I’m excited to finally announce this new release and it has quite a story behind it.
It was the first time we hiked the Subway, a rather legendary, if hard-to-reach spot in Zion NP. Nathan and I started that morning with packs full of gear, three cameras (including our cinema rig) first aid, water purifier and flashlights. It’s around 9 miles round trip and the first three-quarters of a mile takes you down the side of a cliff into the valley.
Now when they say this is a strenuous hike, that is the rating of the terrain. The distance is not considered in that classification. There were no groomed National Park trails or picnic tables. Most the time you were finding a route around (and over) boulders and across creeks. It was a long hike with all the gear and between that and the stops we made to film for PHOTOGRAPHICS, we did not reach this grand destination until about 4PM.
I knew we would be walking back in the dark, but it also put us in this carved channel of rock when the light was at it’s most glorious. The other hikers were headed back and we were utterly alone as the creek moved across the slippery rock and the leaves fell down from the cliffs above. I did not make many exposures. I just took a breath of awe and took my time considering the shape, line and color and how to best to do it justice. In fact, Nathan was filming the making of this image and and I hope to include it in the new PHOTOGRAPHICS series.
The result is just what I wanted. This place is truly incredible and well worth the effort. We made it back mostly in the dark and while we had lights, it was a challenge. I never thought I would be so happy to find that final trail that lead up the side of the cliff. We were in fact so late, that the park ranger was waiting for us when we reached the top wondering if something had gone wrong. But we got the image and much more.
Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition mounted prints above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
60 inch Master Original on Canvas – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
50 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 50 (contact the gallery)
40 inch Signature Metal – Limited Edition of, 100 (contact the gallery)
Final Embers – Pastel clouds drift by mount Nebo in Utah reflecting light on to the snow capped peaks.
We camped for a few days up on the Nebo Loop, enjoying the late Fall color and the crisp sunny weather. On this particular night I had a plan for the mountain, but the sun did not do what I expected. I was about to give it up when I realized the clouds were reflecting the fading light back down onto the mountain from above.
I remember looking behind me, seeing the glow and thinking. That’s Ansel light! Backing up the truck, I hopped out and quickly set up, prepped and made a long second exposure that would convey the pastel clouds whisking over the mountain tops. I got this one frame that conveyed just what I wanted, but that was all I needed. Soon after I made tthis image, the light faded away and the mountain slipped into night.
Gav
Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
60 inch Master Original on Canvas – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
50 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 35 (contact the gallery)
41 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 100 (contact the gallery)
This was a great free camping area right here and we stopped for the night just before sunset, hopped in the car and went out filming for our new PHOTOGRAPHICS film and looking for landscapes. I had not done enough pre-scouting and did not find anything. After sunset I did further scouting for morning and found this little spot tucked down a steep trail.
Nathan and I both walked in early the next morning after a cool fall night and a bit of sleep The light cam over the trees and gave us a beautiful illumination of the Fall color before quickly becoming too harsh. But that’s the things about stunning light. You just need to be there at the right time.
Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
55 inch Master Original on Canvas – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
44 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 50 (contact the gallery)
36 inch Signature Metal – Limited Edition of, 100 (contact the gallery)
I processed with a quick application of the Super Simple preset from Power Workflow (https://seimeffects.com/pw). The finishing was mostly tonal in nature using careful burns and dodges like what talk about in the EXposed Workshop (https://seimeffects.com/exposed).
Controlling the values to keep the brilliant color of the trees at around Zone 7+ and the shadows in the 2-r range helped bring out the depth and line.
The skit while not filled with clouds as we often look for is smooth and brilliant, resonating the feel of a a crisp fall morning. I composed so that not too much sky showed however to prevent the space from becoming a distcation.
The Perfect Sunset, Above Clear lake CA, Winter 2013 by Gavin Seim
There is nothing quite like sunset in the forest above Clear Lake. Here lies small group of towns nestled around the water in the remote hills of California. There is nothing like it. Driving up into rolling high hills to camp, each sunset is a wounder of color and shadow, storybook trees and glowing foliage. Perhaps it’s partly the warn memories of camping here with my family combined with the fresh air and quiet atmosphere. Whatever it is, this place represents as perfect a sunset as I can imagine.
We’ve camped up here a few times and even did some scenes here for our new PHOTOGRAPHICS film. This beautiful view is actually just off the forest read leading up. Each night the sun falls behind the hills that circles the valley and fades into the magenta hues of rolling shadowy hills. I rarely shoot into the sun because it’s rare I find a situation that it really works in. But I timed this image just before sunset to maximize the glowing light and this is was it feels like to stand here and watch the sunset. It will make a beautiful print.
Release details: Prints Available. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.
Released prints….
55 inch Master Original on Canvas – Limited edition of, 1 (contact the gallery)
46 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 50 (contact the gallery)
38 inch Signature Metal – Limited Edition of, 75 (contact the gallery)
Gavin Seim at Seattle Art Museum – Original of Puget Sound on the Pacific Coast, by Albert Bierstadt in 1870. It measures 82” x 52.5”
Does this art make me look small? I hope so.
Last week the family and I made the final day of the European Masters exhibit at Seattle Art Museum. It was a collection from the Kenwood House and many of these originals had never left England. Most were paintings that exemplified both human subjects and landscapes. Works such as Miss Murray by Sir Thomas Lawrence – Anne, Countess of Albemarle and Son, by George Romney – Self-Portrait with Two Circles by Rembrant – The Cherry Gatherers, by Francois Boucher – Greyhounds coursing a Fox, by Gainsborough and many more. Most of these originals were larger than I was and I must warn you that seeing them in person is the only way to get the true impact and inspiration they offer.
Sadly the European Exhibit itself was closed to photography being on on loan. I believe this is a poor choice part of the Kenwood House who owns it. These images are long out of copyright and as pieces of history, they should be spread far and wide and allowing photos of them will only raise awareness to their beauty. But I won’t rant. This image here was in the SAM permanent collection which does allow photography. It’s a real beauty and showcases the type of beautiful work were seeing. It’s also a work from the Hudson River School era, which is a favorite of mine for landscape inspiration. It was indeed something to see originals and much as 400 years old. There’s much to be learned from history and it’s something we’re covering in more detail in my new film, PHOTOGRAPHICS.
I’m a photographer who tries not to emphasize photography itself – Meaning that while I enjoy and teach the science, history and craft of photography, it’s not what my work is about. The medium doesn’t matter nearly so much as the result. When I make an image I’m seeking the grandness that the master painters produced. When I get my mind away from the gadgets and focus on my visualization it gets easier. We must understand the craft and science of our medium so we can work unobstructed by it, but I make furniture for walls. That’s my work. That’s what I need to focus on. Not hundreds of “good” images or how many I can post onto my website.
Photographers tend to think of themselves as lesser artists. The idea of the Wall furnishing is something we seem to struggle with – It’s a topic I recently talked about in this video and that I looked at in this article. Most of the few photographers I know who truly relate to me on this are fellow alumnus of Wall Portrait Conference. I have a hard time getting people to truly accept the idea. I don’t think people believe that their work is heirloom quality. Maybe it’s not. But it can be. Photographers are so set in the idea of snaps, 8×10’s and pics, that even when printed large they still think of them and produce themas such. More posters than heirlooms. It’s not only about the size – When you don’t truly value your work, it reflects in your finished product. When you don’t plan to make an heirloom, you usually don’t. Something to consider.
Once we realize that the medium is incidental to the finished and focus on making that result as spectacular as it can be, everything changes. One reason you see me post fewer new images than in the past is that my standards have increased. If I just make a nice photo it might make it to my Facebook page or a travel journal, but I don’t focus too much on it. I move quickly forward, pausing only when I get an image that I feel truly excels. Something like Sunset at the Celestial City that I can get serious about putting on a wall.
I’ve learned all these ideas from modern masters like Ken Whitmire and Michal Fatali and by studying the master painters spanning hundreds of years.
My concept is this – The most relevant and profitable painters and photographers are making furniture for walls. It’s not about paper or gear, except where those effect the quality of the work – The finished image on the wall is what counts. The bottom line is that studying where we came from and how painters did what they did will make us better photographers – If we can look at their work and learn how to use those ideas to make and sell our own, things take on a grand new light. It’s not easy, but we can Raise The Bar.
Some think I take this too far. That these are small things. It’s true that everyone is different and there are many types of work to be done in our industry. Not everyone must agree with me, but just take time to look at the painters and think about who is still getting noticed hundreds of years later.
There is an endless procession of good work today – But simply having work does very little to make you stand out. Raise The Bar.
