Harold Davis's Blog, page 50
July 12, 2020
Creative Garden Photography eBook and pre-order now available from the publisher (with discount code)
We are very excited that Creative Garden Photography: Making Great Photos of Flowers, Gardens, Landscapes, and the Beautiful World Around Us is now available directly from the book’s publisher, Rocky Nook. Just to clarify, the eBook is available right now, and the book itself can be pre-ordered. Enter the discount code GARDEN40 for a 40% discount before checking out.
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the publisher’s eBook comes in a number of formats, so you can read it on your Kindle, and also as a PDF (which preserves pagination and formatting) as you prefer. Also, many of my students how told me how much they enjoy having both an electronic version, for use in the field on their devices, and the “real thing”: a beautifully designed and produced 360-page book with flaps and printed images. I like to think our new book is one step away from the coffee table, but with a great deal of useful information.
The good news is that Rocky Nook offers a bundle so that (particularly if you consider the discount) there is really only a few dollars more for getting the electronic version in addition to the printed book. (If I had to only get one or the other, I’d advise the “book book”—but then, I am a book person!)
Click here to buy Creative Garden Photography: Making Great Photos of Flowers, Gardens, Landscapes, and the Beautiful World Around Us directly from the publisher.
July 11, 2020
Misty Mountain Dahlias
It is funny how close and closer a flower, such as a Dahlia, can take on abstract appearance so the original flower shape becomes forgotten. So in this Dahlia I see distant mountains, or a mouth with teeth, or a deepening well, and so on, and patterns galore. Or, maybe that is just my visual imagination run riot! One needs to do something to entertain oneself during longish photo exposures.
Misty Mountains © Harold Davis
Exposure data (both): Nikon D850, 150mm f/2.8 Irix “Dragonfly” telephoto macro, 50mm extension tube, f/22 at ISO 64, tripod mounted; 20 seconds exposure duration (above) and 15 seconds exposure duration (below). Both images were lit using controlled sunlight (from the left side) via window shades.
Young Dahlia © Harold Davis
July 7, 2020
Honeysuckle and Monarda
Sometimes single blossoms are the most elegant. This Honeysuckle (above) and Monarda (below) are from our garden. I photographed the blossoms on a light box, and other than layering-in bracketed high-key exposures, there was minimal post-production.
Honeysuckle © Harold Davis
Exposure data (Honeysuckle): Nikon D850, 85mm Nikor tilt-shift macro, five exposures at shutter speeds from one second to 15 seconds, each exposure at an effective aperture of f/64 and ISO 64; exposures combined in Photoshop.
Monarda © Harold Davis
Exposure data (Monarda): Nikon D850, 85mm Nikor tilt-shift macro, five exposures at shutter speeds from 1.3 seconds to 20 seconds, each exposure at an effective aperture of f/64 and ISO 64; exposures combined in Photoshop.
July 6, 2020
A Walk on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, also officially the “John F. McCarthy Memorial Bridge,” opened in 1956, displacing the last car ferry across San Francisco Bay. Recently, a lane on the upper deck of the bridge was converted to pedestrian and bike use (more bike than hike, in my observation). This comes close to completing a trail network that can be used to circumnavigate the Bay.
Shadow Selfie © Harold Davis
On a startlingly bright recent late afternoon, I found a place to park in Port Richmond near the bridge access trail. It was little over a mile from there to actually being on the bridge. Most of this trail section was between the highway (Interstate 580) and the notorious Richmond Chevron refinery (hence the pipes photographed through a chain link fence with my iPhone shown below).
Pipes © Harold Davis
Once on the Bridge, it is a little more than five miles to Point San Quentin on the Marin side. I walked about half way, to the first cantilever. The shadows were growing long (see the first photo in this story!). Heading back to my parked car, I noted how much fun it was to explore some place new again with my camera, just like before the pandemic, even if the new location was close to home.
June 29, 2020
The Making of Creative Garden Photography | Free Webinar
Our new book Creative Garden Photography has been at least ten years in the making from conception to finished production files. In this free webinar, on Sunday July 5, 2020 at 11am PT, Phyllis and I will be joined by Rocky Nook associate publisher Ted Waitt. We’ll take a look at the images in the book, the ideas behind the book, the techniques the book covers, some of the stories told in the book, book production, how the book design relates to garden design as well as photography, and answer questions from the audience. A discount code for book and eBook purchases from the publisher will be provided.
The webinar is free, but registration in advance is required. Click here to register for the Creative Garden Photography webinar.
We have a number of technique webinars coming up that I hope you’ll find useful. You can find the complete list of webinars by clicking here, and below. Recordings of our past webinars can be found in the Harold Davis Photography YouTube channel. You’ll also find live events (I don’t currently have any scheduled until 2021 due to the pandemic) on this page.
I am particularly excited to be sharing stories and images from the Camino de Santiago on Saturday, July 18. This is a free webinar, but requires registration. Click here for more info.
Light Box Photography in Three Dimensions | Saturday July 11, 2020 at 11am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited.
A Pilgrim’s Tale: Walking on the Camino | Saturday July 18, 2020 at 11am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited. FREE!
Multi-RAW Processing | Thursday July 30, 2020 at 10am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited.
Hand-HDR Photography | Thursday September 3, 2020 at 10am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited.
Photography on Black | Saturday September 12, 2020 at 11am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited.
Printing, Proofing, and all about Paper with Moab Masters Scott Barrow, Harold Davis, and Jim Graham [Benefits Equal Justice Initiative] | Thursday September 24, 2020 at 10am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited. Click here for details.
Master Photographer Panel with Jennifer King and Alan Shapiro, moderated by Harold Davis [Benefits NAACP] | Saturday October 10, 2020 at 11am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited.
Photographing Bottled Light | Thursday October 29, 2020 at 10am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited.
Master Photographer Panel with Anne Belmont and Bryan Peterson, moderated by Harold Davis [Benefits Center for Policing Equity] | Saturday November 14, 2020 at 11am PT click here for registration. Seats are limited.
Giverny Afternoon © Harold Davis
June 25, 2020
Theodore Roosevelt and his horse’s rear-end
© Harold Davis
I always thought this statue was pompous beyond belief, and patronizing to the subservient folks below and to either side of T.R. Which is why I photographed this trite and hackneyed representation of neo-colonialism from the back, or horse’s donkey, circa 1980.
In case you don’t know, it is beside the front entrance to the Natural History Museum in New York City, and will be taken down. About time, I say!
June 23, 2020
Creative Garden Photography Press Proofs
We’re very pleased and excited that the first page proofs from the press for Creative Garden Photography: Making Great Photos of Flowers, Gardens, Landscapes, and the Beautiful World Around Us are here. They look beautiful, and I can’t wait to see the finished book. Thank you so much to the publisher Rocky Nook, who has worked with us every step of the way. If I say so myself, this will be one beautiful and informative book!
Creative Garden Photography press proofs © Harold Davis
June 22, 2020
Printing, Proofing, and all about Paper [Benefits Equal Justice Initiative]
What: Printing, Proofing, and all about Paper [Benefits Equal Justice Initiative] with a Panel of Moab Masters
When: Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 10am PT (1PM ET). Duration about two hours, including Q&A
Where: On your computer or mobile device from anywhere via Zoom. Zoom authenticated registration and a tuition payment of $19.95 are required for enrollment. Click here to register for this webinar.
All proceeds from the tuition payments will benefit Equal Justice Initiative.
Details: In this webinar, noted photographers and Moab Masters Scott Barrow, Harold Davis, and Jim Graham will present their work, and show how printmaking has informed and played a vital role in their professional practices. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion of printing moderated by Phyllis Davis, with Harold, Jim, Scott, and Marc Schotland, VP of Marketing at Legion Paper. There will be ample time for Q&A.
Image © Scott Barrow
About Scott Barrow: Scott writes, “The dance of light on the world around me is what powers my creativity. I love taking photographs and I can make a beautiful image anywhere. The challenge for me as an artist is to go beyond beauty and find my connection to a scene, to become part of it in the moment that I release the shutter. That coming together is what I strive for. It is only then that I can truly share what I saw and felt with you the viewer.”
Peonies mon Amour © Harold Davis, shown on Moenkopi Unryu washi with hand inkan stamp
About Harold Davis: Harold Davis is a bestselling author of many books, including Creative Garden Photography from Rocky Nook, which can be pre-ordered. 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.
At the Willowdale Races in Kennett Square, Pa. (Photography © Jim Graham 2012)
About Jim Graham: My bio says I’ve been a professional photographer since the age of 16. It’s all I’ve really ever done. I have a degree in history from Washington College in Maryland in History. After graduation I wasn’t sure what to do with my life. Luckily, I found my way to Maine and to the Maine Photographic Workshops. After 6 months in Maine I returned home to Chadds Ford and became a stringer for the News Journal Papers in Wilmington, Delaware. Freelancing turned into a staff position and I loved every second of my nine years as a staffer there. I was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize while I was at the News Journal and was also named Southern Photographer of the Year at the Southern Short Course.
I’ve worked with AP, UPI, Bloomberg News, Time, Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Newsweek, and Town and Country.
Today I still do editorial work when I can as well staking assignments from magazines. I’m represented by Redux Pictures in New York. I work also with corporate entities on their marketing materials, photograph weddings, and manage to get in a trip each year to concentrate on my own work. Additionally I teach when the opportunity presents itself. I’ve been adjunct faculty at The University of Delaware, Widener University, Moore College of Art and Design, Cecil College, as well as teaching at the Maine Media Workshops.
Jim’s fine art photography is shown in many galleries throughout the United States, including Hardcastle Gallery, Graficas Gallery, Seven Seas Gallery, the Redux Gallery in New York and the Delaware Museum of Art.
About Marc Schotland: Marc Schotland is the VP of Marketing at Legion Paper, the manufacturer and distributor of Moab Paper. Marc has worked in the fine art paper industry for 15 years, having previously worked in Italy for Manfrotto as the Global Brand Manager for still & video tripods.
About Moab Masters: Moab Master photographers are a select group of artists connected by their unique visions and their love of reproducing their images on Moab fine art paper. The group includes some well-established photographers, as well as photographers on the rise. Moab is proud to be associated with these artists and thank them for trusting Moab with their images.
Number of Seats, Tuition, and Benefit: The tuition for this webinar is $19.95, and requires prior registration. All proceeds benefit Equal Justice Initiative. The ticket price is not tax deductible. Seating (on a first come, first served basis) is limited. Click here to register for this webinar.
June 21, 2020
Dancing Trees
The other day I went for a long walk in nearby Tilden Park, which lies about a mile from my home, on the farther side of the initial crest of the Coastal Range hills. On the trail, I stopped to put down my backpack and take out my camera. The photo shown below, Eucalyptus Forest, was the result.
Eucalyptus Forest © Harold Davis
As I looked at Eucalyptus Forest in post-production, I realized that there was a structural similarly with other images of trees I have made. The examples that came to mind were Along the Old Schoolhouse Trail and Aspens near Sonora Pass.
Along the Old Schoolhouse Trail © Harold Davis
Of course, the species of tree are different. The chaotic and messy eucalyptus make it hard to see linear order, even among the vertical lines of the trees. And the California coastal oaks along the Old Schoolhouse Trail are not the aspens that I photographed near the summit of Sonora Pass in the Sierra Nevada.
Aspens near Sonora Pass © Harold Davis
But all three images share similarities in formal composition. As I teach my students, one can diagram compositions using simple shapes like lines and circles, and making note of patterned repetition. With a line drawing of these three compositions, the underlying similarity of image structure becomes clear.
My artistic intent was also comparable across the three images: I wanted to capture the spirits of the trees, Dryads if you will. In my mind, the spirits of trees are always dancing.
Original blog stories: Along the Old Schoolhouse Trail; Aspens below Sonora Pass.
June 19, 2020
Annals of the Probe Macro
These are three variations on an image created by pointing my macro probe lens straight down on a parfait glass. I put a crystal ball in the parfait glass, and placed the ensemble on a light box. The lens extended down into the parfait glass, and close to the surface of the crystal ball—where the rim of the glass and the reflections in the ball created a mandala-like structure.
Parfait Mandala 1 © Harold Davis
Parfait Mandala 2 © Harold Davis
Parfait Mandala 3 © Harold Davis
