Feel it, See it, Snap it.

If you've ever attended or participated in any of the past art competitions the City of Gilroy used to host, then you've most likely seen the photography of Luis Franco Sr.

It was never surprising that Franco always nabbed a prize because his photography captures the abstract designs that are hidden in simple every day things that often go unnoticed.  

One day, I asked Franco what inspires his photos and he said, "It's my observation of nature. It changes all the time and there are always new things to see. I don't look at the whole tree, but parts of a tree, parts of a flower."

Franco moves in close and views it at a different angle. He sees something he likes and he snaps it, and his photos become his opinion of the object. He wants to share with others what he's seen, and if it makes people take the time to look closer he says that's great.

Franco is a member of the Morgan Hill camera club. He likes to share and receive information with the group, whose members are beginners, hobbyists and professionals sharing questions and knowledge.

Franco says some of the photographers in the group travel to exotic countries taking beautiful pictures. For him, he just has to walk out the door and maybe around the block to see his subjects.  

He used to use a Minolta camera with film and slides but now has switched to a simple point and shoot digital camera, which he likes because he says, "I just feel it, I see it, I snap it."  

He does not put his images into PhotoShop to enhance the images in any way because he says he wants to share exactly what he saw, not something he changed it into.  

He also likes the simplicity of his digital camera—if he likes it, he keeps it, if he doesn't he erases it and he doesn't have to pay to develop 24 or 36 photos he may or may not like.  

You can see Franco's beautiful photos at the Gilroy Center for the Arts, located on 7th and Monterey street in downtown Gilroy. He's part of the unique exhibition, The Art of our Mothers and Fathers, which is currently on display through June 20.

As for me, I just finished my first two shows for the season and had tons of fun. It's great to meet new people and to see folks who have visited my booth in the past.

My next outdoor event is the Gilroy Garlic Festival but in between that I'm going to paint two traffic box murals. My first mural is located at the corner of Santa Theresa and Welburn, so if you see me out there make sure to wave! I'll be putting many more miles on brushes with these murals, but no complaints, because I love what I do.