Sean Duggan Blog

Snowy April Dogwoods from 11 Years Ago

Snowy Dogwoods  •  April 8, 2005
(click in the image to se a larger version)

Today is Tuesday and this particular Tuesday marks the return of Time Machine Tuesday. On these occasional forays into the past I try to chose an image from either the same date, or around the same time of year from at last one year in the past (and bonus points for myself if I find one from more than 10 years ago!). For this week I did pretty good on that; today's image is from April 8th, 2005...almost eleven years ago to the day.

Early April this year could not be more different! Today, like eleven years ago, the dogwoods in the yard are blooming, but instead of cold and snow, we have a beautiful Spring day with temperatures well above normal. As I write this late in the afternoon, it is currently 75˚, and tomorrow's high is supposed to hit 84˚. Shirt sleeve and shorts weather here in the Sierra foothills. Really and truly! If my work schedule allowed for it, I could even lie out and probably get a start on my summer tan. Of course, weather in the mountains and foothills in the spring can be fickle, and by Friday, the high temperature is forecast to be 25 degrees cooler than tomorrow's high. 

Another thing that is different now is that this dogwood tree, sadly, no longer exists (apart from a low stump on the lawn). It developed some form of blight or other tree sickness and the arborists we consulted said that little could be done. It was cut down and the wood from it eventually warmed us on subsequent winters when we burned it on our wood-burning stove. We've since planted other dogwoods, but I do miss its cheerful rosy blossoms.

This particular image was eventually licensed as the cover for a textbook on the Principles of Organic Chemistry (somewhere I have a copy, but I cannot find it now to include a photo of it). I'm guessing that the organic chemists out there might understand the visual metaphor for why this particular photo would work as the cover photo for such a textbook. Or maybe the book designers just wanted a pretty picture.

In any case, while searching for other photos for another project I am working on, I came upon this image and since the date was perfect for a Time Machine Tuesday entry, I figured it must be a sign and so I went with it.

I hope that your Tuesday has been a good one!

Discoveries in the Details

Lunar Eclipse Over Donner Summit (detail)
April 14/15, 2014
(click in the image to see it larger)

A Heart at the Summit
In preparing the hi-resolution version of my recent Lunar Eclipse Over Donner Peak image, I discovered a interesting detail just below the old bridge: someone had arranged rocks into the shape of a heart. It was too dark for me to see this when I was there on the night of the eclipse (and even when I was there during the day late last week I never noticed it), and it's too small to show up on web-sized version of the full image, but it is visible in larger sizes. I love finding little surprises like that in photographs! It adds another dimension to the image, especially for those who have a strong connection to this area.

Echoes of the Train
Another interesting detail in the image is the long dark line running along the side of the mountain. Since darker details don't show up well in the night exposure, those not familiar with this area might think that this is simply the road leading away from the bridge. Actually it is a remnant of the old Central Pacific Railroad line that was in use here until the early 1990s. In order to prevent the tracks from being blocked by heavy snows, or completely destroyed by avalanches, the railroad constructed a series of long snow sheds, first out of timber and later from metal and concrete.

(click in the image to see it larger)

The first experimental snow sheds were completed in 1867 and by 1869 they were deemed a success, allowing trains to pass through the mountains in winter with only minimal down time from heavy snowfall. The tracks and fittings were were removed from this section of the route in 1993 and all rail traffic now passes through a long tunnel under nearby Mt. Judah. You can still walk through many of the abandoned tunnels and snowsheds. Here's a link to a Wikipedia article for more information on this area.

Books on the Trans-Continental Railroad
and the Donner Pass Crossing:

Nothing Like It in the World by Stephen E. Ambrose
Donner Pass by John R. Signor

 

Finding Images in the Familiar

Blue Fountain Ice  [Canon 10D]
December 28, 2003
(click in the image for a larger version)

For this edition of Time Machine Tuesday, we travel back exactly seven years ago today for a simple close-up shot of the frozen fountain in our garden.

One of the great joys of photography is searching for, and finding, images in the spaces that surround us everday. Because we are so familiar with these locations, it's easy to overlook them as places to turn to for photographic inspiration. But sometimes, all it takes is a new frame of mind (or a change in the weather) to see things that transform the familair into the new, the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Although the big photo project in my life for the past several years has involved conceptualizing, pre-visualizing, detailed planning, gathering props, and travel to specifc landscapes, I still enjoy the surprise of finding the unexpected image and I make a point of engaging in regular photo walkabouts in my backyard, or the area immediatly surrounding where I live. It's good exercise for the eyes and the mind's eye.

FOTOfusion in South Florida

In mid January I'll be teaching some hands-on classes and giving a presentation at FOTOfusion, the photography and imaging festival hosted by the Palm Beach Photographic Center. The dates are Jan 11 — 15. Here's a list of my sessions:

• Crafting the Multiple Image Composite
  (3-hour computer lab)  /  Thursday Jan 13,  8:30 – 11:30am
  
  
• Creative Interpretations with Camera Raw  
  (90-minute computer lab)  / Saturday Jan 15  2:30 – 4:00pm
  
  
• Artifacts of an Uncertain Origin
  Lecture/Presentation
  
  

Artifacts of an Uncertain Origin 2011 Calendar

My 2011 calendar featuring 12 new pinhole photographs from the surreal and enigmatic Artifacts of an Uncertain Origin series is now available. Click here to see a preview of all of the images in the calendar or to place an order.

 

Look Beyond the Obvious

Water Fountain [Canon 5D]
Chimayo, New Mexico  April 30, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

On the fourth day of the New Mexico Creative Eye class, after spending the first half of the day in the digital lab working on our images, the class took an afternoon trip to Chimayo. This is a town that is famous for it's small church, the Santurario de Chimayo. The church is renowned for the healing properties of the soil at the site.

Though the church itself is very picturesque in the classic Southwestern New Mexico style, as is the small graveyard nearby, the most interesting image I made that day was of a simple water fountain and its shadow on the wall of the church courtyard. This may be due to the fact that I have visited Chimayo several times in the past and was already primed to look beyond the obvious, but it brings to mind something I have noticed about how we relate photographically to the places we visit.

When we travel to scenic and well known locations, a common expectation is that the most significant images we will make there will be of the "main attractions" (for want of a better word). But I have found that images of simple details, or unexpected ordinary scenes, are more likely to be the visually meaningful and significant photographs made at such locations. The key is to be open to this idea and to practice looking beyond the obvious. By all means go ahead and take the shot of The Church. or The Ruins, or whatever happens to be the primary draw of a given location. You'll see more clearly once you have that out of your system and be more open to finding new and different images where you least expect them.

Coming up June 7 — 13 is my Real World Digital Photography 1 Workshop at the Maine Media Workshops. There's still some room in this class. Click the title for more info.

After that I have a Creative Digital Darkoom Workshop in Connecticut (early July), A Real World Digital Photography II class in Maine (early October), and a Photoshop Creative Collage class in southern New Mexico (early November).

Red Curtain

Red Curtain  [Canon 5D]
San Francisco - Jan 15, 2009
(click in the image for a larger version)

I was in San Francisco last week and found this image while enjoying an evening stroll. A shopkeeper was putting up a new window display and making final adjustments to this red curtain. I was intrigued that just her hand was visible, and the bright red paired with the yellow wall in the background made for a pleasing color scheme. This is a good example that night photography can also include tight detail-oriented compositions such as this, as well as those that take in the larger scene. For the technically curious, this was shot using an ISO of 1250 hand held at 1/40th of a second (with an image-stabilized lens).

Best Photo Book of the Year Nominee
My co-author Katrin Eismann and I were honored that our book The Creative Digital Darkroom was included as one of the nominees for Best Photo Book of the Year for 2008 over at The Online Photographer (ours is the 3rd down from the top).

Workshops
My next workshop will be in Sacramento on February 7 & 8th. Other upcoming workshops will be offered in Monterey, California, South Florida, Hawaii, Morro Bay, California and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Check out my workshops page for a full listing of 2009 workshops.

Red Boot

Red Boot  [Canon 5D]
January 11, 2009
(click in the image for a slightly larger version)

My daughter went horseback riding yesterday and her red boots next to the horse's side made for an interesting study in color, shadow and texture.

Workshop in Sacramento This Weekend:

Photoshop for Photographers I: The Basics
Jan. 17 – 18, Viewpoint Photographic Art Center - Sacramento, California 
$285 (members) or $335 (non-members)  |  More Info
(requires that you bring your own laptop with Photoshop)

And, a follow-up class will be offered three weeks later:

Photoshop for Photographers II: Beyond the Basics
Feb. 7 – 8, Viewpoint Photographic Art Center - Sacramento, California
$285 (members) or $335 (non-members)   |  More Info
(requires that you bring your own laptop with Photoshop)

Water on Leaves

Water on Leaves  [Canon 5D]
November 12, 2008
(click in the image for a larger version)

Another exploration of the morning droplets on the field of leaves behind our house.
Ah, the glories of autumn!

Coming this January in Sacramento:

Photoshop for Photographers: The Basics
January 17 - 18, 2009
More information about this class

Small Silver Worlds

Silver Droplets  [Canon 5D]
November 12, 2008
(click in the image for a larger version)

I've been really enjoying our land this autumn. Until a few days ago, we had a fine multi-layered carpet of leaves covering most of the back garden area. Rather than jump right in with with raking, we decided to leave it for a while. Our motivation in this decision was no doubt influenced by the fact that finding time to devote to raking up prodigious piles of leaves was difficult to do. But the decision to leave the leaves was also influenced, at least on my part, by the fact that they looked so beautiful.

Upon looking closer one day (something that photographers should always do!) I saw a field of perfect dew drops scattered over many of the leaves on the autumn carpet. Seeing this close-up through the lens was like being tempted with delicious candy. One was just not enough! And so, over the course of several days, when the morning light was low and bright and golden, I found myself kneeling on the wet leaves in an old pair of knock-about blue jeans, and having a wonderful time exploring the close-up landscapes of leafland.

And while these images are wonderful in color, the traditional palette for autumn photography, and I may post some of those in the coming week, they are also quite interesting in black and white. I am always intrigued by interpreting a subject in black and white that would normally seem to be a perfect fit for color. There's a creative challenge there and exploring alternative ways to see the image is very satisfying.

Technical Notes: Although these are close-up views I did not use a macro lens, but instead relied on my Canon 24—105mm image-stablized zoom on a Canon 5D. All of the the processing was done in Lightroom,including some localized work with the adjustment brush to darken the background a bit.

Between the Lines

Lines  [Canon 5D]
November 6, 2008 -- Morro Bay, California

I recently returned from a week down in Los Osos, California where I was teaching a workshop on Creative Digital Black & White at the Lepp Institute of Digital Imaging. If you've never taken a class there I encourage you to consider it! It has one of the best classroom/computer lab facilities that I have ever taught in and the owners Victoria and Hal Schmitt do a wonderful job at making sure that everyone has a good workshop experience.

This image was taken on board the Niña, a historically accurate replica of one of the ships that Columbus sailed to the New World in 1492. I was surprised at how small it was. The original crew would have been only about 26 men, and even with that number it would have been a crowded voyage. As I was photographing this and talking with one of the students from the class, I referred to the subject matter in this image as "ropes". A zealous nautical type (a visitor to the ship, not one of the crew) overheard me and interrupted to correct my land-lubber terminology faux pas: "They're called lines on a ship!"

Newsletter News

The next issue of Creative Digital Darkroom News will be sent out this week. I thought that I would have the time to finish it while down in Los Osos, but it was not to be.

New Workshops for 2009

My 2009 workshop schedule is beginning to take shape and I am excited at some of the new classes that I will be offering. Forthcoming classes include the return of two popular weekend classes, Photoshop for Photographers I: The Basics and Photoshop for Photographers II:Beyond the Basics. These will be offered at the Viewpoint Photographic Art Center in Sacramento, California. Dates are still pending but it's looking like they will be offered in mid-January and early February.

Other upcoming classes include...

The Art of the Photographic Collage
February 19 – 22  Mesilla Digital Imaging Workshops
Mesilla, New Mexico 
>>Click here for More Info

Hawaii Workshops
April 2 – 5  Pacific New Media
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 
>>Click here for More Info

The Creative Eye:
Digital Photography & Digital Darkroom Essentials
April 27 – May 1  Santa Fe Photographic Workshops
Santa Fe, New Mexico
>>Click here for More Info

Wide Angle Skull

 
Skull [Canon 5D]
Coopers Union, Maine  August 12, 2008
(click in the image for a larger version)

This shot was made with a very cool 14mm lens that was loaned to me by Steve Inglima of Canon (thanks, Steve!). Canon is a major sponsor of the Maine Media Workshops and Steve was a guest when I was teaching there last month. He brought several items of Canon gear that he loaned to students. On this day my class went to the abundant and eclectic Elmer's Barn, the mother of all antique, junk & collectible emporiums. I knew that such a location would be the perfect place to test drive a super wide lens and I had a lot of fun shooting with it that day.

This shot was processed exclusively in the new Camera Raw 5 that is a part of Photoshop CS4 (Adobe announced CS4 a couple of days ago and it is expected to start shipping in the next month). I made use of the new Adjustment Brush to selectively darken the top part of the skull and the areas around it. There is also a trace of sepia applied to the highlights. (the original image with no edits is below). See my previous post for more information on some of the new features in Photoshop CS4.

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Workshop This Weekend

Secrets of the Mask:
Selections and Masking in Adobe Photoshop CS3
September 27 - 28, Santa Cruz, California

There are still spaces left in my Secrets of the Mask workshop coming up next weekend in the beautiful seaside town of Santa Cruz, California.

NAPP members and subscribers to my newsletter receive a special discount for this workshop.
Click here for a description of this class and registration info.