Anna’s Hummingbird. Golden Gate Park. San Francisco. 2021

This little miracle hung out for awhile as I kept holding moments along the way. He perched there displaying a wonderland of color change, creating a constant state of amazement as I kept watching through the lens. It was hard to walk away, but after 162 photographs, I did finally and reluctantly realize there was more I wanted to yet see in the park on this outing.

We're offering an 11x11 inch print of the photograph for $195, matted to 16x20 inch board. This print at this price is offered through April 30. We'll be taking orders until then, and shipping them out by May 15.

Blog Restarted

I have renewed postings on my Blog devised from my Newsletters and Facebooks posts. You can view or subscribe at: https://sjohnsonphoto.wordpress.com 

Virtual Classes

During the virus, I have naturally shifted most of my education programs to online experiences. This is frustrating and rewarding. The new virtual experiences are certainly stretching out my geographical reach. I am certainly excited by our new Virtual Classes Program.

My emerging 2021 Workshop Schedule is being modified to accommodate the virus precautions and very limited ability to gather indoors. 

Some plans are being now made on the assumption that the vaccine is ever more available and will then become a prerequisite for the class.

I remain committed to offering great courses whether in person or virtually. See what a great experience students have had on my Workshops by exploring Workshop Testimonials. 

I’ve been bouncing around with camera in hand of late, trying to keep my heart engaged and my eyes sharp.

My Newsletters sometimes resolve themselves into particular points of view or experiences. This month’s News really is more a collection of my impressions and some of what I happened to have had the privilege to see and record.

Most of that looking has been local still. But with both vaccine shots now more than a month behind me, I am finally starting to wander a greater distance from home again.

These small outings have taken me down the Highway One coast many times, along the baylands of San Francisco Bay, up to Marin County and certainly for many visits to Golden Gate Park.

A photographic collection from these almost random outings might seem a bit schizophrenic, but they eventually find their ways to their sister and brother images making more sense in those contexts. For me, the Newsletter is a good venue for starting the sharing.

The arrival of the Perseverance Mars Rover brought me back to my love of space exploration and the amazing photographs made along the way.

NASA/JPL released a large panoramic spacecraft self-portrait, which I immediately downloaded as a high resolution TIF file, PIA24264_hires.tif (36952 x 11570 pixels, 640 MB).

As I wanted a landscape view and any 360 pano has an arbitrary start and stop point, I cropped out the spacecraft, added the righthand landscape side of the of the 360 to the left side of the photo, leaving me with only the landscape scene I wanted.

I then sharpened the image on a new layer. The sharpening created overwrought panoramic stitch artifacts which I in turn removed by blocking the sharpen in those areas with a mask. The resulting 100 inch print on my Canon ImageProGraf 4000 has been a delight to see and share.

And now on to my next Mars Pano…

Mostly Local

The shutdown made everything local, so where I can drive to on day trips, or whatever I can find in my coastal town, became my subject matter. Sunsets from the beach cliffs are a constant, and the reach of what seems local slowly expands.

Birds or buildings, human created or wild, from a trail or street corner, my general love of the image and innate curiosity continues to drive a wide variety of images forward.

Coastal Treks

My normal activity during the pandemic of getting out to the ocean just half mile from my house continues. As I said last month, I often squeeze in such a visit at the end of the day, the coming sunset being the kicker to make sure I get out. I remain surprised how many of the resulting photographs have engaged me.

My normal practice is to do a Facebook post, just to get the photo experience out there. It has been nice to have so many people encouraging the posts.

As I mentioned above, I have started using my WordPress Blog again and my goal is to always post to my Blog whatever I put on Facebook. This allows any of you not on Facebook to still follow my posts.

Featured Print Deal and No Gallery Print Sale

This month’s Featured Print offers another original print for $195.

Our 40% Off Sale Original Signed Prints ends April 15. Back in April, virus income shifting and our closed gallery suggested we offer a big print sale. Thanks to those of you who have taken advantage of the offer. Prices have been reduced to what would normally be earned from a gallery sale, 40% off normal prices.

Life Form Exhibition

Life Form opened in the Main Gallery at Stephen Johnson Photography in July 2018. The show has been extended into 2021. We have had many visitors come by the gallery since the opening. Many have then joined workshops and certainly helped build community. Please come see the show after the virus. Pass the word.

Seeking Good Venues for Life Form

We are seeking good venues to show the Life Form Series. The series is now available for museum and gallery exhibition.

Next Virtual Workshop

Next Virtual Seminar

As part of our ongoing commitment to photographic education, there is one student scholarship spot in many of our classes. Please pass the word along.

For discounted time studying with Steve, keep in mind our 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. We want to remind you of our Virtual Online Consulting Program. This service allows all of you out there around the globe to consult online live with Steve on technical, aesthetic and workflow issues using Skype and your webcam.

Our Essays and Tutorials from the past couple of years can now be found on our Newsletter Archive and some on my neglected Blog.

We hope you can come by the gallery after the virus 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. We invite you to join us on a workshop, rent lab space, or just say hello and let us know what you are up to photographically and what you might like to see us offer. We value your input.

Workshop Testimonials

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. Make an offer.

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

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

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

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

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.

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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