May 4, 2011

Three Pines. Kaibab National Forest, near the Grand Canyon. Spring 2011.

The night is intriguing to me as a photographer. Stars trail through the heavens, and branches rustle as winds sift through the darkness. The world turns unnoticed by most of its occupants, and yet it is not still at all.

Night photography is a challenge; I have to go against my natural preference to be relaxed comfortably in a warm house or trailer rather than standing in darkness often cold, wondering what made that cracking sound I just heard behind me. The next challenge is the technical difficulty of making the image and composition in darkness and having the patience for an ultra long exposure. This one was over 45 minutes.

At times like this one, I can set up the image and go back to said warm camper and family, as the faint light works its magic. At times, my night exposures do not come out as I expect, and some never see the pages of this journal, but as I further explore the darker side my craft, I find moments like this when the simplicity and natural beauty of the elements draw my eye and make me smile at the wonder of creation.

This image is not perfect, and I’m undecided as to whether it will make the signature collection, but I do enjoy it, and it has taught me much about light and shadow…

Gav

For photographers. How it was made…

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May 1, 2011

Golden Song - Shell Beach, California, April 2011

I’m right on the shore, the waves of the incoming tide lapping against the legs of my tripod, sometimes making me step back to keep my feet dry. The sun is just setting off to the right, casting an orange warmth on the largest of the rocks. The sky is simple, but it’s smooth, the gentle color soothing, and the lines and details on the rocks are mesmerizing in their intricacy.

California is a beautiful place. Due to its population and popularity, it always always the most east access, but if you get there and get settled it’s really breathtaking. There’s so much to see and so little time to get it done before rush hour.

For Photographers. How it was made…

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April 30, 2011

We’ve been on the road about two weeks and are about halfway through our Spring trip. Heading to CA first, I taught a few workshops, and now we’re moving out of CA and headed for more landscapes and adventures. We plan to head into AZ now and visit the Grand Canyon. We’re trying to avoid campgrounds and get out in the boondocks as much as possible.

CA has been a tough State. Really beautiful, but sometimes frustrating. The State, County, and National land tends to be outrageously priced (don’t get me going), and it’s sometimes hard to find the free boondocking areas that are prevalent in many other States.

We carry a MiFi with us so we can keep the business running, research and mark locations, find the best gas prices, etc. Apps like All Stays Camp & RV, Gas Book, Right Here, and Geotag Photos Pro are invaluable.

I’ve also started experimenting with a 4×5 view camera for the resolution it can give me in larger prints. Learning what it can do is quite an experience. I’m being very conservative with frames, but in the right situation, I think it will be amazing. It sure feels good to use. As long as you’re not in a hurry.

Of course, I’m still capturing digital images. I think, in the future, both film and digital will have a place in my work at the initial capture . They both have strong advantages in various situations. It’s become a good learning experience as I study 4×5 technique.

Stay tuned for some new pieces as we move along. If you want to see more frequent updates, you can get those on my facebook page

Gav

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April 2, 2011

PC Podcast #21. Competitions

I’m talking a bit today about photography competitions. Whether you’re a pro or enthusiast, competition will really challenge you to raise the bar. At some you can win cash and at other you can get merits, trophies and even earn industry recognized photography degrees from PPA.

You can find the forum discussion for this episode on the forum thread. Go share your experiences.. Gav

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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 full podcast, Pro Photo Show.

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April 1, 2011

Click To Listen>> Photography Podcast. PPS #76
Review in iTunesVote on Podcast AlleyDirect Podcast Feed

Today’s Panel... Gavin SeimDenns ZerwasKerry GarrsonBarry Howel

On this roundtable we go LIVE with listeners in the chatroom and calling in. There were a few glitches but for a first live show it came off well. Lots of business talk in this one so if you don’t want to hear about things like Facebook marketing, use the time indexes below to skip segments.

 

This is a live show. Uh no, not the PPS live show. I just thought this would make the post a bit cooler 😉 Gav

NOTE: Due to a double link the feed iTunes was pulling the previous episode for the first hour or so. If this happened to you, delete the redundant episode. Then right click Pro Photo Show in your podcast list and choose “Show All Podcast Episodes”. #76 will show up again and should be the updated file when you re-download.

Podcast #76 forum discussion:

Notable Time Indexes:

  • 00:00 Introductions and DZ’s Awesome intro.
  • 03:14 News and random bits.
  • 23:40. Future gear and vintage gear.
  • 33:00 Aperture presets announced and workshops info.
  • 36:30 Kerry likes the Wacom Intuos 4.
  • 42:18 Lightroom 4 Predictions.
  • 53:17 Talking about marketing and Facebook use.
  • 1:20:50. SquareUp and taking credit cards.
  • 1:32:38 Picks and gadgets.
  • 1:46:34 The after show.

 

Links to things we mentioned.

Gavin’s new Lightflow Aperture Presets are now available.

TinEye image search is a good tool… http://bit.ly/ebdfTl

Gavin’s Workshops coming this April.

Lightroom Power. April 18th Oakland
Lights & Shadows. April 16-17 Oakland CA, April 25-26 Pismo Beach CA.

64 and 128GB SD cards from Lexar.

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