Tam Ryan Photography

Monday, June 16, 2014

The Dawn of a New Age

Superstition Mountain Sunrise

Purchase prints HERE

"And even the sun

in dawn chorus sings,

a celestial melody to the earth

below."

- Tjaden

Sunday, June 15, 2014

My Journey as a Photographer

Great Egrets
Cover photo - Arizona Highways Magazine's Facebook Page
January 2014

This is a Father's Day tribute to both of my fathers (and my mother, of course) who have been very influential in helping me develop my interest in photography. It has been the passion of my life to learn and pursue the next image that inspires me.

Looking back at the way I became interested in photography has made me realize how lucky I have been to have had two father's who were influential in my upbringing. At age ten, I received my first point and shoot film camera in 1960 from my father, Dave Ryan. I took some pictures with it while visiting Rome, Italy for a 6 month stay with my step-father, John Huggler, a composer and jazz musician, who had received his first Guggenheim Grant. The next camera was another point and shoot until I graduated in 1968 from Lexington High School in Lexington, Massachusetts.

My father, Dave, was the first to recognize the value of photography, having taken darkroom instruction from the prominent photo-journalist of that time, W. Eugene Smith in New York City. After my father, Dave, moved to Japan, he sent me my first good 35 mm camera, the Asahi Pentax. It didn't have a light meter, so I purchased one and started on my journey by learning the basics of setting f. stops and shutter speed according to the light meter's recommendations. From those beginnings, I then had several cameras. I had a Chinon, a Canon A-1 and then the Nikon 8008s film cameras and a Bronica GS-1 medium format camera. In 2006, I got my first digital camera. Just last year, I traded John's old Nikon camera system for a Nikon D300.

My father, John, became interested in photography, as well. He had the opportunity to meet Ansel Adams during one of our summer vacations driving through California. My mother, Mardean and my father, John, were both very supportive of me pursuing photography.

When I moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1977, I became more involved with photography by contributing to the local newspaper and was published in local magazine publications. Then, I took a darkroom developing and printing class at the community college. The class led to a job working for the local newspaper.

In 1997, I moved to Mesa, Arizona where I have become very active with photography Meetup groups. I am out as often as possible taking pictures of the subjects that interest me most. I enjoy landscapes, desert flora, birds, abstracts in nature and abstracts in architecture. Please visit my website to see the variety of images that are for sale. The links are:

http://www.tamryan.artistwebsites.com

http://www.tamryan.com

Friday Fotos

An opportunity to participate in sharing my photos on the Facebook page for Arizona Highways Magazine's blog started when I submitted my first image on October 14, 2011. Since then, I have had over 60 images shared on their Word Press blog.

View the list and links to each image published in Friday Fotos on my Facebook page here:

Post by Tam Ryan.

Tam Ryan Photography website:
www.tam-ryan.artistwebsites.com
www.tamryan.com

Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/PhotographyByTamRyan

Photo Book:
Arizona Treasures

Cover Photo on Arizona Highways Magazine's Facebook Page

In January 2014, my image of Great Egrets was used as the Arizona Highways Magazine's Cover photo on their Facebook page for about two weeks. I was thrilled and honored to have had my photo chosen as a Cover photo along with so many other talented photographers who's work has graced their cover. As of today's date, June 14, 2014, there are 1327 Likes and 139 Shares of my Egrets photo.

Arizona Highways Magazine's Cover on Facebook

Post by Arizona Highways Magazine.

Purchase this image on my website at this link:

http://tam-ryan.artistwebsites.com/featured/on-golden-pond-tam-ryan.html

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Arizona Treasures - Photography Book Published

I have just published my Arizona Treasures photography book. It is ready for viewing!

Be sure to click on the 'Full Screen' icon located at the bottom of the video.

Arizona Treasures by Photography by Tam Ryan | Make Your Own Book

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Waiting For The Light


Superstition Mountains - Apache Junction, Arizona

It had rained most of the day on Saturday, April 9. By 4 p.m. there were some bits of blue sky popping around the storm clouds. I was at the movies with my neighbor at 2:45 p.m. and when we left there an hour later, it looked like the sun might come out enough to get a good shot of Superstition Mountain. I was pleasantly surprised when I got to this particular spot to see the sun come out and light up The Superstition Mountains!

From this point, we continued down the road so that I could get another view of the Superstition Mountains with The Elvis Memorial Chapel located at the Superstition Mountain Museum.


Elvis Memorial Chapel at Superstition Mountain Museum

Since there was just about an hour left of light before sunset, we drove to Goldfield Ghost Town. There are a multitude of interesting photo ops at this old western town and mine camp. Just after I parked the car, I saw a cowboy standing outside at the back of The Mammoth Saloon smoking a cigarette. Just below where he was, a horse was tied up to a wooden railing. Right out of the Old West, except for the car in the background and the telescope to the right of the cowboy!


Cowboy and Hitched Horse

While the cowboy was looking away, I moved a bit closer and took this close-up picture of him to capture his solitary mood.


In Deep Thought

It turned out to be an adventurous day after not know whether or not the rain would stop. The temperatures were very cool for this time of year, though my neighbor and I enjoyed it even more after realizing that within a week or two that we would be experiencing upper 80's to over 100 degree temperatures.

All words and images strictly (C) Tam Ryan 2011

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/PhotographyByTamRyan

Photography sales website: www.tam-ryan.artistwebsites.com
www.tamryan.com

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Photography Group Meet-Ups 2010

Dale Chahuli Glass - Desert Botanical Gardens - Phoenix, Arizona

Last year went by so quickly. Why is it that the days crawl like a snail and the year whizzes by like a comet? I guess we all get so wrapped up in our daily lives with work, running errands, meeting up with friends and in my case all of the above including doing photography in my spare time. If it were not for those days off to enjoy photography, it would not be an interesting, productive or creative life.

During the month of April 2010, I joined two photography meet-up groups, AZ Photographers Group and AZ Shutterbugs. It was a pleasure meeting up with this group to get out and take pictures, as well as, learn about new software and other photographic techniques. Both groups occasionally schedule meet-ups for the same events or photo shoots. I have learned a lot already from each and every member that I have met. They are all very passionate about photography in the many varied types of images that they pursue, whether it be events, weddings, portraiture or landscapes. Once a month, we get together for a dinner/seminar that is related to learning new software or other photographic techniques.


Dale Chahuli Glass Exhibition - Desert Botanical Gardens - Phoenix, AZ

This is the first blog in a series about the events and places that I visited in 2010 with some of the members of AZ Photographers Group and The AZ Shutterbugs including one other meet-up group which started my interest in Meet-up.com to find the groups that I am presently involved with.


Dale Chahili Glass Exhibition - Desert Botanical Gardens - Phoenix, AZ

There are many varieties of butterflies inside the Butterfly Pavilion and a during the hot summer months there is a cooling mist that permeates the air.


Butterfly Pavilion - Desert Botanical Gardens - Phoenix, AZ


A delicate flower in the midst of the Butterfly Pavilion

There are paved paths throughout the Desert Botanical Gardens that lead to hundreds of varieties of flowers, desert cactus, as well as, statues scattered throughout the property. Tours of the gardens are ongoing and there are a couple of snack bars where you can enjoy lunch on the beautiful grounds of this popular attraction.