by Gavin Seim. My friend Barry Howel and I got looking at videos about Ansel last night and Barry found this gem of Ansel at work from 1957. It has a bit of that newsreel feel of the 1950’s it’s a rare opportunity to see into Ansel’s gearbag (more like gear warehouse) and see him at work, even though the quality is a bit faded.
I’ll add part1 and part2 below. Not so much a workshop video as a piece of history that makes me think about slowing down and making art instead of pics. My favorite quote.
“Photography to Ansel Adams is a profession as well as an art. And his standards are as high as those of and architect or a engineer”.
City of Silver. Bryce Canton National Park Utah, Infrared. Spring 2011, Gavin Seim
The spires of Bryce Canyon make me think of the ruins of an ancient city. They feel timeless, their detailed pattern texture glaring into my eyes as they’re struck by the light. The place is absolutely stunning.
But it’s not simple. It’s vast and intricate, so bringing its sun-washed beauty into a two dimensional frame is a challenge. With this scene, the simplicity of a black and white image allowed me to focus on the study of line and tone, leaving the color we’re familiar with from the Utah red rock to be filled in from our own minds.
by Gavin Seim: My family and I have been on the road for about three weeks now as I teach workshops and hunt pictorials. Last fall we spent a month and a half. We love to travel and aside from all my gear, I have a plethora of resources that we rely on to make our travels safer, cheaper and a more enjoyable.
I’ve decided to stat a list of my favorites. Besides the essential Google Maps, I find these to be great tools and use most of them even when I’m not out for a long trip. You’re welcome to add your favs in the comments. I’ll also come back and update this or re-post in in the future as I find new stuff.
If you want to follow my photography travels and see where I’ve been, you can do so on my journal, or get frequent updates on my Facebook page. Lets get started…
Our Shamrock 21ss camped near Bryce Canyon Utah. Spring 2011.
This $6 app is worth every penny and more. It’s paid for itself countless times in saving money camping, time traveling, and preventing headaches. It’s a must have for campers.
It lists pretty much anything a camper or RV’er might want. From truck stops to campgrounds, to wall mar parking lots. It’s not perfect and something it misses things but it’s data base is huge and no matter where you are it will usually give you options.
This is my favorite, but All Stays has various other apps that you may find useful. iExit for example shows what’s coming up and the next exit. Check out their website for their offerings.
This is a cheap way to get location info into your photos. Make sure you camera and phone time is the same. Turn on this app and start recording. When you get home upload the data and login to there website to A. Use their web app to merge dates into your RAW or JPEG files. or B. Download a GPX file and use it with a LR plugin like JF Geoencoding Support.
Photo Couch is the companion podcast of Gavin’s f164 project. Sort of an audio journal. 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. If you want more, you can also check out Gavin’s full podcast, Pro Photo Show.
Canyon Dance. Grand Canyon National Park. Gavin Seim, Spring 2011
The final rays of glistening sunset are often the most remarkable. Their golden glow flaring for a mere moment before dying into memory and waiting for another sunrise.
Next to the unimaginable vastness of the sky itself, the Grand Canyon is one of the largest most beautiful things I’ve seen. It’s views take the breath away and make me wonder at God’s creation. But as magnificent as it is, it’s a challenge to convey, as it seems that landscapes of this scale often fight against being pulled into the single, two dimensional frame.
Knowing the crowds would come, I set up at Yavapai Point nearly two hours early. I went to the overlook and set up my digital, along with my 4×5, claiming the space as my own and not moving. By the time the sun set, I was crowded in on every side. It was hazy, as often seems with the great distances across the canyon.
The walls that I planned to photograph did not respond quite as I had hoped. But just as the sun set, this side of the canyon walls came alive with color. I had been crowded in so much that I could not move the tripod even the two feet I needed. Frantically, I leaned over and rested the camera on the handle of my second tripod where the 4×5 sat. Then I made the frame that would become this image and preserve that fleeting light. In all my planning, I was still not fully prepared for the moment, but I made the best of it. This frame does not do it’s beauty justice, but it gives a tiny taste of my awe.
