The month of March is certainly living up to the old adage of "in like a lion" here in Northern Utah. As I write, a heavy storm is once again rendering the world in monochrome and the furnace is audibly hard at work. Never a big fan of cold weather, I am filled with hope that this is indeed the tail end of the cold season. I miss the verdant meadows and azure lakes of the high country.

The months since the previous edition of this newsletter have been mostly spent indoors (a result not only of weather but of other personal commitments as well) which, while frustrating, also allowed me to experiment with some new imaging techniques. I will share some of these below.

Some inquired why I don't publish with more frequency. The easy answer is that my time is spread pretty thin considering my need(!) to spend time out of doors while attending to other commitments. The easiest thing for anyone trying to be consistent in publishing photography-related articles is to write endlessly about gear news and reviews. I don't take much pleasure in either writing or reading these too frequently myself, so my hope is that you find value in my more ethereal, albeit sporadic, thoughts on the creative side of making images rather than the virtues or specifications of particular equipment.

Guy Tal

New Workshop Dates and Site Updates

Michael Gordon and I will be offering our Introduction to Large Format Photography workshops on three dates this year:

• June 3-4, 2006
• September 16-17, 2006
• October 7-8, 2006

Setting the Tone

Since my earliest days as a photographer I have been fascinated with Black and White photography. As an early admirer of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and later the works of Bruce Barnbaum, John Sexton, and many others (not the least of which my friend and collegue Michael Gordon), I was often frustrated with my inability to produce such images myself. Color work always came naturally to me and color became such a significant part of my images that stripping it away never quite felt right.

It took me years of experimentation in both a wet darkroom and using digital tools to finally start seeing scenes in tones rather than just colors. That was my first real insight into making Black and White images that felt "right" to my eye.

It was at this point that I began experimenting with digital conversions and toning. Now that I had the insight into what an image could look like in Black and White (a real "aha!" moment that immediately brought to mind Ansel Adams' thoughts on Visualization) I began seeing all kinds of new directions I could take my work in - both in the field and in reworking older images that I could now see in a different light (no pun intended).

I will not belabor the specific techniques used for conversion but should you be interested - a quick Internet search for tutorials on Photoshop's Channel Mixer will surely yield some useful information. I will say though that the tools provided by Photoshop all but make the use of Black and White filters obsolete. Starting with a color image captured using a wide latitude film or digital camera, one can apply any degree of red/yellow/blue/green filtration and observe the result on screen rather than having to guess in the field. Further, the effect can be applied with great granularity and control not possible using traditional glass or gel filters.

Having made myself comfortable with the various options of converting an image, I was further intrigued by toning techniques. Chemical processes to tone Black and White prints have been around almost as long as photography itself - from Cyanotypes to Sepia and Platinum and any number of other coloring agents have been used in the past. Here too, digital tools provide a vast degree of flexibility and control (that admittedly is as easy to use as it is to abuse). Starting off with a monochromatic image in RGB or Lab mode, the array of tools provided by such software as Photoshop (in particular Curves and Levels) opens a new world of creative opportunities for those willing to embrace them.

In the field, the knowlege of these techniques also allows for new uses to lighting situations that in the world of color photography may be considered prohibitive or limiting - from "dull" overcast conditions to the "harsh" light of mid-day. Working in Black and White (toned or otherwise) will keep you working and inspired for much longer once you learn to recognize the potential a scene may have in post-processing.

Beyond Photography

Yet more experimentation recently had me exploring new ways of using photographic images that go beyond the traditional "look". I began this quest knowing many take a strong stand against what has come to be termed "image manipulation" (though I am yet to find a consistent definition of what exactly is or is not considered "manipulation").

With so much contention around digital work, my first realization was that it would be pointless to try to pass these works as "photography". For lack of a better term I just refer to them as Visual Creations, which to me makes them no different, creatively speaking, from any of my other works - the only difference is in the process rather than the intended result which is to create a visually appealing image.

The exact techniques for achieving these images are too numerous and inconsistent to list. I have used just about every tool in my arsenal to some degree and for various purposes and my conclusion is that there is no one workflow to speak of that can be explained or taught. To paraphrase on lessons I learned from my friend Tony Kuyper - you bring the image into Photoshop and you let it lead you, sometimes without even knowing in advance where it wants to go.

One particular challenge I am faced with these images is that their impact is greatly reduced when viewed at web sizes. Just like the most detailed Large Format images - these need to be seen in printed form to be fully appreciated.

One implicit compliment I received soon after posting some of these images was in the form of interest and praise from painters. I must confess to another dark secret here - I have always been jealous of the likes of Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran for their ability to portray light and natural drama beyond what I could hope to do with a photograph. I am now encouraged to see where else these creative paths might take me - stay tuned as the journey continues.

The Light... Oh, The Light!

Lest the above had you concerned for my passion for the outdoors and the magic of natural light - rest assured it is as strong as ever. Though not as frequently as I would have liked, I did get to venture out in these past months in search of inspiration that can only be found in the wilds. For all my personal creations, I still find the outdoors a more productive environment than any darkroom, studio, or office. Without these moments my life would not be worth living, and the results are more than images to me. They are experiences.