Clearing Winter Storm
This morning, I saw on John Paul Caponigro’s blog a new post showing Ansel Adams’ Clearing Winter Strom. John Paul also invited people to comment on the image. I decided to write my long-winded comment here, on my site instead. After all, comments are not meant to clutter ones blog. So, here it goes. (See the photograph and JPC’s post.) Read more
Atmospheric FX by JP Caponigro
A while back I ordered one of the DVDs from John Paul Caponigro’s R/Evolution series, Atmospheric FX. Frankly, I was not quite sure what the product included and I told John at a workshop last July to explain the contents a little better. It arrived almost two months ago but I have not had a chance to open the package and see the contents until last week. I am glad I opened it. After opening it I understood that this was not a set of plugins or quick fix actions but a well narrated and demonstrated series of tutorials on variety of subjects related to the atmospherics.
I am reasonably comfortable in Photoshop and can apply a variety of complex adjustments to my images depending on my needs. When I started watching the first instructional DVD I realized two things. First, I knew all the adjustments that John was using, very little in the form of new adjustment techniques. Second, I did not know most of the ways in which he assembled them for remarkable effects. So, the value of the DVD is not in learning new adjustment tools, but in how to apply them to achieve superb control on the image. Additionally, John Paul explains and demonstrates how to bring in elements from different images to create a finished product that is compelling.
I highly recommend the product which contains three DVDs covering the topics on atmospheric perspective, fog, smoke, rays of light, snow and rain, stars, rainbows, and lightning. You will enjoy learning by watching, better yet, you will enjoy your results.
You can get more information on this and other DVDs on John Paul’s Web site.
A Wink and a Nod to JPC
During my flight to and from Salt Lake City I took many photographs from the window. Some are color photographs and others are infrared images that I took with my modified Canon G7. My main intent was, and still is, to explore the shapes and textures in the clouds and the ground. I was fascinated by seeing the shadows of the clouds and took many with the intention of exploring the clouds and the shadow they cast on the ground. I will have another posting that focuses on the shadows.
While I was processing the infrared photographs, one caught my eye with a potential to experiment with in the style of John Paul Caponigro. JPC has created a strong niche for himself with his evocative constructed images that appear to emerge from thin air. My intention here is to tip my hat to John Paul by intentionally imitating his style and images, knowing full well that my images will not show the maturity and mastery of his. If imitation is a form of flattery, I hope all the viewers will take it as such.
The following images are all derivatives from one image, except the last one which comes from a different image. I am surprised, I must admit, that one image can yield such a variety of emotions and feelings through reconstruction. I remember John talking about exploring the variations, this has been an eye opener for me. Here are my variations. I tip my hat to you John. Photography is about experimentation.
Cloud variations
Workshop
I have just finished the workshop “Fine Art of Digital Printing” with John Paul Caponigro and Mac Holbert and I cannot say enough favorable things about the whole experience. Both John and Mac are extremely knowledgeable about photography, digital workflow, Photoshop, and the printing process; I mean extremely high quality fine art printing. Read more
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