Cape May Black-and-White Infrared Workshop
Today I announced my first black-and-white infrared landscape workshop to be held Nov 3-5, 2017 in Cape May, New Jersey. If you are a subscriber to this blog, you already got an announcement in your inbox.Cape May is a fantastic place to experience the subjects that infrared light loves -- clouds, water, dunes, rock jetties and of course, the Cape May Lighthouse!You will learn optimal capture techniques and you will be processing your images in the classroom after I share my workflow with you.
720nm vs 830nm
Since the beginning of the year, I have received several emails from shooters who want to convert older camera bodies to infrared. They all want to shoot only for black/white so the 590nm conversion is not of interest to them. I was honored they asked my opinion about which nanometer conversion they should choose, but the decision lies in the personal preference of the shooter.So here are my thoughts and experiences with the 720nm vs 830nm conundrum.
Red + Yellow = White
Winter has arrived early in these parts of northwest New Jersey. This week we had an Arctic cold front that kept me inside as much as possible and this morning it is snowing. In preparation for an upcoming juried exhibit, I was working hard at birthing new work: a still-life, non-infrared technique that I’ve been wanting to find time to bring to fruition. With the mission accomplished and the image emailed to be considered for a February photography exhibit, I still had fresh flowers in the house.
Always Turn Around
Continuing the images made from a recent trip to Grand Teton National Park (WY), the morning after I arrived did not offer the sunrise I had hoped for. Instead, a storm was brewing and by dawn it looked like snow. I shot a little in (gasp) color, but disappointed in the very dark skies overhead. I headed for coffee as the rain came down. Within a couple hours, the rain had moved across the Tetons and was working its way through the valley. I stopped at the Mount Moran turnout on Teton Park Road to practice creating a panorama image.
Piles and Piles of Potential
My demise has been greatly exaggerated! I’ve been very fortunate to visit seven states during August and September while on the road photographing for a total of five weeks. Here is an image I made late September in Grand Teton National Park. The aspens were golden, the elk bulls were calling and gathering their harems, the air had that fall early-morning edge requiring hat and gloves, and there was plenty of space for all the photography groups I saw lined up at the traditional spots.
Postcard from Coupeville
It’s been a struggle getting back to the blog. Not writer’s or photographer’s block; very full days working on new projects and trying to keep all the balls in the air! So far, so good. Thanks for your patience. I am in the midst of a three-week trip through the coastal areas of northern California, Oregon and now up into the islands of Washington’s Puget Sound (Whidbey Island to be specific). It’s been a terrific trip so far. Connected with friends along the way, oddly enough those from the east coast who happen to be out here at the same time. Small world.
Stretch Your Wings
Change of scenery is good, or so they say. As a small child, I distinctly remember the day I interrupted my parents during a discussion they were having about something that now escapes me. Over and over I kept hearing sentences beginning with “They say”. So I finally interrupted with the question “who are they“? My father replied “The experts.” You can imagine my small, below-age ten mind conjuring up the scene of a large room with Experts sitting around a large table, handing missives to their staff to dispense to who knows who.
Give It a Rest
More than thirty years ago, I was enjoying a walking tour of the Victorian homes in Cape May, New Jersey. I was dating a guy whose dream was to purchase an old Victorian home and restore it to its once splendorous condition. Once in town, we learned of a gentleman (probably a member of the historical society) who gave tours for free. One small statement that he made during this tour has always stuck with me: “Too much is never enough.”
The Rabbit Hole of Infrared
When you start down the rabbit hole of IR, you will quickly discover a couple things: not all your lenses will work as you think they should (some create dead-center fuzzy Q-Tips called hot spots), your auto-focus may not be accurate, your exposures might need to be one, two or even three stops overexposed by your light meter reading to get a proper histogram, and visible light colors render differently than what you might expect from a color image that gets converted to a black and white.