Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: ckimmerle on December 31, 2011, 12:20:10 am

Title: Zion Portfolio
Post by: ckimmerle on December 31, 2011, 12:20:10 am
I just finished the editing the portfolio from my Zion residency. In the 28 days, I shot about 150 images, which have been whittled down to 24. Might do a bit more whittling or swapping of a photo, or two, but this is about finished.

I'm not really looking for critiques but, at the same time, I would never refuse them, either.

It's a much more intimate view, overall, of the park than is usually done, but that's how I saw it. My biggest hurdle was to avoid "scenic" images, especially with the wider landscapes.

Zion 1 (http://www.chuckkimmerle.com/gallery_zion01/display00.shtml)
Zion 2 (http://www.chuckkimmerle.com/gallery_zion02/display00.shtml)

All I can say is that I've done worse.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: stevenf on December 31, 2011, 12:44:06 am
Canyon refections and sandstone layers horizontal are very nice.

Congrats, beautiful work.

Steven

http://www.friedmanphoto.com (http://www.friedmanphoto.com)
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: Chairman Bill on December 31, 2011, 04:04:31 am
I prefer the first set, but all are quite beautiful. If anyone wonders what Fine Art photographs look like, they could do worse than look at these.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: graeme on December 31, 2011, 06:40:52 am
Great work Chuck

I'm not usually that into landscape photography but I loved these images. My faves so far are 'Hanging Gardens and Desert Varnish', 'Streaked Wall' and 'Low Clouds and Mountain Tops'.

Out of interest, what size prints will you be making of these images?

Regards

Graeme
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: kaelaria on December 31, 2011, 07:18:41 am
I really love the rootball and low clouds from #1!  Nice job!
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: RSL on December 31, 2011, 08:58:42 am
Damn, Charles! Your work always makes it hard for me to turn up my nose at landscape.

It's truly splendid stuff, Chuck. I hope you're thinking about LensWork or B&W as you put this together.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: jeremypayne on December 31, 2011, 09:18:50 am
As good as anything from anywhere by anybody!

Impressive work.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: popnfresh on December 31, 2011, 10:19:59 am
Truly outstanding work. Congratulations!

Just curious--what were you shooting with?
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: michael ellis on December 31, 2011, 11:25:40 am
This is an impressive body of work. Your control of the gray scale is wonderful. I really like the intimate portraits you have made of the textures and plants. The cactus photo I find especially engaging. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photographs.

Michael
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: ckimmerle on December 31, 2011, 03:07:39 pm
Appreciate the kind words, especially from hand-o'-man Russ. As I am not a nature photographer, it was a tough transition. The two bench photos were shot very early in the residency and, in retrospect, acted as a sort of transition from my usual man-made landscapes to those that were more natural.

And, yes, I'm hoping to get these published. I'm also hoping to sell the entire portfolio for $2 million and change. While I'm at it, I'd like to spend the night with Elle Macpherson and put a stop to world hunger. Really, I'll take any one of those. I'm not greedy.

Just curious--what were you shooting with?

Started out with a D3x...until I broke it, then used a D7000 for the final two weeks. About half the images were shot with the D7000, which turned out to be a much nicer camera than I had anticipated.

Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: RSL on December 31, 2011, 03:17:37 pm
Now that's really astonishing, Chuck. How do you break a D3x? I remember when I fell down some sidewalk steps in Victor, Colorado and trashed a 24-120 lens on my D2x -- actually broke it in two in the middle -- but was able to put a different lens on the body and go on shooting. I'm surprised you survived breaking a D3x.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: ckimmerle on December 31, 2011, 03:54:17 pm
I was in a big hurry so cleaned the sensor using only a long shutter speed rather than the cleaning utility, which was followed by a test shot to check the progress of a particularly stubborn spot. Forgot to reset the 30-sec shutter speed, and it closed on the swab...hard. Totally destroyed the trailing shutter blades. It was a stupid and costly mistake. When my wife found out it cost $600 to repair, I almost didn't survive. :)

The day I got my D3x in 2009, the quick-release plate didn't get fully seated and the camera, along with a 24mm PC-E lens, hit terra firma. The lens almost broke in two, the camera came through without a scratch. It's a tough bird, unless you do something stupid. :o
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: RSL on December 31, 2011, 04:35:42 pm
I understand. I usually have to learn stuff the hard way too. One thing about it, you tend not to forget.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: graeme on January 01, 2012, 10:06:22 am
I was in a big hurry so cleaned the sensor using only a long shutter speed rather than the cleaning utility, which was followed by a test shot to check the progress of a particularly stubborn spot. Forgot to reset the 30-sec shutter speed, and it closed on the swab...hard. Totally destroyed the trailing shutter blades. It was a stupid and costly mistake. When my wife found out it cost $600 to repair, I almost didn't survive. :)

The day I got my D3x in 2009, the quick-release plate didn't get fully seated and the camera, along with a 24mm PC-E lens, hit terra firma. The lens almost broke in two, the camera came through without a scratch. It's a tough bird, unless you do something stupid. :o


Ouch!
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: ckimmerle on January 01, 2012, 12:44:56 pm
Actually, I'm looking it as a positive experience. After 25+ years as a professional photographer, I'm used to using some of the best equipment and took a certain amount of pride in carrying expensive gear. Being forced to use the D7000, which is quite unimpressive looking (but makes very nice images), made me quite self-conscious around other photographers, which surprised me a bit. I had thought I was beyond such irrational equipment pride.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: RSL on January 01, 2012, 01:17:43 pm
Why are you surprised? That's human nature. Earlier this morning my wife and I went for a walk through a local park that's a bird sanctuary. I decided I didn't want to haul my D3 with a 24-70 or a 28-300; just too uncomfortable. So I took my little E-P1 with its 50mm equivalent Summilux. No zoom. Just 50. Light. Easy to carry. Sure enough, I walked past a woman with a D3 and a big lens and thought: "Damn, I should have brought my D3. She must think I'm a novice." Why the hell should I even care what she thinks? I didn't get any great shots, but here's one that shows the little four-thirds Olympus can do good techincal work. We can both be embarassed, Chuck, but we can't change human nature.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: Rob C on January 01, 2012, 04:57:47 pm
It was a stupid and costly mistake. When my wife found out it cost $600 to repair, I almost didn't survive. :)


And, yes, I'm hoping to get these published. I'm also hoping to sell the entire portfolio for $2 million and change. While I'm at it, I'd like to spend the night with Elle Macpherson and put a stop to world hunger. Really, I'll take any one of those. I'm not greedy."







On the scale of stupid mistakes, it hasn't even lifted its head off the floor: just wait until your wife finds out about Elle!

Rob C
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 01, 2012, 07:51:19 pm
Sorry to hear about the D3x, Chuck. But the portfolios are gorgeous!

Eric

P.S. One of my stupid moments some years back was sticking my Pentax 67 II with big pentaprism incorrectly onto the quick-release on my sturdy Gitzo tripod. A slight breeze knocked it off onto the pavement, turning the pentaprism into an expensive paperweight. The rest of the camera was fine.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: wolfnowl on January 02, 2012, 05:09:41 pm
Nicely done... thanks for sharing!

Mike.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: OnyimBob on January 02, 2012, 06:08:52 pm
I'd say just about everybody's "done worse" than these!
Beautiful work Chuck.
Bob
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: NikoJorj on January 03, 2012, 12:52:58 am
Gorgeous!
At the risk of appearing negative (which I'd find quite inappropriate), I'd had just a quibble : in the first set, I didn't found in a few general views (Controlled Burn, to a lesser extent Red Arch Mountain) the same level of intimacy with the landscape that are in all the others...
But as said, it's outstanding work nonetheless. And greetings to Elle btw.
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: EduPerez on January 03, 2012, 03:37:46 am
I can only adhere to all the positive comments above; I really enjoyed your galleries.

I was in a big hurry so cleaned the sensor using only a long shutter speed rather than the cleaning utility, which was followed by a test shot to check the progress of a particularly stubborn spot. Forgot to reset the 30-sec shutter speed, and it closed on the swab...hard. Totally destroyed the trailing shutter blades. It was a stupid and costly mistake. When my wife found out it cost $600 to repair, I almost didn't survive. :)

Ouch! That almost happened to me once: did the cleaning with a 30s shutter speed, thinking I was in the cleaning mode (fortunately, it did not take me more than 30s, or I would have an expensive paperweight by now).
Title: Re: Zion Portfolio
Post by: BernardLanguillier on January 05, 2012, 10:33:52 am
Very nice images, thanks for sharing!

And sorry about the D3x also.

Cheers,
Bernard