Watson Art Studio

Name: Watson Art Studio
Address: 816 Wilkinson Pkwy, Park Ridge, IL, 60068, US
Telephone: +18472691965

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Watson Art Studio

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02/19/2026

It weighs heavy
This little tree looks like how I feel as of late. All of the ugliness that is going on in the world weighs heavy on one's shoulders. The people in power steal the light from the average person, leaving us small and bent. Someday however, the powerful ones will fall, one by one, letting the light through to the smaller, bent ones and we will thrive once again.
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder on Ilford FP4 film.

02/07/2026

Stopping by again.
My wife and I have visited this little cemetery a few times. The most interesting part to me has always been this little tomb type structure and the questions it brings. Why is it there? Why is it empty? Why does it have windows? Answers to these questions will probably never come but the weather stained structure has always had a visual appeal to me. I have tried to photograph it many times with limited success. Today, I was fully armed with my smallest camera and I finally pulled it off. While I was taking the first photo, my wife called to me and said "you should see it from this angle with the way the light is hitting it." She wasn't wrong, hence the second photograph.
I am very happy with these shots. The change of gear which allowed me to see things differently and the winter light made for the perfect combo. Sometimes it pays to stop by again.
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder on Ilford FP4 film.

02/06/2026

Forever Waiting
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder with Ilford FP4 film.

02/02/2026

The Flotilla
Photographed on my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder with Ilford FP4 film.

02/01/2026

The Loner
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder on Ilford FP4 film.

01/27/2026

Winter Light at the Park
The winter light down here is different than up north. It has a different glow and diffusion to it that is quite wonderful. Even during the middle of the day, which is normally photographic taboo, the light can give you a gift. On this day the light was giving gifts a plenty with the shadows that it was making to the sparkles gleaming off of the water. Visual magic.
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder camera with Ilford FP4 film.

01/25/2026

Rooted
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder with Ilford FP4 film.

01/24/2026

Pillars in the fog
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder on Ilford FP4 film.

01/21/2026

As it is in life, so it is in death. Some people have to isolate themselves from the rest, and fence themselves in.
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder on Ilford FP4 film.

01/19/2026

Fog is like an onion, it has layers. (Thank you Shrek!)
I love photographing in fog. It creates a whole different feel and look to the landscape photograph. We had a real heavy fog not too long ago. Not to miss the chance, I grabbed one of my cameras and told my wife that I would be gone for a bit. She knew where I was going. There is a cemetery up the road that I have had success in photographing on a foggy days in the past. The only thing that I changed up was what camera that I took. I used a different format, from medium format to 35mm. It forced me to see the familiar landscape differently. I composed differently and I shot differently. Combined with the fog, it gave me a different feel and layers in my photographs.
Photographed with my 1954 Nikon S2 Rangefinder on Ilford FP4 film.

01/18/2026

Flippin Ralph
Do you ever get that feeling that someone is watching you? I was standing on the boardwalk in Hardy, looking around for photo possibilities. I noticed two men inside the shop that I was standing next too, staring at me. I am not that visually interesting so I suspected it was my camera that was hanging around my neck that had caught their interest. Eventually one of the two men, who must have lost the coin toss, came out and greeted me and said, "Hello, I am Flippin Ralph. They call me that because I am from Flippin Arkansas. That is a cool camera man!" And so the conversation started with Ralph falling victim to my rule of asking about my camera. He, just like Christopher from my last post, happily agreed. By the way, Christopher was the other man staring out the window at my camera.
Ralph is the talker of the two men. They are trying to make a go of it with this eclectic little shop. Small town guys with big dreams. Ralph told me all about the shop and what they are hoping to do with it. I hope that it works out for them. I always admire folks who follow their dreams!
Photographed with my Mamiya C330F using Ilford FP4 film.

01/16/2026

Meet Christopher James
Before Christmas, I made a post where my wife and I delivered a couple of framed prints to the waitress that I had photographed on a previous visit to Hardy Arkansas. Well on the latest trip, I had two more individuals ask about my camera. You know the rules, if you ask about my camera, I get to take your photograph. Christopher happily agreed. He said he moved here from Colorado and likes it a lot better because he lives off the grid and the weather is much better for it here. Christopher works in a local shop where he plays and helps make the guitars that they sell. A great face on a great guy!
Photographed on my Mamiya C330 using Ilford FP4 film.

Address

816 Wilkinson Pkwy
Park Ridge, IL
60068

Telephone

+18472691965

Website

http://www.watsonartstudio.com/

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