It has been an incredibly busy time for me lately with various photography projects (more details later), art shows, and finishing the construction of my new 450 sq ft. studio/workshop. I’ll have some photos soon, as well as info on the setup including the addition of a new Canon 44″ large format printer. Once I get through the long hours of the final finishing details, I hope to return to a more regular schedule here, and even increase the frequency of articles.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am working on a new series of articles around the theme of “finding a landscape photograph” with the goal of providing some insights and tips for photographers and those curious about the process involved. With any luck (and lots of coffee), the first should be ready in a few days.

In the meantime, I thought I would share my opinion on a few recent noteworthy announcements in the industry which are quite intriguing.

Adobe has announced the release in October of Creative Suite CS4, which includes an all new version of Photoshop CS4. You can read the specific details on John Nack’s blog (John is the principle product manager for Photoshop). While the biggest feature in CS3 was support for the new Intel Macs, Adobe has really packed new and useful features into CS4, many of which I will start to take advantage of right away. Among the new features I’m looking forward to are major interface enhancements, adjustment panels and presets, and improved printing capabilities (including 16-bit output at last). All in all, a serious consideration for anyone who uses Photoshop on a professional or regular basis. While my current workflow is spent primarily in Lightroom 2, it’s nice to have access to the improvements in processing that CS4 provides.

The other news was that both Nikon and Canon have announced DSLR’s that can also record full HD ()high-definition) 1920×1080 resolution video. There has been lots of talk lately about the convergence of photography and video since both use similar technologies, and it was only a matter of time before a manufacturer combined the two.. While it will not replace a dedicated video camera in terms of quality and features, it certainly provides the photo journalist or wedding photographer some great opportunities in a convenient and familiar package. For any one who is interested, here is a full featured video made with the new Canon EOS 5D MK II by photographer Vincent Laforet.

As the old saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” and in my opinion, never more so than in photography. While the technology continues to evolve and provide new and creative possibilities, emotion and feeling remain the goal for me, and these are just more tools to achieve those goals.

This is an image I recently made from the top of Mt Beacon looking south out across the Hudson Highlands. The VERY early morning light is everything in this photograph, bringing out painterly textures and colors that only lasted a few seconds as the fog lingered before moving off into the sky. I barely had enough time to set my tripod and make one exposure.

“The true journey of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having fresh eyes”. -Marcel Proust

Low tide creates wonderful texture on the Hudson River, and a dramatic sunrise adds color and mood.

I have been invited to participate in a group exhibition at the Van Brant Gallery in Beacon titled “Sitelines Hudson Valley Invitational”. Opening reception is this Saturday Sep 13th from 6-9pm, and the exhibition will run until Sep 29th. Featuring 30 artists from the Hudson Valley, the show is an ambitious representation of the the current art and artists that live and work in the valley, and I’m really excited to be included in the show.

Two of my images have been selected , though only one will be on display: Storm Clouds Over Mohonk, and Winter’s Warmth. It should be a great experience, and as always please stop in if you are in the area.

It’s been a very busy month with several art shows including Garrison, New Paltz, and Glastonbury, CT. But as I mentioned in a recent post, I did manage to get away to the western Adirondacks with my family for some canoe camping and photography. Here are some of my better images from the trip, and I’ll be printing some of these soon for upcoming shows. I’ll be heading up to this area again in a few weeks for the wonderful colors that make Autumn my favorite time of year.

I’m very happy to see that two of my images have been used in a full page ad placed by Con Edison in todays New York Daily News (page 43). I’ve seen and read this paper since early childhood having grown up in NYC, and I never imagined seeing my photographs in print. The color ad promotes the natural beauty of the Hudson Valley, as well as the work Scenic Hudson does to preserve and protect much of this area. It looks great, and I hope it gets the message out about how important preservation is for us and future generations.

It’s ironic that Scenic Hudson was founded to fight against plans by utility Con Edison to cut away part of Storm King Mountain near the river and build a pump storage power generator back in 1965. But at least all ended well and we can all agree on a common cause. I am humbled once again in being able to make a very small contribution, but equally motivated to continue to capture the landscapes around me in ways that bring appreciation to others.