I had the incredible pleasure of being asked to go to Iceland this year with one of my workshop clients, turned friend, Kathy. Iceland had been on my radar for a number of years so when she brought up the idea I was positively responsive!  This was exciting because it was not only Iceland, it was also a one-on-one workshop!  

I don't believe there is a bad time to visit Iceland, it was just a matter of what we wanted to focus our attention on. It is very well known for its waterfalls and luckily they flow all year round. With Iceland being just the size of Kentucky,  massive lava fields, mountains and glaciers gobble up a large majority of the island. The winters are very cold and daylight hours are short but we had the Northern Lights and Ice Caves to consider. Summers are best know for the extended daylight hours but the wildflowers are growing, waterfalls running full force and the cute Puffin birds have migrated there and are nesting. With spring and fall, there is a possibility to get a taste of any of those things.

With my crazy show and workshop schedule, we were able to find the time to travel in April. Since April is not considered prime season, so we knew there would be far fewer tourists thus making our chances in finding a last minute hostel possible. During the winter months, many are not yet open. And during the peak months of summer, the rates are much higher and availability harder to come by.  We had also considered renting an RV for the convenience of being able to park and sleep where the Northern Lights may be present to see. But before choosing to rent one, we did learn that it would not be filled with water since there was still the chance of freezing temperatures. For us, without that convenience, it was hard to justify the rates. (once we got to Iceland, we were glad to have chosen the hostel option because Iceland really was quite rural and without running water, we would had to search for bathrooms anyway)

We departed the United States on April 7. Our airplane travel to Iceland was very exciting for me because it was the first time I had flown First Class.  The seats were huge and even reclined into a personal bed. The food was amazing. The staff was more than accommodating. Flying will never be the same again now that I got a taste of the other side.

Having fun in First Class!

We flew into Iceland in the rain. It rained most of our first day.

Icelandic HorseIcelandic Horse photographed with digital infrared. This was a very rainy day for us in Iceland but the rain had stopped long enough for us to photograph this beauty and her horse friends.

Behind and above us was another waterfall. Kathy turned her attention to these wonderful mountains and bridge.

 

Iceland is best known for it's waterfalls, ice and ocean. Around almost every turn was a waterfall to photograph. We stopped at many of them and tried to find an angle that not everyone had already photographed. 

KirkjufellsfossIceland Waterfall in Infrared

Panoramic of Kirkjufellsfoss 

In addition to the waterfalls, there were churches everywhere!  We stopped at at least five of them, each very similar to the next.  

Video of one of the many churches in Iceland

We eventually found our way towards the east and away from the southern side of the island where most tourist buses were. There were many quaint fishing villages as well as the island's largest forest. We had seen so few trees along the south that driving into the forest was a shock. 

Snow in Iceland

Deep snow in Iceland just before dropping down into the largest forest in Iceland

Once away from the crowds, we experienced my favorite aspect of photography....exploration and solitude.  I am feel at one with Mother Nature when I can really hear her sounds and feel her power. I have always felt that the waves of the ocean and the sound it makes is the heartbeat of the earth. So being out and walking the black sand beaches with no one else around is so freeing and exhilarating (my client was doing the same thing but in a different direction). I could have spent hours out near the ocean had it not been so cold. Once my frozen fingers could no longer work, it was time to return to the car for a warmup.

Kathy photographed me as I tried to stay warm in the cold weather. I bought new Icelandic gloves that kept my fingers so much warmer.

Skogafoss - one of the most impressive waterfalls in Iceland

During that day, I found fun and interesting rocks to look at, some that were photographed but many that were just enjoyed for their uniqueness. We drove through snow covered mountains that were void of trees and it felt otherworldly. By the end of that day, both my client and I exclaimed, "that is the kind of photography I love!" I asked her what she meant and she told me how she could just observe and find unique things to photograph and I responded with, "yes! I was able to get in that zone that allows me to think and feel and capture images." And we didn't have any preconceived ideas about what to photograph based on the thousands of images online.  It really opened our eyes to other possibilities.

Tide pools

During our trip, we had one good opportunity to photograph the Northern Lights. We were in the right place at the right time but the weather did not cooperate. The wind had really picked up speed throughout the evening and while we were sitting in the car awaiting the show, the wind was hitting speeds upwards of 40 mph. We could barely open the car door. So for a couple hours, we sat in the car hoping the wind would die down and the Northern Lights would show up. We did end up seeing one quick ribbon. Kathy was able exit the car but wasn't even able to hold her camera still let alone put it on the tripod. I was surprised the wind didn't tear the door off the car. We returned to the hostel bummed.

The black sand beaches of Iceland were beautiful in my infrared style

View from Vik, Iceland

Something OddAn odd object on the black beach of Iceland.

An odd object on the black sand beach of Iceland

We ended our journey tired but happy. Granted, we had hoped to have experienced the Northern Lights but I know of many photographers who have gone to Iceland specifically to photograph the Northern Lights and have returned home with nothing they are proud of. It is a risk worth taking but a disappointment nonetheless. Kathy had hoped to have seen ice caves (these are open during the winter months) and I would have been happy seeing Puffins (they arrive during July). But, regardless, we saw so much. Each of us could go back during these different times of the year given that flights are not too expensive. Plus, I could always apply for an Artist-in-Residence program and stay there for three months creating more photography as well as teaching workshops.

They wore really big socks in Iceland!

The universal language  - art!

Drive Thru, Icelandic style!

The Hostels through Hostels International were very nice!

This was one of the busiest hostels. People and chickens. It had a great view overlooking the ocean.

Another hostel. They were clean and quiet. Most had shared bathrooms but we never had an issue with getting into the showers easily.

They also all had kitchen facilities so we often cooked our own food.

Rainbow and WaterfallSkogafoss in Iceland with rainbow A rainbow over a tourist at one of the many waterfalls.

Photographing the fallsInfrared photograph using my Sony a7r and Mefoto tripod I shoot primarily Infrared. This is a Sony a7r that has been converted. And I love my MeFoto Tripod!

Our final sunrise in Iceland. We spend seven great days in this beautiful Nordic country.

Kathy and I had a great time as you can see from this video.

Status:  Registration is Open

My 2017 Workshop is Sold Out.  Please consider joining us in 2018

Click on the icon to read more about this workshop.

2018 Dates

August 10, 11, 12  

Three Days

SOLD OUT

Join us in the pristine land of Sedona, Arizona best known for natural healing and spiritual awakening. 

Each of us has a vision, a unique way of seeing that we alone own.  Often we put that vision on the back burner because we get caught up in the technical aspects of our craft.  

During this workshop, we will work with you to find your inner voice, your inner vision and what it is that catches your attention when you are at one with the world around you.  This workshop will take you from the fast paced world you live in to a place where you can share your dreams, fears and images with other women in a relaxed and fun environment. 

Self-actualization and meditation combined with creative exercises will help deepen your inner vision so that you can connect better with your inner artist. With these exercises we hope that you are able to develop the skills to find and capture amazing images that you can further work on using your software or apps of choice or to use as reference material for paintings or other art forms. 

We will have plenty of one-on-one time for each participant to work with us on what is holding you back. This can include camera settings, composition, post-processing and image critique. There will also be plenty of relaxation time if you desire it.  

This workshop is geared towards any level of photography.  We follow the motto...the best camera is the one you have with you. This can range from the full set-up to a smartphone with apps. We will help you make the most of what you have.

	Friday, April 21 - Monday, April 24 , 2017
	$1500 (double occupancy) $1675 -  (single occupancy)
	All levels are welcome. There will be plenty of one-on-one time!
	Approximately 12 wonderful women!

Included in Your Tuition:

Breakfast, lunch, dinner,  lodging (single or double occupancy is available), taxes and gratuities, critiques, yoga/meditation and vision sessions, field and classroom instruction and exercises from the time we meet in Sedona until the we say our goodbyes after lunch.  

Not Included in Your Tuition:

Round-trip transportation from your home to the retreat center. Items of a personal nature. Anything else not specifically listed.

​Registration Information

Once you have registered, we will send you our release, travel information and a questionnaire. This will help us get to know you better as well as find you the most suitable roommate (double occupancy) during your time with us.

• By registering you understand and agree to our workshop policies listed below and here.
  • Double Occupancy per person -  $1500
  • Single Occupancy per person -   $1650
• If you have taken a workshop with me before, I do offer a $100 discount.  Just contact me and I will send you a invoice with the new pricing.
• Email me if you are interested in a monthly payment plan. No extra fees will be charged.
• I also have a referral discount. Refer another student to this course and you will receive a 10% discount. Contact me for an invoice.
• We have a no tag-along policy. Spouse, family member, friends, etc who are traveling with you and who have not registered will not be able to partake in any group functions.
• Registration is first come first serve. 
• If you are unable to register online, please contact me and I can take payment over the phone or via check. 

Registration:  Please email me to register. SOLD OUT

Special Notice:

• The location of this workshop is an Alcohol-Free, Smoke-Free & Meat-Free Facility. 

• The retreat's menu is pesco-vegetarian, which means they serve fish and seafood options. Many of the vegetables and fruits served are from local organic gardens.

• Pets are not allowed. 

• Some guests may be sensitive to smells and scented products can attract wildlife. Please bring no-scent or low-scent toiletries and refrain from using scented products.

• Wi-Fi is available in the lounge and in meeting rooms. 

• Outdoor Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi available all year. So bring your swimsuit.  Towels are supplied.

​ 

Itinerary (subject to change based on weather)

**Important Travel Info:  Getting to the Workshop - click here

Fine Print

• Cancellation Policy: All workshop tuition fees are non-refundable. We understand, however, that emergencies do come up at the last moment that could effect your participation. Should you need to cancel,  we can transfer the fees you paid towards another one of our workshops.  If the workshop you are transferring to is more than your original amount paid, the remaining balance will be due to secure registration. No fees are to be returned if the transferred workshop is less than your original payment. Students transferring from another workshop to this one will be registered in excess of the regular class size listed for this workshop with a maximum of 2 students transferred. Workshop fees can only be transferred towards another workshop and can not be used to purchase artwork or other items for sale. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund of tuition fees which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We strongly recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. Things beyond our control such as government shutdowns and weather can effect scheduling. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.
• Liability Limitation: Christine Hauber and/or Paige Eden aim to provide a safe, educational and enjoyable experience. We assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. – By participating in this workshop you acknowledge that you have read the information concerning responsibility and release Christine Hauber, Paige Eden, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Christine Hauber and Paige Eden will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. You also acknowledge that Christine Hauber and Paige Eden have the right to refuse service to anyone at any time and that these policies are subject to change at any time.

About Us

We are two passionate full-time photographers who have made our livelihood from what we love to do....create! We want to share with you what we have learned and experienced along the way so that you can may find that fire in you. To read more about us, click on the images below.

I have a variety of options for you:

Post-Processing Training

Private one-on-one computer training can happen at your location if you live or travel to Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona (winter) or Santa Fe, New Mexico (summer).

Field Instruction

Private field instruction can take place in a location of your choice.  We can teach you about your camera in addition to lighting, composition and story telling.  You can travel to Santa Fe or Scottsdale or meet us any amazing place you wish from national to international locations.

Field and Computer Training

This private instruction will include both shooting on location as well as doing some computer post processing.

Fully Customizable
Prior to the workshop we will discuss over the phone or via email what your specific learning needs are.

Possible classroom type topics can include: watching and learning our exact workflow, RAW processing, archiving & keywording, photo enhancement & effects, HDR processing, sizing photos for web & print, composition & cropping, photo website creation with Zenfolio, personal style, Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One Pro, OnOne’s Perfect Photo Suite, Nik Software, image review, camera operation & settings, selling & marketing your photos at art festivals, and more! Working together we will build a session that is perfectly suited to you. The possibilities are endless.

For field classes, we will cover everything from camera setting to composition and lighting. We also stress the passion and story behind capturing images. We will take you to interesting places to shoot and help you "see" better when it comes to subject matter and how to capture images that will tell a story.

Rates
For on-location sessions:

Rates are priced at $60 per hour for 1-2 people.  This includes travel up to 45 minutes away from my location. A minimum of 3 hours are required for sessions at your location. Travel beyond 45 minutes away are billed at $.57 per mile.

Full Day Instruction is priced at $400 per day for 1 or 2 people

Destination Private Instruction

I am also available for destination based instruction. 

Rates:

1 Participants: $300 per day (plus expenses if applicable *)

2-4 Participants: $200 per day per person (plus expenses if applicable)

4-6 Participants: $200 per day per person (plus expenses if applicable)

*If you are a female and are willing to share hotels rooms, my rates will be lower. (I do have one destination instructional trip planned for 2016 to Iceland, so I am open to traveling where you want to go)
 

Photo Tours

I also offer Photo Tours that are geared towards the photographer wanting less intensive instruction but wants to be introduced to interesting subjects to photograph in either Santa Fe country New Mexico during the spring to fall months or in Phoenix metro Arizona during the fall to spring months.  These are priced at $500 per day or $80 per hour with a three hour minimum. This rate is for 1 or 2 people.

Photo Clubs or School Groups

I am available for presentations to camera clubs as well as private workshops. We can work together to custom tailor a field trip, workshop or presentation for your group. 

Rates:

$150 per presentation

$100 per day per participant for field trips and workshops. 8 person minimum

Location Schedule

I am available for training in the following areas and dates:

Santa Fe, New Mexico May through mid October - both in-person or via online

Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona November through April - both in-person or via online

How to Schedule
For on-location sessions:

First check out the dates above to see if and when I may be in your area. If so, contact me so we may set up a time, location, and discuss material to be covered during our session. Once the details are set I will then email you an invoice which you can pay safely online or I can collect payment over the phone.

For online sessions:
Contact me so we may set up a time and discuss material to be covered during our session. Once the details are set I will then email you an invoice which you can pay safely online or I can collect payment over the phone.

Status:  Registration is Open!

Join me in "The City Different" a place for seekers and dreamers, a colorful and magical place where you can marvel at the unspoiled beauty of the San de Christo Mountain vistas, experience the influences of the native culture and be inspired by the creative spirit of the land. 

During this workshop, I will work with you to hone-in on what speaks with you, inspires you and resinates with you in a way that brings out your personal creative spirit. We will focus on making a deeper and more authentic connection to the physical environment and then learning how to express that connection through photography. We will work on how to transform an emotional experience into a visual one. 

Creative exercises, breathing exercises and yoga will help deepen your inner vision so that you can connect better with your inner artist. With these exercises we hope that you are able to develop the skills to find and capture amazing images that you can further work on using your software or apps of choice or to use as reference material for paintings or other art forms.  

This workshop is geared towards any level of photography, including artists who paint from their own images.   I follow the motto...the best camera is the one you have with you. This can range from the full set-up to a smartphone with apps. I will help you make the most of what you have.

	Friday, August 10 - Sunday, August 12, 2018  (Fri 4:30–8pm, Sat/Sun 9am-5pm)
	$425 plus tax
	All levels are welcome.
	Approximately 10 wonderful women!

Included in Your Tuition:

Fees, critiques, yoga/meditation, field and classroom instruction and exercises  

Not Included in Your Tuition:

Round-trip transportation from your home to the workshop location, taxes, lodging and food. Items of a personal nature. Alcohol. Snacks. Anything else not specifically listed.

​Registration Information

Once you have registered, we will send you our release, travel information and a questionnaire. This will help us get to know you better.

• By registering you understand and agree to our workshop policies listed below and here.
• I also have a referral discount. Refer another student to this course and you will receive a 10% discount. Contact me for an invoice. 
• We have a no tag-along policy. Spouse, family member, friends, etc who are traveling with you and who have not registered will not be able to partake in any group functions.
• Registration is first come first serve. 
• If you are unable to register online, please contact me and I can take payment over the phone or via check. 

Register Here

Special Notice:

• Pets are not allowed.   

​ 

Itinerary (subject to change based on weather)

Fine Print

• Cancellation Policy: All workshop tuition fees are non-refundable. We understand, however, that emergencies do come up at the last moment that could effect your participation. Should you need to cancel,  we can transfer the fees you paid towards another one of our workshops.  If the workshop you are transferring to is more than your original amount paid, the remaining balance will be due to secure registration. No fees are to be returned if the transferred workshop is less than your original payment. Students transferring from another workshop to this one will be registered in excess of the regular class size listed for this workshop with a maximum of 2 students transferred. Workshop fees can only be transferred towards another workshop and can not be used to purchase artwork or other items for sale. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund of tuition fees which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We strongly recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. Things beyond our control such as government shutdowns and weather can effect scheduling. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.
• Liability Limitation: Christine Hauber and/or Paige Eden aim to provide a safe, educational and enjoyable experience. We assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. – By participating in this workshop you acknowledge that you have read the information concerning responsibility and release Christine Hauber, Paige Eden, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Christine Hauber and Paige Eden will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. You also acknowledge that Christine Hauber and Paige Eden have the right to refuse service to anyone at any time and that these policies are subject to change at any time.

Status:  Registration is Open!

Join me in "The City Different" a place for seekers and dreamers, a colorful and magical place where you can marvel at the unspoiled beauty of the San de Christo Mountain vistas, experience the influences of the native culture and be inspired by the creative spirit of the land. 

During this workshop, I will work with you to hone-in on what speaks with you, inspires you and resinates with you in a way that brings out your personal creative spirit. I hope to be able to help you transition from a place of over-scheduling to a place of relaxation where you can share your dreams, fears and creative vision with other women in a fun environment.

Self-actualization and meditation combined with creative exercises will help deepen your inner vision so that you can connect better with your inner artist. With these exercises we hope that you are able to develop the skills to find and capture amazing images that you can further work on using your software or apps of choice or to use as reference material for paintings or other art forms. 

I will have plenty of one-on-one time for each participant to work with me on what is holding you back. This can include camera settings, composition, post-processing and image critique. There will also be plenty of relaxation time if you so desire it.  

This workshop is geared towards any level of photography, including artists who paint from their own images.   I follow the motto...the best camera is the one you have with you. This can range from the full set-up to a smartphone with apps. I will help you make the most of what you have.

	Tuesday, May 22 - Saturday, May 26, 2018
	$1250 (all inclusive)  (We will be staying at a unique location for lodging where some rooms have multiple beds and some have single queen or king sized beds. Contact me for a 10% discount per person if you are traveling with someone with whom you can share a bed)
	All levels are welcome. There will be plenty of one-on-one time!
	Approximately 9 wonderful women!

Included in Your Tuition:

Breakfast, lunch, dinner,  lodging, taxes and gratuities, fees, critiques, yoga/meditation and vision sessions, field and classroom instruction and exercises from the time we meet in Santa Fe until the we say our goodbyes after breakfast.  

Not Included in Your Tuition:

Round-trip transportation from your home to the workshop location. Items of a personal nature. Alcohol. Snacks. Anything else not specifically listed.

​Registration Information

Once you have registered, we will send you our release, travel information and a questionnaire. This will help us get to know you better as well as find you the most suitable roommate during your time with us.

• By registering you understand and agree to our workshop policies listed below and here.
• If you have taken a workshop with me before, I do offer a $100 discount.  Just contact me and I will send you a invoice with the new pricing.
• Email me if you are interested in a monthly payment plan. No extra fees will be charged.
• I also have a referral discount. Refer another student to this course and you will receive a 10% discount. Contact me for an invoice. 
• We have a no tag-along policy. Spouse, family member, friends, etc who are traveling with you and who have not registered will not be able to partake in any group functions.
• Registration is first come first serve. 
• If you are unable to register online, please contact me and I can take payment over the phone or via check. 

Register: Please email me to register

Special Notice:

• Pets are not allowed.   

• Check in is at 2pm and check out is 10am. Please do not arrive early as they have a cleaning crew working until check in.

​ 

Itinerary (subject to change based on weather)

Fine Print

• Cancellation Policy: All workshop tuition fees are non-refundable. We understand, however, that emergencies do come up at the last moment that could effect your participation. Should you need to cancel,  we can transfer the fees you paid towards another one of our workshops.  If the workshop you are transferring to is more than your original amount paid, the remaining balance will be due to secure registration. No fees are to be returned if the transferred workshop is less than your original payment. Students transferring from another workshop to this one will be registered in excess of the regular class size listed for this workshop with a maximum of 2 students transferred. Workshop fees can only be transferred towards another workshop and can not be used to purchase artwork or other items for sale. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund of tuition fees which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We strongly recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. Things beyond our control such as government shutdowns and weather can effect scheduling. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.
• Liability Limitation: Christine Hauber and/or Paige Eden aim to provide a safe, educational and enjoyable experience. We assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. – By participating in this workshop you acknowledge that you have read the information concerning responsibility and release Christine Hauber, Paige Eden, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Christine Hauber and Paige Eden will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. You also acknowledge that Christine Hauber and Paige Eden have the right to refuse service to anyone at any time and that these policies are subject to change at any time.

I often follow the simple but delicious recipes of The Happy Herbivore but every once in a while I venture out and try my own thing using the ingredients that I happen to have in my pantry and refrigerator. And because of this, I rarely have a recipe to share because I am just throwing things together and being surprised at the tasty end results. 

As for this recipe, I planned to take good notes as well as some good photographs. So, hurray!  I have a great recipe to share with you.  And the awesome thing is, it can be modified easily for those who are vegan or those who are gluten-free.  Just use your favorite gluten free noodles, spiralized zucchini or even rice.  

• Roasted Acorn Squash with Tofu-Cilantro Cream Sauce

• Acorn Squash RecipeRecipe photograph
•  

• Serves	Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
  4	15 minutes	30 minutes	45 minutes

•  

• 6 cups acorn squash, peeled and cut in 1/4 inch cubes

• 2 tablespoons Ginger Spread (optional)

• Salt, Pepper and garlic powder

• 8 ounces Angel Hair Pasta

• 3/4 cup organic non-gmo soft tofu

• 2-inch piece ginger, peeled

• 2 cloves garlic

• 4 tablespoons tahini

• 1/3 cup soy sauce (for low salt diets, use Bragg's Aminos)

• 3/4 cup packed cilantro

• Juice of two limes (or 3 tablespoons)

• 5 Medjool Dates, soaked and blended (for non-vegan, use 1 tablespoon honey)

• 2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

• 1/4 cup Pine Nuts (optional but tasty)

•  

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the optional ginger spread with tablespoons hot water. Mix until there is a syrup. (optional...otherwise you can use 1 tablespoons olive oil) Toss the cubes of acorn squash with the oil or syrup and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread out on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, flip the squash and roast for 10 minutes more or until the squash is tender.

Acorn Squash

While the squash cooks, cook the noodles until tender. Drain and rinse with warm water. Set aside in a bowl.

In a blender or food processor, add garlic and peeled ginger. Pulse until finely broken into small pieces. Add cilantro and blend. Add tofu, tahini, soy sauce, lime juice and blended Medjool dates. Blend until creamy. 

Pour sauce over the noodles, add most of the squash, the optional Pine Nuts and toss to coat. Add the remaining squash over the noodles and finish with toasted sesame seeds.

I have spent my life constantly learning about different forms of art and although most are very appealing to me, my talent seems to reside more with being able to capture what I see rather than what I can create in my mind. I tried my hand at oil painting and was fairly good at it, but I didn't feel extremely passionate about it mainly because it wasn't spontaneous enough for me. I also have enjoyed ceramics but have enjoyed it more as a hobby. When my chance to learn more about photography came about, it seemed as if everything clicked. I could capture in a split second, exactly what I was seeing and then take the film into the darkroom and experience what I thought was true magic. Now with computer software and digital cameras, I am able to extend my creative vision a bit further. 

My creativity is constantly changing and evolving.  I have learned to just enjoy the process because the few times I have forced a creative path that I don't have passion about, my work suffers and in turn, I start feeling empty. 

Some of my newest work takes my love of the past and combines it with a touch of color. 

Forever Broken DownTruck and Trailer photographed in infrared and post processed using texture layers.

Years Gone ByInfrared photograph with colored texture layers that make up the colors within the photograph. Colorized Vintage GasVintage Gas pumps photographed in infrared and colorized using texture layers with On1 Photo.

During my time in Colorado, I was able to photograph a hawk in a state park that just seemed as curious about us and our cameras as we were of him. This turned out to be an exciting private photography session.  As I told them, "Expect the unexpected"!  

Here are some of my favorite images from my time traveling:

Eye on the PrizeThis hawk was photographed in Colorado. This image combines the original photograph combined with texture layers for a beautiful fine art piece.

Eye on the Prize

The Stare DownA bison in Grand Teton National Park stare me down. Texture layers are added for color.

The Stare Down

The TangoLive Oak Trees in Texas that appear to be dancing.

The Tango

Watching Over the LandBison in Grand Teton National Park

Watching Over the Land

I returned to Santa Fe just in time for my first show that included a bit of wind, rain and sleet and luckily some beautiful sun on Sunday.  The tourists who were almost nonexistent on Saturday due to the weather came out in force on Sunday.  My new work was well received and many pieces went to new homes.  I even met some great people who scheduled one-on-one workshops with me.

Soon after that show, I left for Texas for a whirlwind photography trip that included a family portrait session, a intimate garden wedding, a half day private workshop, a full-day private workshop and a mini workshop in Big Bend National Park. Along with visiting friends and family who live in between where I was shooting the wedding and where I had my first workshop I was busy.  Luckily, I knew enough people that I could stay with that I did not have to take the RV on the long trip.  This also afforded me the ease of being able to pull quickly off the road if I wanted to capture a photograph. 

Although I can be occasionally and rarely talked into photographing a wedding, my expertise is really with non-moving objects such as landscapes, trees and animals who aren't on the move. I photograph best when I am not under pressure and I can have quiet contemplation with composition and lighting. But, regardless, I had a great time photographing this wedding because the overcast skies and the intimate nature of it was more to my style of shooting. Will I advertise that I do weddings? No.

Here are some of my favorite images from the wedding in Texas.

Bride and Groom

Intimate Garden Wedding

Reception

From Working in the USA - Behind the Scenes -

I left Strasburg, Colorada and continued east to Byers where I found my first Working in the U.S.A subject. Craig, who refers to himself as a treasure hunter, was selling goods from his beat up van at a corner in town. With everything from clothes to jewelry, he was basically a garage sale on wheels. Long hair held back with bands, black sunglasses, tattoos, and t-shirt with a naked woman artistically rendered as a motorcycle spoke of a man rough around the edges. But he was friendly. Craig had had some mishaps in life, which made selling used goods one of his best money making options. He said he wanted to stay out of trouble and spend more time with his children. He seemed content with this choice and commented that the biggest problem with is job is finding enough stuff for all the people out there looking for more stuff. Though he didn’t appear excited about me taking his picture, he told everyone coming to the van who I was, what I was doing, and that he would be part of my Project.

Treasure HunterThis is one of the first images I captured during my three and a half year photography project about the people of America and the work they do.

FarmersA farmer never really retires.

Just last week I was approached to do an interview for a podcast series on Keeping your Day Dream. In light of this I decided to go back to a podcast interview I had done in 2007 about my photography project "Working in the USA".  Listening to it brought back memories of my driving passion for this project. It has now invigorated me to find a way to reconnect with those feelings that I had during my three and a half years of traveling around the country photographing the people of America and the work they do. It has been 15 years (has it really been that long???) since I first set out on the road and during that time, the internet and digital technology was so basic. Now with social media, I could reintroduce the project along with the stories of my travels and how I met the people who are part of this amazing project. If you are interested in hearing the podcast from 2007, it can be found here on The Candid Frame.

Taxidermists

Exciting Adventures Exciting EncountersYou never know what life is going to hand you!

You never know what life is going to hand you!  

As I was in the Arizona desert single handedly loading up my car onto my car dolly that I attached to the back of my RV, a truck pulled up beside me. This was not unusual because all winter I was parked next to a horse riding ranch and often people were lost and thus did not know where to find the entrance to the stables. But in this case, as I approached his vehicle, he said, "I saw your RV on Scottsdale Road and was curious as to what it is you are working on so I rushed home and looked up your website."  Now granted, I have the signage on my RV that I have had since 2001 that says, "WorkingInTheUSA.com...A photographic series about the working people of America." Usually about once a year, someone will comment on it but for the most part it is overlooked.  In this case, this man, named Marc, looked up this no longer existing website and of course found nothing. (Yes, I now plan on taking the .com off of the RV signage).  But instead of giving up, he started driving around the area he had last seen me and low and behold, there I was on the ranch!

I proceeded to tell him my story and he became very excited. Apparently, he and his wife are in the launching phase of a new podcast series called, Keep Your Day Dream.  They are interviewing people all over the world who have left a seemingly "normal" life to embark on adventures that were once just a dream.  In my case, I feel like I left normal in 2001 to begin my Working in the USA project and then almost returned to a normal during the past three years when I became creatively stifled and unfulfilled by my photography path.  I have now become reinvigorated and feel like I am once again living my dream and following a path I was meant to take.  Maybe I had to go through a down time to realize where my passion really lies.  

So as soon as my interview is available, I will let you know here on my blog.

Saguaro SunsetThe night before I drove away from Scottsdale, Arizona, this was the beauty I experienced.

"On the Road Again, I Can't Wait to Get on the Road Again"

"On the Road Again, I Can't Wait to Get on the Road Again"

I love that song by Willie Nelson!  Being an RV traveler, it is near and dear to my heart. I find myself singing it subconsciously each time I am getting ready to roll.

Awe, another chapter in this life begins tomorrow. It is a solo adventure, but I don’t feel like it is anything different than I have done since 2001 when I first moved into and started traveling in my RV.  Of course I am nervous because I don'’t have anyone else to rely on… but then again, I am so independent that I tended to take matters into my own hands anyway.  This week, I managed to change the oil myself, get the tires rotated and hook up the car dolly all while photographing my last Arizona sunset of this season. 

As I get ready a few things are clear; I am alone but I am not lonely. I am nervous but I am not afraid. I see life as an adventure and none of us really ever know what lies ahead of us. We can predict with some sort of certainty based on our history, but there are often bumps in the road, forks in the road or the worst... dead ends with no obvious means out.  But it is all in how you approach these obstacles that make the difference between an unhappy existence or a happy one. 

I have been in Arizona for the past six months at the Arizona Fine Art Expo and now it is time to leave the heat and head to Santa Fe, New Mexico where my base will be. This is the first year that I have been sad to leave Arizona…I have learned to love the beautiful orange sunsets, the silly little Gambel's Quail that chirp and coo, the mighty Saguaros and warm winter temperatures. This is the first year that I am driving away from the many friends I have made but especially my fellow foodie friend Caroline. Despite the fact that she loves cheese and animal flesh and I am a whole food, plant based nutritarian, we get along great! 

As everyone knows, it gets downright hot here in Arizona during the summer and there are no known art festivals for me to do here. In Santa Fe, I can show my artwork with the Santa Fe Society of Artists on weekends throughout the summer.   I also can continue to refine my new project on Rescued Animals as well as set in stone some of my upcoming photographic retreats for women.  So onward and upward, to a windy, dusty land of wonderful green chile, great art and enthusiastic tourists from all over the world.  

Central Park PathCentral Park Path


This photograph is part of my Boutique Collection and thus is limited in edition size. These are signed editions. Once it is sold out, this particular piece will no longer be available for purchase.

To see available sizes and prices and to purchase, click on the small photo below, then click on the "Buy" link.

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Each month I send out a newsletter of new happenings, newly created images, photo tips and tricks, special deals and discounts and/or just to say hi.  I look forward to you being a part of my adventures. 

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Grand Teton National Park is one of the most beautiful and majestic landscapes in the world, with the Teton Range rising more than 7,000 feet above the valley. Located in northwestern Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park has some of the more dramatic scenery in the Rocky Mountains. It is sure to be an inspiration for any photographer looking to capture beautiful images.

Spend five days in the magnificent Grand Teton National Park exploring your  creativity with Matt Suess & Christine Hauber during their Grand Teton Spring Photography Workshop. They will be there to guide you with composition, exposures, depth of field and seeing beautiful light as you expand your knowledge of photography. Your individual needs will be their priority. 

This is a shooting-intensive workshop with two full time fine art photographers who will provide you with hands-on, one-on-one instruction in the field along with one full day of classroom instruction and lectures.  They will help you develop your artistic eye and find your own personal vision and style. They will teach you techniques that will enable you to move forward technically and artistically. With their experience as fine art photographers, they will help you create dramatic and powerful images by using dramatic light, and understanding the fundamentals of powerful compositions. 

Not only are you learning from one professional photographer – but 2 full-time professional photographers and artists with over 40 combined years of experience behind the camera, in the digital darkroom, as well as teaching and helping students.

We will teach you what we know from our extensive background and experience in photography in a way that is easy and fun to learn and which allows you room to grow and advance from your new found knowledge and renewed enthusiasm in photography.

With a student to teacher ratio of 5:1 there will be numerous opportunities to work with Matt and Christine on a one-on-one basis helping you individually on composition, exposure, your own personal style, shooting techniques, and more. Our students have absolutely loved this aspect of our photo workshops and thus has led to great discussions and learning opportunities.

2015 Grand Teton National Park Photography Workshop

June 26-30, 2015  

Jackson, Wyoming

Tuition: $1,145 per student, with a limit of 8 students.

Have you taken a workshop with us before?
If so email me and I will send you a special code good for $100 off registration for this workshop.

Ask also about our referral program.

Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Payment is due in full at time of registration.

Now with digital photography, the same ideas apply. The image creativity for me does not just stop at the clicking of the camera. It continues with the RAW processing and into the creative digital processing.

I primarily use Capture One for my RAW processing and then use onOne's Perfect Photo Suite for my image enhancing.  For some images, I like producing a painterly look.   To create this painterly look to your photographs can be an easy task or a very difficult one. It all depends on how detailed you want it to be or how much work you need to do on the original image. 

This is my original image. Since i had pre-visualized a painterly look for this image, I was not concerned about the lack of excitement in the sky. I wanted to make sure I retained the details in the metal of this Pumpjack. 

In Perfect Photo Suite, I deleted the background using the masking module.  

This is just a bit of what Matt Suess and I teach in our classes and workshops. I can also do private online instruction via Skype or in-person one-on-one workshops anywhere you would like to be. Just visit here for private instruction information.

You photograph a great scene but don't realize until it is too late that your camera settings were way off?  You have an over-exposed (or under-exposed) image that you are ready to move to the trash.

If you had photographed this image in RAW (a camera setting on most models of digital cameras) your image can be saved!!  The reason you will want to shoot in RAW in most instances is because the RAW file captures all of the image data recorded by the camera's sensor.  A more common format for many simple point and shoot cameras and smart phones is the JPEG. A JPEG actually compresses the information and thus you loose data within that image.  Check your camera settings and when in a situation where you are photographing important images (such as family portraits, landscapes, animals etc), put your camera setting in the RAW format. I normally leave my camera in the RAW format a majority of the time and only switch to a combination of RAW & JPEG when I am taking snapshots of family get-togethers. I like having the option of having the RAW just in case I captured that awesome one of a kind shot but also the JPEGS in case I want to easily email multiple unprocessed images to family members.

Following is an image that I actually purposefully over-exposed for this demonstration (and as part of three exposure HDR...a technique we teach in our workshops) As you can see, it looks like it should be immediately thrown away. The highlights are completely blown out. (the saving grace is that the shadows have great detail)

Blog Photo/Zion Over ExposedA screen shot of my image in Capture One before I digitally processed it.

This is a screen shot of my image in Capture One before I digitally processed it.

Since I shot this in RAW, I was not too concerned about what could be done in post processing...especially since I use Capture One for my RAW processing. So after making some very minor adjustments with the exposure, contrast, highlight, shadows, clarity and structure, color editing and vignetting my image looked like this:

Blog Photo2 Zion Capture OneAfter making some initial adjustments in Capture One, this is the resulting image.

After making some initial adjustments in Capture One, this is the resulting image.

At this point, I can continue refining the RAW image with the additional settings and then export and take into onOne's Perfect Photo Suite to finalize the post processing adjustments.

If you feel you have some great images that can benefit from post-processing but you don't have the time or desire to do the work yourself, I do offer commission work.  In my commissions, I will take your image, post-process it and then have it printed on either stretched canvas or aluminum and ship it directly to you. Please inquire about my pricing. If you do have the desire to learn how learn more about post-processing or photographing better images, we have a few different workshops coming up in 2014 that will teach you how to take your images to the next level.

Aperture controls how much light enter the camera through the lens.
The more open your aperture, the shorter the depth of field.
The more closed your aperture, the greater the depth of field.
An f-stop such as f/4 will have a more open aperture and thus a very short depth of field.
An f-stop such as f/32 will have a more closed aperture and thus a longer depth of field.

Fiddler

"The Fiddler"

A large aperture (same as a small f-stop) created a very shallow depth of field. I wanted just the end of the fiddle in focus with the fiddler being recognizable but blurry. My intention was for the eye to focus on the curl.

Desert View "Desert View"

An f-stop of about f/22 keeps the foreground to the background in focus.

Shutter Speed

Shutter Speed controls how long the light entering the camera exposes the sensor.
The faster the shutter speed, the sharper the image. (as long as you are in focus)
Rule of Thumb: try not to hand hold anything less that 1/60 of a second.
Shooting at a slower shutter speed requires a tripod or a way to brace the camera. Even the strongest and steadiest of people can still cause camera shake when pressing the button.
If you have a tripod and a cable release, you can have as long of a shutter speed as you want.
If you want to stop the action, such as a dog running, choose a very fast shutter speed.
If you want to blur the action, such as with a waterfall, choose a very slow shutter speed.

10457 - Vivian 1st Birthday Zion National Park  "The Narrows"

Long exposure led to a nice cotton candy effect to the water.

ISO

ISO numbers measure how sensitive the camera is to light.
Lower ISO #'s such as 100 and 200 mean the camera sensor is less sensitive to light
Higher ISO #'s  such as 800 and 1600 mean the camera sensor is more sensitive to light.
Lower ISO's mean you will have less grain or noise in your images
Higher ISO's mean you will get more grain or noise in your images.
I keep my ISO at 100 most of the time unless I am in a situation where it is too dark and I need to get a stop action photograph.

New Class Date: April 11-12, 2015

Perfect Photo Suite 9 Crash Course 

Today onOne software announced Perfect Photo Suite 9, the next version in their incredible photo enhancing software. There are some great new features that photographers have been asking for. It will be available in late October with new pricing that every photographer should be able to afford.

Matt Suess and I are offering a couple classroom workshops using Perfect Photo Suite 9 in Phoenix, Arizona this coming October and November. We will be among the very first photographers teaching this software right on the heels of the new release.

A copy of their press release is below highlighting the new features and enhancements:

Perfect Photo Suite 9 adds lightning-fast Raw previews, re-editable files, improved selection tools and more

Among the key enhancements in Perfect Photo Suite 9 are:

• An overhauled Browse module, which adds lightning-fast previews of RAW files; new rating, ranking and keyword tools; and sophisticated filtering capabilities. These features are designed to help you cull and sort through photos quickly after a shoot, without having to wait for previews to be generated. You can then edit your photos using the Suite, or can easily send them to a secondary photo tool like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom or Apple Aperture — with metadata and keywords intact.
• A new Smart Photo feature, which lets you re-edit your photos — with previous settings intact — after saving and closing them. All of your editing steps are saved with a Smart Photo, so you can make subtle (or major) changes to a photo at a later date, while preserving the Photoshop file format for compatibility.
• To help you create better selections, all the masking and selection tools have been improved and integrated throughout the Suite’s modules. And, Perfect Layers and Perfect Mask have been combined into a single module, streamlining the process of compositing photos.
• We’ve also added a new Quick Mask brush: run it over an area that you want to select (or remove), and a detailed mask is automatically created. This is perfect for replacing backgrounds or adding a custom look to part of your photo.
• You asked for it, we added it: noise reduction is now part of the Suite. Reduce noise in your photos while maintaining important details. You can even selectively apply noise reduction to different parts of a photo, such as the shadows or highlights.
• A new Lens Flare filter in Perfect Effects lets you get that popular “shot into the sun” look and add flares ranging from subtle to bold.
• Faster image processing; filters and presets now load up to 30 percent faster than in previous versions.

I rarely will put my camera down just because the sky isn't what I expect it to be. Now with software technology, I can easily delete a boring sky and replace it with something more exciting. 

The Right Time, The Right Place

But nothing is as great as being in the right place at the right time. As seen in this photo, our storm chasing did lead to a great shot but we did spend a lot of time driving to find a shot where everything came together perfectly.  I shot this with a converted infrared camera.

Windmills and ThunderstormA huge thunderstorm looms over two secluded windmills

 As for all those other days, here are some tips to help you create great shots regardless of the weather. 

 Sunny, cloudless days:

These particular days can be frustrating for the best of landscape photographers because the sky plays such an important roll in their images. On days such as these is when I spend time finding the details in the environment.  A big tree detail will look much better on a beautiful plain sky than one that has too much cloud detail.  I then like to take my images into Perfect Photo Suite and enhance them, add texture layers and thus create a much more artistic final image. 

Craggily Tree

Overcast Days

Overcast days are also ones that I like to find details. These days are also perfect for closeup images or macro photography.  The light is muted and less harsh which results in much more saturated images. 

Three LeavesThree leaves in the mist from a waterfall in Zion National Park.

Regardless of the type of weather, make the most of it.  

Polarizing filters are helpful in capturing deeper blues in your skies that then will help separate the whites of the clouds from the blues.  They are also helpful when photographing water scenes. 

A tripod will come in handy if you end up in a low light situation such as a storm with lightening or you just want to have a long exposure on the clouds or water. 

Bring plastic bags to protect your camera in case you get stuck in a storm or want to capture stunning rain photographs. 

Have different lenses or the ability to zoom into a scene. This will enable you to blur out a distracting sky when doing details. 

And finally, if you love the subject, capture it and then find a way to create a final image. I have many images that I took years ago that I can now use because of the amazing technology.  My colleague, Matt Suess even has backgrounds and skies available for people to purchase so they can replace a seemingly boring sky with one more impressive. Check out his website for a blog and sort tutorials about them.

If you are interested in taking your images to the next level by changing out skies or backgrounds, Matt's texture and backgrounds are perfect for you.  You are now able to purchase and download up to 162 high resolution photo textures and backgrounds from a collection of photos he has been working on for the past four years.

There will be over 50 cloud backgrounds and over 100 textures to choose from in 7 different sets. Each texture and background image was photographed and enhanced/optimized by Matt so that you are working with a great looking texture or background “right out of the box”. Files range from 6,000px to 7,500px in the longest dimension – some of the highest resolution textures available online!My colleague, Matt Suess, has launched his new set of Suess Photo Textures & Backgrounds.

Here are the textures in Stone Set 1:

Stone Set 1

I am an affiliate so by purchasing these textures via the link here on my site, I do receive some compensation. Click here to visit Suess Fine Art Photography to purchase any or all of the textures that Matt has available.

Birds in the Tree IIBirds in the Tree was photographed on a blue sky morning. It is with skies that are cloudless that I enjoy finding minimalistic images. When I first arrived, this tree was full of birds and slowly each one started to fly away. I waited until I felt the overall image had a nice balance between the branches and the number of birds. This image was the one I captured. I then added texture overlays and did some final processing within Nik Color Efex 4.

Birds in the Tree was photographed on a blue sky morning. It is with skies that are cloudless that I enjoy finding minimalistic images. When I first arrived, this tree was full of birds and slowly each one started to fly away. I waited until I felt the overall image had a nice balance between the branches and the number of birds. This image was the one I captured. I then added texture overlays and did some final processing within Nik Color Efex 4.

Imagine five days in beautiful Zion National Park in Utah at or near peak fall foliage, in a small group of just 8 students, photographing amazing sunrises & sunsets along with striking fall foliage color with not one but two full-time fine art photographers as your instructors and guides.

-CONTINUE READING-

Autumn Aspen GroveI photographed this image in the mountains outside of Crested Butte, Colorado, where the groves are large and strong with thick undergrowth of ferns and other plants that change with the dropping temperature.

I finally had a chance to visit my local Aspen grove this year outside of Santa Fe, NM in preparation for our Santa Fe Digital Boot-Camp Workshop. The groves are beautiful but are much younger than the groves in Crested Butte. The trees are tall and thin with many small pine trees growing amongst them.

Aspen trees have become one of my favorite trees to photograph. They are striking in glistening green color during the summer and vibrant yellows and red during the fall.

This photograph is part of my Boutique Collection and thus is limited in edition size. Once it is sold out, this particular piece will no longer be available for purchase.

To see available sizes and prices and to purchase, click on the small photo below, then click on the "Buy" link.

Photo of the Month - October 2013

I photographed this image in the mountains outside of Crested Butte, Colorado, where the groves are large and strong with thick undergrowth of ferns and other plants that change with the dropping temperature.

I finally had a chance to visit my local Aspen grove this year outside of Santa Fe, NM in preparation for our workshop. The groves are beautiful but are much younger than the groves in Crested Butte. The trees are tall and thin with many small pine trees growing amongst them.

Aspen trees have become one of my favorite trees to photograph. They are striking in glistening green color during the summer and vibrant yellows and red during the fall.

This photograph is part of my Boutique Collection and thus is limited in edition size. Once it is sold out, this particular piece will no longer be available for purchase.

 

The images could possibly have stood on their own or been processed as black and white, but I felt they had greater potential. There was emotion and impact within the birds and branches themselves but I knew that with the right combination of colors and textures, they could be taken to a much more interesting and dramatic level.

Triptych using combined textures of Skeletal Mess and Fly Textures

BirdOriginal11

Original Bird 1 for "The Birds"

bird2

Original Image 2 of "The Birds"

Bird3

Original bird image 3 for "The Birds"

I assessed each of these images and knew that as a triptych, I would need to place the birds in a way that they could stand on their own but also flow together as an triptych.  Image 1′s placement was good, Image 2 needed to be modified and Image 3 needed to be flipped horizontal so that the bird faced inward towards Image 2.

I did some slight but different cropping on each and then cloned out a couple of small, distracting branches.  Image 2 still didn’t feel quite right on its own. I felt that the bird was looking the wrong directions, but I loved how the branches flowed in the original image.  So with careful photoshop techniques, I was able to flip the bird without flipping the branches.

Next,  I used Nik’s Silver Effects Pro 2 to change the images into black and white as well as adjust the sky and branches to give the depth I wanted. I didn’t need to make this perfect at this time because as soon as I added the texture, I would need to make more adjustments.

bird2BW

Bird 2 converted to Black and White

I then selected the textures I wanted to add to these images.  Although, I have many textures that I have created myself, it is fun to try out the textures that others have created as well.  In this particular set of images, I decided on a texture created by FlyPaper Textures and a texture created by Skeletal Mess.

Fly-Edges-21

Texture from FlyPaper Textures

skeletalMessTexture

Texture from Skeletal Mess

With a new blank white image box open, I added Texture 1 to a new layer.  I then added Texture 2 to a layer over Texture 1. I changed Texture 2′s layer to an opacity of 50% and adjusted the blending options in the layers palate.  I then opened Bird 1 and placed it on a layer over the other two textures.  I placed this layer with full opacity.

screenphoto

Different Layers added to Bird Image

In assessing the image, I then made appropriate level adjustments, color adjustments and saturation adjustments to each layer as necessary to reach the creative vision I desired.   I also erased small sections of the different texture layers in order to pull out the details of the image I wanted.

I repeated these steps for each of the different bird images and adjusted all to match each other.  Each image stands on its own but can be horizontally or vertically displayed as a triptych.

Triptych combining Texture Layers

8x12 - $95 each or 2 or more for $85 each
12x18  - $185 each or any 2 or more for $165 each

If you are unable to find the perfect image on my website, I also offer commissions. Often times, people are in perfect places photographing wonderful images only to get home and look at them on their computer and be disappointed that it "doesn't look the way I remember".  For such situations,  with my years of experience in digital processing,  I will enhance any of your personal favorite images then print them onto aluminum to ship directly to you or your loved one. By emailing me a suitable sized image, I will let you know if it is a workable image and what size it can be printed. For the same limited time, I have slashed my prices for you. I will offer the same prices listed above, greatly discounting my enhancing fees. Just contact me directly so we can begin the process.


• An Aluminum Photograph is a stunning new art medium where dyes are infused directly into coated aluminum sheets. Because the image is infused into the surface and not on it, photos will take on an almost magical luminescence. Available in a high gloss finish. You've never seen a more brilliant and impressive print! Colors are vibrant and the luminescence is breathtaking. Detail & resolution are unsurpassed.

Fall is a great time to visit Zion National Park.  Unlike last year, this year we were treated to some unseasonably warm temperatures with daytime temps reaching the upper 60′s to low 70′s and nighttime temps falling to just above freezing to the low 40′s. While the fall foliage this year wasn’t as good as in the past – see Matt's fall foliage 2013 report here – we still were not at a loss for beautiful and dramatic things to photograph.

In order to photograph great light one needs to know about proper exposure and histogram use. Here, Matt is doing a presentation on camera settings and exposure.

Each morning we met with our students at 5:30am to photograph the sunrise. A mid-day break that lasted anywhere from 2 hours to 4 allowed our students to take a nap, download images, and catch lunch. Most afternoon sessions started a few hours before sunset and lasted until 6pm after the sun had already gone down.

I am showing one of our students how the slightest adjustment with the camera on a tripod can make a huge difference in the final image’s composition.

Our workshop was scheduled to provide our students with a great variety of locations at just the the right time of day for incredible light. We stressed proper composition and exposure and Matt and I had ample opportunities to work with each of our students one-on-one to help them with their own unique styles and shooting preferences.

In our photography workshops we make sure there is plenty of one-on-one time with Matt and myself.

By the end of the 5 days our students had a firm grasp on exposure and composition and were able to view things differently by getting outside their comfort zone and challenging themselves with new techniques and skills learned during the photo workshop. It was a great group of students and Matt and I loved sharing with them what we know.

I help a student as others look for an angle to photograph from.

Matt gives a demo on composition while out in the field photographing.

Matt gives a short field presentation on a laptop on how to process RAW files in Capture One Pro.

Photography is about timing and Matt and I brought our students to great locations at just the right time.

View our other upcoming Photo Workshops here.

A Sneak Peak of Our Upcoming 2014 Photography Workshops

I teach a number of various field and classroom photography workshops throughout the year, usually with my colleague Matt Suess. Together we offer over 40 years of professional photography experience and absolutely love sharing our knowledge and experience with our students.

Our students range from beginners with point-and-shoot cameras to more advanced photographers with “all the gear”. We teach the basics like shutter speeds, apertures, ISO’s, histograms and depth of field. The study of light, composition and timing is emphasized.

And we teach advanced photography techniques such as multiple exposure HDR photography, stitching, texture blending, layer masks, composite photography, and more.

As fine art photographers, we emphasize personal style and artistic expression. As artists, our creativity is not limited to what a cold, mechanical device such as a camera can see. Creativity begins when we photograph the scene with great light and composition, and creativity continues with how we enhance our photographs in post production using specialized photography software such as Capture One Pro, Perfect Photo Suite, and Nik Software.

I am also available for private instruction for those who prefer complete one-on-one time or can not make one of the other scheduled workshops. Private instruction can range from topics such as marketing, website and social media, art festivals, camera settings, in addition to field and classroom photography instruction.

For more information on the 2014 workshop schedule, click here.

There's a Light WithinPhoto of the Month - September 2013

I came upon this piano during a photography outing with Kathy, one of our workshop participants, while we were in Texas. Granted, my colleague, Matt Suess reached this old, run down piano first but in creating a good teaching situation, we were able to show that even if many people shoot the same subject, their final image can be quite different from each others.

Each person has a different way of looking at things, creating a composition and post processing. If we all tried to be the same, this would be a very boring world of photography.

This photograph is part of myBoutique Collection and thus is limited in edition size. Once it is sold out, this particular piece will no longer be available for purchase.

To see available sizes and prices and to purchase, click on the small photo below, then click on the "Buy" link.

I came upon this piano during a photography outing with Kathy, one of our workshop participants, while we were in Texas. Granted, my colleague, Matt Suess reached this old, run down piano first but in creating a good teaching situation, we were able to show that even if many people shoot the same subject, their final image can be quite different from each others.

Each person has a different way of looking at things, creating a composition and post processing. If we all tried to be the same, this would be a very boring world of photography.

This photograph is part of myBoutique Collection and thus is limited in edition size. Once it is sold out, this particular piece will no longer be available for purchase.

To see available sizes and prices and to purchase, click on the small photo below, then click on the "Buy" link.

Sunset Love

I have been going through a minimalism stage in my imagery so searching out and finding this simple but touching image was wonderful. Being that birds mate for life, finding these two perched together on the telephone wire seemed poetically romantic.

This poem by Courtney Kuchta completes the feelings I experienced.

One Wish

If I could have just one wish,
I would wish to wake up everyday
to the sound of your breath on my neck,
the warmth of your lips on my cheek,
the touch of your fingers on my skin,
and the feel of your heart beating with mine...
Knowing that I could never find that feeling
with anyone other than you.

After processing the image I combined it with a couple of texture layers from Flypaper Textures. I then further processed it in Nik's Color Efex Pro 4.

There's a Light Within

Photo of the Month - September 2013

I came upon this piano during a photography outing with Kathy, one of our workshop participants, while we were in Texas. Granted, my colleague, Matt Suess reached this old, run down piano first but in creating a good teaching situation, we were able to show that even if many people shoot the same subject, their final image can be quite different from each others.

Each person has a different way of looking at things, creating a composition and post processing. If we all tried to be the same, this would be a very boring world of photography.

To purchase this image, please click here.

Tucson Mission

"Tucson Mission"

Click on the image view it larger or to purchase a print

The Tucson mission are unique and beautiful. Some are quite pretty with the the white wash walls, arches, domes and crosses. With this mission, I loved the look of the curves of the arches with the curve of the top of the structure, so I worked with the composition to create a comfortable image.

Being that the sky was blue and nondescript, I added a texture layer from Flypaper Textures. In this case, the texture layer was blue and pink, adding a bit of warm to this image.
 

Aspens in Black and White Each year I try and make the trip to Crested Butte, Colorado to spend time in the mountains and amongst the beautiful large groves of Aspen Trees. When I found this set of trees, I loved how wonderfully the trees lined up, making a strong composition with the main focus being on the center tree. I decided on creating a black and white image because of the deep depth of tones that really makes it strong and dramatic.

To purchase this image, please click here.

About Working in the USA

For three years photographer Christine Hauber traveled throughout the United States to explore work life at the turn of the 21st Century. The hundreds of images that resulted, as well as the subjects’ own words, reveal a surprising amount of worker pride, optimism and satisfaction. Recorded here are the faces and words of ordinary people, who in their diversity and uniqueness offer a cross-section of the richness of American life. Working in the USA, gives readers a glimpse of who and what Hauber discovered during her documentary labor of love.

The diversity on the pages of Working in the USA makes it an important contribution to the country’s history. Each photograph is a snapshot in time, a time when job opportunity and freedom of choice are as obvious to workers as the color of the sky. Hauber’s randomly selected subjects rarely complained about their occupations. They often expressed a belief that lack of desire and hope spells employment failure, but effort, persistence, and a focus on goals can take anyone in the United States where they want to go.

Working in the USA unveils a fraction of the people and places that Hauber recorded, and yet, the variety here takes the reader on a fulfilling journey through America’s nearly limitless employment landscape.

As a whole, this collection is a testament to the wellness of the American Dream.

ironpourera

Iron Pourer in Erie, Pennsylvania

About Inroads

Inroads: The Journey behind Working in the USA. is a narrative book that explores America and her people, taking readers on a magnificent and unique tour along the two lane highways of this country we call home. This is the perfect book for the drifter, dreamer, and story-teller in all of us.

Comments

Christine Hauber’s “Working in the USA” affords the first opportunity to explore the origins, scope, and aspirations of the American worker. Hauber’s honest treatment of her subjects and her faith in the intrinsic power of the medium have produced a body of work that is often striking in its purity, in its steadfast celebration of things as they are.

This book reproduces two hundred and seventeen duotones of Christine Hauber’s photographs capturing individuals across the country. It also includes an audio CD of each worker’s thoughts and experiences in relation to their work and life.

About the Author

“The journey that led to Working in the USA began with an idea that grew into a dream. The larger and broader the dream grew, the more consumed with it I became. Before I knew it, I was beyond dreaming and into action, moving toward reality. As a small business owner, I’d already made something from nothing and knew I was capable of doing it again. But my fear of the unknown threatened to stop me cold. Fortunately, my fear of failure was a stronger motivator. I could not imagine having to explain to those who know me that I gave up the goal because of minor or temporary setbacks. So I pushed ahead, finally reaching my embarkation point. Working in the USA is the result of hundreds of bright days, dark nights and long miles of living a dream. In unknown surroundings with a dog, a cat, and a camera, I captured the images of everyday working Americans.” – Christine Hauber

Prizewinning photographer Christine Hauber is a graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado and the University of Colorado. Her photographs have been shown in galleries nationally and showcased in B&W and Photo Technique magazines. She has also been the subject of several television programs, including the Fine Living Channel’s Radical Sabbatical and CNN’s NewsNight with Aaron Brown. She works primarily with black and white film, hand processing and hand printing each of her images.

To purchase this book, please contact me directly.

Taxidermists

Product Details

• Paperback and Hard Bound 208 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 10.00 x 11.08
• Photographs: 217 Duotones
• Audio CD: The insights and thoughts of 50 select workers
• Publisher: Silver Spectrum Books
• ISBN: Hard Bound: 0-9766170-1-3, Soft Bound: 0-9766170-0-5

In today's digital age, technology has allowed everyone from the hobby photographer to the pro photographer to easily have access to printing their images at home, at local box stores or through online labs. In the past ten years or so, most of these processes have turned to inkjet printers, some with high end archival inks and papers.  Because these are the most common means of printing now, the traditional wet darkroom silver gelatin photograph has slowly become a lost art. As time goes on, there will be fewer and fewer photographers practicing this art of traditional black and white photography. Darkroom printing, by any standard, a slow, tedious, and inefficient method of recording an image and producing a photographic print. Those, like me, who continue printing in traditional and alternative ways tend not to be interested in efficiency, but rather the joy and satisfaction of creating a photograph with the rich tones and quality that can't be achieved by any other method.

For most of my patrons who ask, I quickly explain the gelatin silver photograph as "a photograph printed in a darkroom in which silver halides that are sensitive to light create the final image from my film negatives." For many people who don't quite understand this, I explain that most photographs in present day are printed using large printers from digital files, some of which started as film but were scanned for digital printing.  I add that very few photographers now even continue to print in traditional wet darkrooms.  Darkroom photographs are time consuming to create as there are many steps involved in creating just one perfect photograph from developing,  double fixing to the long wash bath, selenium toning, a second bath and the drying process. Even setting up the darkroom to get ready for printing and cleaning after printing is a time consuming process. 
(For this of you who want a more technical explanation, I have added that at the bottom of this blog posting.)

With me, even though I have a darkroom and love the photographs from the darkroom, I have been open and receptive to the digital process. In my own darkroom I am only able to print 16x20's and smaller gelatin silver photographs and thus have started offering larger sized photographs of my negatives using the digital printing process.  To me, the darkroom printing process is a very personal one. Since I print from negatives, I rarely am able to get the same exact final photograph each time.  For this reason, gelatin silver photographs are often looked at as One-of-a-Kind original photographs. A gelatin silver print, produced by the original photographer, is considered by many a collectible, and worth the higher price. Some pay thousands, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single gelatin silver print by a well known photographer.  When I print digitally, once I'm satisfied with final digital file it is relatively easy to make additional prints that are exactly the same.  So the time factor to print in the darkroom along with the individuality of each final photograph, my gelatin silver photographs are priced much higher then my digital images.

Technical Information
Archival paper is specially coated with a clear gelatin matrix holding light-sensitive silver halides. For gelatin silver prints, these silver halides are typically combinations of silver bromide and silver chloride. In a darkroom with a red light, exposure using film negatives in an enlarger is typically done, although contact printing is also an option for those with larger negative. When light passes through the negative and strikes the paper, the silver halides form small specks of silver metal on their surface. Light causes a reduction of the silver salt to silver metal. This exposure is the greatest in areas of the print corresponding to clear parts of the negatives, which become the shadows or high density areas of the print. This process is the formation of the latent image, as it forms an invisible image in the paper that is then made visible by development. When the exposed paper is placed in the developer,  the silver halide particles that have a latent image speck on them transform into metallic silver.  Within minutes in the developer, the image becomes visible, but the remaining unexposed silver halide must still be removed to make the image permanent. After the development is complete, the print is placed into the stop bath which stops development and prevents the developer from contaminating the third bath, the fixer. The fixer, typically sodium thiosulfate, is able to remove the unexposed silver halide from the paper by forming a water soluble complex with it.  After fixing the paper, often a second fixing bath is performed.  Then a long water wash follows and aids in the removal of the fixer from the print, leaving an image composed of silver particles held in the clear gelatin image layer. Toning is sometimes used for permanence or aesthetic purposes and follows the fixing step. Selenium, gold, and sulfur toners are the most common and act by either partially converting the silver to another compound (such as silver selenide or silver sulfide) or partially replacing the silver with another metal (such as gold).  These final photographs are typically displayed using framing with archival mats and backing board.

Through this program and online forums, I have met all sorts of different people who are at different stages in this Eat to Live or Super Immunity (also written by Dr. Fuhrman). I am amazed by the progress so many people have made.  Many have lost a significant amount of weight, their blood pressure lowered, migraines gone and diabetes reversed.  I have been lucky enough not to have these issues, but now I see the great results of great eating.

Honestly speaking, getting used to this new diet was difficult at first. I had to change my way of thinking about food. I had to learn to enjoy food for its nutritional value.  I had to let go of my memories of how things with sugar, oil or fat tasted before.  Often I hear people say, "Oh, I could never do that diet."  I often wonder why. Is it the convenience of fast food? Is it the comfort of the familiar? Or is it just pure laziness or lack of willpower? I have learned that Eat to Live is just as easy as stopping at the store for baby carrots and hummus as it is going to eat fast food.  I have learned that once I got used to this new eating plan, that new items became my comfort items and I stopped craving the unhealthy food.  As for laziness and willpower....yes, it is easy to be lazy and not feel like cooking or cutting up veggies so that is when I just throw a couple heads of broccoli into the steamer or throw a bunch of tasty things in the blender for a smoothy. As for willpower..I can see that is the most difficult.  The people I have read about on the forum seem to have the most problem with willpower when others in the family are not committed or when they are invited to a non-ETL dinner where there is very little there that they can eat.  For me, I make sure I have my food with me or I eat plenty before arriving so that I am less tempted to indulge. At home, it is just me, so I only have the food in the house that is acceptable to eat.

But in the end, if I am able follow Eat to Live with my previous bad eating habits, then anyone can.  It just takes desire, hard work and commitment. And once people start seeing their own fat melt away and their health improve, it makes all this so much easier and exciting.

If by reading my blogs, you are not one to want to try Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman has other books that are well worth reading.

Disease–Proof Your Child
Feeding Kids Right

Dr. Fuhrman presents the fascinating science that demonstrates how the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is most closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. He explains how a nutrient–rich diet increases a child's resistance to common childhood illnesses like asthma, ear infections, and allergies. Additionally, Dr. Fuhrman illustrates how eating his nutrient–rich diet during childhood is the most powerful weapon against developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders in the future. Disease–Proof Your Child, provides nutrient–rich dietary recommendations for children, and even offers guidelines and recipes that get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy healthy food.

NEW Super Immunity
The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free

Super Immunity is a compelling, yet easy-to-follow approach that gets the body's immune system working to its fullest potential which promotes the body's strongest defense.

Fasting and Eating for Health
A Medical Doctor's Program For Conquering Disease

This book is unlike any other on fasting. It integrates this age–old health practice with state–of–the–art medical research to provide a complete diet and fasting program that will help relieve and even cure such maladies as psoriasis, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypoglycemia, sinusitis, and chronic fatigue.

$25 Gift Certificate

Facing the Sun II

This image was photographed in black and white. With four different colored texture layers, I then created a colored image. You can read the details of how I did this in my blog here.

To purchase this photograph, please click here.

V1

Although, I love black and white, I am intrigued with layering images and adding textures. My vision for this was to recreate with textures a colored version of this image.

First, I found a texture layer from Flypaper Textures that I felt would create a nice soft, unobtrusive texture layer on the stem of the sunflower. With the texture in its own layer, I changed it to an opacity of 65% and chose Overlay. At this point, the texture filled the full screen so it was necessary for me to “erase” this layer from just the petals of the flower. Since this layer was in Overlay, it did not affect the background white.

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Next, I found a texture that I could use for the petals. With this layer, I chose Overlay and set the opacity 95%. On this layer, I adjusted the color balance and the hue/saturation until I was happy with the yellow tones that resulted. I did just a bit of “erasing” of the yellow from the stem. Again, the background white was not affected.

v3-940x587

My final layer was added just for the background. Again, I chose a texture from Flypaper Textures. I adjusted the original texture’s color balance until I reached a bluish tone I was was happy with and then imported it into the sunflower shot at an opacity of 37% set to Multiply. This layer affected the whole image so with a layer mask, I masked out the flower and just applied the texture layer to the background.

In this following example, I am showing you the first two layers I adjusted. I was almost happy with this version but felt that the whole scene, especially the flower needed a softer feel to it.

V5-940x587

In order to create the softness I wanted without losing detail, I created a duplicate layer of the flower and added a 50% gaussian blur filter to it. I set this layer at Normal with an opacity of 37%. I also felt that I had lost a bit of the depth of the blue of the background and regardless of my adjusting the opacity, it was not affecting the background like I wanted it to, so I duplicated the texture layer and set it on Overlay with an opacity of 44%.

The final resulting image is soft and painterly.

IMG_4523V41-940x626

 

Old Gas Station

This is a location in New Mexico that we like to visit during our workshops. The workshop participants get a good variety of objects and scenes to photograph especially for HDR images. This was photographed using and infrared digital camera and then post processed using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

To purchase this image, please click here.

I purchased a Winnebago motor home, equipped it with a darkroom and filled my onboard refrigerator with film. My darkroom consists of a Bessler 45MX enlarger, a Jobo processing kit and a wide array of different film developers. At the time, I had a handful of different filters to use with the infrared film including a yellow, orange, medium red and a very dark red.

JoshuaTrees1

Infrared Film. Photographed in Death Valley National Park.

I drove away from my home town of Denver, Colorado in April of 2001, heading east, following a map that would eventually take me into all of the lower forty-eight states. Being that the first state I was to travel through was Kansas, I focused my attention on barns. With the motor home, I was able to park where I needed to, wait for the perfect light or clouds, load and unload film as I waited and then process the film to make sure I was happy with what resulted before I traveled on down the road.

Through such stops, I was able to try all the filters, try the different developers and decide the direction I wanted to take my artist endeavors. I felt the yellow and orange filters did not produce the dramatic effects I wanted. I had always loved rich blacks and wanted my blue skies to be as dark as possible and thus decided that the dark red filter was the perfect fit for what I desired. With this filter came its setbacks. My aperture normally set at F22 resulted in exposures that required me to use a tripod at all times.

UnderDelicateArch1

Infrared Film. Photographed in Arches National Park.

Through trials and tribulations, I decided that the developer that I like the best which resulted in minimal grain, helps retain details in the highlights and shadows without high contrast is TMAX developer. I process the film at 75˚ for 4 minutes. This results in negatives I can print to 16×20 with very little loss of image detail.

It took me about four months to get a feel for how the film really worked, what images were the best to photograph and what kind of light had what kind of affect on the subject matter. Simplicity became my focus.

I also stopped worrying about shadows and started focusing on the clouds. A simple subject such as a barn results in a plain image if shot on a cloudless day. With the right clouds, an amazing image in produced. I soon began to understand the results well enough to be able to start seeing “in infrared”. I can look at a subject or scene and know what the outcome will be. For me, it is the search of the perfect image that makes photography so much fun.

Once I perfected the exposure and development, I started trying different cameras. I have been happiest with the fully manual, no longer in production Widelux panoramic camera. I am still able to use the same 35mm HIE film but because it only has three exposure settings of 1/250, 1/125 and 1/15, I am required to shoot at f8. This rarely poses a problem, except in the verticals, where the foreground is quite close to the camera and thus can produce slightly soft edges. But to me, this is part of the art of what I do.

OakTree

Infrared Film. Photographed in Illinois.

My travels for “Working in the USA” lasted for four years and over 60,000 miles. During that time, I shot more then 1,000 rolls of HIE film. SInce then, I continue to travel to art festivals and to other amazing American landscape destinations. My photography of the American landscape includes most of the National Parks as well as the manmade landscapes of the small towns, the fishing communities and the barns and lighthouses that dot America’s vastness.

Granted, infrared film is more grainy then regular film, but I relish these differences. It has its own look and should not be compared to digital infrared. Nor should it be critiqued it as regular black and white. It is the grain and glow of infrared film that attracts art galleries and buyers to my images. It is the infrared qualities of my images that give them their ethereal beauty.

I still print my silver gelatin photographs in a traditional darkroom on fiber based paper. I selenium tone each for additional permanence. Occasionally, I split tone my photographs to produce a brownish toned photograph.

And as an ending note, Kodak has discontinued this film and my last remaining roll of Kodak’s HIE film was just run through my camera. I will start testing Efke’s Infrared film as well as attempting to shoot digital infrared to see if I am happy with those results.

Christine Hauber is a fine art photographer based out of Denver, Colorado. Her book, “Working in the USA” is was published in 2005. It can be found at http://www.christinehauber.com or through Amazon.com. Future books on the National Parks and Lighthouses are in pre-publishing production. 

Launching with over 2 hours of content with an additional 1+ hours of bonus material to follow the next 6 months.

SPECIAL LAUNCH PROMOTION

The first 100 students who enroll can save 50% with coupon code "WOW-photos".

Click here for more info, to view sample videos & lectures, and to enroll.

It is winter again in Arizona! 

I am again showing my artwork at the Arizona Fine Art Expo, a 10-week show in Scottsdale that began on January 10 and will continue daily until March 24.

If you are interested in visiting the show, please contact me and I can send you complimentary passes.  This show is a great way to see my work up close and in person as well as meet me if you haven't already.

The hours of the show is 10am-6pm, 7 days a week.

Keep an eye out!

24-hour Cyber Monday Spectacular Special

starting on Sunday at midnight until Monday at midnight.

Website wide 20% discount on:

• upcoming workshops
• specialty gift items
• gift certificates
• fine art
• & MORE

Use coupon code cybermonday2012 when checking out.

Happy Shopping! And Happy Holidays!

This month's pick is:  Inquisitive

Note that my Photo of the Month Special isn't just good for one particular size - it is good for any available sized photographic print - from Silver Gelatin Darkroom Photograph to a large 28" x 68" photograph.

It is also good towards any framing option - from traditional matted and framed, to giclee canvas, and it is even good towards my new HD Aluminum Masterpiece Edition pieces. 

To see available sizes and prices click on the "Buy" link that appears above the large image when looking in my Photo Galleries. Don't forget to use coupon code PhotoMonthSpecial1112 when checking out to receive your savings. You can also call me at 303-578-2787 to place your order.

A savings of 25% off and FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE can save you hundreds of dollars!!!

You can view my current Photo of the Month here. Bookmark the page and come back at the beginning of each month to see which photo I have selected.

My Photo of the Month special is only good for the current month's photo and can not be combined with any other offer or photos.

*Prices listed in this article are current as of March 2012 and may not be the most current pricing. For latest pricing, see each individual photo.

For a limited time, I am offering many of my images as 16x24 Stretched Canvas Photographs for the low price of $250.  This price includes free worldwide shipping!  Visit http://www.christinehauber.com/p236676320 for the "Summer Special" gallery.

If you happen to be in Arizona, come on down to the Arizona Fine Art Expo to visit my studio. Admittance is free if you mention you are there to see me.

September 26 - 30, 2012

Santa Fe & Taos, New Mexico

(to go straight to the registration page please click here)

Instructors:

Matt Suess & Christine Hauber

Study with them for two days, three days, or all five.

For five days during the last week in September, Matt Suess and Christine Hauber will be teaching both a field workshop and a digital darkroom boot-camp in one of the most beautiful and historic areas of New Mexico in Santa Fe and Taos.

Join them for the 3-day field workshop (limited to 8 students) or the digital darkroom boot-camp (limited to 30 students), or attend both.

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"Frontier Gas Station" - New Mexico
You will have the chance to photograph this HDR friendly location.

This is the second consecutive year they have offered this workshop. The 2011 workshop was a three day event. For 2012 they have extended it 2 extra days to five to allow more time for photography as well as more time in the classroom learning how to perfect your images.

3-Day Field Workshop

Limited to 8 students
Sept 26 - 28, 2012

For three days you will photograph in and around beautiful Santa Fe and Taos. Most locations you will be going to are extremely well-suited to photographing in HDR. 

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range - or as Matt likes to say - Highly Dramatic Results. By combining multiple exposures of the same shot, it allows one to create an image with more dynamic range, more detail in the shadows and highlights, and ultimately more dramatic results. It also allows us to get natural or "artistic" results and we will teach you both ways.

Christine has some fun with a workshop student

During this 3-day field workshop Matt and Christine will be hands-on teaching how to determine how many exposures to take and how much to bracket by for, how to compose your image for maximum impact, creative vision and expression, and the study of light and shadow.

They will be your guides and instructors as you photograph locations and subjects such as:
 

- San Francisco De Asis Mission Church located at Rancho De Taos, where Ansel Adams photographed and Georgia O'Keeffe painted.
 

- One extremely popular and HDR photogenic location you will be photographing features both old and restored gas pumps, a few beautifully rusted old cars, old soda machines and other vintage Americana. This is where Matt photographed his "Frontier Gas Station" and where Christine photographed her "Packard" photographs.
 

- Part of the field workshop involves walking and photographing in and around the Santa Fe Plaza, home to countless galleries, artists, old adobe doors & windows, and the colorful Santa Fe street life.
 

- One "secret" location you will be photographing is this same classroom where Matt photographed his "1885 Schoolhouse" photograph.

Matt helps a student frame her composition in Santa Fe.

3-day field workshop outline:

Sept. 26 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 2 pm. Introductions, presentation & instruction, evening shoot.

Sept. 27 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 8 am. Photograph all day till sunset.

Sept. 28 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 8am. Photograph all day till 5pm.

2-Day Digital Darkroom Boot Camp

Limited to 30 students
Sept 29 - 30, 2012

Spend 2 full days in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico learning the ins and outs of Photoshop with professional photographers Christine Hauber and Matt Suess.

Watch on a larger projection screen as we go step-by-step throughout the process
of how we enhance and optimize our photographs.

In these 2 full days of classroom instruction you will learn:

- how to set up preferences of Photoshop & Elements

- learn what is the histogram, why it is important, and how to use it in the field and in photoshop

- learn why you should shoot in RAW and understand how much easier it makes image optimizing

- import and process RAW files using built in Camera Raw

- set correct color temperature

- adjust exposure, color, brightness, shadows, fix chromatic abberations, sharpening, and sizing of RAW files, and more

- learn tips and techniques for sharpening, removing dust spots, clone tool, noise removal, dodging and burning

- learn the importance of using layers and layer masks

- tips and how to stitch together multiple images for wide panoramas

- learn the basics of texture blending

- intro to learning how to use Photoshop plugins from Nik Software like Viveza 2 and Color Efex Pro 4 to quickly enhance and add creative adjustments to your photos

- learn how to process HDR images using Nik Softwares' new HDR Efex Pro 2 as well as Photomatix Pro

- learn how to process both natural and artistic HDR images

- intro to converting to b&w using Nik’s Silver Efex Pro 2

- printing basics for home printing

- optimizing for labs such as Bay Photo

- sizing photos for web or for print

- last hour of class devoted to you working on your own images from a “homework” assignment due prior to class. Christine and I will be available to help each student one-on-one at this time

After these 2 full days of learning you will become a wiz at taking care of common problems encountered with digital photography. Photoshop will not seem so daunting of a program. You will learn how to get the best color out of your photos and learn creative ways of enhancing and making your photography really stand out. And you will learn how to process your HDR photos using the two most popular software programs out there today.

Sept. 29 & 30 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 8:30am. Class runs from 9am to 5pm both days.

Photography Skill Level:

This class is intended for beginner to semi-advanced photographers. Basic knowledge of your camera and computer is needed.
 

How to Register:

To register and pay via phone, call Christine at 303-578-2787. All major credit cards are accepted or you can pay by check as well.

To register and pay online, click on the workshop link below that you wish to register for and register through our meetup.com workshop registration page.

Workshop Costs:

3-day Field Workshop only - register here

$695 per student. Early bird register before Sept. 1 for just $595
limited to 8 total students

 2-day digital darkroom boot camp only - register here

$295 per student. Early bird register before Sept. 1 for just $195
limited to 30 total students

Both the 3-day Field Workshop and 2-day digital darkroom boot camp - register here

$990 per student. Early bird register before Sept. 1 for just $745
field workshop limited to 8, darkroom boot camp limited to 30 students

Workshop Locations:

The field portions of this workshop will take place at various locations between Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. The classroom portion of this workshop on Saturday and Sunday will be located in Santa Fe. 

Suggestions on what to bring:

You will need your own transportation during the 3 days. On the photography field days expect us to end up driving a couple hundred miles. Four wheel drive is not needed. Light walking is involved, and be aware of the elevation as we will be at 7,000' to 8,400' during the 3 days.

It is recommended that you bring your own laptop with photoshop, and software from Nik Software (you can download a 15 day trial version here). If you do not have the software you can still learn by watching and taking notes. Having the software, however, will allow you to follow us step by step on your own computer. We will take a one hour lunch break around noon each day. Remember to bring a lunch, snacks, and water / softdrinks.

More info on what to bring will be provided closer to the workshop date.

About Matt Suess:

Hass Family Fall 2016-74 I began my professional photography career in 1990 and for the next 17 years worked as an award-winning photojournalist, having my work published worldwide. I am a digital pioneer, working with digital imaging since the early 1990's and helped implement and teach digital image processing to fellow newspaper staff photographers in the late 90's and early 2000's. For the last 5 years I have been a full-time artist selling my artwork at fine art festivals throughout the Southwest, with collectors investing in my artwork Worldwide.

About Christine Hauber:

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Christine began her professional photography career in 1993. A graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado and the University of Colorado, her photographs have been shown in galleries nationally and showcased in B&W and Photo Technique Magazine. The author of the book Working in the USA, Christine has been the subject of several television programs, including the Fine Living Channel's Radical Sabbatical and CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown and interviewed for such internet and podcast programs as the Candid Frame and Photo Talk Radio. She has been selling her artwork as a full-time artist for the last 5 years. Her website is ChristineHauber.com

The fine print:

- Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Payment is due in full at time of registration and is non-refundable. If you cancel participation in this workshop your fees may be transferred towards another workshop at our discretion only.

- Liability Limitation: Christine Hauber and Matt Suess aim to provide a safe, educational and enjoyable experience. We assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.

- By participating in this workshop you acknowledge that you have read the information concerning responsibility and release Christine Hauber, Matt Suess, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Christine Hauber and Matt Suess will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. You also acknowledge that Christine Hauber and Matt Suess have the right to refuse service to anyone at anytime and that these policies are subject to change at any time.

This month's pick is:  Central Park Path

Central Park Path

Note that my Photo of the Month Special isn't just good for one particular size - it is good for any available sized photographic print - from Silver Gelatin Darkroom Photograph to a large 28" x 68" photograph.

It is also good towards any framing option - from traditional matted and framed, to giclee canvas, and it is even good towards my new HD Aluminum Masterpiece Edition pieces. 

To see available sizes and prices click on the "Buy" link that appears above the large image when looking in my Photo Galleries. Don't forget to use coupon code PhotoMonthSpecial0812 when checking out to receive your savings. You can also call me at 303-578-2787 to place your order.

A savings of 25% off and FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE can save you hundreds of dollars!!!

You can view my current Photo of the Month here. Bookmark the page and come back at the beginning of each month to see which photo I have selected.

My Photo of the Month special is only good for the current month's photo and can not be combined with any other offer or photos.

*Prices listed in this article are current as of March 2012 and may not be the most current pricing. For latest pricing, see each individual photo.

So, I decided I needed to make more drastic changes. 

Dr. Furhman's Eat to Live asks for a commitment.  Not an "I will try."  So after reading his book and reading reviews and knowing what I am getting into, I have made the commitment.  

This plan may be tough but I figure six weeks of this "diet" won't kill me.

This six week program for most people would be considered a cleanse as it does call for me to eat all veggies, fruit, beans, nuts and seeds.  When I talk to people, they often ask if I have become a vegan. No, I tell them, I am becoming a Nutritarian. Being just a vegan does not mean one is more healthy than anyone on the Standard American Diet as they can be eating vegan junk food.  Vegan junk food can be products that still have too much fat, processed grains, processed sugars and other low nutrient food items. A Nutritarian focuses on eating high nutrient foods with limited added sugars, oils and salts. Nutritarians spend most of their time in the produce department, eating so that 90% of their calories comes from high nutrient foods.  When I get past the six week plan, I can be on a 90/10 plan where about 150 of my calories in a day can be of other products...such as 10 oz of meat a week or a tablespoon of olive oil or a half a bagel.  But I really plan on staying close to what I am doing now. I am enjoying how I feel and would hate to have these six weeks become just a distant memory.  I don't want to return to a poor diet of alcohol, sugar, refined products, fat and non-nutrient foods. 

People ask me what I do about food during my art festival shows or when I am away from home all day.  I have a cooler, so I can take a cup of beans and salsa, a container of gazpacho soup with lots of veggies, some homemade hummus and carrots and a green smoothie.  Instead of buying ice, I freeze containers of water that will thaw and be drinkable throughout the day.  If I am out doing a photo shoot and forget food, I can always stop at any convenience store for a banana or a grocery store for veggies.  I have realized that in the past, I was just a bit lazy and would grab comfort food or fast food before even thinking that there are plenty of healthy options for me.

If by reading my blogs, you are not one to want to try Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman has other books that are well worth reading.

Disease–Proof Your Child
Feeding Kids Right

Dr. Fuhrman presents the fascinating science that demonstrates how the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is most closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. He explains how a nutrient–rich diet increases a child's resistance to common childhood illnesses like asthma, ear infections, and allergies. Additionally, Dr. Fuhrman illustrates how eating his nutrient–rich diet during childhood is the most powerful weapon against developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders in the future. Disease–Proof Your Child, provides nutrient–rich dietary recommendations for children, and even offers guidelines and recipes that get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy healthy food.

NEW Super Immunity
The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free

Super Immunity is a compelling, yet easy-to-follow approach that gets the body's immune system working to its fullest potential which promotes the body's strongest defense.

Fasting and Eating for Health
A Medical Doctor's Program For Conquering Disease

This book is unlike any other on fasting. It integrates this age–old health practice with state–of–the–art medical research to provide a complete diet and fasting program that will help relieve and even cure such maladies as psoriasis, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypoglycemia, sinusitis, and chronic fatigue.

Completely changing the way I eat and feel about food has been the most difficult.  I have realized that I have an emotional attachment to food. It can be calming. Sometimes it can become an obsession. And since there is a social aspect to eating, the wrong food used to break my willpower. But since I finally got to the point of wanting to be healthy, I have been able to reassess my relationship with food. Walking the isles at the store was so difficult at the beginning of this process but now I try and focus on what I need rather then focusing on what I think I am missing. I think back and although it seemed like that piece of pie, bottle of soda or that can of Pringles was making me feel good but in reality it only tasted and felt good for a very small amount of time.  Soon, the thoughts of regret, the feelings of bloating and the sugar peaks and crashes would set in.  Three minutes of bliss was not really worth it.  Now two weeks later, I can still enjoy food but without the negatives.

With this process, I have also become so much more aware of how inundated we are as a society with food. There are restaurants everywhere. Where there are no restaurants, there are billboards for food.  Turn on the television and every other commercial seems to be about food.  Newspaper and magazines have ads and recipes. One can not escape it. So instead of trying to hole up and become a hermit with my healthy food, I have faced it straight on. I am getting more and more experience with learning to retrain my brain.

This cleanse has amazing health benefits and when I am eating something that doesn't have the oil, butter, salt or sugar I am used to having, I just remind myself that it is healthy. It has become mind over matter.  I am slowly learning to eat to live rather live to eat.  

A good place to start for inspiration is to watch the movie, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" at http://www.jointhereboot.com/?movieid=3.  This is based on a more extreme cleanse then Eat to Live but the science is there. The story of inspiration is there as it is about the life and journey of two fat, sick and nearly dead individuals.

The following smoothie is for beginners, children and those who just want something naturally sweet.

Pineapple Romaine Green Smoothie (for one)

1/2 cup Non sweetened almond milk
4-6 medium sized leaves of Romaine Lettuce
1 frozen banana
1/4 Pineapple or 1/2 can No sugar added Pineapple
1 oz Walnuts
1 tbsp ground flax seed

Blend until smooth.  Add water as needed. Ice can be blended in as well.

This month's pick is:  Waiting

Waiting

Note that my Photo of the Month Special isn't just good for one particular size - it is good for any available sized photographic print - from an 8" x 12" (only $30.00* after discount) to a 24"x 36" print (only $206.25* after savings of over $68.00). I am even offering this image as a cutting board!

It is also good towards any framing option - from traditional matted and framed, to giclee canvas, and it is even good towards my new HD Aluminum Masterpiece Edition pieces. 

To see available sizes and prices click on the "Buy" link that appears above the large image when looking in my Photo Galleries. Don't forget to use coupon code PhotoMonthSpecial0712 when checking out to receive your savings. You can also call me at 303-578-2787 to place your order.

A savings of 25% off and FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE can save you hundreds of dollars!!!

You can view my current Photo of the Month here. Bookmark the page and come back at the beginning of each month to see which photo I have selected.

My Photo of the Month special is only good for the current month's photo and can not be combined with any other offer or photos.

*Prices listed in this article are current as of March 2012 and may not be the most current pricing. For latest pricing, see each individual photo.

I began the Eat to Live Six-Week plan on Tuesday. I started the day with just what I had in my refrigerator that was allowable on the "plan"…an orange. I know this wasn't enough to eat but this was all I had.  Until now, my breakfast usually consisted of coffee with a nice amount of sugary creamer. This would get me through the morning.

My first trip to the grocery store that morning was interesting.  It was odd realizing how many things I used to just grab due to cravings.  In the future I will try not to notice all those sugar filled or preservative filled items that call out my name while I am walking by and instead beeline it straight to the produce section.  I purchased enough veggies, fruits and beans to get me through most of this week.

I was feeling great and motivated until later in the day when my body realized it wasn't going to get any coffee. A headache came on. It was a tolerable one so I just figured a good night sleep and lots of water would be enough to help diminish it.

The next day, though, not only did the caffeine withdrawal hit hard, but I believe I began experiencing sugar withdrawal as well.  My head ached and my body felt like it was experiencing the effects of six cups of caffeinated coffee. I was shaky, my brain foggy, my heart beat quicker than normal and I was sweating. I couldn't think, I felt exhausted, I was weak. I drank a bunch of water, took some Advil (that didn't help) and tried to eat even though i was not hungry and was too weak to cut up veggies.  

Day 3 withdrawals were almost as bad but with less of a headache.  With a weak, shaky body, I still attended my swim fitness class. While in the water, I felt wonderful. I worked out hard. But then back out of the water, I was back to my regular shaky, weak self.  I did manage to make it home and in between taking rest breaks, I made enough gazpacho for a few days, cut up veggies for a salad and dry-grilled tofu on my George Foreman Grill.

Now that I am on Day 4,  the withdrawals seem to be subsiding. I don't feel 100% but I am at least able to think enough to work on my photography and get this blog written. The withdrawals symptoms have forced me to really think about what I was eating. I thought I was fairly healthy but now realize that I had a constant low flow of sugar in my system almost all the time.  My mornings started off with sugar in my coffee and ended with some sort of sugar drink such as vitamin water or alcohol. My food intake from pastas to white carbs gave my body the sugar it craved. 

Tip of the Day

Banana "Ice-Cream"
Since I can't eat ice-cream, I get my dessert fix from taking a ripe banana, peeling, slicing and freezing it.  Once frozen, I put it in the blender.  It can't be blended too long as it will then start to warm up and become more slushy rather then like soft serve ice-cream.  Other ingredients can be added for a variety of flavor such as strawberries, nuts, blueberries or peanut butter.

Bananas that you buy and can't eat fast enough can be frozen for this purpose. I even buy extra ripe bananas from the store knowing they won't be wasted. If you plan on freezing a bunch of bananas, I usually will use Press and Seal on each banana and then place all the little packages in a freezer bag. The Press and Seal will keep the freezer burn away and keep your bananas from getting as brown.

This is a great an easy way to feed yourself and your family high nutrient ingredients all while enjoying what seems to be a luxury.

Unfortunately, this app on the iPhone does not save the final image in the highest resolution. It is stated on their app site, "We feel this setting is the best compromise for the speed and quality. We have a Mac version with higher resolution for larger format prints."  So reading this I at least know that I have an option if I have a great image that I want to sell in a larger size.

Not all the styles work with all images, so it is entertaining to try and figure out what style will work best with what image.  I decided for comparison sake, that I would use one image with all styles.  Below are the results.

Santa Fe Wall This is the original iPhone capture of "Santa Fe Wall"

Santa Fe Wall This is the Aquarell Style using the Autopainter iPhone App

Santa Fe Wall This is the Cezanne style using the Autopainter iPhone App

Santa Fe Wall This is the Van Gogh style using the Autopainter iPhone App

If you decide you like this app, there is also Autopainter II and Autopainter III that offer other styles of famous artists.
 

The Soft Spot II

This image was photographed in Scottsdale, Arizona at the MacDonalds Ranch.  Each year, I spend approximately three months near this ranch while showing and selling my fine art photography at the Arizona Fine Art Expo.  I have always loved photographing my client's pets so the transition into photographing different animals as fine art pieces was seamless.

This particular horse had wonderful whiskers that when lit by the sun, just shined and added a great dimension to the overall piece.  After capturing a great shot, I then added a texture layer to the piece.  This texture layer was added primarily to the background thus giving a nice effect to the overall piece.

Because this image is the Photo of the Month for June, I am offering a great discount of 25% and free shipping off my regular pricing. This is a great offer that will be available on all the different printing choices I offer...from stretched canvas, framed photographs or aluminum photographs. All you have to do is measure your space and find the perfect size.  Click here for this Photo of the Month.

Kodak had decided to discontinue production nearly two years ago of its high speed infrared film. My supply in my refrigerator was running low so I had some decisions to make in regards to the direction I wanted to go creatively. I love the look of my resulting images from Kodak, but I could not cry over spilled milk. I had to continue on and continue growing by researching other options for my shooting style.

So after much research, I decided to start testing Efke ir820. This film is as near to Kodak HIE as I was going to get. True infrared films will be sensitive to wavelengths beyond 700 nm. Kodak HIE film was sensitive to wavelengths near 900 nm. The Efke ir820, is sensitive to wavelengths of 820 nm. Other films such as Rollei is 720 nm and Ilford SFX is 740 nm.

So with testing, I had to decide the best filter for the results I wanted. The use of the filter will only let the longer wavelengths expose the film, getting thus an image that has been obtained from the infrared spectrum. Just shooting this film with no filter would result in images similar to regular black and white film. So in order to get the dark skies I love so much in my photography, I would need a deep red filter. The dark red filter I had been using for my Kodak film was too dark for the 820nm of Efke. So, I purchased the Hoya R72, a nearly black red filter, which will cut off most of all visible light.

The following image was taken with the Efke ir820 on an overcast day. Because the blue sky is not showing, you will not see the effects of the dark red filter on the sky.

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Angel. Efke ir820 film

Through trial and tribulations, I found that a good starting point was an ISO of 3 which put all my exposures at lengths longer then 1 second each at an aperture of no wider then 16. I continue to bracket my exposures so that I have more then one choice of exposures to work with and I continue to use my tripod in all of my shoots.

As with Kodak’s film, I still need to load and unload in complete darkness. A changing bag has become very handy when out in the field. When processing the film, I decided to start with the developer and times I used with my Kodak film. (see my blog on Infrared film) Luckily, these times resulted in acceptable image quality and wonderful tonal values with the Efke as well..

The problems I ran into had little to do with Efke’s film although I did hear about issues of it easily scratching, little black dots after development and static electricity during loading for processing. My issues had more to do with my own equipment. I love using my Widelux swing panoramic camera but because of its age, I can only shoot it at 1/125 of a second. With my filter of choice and having to set Efke ir820 at an ISO of 3, I could barely get away with shooting wide open. This resulting images were underexposed and sometimes not sharp enough in the foregrounds. So, instead I decided to start shooting using my Bronica medium format camera.

In the following image, I tested the depth of field and focusing of the film with the camera and realize with this setup, I will need to shoot at an aperture of no less then F22.

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Efke ir820 medium format film shot with a Bronica medium format camera.

I have enjoyed shooting this film and have accepted that it is not Kodak’s HIE. I have learned to work with what my new results are. But, at about the time I really started to understand Efke’s qualities, a friend to let me use his digital camera that had been converted to infrared. You can read about my digital experience in my future blog.

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Good photography, regardless of color or black and white, needs to create an emotional connection with its viewers. This is what is referred to as impact. Not all images will create impact in all people, but if you know who your market base is, you need to figure out how to connect with those people and clients.

Within color photography, the image has the power of the color to create that impact. A beautiful warm sunset over a sand covered beach will create more emotions then that same location taken when the sky is plain and the light is dull. B&W does not have the impact of beautiful sunsets to fall back on, so it needs to create that impact in a different way.

I personally believe that my best black and white photos are taken when I deliberately set out with b&w images in mind. I have a different mindset about what I shoot and how I shoot it. I look at the details and textures rather then the colors.

I also use light to enhance the impact.  Light will create the shadows that will define shapes and details. The best shadows are not taken at sunrise or sunset, but often at different times throughout the day depending on how I will be using those shadows to work with lines and shapes within my composition.

Within landscape photography, I am always looking for interesting cloud formations or stormy skies to create added drama to my scene. Big billowing clouds have shadow and depth, with tonal ranges that add depth to the overall composition.  Feathered clouds give a scene a sense of motion and life.  Subject matter in many cases can almost become second to the clouds, but clouds without subject matter can be boring just as subject matter without clouds can be plain.

A plain blue sky just reproduces itself in B&W photographs as light gray. This plain gray can work fine if the subject itself has impact…such as a strong lighthouse or a tranquil tree in the fog.  But in most cases in b&w, if the subject matter is not strong, the sky should be.

For people photography, impact can be achieved by the emotions in the face whether it is one of tragedy or joy.  It can also be achieved by the story the scene tells. What is happening within the frame of the camera. Why is the person happy? What is making the person thoughtful?  These are the questions that can help you decided if your image has impact.

As I was hiking and photographing amongst these beautiful white trunked trees, I often would look up at the sky to see if the common afternoon thunder storms were building. I noticed that with my Widelux Swing Panoramic camera that shooting up created a beautiful composition as long as I had the right number of trees in the shot.  This hunt in itself was difficult because not all trees and those within my 140 degree panoramic frame made for the best looking composition. I was lucky enough to have found this shot where all aspects of great photography come together in one frame.

With summer approaching and my longings to be amongst the largest organism in the world, I thought this image is a perfect "Photo of the Month" choice.  My special pricing will make it a great addition to any home or office.  Click here to purchase the "Summer Aspen Trees".

Summer Aspen Trees

This Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 4pm to 7pm at the
Arizona Fine Art Expo

Be my guest at our 2nd of three Garden Parties. Print out this email and bring it with you for free admission.

View my new work including two from of my HD Aluminum Masterpiece Edition, where the photograph is printed directly onto Aluminum for a truly life-like, HDTV, feels-like-you-are-there presentation.

Plus enjoy free appetizers and drink!

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Click here for directions.

Hope to see you here!

Christine Hauber

The 2012 Arizona Fine Art Expo in Scottsdale at the corner of Scottsdale Rd and Jomax continues until April 1. We are open daily from 10am to 6pm. Join us any day or come to our next Artists’ Garden Party on Saturday, March 3 from 4pm to 7pm.

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The following images have been the subject of one of my previous blogs, but in these images I completely changed the color and texture of them. This more subtle approach is perfect for a buyer whose home or office interior is more serene.

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The following image is one in which I took an infrared photograph of the truck and added two different texture layers. I then selectively erased one layer from then car to expose the colors of the other layer.

OldTruck1

The next few images are a part of an ongoing project I have been working on that combines the images I have taken of adopted horses that were either part of wild horse roundups or from abused and neglected homes. They have been acclimated to kind people and have been worked with them extensively.

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The following images are my favorites and best sellers from 2011. Some are from my negatives, some from my infrared camera and some from my digital camera. Many are combined with texture layers.

I have managed to retain a unique perspective and style with my photography.

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Facing the Sun – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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Tree on Rock – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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The Soft Spot II – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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Crested Butte Tree II – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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Smith and Wesson – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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The Guardian – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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Boot and Spur – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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Two Crosses – click here to view a larger version as well as the details

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Old Windmill – Click here for a larger version as well as the details

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Manhattan Bridge – click here for a larger version as well as the details

I finally was able to pull all my finances together and get some grants and sponsorships, buy a motorhome and venture out traveling the country for three and a half years capturing a variety of people from all walks of life doing all sorts of jobs. I photographed over 450 different occupations in an environmental portrait style of photography using a medium format camera and film that I could process in my darkroom built in the back of my motorhome.

I quickly learned that those people doing what they loved were the happiest regardless of how poor they were. I also learned that those who hardly had any money for themselves were the first to offer me money for my project. I spent evenings sitting around the dinner tables of strangers who quickly became friends. I was living my dream and my passion.

My resulting book was self published through Bookmasters, a company who has a distribution division that is as good as any well known publisher. My book was in all the major book stores and sold well. I had tried to find an established publisher but most responded with, “we love the book but we just don’t see how we can make enough money off of it”. This was the reality of the publishing world, as sad as that is.

I continue to sell my book even though sales have slowed considerably. Granted, it was published in 2006. But I am happy to say that for some reason, my recent book sales have jumped to the highest level since 2008.

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Professional photographer Matt Suess and I have been conducting workshops, webinars and walk abouts during our 40 combined years of experience as photographers.

We will be planning new workshops in Arizona during the next few months. During the spring to fall time period, you can find us in Santa Fe, NM conducting workshops and webinars there.

To keep informed of new additions to these, please sign up at: http://www.bitly.com/hauberworkshops

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I recently was accepted into the WINDOWS TO THE DIVINE® ART SHOW 2011 at the MADDEN Museum in Greenwood Village, Co.

The focal point of the Fra Angelico Celebration is the Windows to the Divine® Exhibition & Sale; the most comprehensive juried exhibit of spiritual art in the country.

I had two pieces accepted and during the gala opening, the image above sold. This piece, “The Guardians” is an original, texture blend photography triptych. It is a one of a kind piece. It has found its new home at a hospice in Lakewood, Colorado.

The second piece I had accepted into the show is “Serenity.” It will continue to hang at the Madden Museum until the close of the show. There has been quite a few collectors interested in it. I have released this photograph in an edition of 10. The minimum size I have this available is 20″x24″.

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Use discount code: KNZSJF for great savings that you will see when you place your order.

I am excited to announce that I have created beautiful pendants using my photographs. Each image is made to order and can be created on copper or silver nickel metal. A sample and better description can be see under the Photo Pendant section of my gallery at: http://www.christine-hauber.artistwebsites.com
To order these, just email me the quantity and the image reference number. I do also have wholesale pricing for those of you who would like to order seven or more pendants at one time.

New this year, offered through Fine Art America, is the option to order any image to be face-mounted to clear acrylic. The gloss look of the acrylic adds a vibrancy and depth to the images. The look of this is quite amazing. Each piece comes ready to hang and are priced similar to the canvas wraps.

And just as a reminder, through Fine Art America, you choose the image and the size. You then have the choice of just buying the photograph alone, adding a mat and frame, having it printed on canvas and stretched for display or face-mounted to acrylic. There will be no need for you to visit a frame shop! We have taken the guess work out of it and before you even have it shipped, you will see what your special piece will look like right here on the computer screen.

This is a fantastic opportunity to bring home that artwork you fell in love with at prices that are very affordable.

I look forward to sharing my art with you!

Christine Hauber
303-578-2787

P.S. As always, I still have my custom one-of-a-kind artwork and my traditional darkroom photographs available at http://www.workingintheusa.com. If you want to order from http://www.workingintheusa.com, I will ship for free to any US address! Just call me!

P.S.S. This Holiday Season support local and independent artists, designers and crafters. “Made in America” is a great thing!

Matt, of Matt Suess Fine Art Photography, and I tested and retested different “face to face integrated online meeting” products. These products allow for meetings to take place online with each of the participants attending the meeting in a location of their choice. We, as the presenters, could also be in two different locations, yet still conduct the meeting as if we were in the same room. This concept makes it easier for employees to work from home or managers to hold important meetings while vacationing in Hawaii.

Through our testing and knowing our professional needs we narrowed our choices down to Webex and Gotomeetings. Both allowed us a very similar online platform. They were similar in their allowances in unlimited meetings for one flat fee as well as the ability for our attendees to attend our meeting using Mac, PC, Iphone, Ipad and Android devices. With each company, we have a free trial period so this will give us a chance to really know what product we are most happy with for our online photography workshops. The biggest difference is the price per month fee. Webex recently changed their pricing to 50% of what Gotomeeting charges for a very similar plan. Webex does only allow up to eight people in a meeting for that price, but Gotomeeing allows for up to 15 people for twice the price.

For testing, our first webinar was conducted using Gotomeeting.com. The organizer screen interface and ease of use was very user friendly. The organizer/presenter could utilize the video camera immediately without having to turn on screen sharing. In doing the presentation, all attendees could see the presenters screen and follow along with each step he was taking in the presentation. When it came time for me to be the presenter, Matt was able to switch presenter capabilities quickly to me. I had enough forewarning that the screen would switch to me and thus I could wait and make sure I had on my screen what I needed for the presentation. Since needed, we muted all attendees. This cuts down on people talking over each other and other background noise. We could also use the video and have all the attendees on video but we chose to keep it simple and only have a the video on us as the presenters for a short introduction time. This gave the attendees an idea of who we are and thus developing a more personal meeting.

As for cons of this product, the control panel that had the information about the number of attendees, the mike and video, the chat “room” etc could be minimized to a very small size if one did not need to chat, but since I was the co-organizer/presenter, it was important for me to keep at least the chat with questions panel open. We had asked the attendees to type any questions or comments they had in this chat window, so both Matt and I needed to keep track of this. The width of this panel could not be minimized and thus I found myself moving it around the screen in order to keep it out of the way of what I was working on with my screen sharing presentation or what I was trying to watch when Matt was presenting.

Another con and it could have just been my laptop was my voice echoed whenever I tried to speak. The echo could be heard by everyone in attendance. The echo was not present at the beginning of the meeting when I did a five minute introduction. Later when it came time for me to present, the echo was apparent and annoying for all involved. I tried leaving and returning to the meeting. I tried my special earphones and I tried muting the volume. Nothing worked so I just tried to be quiet as I worked through my presentation and allowing Matt to explain what it was that I was doing on the screen. It wasn’t the best option, but we handled it very well and I was glad that Matt knew my presentation very well. I have purchased a USB noise reducing headset and so far it seems to have fixed this issue.

So in ending, we are very happy with this product. It works great with our online photography workshops since post production digital photography work is primarily done on the computer. All this can be shared and presented with great ease.

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We live in a world surrounded by color.  We are comfortable with color.  We love to photograph in color because that is how most of us see.  We see the color of the leaves, the color of the sky, the color of the grass. The more colorful the scenery, the more people want to capture it, buy it and display it.  But what color images tends to lack that black and white photography entails is a real focus on texture, contrast, detail and perspective.   Without color a good B&W photo has to depend on tones, shading, shadows, transitions and lines.

Indeed, beautiful B&W photography doesn’t attract with its play of colors. It attracts with its detail, composition and emotion.

People tend to study a B&W photograph longer since it does not spoon feed all the information about a subject to the viewer. A viewer will study the details, speculate on the possible colors and really see the subject for its true potential.

In my following blog posts, I will touch upon the following points. Regardless of whether you plan to take a photograph in B&W or decide later to convert a photograph from color to B&W, these points will help you refine your vision.

• Impact
• Tones/Shading
• Light
• Shadows
• Texture
• Perspective
• Contrast

EyeSoul

In today's digital age, technology has allowed everyone from the hobby photographer to the pro photographer to easily have access to printing their images at home, at local box stores or through online labs. In the past ten years or so, most of these processes have turned to inkjet printers, some with high end archival inks and papers.  Because these are the most common means of printing now, the traditional wet darkroom silver gelatin photograph has slowly become a lost art. As time goes on, there will be fewer and fewer photographers practicing this art of traditional black and white photography. Darkroom printing, by any standard, a slow, tedious, and inefficient method of recording an image and producing a photographic print. Those, like me, who continue printing in traditional and alternative ways tend not to be interested in efficiency, but rather the joy and satisfaction of creating a photograph with the rich tones and quality that can't be achieved by any other method.

For most of my patrons who ask, I quickly explain the gelatin silver photograph as "a photograph printed in a darkroom in which silver halides that are sensitive to light create the final image from my film negatives." For many people who don't quite understand this, I explain that most photographs in present day are printed using large printers from digital files, some of which started as film but were scanned for digital printing.  I add that very few photographers now even continue to print in traditional wet darkrooms.  Darkroom photographs are time consuming to create as there are many steps involved in creating just one perfect photograph from developing,  double fixing to the long wash bath, selenium toning, a second bath and the drying process. Even setting up the darkroom to get ready for printing and cleaning after printing is a time consuming process. 
(For this of you who want a more technical explanation, I have added that at the bottom of this blog posting.)

With me, even though I have a darkroom and love the photographs from the darkroom, I have been open and receptive to the digital process. In my own darkroom I am only able to print 16x20's and smaller gelatin silver photographs and thus have started offering larger sized photographs of my negatives using the digital printing process.  To me, the darkroom printing process is a very personal one. Since I print from negatives, I rarely am able to get the same exact final photograph each time.  For this reason, gelatin silver photographs are often looked at as One-of-a-Kind original photographs. A gelatin silver print, produced by the original photographer, is considered by many a collectible, and worth the higher price. Some pay thousands, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single gelatin silver print by a well known photographer.  When I print digitally, once I'm satisfied with final digital file it is relatively easy to make additional prints that are exactly the same.  So the time factor to print in the darkroom along with the individuality of each final photograph, my gelatin silver photographs are priced much higher then my digital images.

Technical Information
Archival paper is specially coated with a clear gelatin matrix holding light-sensitive silver halides. For gelatin silver prints, these silver halides are typically combinations of silver bromide and silver chloride. In a darkroom with a red light, exposure using film negatives in an enlarger is typically done, although contact printing is also an option for those with larger negative. When light passes through the negative and strikes the paper, the silver halides form small specks of silver metal on their surface. Light causes a reduction of the silver salt to silver metal. This exposure is the greatest in areas of the print corresponding to clear parts of the negatives, which become the shadows or high density areas of the print. This process is the formation of the latent image, as it forms an invisible image in the paper that is then made visible by development. When the exposed paper is placed in the developer,  the silver halide particles that have a latent image speck on them transform into metallic silver.  Within minutes in the developer, the image becomes visible, but the remaining unexposed silver halide must still be removed to make the image permanent. After the development is complete, the print is placed into the stop bath which stops development and prevents the developer from contaminating the third bath, the fixer. The fixer, typically sodium thiosulfate, is able to remove the unexposed silver halide from the paper by forming a water soluble complex with it.  After fixing the paper, often a second fixing bath is performed.  Then a long water wash follows and aids in the removal of the fixer from the print, leaving an image composed of silver particles held in the clear gelatin image layer. Toning is sometimes used for permanence or aesthetic purposes and follows the fixing step. Selenium, gold, and sulfur toners are the most common and act by either partially converting the silver to another compound (such as silver selenide or silver sulfide) or partially replacing the silver with another metal (such as gold).  These final photographs are typically displayed using framing with archival mats and backing board.

I will be showing my work in Santa Fe throughout the spring to fall season. You will be able to see in person the new work I have created as well as the ongoing favorites within my portfolio.

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Contact me for a schedule of my showings.

OldTruck

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Digital Infrared HDR

We had to follow their basic rules of appropriate attire that included long sleeved shirts and pants for the men and scarves, long sleeved shirts and a full length skirt for women. Socks had to be worn in sandal type shoes. I do not own a long skirt so one was given to me there to borrow.

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All decked out in the appropriate attire.

We were allowed to take photographs of the grounds, the buildings and surrounding area. We saw amazing architecture and beautiful gardens. We rarely saw a monk but we were not allowed to converse with them or photograph them without their permission.

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Digital Infrared