For the first time, I hung art wearing a face mask. This exhibition, Northwest Nocturne, combines my recent interests in night photography, panoramas, and Pacific Northwest subjects. You can view this show, under COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, until June 30, 2020.

When my friends at Herkimer Coffee offered me a show in May/June 2020, we did not anticipate that a pandemic would cause the coffee shop to be closed for weeks. But on May 5, the Phinney Ridge location of Herkimer Coffee re-opened for take-out orders only, making it possible once again to visit and see the art on the walls.

All of the images except one are long exposures using a tripod. The long exposures can reveal surreal lighting and colors that aren’t visible to the naked eye because the actual scene is too dark to see.

Several images represent the buildings of the former Fort Lawton at Discovery Park, and the West Point Light lighthouse at the Elliott Bay edge of the park. I’m fascinated by how long exposures at night add a sense of ghostly mystery to these historic buildings, which have been unoccupied for decades.

The exhibition is at the Phinney Ridge location of Herkimer Coffee, 7320 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, Washington, USA. Consider checking with them before visiting, as their actual hours of operation and social distancing requirements may change in response to the pandemic situation.

Why did I name this set of photographs Northwest Nocturne? Although many think of the term nocturne as referring to a musical composition suggestive of night, another dictionary definition is “a picture of a night scene.”

This show was originally intended to participate in the annual Greenwood Art Walk weekend, which is normally held in early May. Unfortunately, the 2020 Greenwood Art Walk was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.