Category Archives: New Images

“Horses of the Camargue” – Arts & Eats Downtown Ventura- Art Reception

For July’s Arts & Eats reception, photographer, Stephanie Hogue will be here to share images from her latest project, “The Horses of the Camargue”. The marshlands of the Camargue in southern France, provide an exquisite backdrop for this ancient breed of horses. Experience this world through her eyes and discover their majestic and ethereal beauty.

Saturday, July 21, 2018
6pm-8pm
Latitudes Fine Art Gallery
401 E. Ventura, CA 93001
805-642-5257

Click here for Facebook event page

Arts & Eats is a free bi-monthly event in Downtown Ventura where participating galleries, restaurants and shops provide a special event for the evening including art and small tasty bites for guests to enjoy and stroll from stop to stop.

Click here for the Arts& Eats Ventura facebook page with other participating venue information.

Kauai Corner Celebration with Steve & Stephanie!

Aloha! We are excited to announce the newest addition to our gallery;

The Kauai Corner

A Latitudes party would not be complete without Steve Munch and as a special treat he’s flying in from Kauai!

Join us for light refreshments and snacks

Saturday, December 10th from 6-9pm

Looking forward to seeing our Latitudes family,

Mahalo

Artistic Adventures – Hawaii Volcano

Your inside scoop on the stories behind the images. Tag along with Stephanie Hogue and Steve Munch as they capture the moments that take our breath away.

As I was flying into The Kona, my excitement grew at the chance to see flowing lava from the Kilauea Volcano. It didn’t take long until I was on the foot trail to the point of entry, where the lava was rumored to be flowing heavy.

As I passed visitors making their way back up the trail, I could gather by their body language that I was about to see something very special. After rounding the final corner of a long 2 mile hike, I could see the steam plumes rising high into the blue Hawaiian sky. Walking through the lava field the heat is the first thing I encountered.

Within minutes I was in the presence of actively flowing lava and standing on the edge marveling at the power and beauty of what is the ongoing creation of an Island. I spent the next few hours observing, enjoying, and appreciating the opportunity to be this close to nature’s most powerful force.

~ Steve Munch 2016

Desert Beauty

This winter I made a couple of trips out to the desert. As a photographer, it is always so inspiring to change your scenery now and then for a boost of inspiration. The desert definitely delivered!! I love the otherworldly landscapes, shapes, textured and color palettes. Joshua Tree was the first stop which was expansive and amazing. I enjoyed the cholla cactus garden and winding roads through the variety of landscapes. It was a quick trip but it motivated me to plan to come again and explore more in depth with some hiking and camping next time.

A Photo Trek to Slot Canyon

As a photographer, there are so many places I have always wanted to visit and photograph. This year I have created a “bucket list” of places I would like to go and Slot Canyon was one of them. It is near Page, AZ on the Navajo reservation and is within driving distance from my house so it came in high on my list. The desert southwest has a beauty all its own, unique from any other place. It has become super popular so it was crowded and tricky to get shots in this canyon without any other people but worth the effort. The lighting and shapes and color were awe inspiring. The best part of the trip was the night tour we took in the canyon led by a great Navajo guide.

First Friday Exhibit Opening- “Bloom”

Every year when the winter rains come I get excited about spring. It is my favorite time of year when the hillsides turn green and then burst with color. Mostly I notice the bright colored mustard flowers that brighten up my drive along the 101 freeway. This year they were especially abundant where there had been a fire in December. Such a bright reminder of the renewal that comes in spring. The hill had been charred to black and now was something of exquisite beauty.
I also love to spend many days in search of other wildflowers like poppies and lupines. It is a beautiful time of year!! Come by the gallery this month to see images from our new collection-“Bloom” Friday, May 6th is First Friday in Downtown Ventura, which means there will be lots of new exhibits at all the galleries and everyone will be staying open a little later and enjoying the festivities- be sure to get a map and check everything out:
http://firstfridaysventura.com/

Latitudes Fine Art Gallery
401 E. Main ST
Ventura, CA 93001
805-642-5257
“Bloom” Opening Reception
6pm-9pm May 6, 2016

Super Bloom in Death Valley

I have lived in California for almost 30 years and somehow never made my way out to Death Valley. So this year, with all the buzz about the Super Bloom and the Centennial Celebration for our beloved National Parks, I thought it was the perfect time to go. I only had one day which was definitely not enough…it is a very very big place! Being early March, the temperature was manageable but got a little toasty by mid day. We brought our golden doodle, Cali, but if I were to go back I would have to leave her at home, the trails and hikes are definitely not dog friendly. We saw quite a bit of the main sights, though I would love to come back and spend a few sunrises and sunsets…and the stars at night have got to be insane! We checked out Mesquite Dunes, Zabriske Point, Artists Drive, Badwater Basin, Devil’s Cornfield and lots more along the drive. It was beautiful to see the fields of golden flowers among all rugged terrain. We were in awe of all its majesty and beauty. We will definitely be back.

Big Waves at Ventura Pier…El Nino’s Arrival

In one of the biggest El Ninos the California coast has seen in years, large waves have done severe damage to the Ventura Pier. With an early start on Friday, December 11, 2015 the waves started pounding and continued all day. Many pilings were torn off and washed up down the beach in the Pierpont area. We will have to wait and see how long it takes to get it repaired so we can all enjoy strolling on it again.

Ventura Pier Gets Pounded by Heavy Surf

Big waves in Ventura, CA on Friday, Jan. 24th. Seems that about once or twice each winter, the waves get big and put on a show. Today the conditions were right for making a beautiful sight at “C” Street in Ventura.

Ventura Pier Monster Wave

Wave Photography

After receiving a new water housing from Sean at SPL Water Housings last month a whole new world has opened up, shooting wave photography is beyond challenging 🙂 Photographing anything at a Gallery quality level is extremely difficult, having that composition disappear in the blink of an eye is mind boggling :0 I am learning to see and react to scenes that have not yet materialized and maybe never will 🙁
But when they do it’s a thing of magic. Here are a few Images from my attempts at understanding this difficult but extremely rewarding new path!

Enjoy!!

Latitudes Galleries- California & Kauai

Art Galleries in Ventura, California & Poipu, Kauai, featuring the collections of Steve Munch and Stephanie Hogue.