Tag: black and white

Categories
destination nevada printmaking Products

Wild horses of Nevada – panoramic fine art print

I captured this image in May of 2021 in the Basin and Range area of Nevada. Over the following summer, between instagram and Etsy, I sold at least a dozen framed copies. Fall wedding season ramped up and so I had to take a hiatus from making frames, which meant a hiatus from Etsy. But it’s back! My store is now live and stocked, details below.

among other images, the wild horses panorama is available in two framed sizes:

  • 8×24 in a 14×30 frame
  • 12×24 in an 18×30 frame.
  • both sizes available unframed

I print with a Canon Pro10 onto Palo Duro Softgloss Rag, by RedRiver Paper. The mat board is cut by Aneila. Everything is acid free and pigment prints from this printer are considered archival. The frames are made entirely by hand, often from reclaimed wood, depending on size and type of wood.

With every print, I include a signed card with the story of the day the image was captured. The prints are numbered and signed on the margin (hidden behind the mat).

this print is available on Etsy

Categories
film Personal portraits

dreams

This image marks an important checkpoint in my walk as a professional artist. Just before I made this image, I had an amazing explosion of pre-visualizations take place in my mind’s eye. I’ve had similar experiences before, but this time, I finally felt able to direct the model [my wife], to act out what I was thinking. With very specific words, I explained the feeling that the photo should have, told her how to lean her head, where to place her hands, and adjusted everything in little increments until the image in reality and the image in my mind lined up perfectly. The awesome part is, I had spot metered on her face, set the shutter and focused before any of those artistic thoughts took place. I was prepared.

dreamy girl on swing kodak try x self developed by Virginia Wedding Photographer

Another awesome aspect of this image is that I metered, set, visualized, executed, developed and scanned all in one afternoon. There’s just something special about self developing black and white film, especially when the images on it are fresh! It’s an amazing experience watching the images roll out one by one while unwinding the reel and hanging the strip up to dry. I foresee a lot more of this in the future.

This image is titled “The Power of a Dream” not just because the mood is dreamy but because it is a dream of mine fulfilled. Years ago, I knew I wanted to eventually make images like this and I think my confidence level is finally catching up. I certainly don’t plan to become vain in any sense, as all vanity is doused by this being the only awesome image on the 36 exposure roll [in my opinion]. But this result speaks to me with much volume: if you have a dream, chase it. Be responsible while you chase it, but don’t let it get away. I have had my eyes set on becoming a better photographer and I truly feel like I am growing every day.

Categories
104 Experiment Personal

013 – The Fourth Dimension

 

long shadow from a fork from the evening sun

Sometimes, an image doesn’t need an explanation.

exposure time: 1/40

f-number: f/8.0

ISO:50

focal-length: 50mm

equipment: Canon 5D Mark II with 50mm f/1.4 USM

software: Adobe Lightroom 3 and Photoshop Elements 6

 

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104 Experiment Personal

104 Experiment – Image 009 – The Shop

The Shop

 

mysterious black and white image of a cluttered workshop with a window and a clock

I made this image last December during my monthlong obsession with the shop. The lighting is always so low key and mysterious in there!

Aesthetic Elements

I’m just going to point out a few things about this photo that I like. First off, the light coming through the window gets to the edges of nearby objects with lots of intensity, but falls off fast. I really like that in a photo, because it makes for very defined and obvious edges. Next, I like the restfulness of the image. The repeating pattern of horizontal and vertical lines make it very “rectangular” feeling, which to me is restful, as opposed to diagonal. I also see the entire greyscale in this image, from the bottomless void of black under the counter to the heaven-like whiteness of the window, it’s all there. There are lots of interesting textures that I see. The fan cage is nice. The smoothness of the ceiling contrasts the clutter. The closet curtain on the right is very 3-D. The clamps lined up in front of the curtain are very contrasty.

Metaphorical Elements

And then I notice the clock, hiding in the shadows on the left. Especially being in the shadows, could it symbolize that time is not considered in this environment? But why even include the clock if it’s not considered? Though time can be ignored [to a certain extent], it’s always there, happening, passing, making people and things age, whether ignored or not, like a train with no brakes. Even when full attention is given to a task, at some point it will be time to stop for the day. The other symbolism that I see with time is the location of the clock. It can be pushed off to the side of the work/play area, relocating it to the boundaries of perception, but that’s as far as it goes. To the edge, but not past, because we’re always going to be subject to it. Could life be possible without time? I don’t think so. So without time, maybe there would be no life at all. The consequence is simply this: our time bombs are ticking away.

exposure time: 1/15

f-number: f/4.0

ISO:100

focal-length: 28mm [effectively 45mm on this camera]

equipment: Canon T2i with 28mm f/2.8 USM

software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0

 

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104 Experiment Personal

104 Experiment – Image 007 – Nebulous

Nebulous

 

black and white image of a field disappearing into the morning mist with a bird flying minimalist photography

Nebulous (adj) – in the form of a cloud or haze

My original vision was to make an image of a field disappearing into the morning fog. A bird flew into the frame just as I pressed the shutter, so I took another right away. In my opinion, the image with the bird is better, because the bird makes such a stark contrast to the rest of the image, breaking the smooth pattern of grass and fog.

exposure time: 1/2000

f-number: f/1.6

ISO:50

focal-length: 50mm

equipment: Canon 5D Mark II with 50mm f/1.4 USM

software: Adobe Lightroom

 

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104 Experiment Personal

104 Experiment – Image Number 005 – Mixer

Mixer

 

guy mixing the sound at Aletheia church of Harrisonburg Virginia handheld low light shot in black and white

I’ve been eying the light spill from the window in the background of this photo ever since Aletheia moved to the new location. I knew it would be perfect backlighting for something or someone when the lights are dimmed for worship. Yesterday my vision became reality.

I was able to use a technique that I learned by photographing weddings for this photo. I wanted a relatively low ISO, so I chose 320. I also wanted shallow depth of field, so I went with f/1.6. Where did that leave the shutter speed for a proper low key exposure? 1/13 handheld. I held my breath, pressed the button halfway to focus (yes I autofocus), and waited for the perfect expression with the least amount of movement. This time, the wait was only about five seconds, as the mixer seemed to freeze in place for a second while he sang along with the band. I often end up holding my breath way longer than I should and my muscles start trembling. That’s when I feel like I’m really instinctively practicing good technique, when it overrides my instinct to breathe regularly.

exposure time: 1/13

f-number: f/1.6

ISO speed:320

focal-length: 50mm

equipment: Canon 5D and Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM

software: Adobe Lightroom

 

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