Steve Cole, a photographer based in Washington, recently attended two of my digital image developing classes in Bend, Oregon. Steve is serious about photography and has spent a lot of time researching techniques and developing his skills. He drove to Bend from Seattle hoping that he could add some new techniques and skills to his repertoire.
Steve, it turns out, is also a very good writer. After the class he was motivated to pen a detailed review of the classes. His description of what goes on during the class and what content was covered is better than I could do myself. For a well written, unsolicited overview of what we were up to in Bend I encourage you to give Steve’s article a read.
Here is a short excerpt. “So were the two classes worth it? Without hesitation, I can say YES. From the minute you first meet him, Sean is friendly and engaging without any elitism or arrogance. He is just a guy who is passionate about nature and photography and who doesn’t love that? Before becoming a “pro” photographer 8 years ago, Sean was a middle school teacher and that really shows in his ability to teach and explain concepts.”
As Steve says in the article, I haven’t yet scheduled these classes again in the near future. If you have a venue and a group of 10 to 15 people who are interested give me a call.
One of the mindsets that guides my photography is that the human eye and the camera don’t experience the world in the same way. Photographs are more limited than human sight in many ways, but can also see in ways that we can not. It is my goal to understand what the camera sees so I can manipulate and coax it to capture a photograph that reconciles with my own view of the landscape. To some this goes against tradition. We have been conditioned to believe that a photograph portrays, or at least should portray, an accurate record of the world and we must accept what the camera gives us. In truth, the very act of taking a photograph significantly alters a scene from how we perceive it in any number of ways. I’m less interested in the literal and more interested in what I can communicate and create. Artists have always endeavored to express themselves, their experiences and their impressions through their medium. A camera is a tool to do just that, to paint an artistic vision of the world. I want to capture something that excites me and hopefully resonates with others. In a recent interview my friend, professional musician and fellow photographer, Chip Phillips said, “The main thing to make the [musical] performance successful is to stir up an emotional response in the listener, and the same is true with a photograph.”
Both the way that we capture and develop our images have entered a new and exciting phase. Early on I embraced the changes digital technology brought to the art form. The digital age has allowed photographers to overcome many shortcomings and limitations of cameras that have frustrated them from the beginning. The new tools of photography enable me to be more creative and to express my experiences and vision more fully than ever before. I will always be fan and a student of traditional landscape and nature photography, venturing into the land to work with the raw materials of light, form, color and texture. And while the photographic tools and techniques are evolving, the motivation and the thought processes of the nature photographer remain unchanged. If anything, I find that it is more important than ever to be on top of my game. It takes skill in traditional photography techniques as well as skill in digital developing to get my images to approach what I hope for them.
There are those who worry that digital photography has lowered the bar. I can say my experience has been just the opposite. All the principles of light and composition continue to apply and proper camera technique is still essential. In fact, the way that I work with the camera in the field these days is more involved and creative than it ever could have been with film. I shoot thinking several steps ahead to how I will want to develop the image later on. In just a few seconds I might capture a range of frames utilizing different exposures, apertures and focal points in order to collect all the visual information in the scene I’ll need to develop the finished piece. Learning how to think and work with so many variables while simultaneously pre-visualizing the future processing has been far more interesting and challenging than working within the confines of a single frame of film ever was. Far from being a shortcut or a creativity killer, digital photography allows us to express a new and exciting vision, not unlike the way film photography did when it was introduced over a century ago.
For further musings on the topics of photography, artistic expression and where current digital developing techniques come to bare I would point you toward Guy Tal’s recent article: Lie Like You Mean It.
There are so many great activities one can be involved in in life. For many of us, one of those activities is the magic of exploring the world with our cameras in hand, capturing moments and trying to make lasting memories of the scenes that impress upon us.
In my photography I am aware that the human eye and the camera don’t see the world in the same way. Photographs are more limited than human sight in some ways, but can also see in other ways that we can not. Since its invention we have been conditioned to accept that photography portrays a “literal” record of the world. However, as an artist, I’m less interested in the literal and more interested in how I can communicate my own experience and personal artistic vision. Artists have always endeavored to express themselves, their experiences and their impressions through their medium. My challenge is to use the camera to do just that, to paint an artistic vision of the world as I see it. I strive to do it well enough that it resonates with others.
I am a fan of traditional landscape and nature photography. I derive great pleasure from venturing into the land and working with the raw materials of natural light, form, color and texture. The earth is my palette. But I also want to go beyond photography as a mere technical pursuit or objective record of natural history. In my photos I struggle to express something beyond a literal representation of the scene. Through the use of traditional photography techniques as well as careful digital developing I struggle to project my own human impressions, experiences and imagination. I hope that those who view my images are able to experience the same sense of adventure, mystery, drama, exploration and beauty that I do when I am out in the world.
Photography has entered a new and exciting era. Early on I embraced the changes digital technology brought to the art form. The digital age has allowed photographers to overcome many shortcomings and limitations of cameras that have frustrated them from the beginning. It is an exciting time to be a landscape artist. The new tools of photography enable me to be more creative and to express my experiences and vision more fully than ever before.
For those wondering if digital cameras have lowered the bar in photography, I can say my experience has been just the opposite. All the principles of light and composition continue to apply and proper camera technique is still essential. In fact, the way that I work with the camera in the field these days is more involved and creative than it ever was or could have been with film. I shoot thinking several steps ahead to how I will want to develop the image later on. In just a few seconds I might capture a range of frames utilizing different exposures, apertures and focal points in order to collect all the visual information in the scene I’ll need to develop the finished piece. Learning how to think and work with so many variables while simultaneously pre-visualizing the future processing has been far more interesting and challenging than working within the confines of a single frame of film ever was. Far from being a shortcut and creativity killer, digital photography allows us to express a new and exciting vision, not unlike the way film photography did when it was introduced over a century ago.
Mexico is one of my favorite places to travel and photograph. Although it has recently been getting negative media coverage for events occurring mostly in cities near the US border related to drug trafficking issues, my experience is that many areas in Mexico pose minimal risk for travelers; certainly less risk than places within the United States. Millions of Americans live in cities with higher crime and violence rates than the places I visit in Mexico. Americans think very little of visiting places such as Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC. However, I do meet people from other countries who avoid visiting those cities based on what they see on TV.
In the past couple of years I have traveled to and photographed several locations in Mexico in which I felt very safe and saw no signs of the problems being reported in the news. Some of the locations in Mexico that I have been to recently can be seen in my Mexico photo galleries including Guanajuato, Sayulita, Puerto Escondido, Mineral de Pozos and San Miguel de Allende.
Most recently I spent eight days traveling extensively through southern Baja California. I passed through several towns including La Paz, Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose Del Cabo, Santiago and La Ventana while scouting for a photography workshop that I’ll be leading with professional photographers David M. Cobb and Christian Heeb in November of 2011. The remote end of the finger of land known as the Baja Peninsula is further from the troubles of northern Mexico than many places in the US. Largely uninhabited, Baja presents an otherworldly desert landscape filled with towering cardon cactus and bordered by the achingly clear turquoise waters of the Sea of Cortez. The lifestyle we found there was very relaxed and peaceful. The small but well maintained two lane roads through the desert had very little traffic and the people were gracious and welcoming. Very few places I have visited have felt as safe or as accessible.
The best part of the trip was the variety of new and different subjects to photograph which are not part of my familiar NW landscapes. The other best part was the fact that in November, when my home town is engulfed in freezing fog and rain, the weather was about as perfect as it could be. It was comfortably cool at night, warming up to the high 80’s during the day with relatively low humidity for the latitude. The crystal clear water of the Sea of Cortez was the temperature of a heated swimming pool.
The entire Gulf of California was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2005. One of the highlights was hiring small fishing boats to take us out to some of the nearby islands, most notably Isla Espiritu Santo, but also Isla Cerralvo. These islands have been protected as wilderness and are teaming with wildlife, both above and below the sea. If you have ever seen photos of cactus perched above pristine turquoise bays there is a good chance it was on Espiritu Santo. This may also be one of the few places where you can easily snorkel with sea lions and sea lion pups without need of a wet suit.
The most intimidating place in southern Baja I visited was Cabo San Lucas and that was almost entirely due to the Americans spilling out of cruise ships, visiting dance clubs, chartering fishing boats and building mansions on precipitous cliff above the sea. At one time the landscape at the southern most point of Baja must have been a true natural wonder, but now it is almost completely developed. Still, the beaches and rocky cliffs at Land’s End are so beautiful that they are worth seeing and photographing even in their current state of development. The towering arch on the southern most tip known as El Arco is a wonder to behold.
We discovered a wonderful Oasis in Cabo, Los Milagros hotel. The quiet garden courtyard setting, attractive rooms and friendly owner made it hard to believe it was located in the center of Cabo. We are making a point to stay at Los Milagros with the photography workshop next year. We also found similar quiet, friendly and comfortable lodging at el Angel Azul in La Paz and at the Ventana Bay Resort in La Ventana.
One of the highlights of the trip was photographing the Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead celebrations in La Paz. This Mexican festival held in Early November honors and remembers those who have died. While the Day of the Dead is not nearly as popular in Baja as it is in other parts of the country, La Paz has a wonderful event at the city’s outdoor theater that features a beauty pageant, dancing, poetry readings and theatrical performances. The colors, lights and costumes all made for some great photo opportunities and a true departure from my normal nature focus. We are timing the 2011 workshop to allow us to photograph this event again.
Even though I had wanted to travel to southern Baja for some time, the experience exceeded my expectations. It provided a near perfect combination of safety, adventure, culture, comfort, weather, great people and photographic interest. With at least three more months of hard winter weather coming up here in the NW I’m already anticipating my next visit. Perhaps the best part will be the opportunity to share it with the photographers who join us for the workshop. No matter where these workshops take me it’s always with a great groups of folks who enjoy expanding their photography skills and having a rip roaring good time.
I’m excited to announce two new workshops I will be offering in 2010. These one-day workshops will focus on digital workflow and improving your photo processing skills. The first workshop will cover intermediate level techniques and the second workshop will be delve into more advanced techniques. Both workshops will be held in beautiful Ashland, Oregon. Read below for more information.
Taking Your Photo Processing To The Next Level (Intermediate)
Where: Guanajuato Room, Ashland Public Library, Ashland, Oregon
Tuition: $120.00
Join award-winning outdoor photographer, Sean Bagshaw, for an informative day-long workshop in the art of processing images in the digital darkroom. This workshop is for those who want to expand their knowledge of Photoshop CS and learn new techniques for getting the very best out of their digital photographs.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, clickHERE. (This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing I workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
This is an intermediate-level class for those who already use, or plan to use, Photoshop CS as part of their digital photography workflow. This class is appropriate for current users of Lightroom, Aperture or Photoshop Elements who want to extend their processing options through the use of Photoshop CS. It is also a great class for those who are already using Photoshop CS but would like to become more comfortable in the program, improve their current workflow, and learn more about working with adjustment layers and layer masks.
To get the most out of this workshop, you should already know how to:
~Download images to your computer
~View and organize images in an image editor such as Lightroom, Bridge or Aperture.
~Open an image into Photoshop CS (download the free 30-day trial from Adobe.com if needed).
~Make basic adjustments to images for color, contrast, sharpness, etc.
~Use the basic Photoshop tools such as crop, magic wand, brush, lasso, clone, etc.
Topics this workshop will cover:
~Basic RAW image adjustments before opening into Photoshop.
~Selecting the best color space and bit depth.
~Non-destructive Photoshop workflow including basic cloning, perspective control, color balance, contrast, localized creative ~adjustments and prepping images for web and print.
~How to understand and use layers and masks for the greatest non-destructive creative control in your image processing.
~Basic techniques for bringing out the light and drama in your digital images.
~Soft proofing for best print output.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, click HERE. This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing I workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
Taking Your Photo Processing To The Next Level (Advanced)
Where: Guanajuato Room, Ashland Public Library, Ashland, Oregon
Tuition: $120.00
Join award-winning outdoor photographer, Sean Bagshaw, for a day-long workshop in the advanced digital photo processing techniques he uses to help make his landscape, nature and travel photographs possible. This workshop will cover advanced techniques using Photoshop CS, as well as a few other image processing programs, that give an amazing amount of creative control to photographers in expressing their artistic vision making it possible to create images that previously were not possible.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, click HERE. (This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing II workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
This is an advanced-level workshop intended for those who already use Photoshop CS to some extent and are familiar with the many of the software’s tools, palettes and adjustments as well as how to work with layers and masks. This workshop is appropriate for people who have taken Sean’s intermediate-level photo processing workshop and are comfortable with that information. It is also appropriate for those who use Photoshop CS on a regular basis, are familiar with layers and masks, and want to add some new techniques to their current workflow.
To get the most out of this workshop you should already know how to:
~Make basic RAW image adjustments before opening into Photoshop.
~Select the appropriate color space and bit depth.
~Utilize a non-destructive Photoshop workflow including basic cloning, perspective control, color balance, contrast, localized creative adjustments and prepping images for web and print.
~Use layers and masks for the greatest non-destructive creative control in your image processing.
Topics this workshop will cover:
~Luminosity masking for targeted tonal adjustments.
~Using blending modes for creative dramatic effect.
~Techniques for drawing viewers into an image.
~Non-destructive techniques for localized dodging and burning.
~Various techniques for blending multiple images using layer masks.
~Blending double processed RAW images for extended dynamic range.
~Blending multiple exposures for extended dynamic range.
~Using channel layers to create highly detailed masks for blending and selections.
~Comparing exposure blending with different HDR software options.
~Demonstration of the NIK Viveza, Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro plugins.
To register for this workshop:
To pay by credit card, click HERE. (This is a secure site.) To pay by check: Make your check payable to Darlene Kruse, note that it is for the Post-Processing II workshop, and mail to Darlene at P. O. Box 1004, Ashland, OR 97520. Please include your email address and contact telephone number.
I am very proud and honored to be a member of Photo Cascadia, a group of talented photographers from the Pacific Northwest who are now pooling their vision, knowledge and imagery to inspire others to learn, create and explore. The group includes Kevin McNeal, David Cobb, Chip Phillips, Adrian Klein, Zack Schnepf and myself. I am very privileged to be associated with such accomplished and creative individuals who are helping to push the boundaries and recreate the art of outdoor photography.
This is our announcement video that is being released around the web:
So, what exactly is Photo Cascadia? Photo Cascadia is a team of six of the Northwest’s best outdoor photographers who were brought together by their mutual passion for pushing the envelope in creating powerful fine art photographs of the natural world. Photo Cascadia forms a platform from which we can have a meeting of the minds and a way to a share our imagery, knowledge, experience and vision. Our goals are to promote conservation, provide learning opportunities for aspiring photographers, be a valuable resource for publishers, photo buyers and photographer colleagues and to share our photographs with a large and growing audience of like minded adventurers, nature lovers, photography appreciators and art collectors.
We see great potential in the future of our collaboration. To start, Photo Cascadia will be a source of photography instruction and a place to be inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape and the need for conservation. The blog already contains a wealth of photography information and all six of us will continue to share our knowledge and passion there. The workshops and photo tours offered by members of Photo Cascadia provide another way for enthusiasts to improve their photography skills and visit some of the most spectacular wild and scenic locations in the Northwest and around the country. You can also connect with Photo Cascadia on Facebook and Flickr.
I’m looking forward to a great adventure as a member of this exciting group. I hope you will find Photo Cascadia a place to access helpful information, get inspired, appreciate natural wonder or just take a break from your day to enjoy some breath taking photography.
I will be leading or co-instructing several indoor and outdoor photography workshops during 2010. The first two that I am able to announce will be in partnership with the Best of the Northwest Photo Workshops run by David Cobb. I will be co-instructing these workshops with David and they include field work at some of Oregon’s best locations as well as indoor instruction on photography techniques and digital workflow. You get two professional instructors in one workshop! You can find more information on the Best of the Northwest Photo Workshops and register at the Best of the Northwest website. The Best of the Northwest Photo Workshops are popular and fill quickly, so register soon to reserve your spot.
Based in Coos Bay/North Bend we’ll be photographing dramatic cliffs, waterfalls, sand dunes, crashing waves, and also tidepools.
Redwood National Park & Northern California Coast
June 11-14, 2010
We’ll be photographing the spectacular giant Redwoods during the wild rhododendron bloom. We’ll also be visiting the beautiful northern California coastline.
Best of the Northwest Workshop leader David M. Cobb is a nature and wildlife photographer who has hiked and photographed throughout the world. A member of NANPA & the GWA, he is a regular contributor to a variety of gardening, lifestyle, nature, and travel publications as well as calendars, cards, books, brochures, and other printed materials. David is a genuine human encyclopedia of the best photography locations and how to photograph them. In addition to the two workshops David will be doing with me, he will also be leading a variety of other workshops in 2010 with co-instructor Jonathan Ley to locations such as Victoria, the Palouse, Crater Lake, Yellowstone and the Tetons.
Workshop space is limited and they fill quickly, so contact Best of the Northwest Photo Workshops to reserve your spot.
