Construction Photography: Tear Down the Wall
October 30th, 2009My front yard was graced (if you want to call it that) by a crumbling brick retaining wall. The wall had no seep holes, which meant that it was gradually being weakened by moisture.
Time to tear down the wall.
I wanted replace the old wall with something more attractive. Since I'm a member of the Watershed Management Group's Water Harvesting Co-op, I had a great opportunity to enlist others in working and learning project.
WMG's Matthew Bertrand and I formulated a plan: We'd replace the wall with a rock garden full of low water use plants. (The new plants would fill in the outermost zone of my xeriscape, which is the arid zone. The other two zones are oais, which is closest to the house, and transitional, between the oasis and the arid zone.)
Here's Matthew, hard at work during our pre-workshop meeting. He's removing one of three barrel cactii that will be re-planted in the rock garden...
Then it was wall demolition time. Here's Li'l John Excavating on the job. And let me tell you, the demolition was so well done that it was like watching a ballet dance with a backhoe...
Workshop day, Sunday, October 25, dawned bright and sunny. Soon, my front yard was filled with eager WMG Co-op members.
The first order of business was moving rocks and rubble out of the way so that the crew could get to work. Then they set about removing the few bricks that the backhoe couldn't get at...
On the other side of the yard, Judy cuts down a mesquite tree that's never done very well. The tree has since been reused as mulch and firewood...
Time to start building the rock terrace for the garden. WMG's workshop leader, Matthew Bertrand (kneeling, left), provides some instruction...
Having been properly instructed, the WMG Co-opers set rocks into place and begin the planting...
All done! Time for a victory photo...
Tip: You can view more construction photography in my portfolio. I am also available for construction photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Graphic Design: No Desk Potatoes Logo
October 23rd, 2009On this project, I worked with University of Arizona researcher Donna M. Wolk, Ph.D., D(ABMM). This logo will be used on a wide variety of items and will be combined with various taglines.
No Desk Potatoes will be geared toward scientists and corporate types. The idea will be to not bury your mind in what comes naturally, but to challenge yourself outside your norm.
Tip: You can view more graphic design projects in my portfolio.
Graphic Design: GermCats Logo
October 23rd, 2009On this project, I worked with University of Arizona faculty member Donna M. Wolk, Ph.D., D(ABMM). This logo is for a UA microbiology educational outreach program. The program's name is a play on the name of the UA school mascot, the Wildcat...
Tip: You can view more graphic design projects in my portfolio.
Nature Photography: Ripening Persimmon
October 23rd, 2009This one's from a late July 2008 visit to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Great time to be there and see the persimmons ripening...
Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.
Nature Photography: Big Sur Stream
October 23rd, 2009This photo's a true blast from the past. I took it back in 1981, while I was bicycling around the United States.
While heading down the California coast, I stopped for an overnight in a state park south of Big Sur. The park offered many things to explore, including giant redwoods that I couldn't begin to stretch my arms around. Then there was this icy cold stream...
Tip: You can view more nature photography in my portfolio.
Event Photography: Tucson Meet Yourself
October 12th, 2009Tucson Meet Yourself marked its 36th anniversary this past weekend. This annual festival bills itself as "a celebration of authentic cultural foods and the living traditional arts of Southern Arizona's folk and ethnic communities."
Because of the emphasis on food, the festival has also earned the moniker "Tucson Eat Yourself."
Since my digestive system was still dealing with the aftermath of Saturday's lunch at a local restaurant that I won't mention here, I skipped the eating part and focused on the music.
Since it was Sunday, what could be better than gospel music? Here are the Brothers for Christ...
Tip: You can view more event photography in my portfolio. I am also available for event photography assignments in Tucson, Arizona, and elsewhere. To check availability and to request a proposal, please contact me.
Tucson photographer launches stock photo site
October 7th, 2009Tucson, AZ – Martha Retallick, local photographer, web designer, community activist, and volunteer, just launched a stock photo website for ad agencies, photo editors, businesses, and organizations.
BicycleStockImages.com features photos of the bike culture, including bicycle racing, bicycle touring, utilitarian cycling, and artistic close-ups of bicycles, bike tools, and bike parts. The site also offers photos related to construction, civic pride, and the environment. A practitioner of “bike-tography,” Retallick, who doesn’t own a car, travels to Tucson-area photo shoots on her bicycle.
The site includes shots from the semi-annual Bicycle Swap Meet on 4th Avenue, a criterium race around the UA campus, and the free valet bicycle parking that the city’s Department of Transportation provides at major events.
An avid cyclist for 30 years, Retallick pedaled through all of the United States between 1980 and 1992 with her trusty Nikon. Her travels provided a first-hand look at the diversity of the American landscape and its people. In addition to nature and travel photo galleries, BicycleStockImages.com also includes abstract photography, a weekly, noncompetitive run/walk through downtown Tucson: Meet Me at Maynards, and construction photography.
Over three years, Retallick helped build a 36-house Habitat for Humanity community in central Tucson, and also worked on International Relief Team’s post-Katrina reconstruction teams during 2006-08. She enjoys finding the graphic mix between the raw physical labor and the artistry of humans and machines in motion.
Who will use Retallick’s stock photography? Ad agencies who might want images to go with a client’s campaign. Photo editors who might want event photos for a feature on Things to Do in Tucson, Arizona. Companies and organizations, such as those in the bicycle or construction industry. Or Tucson organizations looking for someone to cover upcoming special events. Or consumers.
Visitors to BicycleStockImages.com can search its online database of photos, and purchase photographic prints, royalty-free images, and personal use downloads.
Bicycle Stock Images, a project of Western Sky Communications, is an Arizona-based business owned and operated by Martha Retallick.
Retallick is affiliated with the following Tucson organizations:
- El Cortez Heights Neighborhood Association
- Eller College Associates, Eller College of Management at The University of Arizona
- International Friends, Inc.
- KXCI 91.3 FM Community Radio Development Committee
- Mansfield Park Neighbors Coalition
- Teaching and Helping Project
- Tucson City Council Ward 3 Neighbors Alliance
- U.S. Green Building Council Arizona Chapter
- Watershed Management Group Water Harvesting Co-op
Contact Information:
Western Sky Communications
Post Office Box 43161
Tucson, Arizona 85733
Phone: (520) 690-1888
