50 Years of Photography

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Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:17:00 +0000

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New for the Studio Tour

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:13:00 +0000

March 6-7 are the dates for the 2010 Whidbey Working Artists Studio Tour. Although my printer is giving me fits again, I'm turning out prints of some new images pleased with the results.

Tractor on Arnold Road

Rejects

Eagle Eye on Coupeville

On Harrington Lagoon

Aya Sofia

Free Spirit

D700 Love

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:54:00 +0000

Borrowed Image

I recently revamped my camera/lens arsenal. The hub of the system is a Nikon D700 DSLR. Also pretty exciting is the Nikon 14-24mm lens I'm using with it. Details on these below.
The history is that I have been shooting with a Nikon D300 and a Canon Powershot G10 converted for infrared (IR) use. The D300 was a big improvement from the D200 I used before. The IR G10 was great fun. I also still had one film camera: a Hasselblad XPan. It is responsible for most of my popular panoramas of Whidbey Island. So why change?
My goal is to reduce the amount of equipment and optimize it for the kind of shooting I do. I hardly used the XPan any more. I loved shooting IR, but the G10 exhibited too much digital noise. The other motivation was the extremely low noise produced by the D700.
As a full-frame (sensor size equal to 35mm film) camera, the D700 exhibits amazingly low noise at high ISO settings. I've used it at ISO 3200 with good results and with experience I think 6400 should be usable in extreme situations.
The other full-frame benefit is what happens with Nikon's amazing 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S lens. This 2.1 pound monster is one of the finest lenses Nikon (or anyone) has ever produced. The 114 degree angle of view, coupled with low distortion, make it a great landscape lens, and it shines for architectural interiors.
To keep the camera bag from causing injury, I rounded out my kit with a light 24-85mm and an old but optically great 75-150mm. The latter will probably be replaced by a 70-300mm fairly soon.

Photographing Your Art

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:21:00 +0000

Whidbey Photographer John Olsen and I will be instructors at two short workshops packed with practical information for 2D and 3D artists who want to photograph their own artwork. Painters, printmakers, sculptors, potters, jewelry artists, and others will learn how to capture quality images for show submissions, documentation, publication, and even giclee printing.
The morning session (April 10, 2010) is for 2D artists and the afternoon is dedicated to how to photograph three-dimensional art. We'll discuss cameras, lights, settings, exposure, backdrops and more, with emphasis on how to get good images with minimal investment.
Visit the Pacific Northwest Art School site for registration information.

Cama Beach State Park

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 07:22:00 +0000

Cabins at Cama Beach

I finally visited an exquisite little Washington State Park on Camano Island, Cama Beach. A former fishing camp, the main attraction is nicely restored cabins on the beach facing Whidbey Island. There is an outpost of the Center for Wooden Boats on site. I'll be back to explore the photographic potential of this spot.

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:53:00 +0000

Free Shipping for Online Purchases

Treat your Valentine or yourself to a photograph custom printed and framed and enjoy free shipping if you purchase by midnight, February 8, 2010. This applies to all orders over $30 on my online store.
One of the advantages of buying art this way is the wide variety of paper, canvas, matting, and framing available. If you really want to make an impression and fill wall space, consider a gallery-wrapped canvas print. If you go for custom framing, be sure to look through the many mat choices and frame galleries.
To take advantage of this offer, visit my online galleries and store here and use promotional code VDay10.

Save the Prairie

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:31:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing
January 24, 2010

Book Signing to Support Preservation & Education in Ebey’s Reserve

Contact: Emi Morgan, Education & Outreach Coordinator
360-678-6084; emi_morgan@partner.nps.gov
Coupeville, WA

The beautiful and favorite places of Whidbey Island are captured in a newly-released book, Whidbey Island, the Jewel of Puget Sound. On February 13 from 11am-3pm at Pen Cove Gallery, photographer Denis Hill will sign and sell his book, donating the proceeds to preserving Central Whidbey’s rural character through the Ebey’s Forever Fund.

Hill is has spent a decade exploring and documenting Whidbey Island. Whidbey Island, the Jewel of Puget Sound is a portfolio of 44 scenic photographs from Oak Harbor to Langley with special emphasis on Deception Pass, Coupeville, and Ebey’s Reserve.

“I hope that this event inspires every artist who is inspired by the landscape, structures, and agricultural activity of central Whidbey to find creative ways to support the Reserve’s preservation and education effort,” commented Hill. “It is we who are especially invested in the Reserve; without these sights we would be poorer at our pursuits.”

Hill is widely recognized for his work, with photographs published in Runner’s World, Places to Retire, Wings West, Stock Car Racing, the Denver Post, and National Geographic’s The GreenGuide.com. He also earned the Qualified Panoramic Photographer designation from the International Association of Panoramic Photographers in 2002.

During this special event, $10 of each $19.95 book sold will be donated to the Ebey’s Forever Fund. The Ebey’s Forever Fund was created by the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve as a way to provide education and financial assistance to preserving the 400 nationally significant historic structures within the Reserve. The Pickard Family, LLC contributed a $50,000 matching grant to kick-start the fund last November.

“The Ebey’s Forever Fund works with owners of significant cultural resources to preserve and protect the scenic vistas and unique history, visible to us all,” said Reserve Manager, Mark Preiss.

Penn Cove Gallery is located at 9 Front Street in Coupeville. Attendees are invited to enjoy Valentine’s Day cookies and hot coffee.

Save the Prairie

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:31:00 +0000

Tour Time

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:24:00 +0000

Not to be confused with Tool Time, tour time refers to the Spring Art Studio Tour, featuring some of the most creative artists of central and north Whidbey Island. This March 6-7, 2010 event coincides with the annual Penn Cove MusselFest, so there are myriad reasons to visit the island.
The not-to-be-missed stop on the tour is my studio in Ann's Coup d'Art. Though Ann will be away from the island, it will be a great opportunity to visit Kay Parsons, Bev McQuary, Patty Picco, and moi.

Whidbey Island Book

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:07:00 +0000

My new book, Whidbey Island: The Jewel of Puget Sound, is now available. I've been selling copies at Ann's Coup d'Art, where my studio is. It is also available online at Amazon.com here.
The book is a portfolio of images representing Whidbey Island from the Deception Pass Bridge to Langley.

Opportunistic Shooting

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:10:00 +0000

Ferry and Couple

Although I anticipate many shots and execute them when conditions agree with my intentions, and I stake out some shots and wait for the light, sometimes just being alert pays off. This was the case today when a friend and I were checking out art galleries in Seattle. Returning to my car parked under the Alaskan Way viaduct near Pioneer Square, I saw a ferry approaching the terminal, some nice clouds in the sky, good side light, and a couple deep in conversation on a bench by the water.
Because I knew I'd be parked in Seattle, I had not brought my bag of "real" camera gear, instead opting to carry my infrared-converted Canon G10 in my "European shoulder bag" (not a purse). Actually it is an Ace Leather (of Whidbey) shoulder bag. Anyway, I was happy to have it and here is the result.

#@!%&* Printer!

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Although I've made my living as a computer programmer and was first directly responsible for a (mini)computer way back in 1981, sometimes technology still confounds and frustrates me. Recent experience with my photo printer is a case in point.
A little background. I attempted to make my own prints with two Epson 2000 printers around 2001, one set up for third-party archival color inks and one that used several shades of black and gray custom inks. They clogged so badly I quickly sold them. I should note that clogging is primarily an issue with the printers I use because they employ pigment-based inks which are archival. Consumer printers rely on less durable dye-based inks.
Later I purchased an Epson Stylus Pro 7600, a honking printer that used 24" wide roll paper and did a nice job. Many of the large prints of my work from 2004-6 were made on this printer.
But the Epson suffered a clogged print head that had to be replaced, fortunately under warranty. This was an issue with those printers if they were not in constant use. Since the cost of a maintenance contract was $700 a year, I decided to sell it.
I replaced the 7600 with another Epson, the 4000. This one was smaller, only taking 17" wide rolls of paper. It had an improved ink system and was more able to unclog itself when necessary. It also had improved handling of sheet paper, which was a convenience. This printer went to Maine and Ohio with me, but I sold it in Ohio because I was printing less.
That's when I purchased my current printer, an HP Photosmart Pro B9180. This only handles paper 13" wide and has no roll paper handling. It works for me because I do most of my printing on 13x19" or 11x17" sheets. I have any larger prints done by one of several outside services. The HP makes very nice prints and is compact compared to the Epson's I've owned. The consumable costs are higher because the ink cartridges are smaller; everything is a trade-off.
The bad news is that the HP has sporadically misbehaved. It's probably my fault when it surprises me by scaling the image to a different size than the original file, but I blame it for truncated images. A few days ago it just stopped working. It would sometimes spit out paper and say the job was done without printing anything. It would say "printing" and do nothing. I thought I was going to have to throw it out.
The solution was one of the following, which I did simultaneously:

Unplug it and leave it overnight.
Uninstall all of the supporting software and reinstall everything.

The upshot is that the B9180 is back in action and printing just fine. But with the holiday shopping season upon us and my sales starting to pick up, I thought I was going to have to send my printing out while shopping for a replacement printer. It's a happy ending for now.

ADDENDUM as of Dec. 7, 2009
The printer started truncating images again. I now suspect the Windows Vista print spooler. I have good luck if I only print when the computer has been recently booted.

More Metal

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Gypsy Girl and Her Cat

I am so happy with the first few images I had printed on metal and I just ordered a set of 12x12 metal prints of these three shots of a Romani girl in Barzitsa, Bulgaria. This is a step up from the first set of eight 8x8 prints.
The labs that offer metal prints don't fully reveal the process, but it is a heat sublimation process in which the image is printed on a white substrate and the whole thing is fused into the aluminum plate, with a very durable overlaminate. I accept the claims that this creates a print as archival as good giclee and silver gelatin prints, with the usual caveat that art should never be exposed to direct sunlight. Some vendors say use window cleaner on the surface, though I'd probably stick with a damp microfiber cloth.

Metal Prints

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Here are six of eight square images that are being produced by one of my labs, printed on metal. They will have 1/8" rounded corners and be mounted on blocks to float off the wall without frames. It seems an interesting and different presentation for photographs (it is pretty new) and these will be introduced at my holiday shows (see home page of www.whidbeypanoramas.com).

About the Photos

From top left to bottom right: The grave markers in Istanbul were shot in infrared and processed with sepia toning. IR is great for clouds! I noticed the trees in the pasture where the sheep graze on the edge of Barzitsa and watched for a foggy morning to shoot them. This was infrared converted to pure black and white (the raw IR images have some color in them). The fishing boat was near Varna in an estuary that serves as an extension of the port. It's another IR shot. The outdoor sink with dish is conventional digital color. It is in the back yard of the small pottery near the village where Bulgaria Art Workshops is being established (watch for news). Though it might look staged, the blue dish was there, waiting for my eye. The orange lifeboat was moored behind a dilapidated waterfront home on the Bosporus. The original shot is in color but I desaturated everything in the scene except the boat. I spotted the staircase while walking around the same Bosporus village in drizzle and was taken with the Mediterranean colors juxtaposed with potted flowers and weathered wood.

Encaustic Endeavors Encore

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:49:00 +0000

"Extra Dry"

This encaustic greets visitors to my current show at Christopher's on Whidbey, my favorite restaurant in Coupeville. The Bombay label is a scan printed on kozo paper. The martini glass is cut from copper mesh and "filled" with wax to make it three-dimensional. Some glass bead sprinkles add highlights.

More Canon G10 Infrared (IR) Images

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:18:00 +0000

On a couple of puffy-cloud days this week I worked with the IR camera again. This time I used DXO Optics Pro to convert the raw files. Since it works based on profiles for specific camera/lens/focal length/ISO, many issues that might otherwise be bothersome are dispatched with ease.

This Coupeville house just looked interesting with the cloud behind it. I used the auto white balance setting provided by the camera, used DXO's ability to do film look emulations, then applied medium-high contrast. The B&W film look I chose for this was Ilford XP2.

For this image of the barn at Jenne Farm, I simply applied a curves adjustment, then in the HSL section (hue, saturation, lightness) I set saturation to 0 to convert to black & white. Remember that the IR images have some color content as they come from the camera.

For this shot of the same barn I tweaked quite a bit: highlight recovery strong, black point 99, local contrast 43, then in color mode I chose the sepia gold toning with medium-high contrast and grain 0.

Finally, for this shot of the Jenne farm house and barn, I used color mode b&w, high contrast and daylight white balance. Note that without the b&w conversion, daylight white balance produces a major red cast as one would expect of a color IR image.

Infrared Photography

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:57:00 +0000

Never one to leave well enough alone, I sent my Canon G10 camera to have it converted to a dedicated infrared camera. NOTE: if you decide to have a camera converted by Lifepixel, as I did, please use my name as referrer; it won't cost you more but I'll make a few bucks. I chose the extended color option for my camera, which includes a sensor filter that accepts a wider light range. The idea is that this provides more to work with in creating what's known as "false color" IR images.
Here are some samples from today.

First is a "straight" image, right out of the camera with minor tweaking in Adobe Camera Raw. This is Dugualla Bay, by the way, on the northeast side of Whidbey Island. Low clouds obliterate the Cascades.

Next we have a grainery on Ebey's Prairie, framed by a pine branch. The top image is before processing. The bottom image is after a black & white adjustment layer and a curves adjustment layer in Photoshop CS4.

Finally, we have the blockhouse at Coupeville's Sunnyside Cemetery. To give it a traditional infrared look, I processed in Adobe Camera Raw with a minus clarity setting, producing more glow. Then I used a channel mixer layer to turn the red sky blue. Notice how the flag is burned out even though the rest of the image is well exposed. IR really reflects differently off of different materials. That seems to be why it can make what would ordinarily be a boring scene come to life.

Some things I think I've learned from my first IR outing include:

Look for a variety of foliage, deciduous and conifer trees, crops, grasses.
Look for cloud texture.
Look for bright light (it's still a point-and-shoot camera with a tiny sensor).

Obviously, I need experience to optimize my raw and post-processing. I should try a polarizing filter. So far I have not noticed a "hot spot" problem with this camera/lens; that may vindicate my decision to stick to the P+S camera rather than converting a DSLR.

Canon PowerShot G10 Redux

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:19:00 +0000

NEWS FLASH!
The G10 is obsolete! OK, it's only obsolete if it no longer serves its purpose. But Canon has announced the G11, which seems to take image quality to the next level with reduced noise and better dynamic range. I have a proposal in to Canon to give the G11 a field test during my trip to Istanbul and Bulgaria this October.
All that said, I've been pretty happy with the performance of the G10. When the light is good, it can capture excellent images. Am shooting a lot at the wide end of the zoom range, so processing in DXO Optics Pro is a boon. I also use the film looks available in DXO to give images the right look (color balance and contrast curve). Last week I printed a couple of G10 images and they are now on display at Penn Cove Gallery.
Here are a few examples of the images I'm getting with the PowerShot G10. I am really enjoying the opportunistic shooting afforded by having a "pocket" camera, as well as the stealth factor since using it makes me look like any snapshooter.

Lavender Wind Festival

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:39:00 +0000

I stopped by Lavender Wind Farm today to check out the art festival there. This runs through tomorrow, so please check it out. This is a small event but with many worthwhile artists showing their work in photography, felting, polymer clay, watercolor, mixed media, acrylic, rugs, hand painted silk, ceramics, fiber art ... There's live music, wines, and a variety of food vendors (not the usual festival stuff including reindeer hot dogs, ice cream, lavender mussels and more.
Lavender Wind Farm is just off of West Beach Road, near Libbey Road.

Online Print Sales

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:56:00 +0000

At last! I have finally found the right service to offer online sales of my images ... printed to my standards. My new online store is hosted by Seattle-based Imagekind. All prints are giclees printed on the latest large-format Epson printers with archival pigment inks.
The majority of my popular images ... and some new ones ... are now in the store. To maintain my sanity, I have eliminated the Flash gallery of photos on the web site; look in the store galleries. I have yet to complete tagging the images, so the search box won't find all relevant images; please bear with me and just surf through the galleries.

Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 03:29:00 +0000

Here's the scoop on my participation this year in the Historic Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival, August 1-2, 2009. I've been invited to participate in the Artists in Action section, which means I'll be giving advice on how to take better pictures, properly set up cameras, use features, etc. This will draw from my experience teaching introductory digital photography at the Pacific Northwest Art School (formerly known as Coupeville Arts Center).
I'll also be entering work in the Juried Gallery in conjunction with the festival. In past competitions I've taken first place in photography twice, and third place once. Here's my entry in photography.

I think this is one of the best images I've created in quite a while, so I've high hopes for how it will be received by the juror. There is a wine tasting opening party on Friday, July 31. This is a great time to visit with Whidbey artists and art lovers.

Each artist can enter three works, and my other two will be encaustic pieces. One is Bench by a Lake, seen in an earlier blog post. I'll photograph the other one (edgy!) and add it here tomorrow.

During the festival, my work will also be on display at Penn Cove Gallery, on Front Street and in the middle of the action.

Due to the schedule change (a week earlier than usual), it will be easier to visit the festival this year. Two other events are not taking place the same weekend, so there will be a better chance of getting a room and less traffic on the island. Please visit!

Snapshots with Canon G10

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:46:00 +0000

After considerable research and rumination, I settled on the Canon G10 as my "pocket camera," something I could have with me at all times and get shots I might miss when the major equipment stayed home. The G10 has a pretty good all-around reputation in reviews and among users, including Paul Canfield, son of my friends Stella and Michael.
The 28-140mm (in 35mm equivalent terms) lens covers at least 80% of needs. It has a viewfinder. It has very convenient exposure compensation and ISO dials on top. And the raw files it produces can be processed in DxO Optics Pro, a specialized raw file converter I already own because it does a great job with my Nikon 12-24mm lens. DxO uses sophisticated optical analysis-derived profiles to correct lens distortion, chromatic abberation, and sharpness.
I carry the G10 in a Lowepro pouch that just fits it since it is a little large as a pocket camera. So far I have been satisfied with the Canon. I shoot in aperture-priority mode and auto-ISO and keep an eye on what's happening since at ISO 400 the camera starts to show how foolish Canon was to build it with a 14.7 megapixel sensor. COME ON! You can't cram that many photosites in a very small sensor and expect clean images. While this is a very good camera as it is, with a 9-10MP sensor, it could have been excellent. I know from experience that with these sensors, the size that matters is the size of individual photosites (so an adequate number of photons can strike them).
Well, on to some results. I'm house sitting in Port Townsend for several weeks, and here are some snapshots as I start my stay here. Since I don't do serious image processing on my laptop, these are converted in Picasa. Picasa is free and great for quick image processing, but it is hardly my choice for the best possible output.
UPDATE JULY 23, 2009: I added a peony photo processed in Adobe Camera Raw. In a future blog post I'll compare ACR, DXO Optics Pro, and the raw converter provided by Canon.

Dog shop in PT

Peony in the garden of the widow of painter Andrew Martin

PT is in bloom

So far, I'm finding it challenging to get shallow depth-of-field to see how the bokeh develops. Zoomed to 140mm, the maximum aperture is f4.5. On this tiny sensor that still produces significant DOF. Picasa is not ideal for evaluating the quality of the out-of-focus areas, but this example shows that it can be at least OK.

High Dynamic Range Photography For Real

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Rainier From Ebey's Landing

Extreme Ebey's Sunset

After settling on Photomatix as my HDR processing software of choice, I have now processed some real work. The two shots above went into the member's show at the Pacific Northwest Art School (formerly Coupeville Arts Center), and both sold during the opening reception celebrating the name change. BTW, these two shots were taken at Ebey's Landing, with the camera within 100 yards. For the top shot I was standing on the beach by Hill Road. For the bottom shot (taken first), I was beyond the parking lot, on the edge of the beach to maximize the driftwood.

Dugualla Dawn

I'll be showing some of this new HDR work at Penn Cove Gallery starting Wednesday, after the next rotation, and at Garry Oak Gallery when we rotate (July?). This one is from the Dugualla Bay beach, looking at the Cascades across Saratoga Passage.

Encaustic Progress

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Ann Wilson and Patty Picco have recently facilitated my encaustic endeavors. Ann has agreed to rent me studio space in the garage at Ann's Coupe d'Art in Coupeville. This allows me to install a stove vent hood to exhaust the fumes from keeping a bunch of beeswax hot, and I can open the garage door to enjoy Penn Cove breezes.

Patty tutored me for the best part of a day in her own garage studio, introducing me to a variety of techniques and making me drool for a hot palette. Now I'm going to have to build another accessory! I completed one new painting.

The piece pictured above is 12x12" on braced panel. The background is hand made paper, with a layer of unfiltered beeswax under and over it. The photograph is a scene from Silver Lake, Ohio, printed on 55# kozo paper, which I like because the wax really soaks in. I used a steel brush to score the area where I next added the brown stripe mirroring the sidewalk in the photo. Using a clay sculpting tool, I scraped away some of the stripe. "Sprinkles" of the scraped brown wax were dispersed to carry that color throughout the painting. Finally I covered everything with clear medium (filtered beeswax with damar resin to make it harder), being sure to drip a lot over the sides.

The Tulips Are Coming! The Tulips Are Coming!

Whidbeypix@gmail.com (M. Denis Hill, QPP) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Does that remind you of an Alan Arkin movie? Well, although the Dutch "stole" tulips from the Turks, no foreign invasion is afoot here. Just a preview of Skagit Valley tulips that are coming up quite late this year. It looks like peak bloom will coincide with the last week of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Here are a few shots from April 20.