May 4, 2011

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

Three Pines, Kaibab National Forest.

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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October 17, 2010

2

color, f164, Fine Art, journal, signature, technique, travel

Forgotten City. Minneapolis MN

Forgotten City, 2010. Downtown Minneapolis, fall 2010. Time exposure.

Print release coming soon.
This image earned a merit at the PPA International Print Competition, 2011.

It was the flour capital of the world around 1880 and beyond. But things change over time and the old flour mill in downtown Minneapolis MN is now a part of the landscape around the Mill City Museum. It’s a pretty neat sight. Remnants of old machinery, underground tunnels and broken structures spark my curiosity and make me marvel at how large the operations here must have been.
It’s a mix of the still standing and the now fallen. Both still appreciated. I made this during my tone workshop in mid Sept as we all walked across the bridge and explored the area around the museum and the Guthrey Theater. It was a fun walk and I took home more than one good image from the area. Here I used a very slow shutter to blur the movement of cars and people, leaving the city as a silent piece of history.

For Photographers. How it was made…

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July 15, 2010

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inspire, photoshop, special effects, tips, video

Dominate Skies & Beyond With Burn/Dodge.

by Gavin Seim: I’ve said it many times. I think Burn & Dodge is a very under appreciated tool in today’s digital world. It’s about subtlety and taking the time for precise burning and dodging once your primary effects are finished can make a world of difference in your final work. Good B&D work can separate the men from the boys when it comes to the final work.

With good b&d can draw the attention exactly where you need it, enhance dynamic range, add dimension and more. It’s all there in this simple tool. I made a quick video recently as I was working to show how I use b&d in a to take control my scene. This clip looks at skies in particular, but really it can make any image pop. I also plan to make more videos on B&D the future. There’s a lot to be learned from it.

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July 13, 2010

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f164, Fine Art

Independence Day 2010:

What kid doesn’t love a holiday where exploding things is OK. I guess I’m still a kid in that sense, because 4th of July is still a favorite of mine. The independence of our nation celebrated by family, fireworks and banners. Once every few years my family pitches in and we have a big get together with a great DIY fireworks show. This was one not one of those years however, so I decided to help out on the crew of Orion Pyrotechnics for a show they were doing in Ephrata. It was neat to work on a professional show, and something that’s been on my todo list.

Technique: This image was a favorite because it’s different than most. It was made using a sigma 15mm fisheye, making it appear even lower to the ground and subtly showing the surrounding area. I applied a slight color tone from one of my presets and then did a few manual tweaks. The exposure was —-

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