The ultimate in digital photography

All:

      If you want to see the ultimate in digital landscape photography, visit Stephen Johnson web site  www.sjphoto.com

      He uses equipment that captures images at 140MB size.  It takes up to 5 minutes to capture an image.  Not good for any action or movement.  Some of his images are spectacular.  It's truly clear and crisp.  His files are 10 times the size of what we shoot in RAW.

That is a pretty cool site Ron I will be exploring it further.  Thanks for the URL.

Ron,

Got the page bookmarked. Thanks for the tip.

What a great site, Ron.  I have of course bookmarked it--haven't we all?

Two thoughts.

One:  I see that Bruce Fraser (or RAW fame and other digital pic reasons) is joining Johnson for a workshop on colour management.

Two:  How about the digital pic portion of the framily picking a workshop and making it a rally site?

Ciao,

Doug

DougJ said:

How about the digital pic portion of the framily picking a workshop and making it a rally site?

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What a great idea Doug! All we need is someone to take names and pick a place.

Some beautiful stuff there. I will pass the link on to my school photo list serve. I'm sure they will enjoy exploring it.
Thanks, Ron

DougJ said:

What a great site, Ron.? I have of course bookmarked it--haven't we all?

Two thoughts.

One:? I see that Bruce Fraser (or RAW fame and other digital pic reasons) is joining Johnson for a workshop on colour management.

Two:? How about the digital pic portion of the framily picking a workshop and making it a rally site?

Ciao,

Doug

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Good Idea.  But I'll bet we can't get our schedules to work right.  Perhaps if it's far enough out, it would work.

Ron from Big D said:

DougJ said:

What a great site, Ron.? I have of course bookmarked it--haven't we all?

Two thoughts.

One:? I see that Bruce Fraser (or RAW fame and other digital pic reasons) is joining Johnson for a workshop on colour management.

Two:? How about the digital pic portion of the framily picking a workshop and making it a rally site?

Ciao,

Doug

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Good Idea.? ?But I'll bet we can't get our schedules to work right.? Perhaps if it's far enough out, it would work.

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Could prove to be a very interesting rally.

[  Good Idea.  But I'll bet we can't get our schedules to work right.  Perhaps if it's far enough out, it would work.]

Ron,

I sure would be interested but, as you said, it would be difficult to get everyone together.

Tom said:

DougJ said:

How about the digital pic portion of the framily picking a workshop and making it a rally site?

Click to expand...

What a great idea Doug! All we need is someone to take names and pick a place.

Click to expand...

OK, so let's try this.

Seems to me most people would be in the SW over the winter months.  This means January has some high possibility, especially if it was before Quartzsite and after Alamo Lake (although I recall seeing that folks were looking for a new Alamo Lake). 

On that basis, what does Stephen J have cooking in January 2006?

Seems we might be in luck.  Check out:

http://www.sjphoto.com/digital-photo-wksp-land-dv.html

If you're like me, when you go there you'll find a very attractive proposition, especially because of Stephen's use of the "Magical Digital Bus"  (man, he's got a lot of toys in that sucker)!

However, if you're still like me, you'll come down with a bad case of sticker shock.  Nevertheless, the workshop is already full with a waiting list.  He's testing the waters on a second workshop there, late January 2006.

So, is there an alternative?

I think there may be one.  His workshops conducted at his studios in Pacifica, CA, are far less expensive--on the basis of a quick boo around I'd say $500 and less.

On the assumption that a Pacifica workshop could become the locus for a framily rally, the question becomes:  What time of year are folks most likely to be in a position to go to / detour through Pacifica?

In summary to this point:

1. what are people's reactions to $1,450 for a four day workshop in Death Valley, in late January (if we could get in)?  Come to think of it, if we had enough subscribers I wonder if he would put one on just fro framily (and open to others once framily have had a first refusal)?

2.  what are people's reactions to doing a workshop in Pacifica and at what time of year.  Again, may be he's open to being chartered for a framily workshop in Pacifica???

Ciao,

Doug

PS:  Since I'm north of the 49th for most of the year, if someone else wants to pick up this ball, they may do without taking any skin off my nose. ;D

Doug:

    Just finished preparing an answer to your message which was quite long.  Somehow I blew it away.

    Stephen would be great, but he uses equipment way out of our range.  None of us can achieve those results with what we have, but could learn much from his technique, workflow, etc..  I would bet the Framily would gleen much by visiting his studio, and that would include everyone.  I was just out there, but was unaware of his location at the time.  My son lives in Pacifica. 

    There are many good seminars, by some great photographers, that would probably relate to us better.  There are numerous listings in "Outdoor Photographer".  As a matter of fact, there is a Symposium in Moab right after our rally there.  It is May 13,14 & 15 this year.  Look at their web site:  www.moabcity.org/symposium  I plan to investigate and might stay over for it.

    We also need to consider what the group really wants out of a workshop.  Field technique, macro, Photo Shop workflow or techniques, filters & gadgets, lighting, etc..  Then select someone best suited to deliver it.  On the other hand, maybe the group would just as soon focus on shooting locations and who really knows that location well.

    I am signed up for a half day seminar on Macro Photography on April 2nd.  Hope to pick up something new.  In fact, you always learn something new everytime you go to a workshop or seminar.  It's amazing the differences in the way photographers approach their work.  Much has to do with what they intend to do with the end product.  We do it for fun and they do it to make a living.

Ron,

The link didn't work for me but I was able to locate the info at http://www.moabcity.org/photosym/index.htm.

Sounds interesting We might just stay over too.  Have to review our schedule.

Thanks for posting that.

Ron_Staff said:

Ron,

The link didn't work for me but I was able to locate the info at http://www.moabcity.org/photosym/index.htm.

Sounds interesting We might just stay over too.? Have to review our schedule.

Thanks for posting that.

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If several of us attended the workshops, which are paid for separately, we could each attend a different one and then share information among us.  Note there is also a 3 day float trip on the Colorado before the symposium.  $538/person if you're interested.

Rod Planck is a photographer who resides in resides up in the U.P. of Michigan. I have tried for years to get into one of his seminars, but have never been able to fit it into my schedule. He is having one in Utah this year at Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument May 1-7 and May 8-14 this year, which overlaps the Moab rally. His Web site URL is at http://www.rodplanck.com/. His workshop is generally focused on "conventional" 35mm SLRs and includes both film and digital techniques.

It's possible that the Utah workshop is full, but I think it would be worth a try to have a look. Sometimes there are cancellations. It might be good to contact Rod to arrange for something in the future.

Ron from Big D said:

Ron_Staff said:

Ron,

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If several of us attended the workshops, which are paid for separately, we could each attend a different one and then share information among us.? Note there is also a 3 day float trip on the Colorado before the symposium.? $538/person if you're interested.

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Maybe we can make a plan while at Moab.  By then we should know how the schedule goes.

Don Peterson said:

Rod Planck is a photographer who resides in resides up in the U.P. of Michigan. I have tried for years to get into one of his seminars, but have never been able to fit it into my schedule. He is having one in Utah this year at Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument May 1-7 and May 8-14 this year, which overlaps the Moab rally. His Web site URL is at http://www.rodplanck.com/. His workshop is generally focused on "conventional" 35mm SLRs and includes both film and digital techniques.

It's possible that the Utah workshop is full, but I think it would be worth a try to have a look. Sometimes there are cancellations. It might be good to contact Rod to arrange for something in the future.

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    I have attended one of his seminars, b ut not a workshop.  He is quite good..  Geoge Lepp is another.  Actually, there are quite a few top notch photographers out there putting on seminars.  We used to have Brent & Lorelle VanFossen on this site.  Both are terrific photographers and used to do seminars.  They went to Israel for several years and are back now living in Mississippi.  They have a very educational web site that you should visit.  Go to www.vanfossenpro.com and take a look.  It is especially helpful for those without much experience.  It is virtually a full seminar on their site.

Ron

I saw him too at a seminar in Kalamazoo, Michigan a while back, Ron. I liked his work a lot and he seemed real down-to-earth. To attend one of his workshops is still on my list of things to do.

Hi Ron,

Yes, my message about a rally in Pacifica at Johnson's studios was a bit long, but I thought I should lay out the topic in some broad strokes.

You wrote:

We also need to consider what the group really wants out of a workshop.

and later:

I am signed up for a half day seminar on Macro Photography on April 2nd.  Hope to pick up something new.  In fact, you always learn something new everytime you go to a workshop or seminar.

I approached the Johnson proposition from the perspective of your second statement.  This guy is a good photographer and apparently a good workshop leader and so I'm going to learn a lot about picture taking through post-processing and on to printing regardless of what the core focus of the workshop is.

If it's to be Johnson, I see three possibilities:

1.  We, as a group, attend one of his field workshops.

2.  We, as a group, attend one of his workshops given at his studios in Pacifica.

3.  We approach him to frame a workshop around our time / location availability.

But, as you point out "Outdoor Photographer"  (George Lepp and others) advertise a host of seminars / tours for almost any month of the year.

Ciao,

Doug

DougJ said:

I approached the Johnson proposition from the perspective of your second statement.? This guy is a good photographer and apparently a good workshop leader and so I'm going to learn a lot about picture taking through post-processing and on to printing regardless of what the core focus of the workshop is.

If it's to be Johnson, I see three possibilities:

1.? We, as a group, attend one of his field workshops.

2.? We, as a group, attend one of his workshops given at his studios in Pacifica.

3.? We approach him to frame a workshop around our time / location availability.

But, as you point out "Outdoor Photographer"? (George Lepp and others) advertise a host of seminars / tours for almost any month of the year.

Ciao,

Doug

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    I would love to attend one of his seminars or workshops, especially if made available at a more central location.  Point being:  Many who would like to attend would have to travel a couple thousand miles to Pacifica.  Great for those on the West Coast, but not for many others.  I suggest you followup on his schedule and see what he is currently offering and then perhaps if nothing is good, we ask about something for next year that fits us.  Also important is:  who is really interested in attending from the Framily and what are they willing to pay to attend?

    I will be off line for Thursday and maybe Friday, so I would be interested in your report.

Hi Ron,

Well, first let me say again that I do hope your "heart procedure" goes very well and that you're back here in short order (apologies to the censors) full of piss and vinegar .

I suggest you follow up on his schedule and see what he is currently offering and then perhaps if nothing is good, we ask about something for next year that fits us.

Yes, I did have a look at the schedule of his workshops.  However, taking your point that we also consider:

    who is really interested in attending from the Framily and what are they willing to pay to attend?

my thinking is that the rally would need to be sometime between December 2005 as people arrive in the southern Arizona / CA area, through to mid-March 2006 when they start heading north and east.

If my assumption is valid, then the only thing posted on his web site that fits is the Death Valley field trip with the Magic
Bus at $1450, which field trip is already full, for Jan 14 / 17, 2006.  The Pacifica workshops are announced only up to about August 2005.

For what it's worth, I think the field trips will be too expensive for most--certainly too expensive for me.  But a one-day / half/day / evening workshop might fall within the discretionary spending of several people.  Here, the rally could be three four days.  We'd participate in the workshop and the rest of the time do our own field trips nearby, led by some one like your self--or gosh, there all kinds of foll who might volunteer to be a field trip leader.

And finally, if Pacifica is not a good location, then how about we approach Johnson to do a workshop in Brenda or Yuma or some other nearby place in early January before his DV field trip, or after that one--may be in QZ.

Ciao,

Doug