Category Archives: Workshops

Commentary, Community, News, Workshops

Michael Frye’s Weekly Photo Critique

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Michael Frye has announced at his new blog that he will be doing a weekly online photo critique. As I understand, it works like this: Readers can submit their photographs. Once a week Michael will select one and offer a detailed critique of the image, and discussion and reader participation will follow. You can read more at the link to the critique announcement above.

This sounds like a great opportunity for all, and Michael is to be commended for his generosity. (He is also to be commended for his recent embrace of online media!) Every participant to submits an image will gain from his or her own careful consideration of their own images, the selected photographer will get feedback by a fine and highly regarded photographer, and we’ll all benefit from reading and participating in the critiques. I’m very much looking forward to this!

News, Workshops

Yosemite Valley Photography Workshops: Walklet and Frye

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I see that the Ansel Adams Gallery has scheduled a couple of interesting winter season workshops.

  • Digital Printing and the Zone System With Michael Frye on January 19-23, 2010 – Michael Frye is both a well-known and highly-regarded photographer of Yosemite and other subjects and the author of the well-known guide book to photographing in the Valley.
  • Winter Light II With Keith Walklet on February 17-22, 2010. Walklet is a long-time Yosemite Park photographer whose experience and knowledge is extraordinary. (As I write this I have an mental image of him disappearing over a far ridge above upper Cathedral Lake last summer as he headed out to photograph some high, austere terrain.)

Both workshops take place during the beautiful winter season in the Valley and those trying to get “their shot” of Horsetail Fall may have a chance during Keith’s workshop in mid-late February.

Commentary, News, Shows, Workshops

Night photography news – time to catch up!

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It has been far too long since I’ve posted on the subject of night photography, one of the subjects that interests me a great deal. There is so much other stuff for me to photograph during the summer months – urban and natural landscape, “my” Sierra Nevada, the coast, and so on – that I tend to slack off on the night photography this time of year. However, as summer draws to an end, night photography is one subject that seems to increasingly begin to interest me again.

So, with that in mind, a few notes related to the subject.

Late last week fellow SF Bay Area photographer Ivan Makarov contacted me to say that he was organizing a group of photographers to do a night photography shoot at the Mare Island Naval Ship Yard. He knew that I have shot there in the past (lots of examples in my night photography gallery) and asked for some advice about access and locations. I shared with him a bit of what I know about the location and also connected him with Tim Baskerville of The Nocturnes, the SF Bay Area night photography group since Tim is our local guru of all things related to night photography. After consulting with Tim and getting permission from the folks at Mare Island, Ivan got back to me and I decided to join his group. I won’t spoil the fun by saying too much here, but I’m currently working on photographs from the outing and they will show up here in a few weeks. (Impatient readers can get an early look by checking out my Flickr stream.)

So, since the pump was primed with that bit of night photography last weekend, I’ll catch up with the night photography news.

One great source for night photography information – and especially for coverage of shows featuring night photographers – is Andy Frazer’s Night Photography Blog. Recent news at his blog includes the following:

  • An opening this week of a night photography show in Alameda featuring the work of several well-know local night photographers: Troy Paiva, Mike Hows and Joe Reifer. Follow the first link in this bullet to find more info about the location, times/dates, and the opening reception.
  • Also during the month of August Any kept up a steady stream of posts highlighting a number of compelling examples of night photography – visit the blog and take a look.

Over at The Nocturnes Night Photography Blog you’ll find some seemingly random quotations… mixed in with some very interesting posts on local night photography events and shows.

I’m hearing rumors of an upcoming Mare Island Reunion for previous participants in The Nocturnes workshops. If you are a  past Nocturnes participant and you haven’t heard from Tim… you might want to check this out.

Finally, if you are looking for some information on how to do night photography, let me point out two resources:

  • The Nocturnes web site is the portal to a ton of information on the subject, ranging from technique to photographer to workshop opportunities. I strongly recommend that you visit!
  • For a very quick list of some basic considerations for night photography, take a look at my own Hints for Night Photography post.
Community, Workshops

A couple of interesting workshop announcements

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From The Ansel Adams Gallery Blog – Making a Photograph: From Field to Print with Charles Cramer and Keith Walklet

This 2-day lecture/demonstration July 18 & 19 presents highlights from the 3-5 day workshops that Walklet and Cramer present for the Ansel Adams Gallery. Participants will learn valuable insights on photographing in the field, exposure of film and digital captures, and creating effective compositions, plus techniques that allow you to optimize these images to their fullest potential using Lightroom and Photoshop, all leading to the creation of compelling prints. This course will “open your eyes” to imagine the many possibilities within your image.

Rooms in Yosemite Valley are available for this workshop, but you must register by June 15th to reserve one.

I know Charlie and can confirm that he has a ton of useful information and insights to convey, and that he knows how to present them. I’ve only met Keith once… on the trail… last summer, when I briefly visited the two of them and a couple other photographers who were working out of Booth Lake near the Vogelsang High Sierra Camp. I first encountered Keith while I was photographing near Townsley Lake and I saw what looked to be a heavily-laden backpacker approaching – but it was just Keith carrying a giant load of photo equipment. (If I understood correctly, he was using a full DSLR system, a full MF digital system, and LF film… in the backcountry. Sheesh!)

Also…

Gary Crabbe announces a Photo Business Workshop in Utah

I’m very pleased to announce that I will be co-teaching a workshop on The Business of Outdoor and Nature Photography in conjunction with fellow photographer Charlie Borland and Aspen Photo Workshops. The workshop will be held November 5th through 8th, 2009 at Ruby’s Inn & Conference Center near Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Joining us will be Marv Johnson, CEO of the online stock agency, Fogstock.

The focus of this workshop is about business, and takes place during the day, so photographers are free to shoot during the sweet light hours. As many people will know, Ruby’s Inn is within a few minutes drive of Bryce Canyon National Park, famous for it’s geology and wildly-shaped hoodoos.