Personal Blog

Month: August 2016

Articles Remembering Michael Reichmann – Editor of ‘Luminous Landscape’

I’ve learned a lot from Michael, and am  very sad to see him go. He had such a high standard of excellence when he wrote or spoke his product reviews. No one held the photography industry to a higher standard than did Michael. He was forward thinking, cutting edge, while they too often rest on their laurels, stuck in the mud with archaic ideas that stifle the productions of great art.

Here are three articles (with some videos) written by those who knew Michael personally:

Missing Our Friend
August 18, 2016 by Kevin Raber

Michael Reichmann – Reflections
August 18, 2016 by Alain Briot

I wrote the following comment at LL’s Facebook page in response to Alain’s article above:

Heartwarming article and videos! In order for Michael to be such an innovator with Luminous Landscape it’s not surprising that he didn’t have the patience to focus on just one image like Alain did and does. I really like Natalie’s comment:

“He did not care what others thought about these controversial articles that he published on his website. The more controversial the article, the more he seemed to enjoy publishing them.”

I’ve found that very few reviewers would really challenge camera and printer companies like Michael would. He was fearless. Getting better products was a main goal for him.

I recently found out that Canon dropped the green ink in their latest printers, and replaced it with a chroma optimizer. I wonder what Michael would have said. The color gamut is almost certainly reduced now that they’ve taken out an ink they used to find essential.

I hope Luminous Landscape still carries on his fearless and high standard work.

It’s A Sad Day For Luminous-Landscape
May 19, 2016 by Kevin Raber

I wrote this comment after hearing:

I appreciated Michael’s emphasis on EXCELLENCE, and have learned so much from him. Very sorry to hear this! Michael’s contribution to photography and the photographic community was huge!

Life is short.

: (

(film) Chased by the Light A Photographic Journey with Jim Brandenburg — Moved early in life to swap a hunting rifle for a camera

Jim Brandenburg (born November 23, 1945) is an environmentalist and nature photographer and filmmaker based near Ely, Minnesota. His career includes over 10 years as a newspaper photojournalist, over 30 years as a contract photographer for the National Geographic Society…. (source)

I’ve read Jim’s story, and bought the DVD of this film years ago. It’s so inspiring and very deep! I’ve now decided to finally do my own “1 photo a day” project, which I almost did last year. Goals are good. It’s time to do it, but with looser rules: being allowed to shoot more than one frame a day, and subjects will not be limited to nature.

I should say too that I can relate to Jim’s story. I also replaced shooting guns with shooting photos at an early age, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota was one of my primary inspirations too. I laid my camera down too, though, for an extended period, unlike Jim.

DANGER ALERT @ minute-55: despite the many greatnesses of this work, bringing me to tears at times, we must not violate God’s principles. “Worshipping” the creation instead of the Creator Who made nature is the fall of man Romans 1 describes, that we must not fall into. In the film, Jim often departs from the 6,000 year Biblical creation story when he mentions the mythical evolutionary time frame. Nat Geo is renown for doing this, and this has always bothered me. [12/16: now they’re promoting 9-year-old transgenderism!To me, photographing nature is an act of worship. My #1 goal is to show the glory of God revealed in what He created, as stated in Romans 1:20:

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Some quotes I transcribed:

“..one of two settings…that moved Brandenburg early in life to swap a hunting rifle for a camera.” – Narrator

“To capture an animal with a camera is something I’ve never grown tired of.” – JB

“..his passion, it is so deep….” – Ann Bancroft

“Jim is as focused as anybody I’ve ever seen.” – Anthony (JB’s son)

The raven is the key to getting an image of the wolf.” – JB

“This is my story. I find that developing a grounded sense of context of where you live, knowing your subject better than a far off, exotic place, over a period of years and years and years. And telling that story, I find a much richer experience.” – JB

– –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3vW1kglEnk

Chased by the Light A Photographic Journey with Jim Brandenburg

(video) Jim Brandenburg: Medicine Of The Wolf – Fmr Nat Geo photographer discovers his friends will be shot

He spent so much time getting to know them…

Breaks my heart. Life is tough!

– –

Medicine Of The Wolf

(video) Jim Brandenburg, Daily Walks with the Nikon COOLPIX — “A new paintbrush”

Another of the many photographers who have inspired me.

Wonderful to see how the greats use compact cameras!

Similar, and even shorter video from Jim in which he says: “I now have a new paintbrush for my daily walks”: Jim Brandenburg and the Nikon COOLPIX P7700

– –

Jim Brandenburg, Daily Walks with the Nikon COOLPIX P7700

(video) Landscape and Nature Photographer David Muench Shares his Photography Portfolio: Timeless Moments

Landscape and Nature Photographer David Muench Shares his Photography Portfolio: Timeless Moments

Published on Jan 3, 2014

David Muench is legendary in the American landscape photography community. For 50 years he has explored the United States capturing the land and wilderness with his 4×5 view camera. He has discovered and photographed a diverse range of unique and beautiful locations, many captured with a camera for the first time. Some of David’s discoveries are popular locations with landscape photographers today. In this video David will discuss his portfolio: Timeless Moments

Davids biography begins in the Sierras, as a child on pack trips with his parents, his father the noted landscape photography pioneer; Joseph Muench and his mother, a writer. These first views were David’s introduction to wild places that became the subject for my own photography, but more than that, the places that have offered him a lifetime of solace, of adventure, of joy.

As a child, David watched his father his father photograph and that led him into is own photographic work. David helped helped his father do his photography work . . . as a young child as his model and as a teenager, helping him print his black and white photographs.

David made his first photographs as a teenager in the late 1950s, and had his first photographs published as front and back covers of Arizona Highways when Raymond Carlson was editor, and David was still in high school. For David, there was never any question of his career. He attended Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY, and the Los Angeles Art Center School of Design, both experiences providing him with the formality of a degree in photography, and an understanding of the technology of the time, but he felt — and continues to feel — that his most profound learning experiences were in the field. Even now, as the technology of photography explodes in directions undreamed of in his early days, David continues to learn, to expand in new directions, and it is nature that remains his teacher.

David’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, including Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Phoenix Art Museum, Center for Creative Photography, Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff , but what is his most enduring are the more than 50 exhibit format books he’s photographed and published published. The books allow him to share in depth the subjects — the landscapes — that inspire him. Two of these (and a number of articles) have been done with his wife, the writer Ruth Rudner.
He is among the archived photographers at the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona, Tucson, short-listed for this honor by Ansel Adams, founder, with John Schaefer, of the CCP.

As a two-time Canon Explorer of Light, David worked with the Canon Systems cameras that were the mainstay of his 35mm work. Participation in a UNESCO/Panasonic sponsored project to photograph World Heritage Sites propelled him into learning to photograph with digital cameras. He revels in the freedom these cameras bring. But, for him, photography—with any kind of camera– is a matter of seeing.

Perhaps, for David, all of life is that, which makes his biography quite simple! He photographs as he sees and he sees what is wild. David says he cares that his photography speaks for the wild beauty he treasures and cares that his children, Zandria and Marc, both photographers, continue that legacy.
Do biographies have a beginning and an end? Or do they simply have a continuing mission in the work one does . . . . for David, the journey continues . . .

Our interview series with David began on 2012 as he chronicles a life in the wild and with a camera. Please enjoy our conversation with David Muench: a national treasure!

http://www.davidmuenchphotography.com

(video) Photographers Barb & Galen Rowell – Appreciation & Farewell

Galen’s book, “Mountain Light,” got me interested in photography again. I’ve also visited his gallery in Bishop, CA.

He was a real pioneer!

– –

Photographers Barb & Galen Rowell – appreciation & farewell from Bay Area Backroads

(video) Henrik Stenson sinks insane back-to-back 58, 108-foot putts at the Olympics

My favorite golfer:

– –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVcLOGwQ4EE

Henrik Stenson sinks insane back-to-back 58, 108-foot putts

Metal & Acrylic Prints – Pros & Cons

From: Photo Cascadia

CURRENT TRENDS IN PHOTO PRINT MEDIUMS

July 31st, 2016 by photocascadia

by Zack Schnepf

Canvas prints failed for me because I specialize in highly detailed grand landscape scenes and the detail gets lost in the texture. Certain images still sold well on canvas, but they were primarily low detail abstracts and painterly looking scenes that lent themselves to the medium. …

Aluminum prints have a lot of advantages over traditional print mediums.  They are much more durable, water proof, scratch resistant, light weight, very archival [Metal prints’ longevity is overrated. Wilhelm Research rates metal print longevity at only 50 years, compared to “up to 200 years” for the latest inkjet prints – ed.], don’t need to be framed, very three dimensional, and very bright.  They also have less reflection issues compared to framed prints with standard glass.  They do have a few disadvantages as well.  They are not as detailed as traditional inkjet prints and have a much more limited color gamut.  The limited color gamut is my biggest issue with metal prints.  It can be very challenging to get certain colors to render correctly. … In my experience, green is the hardest color to render correctly. …

Recently I’ve been experimenting with acrylic prints and they are my current favorite.  They represent the best of both worlds and the best overall quality in my opinion.  Like aluminum prints, they are bright and have a beautiful three dimensional glossy look, but they also retain the detail and color gamut of traditional inkjet prints.  They do have a few draw backs compared to metal prints.  They are heavier, and they scratch easier.

..about 20% of my images that I can’t get to print very well on aluminum.  …

For aluminum prints I use: http://www.hdaluminumprints.com.  Randy at HD Aluminum Prints does a fantastic job and profiles better than any other aluminum printer I’ve used. I have my acrylic prints made at:  http://www.nevadaartprinters.com.  They produce incredible quality acrylic prints!

Entire Article

(video) Natural Wonders Gallery Showcase

GORGEOUS!

– –

Nevada Art Printers Gallery Showcase

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén