Mono Lake and the Eastern Sierra
|
 |
|
A landscape photographer with extensive workshop teaching experience is conducting a Mono Lake digital photography field workshop. And the pioneer in digital landscape photography is teaching the class, Stephen Johnson. The same person who organized the exhibition "At Mono Lake" currently on display at the National Forest Visitor's Center. The workshop will be a dynamic combination of a traditional landscape photography workshop while diving deep into the digital age. Technical and aesthetic considerations will be discussed in detail, while we explore this high desert lake and its strange environs.
The workshop will include archiving and printing capabilities along
the way with our awesome Magical Digital Bus, as well as daily
critiques with digital projection of the images made on the trip.
|
| The Place The stark and beautiful scenery of this legendary lake is unlike any other landscape in the world. Its alkaline water, desert vistas, volcanoes and unusual tufa towers make it a remarkable place. The presence of this huge lake in the eastern sierra desert is improbable at best, its out of place character is pervasive, at times seeming more lunar than terrestrial. |
|
|
Mono Lake can change from a tranquil expanse of silver water to a blue-green stormy sea in minutes. It is a most intriguing place. It is both a challenge and a pleasure to photograph at Mono Lake. But Mono Lake's beauty does not necessarily make it easy to photograph here. The desert sun can be harsh, and the horizon can appear endless. it takes time and patience to catch the subtlety of Mono's moods. The autumn weather should provide some interesting cloud formations. The lake's strange landforms can easily become ordinary when photographed casually. Consequently this place demands a certain intensity to do it visual justice. A primary goal of our time spent together will be to slow down and understand the lake on a more intimate level than might normally be possible. |
|
The Workshop The advent of the digital age of photography provides unique opportunities for field photography instruction. We will be reviewing work on camera screens as it is made and on portable computers, examining exposure, composition and emotional impact. Group evening reviews will also be conducted using digital projection. High resolution printers will be available to put some images to the ulitmate test. Digital exposure and dynamic range, color management, printers, papers and pigments, b&w and color, composition, emotion and amazement-all will be part of our ambitious 3-day excursion into the evolving world of digital photography. We will spend our first half day preparing for our outings. Topics covered will be optimal digital camera use in a variety of formats, file size and printing considerations. Fieldwork along the lake, in the volcanic craters, and through the fall-color lined canyons with intensive presentations and assistance will fill our days. We will open files, review success, and do some printing of the photographs made during the day, constantly going back in the field putting into practice lessons learned. Printers and power will be available on the bus. A few BetterLight and possibly Dicomed Scanning camera inserts for 4x5 view cameras will be available for use. Participants who want to use the scanning cameras will have to supply their own 4x5 camera and accessories. A limited number of Macintosh PowerBooks will be available to control the cameras. A few 35mm format digital cameras will also be available for use. Bringing your own digital camera is greatly encouraged. For supplied cameras, there will be some teaming up on equipment. Explorers just wanting to use film, but anxious to learn the ropes, are also welcome.
Students are responsible for their own transportation and lodging. The Magical Digital Bus |
|
Stephen Johnson A photographer, teacher and designer, Stephen has been teaching and working in photography since 1977. His books include At Mono Lake, the critically acclaimed The Great Central Valley: California's Heartland and Making a Digital Book. He runs his own photography, publishing and design company--scanning and preparing his photographic books using a Macintosh computer and now photographing in the field with digital view cameras. Current projects include With a New Eye, his groundbreaking and historic all digital national parks project. Stephen's work in digital photography, desktop color separations and digital imaging has included software and product development for clients such as Apple, Adobe, Eastman Kodak, Leaf, Ricoh and SuperMac. His work with Adobe includes the creation of the duotone curves shipped with their Photoshop software. Photographic clients have included the Ansel Adams Publishing Trust, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and the Friends of Photography. Johnson's photographs have been widely published and collected internationally. This workshop is financially dependent on adequate class registration. Where minimum enrollment requirements are not met, the class will be canceled, and a full refund given. You will be notified at least one week in advance if a workshop is not going to take place. Student initiated cancellations received prior to one month before the workshop will receive a full refund, a 50% refund will be given for notice received 2 weeks immediately prior to the workshop (a full refund less a $50 overhead fee will be given if another student is able to fill the spot from a waiting list).
|
Last updated on
Photographs and Text Copyright ©2004, Stephen Johnson. All Rights Reserved.
|