Sending you warmest wishes and joy this Thanksgiving from Steve and Stephanie at Latitudes Fine Art Galleries in Ventura and Kauai!!
Happy Thanksgiving !!!
Tag Archives: Channel Islands National Park
Anniversaries and Adventures Celebration!
Join us in celebrating two wonderful years on Main Street in Downtown Ventura, and also the Grand Opening of Latitudes- Kauai!! Steve Munch is flying in from the islands to spend the week at the gallery and celebrate with us. We will have light refreshments and a champagne toast along with a fun sneak peek at many of the new images coming in for the holidays, recently created by Steve and Stephanie.
6pm-8:30pm
Light Refreshments
Latitudes Fine Art Gallery
401 E. Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
805-642-5257
Newborn Baby Gray Whale Near Anacapa Island
A rare encounter with a newborn baby gray whale this past week left us in awe as we watched it learn to swim and frolic in the water with its mother. Judging from its size and swimming ability, we figure it was only hours old…days at most.
As wildlife and nature photographers, we spend many hours searching, observing and waiting for the right moment, lighting, composition, etc. This was a day when all the stars aligned and we were there, ready to capture it. The only thing to overcome at that point is the excitement and adrenaline knowing that we have something very special happening in front of us. That is when we are grateful for all the preparations we have made to be ready for the moment. It is fun for us to share the beauty we see that many cannot ever see first hand.
One Year Anniversary Celebration! October 18th
Join us in celebrating our one year anniversary at our beautiful gallery in downtown Ventura. The year has flown by and we are having so much fun displaying our work on the beautiful brick walls of our 100 year old building at the corner of Oak and Main Streets. Join us the weekend of October 18th for lots of fun activities!
Saturday, October 18th
Noon- 9pm Open House
5:30pm-8:30pm Champagne Reception
Latitudes Fine Art Gallery
401 E. Main St.
Ventura, CA 93001
805-279-1221
www.LatitudesFineArt.com
Photographic Magic: Images of Ventura County’s Coast Trigger Something Deeper | West Is Eden | SoCal Focus | KCET
Book Release!!
Stephanie Hogue and Steve Munch have published their first coffee table book: “Latitudes…Coastal Photo Explorations”
“Latitudes…Coastal Photo Explorations” by Steve Munch and Stephanie Hogue
This beautiful full color 13×11 hard bound book contains over 100 gorgeous photos with many two page spreads. Each turn of the page takes you through awe inspiring beauty from dolphins, whales, seabirds, to piers and classic California scenics. A handful of images come with exciting stories and thoughtful insights.
Books are available at the gallery and also online.
To order online, click here
Latitudes Gallery Promo Video
This new video gives you a peek at Latitudes Gallery in Ventura, California. Quick interviews of Stephanie Hogue and Steve Munch are blended with stills and video footage that they have created on the ocean and on land. Their work is permanently on display and for sale at their downtown Ventura location.
Photographs of Humpback Whales at Santa Cruz Island
Got to spend the day at Santa Cruz Island with my older brother Mike, I had asked him to put his wood carving talents to work and to carve a series of Humpback Whale pieces to display at upcoming shows we are participating in and what better way to gain perspective of your subject than quietly observing these giants at times just a few feet away.
The display included fin slapping, tail slapping, surface lunge feeding and an interesting obsession with floating kelp paddies. It was quite an experience and education in Humpback behavior. Looking forward to seeing what he can come up with.
Humback whale fin near the coast of Santa Cruz Island.
Humback whale fin slapping
Photography Shooting Tips:
The day was overcast with not much contrast. The whale would appear for only seconds and then be gone.
- #1 I set my ISO to 800
- #2 I set my shutter speed to 1/1000 on TV mode (shutter priority)
- #3 I set my exposure compensation to + 1
The ISO is high to ensure that I can use a fast shutter speed to allow for the quick change of direction the camera and lens have to make to follow the action, it also with give a more useful aperture f/8-f/11.
The +1 compensation will help with the expected flat dull light.
Shutter priority (TV MODE) are a must in this situation where the camera in constantly on the move, it also gives great sharpness to the drops of water on the tail and fins.
-Steve Munch
Hampback Whale
Sea Lion Pup Rescue Ventura Harbor Village
A stranded and emaciated California Sea Lion Pup was found outside our gallery on the rocks in the Ventura Marina. We called the local mammal rescue hotline, and learned of CIMWI- The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute. They do an incredible job of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing wildlife in need of help: http://www.cimwi.org
Sea Lion Pup #13
New Year- New Images!
It’s so fun to start fresh with a new year and renewed commitment and enthusiasm for all the things we love. Getting out and shooting more is always a top priority! Steve recently was out photographing and came across one of our favorites- the California Brown Pelican- they never fail to entertain and surprise us.