JON PAUL GALLERY

Schwabacher's Beaver Pond Reflection

This is one of my favorite landscape images from my recent trip to Grand Teton National Park. I had a morning to myself during my Fall “shoot with the pro” field workshop, so I visited the iconic Schwabacher’s Landing. After the sunrise at the most popular spot fizzled, I wandered around and took advantage of the soft, mottled light that was produced by the encroaching storm clouds just 30 minutes into the day. The low sun at this time of year makes this possible. This beaver pond held a perfect mirror reflection. I was able to include a beaver hut, dramatic clouds , fall color, moody dead trees, and the dramatic peaks in the background. Normally this is a lot to include in one composition, but the reflection helped balance and calm the image. I captured the image on 4×5 inch transparency film, so the detail is amazing. As with most of my images, this composition has a real wow factor, but the viewer will be awed by the subtle details in a large gallery print. Another amazing experience that will endure the ages!

Photo Tip: During Fall and Spring, don’t disregard the soft light one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset. Especially when combined with dramatic skies in these changing seasons, early and late light can be a nice compliment to colorful compositions. While dramatic alpenglow and sunrise/sunset colors are exciting, warm light can be more subtle and pleasing for fine art images that will hang in someone’s home. Take advantage of the magic hour at these times of year and you may be greatly rewarded!

Equipment: Canham 5×7 Metal Field Camera, 4×5 reducing back, Rodenstock 150mm APO Sironar-S lens, Gitzo 1325 Carbon Tirpod, Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head, Fuji Velia 100F transparency film. Film scanned on a Hasselblad/Imacon 646 drum scanner.

Whisper Sweet Nothings

This is one of my favorite wildlife images from my recent trip to Grand Teton National Park. I arrived a day early for my “shoot with the pro” workshop, and took a little time to scout the area and check conditions. I found this happy couple while hiking along the Gros Ventre River, and ended up spending the evening photographing their antics. Watching the courting rituals of moose is a lot of fun, and good for a laugh or two as well. While I captured several nice images of the bull and cow individually, I found this image of the two moose interacting the most engaging. I look forward to hanging a large print of this image in my gallery very soon!

Photo Tip: Successful wildlife photography requires good planning, being in the right place at the right time, a knowledge of the animals behaviours, and putting in your time. Often there is much waiting around and testing of patience. However, if you are diligent and remain prepared, your patience can be rewarded with that one special moment you have been hoping for. While the reward is great, the experience should also be appreciated. Respect the animals that you are observing. Don’t take the attitude of “get the shot at all costs”.  Observe, enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the experience while capturing images. It is hard for animals to make a living in the wild. Don’t make it more difficult than it has to be!

Equipment: Nikon D300, Nikon 200-400 F4 AF VR lens, Gitzo 1325 carbon tripod, Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head.

Oxbow Bend, Mount Moran and the Grand

So many gallery visitors and fellow photographers have asked me to guide them in Grand Teton National Park that I altered my Fall schedule to introduce this unique offering! COME SHOOT WITH THE PRO (that’s me) in one of the most stunning locations in the world. This is not a typical seminar. I will be using my experience and knowledge to pursue stunning new gallery images. I will welcome a total of only 4 individuals to join me on this professional excursion. I will put us in the most iconic locations at the right time of day, and with a little cooperation from Mother Nature, we will compose some amazing images. While we shoot together, I will answer your questions, share tips and help ensure your photographic success. After our sunrise landscape shoots, we will pursue wildlife such as Moose, Elk and Bison. During the day, we can choose to pursue more images (weather permitting), or learn from photo critiques on your laptop in camp. Join me at a beautiful campground, or rest in one of Jackson Hole’s hotels and meet me in the morning at our sunrise location. This promises to be an amazing experience. Join me!

This seminar/tour is being offered on relatively short notice. Please contact me ASAP.
530-544-4269 gallery       530-545-2896 cell     jonpaul@jonpaulgallery.com

We will meet/greet the afternoon/evening of September 28th. The morning of the 29th will be our first sunrise shoot.
We will be immersed in photography 24/7 through sunset on October 2nd. This makes a full four days of shooting, and living the photographic dream! Please call immediately for details and to reserve your spot.

Bison with Fall Color & Falling Snow

In a departure from my methodical large format film process and tack sharp realistic imagery, I decided to experiment with photo-impressionism using my digital SLR. I was able to create this unique image as the fall colors were on the decline, but my desire to be outside creating images was not. My intention was to create a series of painterly images that depicted an other worldly view of the forests into which I escape. Using a long exposure and controlled linear motion with the camera I was able to create the feeling of a forest having been created in the imagination and brought to life with the stroke of a painters brush. Adding to the surreal feeling, I used the saturation function with selective colors in PhotoShop and punched up the colors to depart further from the usual.

This experience accentuated the fact that a solid understanding of the foundations of photographic technique enables us to experiment with alternative visions and produce successful photographic images. This is something I stress to my seminar and photo tour students that first become buried in (and overwhelmed by) the concepts of digital art while overlooking the the basic photographic techniques that enable them to create the imagery they wish to work with in the first place.

Feel free to follow me on my Jon Paul Gallery Facebook Page, and subscribe to my E-Newsletter  for updated information on new images, seminars, tours, etc. You can also contact the Jon Paul Gallery directly to purchase original prints or receive information about any of Jon Paul’s offerings. I have uploaded a new Portfolio page on www.jonpaulgallery.com titled Impressionist, which currently has six new images, including the one I shared today.

Enjoy my images painted with light!

Carson River Fall Detail Panorama

One of my favorite times to create images is during a gentle rain. While most people are hiding inside, I am out searching for images that have been rain soaked and saturated. This saturation, along with overcast skies (softly filtered light) enables us to capture rich colors without the harsh contrast of a directly lit subject. Most often, it is a good idea to exclude the dreary sky from these images and just focus on the details. The vantage I chose, in the middle of the river, brought me closer into my subject, giving  a greater feeling of being “within the scene” (a quality my collectors comment on often). I used the moving water as a dynamic lead in line, drawing the eye into the composition, and adding a feeling of motion to an otherwise static scene. I also like the way the white water adds a contrast to the darker tones in the image. I chose to exclude a majority of the sky, as it would have made the scene feel gloomy. However, due to the lack of brightness in the dark grey of the clouds, I was able to keep a bit of sky visible between the trees and retain the full (non-chopped) composition. I also used a warming polarizer to remove a majority of the glare on the wet rocks and foliage. This enabled me to see the rich colors in the scene, as well as extending the required exposure time to accentuate the moving water. In the end, the scene makes me feel good when I view it. Along with all the technical aspects of my work, I always fall back to the emotions I feel (or don’t feel) in a finished composition. That is usually what transforms an image from simply a two dimensional picture into a three dimensional work of art!

Equipment Details: KB Canham 5×7 Metal Field Camera, Caltar II-N (Rodenstock) 90mm lens, Singh-Ray LB Warning Polarizer, Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head, Gitzo 1325 Carbon Fiber Tripod, Fuji Quickload Film Holder, Fuji Velvia 50 4×5 inch Transparency Film, BTZS Dark Cloth, LowePro Super Trekker AW Backpack.

Please Note: I have left a lot of time open in the next several months for private field seminars. I have been receiving many inquiries from aspiring photographers out there and have made the time available. I am looking out at some fresh snow this morning…perfect winter conditions. Call ASAP to schedule your time with me.