Harold Davis's Blog, page 34

Photographing Flowers for Transparency Workshop Sept 25-26 Live! In-Person!

2021 Photographing Flowers for Transparency with Harold Davis (Weekend Workshop) | LIVE and IN-PERSON

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, 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.

There is no better way to learn the floral transparency techniques that Harold Davis has pioneered. The multi-day format will give participants the chance to complete their imagery using the techniques that Harold will demonstrate, with input and help from “the master”. We will follow up with an online Zoom session for further critique and help with work. Click here to read more and for the curriculum!

Where: Berkeley, CA (see notes in the full listing)

When: Saturday Sept 25 – Sunday Sept 26, 2021

Tuition: $1195 (early bird discount of $200 applies until June 30)

Special Feature: We will follow-up with a Zoom webinar approximately two weeks from the workshop to showcase and critique participant work (and to help with any problems).

Workshop size: Maximum of 14 photographers

To register: Visit the listing on Meetup to register using Paypal (by RSVPing YES), or contact us for direct registration by check or credit card. Please do contact us if you need help with registration, or have any questions.

Click here to read more and for the curriculum.

Celebrating with a Portfolio Discount

We are celebrating the first vaccination of our youngest member, and the partial end to face masks as we have known them, with a discount offer on our three portfolios of $100 on each portfolio. We’ll also throw in free shipping in the continental US. Please contact me if you are interested in collecting one of our portfolios.

Botanique: current price of this edition is $1,950 (less the $100 discount). There are only three left at this price. Click here for the video of Botanique, and here for more information about the limited edition.Monochromatic Visions: current price of this edition is $1,200 (less the $100 discount). There are only two left at this price. Click here for the video of Monochromatic Visions, and here for more information about the limited edition.A Modern Pilgrimage | Along the Kumano Kodo: current price of this edition is $1,150 (less the $100 discount). There are only two left at this price. Click here for the video of A Modern Pilgrimage | Along the Kumano Kodo, and here for more information about the limited edition.

*The fine print (so to speak): This is a one-time discount, subject to change without notice. These are small, limited editions, and once they are gone, they are gone.

Monochromatic Visions Portfolio prints © Harold Davis

Pandemic Prints await shipping

Most of the special Pandemic Prints that have been ordered are printed, cured, and signed, and only await shipping (see photo). (The special offer for these prints ended May 1, 2021.)

Thanks everyone, and thanks especially if you ordered a print for your patience, as it has taken us a while to get these prints made! I think they look beautiful, and if you are expecting a print, I hope you like yours as well.

Pandemic Prints Await Shipping © Harold Davis

Matilija Poppies

The Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri) is native to California, with a range from Mexico through northern California. This is a drought tolerant species that can be somewhat invasive once established—but, lordy, does one love being invaded by the Matilija with its big, translucent white flower petals, and yellow stamen cores that have been likened to a hard-boiled egg yolk.

Two other fun Matilija facts: the sap of the Matilija is highly poisonous, and the flower (genus Romneya) was named in the Linaean taxonomic system for Irish astronomer John Thomas Romney Robinson (1792-1882). There’s clearly an interesting tangent here, because Robinson was a good friend of Charles Babbage, and there is some evidence that a conversation between the two of them may have helped to spark the idea for Babbage’s Difference Engine (a forerunner of the modern computer).

Tangents aside, I love to create images on my light box that overlay the translucent Matilija with more colorful flowers, as you can see from the sequence below, and also in Matilija Poppies and Mallows and Matilija Poppies and Friends (among many others).

The Right to Assemble © Harold Davis

Matilija Poppy © Harold Davis

Let Poppies Reign Forever © Harold Davis

From Blossom to Art Webinar on Saturday May 15, 2021

Please consider joining us for One Flower, One Garden, One World | From Blossom to Art, a live Zoom webinar on Saturday May 15, 2021 at 11am PT.

Click here for registration, here for more info, here for our Workshops & Events, and here for Webinar recordings.

Details: In this unique and detailed presentation, Harold Davis will take you along his garden path to show you some of his favorite flowers for translucent photography in high Spring bloom. From the garden, the next step is onto the light box, where Harold will discuss and demonstrate some of the archetypes of floral composition. The webinar will continue with a demonstration of actual exposure of a high-key sequence on a light box, and conclude with post-production in the Photoshop darkroom.

Folks have asked for it, and here it is! One image from start to finish: from flower pot, to light box, to post-production. Fasten your seat belts, because it is going to be a fun ride!

There will be ample time for Q&A.

We look forward to “seeing” you there!

Click here for registration, here for more info, here for our Workshops & Events, and here for Webinar recordings.

Creating Your Signature Style Webinar

What: Creating Your Signature Style

When: Saturday August 14, 2021 at 11AM PT.

Where: Zoom authenticated registration and a tuition payment of $29.95 is required for enrollment in each session. Seating is limited. The registration link is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yibm5QbnQOeU7UPSzC8e8g

Details: In a world deluged with images, some stand out. A very few select photographers have an iconic look and signature style. We recognize the work of these artists anywhere. How do these photographers create a recognizable and individual style? Harold’s light box flower photography is one example of this.

In this webinar you will discover:

What makes photographs special?How do you cultivate an individual style?Believing in your own visionLearning not to listenValidation is for parking tickets

Becoming an artist takes time, patience, dedication, and a certain blessed kind of stubbornness that comes from belief in one’s own vision. Creating Your Signature Style will help you assemble a toolkit to get you there!

Some Fine Poppies © Harold Davis

Webinar participants are encouraged to share some of their own work for constructive feedback. Pick images that best represent your journey towards an individual style. 

Click here for registration.

Who should attend: All photographers interested in creating a unique personal style so they can work towards becoming a more powerful artist.

Note that by participating in this webinar you are authorizing your likeness and your work to appear in the video recording, which will be posted on public websites such as YouTube.

Number of Seats and Tuition: Zoom authenticated registration and a tuition payment of $29.95 is required for enrollment in this webinar.  Seating (on a first come, first served basis) is limited. You must register via Zoom to be enrolled in this webinar! The registration link is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yibm5QbnQOeU7UPSzC8e8g

Poppy Extravaganza © Harold Davis

About Harold Davis: Harold Davis is an artist, photographer, educator, and the  bestselling author of many books, including most recently Creative Garden Photography from Rocky Nook. He is the developer of a unique technique for photographing flowers for transparency, a Moab Master, and a Zeiss Ambassador. He is an internationally known photographer and a sought-after workshop leader. His website is www.digitalfieldguide.com.

The Blossfeldt Effect Webinar

What: The Blossfeldt Effect

When: Saturday June 12, 2021 at 11AM PT.

Where: Zoom authenticated registration and a tuition payment of $29.95 is required for enrollment in each session. Seating is limited. The registration link is https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WdzXDLdfQ0Gs1dnzjuj08Q

Details: Karl Blossfeldt (1866-1932) began his career at a decorative ironwork manufacturer. He was assigned the task of creating reference botanical photographs to use for wrought iron designs. Eventually, his iconic botanical images became celebrated in their own right, and today he is known as one of history’s foremost botanical photographers.

Harold has long been fascinated by Blossfeldt’s botanical imagery and has developed a set of techniques for emulating the beautiful photographs of this master. Some of Harold’s work in homage to Blossfeldt has even been mistaken for the real thing! You can check out a portfolio of Harold’s prints after Blossfeldt on Saatchi Art. 

Click here to read more, and here to register for this webinar!

Papaver Pod from above © Harold Davis

Falling in Love

It’s hard not to fall in love with a poppy like this Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy). Click here for more recent photos of poppies from our garden!

Falling in Love © Harold Davis

Are You the One Lucky Photographer to Join Our Tour to Iceland?

Iceland has opened its borders to fully Covid-vaccinated travelers, and we are taking advantage of this with our cameras. We have only one open spot left on our very exciting, small group photography tour of Iceland. The dates are July 14-25, 2021. Click here for Details and Full Itinerary, here for an FAQ, and here for the Reservation Form. 

If you are interested in coming with us, please contact us right away. We’re happy to answer any questions.

Photo credit: Iurie Belegurschi / Iceland Photo Tours

Carpe Papaver

With the poppies (Papavers) blooming like crazy in our garden, I am sure the right thing to do is to “carpe Papaver.” In fact, photographically speaking—and perhaps in life as well—it is most often a good idea to take the opportunities one is offered and embrace them with both arms. 

Hence these three poppy bouquets, and a new close-up of the core of the poppy (at the end of this story). I say these close images of the center of the poppy are like marine creatures in appearance!

Bouquet of Poppies from the Garden © Harold Davis

Papavers in a vase © Harold Davis

Glorious © Harold Davis

 

Papaver hybridium ‘Danebrog’ © Harold Davis