Photographers Who Have Influenced My Work
Two British photographers have particularly influenced my approach to landscape photography: Joe Cornish and David Ward. Both are based in the north of England where the landscape is more subtle than the grand scenes from the American West yet their photography is highly compelling and imparts a clear sense of place. David’s thinking and writing about the intimate landscape has been especially influential in motivating my recent work. Each has published several books that are readily available in the U.S..
The writings and work of Canadian physician (vocation) and photographer (avocation) George Barr have done much to convince me of importance of expressive post processing and its role in overcoming limitations of our lenses, cameras and materials to impart the photographer’s response to the scene in the final print. George’s three books continue to be resources for me.
Brooks Jensen, the highly prolific podcaster and editor of “LensWork,” is a fine photographer in his own right. His emphasis on project-based photography has done much to improve my productivity and the caliber of my work.
Living Photographic Masters
Do not pass up an opportunity to see Christopher Burkett’s prints. I felt the same awe for the range of tonality and clarity in his large-format color prints as I did when I first saw an Ansel Adams print.
Michael Kenna is the master of clarity through simplification.
Study any collection of John Sexton’s work and you are first struck by his command of tonality. Study his images some more and you come away understanding that he is also a master of composition.
Enjoy Charles Cramer’s work. While perhaps not as well known as some of the others, he is a master of subtle north (or reflected) light.
Photography Resources
Digital workflow: Uwe Steinmueller. The go-to source for all aspects of workflow. His recent book with J. Gulbens, The Digital Photography Workflow Handbook, is a thorough compendium of the state of the art.
Photoshop: Tim Grey makes Photoshop accessible. Adobe should aspire to do half as well.
Travel Workshops: Brenda Tharp. I’ve taken two workshops with Brenda and much appreciated her thoughtful coaching and critique.
Travel Resource: Bob Hitchman’s Photograph America newsletter will help make the most of your time while on the road at classic sites throughout the U.S. with some coverage of Canada.
Publications: “LensWork” both print and extended editions. If you read only one photography periodical, there is no question that LensWork should be the one.
Technology of digital photography. Sean McHugh‘s Cambridge in Colour website is the single best resource that I’ve seen. Sean takes us into technically well grounded (though thoroughly approachable) discussion of topics like sharpness, diffraction, and so on, to help us understand the performance limits of our technology and thus ways to operate close to the envelope.
Other Art Resources
Artists’ Resources contains a listing of visual artists living and working in Sonoma County. A very useful set of links showing the breadth of art practiced in Sonoma County today.
Galleries
Artist’s Collective in Elk, California.
Gualala Arts, Gualala, California
Other Artists
Susan Field a source of steady encouragement in my learning as a photographer, an accomplished artist whose opinion I value, and my wife.
James Dahl, an extraordinary potter.