Remembering the Experience...and Photography.

“Beaver Pond, Snowfall” is an image that exemplifies both the beauty that pulls me to mountain adventures, as well as the dramatic natural experience that I remember so vividly and moves me to carry big cameras and expose big sheets of film in insane conditions. On this particular day the snow was falling heavily. In the time it took me to set up my camera and expose my sheet of film (20-30 minutes), at least 4 inches of snow came down. As I looked out of my window just a couple of hours before, I had to laugh. It was a ridiculous idea to venture out, but I had “the mood” of an image in mind.

Needless to say, I layered up with warm under layers and Gore-tex outers, grabbed my camera pack and headed out into the storm. I wasn’t going far, but my anticipation was high. Now, while I had an image type in mind (intimate details close, soft hints of “foggy” background in the distance) I was open to the experience. I wandered through this quiet landscape taking in every detail. With the mountains shrouded in falling snow, the landscape became smaller. I literally felt within the landscape. That feeling is what I was envisioning for my image, and was reveling in as part of my life. That is what I call, the Fine Art of Nature!

That is what makes this image such a success. That, and a little artistic and technical follow up. Once I was in my happy place with the natural conditions and landscape, I was able to begin composing the scene in a way that represented what I was feeling. I knew that the whisper of large pines on the distant mountainside peaking through the blizzard would give depth and scale to my scene. Next I wanted to include subject matter that provided intimate detail of the beaver pond environment which made the viewer feel as though they could walk right in to the image. As I wandered I found this spot on the far side of the pond that made me stop. This was it. It was time to refine and compose.

Take a private workshop / tour in your favorite season!

I was attracted to the leading line of the foreground log accompanied by the channel that the beavers swim through when leaving the pond to feed on Willows. The curved line of that channel was interesting, as were the snow covered grasses in the immediate foreground. I included the large boulder on the left, which added strength to an otherwise soft feeling scene. I positioned it in such a way that it both leads the eye to the center of the image, and creates a layering effect between foreground and background. The clarity of the texture and contrast on the granite adds strength to the composition. I used the clump of branches to the right side in the pond, along with their reflection to balance out the visual weight of the boulder and add further detail. As the far side of the pond (the beaver dam) was softened by the snow, it added a little middle ground detail that enabled a smooth transition into the delicate background. The silhouettes of the pine trees on the distant mountainside are what had brought me out into the storm to begin with. The background adds context and scale, while enabling the viewer to feel as though they are standing in a more intimate landscape. Due to the long exposure required (low light + slow film) to capture this scene on film, the falling snow is rendered as a fog, without detail. I believe that softens the mood of the scene and depicts the feeling of solitude I experienced and wanted to share.

“Beaver Pond, Snowfall” is one of those images that brings me a rush of quiet emotion when viewing it. I can feel the enveloping weather. I can hear the snowflakes landing on my hood. I remember standing on the edge of the pond as snow piled up on all of my gear. It was a black and white day, spent alone in a beautiful, peaceful place. I am pleased that I was able to translate all of that onto a 4x5 inch sheet of black and white film. And, I’m happy to be able to print this image, so you can experience this wonderful piece of nature on your wall.

Collectors Tip: Many collectors are intimidated by the idea of collecting black and white images if they don’t have a stark, modern space in which to hang them. The reality is, a piece of art on the wall stands on its own. It doesn’t have to blend. Furthermore, black and white photographs can be framed in numerous styles to fit your personal taste. They can even be printed on aluminum and hung without a frame! just ask one of our gallery representatives to help walk you through the possibilities!

Photographers Tip: Most often, when shooting black and white film, I will use “contrast filters”. These are colored filters placed in front of the lens that help produce tonal separation in a color landscape which we are trying to record on black and white film. However, when shooting in a blizzard where there are no color tones to separate, I use no filter at all in front of my lens. Given the low contrast nature of the scene, I will most often have to increase contrast while developing the film (n+1, n+2), and again later while working in either the traditional or modern (digital) darkroom. Capturing images while the snow falls gives us a relatively easy (narrow) exposure range to capture. We can then work on the straight forward contrast control at home.
Note: I am primarily a “cross platform” photographer. I shoot large format sheet film and then drum scan my film on my personal fluid mount drum scanner. This creates a massive (hundreds of megabytes) digital file which I them adjust in both Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop software. For black and white images, I am primarily using curves adjustment layers to set my whit point, black point and contrast levels, both globally and locally. I make my general / basic adjustments in Lightroom, and most of my local and very detailed adjustments in Photoshop.

Would you like to go out in the field and look through the lens with me? Would you like to take your photography to the next level, capture a particular location with your camera or simply tour the locations of some of my most iconic images? Take a private workshop / tour in your favorite season!

Details:
Camera: Canham 5x7 Metal Field Camera with 4x5 Film Back
Lens: 90mm
Film: Ilford FP4 plus 4x5 inch Black and White film
Developer: Diafine
Filter: N/A
Tripod: Gitzo 1325 Carbon Fiber
Tripod Head: Really Right Stuff BH55 Ball Head
 

DON'T MISS OUT ON WHAT I HAVE TO SHARE. HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL LINKS:

My FREE Fine Art of Nature Insider : https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/newsletter/
My website: https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/
Photography Workshops / Tours: https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/tours/
My Blog: https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/blog/
Subscribe to My YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/dJXMUQ

If you’d like to improve your images captured with Provia 100F film,
get my FREE Provia 100F Cheat Sheet

Seeing the Composition

Todays mindset is one of impatience, immediacy and reaction. It seams to be required in order to be "successful". This is perpetuated in the world of photography by the ease with which digital images can be captured. Fast to set up, automatic if we choose, cost per shot = $0. This flows over into large format photography as well. While on location in a beautiful place it is easy to think, "This is taking a long time", "I'll crop that later" or "I'll fix that later". This has led to a plethora of good images, but few that we are actually proud of.

From very early on in my photography life I have taken a care-full approach. While I can justify this with the cost of film, developing, scanning, etc., I lean toward the reality that an image that motivates me to take out my big cameras moves me to proceed with respect to my art. Being in the outdoors and experiencing beautiful, idyllic natural moments makes my life better. It makes me healthy and happy. When I choose to compose an image to share with the world (with my name on it), I want to be particular with the composition. When I am in the field seeing and experiencing a special moment, I want to create my composition based upon what is moving IN THAT MOMENT. The art happens then and there. Not later in the darkroom / digital darkroom.

In order to stay true to this aspect of my art, I carry both traditionally shaped and panoramic film formats. My smaller setup is a 5x7 metal field camera, for which I carry both a 4x5 film back, as well as a 6x17cm roll film panoramic back. My larger camera setup is an 8x10 metal field camera with which I shoot full frame 8x10 film, as well as 4x10 inch frames with an adapted (cut) dark slide. When I see a scene in a particular way, I shoot what I envision, as I envision it. Rarely will I crop a sheet of film after the fact. This enables me to move into the darkroom / digital darkroom with the composition I was moved to compose. I retain my vision, and merely need to attend to color correction and contrast control after the fact.

My home made composition cards for each of the four film formats I carry. 

One tool I use while out in the field with my large format cameras is a composition / viewing card. With my big, cumbersome camera gear safely in my backpack I keep the two composition cards (one panoramic and one traditional) that correspond to the film formats I have with me connected to the chest strap of my pack. With the cards readily at hand, I can easily assess the compositional possibilities of a scene that grabs my attention. I first react a subject that catches my eye. I then use the cards to see how this main subject might fit into a composition relative to the environment surrounding it. If this flows and I truly feel excited about it, I assess the light and consider setting up my camera. At this point, I have already decided that "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right / well". There is no thought to cropping it better later, or fixing it at home. In the field, while composing and exposing, is where "The Fine Art of Nature" happens. There is a mix of natural beauty and personal connection. The effort is worth it, and the image (often times) is worthy of sharing with my collectors.

This proved to be worth doing right! After scouting for a composition (using my composition cards) I liked on the first, and only, sunny morning of my trip to Iceland, I chose to set up the 8x10 film camera. No easy feat at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Given the excitement I felt for the image, I then chose to go the extra mile and shoot the image as a panorama. This took more time (and physical suffering), but the image was worth it!

To sum things up, I believe there is a loss of art within the landscape photography world today. This is not due to alack of talent or ability, or even camera type. We are caught in a world of volume and speed. Even when going outdoors to pursue our passion of nature photography, we are constantly doing battle, whether we know it or not, with the technological world we are immersed in. We need to consciously remind ourselves why we are pulled to outdoor photography. We need to slow down and allow ourselves to compose art that truly moves us. The world doesn't need another 40,000 average "captures". The world, or at least I need singular moments that transport me to the simple beauty of nature.

Thank you for taking the time to follow along here. Please feel free to share constructive comments below.

Don't miss out on what I have to share. Here are some helpful links"

Subscribe to My YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/dJXMUQ

My Free Fine Art of Nature Newsletter: https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/newsletter/

My website: https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/

Photography Workshops / Tours: https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/tours/

My Blog: https://www.jonpaulgallery.com/blog/

Envision The Feeling, The Image Will Happen

I was never formally trained as a photographer, or artist for that matter. I was moved to begin taking pictures through outdoor experience. Although I was an outdoor athlete, I was drawn to fine art landscape photography. I never thought too deeply about it. I wanted to capture the beauty I experienced and I wanted to produce beautiful prints for people to hang on their walls and enjoy. It was that simple.

Almost two decades later I realize that I still haven't dug too deeply into the conscious aspect of being an artist. It is what I do. Perhaps it is what I was meant to do. However, I do have moments of clarity where I realize I am being compelled to do something. The image above, which I have titled "Loch Fallen Leaf", is a wonderful example of this almost involuntary drive to produce a particular image.

You see, I didn't have this exact image in mind. I really didn't have a specific vision. I simply felt the need to continuously visit this area numerous times per day for several weeks. I was pulled there. I felt there was something special and different I needed to compose. I just didn't know what. In hindsight, I must have had faith that something was going to present itself. When it did, I felt it! I knew it, I acted upon it, I composed the image in the format that worked for me and I had it. I was rewarded for my patience even though I had no idea what I was waiting for. Sometimes the magic happens. I just keep coming back for more.

So, where does the name, Loch Fallen Leaf, come from? In a past life I was an endurance athlete. I did long triathlons. As part of my training I would do long runs. The run around Fallen Leaf Lake (around 9 miles) was one of my favorites. The far side of the lake (pictured) is basically a goat trail. Rocky, overgrown, quiet. Many mornings I would zen out and run solo along this amazing stretch of rock. Surrounded by mountains and a glassy lake, I would hear the sound of bagpipes reverberating from a canyon above. I never met the bagpipe player, but I imagine, as he stood in that rocky canyon and looked out over the calm waters, he felt the same sense of freedom I did. He transformed my runs into truly inspired odysseys. I imagined I was running in the highlands of Scotland. This image brought that feeling back, and enabled me to express what I felt, all those years ago in this amazing place, through my photography. The image happened!

Details:
Camera: Canham 5x7 Metal Field Camera with 6x17cm roll film panoramic back
Lens: Rodenstock 90mm
Film: Provia 100F Transparency film (6x17cm frame)

Photo Tip:
I chose a panoramic format for this image for a couple of reasons.
1) I wanted to accentuate the length and pattern of the shoreline. The mirror reflection created a balance and accentuated the details that were there.
2) If I had used a traditional horizontal or vertical shape for the composition there would have been too much empty space (cloud) for my liking. 
I find it is very important to slow down and make these sorts of aesthetic decisions in the field while composing the image. All too often people will bang away so as not to miss anything or lose the opportunity. More often than not, when you shoot with this urgency expecting that you can figure it out later when you are in front of a camera, you end up with nothing, or something that is "good". As an outdoor photographer, the outdoors is where I create my art, as that is where I feel it. Immersing ourselves into a scene and consciously composing one image that moves us is far superior to machine gunning with our digital camera and hoping we got it. One great shot far surpasses 1,000 nice ones.

              

Jon's Canham 5x7 inch Metal Field Camera with the 6x17cm panoramic back a few minutes after creating "Loch Fallen Leaf" and the light had gone.