Jay Coffelt, fine art photographer

"The Chrysler Building #1"

I get so excited.  Combine my love of photography along with my art plus a cool client (see my "The Manhattan Condominiums" post) then add New York City.  Next, wait for the first funked-up image to result from that combination.  BAM!  Well, the first image is here.  And I am so pleased and happy with the result that I may just stop here.  No more art.  Maybe no more NYC art.  Okay, okay, who am I kidding?  I'm not stopping...at least not yet.

"The Chrysler Building #1" is my first funked-up image from a 2006 assignment to "funk up" Manhattan.  And I love it!  You should see it blown up...both from a distance and up close.  By the way, that is what I want viewers to experience...my art from a distance and then right up next to it... with their nose almost touching it and their eyes exploring all of the colors and details.  Enjoy!

You can find this image on my website in the "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before it will be moved to its permanent home in my "Manhattan...The Big Apple" gallery.

Peace and Love,

Jay Coffelt
Fine Art Photographer
"To See.  To Wonder.  To Funk."
5047 Southridge St., Roeland Park, KS 66205-1325
Web Site:  http://www.jaycoffelt.com
Blog:  http://jaycoffelt.blogs.com/weblog
MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/jaycoffelt
E-Mail:  jaycoffelt@jaycoffelt.com
Phone: 913.558.3920; Fax: 815.550.2127

Using a self-discovered and self-taught process, I manually and laboriously alter the colors of my photos in order to make the real world appear somewhat unreal...or "funked up" as I say.

In addition to the work available in my portfolio, I also do commissioned work.  Using a photograph I take or one you have already taken, that work can include portraits of you, your family, pet, house, car, motorcycle, boat, plane, your business' building or whatever you want "funked up"!

The Manhattan Condominiums

The Manhattan Condominiums
http://www.themanhattankc.com
Grand Opening Gala:  October 28, 2006

I have been blessed with, among other things, some very cool clients.  This post is about one of them.

In March 2006, I was contacted by Bobbi Storm of the University Tower Apartments (UTA) about a project in the Kansas City area.  So we set up a meeting. 

When I arrive at the UTA, which is located in downtown Kansas City, I notice a sign by the door listing Bobbi as manager of the property and beneath her name is "Matthew Abbott."  I thought, "Oh.  He must be her assistant.  He was the guy who answered the phone the other day when I called and transferred me to Bobbi."  So I go in, and Matt -- a guy who looks like he is twenty something -- greets me.  He says Bobbi is not there, but he still wants to meet with me.  I thought, "Wait.  The decision maker is out, but the administrative assistant still wants to meet with me?  Hmm."  So while I wait for him to finish talking with someone else, I notice business cards on Bobbi's desk.  There are cards for her and cards for Matt.  I see that the cards have the company's name on them:  Abbott Properties.

Matt and I sit down together, and I quickly learn that he is President of Abbott Properties.  He explains that the project Bobbi had contacted me about is renovating and converting the UTA into condominiums.  (For those of you who may not be aware, the downtown Kansas City area is going through a major renovation.  Simply put:  it’s alive!  Or at least in the process of awakening and will be alive when all of the major projects are done.)

Matt says he is looking for a photographer, and I show him my portfolio.  He likes what he sees, and it doesn’t take him long to say, “I want to send you to Manhattan (in New York, not Kansas) and have you funk it up.”

Within a few days, Matt had purchased my airfare, reserved a hotel room in Manhattan, reserved a helicopter for some aerial shots and had even gotten me a ticket to a Broadway musical.  What a guy!  By the end of April, I was in Manhattan photographing away.

Although not “funked up” yet, some raw photographs can be seen on my web site in a gallery titled:  “Manhattan…The Big Apple.”

In addition to photographing the Burrough of Manhattan, Matt also commissioned me to photograph The Manhattan…the building.  Some of those “funked up” images are here in this post and will be on permanent display throughout the building.

It’s cool getting to work with cool people.

Peace and Love,

Jay

"'C'mon. Just one little peck?'"

Here is the latest nature image to which I referred in my last post.  This image -- again two mourning doves in a redbud tree -- is titled "'C'mon.  Just one little peck?'"

You can find this print on my website in the "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before it will be moved to its permanent home in my "Birds, Bugs and Butterflies" gallery.

Peace and Love,

Jay

"'As I was saying...'"

I'm back to nature for this image and probably another one in the next day or two.  This image of two mourning doves in a redbud tree is titled "'As I was saying...'"

You can find this print on my website in the "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before it will be moved to its permanent home in my "Birds, Bugs and Butterflies" gallery.

Peace and Love,

Jay

"Cliff Drive with Kansas City Skyline"

Continuing with Kansas City shots, here is another image from the historic Northeast Neighborhood area of Kansas City, Missouri.  The title of this work is "Cliff Drive with Kansas City Skyline."

Originals of this image can be purchased at www.jaycoffelt.com and this print specifically will be in my "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before being moved to my "Kansas City: My Hometown" gallery of my portfolio.

Peace and Love,

Jay

"Scarritt Point"

The quick break from Kansas City shots to nature is over (for a little while), and we're back to KC!  This work -- titled "Scarritt Point" -- is from the historic Northeast Neighborhood area of Kansas City, Missouri.  And if you look closely, you will see way off in the distance buildings from Kansas City's downtown skyline (see the orange buildings under a tree branch?).

Originals of this image can be purchased at www.jaycoffelt.com and this print specifically will be in my "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before being moved to my "Kansas City: My Hometown" gallery of my portfolio.

Peace and Love,

Jay

"What is going on up there?"

More nature!

You can find this print on my website in the "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before it will be moved to its permanent home in my "Birds, Bugs and Butterflies" gallery.

Peace and Love,

Jay

"Mourning Dove in a Redbud"

Back to nature!  At least for a moment.  After working on so many images of Kansas City for the past months, I thought I'd work on a photo to add to my "Birds, Bugs and Butterflies" gallery.  The title of this image is "Mourning Dove in a Redbud."

So, for now, you can find this print on my website in the "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before it will be moved to its permanent home in my "Birds, Bugs and Butterflies" gallery.

Peace and Love,

Jay

The Power & Light Building

I have had two Power & Light Building photographs in my portfolio for a few years, but I have been wanting to add more for awhile -- and I finally have!  The Power & Light Building is just such a great work of architecture...such a beautiful building.  The three new works include one with the Skystations atop Bartle Hall and two with the President Hotel.

Here are the first two Power & Light Building works I did:

And here are the latest three:

Originals of these images can be purchased at www.jaycoffelt.com and the new works will be in my "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before being moved to my "Kansas City: My Hometown" gallery of my portfolio.

Peace and Love,

Jay

"Union Station with the Kansas City Skyline"

This is one of those photos I was eager to work on and finish...and I am very pleased and excited with the way it turned out.  I love Union Station and the Kansas City Skyline, and this is a great view of it from the Liberty Memorial.  The skyline is "bookended" on the right by the Western Auto Building and on the left by the Skystations atop H. Roe Bartle Hall.

Originals of this image can be purchased at www.jaycoffelt.com and this print specifically will be in my "A Sampling of New Stuff" gallery before being moved to my "Kansas City: My Hometown" gallery of my portfolio.

Peace and Love,

Jay