Harold Davis's Blog, page 169

Great Hall Heidelberg University

The Great Hall is Heidelberg University’s magnificent historic auditorium, located on the first floor of the old University building in the old part of Heidelberg. It’s in the same building that houses the Heidelberg Student Jail.

Great Hall Heidelberg University © Harold Davis

When my local friend took me to see the old University building, the attendant told us that the Great Hall was closed to the public as they were preparing for an event “unless one of you is press.” I reached for my wallet, and started to pull out my Nikon Professional Services (NPS) card—not exactly press, but good enough I guess to get us into the Great Hall!

Cinque Terre one of the best places to photograph in the world

According to the Photoshelter blog, Cinque Terre in Italy is one of the 24 best places to photograph worldwide (along with Havana, Cuba, the Wave in Arizona and Marrakesh, Morocco, etc). Photoshelter quotes photographer Inge Johnsson, “Cinque Terre is such an inspiring place to both visit and photograph. It’s the perfect marriage of landscape and architecture with its dramatic cliffs hugging the ocean, and the buildings in turn hugging the cliffs. And then there is the unbelievable palette of colors on the buildings, the Mediterranean waters, and even the foods. No matter which of the five towns you find yourself in…there are always photographic subjects wherever you look and whatever the time of the day.”

Check out the 24 Best Places to Photograph Worldwide (opens in a new window). Although I have photographed in many of the locations on this list, definitely Cinque Terre is on my photographic “bucket list.”

Please consider joining me to photograph Cinque Terre in October, 2015. Click here for the Prospectus and Itinerary, and here for Registration details & instructions.

Pilgrimage to Rocamadour

High above a tributary of the Lot River in the Dordogne Department in southwestern France, Rocamadour has attracted pilgrims for centuries. The town sits below an ecclesiastical complex of monastic buildings and pilgrimage churches. These days, there’s an elevator between the town level and the shrine level, but some pilgrims still complete their pilgrimages in the traditional way, by climbing on their knees up the Grand Escalier—Grand Stairway–shown in this image.

Grand Escalier, Rocamadour © Harold Davis

In this photo you see a row of tourist restaurants to the right of the stairs. There are also hotels (I stayed at one, and it was very nice) and souvenir shops. This probably hasn’t changed much over time, when similar services were needed by the pilgrims who’ve flocked to Rocamadour since medieval times.

I’m struck by how similar the concept of ritual, religious tourism is centers in Japan such as Koya-san and Nachi-san. Although undoubtedly the stone-bound setting from medieval France is far more grim.

If you climb up the Grand Escalier—on your knees or otherwise—here’s the view you’ll see of the towering, militarized religious complex.

The Citadel of Rocamadour © Harold Davis

Here are two iPhone images of the same location:

Pilgrim Stairs © Harold Davis

Sanctuary © Harold Davis

New Harold Davis posters from Editions Limited

I am very pleased to have a new series of fine art posters based on my work published by Editions Limited. There are four botanical images, and two landscapes from the Kumano kodo pilgrimage trail on the Kii peninsula in Japan.

Nature’s Palette, art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Tulip Panorama art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Tulips 1 art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Tulips 2 art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Misty Mountains art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku Po art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Dasha

I photographed the beautiful model Dasha as part of my Multiple Exposures sequence in Variations, I never know which me, Quo Vadis and Dance of the Seven Veils. I was asked recently whether I had any images of Dasha that weren’t part of a multiple exposure sequence. Well, of course I do. This one was supposed to be part of a multiple exposure, but I forgot to set the camera to combine the images, so I got eight individual exposures—also explaining the in-motion look of the model.

Dasha © Harold Davis

Exposure and post-production information: Photographed against a black background using studio strobes, Nikon D810, Otus 55mm f/1.4, at 1/160 of a second and f/8 using ISO 100, post-processed to black & white using Nik Silver Efex Pro and the Infrared preset as a Photoshop Black & White Adjustment Layer. I then added Flypaper Etched Copper from the Metallic collection as a texture overlay, and reconverted (converted a second time) to black and white.

Botanique on exhibit at Awagami Gallery

I am honored that my limited edition artist book of botanical art, Botanique, and several of my prints are on exhibit at Awagami in Japan.

Awagami Factory: Harold Davis’ prints on AIJP coupled with his book dossier

We do have a few copies of Botanique remaining, starting at number 16 (out of an edition of 25). Please contact my studio if you are interested.

Blind

Photography is about light. You can’t photograph an actual thing, only the light reflected or emitted by the thing. What does this come down to at its irreducible minimum?

Blind © Harold Davis

Perhaps it is bright morning sunlight coming through a “Venetian” blind, leaving only darkness and light in its wake—and us to consider grace, being blind and then seeing and the fact that one does not have to travel far to find photographic material that is of interest. One only needs to shift the way one sees that small amount to find the wonder in the ordinary that is always around us.

Capturing hand held using a Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 at 1/250 of a second, f/11 and ISO 400 (underexposed according to the light meter by about 3 EV).

Please keep in mind my series of webinar recordings, including most recently Converting to Black & White and Making Memorable Travel Photos.

Exhibition in Heidelberg, Germany

I am very excited to be exhibiting at Arts & Friends, a photography gallery in Heidelberg, Germany. The show is Harold Davis: An Eclectic Collection. The exhibition title suits me fine because I am definitely eclectic in my photographic tastes!

My understanding is that there will be two really large prints, one on Slickrock Silver and one on metallic pearl. There are roughly twenty other prints in the show of varying sizes, printed on Awagami Kozo washi, Slickrock pearl and Lasal Exhibition Fiber. All the prints are monochromatic. Special thanks to my sponsor Moab Paper, who has helped to make this exhibition possible, and to Zeiss whose fine lenses I used for most of the work in this show.

My exhibit runs from October 18 through November 16, 2014. If you happen to be in Germany, the opening is on Saturday October 18 at 6PM. Here’s the invitation card:

 

Variations

Here are some variations on I never know which me. The upper variation has been flipped, and a texture added to make the model appear to be coming out of the background. The lower variation has been converted to black and white.

Pygmalion Redux © Harold Davis

This is an in-camera multiple exposure, consisting of ten individual exposures combined in the camera. I used a Nikon D810 mounted on a tripod with a Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens. The background was black seamless paper, and two studio strobes triggered by wireless were used for lighting.

Black and White Variation © Harold Davis

For the entire cycle of images see Multiple Exposures.

Credits—Model: Dasha, Studio: The Lighthouse Berkeley.

Early Registration Workshop Discounts Ending Soon

Early registration discounts for these 2015 workshops are ending in a few days (discounts end on October 15):

Three-day weekend workshop, Friday February 20 – Sunday February 22, 2015— Night Photography in San Francisco , click here for registration (early registration pricing through 10/15/14).
Weekend Workshop, March 14-15, 2015– Black & White Masterclass , weekend workshop, click here for registration (early registration pricing through 10/15/14).
Weekend Workshop, May 9-10, 2015— The Creative Portfolio Workshop , click here for registration (early-registration pricing through 10/15/14).

Please take $50 off the tuition for each workshop if you register before October 15, 2014.

Early registration helps us plan our schedule and make the necessary arrangements to hold workshop space. If you are thinking of one of these workshops, please help us by registering now, and accept the $50 discount as a small token of our thanks.

Cable Car Wheels © Harold Davis

Also, please consider joining an international group of photographers with me when we explore the Sea-Girt Villages of Italy in October, 2015.