In southern France is the town of Arles. It was inhabited by Romans back in the day, and is filled with ancient structures and fascinating medieval streets. It's also where Vincent van Gogh spent time painting some of his most memorable works. Just outside Arles rest these two lions (actually four, two on each side of the river). The lions were sculpted by Pierre Louis Rouillard, a famous French sculptor, for a bridge built in 1868. The bridge, linking Arles with Lunel across the Rhone river, was destroyed during Allied bombing in August 1944. Fortunately, the lions and pillars survived.
Sometimes a shot jumps out at you and that's what happened here as I walked the trail along the river bank. The confluence of images create a powerful, archetypal scene. The clouds gather, the tree appears to sway under the lions' gaze, and the white gravel path by the river, curving just beyond our view, leads to an unknown, or at least unseen, destination.
]]>In Camera & Lens: The Creative Approach, Ansel Adams wrote about the "creative" and the "factual" approaches to photography. He observed that the difference between the two was "one of purpose, sensitivity and the ability to visualize an emotionally and aesthetically exciting image." A good composition will create interest, "and this spurs the desire for comprehension."
Of course, Ansel Adams is one of the grand masters of landscape photography. What some may not fully appreciate is how Adams created his now iconic images. To the surprise of some, the final print was not a straight print directly from the negative with no modification. At least half of Adams' creative process is attributed to his mastery of darkroom techniques. In the darkroom, he dodged and burned the image, and experimented with chemical and paper processes in order to create the tonal relationships he visualized when he took the picture.
For me, the question is not whether the final print was created in the chemical darkroom and the digital lightroom, nor is it whether the print is a "straight print" directly from camera to paper, or if it has been modified through a creative process. Rather, it's whether the print conveys an emotionally and aesthetically exciting and interesting image, and whether it maintains the viewer's interest over time. These are questions I consider when taking the picture and creating the photograph.
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I've printed this at 13"x19" and it presents very well. The photograph was taken with a Fuji X-Pro-1 and 35mm lens. It was processed in Lightroom and NIK Silver Efex Pro 2 software.
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Travel photography can be challenging since a visitor has limited time to construct and frame the photograph. I wanted to capture Rome's rich history and physical beauty while avoiding the typical "postcard" shot. After much post-processing time in my "digital darkroom", the end result is this black and white image that almost appears to be drawn by hand.
I think the 8.5"x11" print is the perfect size for this image!
I shot this photograph with a Nikon D800 and 16-35mm f/4 Nikkor lens. It was processed using Lightroom and Nik Software.
Please let me know if you have comments or questions!
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It was shot with a Nikon D800 using a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.
]]>Cityscapes can be a little tricky (static subject that can be captured by anyone with a camera), but I like how this turned out. The image lights and color pop, but on closer examination, there's a lot going on here. I love how the old residential section of Hollywood is shaded by trees and selectively washed by streetlights. That shade then gives way to the ancient Knickerbocker hotel, the iconic Capitol Records building, and the exploding neon off Hollywood Blvd. To the left, the 101 appears like a river of car lights snaking on then off camera, then winding back into frame flowing towards the downtown skyline. The evening especially clear (it was windy), but even then the camera did not record any starlight, just muted reflections ranging from warm to cool cross the horizon. However, if you look closely on the right, a plane moving across the frame leaves a wake of flashing lights.
The shooting location is off Mulholland Drive. For the shot, I used a Nikon D800 with 85mm f/1.8 lens, f/16 for 15 seconds. The digital negative was processed in Lightroom and Nik Software (Color Efex Pro 4 for tonal contrast and a light touch of HDR Efex.) It makes a gorgeous 13x19 print.
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