Stephen Johnson Photography News
February 2023
Sharp Park after Rains. The former and future Laguna Salada. Pacifica, CA 2023.
Upcoming Workshops:
Flora and Form
April 2023
Fine Art Digital Printing Hands-on in Studio
May 2023
Welcome to the February 2023 Edition of the Stephen Johnson Photography Newsletter.
I’m very happy to report that my first in-studio workshop since 2020 went really well. My Masterful Fine-Art Printing hands-on workshop had good students with good files, much goodwill, and some beautiful prints. My second session in March is full, so I've added a third session on the schedule for May.
The editing portion of the printing class once again reminded me about the importance of these skills. If you're interested in refining your editing skills, I encourage you to join my virtual Raw to Photoshop class on February 25. I’m also looking forward to my Flora and Form workshop in March and the Golden Gate Park workshop in April.
This month's View From Here column was hard to write, as I wanted to say a few words about my brother, Larry, who passed away on January 18.
— Steve
This month's View From Here column features new work and reflection on my brother who just passed away.
As these Newsletters can cover many subjects, let me know of topics you would like to see addressed.
FEATURED PRINT February 2023
Layers. Pedro Point. Pacifica, CA. 2013.
Cloud Layers on Pedro Point. Pacifica, CA 2013.
The waves of light and clouds that roll through this coastal town is often breathtaking. I remember being up on Pedro Point Headlands and watching the clouds move through the valleys and ridges. I was very pleased to have stumbled back into this photograph from 2013.
I’m offering a 14 inch wide print of this photograph for $195, matted to 16x20. This print at this price is offered through February 28. I'll be taking orders until then, and shipping them out by March 15.
I’m also pleased to report my ongoing Donate to Ukrainian Relief Featured Print option has yielded funds to help victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In one case, my notice of completing the donation prompted the print buyer to donate additional funds.
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Luna. A Nubian/Pygmy Goat. Moss Beach, CA 2014.
Luna. Moss Beach, CA. 2014
One of three precious goats I met in 2014. Such beautiful animals.
LATEST NEWS:
My galleries and studio are generally open 10am-4pm as I’m spending more time at the studio. People are visiting more and more. The Pacifica Center for the Arts is participating in the Silicon Valley Open Studios which will bring forth many visitors May 6-7. I will definitely be open all that weekend. Please set up a time to come by and we can walk through the galleries together.
Current Exhibitions
Other Worldly is the name I’ve given to the two current exhibitions, 50 Years of Space Photography Exhibit and Life Form.
Gallery Appointments
The gallery is now open for appointments. Write to inquire or call 650 355-7507 to schedule an appointment. Masks required.
Subscribe to my Blog
As I’ve mentioned in my last few newsletters, I’ve renewed more frequent postings on my blog derived from my newsletters and Facebook posts. I’m gradually moving other blog forums no longer supported to this one central place. You can view or subscribe at: https://sjohnsonphoto.wordpress.com
Stephen Johnson Photography Blog.
Virtual Classes
My virtual classes program, launched in 2020, has allowed me to reach students around the world. The next session is my From Raw to Photoshop Image Editing on Feb. 25.
I remain committed to offering great courses whether in person or virtually. See what satisfying experiences students have had on my workshops by exploring Workshop Testimonials.
Upcoming Events & Workshops
View From Here
Trees, Elk Glen Lake Trail. Golden Golden Park. San Francisco, CA 2023.
THE VIEW FROM HERE
by Stephen Johnson
2023 Begins
The New Year has brought some difficult times and also some rewarding, gratifying experiences. I lost my brother three days before my restart of the in-studio workshops with the printing class. The loss made the teaching harder, but it also defined a purpose to the days with good will and enthusiasm coming from my four students. Teaching has always brought meaning and purpose to my life.
Studio Workshops Restart
Mid-January saw the restart of my in-studio photography work program that I started in 1990. Although kept small and masked, it was a very successful four days, with some beautiful prints coming out to it. I very much enjoy the camaraderie and sense of purpose in our four days together. I was proud of the lovely prints my students made.
I was honored to work with four photographers in my Masterful Fine Art Printing Hands-On workshop. Over the course of the four days, we focused on the craft of fine printing, understanding the technology, print aesthetics, color management, and more, culminating with beautiful prints of their own work. Perhaps most importantly, they left with new skills to empower their photography.
March session now full. Register for May Session: bit.ly/3HDzeJJ
Three of the Four Printing Students. John, Michael and David. 2023.
My Brother Larry Johnson 1949-2023
It is with great sadness that I report that our family lost my older brother Larry on January 18. He was 74 years old. A lot was asked of Larry at an early age and he had to grow up way too fast. He helped raise me, and protect me for my first 12 years. Larry loved the outdoors and felt most at home in the mountains.
Brothers can be complex relationships, and ours was. Larry became a Police Office and I started protesting against the Vietnam War. My family were deer hunters, I became vegetarian at 13. I gave Larry the rifles I had already been given, The closeness that we had when he was the protector of me as his little brother was lost to evolving different views of the the world and life. We both always valued our mother, and of course our children. Larry’s kids were the first babies I knew, the first kids I could really concentrate my affection on as they grew up. I would bring them up to San Francisco or take them on camping/photo trips occasionally. My nieces and nephew mattered deeply to me. Larry and Debbie made three really good kids.
You could say that Larry was my first professional photo client, as I was the 12 yr old punk kid brother with my Kodak Instamatic 104 camera taking pictures at his 1968 wedding. The hired photographer’s film got screwed up, so there were only my photos.
There were some good stories along the way. I was 12 and Larry was teaching me to drive a stick shift in his old truck. I drove right into the mail box of his fist home and took it out. He didn’t get mad, he just laughed. Larry had a good laugh and smiled big. When I got stranded in San Francisco at a Peace March in 1971, Larry, then a policeman, went down to the local Greyhound Depot in the Central Valley and bought tickets for me and my friend to get home. We didn’t share the same views on the wain in Vietnam, but he was still looking out for me.
I grew my hair long, got more deeply involved in liberal causes, and Larry listened to Merle Haggard’s Okie from Muskogee while the culture of the Great Central Valley grew ever more conservative. We both went through divorces and offered support along the way. As our mother’s health became more challenged we stayed in touch more. They were both still in our home town. He gave so much to the care of our mother as she faded way.
As men, we travelled very different paths, but I loved him, and will love him, my whole life. He touched many lives and will be deeply missed by his wife, his daughters, his brothers, uncle and aunts, his ex-wife, grandkids, great grandkids, our extended family and some lifelong friends who are still with us.
Larry has been in my life since my heart started beating. It is very hard to think of him as gone. Very hard.
Me, Larry and Puppies around 1962.
Larry, Mom and me. Pacifica, CA. 1999.
Larry. Madera, CA. 1999.
Jeff, Larry, Jenny, Lori and baby Ty. Chowchilla, CA. 2000.
Skies
Two Different Sunsets in the Same View. Pacifica, CA. 2023.
The Moon near Jupiter with its Moons. January 25, 2023
Recently at Stephen Johnson Photography
Views Nearby
Clouds and Setting Sun. Pacifica, CA. 2022.
The lingering sunset and city lights grabbed my attention while coming down from the Skyline ridge above Pacifica. The crystal clear night brought the Farallon Islands into view (and their lighthouse), fishing boats at sea and the vast stretch of Pacific Ocean stretching to the sunset horizon.
This was a 30 second exposure on the Fuji GFX100s. Keeping the shadows open and the saturation moderate led to a kind of 1920's postcard look that I found appealing.
The afternoon light often brings unexpected imagery.
I never know what I will see on a any particular day. The scenes I notice are often undramatic quirks of light or human markings. Even if I plan a trip, I see situations and light that have nothing to do with the intent of the travel.
It is that unexpected that so satisfies my insatiable curiosity. It is one of the many reasons I love this medium, this art of photography.
Behind my Favorite Taqueria. Pacifica, CA. 2023.
Animals
I keep feeling the pull to explore the lives of animals living among us, not for us, rescues among them. We relate to animals in so many ways, agriculture is one way, heart is another. I don’t know if this will turn into a project, a mere gesture, or something else. But it has become an exploration and these few photographs are only the beginning.
These photos are from a few hours spent on New Years Day at Charlie’s Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary in Sonoma, CA.
Virtual Educational Experiences
Steve in his Life Form Gallery. April 2021.
Virtual Classes and Lectures have now become a regular part of my workshop program. Critiques are now virtual. Here are the virtual educational opportunities coming up.
Virtual Classes and Lectures. A series of new online live classes on various topics with limited space and Q&A sessions.
From Raw to Photoshop Image Editing February 25, 2023.
Photo Chats
I’ve been doing weekly virtual Photo Chats with groups of photo friends to keep everyone encouraged to keep working, creates a forum to share and problem solve. I’ve now built a webpage on the chats. Let me know if you would like to join us.
Come Visit the Exhibitions (masked visits by appointment)
The 50 Years of Space Photography Gallery with the five extra Apollo 11 prints.
Check out my 50 years of Space Photography Exhibition joining with my Life Form Exhibition as Other Worldly for a mind-blowing journey from the living world close-up to the depths of space. Space and awesome life! A dive into cosmic extremes. Email to book an appointment.
In front of the Apollo 14 Panoramic, 3rd. Graders from Ocean Shore School in Pacifica visiting the Space Exhibit. 2019. Photo by Sheila Gamble.
Links to custom reproductions I’ve created because of my love of the images. I work to make beautiful copies, and to let more people enjoy these photographs and maps.
Life Form Exhibition
Life Form opened in the Main Gallery at Stephen Johnson Photography in July 2018. I’ve had many visitors come by the gallery since the opening. Many have then joined workshops and certainly helped build community. Come see the show by appointment.
Seeking Good Venues for Life Form
I’m seeking good venues to show the Life Form Series. The series is now available for museum and gallery exhibition.
Life Form Announcement. 2018
Don't forget to Check out our next workshops
Next Field Workshop
Next Virtual Seminar
The Studio, Scholarships, Mentoring and Tutorials
As part of my ongoing commitment to photographic education, there is one student scholarship spot in many of my classes. Please pass the word along.
For discounted time studying with me, keep in mind my Mentoring Program.
With all of our busy schedules and limited budgets, destination workshops or classes become a challenge, but many of you still have questions you need answered, or feedback on some new work. I want to remind you of my Virtual Online Consulting Program. This service allows all of you out there around the globe to consult online live on technical, aesthetic and workflow issues.
My Essays and Tutorials from the past couple of years can now be found on my Newsletter Archive.
I hope you can come by the gallery and see the original prints in the new Life Form Gallery and its new Life Form Portfolio, the Exquisite Earth exhibition with its accompanying very special Exquisite Earth Portfolio 1. I invite you to join me on a workshop, rent lab space, or just say hello and let me know what you are up to photographically and what you might like to see me offer. I value your input.
Print Mentor Program
Many of my mentoring students have wanted help with their printing, often to make sure they can produce a specific print. Consequently, my Print Mentoring Program sets up a 2 hour time slot and the production of a finished print, all with the tutorial video of how we did it together. Prints can be up to 16x20 and on either Hahnemühle Museum Etching or Photo Rag Pearl paper. Fee is $500. Email for more information and to set up times.
Free and For Sale
Free Stuff (a few items still left)
I have been printing out nice copies of the Constitution and Bill of Rights on rich cotton paper. You are welcome to a copy when you can come by the gallery.
Additionally, I rescued a few Beseler Enlargers, a 23c and 4x5, hoping to find good homes for them. Free to anyone who will use them.
Equipment for Sale
Previously owned, but pristine, visually unused.
Canon Lenses
Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM lens $475
Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM Lens $425
Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM Lens $625
Gift Certificates Available for Prints and Workshops!
New Space Photography Products
Apollo 11 Collectors Portfolio examples.
Apollo 11 Collectors Portfolio
A suite of photographs from Apollo 11 including twelve pigment inkjet prints on letter-sized paper selected, edited and printed by photographer Stephen Johnson, in a portfolio box. The set includes a Mission Summary book, original US Postal Stamp commemorating the Mission, the Mission patch and a schematic of the Lunar Module. $250
50 Years of Space Photography Exhibition Catalog
The Exhibtion catalog featuring photograhs from Planetary probes, the Hublle Space Telescope, Lunar explorations, the Apollo program and Space Shuttle/Space Station images. Includes an exploration of the imaging technologies emplyed by the spacecraft.
68 pages, 8.5x11 inches
Other Worldly Exhibition Catalog.
Apollo 11 Photography Book
A 96 page 8.5x11 inch collection of Apollo 11 photographs from launch to recovery including contact sheets for every surface Hasselblad photograph.
It’s the collection I wish I could have bought, so I made it.
-96 pages
-7 sections, Lunar Photo Equipment, Preparation, On the Way, Lunar Orbit, Tranquility Base, Heading Home, Relics
-Film Magazine proofs
Life Form Folio
The Life Form Folio
When we premiered the Life Form Exhibition, I wanted to have a collectible item and record of the show prior to the full book I plan. So, now available is the 36 page 11x17 wire bound book, 5 years of work from 2013 to 2018 exploring these magnificent lives.
Photographs from 2013-2018
36 pages
11x17 wire-bound book
$40
Exquisite Earth Exhibition Catalog
page 13
Page 41
The Exquisite Earth Exhibition Catalog
As I've been on a roll on fixing bodies of work into POD books, I decided before the Exquisite Earth show could come down for new upcoming show, I wanted to create a printed record. So, now available is the 56 page 11x17 wire bound book, 5 years of work from 2005 to 2010 traveling this wondrous planet.
Photographs from 2005-2010
56 pages
11x17 wire-bound book
$40
Pacifica: A Photographic Portrait of Land and Sea
Page 7
Page 27
A collection of photographs in and around Pacifica California. Include a trail map.
74 pages
11x17 wire-bound book for full lay-flat opening and enjoyment
Pacifica Trail Map
32 years in Pacifica
10 years of calendars
$50
Pacifica Trail Map by Pease Maps special to the Pacifica Land Trust.
11" x 17" folded
$10 (free shipping) proceeds go the Pacifica Land Trust a non-profit 501c3.
Gift Certificates for Prints and Workshops!
Emailed or shipped with beautiful gift note card.
Life Form Note cards
5x7 inches (sold-out, on backorder)
$25
12 image Note card set with envelopes featuring photographs from Steve's new Life Form work.
Printed by Steve in his studio in very limited numbers on a color laser digital press
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After a few years of working intensely on my Urban Eden Golden Gate Park project, I am excited to offer a two-day photographic workshop in this complex and beautiful landscape. Now 150 years old, this park symbolizes parkland engineering and the earth itself taking its own course of life and fecundity. The park will be explored over two days with a blend of photographic opportunity, assistance, and my growing knowledge of its own back woods. This springtime weekday workshop will avoid some of the weekend crowds.