APERTURE ACADEMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER 2011

Australia, Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

Each month the International Aperture Accademy features a selected individual professional photographer on their website in the form of a question and answer interview. It is an opportunity to hear what other professional photographers have to say on various topics as well as being an outlet for them to tell their personal story and discuss interesting elements of their photographic career. In August this year Art Wolfe who has been one of my personal inspirations was featured on the Academies website and I am pleased to announce that I am following on as the September Photographer of the Month. My feature and interview is available HERE.

The photograph below was taken at the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon in Iceland during my trip last year and was provided courtesy of Tim Gray Photography. Tim, you caught me in a moment of contemplation in this frame – It is one that holds wonderful memories of the time I spent at the lagoon.

GODAFOSS – PHOTO OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER

Iceland, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

Sticking with the waterfall theme the photograph of the month for September is the waterfall ‘Godafoss’; which literally translated from Icelandic means ‘Waterfall of the Gods’. Godafoss is one of Iceland’s most beautiful and easily accessible waterfalls. The waterfall is formed by the cascading glacial waters of the river Skja’lfandafljo’t; which has cut a horseshoe canyon through the rock forming the shape of the falls. Despite the fact that Godafoss is smaller than many of Iceland’s famous waterfalls it is strikingly beautiful and was one of the many locations I had been really looking forward to visiting and photographing. As fate would have it the Gods would smile on my visit to Godafoss and deal an amazing hand with some of the most stunning light I have experienced for landscape photography. A higher resolution version of this photograph can be seen in my Iceland portfolio at www.jholko.com. If you enjoyed this post and photograph please hit the share button and share it with your friends.

DIARY DATE: PHOTO PLUS NEW YORK OCTOBER 2011 – MOAB AND LEGION PAPER PRINT DISPLAY

Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

A Diary Date to Note: If you are attending Photo Plus in October this year in New York please be sure to get along and see the good folks at Moab and Legion Paper; who will be displaying a number of Fine Art prints from their Moab Masters including my Gold Award winning Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA) print at their booth. The print is being made on Moab Somerset Museum Rag on a Canon IPF8300 Large Format printer and will be a giant 44″ x 54″ inches. This will be the first time I have exhibited my work in the USA and it is exciting to be displaying work in conjunction with Moab. I believe samples will also be on show of all Moab and Legion papers products. I cannot attend due to prior commitments in Australia but look forward to hearing from those of you who are going along. It should be quite a show.

NEW ZEALAND 2012 CALENDARS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Landscape Photographs, Media, New Zealand, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

Earlier this year I licensed some images to a New Zealand based company that is producing calendars that contain iconic landscapes of New Zealand (both the North and the South Island). The Calendars have now come back from the printers and can be ordered through Black Fish Design and Publishing in New Zealand. They will shortly be distributed around the country to tourist hot spots and major cities and towns for purchase. Additionally calendars can be ordered with custom text for any individual business requirements. Some of my New Zealand photography is featured in the Top New Zealand Destinations 2012, Southern Splendour 2012, and Beautiful New Zealand 2012 Calendars.

AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND GALLERY COMPENDIUM 2011

Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

The Compendium

The 2011 Australian Photography and Gallery Compendium has just been released. This high quality fine art book is made using the finest production techniques with pre-press production by expert colour managers and designers. The reproduction of detail, colour and depth is exceptional and is the next best thing to actually viewing one of the fine art prints. The book is bound in linen with a screen printed silver letter dust jacket and includes a bookmark ribbon. At the close of each year, The Compendium accepts photographic artists who exhibited in the year, represented by a defining image of their contemporary work in a collectable fine art format. The Compendium aims year on year to build a record of contemporary art photography and galleries.

This is the inaugural edition of this new compendium and I am pleased to say it includes my Gold Award Winning APPA print and World Extreme Environment Photograph of the year peoples choice award ‘Blue Berg’ which was photographed near the Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon in Iceland last year. Strictly Limited Editions of this print are available for purchase form Source Photographica in Melbourne. If you are a photographer or collector of fine art photography and have always wondered what a GOLD award winning APPA print looked like then this is your unique chance to own one. Alternatively, if you are just starting out in collecting photography then this will be a very fine start to your collection. This limited ‘special’ edition print will be made on 13 x 19 Moab Somerset Museum Rag paper; which is my absolute favourite fine art paper and will be signed and accompanied by a matching certificate of authenticity. Each print and certificate will include a serialised and numbered hologram identifying its unique number in this edition and verifying its authenticity. Each certificate will be printed on Moab Japanese Moenkopi Washi paper. This Moenkopi Washi paper is made of all natural mulberry fibres by the finest artisans at the Awagami Factory in Tokushima Japan. It is the perfect accompaniment to a paper as beautiful and sensual as Somerset Museum Rag. Each ‘pigment on paper’ print will be printed, inspected and signed by me personally and will ship to you flat on archival acid free foam core in a clear archival bag ready for the matt and frame of your choice. This is a strictly limited special edition of 50 prints to celebrate the appointment as a Moab Master and once orders are filled there will be no more. Each print investment is being offered at the special price of $500 plus delivery. Please contact Philip Kulpa at the Source Photographica Gallery in Brighton for any enquiries or to place your order. Philip can be contacted via email at philip@sourcephoto.com.au or via phone on +61 3 9530 6059. You can also contact me directly at jholko@bigpond.com.

As a special offer the next 4 (four) orders ONLY will also receive complimentary a copy of the Australian Photography and Gallery Compendium 2011 as an accompanying piece to the print as my way of thanking you for your purchase and investment. The Compendium will also be signed on the page featuring my photography. The Compendium itself normally sells for $69.00 including shipping and handling. Don’t miss your chance to own a special limited edition GOLD Award APPA print and copy of the 2011 Australian Photography and Gallery Compendium!

ANTARCTICA – T MINUS 3 MONTHS : WILL I BE TAKING A NEW CANON PRO DSLR?

Antarctica, Equipment, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

I realised this morning it is now only three months until I leave for Antarctica with Quark Expeditions; which means it is definitely time to get a wriggle on in terms of a packing list and preperation. I have a pretty good idea already on what I plan to take with me but I still need to buy a few things to round out my ‘kit’ for the trip. I need additional memory cards, more thermal clothes and just possibly another lens or two to round out my available focal lengths. The big question is what do I take with me as a second camera body to supplement the 1DS MKIII?

I have been hanging off purchasing another camera body pending either the announcement of a 1DS MKIV or a 1D MKV. The rumour mill has been really spinning up over the last few weeks that an announcement would soon be forthcoming. Specification lists are appearing all over the internet for both the 1DS MKIV and 1D MKV; most of them are clearly no more than wish lists by keen fan boys eager to fuel the rapidly spreading rumour fires. A few of them seem to have some real credibility to them, but it is hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. Of course those who actually know are under strict NDA agreement and can’t say.

Without a desire to add fuel to the now raging fires here is my revised and considered take on what is probably (emphasis on probably) going to happen with both the 1DS MKIV and the 1D MKV cameras in the next few months. As to when it happens; well in my opinion it may well happen sooner rather than later. Especially if Nikon do announce their new big gun pro DSLR’s later this month or early September. A Nikon announcement of a D3S or D3X replacement will more than likely force Canon’s hand to avoid loss of early sales.

Canon will announce a 1D MKV before a 1DS MKIV. The 1D MKV will be a replacement for the 1D MKIV and the 1DS MKIII. It will in effect be a merging of the two cameras as has long been rumoured. The camera will be full frame high mega pixel (probably low 30 mega pixels) and will use the current 1 series body. It will be squarely aimed at sports, photojournalist and outdoor photographers. It will undoubtedly shoot 1080p video and include several new technologies as well as amazing high ISO performance.

A 1DS MKIV will come to market early to mid next year; but it will come under a new name in a new body and will be squarely aimed at studio only shooters. It will most likely use a larger than 35mm sensor (perhaps similar in size to the Leica S2) and will be designed to compete with Medium Format Digital Backs. It will not be weather sealed and may or may not include video capability.

For those clamouring for the 5D MKIII; you won’t see it this year. It will likely come to market in March or April next year and will be a cut down version of the new 1D MKV. Most likely sporting the same mega pixel sensor as the 1D MKV without the rugged body, blazing fast frames per second and auto focus capabilities of the 1D MKV.

I stress again that these are just my current thoughts on what is going to happen with Canon’s Pro DSLR range of cameras – Don’t take them to the bank!

History has shown that it is very difficult to get a hold of a new Canon product soon after its announced, so irrespective of what happens with the 1DS MKIV and 1D MKV if there has not be an announcement by the end of September I will almost certainly be taking an additional 1D MKIV body with me to Antarctica.

MOAB MASTER APPOINTMENT – AUSTRALIA’S FIRST MOAB MASTER AND YOUR CHANCE TO OWN A GOLD APPA PRINT

Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

I am both extremely pleased and proud to announce that Legion Paper and Moab who produce my absolute favourite photographic papers have officially designated and appointed me as one of their Moab Masters. This makes me to date the first and only Australian photographer to be honoured by Moab with Master status and I would like to thank them for their support. From Moabs website:

Moab Master photographers are a select group of artists connected by their unique visions and their love of reproducing their images on Moab fine art paper. You’ll notice some well-established photographers in the galleries below, as well as photographers on the rise. Moab is proud to be associated with these artists and thank them for trusting Moab with their images.

To my friends in the USA and abroad this means that some of my photography and prints will now be taken and exhibited by Moab to trade shows around the country. You should be able to see some of my photography in print at PhotoPlus Expo in New York as soon as October this year.

To celebrate the appointment I am going to be offering a strictly limited number of my 2011 Fine Art Landscape GOLD Award winning APPA (Australian Professional Photography Awards) Print ‘Blue Berg’. If you are a photographer or collector of fine art photography and have always wondered what a GOLD award winning APPA print looked like then this is your unique chance to own one. Alternatively, if you are just starting out in collecting photography then this will be a very fine start to your collection. This limited ‘special’ edition print will be made on 13 x 19 Moab Somerset Museum Rag paper; which is my absolute favourite fine art paper and will be signed and accompanied by a matching certificate of authenticity. Each print and certificate will include a serialised and numbered hologram identifying its unique number in this edition and verifying its authenticity. Each certificate will be printed on Moab Japanese Moenkopi Washi paper. This Moenkopi Washi paper is made of all natural mulberry fibres by the finest artisans at the Awagami Factory in Tokushima Japan. It is the perfect accompaniment to a paper as beautiful and sensual as Somerset Museum Rag. Each ‘pigment on paper’ print will be printed, inspected and signed by me personally and will ship to you flat on archival acid free foam core in a clear archival bag ready for the matt and frame of your choice. This is a strictly limited special edition of 50 prints to celebrate the appointment as a Moab Master and once orders are filled there will be no more. Each print investment is being offered at the special price of $500 plus delivery. Please contact Philip Kulpa at the Source Photographica Gallery in Brighton for any enquiries or to place your order. Philip can be contacted via email at philip@sourcephoto.com.au or via phone on +61 3 9530 6059. Don’t miss your chance to own a special limited edition GOLD Award APPA print!

Limited Edition GOLD APPA Print

Abandoned Blue Berg

THE VERTICAL COMPOSITION – SELFOSS BEFORE STORM

Iceland, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

When out shooting in the field I usually find that the subject and composition will dictate the orientation of the frame – either horizontal or vertical in the 35mm format. Almost always I will go with my first instinct when making framing, composing and orientation decisions and usually my first instinct results in the best overall frame. Once I have taken that photograph I will then experiment with different compositions and usually a different camera orientation. Often, an alternate orientation produces an equally good photograph and occasionally a superior one. It almost always results in a photograph that ‘reads’ differently and the experience can be quite different for the end viewer.

Speaking extemporaneously it is no skin off my nose to experiment with an alternate camera orientation in the field. It takes little to know time to re-orientate the camera after shooting a horizontal or vertical composition; especially with the Really Right Stuff L bracket that I use on my primary Canon 1DS MKIII. This is something I find myself doing a lot as the alternate orientation gives me a choice of options during the editing process back in my studio – and choice is always a good thing. Even if the different orientation ends up a banal photograph destined to reside in my Lightroom catalogue without ever seeing ‘print’ I do at least have the photograph for comparative purposes.

Every now and again I end up processing both the horizontal and vertical frames as I cant decide which I prefer; or I like both equally as in the case of ‘Selfoss Before Storm’. Both the horizontal and vertical compositions work to my eye for this photograph and both for quite different reasons. Each orientation places the emphasis on different elements in the frame and each; although similar, is visually quite a different experience. The vertical composition more successfully coveys a sense of height to the waterfalls that cascade down this martian like canyon. On the other hand the horizontal orientation conveys a greater sense of grandeur; giving a sense of scale to the width of the falls. In both instances the racing storm clouds are positioned to emphasise the orientation of the frame. I like both – Which do you prefer?

AUGUST PHOTO OF THE MONTH – SELFOSS BEFORE STORM

Iceland, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

Iceland is a country well known for its waterfalls. One of its most famous is Selfoss; a waterfall I made several repeat visits to during my 2010 trip. What makes Selfoss so unique and other worldly is the way it cascades down both sides of a deep rocky canyon. I have not seen such a geological feature anywhere else in the world and as far as I know it is unique to Selfoss and Iceland. The light was very different on my second visit to Selfoss and on this occasion a storm was building and dark storm clouds were racing across the arctic sky as I set up my tripod to take this photograph. The water has an almost chocolate colour as it is glacial and full of sediment from melting glaciers upstream. Not long after I made this exposure it began to rain heavily and I was forced to abandon any further shooting; but it didn’t matter as I had the photograph I wanted and an image I have titled ‘Selfoss before Storm’. A higher resolution version of this photograph can be seen on my primary portfolio website at www.jholko.com under Iceland. Limited Edition Fine Art Pigment on Paper prints are available of this photograph through Source Photographica in Brighton.

ANTARCTICA – LAPTOPS AND THE FILE BACK UP PLAN

Antarctica, Equipment, News and Updates, Travel Photography, Uncategorized

Last year I schlepped my 17″ Macbook Pro, power pack and accessories all the way from Australia to Iceland (along with 25+ kilograms of camera equipment). I learnt an important lesson from this exercise: I should not have purchased a 17″ laptop for field work (international or otherwise); a 15″ would have been more than sufficient and saved considerable weight and space. I will not make the same mistake again of selecting such a large laptop. I was seduced by the increased real estate of a 17″ screen and the proposition that I could actually do some image processing in the field. The reality however, is that laptop screens are a very poor substitute for my wide gamut 26″ professsional image editing monitor in my studio. Even calibrated with a high end colorimeter the colour on laptop screens just sucks – period.

Given the price of a fully loaded 17″ Macbook Pro with 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 256 Gigabyte Solid State Drive is a dime or two more than chump change I am resigned to living it with until it reaches the end of its useful life and is subsequently replaced with a 15″ (or smaller) model. Unfortunately, (or forutnately for my bank manager) my 17″ MacBook Pro is going to still be well within its useable life cycle when I leave for Antarctica in November this year and I cant justify ditching it early just to save a bit of travel discomfort.

Unlike Iceland, New Zealand or Tasmania (or pretty much any of the other trips I have done) this time I will be based on a ship with only short zodiac excursions and the occasional shore landing. This means that once housed in my ship quarters I can pretty much set-up the laptop and leave it that way for the duration of the trip – a very appealing proposition instead of carting it from location to location. Yes, I am going to have to haul it all the way from Melbourne Australia to Ushuaia South America; through quite a few airports with lots of security checks with all the annoyances that comes with the pleasures of airline travel these days. But, at least on boarding of the ship it will become a static operation.

So, armed with my 17″ laptop for the trip I will have several advantages over small back-up devices such as the Hyper Drive. Firstly, a much larger screen for reviewing files and second the power to run Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop on location. Since space is really not an issue on this trip there is little to no advantage to additional and somewhat expensive devices such as Hyper Drives. These kind of devices are really space and weight saving options and are ideal for hikes or trips where its just totally impractical to carry a full size laptop. I can do all of my key-wording in Lightroom on location at the end of each days shooting on my laptop and even some initial image selection (should I find enough time). I won’t be doing any actual processing of my RAW files since as I mentioned above I find the quality of the screen not up to scratch for this purpose.

In terms of back-up I plan to take a couple of Lacie external rugged firewire drives; which I will use to back up my files on a daily basis. One drive lives permanently in my laptop bag and the second drive will stay with my person for the duration of the trip. In the unfortunate event (touch wood) that I loose one drive I still have the second back up plus my laptop. Its the belt, suspenders and a piece of string mentality.

I will be taking a large number of 8, 16 and 32 gigabyte compact flash and mini SD cards with me – more than enough for a couple of day’s heavy shooting (and I am envisaging major giggage on this trip!); and after backing up the cards at the end of each day will erase and re-use them. I don’t advocate taking enough cards to never have to erase and re-use; since I want to import and key-word my files at the end of the day in Lightroom anyway and back them up to multiple hard drives. Plus I find it too easy to forget which cards have been used and which have not.

This approach and methodology has worked well for me over the last few years. The only real downside is the size and weight of my 17″ Macbook Pro – a situation I will remedy when my laptop next comes up for refresh sometime next year. In the meantime, if anyone wants a pre loved, fully loaded 17″ Macbook Pro at a discount please drop me a line!