Freak Alley. What might seem like graffiti at first glance is in reality a curated gallery in the middle of downtown Boise, Idaho. A never-ending visual explosion of creativity and color! This is the setting I chose to share my thoughts on the Nikon D850 after a year of playing and learning about all this guy can do. I love to experiment with street photography now and then, finding interesting light in alone and out-of-the-way scenes. I hope you enjoying coming along with me on this photo walk in the street gallery that is Freak Alley.

Featured Photos:

The warm glow of this kitchen caught my eye against the smokey darkness of the brick wall. To my delight, I realized a pizza oven was visible through the glass door. The blaze of the embers that must be inside the black mouth of that oven is artfully repeated by the light spilling into the shadowy alleyway, and again by the vibrant reds and yellows of the mural against its cinder-like background.

The following photos feature Photo Veils from the Botanical and Illumination Collections. Check out the before and after photos below (before photos include foundation edits, after photos show the addition of Photo Veils).

Fine Art Prints Available | Nikon D850 | 24-70mm lens at 24mm | f/2.8 | 1/320 sec | ISO 800

Something about this scene begged for further examination through my lens. As I framed it up, I realized there was level upon level of incongruity. The obvious is the artistic expressions in the murals versus the unpainted and unthinking brick, but it goes further. Vibrant versus dull, light versus shadow, modern versus historic—even the round window versus the rectangular structures surrounding it. This is a place where opposites truly converge.

Fine Art Prints Available | Nikon D850 | 24-70mm lens at 40mm | f/8 | 1/320 sec | ISO 800

When I saw this sign painted on the side of a radio repair shop, I just knew I needed to find a composition. The metal piping attached over and around it gives the sign such a distinctive vibe. It brings to mind the circuitry of the radios the owner must spend his days repairing, made large.

Fine Art Prints Available | Nikon D850 | 24-70mm lens at 70mm | f/3.2 | 1/320 sec | ISO 400

As evening set in, the street lights performing their high-wire act came on. Having admired them when I scouted the alley, I knew it was the perfect time to capture their charm. I love the way these three lights are silhouetted down the center of this frame. When considering this composition on my computer, the theme of “three” brought to mind the mathematical term “cubed,” which led my thoughts to the painting genre so beloved by Picasso: cubism. It was then that I realized cubes and cubism are prevalent in Freak Alley, from the shapes of the buildings and windows, to the styles used by the artists.

Fine Art Prints Available | Nikon D850 | 24-70mm lens at 46mm | f/8 | 1/200 sec | ISO 1250

What’s Up Next?

We’re going to be playing with a fun new lens I recently purchased for flower photography. Although, it’s still winter and we don’t quite have flowers in Idaho yet, so we’ll have to get a little inventive. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, make sure you head on over to Youtube and subscribe so you don’t miss any of the fun! You can also sign up for our newsletter, where you’ll be the first to know when we drop a new episode. Until next time, get out there, get clickin’, adventure awaits!

You’ll find all of these photos in my Fine Art Print Shop, featuring giclée prints on Hahnemühle Photo Rag®, the industry’s highest standards in printing and art paper. This combination gives my prints the special touch and feel of genuine art.