Nov 2007
Waterfall Image on Book Cover
November/29/07 11:29 AM
The cover of the 3rd Edition of the
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Trail Guide, published by Gray and
Company Publishers, features my spring photograph of the Blue Hen
Falls waterfall, located in the heart of Cuyahoga Valley. This
image was also published in the Spring/Summer ‘07 Issue of Ohio
Magazine, within the feature article titled “Our Favorite Ohio
Photographs.”
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Presentations and Photography Workshop
November/28/07 12:29 PM
I’m very excited to announce that on
April 30th, 2008 I will be presenting my body of work on the nature
and landscapes of Ohio to the New York City Chapter of the Sierra
Club in Manhattan. The last time I was in NYC was September 11,
2001. Obviously I departed in a somewhat altered frame of mind, so
I’m looking forward to returning under more normal circumstances
and even more excited to have the opportunity to share my visual
discoveries of Ohio woodlands and landscapes with this particular
audience.
This past November 14th I was pleased to present samples of my work, show a few pieces of photo gear and talk about my profession to four groups of 8th graders at Northmont Middle School in Clayton, Ohio. I was invited to participate in Career Choices Day at Northmont. As usual, it was fun and motivating to see some lights of interest turn on amongst a few faces in the audience as well as answer lots of interesting questions, such as “have you ever been attacked by any of the animals you take pictures of” and “what is your favorite place to take pictures.”
On Saturday, February 23, 2008 I will be conducting a half-day workshop on Nature and Landscape Photography at the Orvis Store at the Dayton Mall. Last spring I was there to show some of my prints as part of the store’s grand opening (pictured above with my special helper Emma Crotty). I was happy to be invited for a return visit to present an instructional workshop. I’m often asked if and when I will do a workshop, so, here’s my first of what will hopefully become many more. More info to follow.
This past November 14th I was pleased to present samples of my work, show a few pieces of photo gear and talk about my profession to four groups of 8th graders at Northmont Middle School in Clayton, Ohio. I was invited to participate in Career Choices Day at Northmont. As usual, it was fun and motivating to see some lights of interest turn on amongst a few faces in the audience as well as answer lots of interesting questions, such as “have you ever been attacked by any of the animals you take pictures of” and “what is your favorite place to take pictures.”
On Saturday, February 23, 2008 I will be conducting a half-day workshop on Nature and Landscape Photography at the Orvis Store at the Dayton Mall. Last spring I was there to show some of my prints as part of the store’s grand opening (pictured above with my special helper Emma Crotty). I was happy to be invited for a return visit to present an instructional workshop. I’m often asked if and when I will do a workshop, so, here’s my first of what will hopefully become many more. More info to follow.
Story Behind the Picture: The Three Sisters
November/20/07 04:56 PM
I have several 30″x40″ mounted prints that are displayed on easels here in my Centerville studio/gallery. I also frequently use these prints when doing presentations and workshops on nature and landscape photography. The prints are becoming a bit dated with a few scratches and dents, but these images are still a fine representation of my body of work when it comes to nature subjects.
With one print in particular - “The Three Sisters” - I am always amazed how just about everyone who sees this print will identify the subject without the slightest hesitation. “Oh wow - the three sisters in Sugarcreek.” This particular setting of three, 550+ year old Oak Trees is more recognizable than my prints of Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, and dare I say, my famous Dayton skyline. Seriously.
There is something about these grand remnants from the woodlands that at one time covered all of Ohio that has captured the imagination and memory of those who have visited and hiked the trails at Sugarcreek MetroPark, which is located a few miles southeast of the Wilmington Pike/I-675 interchange near Bellbrook. The Three Sisters are perhaps one of the best known “natural” landmarks of Dayton’s MetroPark system.
What I love about this image is that I’ve captured the Oak Trees in a morning mist during late autumn. In fact it was the first weekend of November back in 2003. This was prior to me going completely “digital” with my photography. I used Fuji Velvia in two cameras - a Canon 1V (35mm) and a Mamiya RZ 67 Pro II medium format (6×7). The best results came from the Mamiya medium format, which also included a Mamiya-Sekor 50mm lens. Because of the low light and the slow speed of the film (50 iso), I used a Bogen tripod with a Kirk ballhead and cable release. Also used was a Sekonic L-508 light meter. This was landscape photography in complete manual mode. I still have the Mamiya, and every once in a while I dust it off and haul it out to the field. Although I love my Canon 1D’s, there’s just something so rewarding about framing a shot through the big viewfinder of a medium format camera.
I love working in a landscape covered in mist or passing fog. There is a depth and feeling added to the composition that draws the viewer in. This photograph can also be considered a classic representation of Celtic spirituality. It has all of the elements - old growth forest, mist-shrouded branches, natural progression of the seasons, and the tree that the Celts consider to be most sacred, the stately yet haunting Oak.
Since the time that I photographed this scene I have been informed that one of the old Oaks was struck by lightening, burning the tree from the inside out. However, much of the outside structure remains. Naturalists from Five Rivers MetroParks have dated these trees to be over 550 years old. I try to imagine what life in the land we now know as Ohio was like at the time these three trees were mere saplings, and all that they have witnessed since.
New Pictures You Can Hear - Autumn Openings 2007
November/16/07 02:42 PM
The latest slide show has been added
as part of my "Pictures You Can Hear" series. These are slide shows
presenting my favorite nature, landscape and candid photographs
from a particular season and set to royalty-free music from
stock20.com. The latest addition is titled "Autumn Openings 2007"
and features photography captured in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan
from September through November, 2007.
What Matters Most
November/13/07 11:02 AM
My daughter Emma along the shoreline of Rose Lake, late Saturday afternoon, November 10, 2007.
Canon 1D Mark III, Canon 28-70mm f2.8 L, Bogen tripod and Kirk ballhead. Multiple exposure processed in Adobe Bridge and Photoshop CS2 as 32-bit image file, curve and contrast adjustments in Aperture.
Funny how God talks to us when we least expect it and reminds us of the truth of life and what really matters most.
God and Football: Photographs of Game Day at Notre Dame
November/08/07 11:45 AM
I admit it. I’m not much of a fan of
college football. But when I had an opportunity to travel to South
Bend, Indiana last week for the Notre Dame/Navy game, I took
advantage of it primarily because I’ve always wanted to personally
see the campus of Notre Dame University.
I can now safely conclude that Notre Dame is the most beautiful college campus that I’ve set foot on, and I’ve been on quite a few (more than I’d like to admit). Of course being there on a perfect fall day didn’t hurt either.
In the words of Ned Beatty in Rudy, “this is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen.”
Despite the historic loss to the Naval Academy and a horrible football season, it was well worth the time and drive just to see the campus and feel the atmosphere of Notre Dame on a game day. The following are some of my favorite photographs from the images I shot while there. I would have been able to capture much clearer and more close-up images of the game itself had it not been for the fact that our seats were at the very top of the stadium. I had to make due with my Canon 1D Mark III with a Canon 300mm f4 IS L lens and 1.4 extender.
My favorite photographs were those I was able to take of the inside of the cathedral at Notre Dame. These images were captured using a Canon 1D Mark II with both Canon 28-70mm and 17-35mm L lenses and a Bogen tripod and Kirk ballhead. These photographs were post-processed first in Photoshop CS2 using the High Dynamic Range of combining four exposures into one 32-bit image file and applying a third party plug-in for tonal adjustments. Once complete I would make exposure adjustments and re-size in Aperture on my Mac Pro.
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I can now safely conclude that Notre Dame is the most beautiful college campus that I’ve set foot on, and I’ve been on quite a few (more than I’d like to admit). Of course being there on a perfect fall day didn’t hurt either.
In the words of Ned Beatty in Rudy, “this is the most beautiful sight these eyes have ever seen.”
Despite the historic loss to the Naval Academy and a horrible football season, it was well worth the time and drive just to see the campus and feel the atmosphere of Notre Dame on a game day. The following are some of my favorite photographs from the images I shot while there. I would have been able to capture much clearer and more close-up images of the game itself had it not been for the fact that our seats were at the very top of the stadium. I had to make due with my Canon 1D Mark III with a Canon 300mm f4 IS L lens and 1.4 extender.
My favorite photographs were those I was able to take of the inside of the cathedral at Notre Dame. These images were captured using a Canon 1D Mark II with both Canon 28-70mm and 17-35mm L lenses and a Bogen tripod and Kirk ballhead. These photographs were post-processed first in Photoshop CS2 using the High Dynamic Range of combining four exposures into one 32-bit image file and applying a third party plug-in for tonal adjustments. Once complete I would make exposure adjustments and re-size in Aperture on my Mac Pro.
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Looks Good on TV Too
November/05/07 03:45 PM
The November 2007 issue of PDN Magazine (Photo District News) includes several articles on stock photography, one of which is “Hidden Gems,” which highlights several photographers and their one image which outsells all the others within their stock libraries. It’s really quite interesting to see which images are the most popular and have the most appeal to advertising agencies and other photo licensing buyers. More often than not it’s those images which are relatively straightforward and simple in both subject and execution.
Without a doubt my “hidden gem” is image #1H2767 “Dayton Skyline.” I’ve lost count how many times this image has sold, in terms of both fine art prints and stock licensing. I have several other very good Dayton skylines, both day, night, with fireworks, etc., but when someone calls or emails me inquiring about my Dayton skyline photograph, I have yet to guess wrong that he or she is referring to 1H2767. This image was captured using a medium format film camera (Mamiya RZ67II) on color negative film, on one particular Sunday morning in June 2003 when all the right elements just came together.
This image has been published on numerous company and organizational web sites as well as within print advertisements and marketing collateral. A few months back I had the opportunity to sell licensing rights of this image to an ad/creative agency based in Columbus, Ohio. This agency does much of the creative work for local television spots for Time Warner Cable. This past weekend while running on a treadmill and watching a movie on the attached tv monitor, I saw the spot where my Dayton skyline photograph was used as a backdrop for a make believe local news report within a 30-second spot for Time Warner. The image looked just as good on broadcast television as it does on the web and in print.
The reason why both my stock image files - no matter which visual medium is used - and fine art prints consistently look good is because I start with either the original negative or transparency, either 35mm or 6×7, and re-scan on a Nikon Coolscan 8000 for a 1st generation TIFF or JPEG that fits exactly the file size and pixel dimensions requested by the creative agency, or I prepare a custom-sized TIFF or JPEG from an original raw digital capture, coming from top-of-the-line, high performance Canon EOS digital pro bodies that include 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensors. There are also a few pro techniques that I do with the original raw file whereby I am able to bring forth the best possible color and details. I do this by working in both Photoshop and Aperture on a Mac Pro desktop system.
In other words, the local kid with the consumer brand gear and entry-level understanding of megapixels (it’s not the highest number of dots per inch that make the best TIFF’s and JPEG’s) will more than likely deliver image files that might look good as 4″x6″ prints, but when shown on screen in a PowerPoint presentation or placed within a broadcast ad reveal spaces between the pixels that you could drive a semi through, well, you start to realize that indeed with photography you do get what you pay for.
Ask your photographer, or potential photographer, where his or her images have been published and if their work has been accepted by stock agencies, which almost always apply stringent quality control standards. If his or her answer is “well, my high school yearbook” or the local community newspaper, then please, give me a call (432-6711 or 1-877-527-6889) or email.
Without a doubt my “hidden gem” is image #1H2767 “Dayton Skyline.” I’ve lost count how many times this image has sold, in terms of both fine art prints and stock licensing. I have several other very good Dayton skylines, both day, night, with fireworks, etc., but when someone calls or emails me inquiring about my Dayton skyline photograph, I have yet to guess wrong that he or she is referring to 1H2767. This image was captured using a medium format film camera (Mamiya RZ67II) on color negative film, on one particular Sunday morning in June 2003 when all the right elements just came together.
This image has been published on numerous company and organizational web sites as well as within print advertisements and marketing collateral. A few months back I had the opportunity to sell licensing rights of this image to an ad/creative agency based in Columbus, Ohio. This agency does much of the creative work for local television spots for Time Warner Cable. This past weekend while running on a treadmill and watching a movie on the attached tv monitor, I saw the spot where my Dayton skyline photograph was used as a backdrop for a make believe local news report within a 30-second spot for Time Warner. The image looked just as good on broadcast television as it does on the web and in print.
The reason why both my stock image files - no matter which visual medium is used - and fine art prints consistently look good is because I start with either the original negative or transparency, either 35mm or 6×7, and re-scan on a Nikon Coolscan 8000 for a 1st generation TIFF or JPEG that fits exactly the file size and pixel dimensions requested by the creative agency, or I prepare a custom-sized TIFF or JPEG from an original raw digital capture, coming from top-of-the-line, high performance Canon EOS digital pro bodies that include 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensors. There are also a few pro techniques that I do with the original raw file whereby I am able to bring forth the best possible color and details. I do this by working in both Photoshop and Aperture on a Mac Pro desktop system.
In other words, the local kid with the consumer brand gear and entry-level understanding of megapixels (it’s not the highest number of dots per inch that make the best TIFF’s and JPEG’s) will more than likely deliver image files that might look good as 4″x6″ prints, but when shown on screen in a PowerPoint presentation or placed within a broadcast ad reveal spaces between the pixels that you could drive a semi through, well, you start to realize that indeed with photography you do get what you pay for.
Ask your photographer, or potential photographer, where his or her images have been published and if their work has been accepted by stock agencies, which almost always apply stringent quality control standards. If his or her answer is “well, my high school yearbook” or the local community newspaper, then please, give me a call (432-6711 or 1-877-527-6889) or email.
Newest Photography Available as Giclees Prints at ImageKind
November/01/07 11:01 AM
Once again I’m re-evaluating my selection of printing vendors regarding online print sales of my fine art nature and landscape photographs. My current storefront with Printroom.com is pretty good, but I’ve been more impressed with the quality of printing, selections in papers, frames and matting and user friendly interface provided over at ImageKind.com.
Fine art prints purchased at my ImageKind storefront come with a refund policy - satisfaction guarantee, safe online shopping guarantee and careful attention and care in the packaging of prints, both framed and unframed. These are also Giclees prints crafted from the largest possible TIFF file, carefully edited by me, from the original raw digital capture. This results in the best, museum-quality print versus those that are produced from compressed JPEG’s. I can personally attest to this fact because I’ve conducted my own print-and-compare quality testing process from these same file sizes and formats here in my studio using an Epson 7600 wide format printer.
Giclees prints from ImageKind have a longevity of over 125 years when framed under UV-protective glass. Also, you will be impressed with the variety of framing options offered through ImageKind. Their selection of frames, mats and coating options is perhaps the best you can find with an online art store and of course you can preview exactly how each print will look with your choice in paper, mat and frame.
I’ve started to populate my ImageKind storefront gallery, titled “High Dynamic Vision,” with some of my most recent nature, landscape and cityscape photographs captured this past September and October in locations such as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Hocking Hills of Ohio. I will be adding more selections to this storefront over the next several days. I also maintain another storefront/gallery of old favorites on ImageKind titled “Serenity Images.” The best seller there has been my famous Dayton skyline.
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Fine art prints purchased at my ImageKind storefront come with a refund policy - satisfaction guarantee, safe online shopping guarantee and careful attention and care in the packaging of prints, both framed and unframed. These are also Giclees prints crafted from the largest possible TIFF file, carefully edited by me, from the original raw digital capture. This results in the best, museum-quality print versus those that are produced from compressed JPEG’s. I can personally attest to this fact because I’ve conducted my own print-and-compare quality testing process from these same file sizes and formats here in my studio using an Epson 7600 wide format printer.
Giclees prints from ImageKind have a longevity of over 125 years when framed under UV-protective glass. Also, you will be impressed with the variety of framing options offered through ImageKind. Their selection of frames, mats and coating options is perhaps the best you can find with an online art store and of course you can preview exactly how each print will look with your choice in paper, mat and frame.
I’ve started to populate my ImageKind storefront gallery, titled “High Dynamic Vision,” with some of my most recent nature, landscape and cityscape photographs captured this past September and October in locations such as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Hocking Hills of Ohio. I will be adding more selections to this storefront over the next several days. I also maintain another storefront/gallery of old favorites on ImageKind titled “Serenity Images.” The best seller there has been my famous Dayton skyline.
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