So after shooting the clips for the promo, Ken just say down with me and chatted on various topics I prompted him on. I’ve pretty much removed myself from this video and what remains is about 17 minutes of gold, as this renowned portrait photographer talks about out craft and how he see’s it.
Ken’s a really neat guy with more photographic awards than you want to count. But he’s always eager to learn new things and share ideas. It’s really cool. You can also view the HD version HERE.
Note: This post was copy-edited and re-shared in MAy of 2018. Ken passed away in November of 2016, but I left the tense and language as it was when this was originally written.
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….
37 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 40 (contact the gallery)
Today’s Host... Gavin Seim. This week Gavin gets in depth about his month and a half photo trip spanning various areas of the USA. He looks at things he saw and learned and ways to improve it all going forward.
Sunsets hidden falls. Gavin's favorite from an evening Yosemite. Did some experimenting with blacks on this. Image links to f164 post. More info in that post soon.
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.
The Panel... Gavin Seim – Tom Hogarty (LR product manager) – Dennis Zerwas – Ralph Barret
This week we talk about the E-P1, Lightroom, video becoming more than a weekend warrior and selling quality.
