Organic Light Pan

It has been a very busy time the last few weeks here. Much teaching and work revolving around the start of Ramadan this year.

But I am both happy and sad to announce that Ramadan of the Islamic year 1431, will commence on the evening of Wednesday August 11th after sunset and the first day of fasting on Thursday August 12 according to the tradition of sighting the new crescent moon.  A valiant effort was made by several people in gathering reports from all over the globe, and in particular in South America where seeing the new crescent had the highest probability.  The was not seen anywhere in the world on this evening, even by yours truly.

So why am I happy, well that we now have Ramadan in our presence and we can begin again , God Willing, our fast in devotion of our Merciful Creator in a couple of days with clear certainty of its start.  And why sad?  Sad that we did not have the great fortune of seeing that amazing crescent moon this evening.  Tomorrow the moon will be much larger and higher in the sky and easy for almost anyone world wide to see it.  I encourage all of you to go out and look at this phenomenal sight, Muslim or otherwise.

The evening was special as it always is, with over 50 adults and probably an equal number of children as well came out this month to look for the crescent with me and many other sighting parties occurred with equal numbers.  Nonetheless the view was captivating and the learning of how to sight the moon was the best I had ever seen.

It is wonderful to see so many people interested in reviving this wonderful tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing of God be upon him.

So to all my Muslim friends and readers and to everyone else as well ~

Ramadan Mubarak!

Above The Fog

Every month for the last 20 years I have gone out to look for the new crescent moon.  Sometimes I see it and other times I don’t for one reason or another.  It has become a family tradition and my kids love to go out to look for the moon as much as I do.  Hopefully they will continue on with this monthly tradition after I am long gone and that they will will pass it down to their kids.

This evening we went out to sight the new moon for the Islamic month of Sha’baan. It is the 8th month in the Islamic year and it is a crucial moon to see as it helps mark the beginning of Ramadan, the 9th month and the month of fasting. I saw it first among my family this evening as the kids were playing around. When I called out ‘There it is!’ of course they all ran to me and started probing me so they could see it. One after another, like dominoes, the lovely sound of “Ahhh, I see it I see it!” All but one. My youngest daughter, only 4 years old, and so determined to see the moon cries out – “I can’t See it!” “Where is it?!” After about 2o minutes of pointing to it, and helping her find landmarks where she could cast off into the sky to see it, we still were no better off.

I told her to relax, it will get brighter and you will see it. As we sat there, she suddenly asked, “what’s that black thing up there?” She had noticed a jet liner coming into the Bay Area to probably land at the San Francisco International airport. It was flying directly at the moon. I told her to, “keep watching the plane, and it will fly right next to the moon and when I tell you, look real hard.” Suddenly I say – “Now!” “I see it, I see it!” she yells out in glee.

It is the strangest thing, seeing the new moon. It brings great joy to my heart, and to everyone who has ever come out with me and saw it. One moment you are looking at blank sky and then the next, there it is, as plain as day itself. Its as if it suddenly comes into existence from nowhere, its born into the world – somehow almost miraculously.

Next month, for the month of Ramadan, we are expecting the moon to be seen on the evening of August 11th. Go out an experience a miracle. Your heart will thank you for it.

Peace.

From July 3rd to July 5th, you can now receive a 25% discount in honor of the 4th of July. I am offering this substantial discount this year as I am still down for the count with my cough and will be unable to exhibit in the lovely town of Corte Madera at the annual 4th of July Parade and Festival.  So to all my Marin friends and patrons who were hoping to see me this year, please check out the new works online and consider making the purchase you would have made in person – you would not have seen such a discount had I been there

Peace

Choices

The photograph, Choices, which was the subject of the last journal entry, The Decisions We Make, was selected as Editor’s Choice this week at the Nature Photographers.net website in the Earth, Sea and Sky category.  You can visit Nature Photographers.Net to see it there and to also view some of the best nature photography found anywhere in the world.

This year at the 2010 Silicon Valley Open Studio (SVOS) exhibit I held a FREE Photo Giveaway promotion.  It was announced on the April 30th, 2010 post on Organic Light Pan and was open to all visitors of the exhibit or the website or blog, and any patron who made a purchase at the exhibit.  The winner of the drawing will receive a FREE Matted Studio Series sized photograph of their choice.

The drawing was determined by random.org, using their thrid party random draw service.

The drawing was completed and the winner of this year’s drawing goes to Gina Nelson of Campbell Ca!

The drawing was amongst 29 entrants and the results can be viewed on the random.org website at THIS LINK.  It will be a permanent record at random.org and every entrant can verify that they were in the drawing by entering their first and last name in the entrant box in the following format (e.g. Youssef Ismail).

I want to thank everyone who participated in the promotion and supported Organic Light Photography with a purchase at the SVOS exhibit.  I truly appreciate your support.

Once again, Congratulations to Gina Nelson!

See you all again next year if not sooner.  Peace.

Well another Open Studio show comes to a close.  This was the first year that I exhibited all three weekends with the Silicon Valley Open Studios.  It was a lot of work, but in the end very much worth it.  I met many new people and some became patrons, thank you – you know who you are.

I also initiated a FREE Photo Giveaway this year during these past three weeks.  Any SVOS visitor, patron or even website visitor who sent in an email entry was entered in a drawing for a FREE matted Studio sized photograph of their choice.  I am still accepting entries until midnight tonight, May 16, 2010.  Once the entry period closes, I will be entering all the participants in at random.org and will announce the winner here on the blog Wednesday May 19th, 2010.  Good Luck to all who entered.

Finally the once-a-year SVOS discount comes to a close at midnight as well, so if you have not put in an order, do it now.  In the past I have used a mystery coupon with a unique code asinged to each and every SVOS promotion card that I either mailed or passed out.  Visitors presenting the card would then find out how much the card was worth towards a purchase of a photograph.  This year, I guess I was just lazy and offered a 15% discount across the board.  Thanks to all of you who made use of this discount.  Your purchase was geratly appreciated.

So stay tuned for the FREE Photo winner announcement in a few days.  Now, its time for a shower, dinner and bed.

Peace.

The 2010 Open Studio Exhibition starts tomorrow May 1.  For the first three weekends this May, May 1-2, May 8-9 and May 15-16 from 11 am to 5 pm, I will be pulling out all the photos in the my studio and will have them on display.  Classic Organic Light favorites, early works, and New never before seen NEW Releases will be on display and for sale as well.

This year, the sale will go on for the entire three weeks, from May 1st to May 16th, whether the purchase is made in person or online, there is a 15% discount on all photographs, custom posters and note cards.

In addition, anyone who makes a purchase in person or online, or visits the Open Studio Exhibit, or even just visits the website and sends in a name, email and mailing address, will be entered into this year’s FREE Photo Giveaway.  The lucky winner will be drawn randomly using random.org and will receive one Matted Studio Series photograph of their choice!

So to enter, visit the Exhibit in the next three weeks or go online and send in an entry from the Contact Page.  I will enter your name in the drawing.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday May 19th here on the Organic Light Pan web journal.  Good Luck to all who enter!

For more information on the exhibit and where the Organic Light Photography Studio is located, visit the Exhibits Page on the web site.

See you all soon.

UPDATE:  I was asked if I would consider residents outside of the USA for the FREE photo giveaway.  I considered it all day, and have come to the conclusion that I will honor all visitors, worldwide.  Shipping will be interesting as I cannot gauge the final cost, but I will open this contest for all – worldwide.  So send in your entries and good luck!

Death's Hand in Black & White

Death’s Hand which was originally released as a color photo, was entered as a Black & White photograph in this year’s Prestigious Black & White Spider Awards.  The Spider Awards have just notified the winners of this year’s competition, and ‘Death’s Hand in Black & White’ won 2nd place in the Nature Category among Professional photographers!  You can view the winners in the Nature Gallery and see the nominees that Death’s Hand was competing against at THIS LINK.

I will be issuing a set of 25 Black & White Limited Edition Prints of ‘Death’s Hand in Black & White’, 10 at the size of  8×10, 10 at the size of 12×15 and 5 at the size of 16×20.  They will be numbered consecutively as they are printed as orders come in.  The photos will printed on Ilford Gold Fiber Silk on the Epson 7880 using UltraChrome K3 inks and mounted and double matted using white archival museum rag board.  Framing is avaiable as well. You can place your order below.   Shpping and handling will be added at the time of payment depending on destination.  Worldwide shipping is available.

Death’s Hand in Black & White

8×10 matted to 14×18 $95.00 8×10 framed to 14×18 $175.00 12×15 matted to 19×22 $250.00 12×15 framed to 19×22 $370.00 16×20 matted to 23×27 $450.00 16×20 framed to 23×27 $650.00

 

Death’s Hand is a popular photograph and I anticipate this Limited Edition will sell out quickly.  Order yours today before they are all gone!

In a few days we will begin a new decade.  It is amazing how fast time passes when we are not aware, while we are busy with life, while we were preoccupied with meaningless things.  For me it has been a busy year but albeit not one that has been very fruitful. It was a year that tested our resolve to its fullest, and hopefully we have made it through in decent shape.

It has been a slow year for me in terms of bringing out new work.  I now have released 16 new photographs that can be viewed at the Organic Light Photography website.  They span the work from spring, summer, autumn and the early winter of this year.

In these last few days of 2009, I hope you will get a chance to have glimpse of this new work and hopefully decide to acquire one for your own.  I have truly appreciated all your support over the years and it is always my joy to bring some of our world’s beauty to share with all of you.

Please have safe new years and may 2010 bring all of prosperity and good fortune.

Peace.

New Crescent - Muharram 1431

This evening, in silence, the new Islamic year – 1431 began.  Now I don’t live in the Muslim world so I have never experienced what takes place upon seeing the new moon that ushers in the new Islamic year, but here in the United States, it goes pretty much un-noticed.   In fact if it is not the moon for the start of Ramadan or the moon that ends Ramadan, most Muslims never look into the sky or even bother to notice what the Islamic date is.  For me the new moon is an awaited monthly friend that I have been faithfully visiting for the last twenty years.  For me it is always a joyous event.  And although the moon never seems to be any different, every time it comes around it comes with a different sky as its backdrop.  And so it is always something new to look at.

Muharram Crescent and Clouds

So on this eve of the New Year, I wish all the Muslims a Blessed Muharram, and may the year 1431 be a safe, prosperous, and beneficial year.

Peace to you all.