April 30, 2011

2

f164, journal, Nature, travel

Another Month on the Road. Spring 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

 Read More

March 5, 2011

2

f164, Fine Art, journal, Nature, signature, silver, technique

God’s Fist – Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone.

God’s Fist – Yellowstone NP, Great Fountain Geyser

I was the only one there at sunrise and it was beautiful, but not what I had hoped for. Great Fountain steamed calmly away as the sun rose, but no great fingers of water reached skyward. This was not going to be so easy.

Great Fountain is not on a schedule like Old Faithful. It generally blows about once a day and while it can be roughly predicted, it seems to be no exact science. I took a few images of the pool and then begin to wander nearby areas, hoping to catch it later. Around noon I came back to find crowds gathering and cars lining the sides of the narrow loop road. It seemed everyone was here now. But only I had the satisfaction of having been there with the sunrise.

I grabbed my gear and hustled along the line of cars, to where a surprisingly large gathering was taking place. Fortunately most everyone wanted the high vantage points. I just wanted this lowly spot down in the weeds off the roadside. About ten minutes later, she blew. Slow and spurting at first, but then spectacular.

Bright sun is generally not the most ideal light however and my mind was racing like fanatic and I varied the setups I had been envisioning, working with filters and tweaking settings in an attempt to make something memorable of of this scene. The truth is that the resulting sequence from these moments were on my computer until months after I returned home. They sat patiently on my hard drive, waiting for me to become inspired. I saw them now and then, but secretly I was remembering the peaceful sunrise and wishing it had happened then.

In time I sifted through them more closely, thinking in terms on tone, analyzing details and thinking about the process. The light was actually pretty amazing. And there was one frame that stood out above the rest and it was higher and more spectacular than any others from this majestic water show. Once I started working it, I knew I had only needed one frame and this was it. I hope you enjoy… Gavin

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….

For Photographers. How it Was Made…

Read More

January 21, 2011

6

f164, journal

The Name’s Thoth. He’s My New Printer.

My new printer arrived this week and is all setup. This is my Canon IPF8300 and his name is Thoth. He prints on roll mediums up to 44 inches wide and based on my tests so far is astounding. The prints are flawless. Not just color prints either, but perfectly toned black and whites.Those of you that know me, know how much I love black and white.

Thoth runs a 12 color Lucia ink set, has 30,720 ink nozzles and lays down a 4 Picoliter drop size (four trillionths of a Liter) . He wights in at about 315 lbs and produces a 16×24 print in around five minutes.

I’ll still be presenting mounted images, offering metals and presenting on traditional canvas of course, but this machine will open up new areas of exploration and growth and I can’t tell you how excited I am about it. As for naming. Sure a printer can be a She, just like a ship. But this hulk? Well I felt the masculine side was more fitting. Besides my camera is already a she.

Oh and in the background is the Ultra Limited signature release from Stars of Coldest Night. That’s a 30×65 classic canvas. It is for sale, so get in touch 😉 Gav

 Read More

December 10, 2010

0

f164, Fine Art, journal, signature, specials

4 New Limited Prints – Special Christmas Release

Tufa Sunrise. Mono Lake CA. 15×34.5 True Metal – Read Journal Entry.
25 print Limited Edition. $329, including US Shipping.

[EJUNKIE_ADD2CART item=”p11104″] [EJUNKIE_VIEWCART]

<<<<<<>>>>>

 Read More

October 27, 2010

7

f164, Fine Art, journal, signature, silver, travel

Crags of Yellowstone Falls

Crags of Yellowstone Falls, 2010.

It was a softly lit morning in Yellowstone on this day in mid September. I came in thru the west entrance before sunrise to explore the landscape before the increasing light started getting harsh. I love waterfalls and while the lower falls area is not a hard place to reach, the various lookouts up the valley are magnificent.

I think I planted myself at Lookout Point for this one. I was inspired at the awesome beauty of this place. I know hundreds of people photograph these falls every day and I wanted to take my time to try for something special. I was careful in planning the composition and went for a silver process from the start to focus the eyes on the water and tone in this landscape. I’ll let you be the judge of how well I did.

For photographers. How it was made…

Read More