Coalescing

It’s been two and a half months since my last post which essentially puts me on track (at least for this crazy year) for my schedule of posting. It is not a schedule I prefer but considering the stressors to the nation and our health, it will have to be so. It is a small step taken beyond the usual routine of trying to survive.

That being said, I still am trying to incorporate the techniques and wisdom of John Paul Caponigro into my work flow and understanding of photography. To this point I have purchased four of his digital videos on color theory, photoshop techniques, color strategies and techniques, not to mention printing methods. For me it was a wonderful discovery to find this throve of knowledge. I have watched JPCs videos many times to absorb what seems to flow so casually from him but is quite earth shattering to me. I have listened and have learned. Thank you, JPC.

I have re-created many of my previous photos using JPC’s techniques over the last 2-3 months. The currently posted one is a composition of two photos (actually three) that were re-imagined and recreated to get me to a place I’ve never been before. While I am not totally pleased with it, it does capture the spirit I was trying to achieve when I captured these visual elements.

The currently posted photo was taken at Conimicut Point, Warwick, RI with a Canon DS 5DS, EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, F/16, 1/60″, ISO 160.

 

Catching Up

During this historic Covid-19 Pandemic it has been a chore to maintain any semblance of normality regarding usual daily routines. Basically, what is foremost in the minds of Rhode Islanders is to stay ALIVE and HEALTHY, despite what the so-called president and the rest of the nation is doing. I am proud to be a Rhode Islander and a citizen of the 13th State, and commend our Governor, Gina Raimondo, on her job of keeping us healthy and functioning.


That being said, one of the major focuses for me during this Covid-19 self guaranteeing has been to increase my photo skills. Luckily, I have been able to do this having John Paul Caponigro’s instructional DVDs to learn from. I wish I had discovered them ten years ago or longer for they have really sharpened my understanding of the process of and practical application of photographic techniques.

Since I am a Johnny-Come-Lately to this area of artistic expression in photography, I’ve had some catching up to do, but I do the best I can considering my handicaps. While my photos have improved, relative to what I had been doing, they are still a long way off to where I would like to take them—this zone of uncertainty is both confounding and energizing for I have to discover exactly where I want to go with my photographs. But, that is where I am at, at this particular junction of creative expression.

The currently posted photo is of Bergen, Norway in an historic area of the city. I tried to capture the atmosphere and style of the city lines and colors. The photo was taken with a Canon 5DS, using an EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens @ 65mm, f/8.0 @1/500, with an ISO 125, post processing with DxO PhotoLabs2, ACR, and PS 21.2.

Opportunity & Transformation

My absence from this personal blog is best captured by the phrase, “Still waters run deep.” The New Year brought another bout with a cold which quickly became bronchitis which lasted until the end of March. If that was not enough, events became more dire with the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19. Luckily, I did not contract it. These several months provided an opportunity of time to reflection, re- reading many things on photography especially skill development.

Naturally, photographic style was always in the back of my mind, for I felt unsettled with what I was producing. From the previous posting in December 2019 I knew I was at the cusp of totally crafting my photos differently. During the winter I did a lot of experimenting in how I actually developed the photograph in post-processing. And, in tandem, how I printed the photographs.

The currently posted photo is a result of my transformative thinking about what I was producing. There is some of the style of John Paul Caponigro in it. The shot was taken at Conimicut Point, RI in late September awaiting the sunrise and a moon shot with a prominent foreground of Conimicut Lighthouse.

The photograph was taken using a Canon 5DS using an EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens @ 135mm, f/8, 1/10″, ISO 200, using a Gitzo tripod, and postprocessing with DxO PhotoLab II, ACR, Photoshop CC.

Moving on from Maine

As I have expressed in recent blog posts, Maine has been quite a fruitful shoot and experience for me. I have spent much time and effort in trying to maximize the photo opportunities that I had had there (past perfect tense) during John Paul Caponigro’s Workshop.

That being said, I believe that I am at the point of moving on. I am moving on for the photos that I took in Maine provided an opportunity to refine my skills, and they pushed me to do this simply because of the material of the shots that I took. The photographs may not have been my best but I learned a lot of critical skills in evaluating them.

The current photo was taken on the second day of shooting in Maine, 2019 at sunrise, near Sandy Beach, Acadia National Park. A Canon 5DS, with an EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens @ 158mm was used, having settings of f/8, 1.8″, 320 ISO, and being post processed with DxO PhotoLab II, ACR, using HDR, and Viveza and Color Efex Pro.

 

Watershed Event

If you follow my posts for this blog, you know that I approached a recent photograph workshop with John Paul Caponigro with a modicum of trepidation, putting it mildly. I have been acutely aware of my strengths and weaknesses as far as my photograph skills goes, and I knew that I was going to be challenged at JPC’s workshop. I was not disappointed.

First of all, I have to say, that I divided the workshop into two halfs: one part getting up and putting oneself into the settings (4:00 AM; autumnal Maine, in this instance) to actually take the shots. This part was exceptional, for, indeed, we were up before the sun rose and placed in a setting that definitely had potentials for good to great shots; the other half was the actual class time of instruction. While taking the photos was difficult (especially in trying to be creative), the second part of the workshop was more difficult in trying to align oneself with the instructions and insights that JPC was giving. With honesty, I have to say that I tried my earnest to “be JPC” (as a Zen master would instruct), but I could only come to an approximation of maybe 50% (tops) to seeing the photo world as he does. That is fine with me, though, for I do not want to imitate JPC, but I want to capture the spirit and vision he has for great photographs.

At this moment, I know what a great photo is not. My next task is to dig into my creative spirit to find what a great photo is for me.

The currently posted photo was taken at the Azalea Garden in Acadia National Park. It was shot in the afternoon with a Canon 5 DS camera, using an EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @ 105mm, f/7.1, 1/5″, ISO 125. Post processing was done using DxO PhotoLab 2, ACR, a Gradient Map, Viveza, and Nik Color Efex Pro. It is far from perfect, with only the lower half being in focus, but the colors were phenomenal.