information at www.svartfestival.com.

Come enjoy an outing with art, music, and adult beverages in Scotts Valley's very pleasant summer weather.  Combine it with a hike in the redwoods or a stroll on the beach to round out your day!

The show will be held at Skypark at 361 Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley.  Hope to see you there!

I am available for a zoom call if you would like​ to chat about my artwork or get a personal “virtual” tour of what I've been exhibiting and doing recently.  


2022 Exhibits

June 22, 2022  •  Leave a Comment

Monarchs Warming on EucalyptusMonarchs Warming on EucalyptusMorro Bay, California

Monarch Butterflies rest in a eucalyptus grove in Morro Bay, one of the places where they overwinter along the California coast.
For those of you who were able to make it to my Open Studio show in May​ -- thank you! ​ We had a lot of visitors and enjoyed nice weather in the outdoor venue. ​ It was great to see so many of you after the last couple of years.  I enjoyed reconnecting.  I hope you had the opportunity to​ see my latest work and​ get any questions answered.​ ​ If not, please let me know​!

​If you missed it, ​you will have ​another chance in August​, when I plan to exhibit at the Scotts Valley Art and Wine Festival August 20-21.  More details to follow.  I’m also available for a zoom call if you would like​ to chat about my artwork or get a personal “virtual” tour of what I've been exhibiting.  Hope to see you soon!
 


My First – and Only – Exhibit of 2021!

September 12, 2021  •  Leave a Comment

Osaka Castle at DuskOsaka Castle at DuskOsaka, Japan This month I am having an in-person show, my first in over two years, just in time for the beginning of holiday shopping.  Hard to believe it's been so long – not something I would have thought possible.  I’ve missed chatting with art aficionados and sharing some of my passion for fine photography.

I will be exhibiting the weekend of September 18-19 (Saturday and Sunday, 11-5 both days) as part of Silicon Valley Open Studios, along with other artists.  Please come see us at Site 118 in Los Altos (directions below).  There will be many other artists also exhibiting (over 200) at other locations – visit svos.org for a complete listing.

The pandemic has thrown a monkey wrench in everyone’s lives for the past 2 years.  It certainly did for me, derailing my photography and show business.  I’ve been hunkered down in my burrow, and even after getting my shots earlier this year, I’ve been slow to get out of it.

Fires have also curtailed my normal expeditions in the Western U.S.  I've become more keenly appreciative of the power of nature to both soothe and stir us while cooped up waiting for the smoke to clear.  I find myself now wondering when I’ll ever get to go camping and exploring with my kids and grandkids, and how I’ll get to pass along my values and experiences in the natural world…

My “other” job as Executive Director of Silicon Valley Visual Arts, the presenter of Silicon Valley Open Studios, has been both rewarding and burdensome.  The pandemic has been a big challenge for arts organizations, but I’ve enjoyed helping ours move into the virtual world and adapt to our changing environment.  At the same time it’s given me little time for my own photography.

Come visit us next weekend!  It will be outside, but please bring a mask for everyone's safety.  Directions at: svos.org/artist/stephen-toll

If you can’t make it to the show, I am available to meet by phone or Zoom to give you a personal “virtual” tour.  Use Contact on the menu above to reach me.

Looking forward to seeing you!