When I first started this blog, I didn’t really have a clear idea of where it would lead or if it would even last as long as it has. All I knew was that I had something I wanted to share with others, and maybe in the process learn something about my own artistic journey. In fact, it has taught me a great deal about what motivates me, why I love my work, and perhaps giving others motivation to dream big and follow their passion.  

Almost two years later, I think I have a much clearer direction now and decided I would change the name of the blog to something more descriptive. “Beyond the Lens” truly summarizes my approach to landscape photography, in that for me it has always been about the feeling and emotion, the connection to nature, and its ability to transport me to a place within myself where everything is perfect.  Standing at the edge of a serene and reflective lake before sunrise. Light rays penetrating the cold fog bringing clarity to the beauty always present, like a melody that lifts the spirit. This is what I want to capture with a camera, a tool seemingly so inadequate to the task, yet able to transcend its two dimensional limitation when a photographer gets it right. 

It’s also more than just work, but life in general and how everything we do defines who we are. An artist brings the sum of his life’s experiences to and through his work, and a single press of the shutter says as much about his view of the world as does how he wants the world to view him.

For me it remains a passion and a belief that I can achieve my dreams, and live a life that allows me to follow my passion. Hard work, perseverance, dedication, and a little luck are the keys, and definitely in that order! Practice and commitment will get your farther down the road to your goals than pure talent ever will.  And as I’ve mentioned here before, I also enjoy inspiring and helping others. Regardless of whether you are a photographer or not, it is a real plus for me, and I hope I can accomplish that in some small way.

So while I will talk about cameras, computers, software, and all of the other important items that are an integral and fun part of the photographic craft, it is the intangible aspects that really excite me, those things that lie beyond the technique and technology, that make a great image really special.

When we get right down to it, and get rid of the distractions of modern society, what’s left are the memories and moments that really mean something. Isn’t that what life is really all about?

I will have 4 large prints at a new show opening this Saturday Dec 6th at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY titled “Changing Expressions - a celebration of Latino-American artists.” This is a great space in Beacon in which to see both history and artwork, especially for the building with its Norwegian style architecture that was added to the National Historical Register in 1976.

There’s a wide range of artwork in this show, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, and photography. It also shows the great diversity of artists, both artistically and culturally, we enjoy and promote in Beacon. I’m teaching the Fine Art Printing Workshop on Saturday, but will try and drop by for the opening reception (at least the end of it!)

Lake Willoughby, Vermont

This month I received a technical question from pro photographer Johnathan Esper who asked:

“How do you blend the sky so well in your stitched panoramas? I mean, when I am including sky in images, especially when using a polarizer filter, and despite all precautions including full manual control during exposure, and vignetting reduction prior to stitching, I get dark and light banding in the blue sky. I am stuck in Photoshop using clone tool, burn and dodge tool, shadow/highlight tool to all help even out the tone differences in the sky, but nothing’s perfect.”

This is a common problem with stitched images involving lots of blue skies. Stitching is the technical term for taking several photos of a scene while the camera is moved along a single axis, usually horizontally. Here are some ways to improve your panoramas…

Read the rest of this entry »

Hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving Day, and all we have and need to be thankful for, especially now. With all of the negative news surrounding us, it does take real introspection to find the small miracles around us each day. Just a little reminder not to take them for granted - a challenge for sure, but so important for us all.

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Hich Naht Hanh

“Storm King Dawn”

I have finally moved into my new workshop/studio, and the extra room and space is really NICE! Built as an addition to my home, we started the construction back in April, and finished in time to host two landscape workshops in October.

I’m really happy with the way it turned out, and it has already improved my overall frame of mind both in terms of workflow, efficiency, and finally having a large space to hang and show my work to potential patrons. Because I do all of my own developing, printing, matting and framing in-house, this is really critical for achieving the highest quality possible both in materials and visually.

Some of the highlights include:

• Mac computers running Adobe Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4
• Canon iPF5000, iPF6100, and Epson R2400 pro printers
• Epson 77c LCD projector for slideshows and presentations
• 2 large matting and framing stations which double as conference tables
• RAID storage drives by G-Technology
• Lots of of inspiring photo books by many of my favorite photographers.
• Paper by Hahnemuhle, Ilford, Epson, and Canson-Infinity (my current favorite).

I also installed Full Spectrum Solutions Blue Max lighting, which provides 5900K balanced light for natural and accurate color rendition, an absolute must for proper color management. I’m also printing on canvas and will start offering Gallery Wraps for the holidays and into 2009 (more info soon).

During workshops, I can fit 6-7 students comfortably, while still having enough space to work on an individual basis if need be. Students have access to all of the gear I use regularly, such as software, printers, papers, matting and framing tools, which really provides a hands-on experience in a working environment. This is the best way to learn in my opinion, and I’m looking forward to learning from my students as well in order to improve the workshops. Don’t forget to check out the 360° VR panorama on the website.

The 2009 Workshop Schedule will be released soon - stay tuned!

Hyde Park, Hudson Valley

Faded Leaves

As a landscape photographer, you are always at the mercy of nature and its unpredictability, especially when it comes to weather. It is able to completely transform the mood and feel of a place, even when you think you have seen it all. I enjoy this challenge as it reminds me of my days as a performing musician, and improvising was a skill I practiced endlessly in order to gain confidence and improve my musical abilities.

I do the same in photography, trying to adapt my way of seeing so that I’m not looking for the same types of images, but instead allowing myself to be open to new ideas in unfamiliar situations. So often it’s easy to fall into a routine in terms of composition, color choices, or favoring certain techniques or visual cues. For me it always comes down to how a place feels, what is it about it that intrigues me and what do I want to say or convey in the image to others. While I might usually like high contrast, skies with lots of interesting clouds, and exciting colors, working with what you have at any given moment, and adapting the right mental attitude about the situation is key for me, and more important than the camera I’m using or how many lenses I have available.

I’ve been asked what is my favorite lens, and I honestly don’t have one. First, it depends on the situation and what I’m trying to accomplish, and second, my favorite is the one I have on the camera the moment something exciting and dramatic is happening in front of me. I could say my standard lens is my Canon 17-40mm wide angle, but I often find myself improvising when either I don’t have time to change the lens, or only brought one with me (which I often do more than I care to admit).

This was the case when I made this image, having only brought my 70-200mm zoom lens on a hike up to the summit of Mt Beacon on a rainy, foggy morning. I do this as an exercise in order to really get to know a particular lens, and also to focus more on “seeing” and less on the gear and its tendency to get in the way. When I found this scene, I wished I had brought a wider lens, but realized I would have to improvise and compose a much “tighter” view of the trees, which I think is what makes the image stronger. Had I used a wider lens, perhaps it would have been too ambiguous, often a sign of a weak image.

One of the phrases I repeat to students in my workshops is “if you can’t state what an image is about in a single phrase or sentence, then it’s too busy”. I first heard about this idea from a great book by Brenda Tharp, and it has stuck with me ever since, always in the back of my mind when I’m photographing. It was certainly on my mind this particular morning, and I tried to apply it as I worked to get just the right balance of trees, ground, and fog.

Mysterious yet familiar, this is what I felt and tried to capture, opposing ideas, yet so clear to me that moment.