Quiet Light eNewsletter

Well I posted and sent out the Quiet Light Publishing eNewsletter for December 2007 and it seems the coding in the header, or something like that, was done in such a way it stripped out most of the formatting for many folks. So here is a link to the eNewsletter on our website for those interested. www.quietlightpublishing.com/newsletters/20071205.html If you would like to be included in future issues of the newsletter just drop me a line with the words Newsletter in the subject and let us know you'd like to be included. There is also a way to sign-up for it on the Quiet Light website.

In the newsletter I talked about how we now have many images online in the Gallery section, both from the Lewis & Clark Trail AMERICAN LANDSCAPES book and one I am currently working on based on 30 years of photography in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can view the images online at our Gallery - www.quietlightpublishing.com/shop/Gallery.htm.

I also have several Triptych's available. It is a format which is very interesting to produce, because it takes some time to find three images which are great together. But the results are a very stunning pieces. They've been placed in homes, offices and public spaces all over. It is always a thrill to see them displayed somewhere.

I hope you'll enjoy the eNewsletter and check out our Gallery Pages!

Peace,
Richard

Yesterday's Lighthouse Beach Sunrise

Yesterday morning I headed down to Lighthouse Beach at 5:30am to catch the Moon, Venus and Mercury lined up in the early morning sky. I had wanted to go down on Monday morning when a bit earlier in the morning you had three planets, the moon and then the Space Shuttle and Space Station, just after they separated going overhead through all four in the night sky. But Monday was cloudy. So I waited for a break in the clouds. At my house, about 5280 feet from the beach, maybe a few more, there were no clouds overhead. Yet down at the lake, the clouds hung low over the sky. I ended up seeing Venus brightly overhead in between the clouds, but never saw the sliver of moon or Mercury. And as I wrote in the last entry, sometimes you head out to photograph one thing and end up with some very fun surprises. This was the case on this morning.

As the clouds made interesting patterns in the sky, they broke just at the horizon just enough to let shafts of light come down from above. The lake was rough with waves which provided a great foreground to the clouds overhead, or is it the other way around? The waves being the main image and the clouds being a fine background. My thought process went from shooting the planets and moon to the waves and sky. Wide open shots, to close in shots.



I am very familiar with this beach, as I have been coming here since I was a kid. Back then it was for swimming or playing, now for the photographs. It is a small beach – only a couple of hundred yards long, and with small dunes behind them in one area. As I shot I thought about how many people might not “see” the images you can find here. They would see a nice scene and walk the beach and then leave. Yet, I see in each wave a new dimension. A new form though the lens. And when I was done with the sky and cloud images, having figured at some point I had more than enough to edit, I began looking at some of the details which the big waves left behind.



When you start looking at the details there is an infinite number of images to be found. At some point you think – “When do I stop?” For me it was about 2 hours after I started. I need to get home for some of the contractors working on the house. Back to reality of working, although this was being at work for me as some of these images may make it into one of my next books, a set of images on the Great Lakes. It is always an enjoyable time when I am out shooting. Whether at the local beach or in a National Park or overseas. Making images comes easily for most photographers. It is what we do.

To see more from the take you can follow this link http://www.mackphoto.com/blog/LighthouseBeach/index.html



And remember, you can subscribe to the blog by using the links below, and leave comments or questions as well. Hope to hear from you!

Thanks,
Richard

In nature photography you often get something you didn't think you set out for...

In nature photography you often start out to get one image and end up with something quit different. That happened to me last week. I had received a call from an agency in New York which supplies Fine Art prints to institutions and individuals and they wanted a selection of images of water and sky. Well I originally sent them a selection and they responded that while nice they wanted a more "minimal" image. So, having seen the sky was clear blue at the studio one late afternoon, I set off for Lighthouse Beach on Lake Michigan. When I arrived there were only a few small puffy clouds floating overhead. Perfect I thought. So I shot some variations on these and in the 45 minutes I was there the storms moved in from the southwest!





All before my eyes the huge thunderhead moved across the sky and the afternoon light illuminated it beautifully! As I moved around the beach capturing different images with this thunderhead it kept moving on past until lightning was coming out the bottom. Unfortunately I did not capture any of this, but did get the storm brewing overhead in a dramatic way. All in all a rather fruitful 45 minutes one late afternoon. And not what I expected on my way out the door of the studio, but even better! These are the times you look to the sky and just say, "Thank you!"



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Two Nominations in the International Color Awards

Tree Farm Cathedral

We have just learned the nominations are out for the 2007 International Color Photography Awards and I have received nominations in two categories! The nominations were for this image in both the Fine Art Category and the Nature Category. With over 15,000 images submitted this is a great honor to be chosen one of 20 images in each category. I am humbled by the quality of work in each of the categories and am honored to be among those chosen.

Last year I was equally honored when my book, The Lewis & Clark Trail American Landscapes was given the Silver Medal in the Nature Book Category.

Here is what this years release from the International Color Awards states:

For Immediate Release:

INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS HONORS
LANDSCAPE AND COMMERCIAL FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHER FROM EVANSTON< ILLINOIS at 2ND ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS CUP CONTEST

LONDON, UK 16 October 2007 – Landscape and Commercial Fine Art Photographer Richard Mack of Evanston, Illinois, USA received a Nominee in two categories or his image Tree Series - Tree Farm Cathedral. One in the category of Fine Art Photography and one in the category of Nature Photography at the 2nd Annual Photography Masters Cup exclusive online Awards Ceremony.

An audience of 11,050 photography fans logged on from 89 countries to join the proceedings and view stunning work from the world's finest photographers. Over 15,000 images were received from 69 countries. The nominated images were selected by a who's who Jury of the most celebrated professionals in art and photography from National Geographic, Musee de E'Lysee, Financial Times to The Art Newspaper and Fine Art Society in London. Jury members reviewed submitted works online over an eight week voting period before making their final selection. Awards were presented in 21 categories to photographers of twenty five nationalities.

"The Masters Cup celebrates photographers who operate at the highest levels of their craft," said the awards Creative Director, Basil O'Brien. "Richard Mack's Tree Series - Tree Farm Cathedral entry certainly represents color photography at its finest and we're pleased to present Mr. Mack with two nominations; one each in the Fine Art and Nature categories."

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS CUP
The Photography Masters Cup promotes the finest contemporary photographers to the world's leading art directors, agencies, editors, galleries, curators, publishers, and dealers of photographic art. A celebrated online event around the globe, the annual Winners & Nominee Presentation is webcast live in a dynamic show that honors the finest work with the highest achievements in color photography.

See the Winners and Nominees online at: www.thecolorawards.com

Contact: Richard Mack
Company: Richard Mack Photography, Ltd
Address: 2144 Ashland Avenue, Suite 2
Telephone: 847.869.7794
Email: richard@mackphoto.com
Website: www.mackphoto.com
www.quietlightpublishing.com

Photography Masters Cup Nominees:
www.worldphotographicarts.com/gallery/colorawards/2nd_annual/masterscup/index.php

Nature Nominees:
www.worldphotographicarts.com/gallery/colorawards/2nd_annual/masterscup/nominations.php?x=p&cid=6

Fine Art Nominees:
www.worldphotographicarts.com/gallery/colorawards/2nd_annual/masterscup/nominations.php?x=p&cid=5

The Night Blooming Cereus Blooms!

Last night we had a happening at our house! The blooming of our Night Blooming Cereus! The Night Blooming Cereus is found in the wild in the Southwest Sonoran and Chichuahuan deserts. It blooms in June or July in the wild, but we have found it to be July or August up north here. Some years the plant won’t bloom, but when it does it is a spectacular sight! This year we had only this one bloom which opened up last night.

The blooms start opening after dark and reaches its peak about midnight. It became about 6-8” in diameter and had a wonderful fragrance which is light and delicate in nature – yet very strong and can be enjoyed from several feet away. By morning the show is over and the bloom is nothing more than a suspended, limp clump of spent flower. But while it is open it is a mesmerizing sight! Last night we had several neighbors stop by, ok, maybe drawn at first to what the heck I was doing with a flashlight and camera at the bottom of our stairs, but the flower became the centerpiece of the evening. I photographed it using a simple Canon PowerShot and a flashlight! I should have run back to the studio and grabbed my regular gear, but it had become such a fun time I just couldn’t pull myself away! These images were taken over about a 2 hour window, and even the light from the flashlight was enough to make it begin to close up, so I would work for a few minutes and then leave it alone.

Because you never know when they will bloom, to see one in bloom in the wild is said to be a once in a lifetime experience. In most places they are protected species in the wild. Also called Moon Cactus (genus Selenicereus), any member of a group of about 20 species of cacti in the family Cactaceae. The plants are native to tropical and subtropical America, including the West Indies. They are widely grown in suitable American climates and have escaped from cultivation. The genus is known for its large, usually fragrant, night-blooming white flowers. Our plant is of the Epiphyllum oxypetalum genus. It propagates by dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets), from leaf cuttings, from herbaceous stem cuttings.

But the bottom line is it provides a spectacular show for a few hours here on this planet. And for that I am very thankful.

Check our website at for more images! Click here for more Night Blooming Cereus images – and to see our Blog Only print offer! www.quietlightpublishing.com/blog/blog_nightbloom.html

Peace,
Richard Mack

Do you have shots you’d like to share, questions or comments…leave them below! I love to hear from you!

Evening, Lighthouse Beach Pier, Lake Michigan

Lighthouse Beach Pier, Lake Michigan

In my answer to Gary's question he posed after the last post about the water levels on the Great Lakes and whether they will affect my shots, I said I would post a shot from 2000, just after the lowest levels were recorded on Lake Michigan. In this shot the old pier was now visible for one of the first times I could remember. In this case it helped to have the low water levels, or you would only see the very tips of the posts. So in this evening shot at Lighthouse Beach of the old pier I would say it certainly helped to have low water levels. It is not always the case though, as I mentioned in my reply to Gary that there will be times when low water levels are not going to be helpful. But it is what it is and we as photographers must use what we have been given to make great images and tell the story we wish to tell. In this case it allowed me to showcase the pier and some of the old iron work at it's base in the sand. Hope you enjoy this one!

By the way you can see peoples comments at the end of each post by clicking on the comments link at the bottom found after the posting. You can also click on any of the Labels for each post to find similar items or images I have discussed.

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Thanks!

Moonrise over Lake Michigan

Last night we had the full moon rising over Lake Michigan, so I ventured down to the lake front - camera in hand to try and capture an image I had seen a few days before while Kathy & I were walking down there. It seemed perfect for a moonrise shot.

As I approached I realized there were clouds on the horizon which may interfere with my shooting. I setup anyway and much to my delight the moon peaked out through a layer of clouds at the perfect time. It then dipped back into a thicker layer and then back out, well into darkness about an hour past sunset. No worries - this was the shot I was really after and I think the clouds actually helped out! The final exposures were for 30 seconds - and the moon will actually move in an exposure of that length - so having the clouds to "mask" the movement was helpful, while still illuminated the clouds. The series of shots here go from the start of the evening with a more "traditional" look to the more ethereal look of the last shot with the lights from the docks coming across the landscape.

We have just started a new book project photographing all five of the Great Lakes, which hold a full 20% of the worlds fresh water. That includes every lake, stream, river and wetland - in the entire world! All found here in the five Great Lakes - it seems a huge task - but I guess no bigger than covering the Lewis & Clark Trail! Who knows whether any of these will make the cut in our new book project on the Great Lakes, but it was a rewarding evening and only time will tell if one of these shots makes the book.

Keeping up with a Blog

When you start a new project, you have every intention of making it the best it can be. Well, I certainly expected to be better at keeping these posts up better. But time slips away in these busy times. Lately we have been working on getting the first editions of the Limited Edition of The Lewis & Clark Trail American Landscapes books shipped to those who have purchased them recently. Since each one is put together by hand, and includes three prints from the book which are carefully printed to my exacting standards it takes awhile to put each one together. For more info on the Limited Edition please check the Quiet Light Publishing website!

We are also working again with Abbott Molecular on more corporate fine art for a newly renovated space of theirs. We'll talk more about that in the future!

In the future I intend to post a "Photo of the Week". That seems reasonable to me at this time, although when we are out shooting I am sometimes out of web contact, so then I will have trouble posting them. Although I hope to post a few shots from my shoot in Portugal and France in late April and early May - so watch for new postings!

That's all for now. Peace, Richard.

The Old Question - Digital vs Film

Over the years, as I lecture about my book The Lewis & Clark Trail American Landscapes, I am always, and I mean always asked, did you shoot that in digital? Well, the answer is - for the book, no. I used 35mm color transparencies, mostly Fuji Velvia film. A few are digital as I bought my first high end digital camera (a Canon EOS-1Ds) when it came out half way through shooting for the book. I then tried to shoot both as I was not sure what I would use. But the fact is, digital does look a little different. In my case, the rich royal blues of the sky wasn't quite where I wanted it to be, and I didn't want there to be two looks in the book. However, since then I have switched entirely to digital.

Now we could go through all the motions of answering the questions of resolution power of film versus digital and the technicalities of both, and these days digital would probably win every argument. But the biggest one's are made with your eyes. Which do you like more? OK then, there is your answer on what to shoot.

Myself, I have embraced digital fully. I love it! It free's me from some of the technical sides of photography, especially when I am inside a company or manufacturing plant and have different light sources, with different colors spectrum's to deal with. White balance it and begin! Voila!

The other piece of my puzzle on this subject is when I go to make my fine art prints. Even at a photo lab these days they will make a scan of your transparency and then make a print. Many of the images from the book have been scanned by both me or my assistants, in my studio, and by John Stinehour at Stinehour Press on his million dollar scanner. Depending on the size of the original scan they can make beautiful 20"x30" prints. But I have found generally speaking that if a digital original from the 1Ds is available it will make a better looking print. We'll talk about digital fine art printing later.

The downside of digital is the archival side. Backing up files, disks and the huge amount of space involved is time consuming. But, the big advantage is you can also take a set of them off site and have a backup set no where near the studio , in case disaster strikes. With film, you have a file cabinet and maybe a few images in a different location. Call me paranoid, especially since I have not yet had a problem with this, but it helps to know my images are safe in two places! But it is also a possible problem. With film it sits in a drawer until needed. With digital, you have to keep up with technology. Will the disk with a set of images on it be able to be read in 10 years? What about 50 or 100? Will we have kept our image files up to date or lost a great part of our culture, or family history, to the digital age? Only time will tell.

So share your experiences with us here! For me digital is a great tool for a photographer, and smells better than a darkroom as well, yet every so often I walk into my darkroom just to take a little sniff and remember.

Peace,
Richard

In the Beginning...

Well, blogs are all the rage now, especially in the publishing world, where it is said, "if you don't have a blog you can not hope to make it", or something very close to that effect. Now I don't believe anyone cares about what I eat for lunch on any particular day, so that kind of thing I won't write about. Instead i will try to answer some of the typical questions I get during my lectures I have done about my book, The Lewis and Clark Trail American Landscapes. They pertain to photogrpahy questions like digital versus film, what do you use to make your prints, travel questions like during your travels what did you do as far as hotels or camping along the trail, how did you decide to do a book at all and what pitfalls did you encounter.

So our subjects will range from travelling to various places with a bend toward best places to photograph, as if there really is a best place, to the technical side of photography. We'll also be talking about the publishing industry and how you can either publish your own books, or find a publisher for your book. There is much to learn about that alone! And having been through it now for the last two years with this book, I know at least a bit more than before and can talk about the pitfalls and highs of publishing.

This should be an interesting trip and I hope we'll all have a lot to say! I look forward to hearing from people about the book, interesting places you have been and other insights!

And now we begin...

Peace,
Richard Mack
www.quietlightpublishing.com or www.mackphoto.com