Harold Davis's Blog, page 129

Eschew the Routine

Yesterday was going to be a day of routine and mundane tasks: bookkeeping, workflow management, writing business emails, and so on. As a professional photographer and artist, this stuff has to get done! But looking out at the garden, I saw a fresh crop of red poppies and some blue clematis. I knew they were doomed as the day warmed-up, so making art with the floral material was a now-or-never proposition!

Clematis, Poppies, and Butterflies © Harold Davis

With Phyllis and the kids over at the Karate Dojo, in the cool air of the morning, I cranked the music up, and arranged and photographed the flowers on my light box. I do like to play in Photoshop as well as the camera! As the day got warmer and the kids came home filling the house with laughter and chatter and happy noise, I used LAB color to invert the image, and added some butterflies and a textured background. Altogether a happy day of play at home for me!

2017 Flower Photography with Harold Davis Workshops

Since our Flower Photography workshops are so popular, we’ve opened enrollment for two new sessions:

2-Day Photographing Flowers for Transparency workshop on March 25-26, 2017
4-Day Intensive Flower Masterclass on June 22-25, 2017

(If you can’t wait until next year, there is still one spot left in the December 3-4, 2016 session of Photographing Flowers for Transparency.)

Salutation to the Sun © Harold Davis

The new Flower Photography Intensive: 4-Day Flower Photography Masterclass on June 22-25, 2017 will cover advanced topics in floral translucency, field techniques, macro photography, and topics such as focus stacking. It is designed for photographers who have already attended a Photographing Flowers for Transparency workshop (so this perquisite can be met by attending the March, 2017 or having attended an earlier session); alternatively admission is possible by portfolio review.

Cymbidium Orchid © Harold Davis

While these workshops are scheduled quite a ways in advance, please keep in mind that they will fill up quickly. Early-bird registration discounts are available. Here are the links for more information and registration (also see the workshop descriptions below):

Photography Flowers for Transparency (March 25-26, 2017; early registration discount until October 31, 2016)

Flower Photography Intensive: 4-Day Flower Photography Masterclass (June 22-25, 2017; early registration discount until January 1, 2017)

 

 

 

Photography Flowers for Transparency (March 25-26, 2017)

Master photographer Harold Davis is well-known for his often imitated—but seldom equaled—digital images of luscious transparent and translucent flowers.

In this unique workshop offering master photographer Harold Davis shows the techniques he uses to create his floral masterpieces. Arrangement, composition, photography, post-production will all be covered, as will Harold’s special techniques for shooting on a light box.

Garden Party © Harold Davis

The workshop is intended for photographers of all levels with an interest in flower photography.

Harold is only planning to give this workshop infrequently. There is no better way to learn the floral transparency techniques that he has pioneered. The multi-day format will give participants the chance to complete their imagery using the techniques that Harold will demonstrate.

Click here for registration and class curriculum.

Bougainvillea Study II © Harold Davis

Here are some comments from previous Floral Transparency Workshops:

“Loved the pace, in-depth instruction and generous sharing.”

“EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND COVERAGE OF MATERIAL. MR. DAVIS WAS PATIENT TO ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.”

“Harold, thank you for the time, expense and effort it took to put on a great workshop….You are a wealth of information and share it so graciously.”

“Outstanding workshop!”

“A very packed weekend! Harold is very clear and organized; an outstanding photographer who is also an outstanding teacher.”

Click here for registration and class curriculum.

Painting with Flowers Inverted © Harold Davis

Flower Photography Intensive: 4-Day Flower Photography Masterclass (June 22-25, 2017)

This is a four-day masterclass-level flower photography intensive intended for photographers who have already attended a previous Photographing Flowers for Transparency with Harold Davis workshop and are ready to move beyond the basics of translucent flower photography.

Alternatively, admission is possible via portfolio review if you haven’t already attended Flowers for Transparency; please contact us for the review procedure.

This workshop is limited to 14 participants.

Click here for registration.

Kiss from a Rose © Harold Davis

In this workshop, we will venture to the cutting edge of floral translucency. Flower arrangement, photography, and post-production will be explored in depth. We will also hone our macro photography techniques, and pay field visits to local gardens such as Blake Garden, the U.C. Berkeley Botanical Garden, Filoli, and San Francisco Botanical Garden. Topics covered include:

• Photographing Flowers for Transparency review and recap

• Vertical versus horizontal light box compositions

• Layering, stacking, and exposure blending

• The sophisticated layer mask

• Arranging for inversion

• LAB color effects

• Advanced backgrounds and textures

• Topaz and Nik Filters

• Advanced field flower techniques

• Macro gear and best practices

• Focus stacking

• Creating a O’Keeffe effect

• Banishing the mundane: flower photography that sings

Orchids in a Blue Bowl © Harold Davis

Well-known photographer Harold Davis is well-known for his often imitated—but seldom equaled—digital images of luscious transparent and translucent flowers, for his luscious “Georgia O’Keeffe” rose imagery, and for his overall mastery and love of all things floral and photographic.

Clematis on Black © Harold Davis

In this unique workshop offering master photographer Harold Davis shows the techniques he uses to create many of his floral masterpieces. Advanced topics in translucent light box photography will be covered in depth, along with sessions in the field to help you hone your skills and vision when photographing flowers. We’ll celebrate our work together and share the great wonder and gift for all artists that are inspired by flower photography!

Click here for registration.

Tulip Blast © Harold Davis

Dragon of the Redwoods

Wandering in a Californian coastal redwood grove in the Russian River basin, my son Julian and I came upon the roots of a downed tree that from certain angles seemed to resemble the head and jaws of a dragon. With my 15mm Zeiss lens, I positioned the camera with the sun behind the “dragon”, and stopped down (to f/22) to create a starburst effect. The colorful magical talisman in front of the dragon is an unexpected (but pleasant) surprise, the result I believe of optical refraction from internal lens elements (and, if you are wondering, definitely not “Photoshopped”).

Dragon of the Redwoods © Harold Davis

Exposure data: Nikon D810, Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 lens, eight exposures at f/22 and ISO 64, exposures from 0.3 seconds to 2 minutes, tripod mounted; exposures combined in ACR, Photoshop, and Nik HDR Efex Pro, and processed in Photoshop, Nik Color Efex, Viveza, and Topaz Adjust.

First-Order Fresnel Lens at Point Reyes Lighthouse

This is an image of the first-order Fresnel lens inside the Point Reyes Lighthouse on the western tip of Point Reyes, California. According to the Point Reyes National Seashore website, “the Fresnel lens intensifies the light by bending (or refracting) and magnifying the source light through crystal prisms into concentrated beams. The Point Reyes lens is divided into twenty-four vertical panels, which direct the light into twenty-four individual beams. A counterweight and gears similar to those in a grandfather clock rotate the 6000-pound lens at a constant speed, one revolution every two minutes. This rotation makes the beams sweep over the ocean surface like the spokes of a wagon wheel, and creates the Point Reyes signature pattern of one flash every five seconds.”

First-Order Fresnel Lens at the Point Reyes Lighthouse © Harold Davis

On Saturday evening, my Creative Landscape Photography workshop on Point Reyes was lucky enough to have the lighthouse opened for us. I shot this image handheld with my Nikon D810 and a 16mm digital fisheye lens (the interior space was pretty tight). I used auto-bracketing and burst mode. There were nine exposures, each at ISO 1250 and f/6.3, with shutter speeds ranging from 0.5 of a second to 1/500 of a second.

I combined the exposures using Nik HDR Efex Pro and Photoshop.

Some related images: Lighthouse in the Fog; Night at the Point Reyes Lighthouse; Inside the Lighthouse; Owl’s Head Light.

Light Box Floral Fun with My iPhone

Here are two new floral images shot and processed with my iPhone. Both were initially processed in Snapseed. The upper image was then put through Plastic Bullet and Lo-Mob, with the frame added in Snapseed. The bottom image is a Waterlogue.

Floral Fun © Harold Davis

iPhone Light Box #3 © Harold Davis

Study in Scarlet

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson meet for the very first time and agree to share an apartment. As new roomies, Holmes proceeds to explain his “science” of deduction and analysis, all based on the importance of accurate observation, and in the context of that ultimate scarlet liquid, blood.

My own Study in Scarlet, shown below, draws on poppies and anemones for its chromatic reference rather than sanguine fluid. However, there is something about my image that should lead to analysis and deduction following careful observation. If you think you see what I am referencing, please drop me an email with the explanation.

Study in Scarlet © Harold Davis

Garden Party

The flowers in my garden decided to have a party. The Fourth of July Roses brought the noise makers and musical instruments. The irises brought the guacamole and dip. The Papaver somniferum brought, well, what poppies usually bring to a party. The tulips were pretty in pink, and they all got together and invited some exotic tulips from the store—whose frilly edges and bright orange and yellow colors added a touch of exotic, tropical pizzazz to the melange.

Garden Party © Harold Davis

As night fell, the band played on, and the wild and crazy flower garden party got even more intense.

Garden Party Black © Harold Davis

Webinar Recording Topaz Labs Discount Code

The recording of my Travel Photography webinar for Topaz Labs will be available for replay soon on YouTube and the Topaz website. In the meantime, for the next few days, through June 20, 2016, you can use the discount code “haroldweb04” [no quotes] for a 25% discount on all products including the Complete Collection at checkout at the Topaz Labs online store.

Tulip Blast

In a week full of family activities and graduations (Julian from high school, Nicky from middle school, and Mathew from elementary school) I managed to take some time out to photograph this lovely tulip. I backlit the flower, and got close to using a macro lens and my dedicated “low boy” tripod. To view the image, I slithered down on my belly. I think of this as Yoga: the Photographer’s pose!

Tulip Blast © Harold Davis

My Son Julian’s Valedictorian Speech

My oldest son Julian graduated last week as valedictorian from Bayhill High School. If you are interested, here is the speech he made at commencement. We are very, very proud of Julian—and the hard work, personality, and perseverance that has made this possible.