Monthly Archives: October 2014

New York is a stage

October 31, 2014 by Harold Davis | 2 Comments

I’m passing through New York with an appearance at PhotoPlus Expo on behalf of my sponsor Carl Zeiss, for whom I am a Camera Lens Ambassador. PhotoPlus is at the Javits Center. I am enroute to Barcelona, Spain, where I am headed tomorrow. My timing in New York overlaps with Halloween, and it seems that all the world’s indeed a stage!

Bethesda Fountain © Harold Davis

So yesterday to get some air after being at the convention center all day I walked up to Central Park, and shot this image of the plaze behind Bethesda Fountain by moonlight. It does indeed look like a stage, but a deserted one at night!

Posted in Digital Night, New York

Print Prices to Rise; Special Print Offer

October 28, 2014 by Harold Davis | 2 Comments

Our print prices are set to rise modestly in 2015. For example, a 20″ X 24″ print is now $1,600; the price will rise to $2,000. See the table below for some other price increases.

We will hold current pricing for orders placed by December 31, 2014.

In this connection, we are pleased to make special print offers from time-to-time, on a “good while supplies last” basis. The subject of this offer is Bounty of the Garden, shown below, printed on Awagami Kozo washi, in a 20″ wide and 12″ high print, hand-signed in pencil. This is a glorious and unique image that makes a spectacular print, it is our way of saying thanks for the blessings of the earth and for a great year!

The special print offer price is a great deal at $295.00 plus $30 shipping!

Special offer print shipping within the continental United States only please. Please place orders by contacting the studio for the special offer. For Christmas delivery, please be sure to place your order for the special offer print (or any print) by December 10.

Bounty of the Garden © Harold Davis

Please note the following print price increases below. Current prices will be held for orders places before December 31, 2014. The indicated sizes are paper sizes, actual image sizes vary and are usually smaller. Special substrates in some cases may incur higher costs. For prints in a panoramic proportion, pricing is by the longest dimension (so a 24″ X 60″ print is priced the same as a 40″ X 60″ print).

Size	Current Price	2015 Price
11″ X 14″	$900	$1,000
16″ X 20″	$1,200	$1,400
20″ X 24″	$1,600	$2,000
30″ X 40″	$2,900	$3,000
40″ X 60″	$4,500	$5,000

Posted in Photography

Photograph Prague, Vienna and Budapest (April 2015)

October 27, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

Exploring the Imperial Cities of Eastern Europe with our Cameras

This photographic adventure is a tale of three cities! We will explore the stately, elegant and photogenic imperial cities of Prague, Vienna and Budapest. We’ll stay in centrally located 4-star (or better) hotels in each imperial city. Highlights include a visit to Prague Castle, night photography in Prague, a scenic coach drive to Vienna, photography in Vienna, hydrofoil transfer on the Danube River from Vienna to Budapest and an intimate walking tour of Budapest. Please consider joining noted photographer Harold Davis for a fun photographic time in these three great cities!

Dates: Sunday April 19, 2015 (leave United States April 18) – Tuesday April 28, 2015 (10 days and 9 nights).

Group size: Minimum of 10 and maximum of 14.

Cost: $5,499.00 per person (excluding airfare, single supplement $1,085.00 additional). Includes all accommodations, many meals, transportation and extras per the trip Itinerary and Inclusions. Special early-registration discount of $500 for registrations with paid deposit before December 1, 2014 (so early-bird per-person cost is only $4,999).

Click here for the complete Prospectus and Itinerary, here for registration instructions, and here to download the registration form.

Posted in Workshops

Terra Incognita

October 26, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

It is the job of the artist to plunge into Terra Incognita. This means exploring unknown country both literally and figuratively. When artistic territory seizes to be unknown and verges on the repetitious, then the work ceases to be exploration and becomes an exercise in marketing the known “trademark look.” It’s a sad fact that this artistic truth diverges with conventional advice for making a living as an artist—which is to find an iconic style, and to stick to it.

Burning off the Fog, Marin Headlands, CA © Harold Davis

For me, plunging into the artistic unknown is like swinging on a rope high above deep water. When the leap begins it is both exhilarating and frightening, and part of what makes life worth living. I will not be shoe-horned into a narrow category. I will go “under, over and through” to discover the lands beyond, returning enriched with experiences and insights that I can bring into genres I have plumbed before.

Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan © Harold Davis

On the eve of literal travel, these thoughts come to mind. This journey is a bit of a wild adventure as well, with stops in New York, Spain, Morocco and Portugal. The point, of course, is always the journey and not the destination—and it is a truism that neither I nor my imagery will return unchanged. My plan is to blog my photos, stories and adventures, so please “stay tuned.”

Saint-Roman, Dordogne, France © Harold Davis

Children’s book author E. Nesbit got this right for art and for travel in one of my all-time favorites The Enchanted Castle, when she put these words in a character’s mouth: “‘I don’t understand,’ says Gerald, alone in his third-class carriage, ‘how railway trains and magic can go on at the same time.’ And yet they do.”

Today we have airplanes rather than Victorian carriages—but the concepts of escape from the mundane details of class structure and the struggle to make a living via art and magic remains the same.

Posted in Photography, Writing

Great Hall Heidelberg University

October 24, 2014 by Harold Davis | 2 Comments

The Great Hall is Heidelberg University’s magnificent historic auditorium, located on the first floor of the old University building in the old part of Heidelberg. It’s in the same building that houses the Heidelberg Student Jail.

Great Hall Heidelberg University © Harold Davis

When my local friend took me to see the old University building, the attendant told us that the Great Hall was closed to the public as they were preparing for an event “unless one of you is press.” I reached for my wallet, and started to pull out my Nikon Professional Services (NPS) card—not exactly press, but good enough I guess to get us into the Great Hall!

Posted in Germany, Photography

Cinque Terre one of the best places to photograph in the world

October 22, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

According to the Photoshelter blog, Cinque Terre in Italy is one of the 24 best places to photograph worldwide (along with Havana, Cuba, the Wave in Arizona and Marrakesh, Morocco, etc). Photoshelter quotes photographer Inge Johnsson, “Cinque Terre is such an inspiring place to both visit and photograph. It’s the perfect marriage of landscape and architecture with its dramatic cliffs hugging the ocean, and the buildings in turn hugging the cliffs. And then there is the unbelievable palette of colors on the buildings, the Mediterranean waters, and even the foods. No matter which of the five towns you find yourself in…there are always photographic subjects wherever you look and whatever the time of the day.”

Check out the 24 Best Places to Photograph Worldwide (opens in a new window). Although I have photographed in many of the locations on this list, definitely Cinque Terre is on my photographic “bucket list.”

Please consider joining me to photograph Cinque Terre in October, 2015. Click here for the Prospectus and Itinerary, and here for Registration details & instructions.

Posted in Photography

Pilgrimage to Rocamadour

October 21, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

High above a tributary of the Lot River in the Dordogne Department in southwestern France, Rocamadour has attracted pilgrims for centuries. The town sits below an ecclesiastical complex of monastic buildings and pilgrimage churches. These days, there’s an elevator between the town level and the shrine level, but some pilgrims still complete their pilgrimages in the traditional way, by climbing on their knees up the Grand Escalier—Grand Stairway–shown in this image.

Grand Escalier, Rocamadour © Harold Davis

In this photo you see a row of tourist restaurants to the right of the stairs. There are also hotels (I stayed at one, and it was very nice) and souvenir shops. This probably hasn’t changed much over time, when similar services were needed by the pilgrims who’ve flocked to Rocamadour since medieval times.

I’m struck by how similar the concept of ritual, religious tourism is centers in Japan such as Koya-san and Nachi-san. Although undoubtedly the stone-bound setting from medieval France is far more grim.

If you climb up the Grand Escalier—on your knees or otherwise—here’s the view you’ll see of the towering, militarized religious complex.

The Citadel of Rocamadour © Harold Davis

Here are two iPhone images of the same location:

Pilgrim Stairs © Harold Davis

Sanctuary © Harold Davis

Posted in France, Monochrome

New Harold Davis posters from Editions Limited

October 20, 2014 by Harold Davis | 2 Comments

I am very pleased to have a new series of fine art posters based on my work published by Editions Limited. There are four botanical images, and two landscapes from the Kumano kodo pilgrimage trail on the Kii peninsula in Japan.

Nature’s Palette, art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Tulip Panorama art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Tulips 1 art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Tulips 2 art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Misty Mountains art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Kumano Sanzen art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Kumano Sanzen Roppyaku Po art poster published by Editions Limited © Harold Davis

Posted in Photography

Dasha

October 19, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

I photographed the beautiful model Dasha as part of my Multiple Exposures sequence in Variations, I never know which me, Quo Vadis and Dance of the Seven Veils. I was asked recently whether I had any images of Dasha that weren’t part of a multiple exposure sequence. Well, of course I do. This one was supposed to be part of a multiple exposure, but I forgot to set the camera to combine the images, so I got eight individual exposures—also explaining the in-motion look of the model.

Dasha © Harold Davis

Exposure and post-production information: Photographed against a black background using studio strobes, Nikon D810, Otus 55mm f/1.4, at 1/160 of a second and f/8 using ISO 100, post-processed to black & white using Nik Silver Efex Pro and the Infrared preset as a Photoshop Black & White Adjustment Layer. I then added Flypaper Etched Copper from the Metallic collection as a texture overlay, and reconverted (converted a second time) to black and white.

Posted in Models, Monochrome, Photography

Botanique on exhibit at Awagami Gallery

October 17, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

I am honored that my limited edition artist book of botanical art, Botanique, and several of my prints are on exhibit at Awagami in Japan.

Awagami Factory: Harold Davis’ prints on AIJP coupled with his book dossier

We do have a few copies of Botanique remaining, starting at number 16 (out of an edition of 25). Please contact my studio if you are interested.

Posted in Photography

Blind

October 17, 2014 by Harold Davis | 1 Comment

Photography is about light. You can’t photograph an actual thing, only the light reflected or emitted by the thing. What does this come down to at its irreducible minimum?

Blind © Harold Davis

Perhaps it is bright morning sunlight coming through a “Venetian” blind, leaving only darkness and light in its wake—and us to consider grace, being blind and then seeing and the fact that one does not have to travel far to find photographic material that is of interest. One only needs to shift the way one sees that small amount to find the wonder in the ordinary that is always around us.

Capturing hand held using a Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 at 1/250 of a second, f/11 and ISO 400 (underexposed according to the light meter by about 3 EV).

Please keep in mind my series of webinar recordings, including most recently Converting to Black & White and Making Memorable Travel Photos.

Posted in Monochrome, Photography

Exhibition in Heidelberg, Germany

October 14, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

I am very excited to be exhibiting at Arts & Friends, a photography gallery in Heidelberg, Germany. The show is Harold Davis: An Eclectic Collection. The exhibition title suits me fine because I am definitely eclectic in my photographic tastes!

My understanding is that there will be two really large prints, one on Slickrock Silver and one on metallic pearl. There are roughly twenty other prints in the show of varying sizes, printed on Awagami Kozo washi, Slickrock pearl and Lasal Exhibition Fiber. All the prints are monochromatic. Special thanks to my sponsor Moab Paper, who has helped to make this exhibition possible, and to Zeiss whose fine lenses I used for most of the work in this show.

My exhibit runs from October 18 through November 16, 2014. If you happen to be in Germany, the opening is on Saturday October 18 at 6PM. Here’s the invitation card:

Invitation postcard

Posted in Photography

Variations

October 13, 2014 by Harold Davis | 1 Comment

Here are some variations on I never know which me. The upper variation has been flipped, and a texture added to make the model appear to be coming out of the background. The lower variation has been converted to black and white.

This is an in-camera multiple exposure, consisting of ten individual exposures combined in the camera. I used a Nikon D810 mounted on a tripod with a Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens. The background was black seamless paper, and two studio strobes triggered by wireless were used for lighting.

Black and White Variation © Harold Davis

For the entire cycle of images see Multiple Exposures.

Credits—Model: Dasha, Studio: The Lighthouse Berkeley.

Posted in Models, Monochrome, Multiple Exposures, Photography

Early Registration Workshop Discounts Ending Soon

October 13, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

Early registration discounts for these 2015 workshops are ending in a few days (discounts end on October 15):

Three-day weekend workshop, Friday February 20 – Sunday February 22, 2015—Night Photography in San Francisco, click here for registration (early registration pricing through 10/15/14).
Weekend Workshop, March 14-15, 2015–Black & White Masterclass, weekend workshop, click here for registration (early registration pricing through 10/15/14).
Weekend Workshop, May 9-10, 2015—The Creative Portfolio Workshop, click here for registration (early-registration pricing through 10/15/14).

Please take $50 off the tuition for each workshop if you register before October 15, 2014.

Early registration helps us plan our schedule and make the necessary arrangements to hold workshop space. If you are thinking of one of these workshops, please help us by registering now, and accept the $50 discount as a small token of our thanks.

Also, please consider joining an international group of photographers with me when we explore the Sea-Girt Villages of Italy in October, 2015.

Posted in Workshops

Making Memorable Travel Photos Webinar now available

October 12, 2014 by Harold Davis | 0 Comments

Making Memorable Travel Photos webinar recording (Unlimited access $19.95)

Please consider viewing and learning from this exciting, new webinar offering that will help you learn to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, and find the extraordinary when you travel.

Many of us like to travel, and when we travel we bring our cameras. But there’s a strange paradox: no matter how unique and photogenic our destinations, mostly the photos we come back with are pretty dull. Your travel photos do not have to be boring!

In this presentation, noted photographer and digital artist Harold Davis shares his spectacular imagery from many places around the world as well as “abroad at home.” He’ll share the backstories about how many of his images were made, and what was going on at the time of the exposure. Hint: If men in military uniforms come toward you pointing automatic weapons, stop photographing whatever it is that you are photographing, and turn around slowly!

While showing his award-winning imagery, and sharing his travel photography stories, Harold will explain topics including:

The Making Memorable Travel Photos webinar recording covers:

How to research and prepare for any travel destination
Planning tools that Harold uses to maximize his chances of photographic success
Figuring out where the light is coming from to get the best photos
How to be “at home abroad” no matter what your destination
Making travel photos that rise above the mundane
Photographing people when you travel
How to ask a stranger permission to take their photo
Making travel photos with a personal viewpoint
How to get good shots when you are with a group

Want to move your photographic imagery from the mundane to the artistic? Then maybe this webinar—is for you! Learn to find the special at home and abroad in this extraordinary presentation from Harold Davis, one of the living masters of digital photography.

One participant in the live session noted, “Harold’s webinars are always interesting. I learned quite a bit.” Another participant added, “We just finished attending your Memorable Travel Photos webinar, and also attended the Converting to Black and White webinar a week or so ago. My wife and I found both of them to be very educational and inspiring.”

Click here to register for unlimited access to this webinar recording (unlimited access is $19.95).

Also, please consider joining an international group of photographers with me when we explore the Sea-Girt Villages of Italy in October, 2015.

Posted in Workshops