When I do art festivals and shows I’m often asked, “Did you manipulate that photograph?”  I have several answers.  The most direct is, “Yes, of course.” 

Other times I’ll reply, “My photographs are what I saw, not what the camera saw.”  Or if I’m feeling really wordy I’ll answer, “Let me explain it this way.  I approach photography from the mindset of a painter. I want to give myself the same creative freedom of a painter.”  To which the inquirer will often respond, “Oh, I get it; you’re an artist.”

To manipulate or not to manipulate.  That’s not even the question.  Why?  Because you have to go to extremes to have a photograph that is NOT manipulated.  OK, that’s a pretty bold statement.  So let’s take a deeper look.

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In the previous post in this series I presented the idea that calendar art is a worthy first goal for serious photographers.  (Read Taking Your Photography to the Next Level.)  And aside from the fact that the subject matter of calendar art may be fairly run of the mill, the technical and aesthetic qualities are generally excellent.

In that post I ended with this thought:

Calendar art is about the subject of the photograph.  The photographer is transparent.  In fine art photography the influence of the artist becomes more apparent.

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Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.  ~Amy Lowell

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I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.

Often times when out shooting with other photographers I hear them say, “I wish I had brought my grad ND filter.”  Or maybe they didn’t have the lens they needed.  “Where is it?” I ask.  “It’s back in my hotel room,” is their response.  “Why didn’t you bring it with you?”  “I didn’t think I would need it,” or “It’s too heavy.”

Truth to tell, I don’t understand the rationale of selecting the gear you think you might need when going out on a shoot.  Why not take it all?  I suppose if you have 20 lenses (I exaggerate) you can’t take them all with you.  But a normal complement of gear that gives you the flexibility you need isn’t that hard to pack and carry.

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I read a great series of articles by George Barr on taking the next step in photography.  They were passed along to me by a good friend – Brian Graham.  I have some early thoughts on what Barr proposes.

In his articles he defines six or seven steps for both technical and aesthetic growth in photography.  His articles define each step, discuss ways you can determine what step you’re in and gives ideas on how to advance to the next step.

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Photography is all about light.  In nature photography we study the weather, time of day and time of year to learn all we can about light.  And the more diligently we study light the more it pays off.

One of my favorite types of light is alpenglow.  There is a bit of confusion about what it is.  Many people think it’s the sunlight shining on the mountain peaks during sunset, after the valleys below are in shadow.  And while this is beautiful, that’s not it.

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Brooks Jensen published a very provocative article in the current issue of Lenswork.  He delves into a topic that I’ve thought about ever since I first picked up a digital camera.  It relates to the question of whether or not it is OK to manipulate photographs.  I’ve always contended that it is not only OK but, at least for the kind of photography I do, it is required.  The photographs I create reflect my interpretation of the natural world around us.  Therefore, their subjects and contents are going to reflect something of me.

Jensen goes several steps farther by identifying three major types of photography – Documentary, Personal Narrative and Imaginative.  Jensen describes Documentary photography as telling “someone else’s story.”  What a great way of describing it.  Clearly, then, in documentary photography, the photographer strives to be as true to the subject as possible and minimize or eliminate his or her own coloration or bias.  The goal is total objectivity.

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Nighttime photography is a lot of fun, gaining greater popularity and attracting more and more photographers.  I’ve been exploring the various techniques and want to share with you the one I like the most.  Now, I don’t pretend to be a master at nighttime photography.  I’ll leave that up to the legends like Wally Pacholka.  But we can still have a lot of fun and come away with some very nice images.

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Every year in March we get together for some photography, fun and fellowship in Joshua Tree National Park.  It is an informal gathering of photography enthusiasts of all skill levels.  We camp in one of Joshua Tree’s campsites.  We rise early for the glorious desert sunrises and stay up late, talking around the campfire.  And every Saturday night we eat far more than we should because of all the delicious food at the pot luck.

Joshua Tree National Park is Southern California’s premier national park.  It boasts three major desert environments – the high desert environment of the Mojave Desert, the low desert of the Colorado Desert and the transition zone between the two.  Its magnificent and magical Joshua Trees that give the park it’s name, the rock outcrops of the Wonderland of Rocks (world class climbing), the grand vistas of the Pinto Basin, the treacherous beauty of Cholla Garden, the spindly ocotillo, the peaceful and cool oases and much more make this a photographer’s paradise.

In 2012 we are scheduled for March 16-18.  We will be camping in the Cottonwood Campground at the southern entrance to the park where we have a group campsite reserved.  It is open to photographers of all skill levels who love the outdoors and the thrill of landscape photography.  And the cost is your contribution to the Saturday night pot luck.

We gather Friday night, set up and enjoy a friendly campfire.  Saturday is filled with photography, hiking and an informal class. We are also treated to the work of a guest photographer.  Saturday night is the big pot luck dinner when we all have a chance to relax and share stories from our day.  We do another sunrise shoot on Sunday morning before packing up and heading home.

If this sounds like fun, check out our website for more information.  Here’s the link.

http://ralphnordstromphotography.com/workshops/2012/1203_jt_gathering.html

The group site is tent camping only and we are restricted on space.  Regular camping is first come, first served.  Meaning: you need to register for the gathering.  Registration consists of two forms – Registration and Assumption of Risk.  Also, if you want to camp in an RV or all the spaces in the group site are taken you will need to camp in one of the regular campsites.  This is generally no problem and you can still participate in all the activities.

People are already signing up for this popular event so get your registration in now to secure your spot.  The forms can be downloaded from my website.  Here’s the link.  You can fax or mail the form to me.  Instructions are on the website and the form.

http://ralphnordstromphotography.com/workshops/2012/sign_up_now_jt_gathering.html

So come on out and join us in beautiful Joshua Tree National Park.  The Joshua Tree Gathering is an event not to be missed!  And if you know someone who might also be interested share this post with them.