Photo Couch is the companion podcast of Gavin’s f164 project and made for photographers. Nothing fancy here. Just short musings, tips and thoughts on photography. You can listen below, or subscribe for free and get all the latest episodes.
Here’s another episode of Photo Couch. Today I’ll talk briefly about maintaining image and file quality when prepping for a large print. It’s something I’ve been working with a lot lately. As always you can find it in the feed as well (link above). Hope you get something useful from it. I plan to go more in depth on a future Pro Photo Show episode… Gav
Tufa Sunrise. Mono Lake CA, Fall 2010, by Gavin Seim.
Gavin’s Journal Entry, 10/2010.
We camped overlooking Mono lake last night. I think it’s rather a bad name for a lake, but it’s no less beautiful for that. I got there early, before the light. But the stone sang when the rays of first dawn hit the limestone Tufa Towers that grace the these muddy banks.
I won’t try to explain how they’re formed (there is some info on the Mono Lake website) but I can say is that creation is indeed breathtaking. Now that I have time to stop and look at this sunrise, it seems even more so. This may be the only great image I took home from Mono Lake, but it’s just what I wanted and I’m really excited about it.
Release details: Prints available. Contact the gallery. Learn more about prices. Available prints…
[EXPAND SEE the details up close. Click to expand…]
These are not separately available images. They are detail cuts from the above work, to show the detail and most notible elements that will stand out in the finished print.
The central display of Tufa Towers, revealed in a fleeting moment of morning light just as the sun crosses the horizon.
Sharp from edge to edge. The rocks point to the snow capped mountains, revealing the coming Winter.The superb detail in the flowing grasses reflects the golden light and is spectacular, especially in larger sizes.The morning light shows a supporting cast of towers in various stages of illumination.
by Gavin Seim: Here’s the latest from the Photo Couch podcast. The baby brother of Pro Photo Show. Short five minute bursts of photo ideas, musings and information. If you want them as they come out, you can subscribe in iTunes or use the direct feed in any podcatcher. Give em a listen and get some ideas or maybe a few laughs. If you have thoughts you’d like to discuss in depth, visit the Photo Couch board on the forums. Enjoy… Gav
by Gavin Seim: Here I sit hammering away on these keys at 12:30am, wondering why I’m still up. I’ve started thinking about that “EPIC” photo we’re are always trying to capture. You know the one. You see them in Magazines, you see them in other people’s work. Of course opinions on whats that epic photo may vary by your taste and experience level, but if you’re your own critic it might seem like epic images are everywhere but your own portfolio. Then again maybe it’s because you’re actually that bad! Just kidding.
What is Epic. In Websters I found this… “extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope” Bottom line is it’s that perfectly amazing photo we always want to bring home. There are unwritten rules in my mind that define the various levels of epic, but rather than confuse you lets just agree that to be epic it has to be really good. I get them sometimes, but often when I think I’m trying the hardest I have the worst time and I figured out why. It’s because an epic photograph is not so much about finding an epic subject as it is learning to make an ordinary subject epic.
For example. I have a far easier time getting epic portraits than I do with fine art. “Why is that” I thought to myself. It’s not because I can’t photograph other scenes well. Sometimes I mentally make the excuse that I just don’t have good enough locations to work with. “Maybe I need to go somewhere exotic” I think. But I know better. Washington is one of the most beautiful and varied places in the world.
Why then? It’s because on a paid portrait session the pressure is on and I happen to work well under pressure. I don’t get to choose my subject. I have to make my client look good and I have to do with in the conditions available to me in the time allotted. Yes it’s more stressful for sure but it makes me look deeper at how I can be creative with a scene. I don’t always achieve that epic image but I always bring home good work. On the other hand when I get in my car and go shopping for something from which to make fine art, I tend to look for the scene that’s already epic. Sure, I tell myself to look at the details because it’s easy to miss amazing things, but too often I just keep moving until I find something that strikes me as amazing. Something easy. I’ve made great images that way, but there’s so much more to see.
