Stephen Johnson Photography News
March/April 2020
Frosted Cliffs. Yosemite Falls. 2020. Canon 5DSr.
Upcoming Workshop:
Flora and Form: from Orchid Gardens to Digital Lab
May 14 - 16, 2020
Welcome to the March/April 2020 Edition of the Stephen Johnson Photography Newsletter.
Although all concerns are centered on the victims and spread of the coronavirus, I am determined to continue planning for the year. As I shelter at home, I continue to try to maintain my love of photography and reach out. We are all in this together. There is strength in sharing our passions and the many reasons life is so precious. The whole process can’t help but make us consider the way we live our lives and how connected they are to our aspirations.
Meanwhile, a week in Yosemite filled my photographic experiences in February. As I was teaching, trying help others, see through their eyes, suggest other photographic possibilities was my job, I found myself doing the same inquiries internally. Questioning. Looking. Re-imagining photographs of Yosemite. Even after all of these years, my understanding of the place yet grew.
—Steve
This month's View From Here column opens by reflecting on our current state of affairs, then explores Steve's February photographic journey through Yosemite and some reflections on national park photography. We hope you find the column interesting and will consider sending us some comments. As these Newsletters can cover many subjects, let us know of topics you would like to see addressed.
Check out the workshops we’ve added, including our popular Flora and Form workshop in May. Due to the virus, we have had to postpone our March Digital Black and White workshop and the April 25 Odyssey of Light lecture in Baltimore. All workshops currently scheduled are subject to necessary corona virus spread prevention date changes.
FEATURED PRINT March 2020
Ice. Merced River. Yosemite National Park. 2020
Canon EOS 5DSr. EF24-105mm Lens
9.5x14 Pigment Inkjet Print $195 each
Abstracted barely visible ice sheets in a small eddy along the Merced River proved to be an absolute delight. I was up on the shoreline looking down, with contrast and color changing as my view changed. Although the angle was great for the reflections, the depth of field needed required a 3-image focus stack processed as a DNG through Helicon Focus.
We're offering a 9.5x14 inch print of the photograph for $195, matted to 16x20 inch board. This print at this price is offered through March 31. We'll be taking orders until then, and shipping them out by April 15.
LATEST NEWS:
February and March (so far) have brought yet new adventures to Yosemite and to Utah. The corona virus has of course created many doubts about new classes and travel. Stay posted for updates.
As 2020 moves forward, many good plans are developing for the year, including lectures in Baltimore and Denver. I hope you will stay tuned.
We continue to encourage school class visits to the Space Exhibit. We hope teachers and parents will be in touch to arrange a visit.
Our 2020 Workshop Schedule includes one of my favorites, the Digital Black and White Printing . See what a great experience students have had on Steve's Workshops by exploring Workshop Testimonials.
Other Worldly is currently showing in our galleries joining the new Space Exhibit with the Life Form Exhibition. On display now at Stephen Johnson Photography.
After lecture print viewing. PhotoOps 2020. Salt Lake City.
Upcoming Events & Workshops
Custom Workshop Scheduling: We have set up polls for recently requested workshops to see who might be interested and able to make some dates:
Black and White Printing Workshop February 2019. Canon EOS 1Dx.
NEW PHOTOGRAPH
Giant Sequoia Bark and Burn. Merced Grove. Yosemite National Park. 2020
Canon EOS 5DSr. EF24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens
To me, a giant Sequoia seems a sage and ancient being, a life lived so long as to be on an entirely different scale of time than we humans. As we learn more about trees, and plants in general, and their interaction with other life, these notions of the preciousness of these trees only grows.
Another great sky from my studio. Pacifica, CA 2020. Canon 5DSr..
THE VIEW FROM HERE
by Stephen Johnson
All thoughts photographic take a back seat these days to the pandemic upon us. The fear and isolation can easily trounce any notions of beauty and the arts. And yet, music has been one of the real comforts of these past weeks. Art is not necessary made out of comfort, in fact it is the opposite, often emerging out of conflict, pain, alienation and profound discomfort. It has been hard to care about making art of late, even harder to think about crafting a new print trying to embody beauty.
We are deeply adrift as a species, taking so much from the earth, leaving it wounded, but hurting ourselves and our fellow species more than the earth itself. The earth will barely notice our brief tenancy on this planet and evolve back on its own path. If earth Gaia could speak, her story would likely notice us as an annoyance which was eventually cured. I hope this is not the story, that we can yet rise to harmony with our mother earth. I hope that we children of this planet can yet make our mother proud, leave her healthy and a gift to our children.
In all likelihood, this virus has nothing to do with our mistreatment of the earth, but just one more life form trying to find a niche, that has once again threatened us. And, of course, spread rapidly by our world travel and hubris. Now that springtime has come, our new beginning of tradition is darkened by great uncertainty, more sickness and much death to come.
I’ve tried to look at this shelter place beginning as a time for reflection, and an opportunity to get work done as well. Reflection is constant. But so far, it has’t worked out that way with work. Much of it seems trivial. The weight of so much fear, isolation and real loss holds back any easy notions of finding an upside. I am not really afraid, but cautious, and am trying to live up the spirit of the isolation mandates. I’ve seen more than one comment about a real upswing in births 9 months from now. Seeking and expressing love does seem a natural reaction.
Like much modern art, contemporary photography has often been very self-absorbed into our angst at the world we’ve made and the alienation we feel from it. I understand the reaction, and much of my career has been spent trying to help re-build our broken connection to the natural world, which is no small part of that angst.
But here we are, with a potentially deadly natural phenomena overtaking our collective consciousness and threatening our well-being. Arguing for creating deeper bonds to the natural world when we are counting on high science finding vaccines and treatments seems a little counter-intuitive. Terrible diseases have been part of being human as long as our history has stories to tell. They will likely continue to threaten us. We will continue trying to understand these organisms and disable their harm to us, but our science is still early at accomplishing such feats quickly.
In the meantime, here we are. We don’t know how long this might go on, how long we might have to isolate, what our ability to earn a living will look like down the road. We don’t know how we will stay heart-connected.
But the natural world has always brought me solace, the sunsets and skies these last weeks have continued to. The spring wildflowers will continue to bloom, birdsongs are still filling my canyon. A kiss can still hold darkness at bay.
Back from Yosemite in late February
Photography and the national parks has long been a subject of interest to me. Even as a boy I remember seeing large Carleton Watkins prints in the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite 75 miles upriver from my hometown. Those photographs were an inspiration to me. Together with the Ansel Adams prints I saw at the gallery, a stage was being set for a deep interest in photography as art, then as a conservation tool.
Photographic Intention and Purpose
In a place so photographed, it is easy to ponder the question of why we photograph? Why am I making these images? What will I do with the photographs? These are common questions that keep getting asked and re-asked. Answers may change, or there simply may be no better answer than “I photograph because I want to.” But exploring that desire can reveal how you want to grow, to make a difference, or simply follow the instincts of a creative life.
Half Dome at Dawn. Yosemite. 2020. Canon 5DSr.
There is a visceral pleasure in rendering something I’ve been moved by. There is emotional satisfaction is just that. There may not need to be any more reason than that.
It has often been said that our photographs are all more or less self-portraits, at the very least painting a picture of our interests. Some photograph, then heavily edit to make the scene more idyllic or dramatic. The relationship to the real world becomes distant. No law says it should be any different that whatever you want it to look like. But to me, photo editing is meant to refine, not synthesize. For many, the light that struck the camera is just a starting point for a creative exploration. I suppose the creativity for me comes from the making of the photograph to begin with. I’m looking for beauty and meaning as I wander, the emotion that comes from space, light and design, all working toward a respect and seduction.
I know I bristle at the word “enhancement.” as it seems to suggest that the earth as it is, is somehow not good enough, that it needs improving. Granted, our photographs often need much work for them to rise to the aspirations of what we witnessed. Our tools are still very imperfect. But that is a different line of thought than the heavy contrast and saturation of our current tastes which seeks a more synthetic idealised view. The wonder of what I saw, still fascinates me more than what I can turn the the photograph into. The challenges of translating the scene onto a piece of paper with its own qualities and limitations remain very real. I am very proud of a print that rises toward that goal.
Holding a print in my hand, that takes me back to the wonder of the moment rendered, has real power for me.
Giant Sequoia and Brush.. Merced Grove. Yosemite. 2020. Canon 5DSr.
Branches , Merced River. Yosemite. 2020. Canon 5DSr.
Lower Yosemite Falls. 2020. Canon 5DSr.
Still and Video
Moving water brings endless fascination. The forming and reforming of shape and flow, abstraction and direction is hypnotizing. It is power, arrhythmia, constant change and becomes almost a life form. I often record video of the motion dance as well. It is just too easy to do, and too beautiful to miss.
Aspens and Red Osier Dogwood. The Fin. Yosemite. 2020. Canon 5DSr.
I continue to be drawn to subtle light and color.
Near Happy Isles in Yosemite, there is a wetland area called the Fin, with a boardwalk crossing water and grasses. The subtle color of The Fin is usually bathed in the soft afternoon shadow of Glacier Point by the time we walk through it. The musty scent of wetland is present, a soft sound of gently flowing water with decay and rebirth fills your senses. I have grown to love the area, it is one of the places I think of when my mind drifts to Yosemite’s many little-known gems.
Photography engages me in the natural world. That is a gift. Perhaps that is a purpose in and of itself. That engagement is why photography became such a powerful pull for me. That engagement has kept me more human, more appreciative, more whole.
Recently at Stephen Johnson Photography
I was in Yosemite the last week of February, then back to the studio for a Fine-Art Printing class. March brought a lecture in Salt Lake City and a wander through south central Utah.
The Utah portion of the trip bumped right up against the growing shutdown related to the corona virus and I felt lucky to make it home through airports and on airplanes without a hitch.
Although not immune from viral contact, I did feel pretty safe out in the Utah desert. In some places I was fairly remote and felt as safe there as almost anywhere I could be.
I appreciated the invitation to speak for the Wasatch Camera Club’s PhotoOp 2020 event and Canon’s Explorer of Light support for the talk. The trip gave me an opportunity to catch up with an old friend and wander the Utah desert and mountains for a week, which was great. All stories for the next Newsletter.
Of course, the current stay home virus policy has also given me a good window to examine the photographs from Utah and Yosemite.
Two Domes and a Hat. Yosemite. 220 Photo by Paul Tornaqunidici..
Come Visit the Exhibitions (after the shutdown)
Check out my new 50 years of Space Photography Exhibition now joined with my Life Form Exhibition as Other Worldly for a mind-blowing journey from the living world close-up to the depths of space.
Although the gallery is currently closed for the corona virus shutdown, hopefully we can reopen before too long. Come see the shows when you can. Space and awesome life! A dive into cosmic extremes.
The 50 Years of Space Photography Gallery with the five extra Apollo 11 prints.
In front of the Apollo 14 Panoramic, 3rd. Graders from Ocean Shore School in Pacifica visiting the Space Exhibit. 2019. Photo by Sheila Gamble.
Class Visits
We welcome schools to bring their classes by, kids and college students. The kid’s reactions have been inspiring to me, both for the space exhibition and Life Form.
Workshops Coming Up
The next class we hope to hold is the popular Flora and Form workshop in May. Our Black and White Printing has been postponed until late summer. The next Mastering Fine Art Digital Editing and Printing class is scheduled for September. All are open for enrollment now but subject to virus driven changes. We are exploring some virtual classes.
Please consider joining us on one of our upcoming workshops. Enrollment is the key to continuing to offer these classes and keep the studio running. We hope to hear from you.
I’ve always been drawn to historical photographs and maps. I’ve been collecting 19th century books, engravings and now making scans of photos and maps. Printed on just the right paper and sheen, the reproductions are often vey special in their own right. So I’ve decided to make some of these prints available as I print them and discover more.
The first few are from the San Francisco Bay Area, local to my home in Pacifica, We’ll make them both available as 8x10 ($35-$45) and 11x14 ($75-$85) with larger sizes available for quote. The Gallery of current offerings where you can place orders can be found here.
Life Form Exhibition
Life Form opened in the Main Gallery at Stephen Johnson Photography in July 2018. The show has been extended into 2020. 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. 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.
Life Form Announcement. 2018
Don't forget to Check out our next workshops
Next Studio Workshop
Next Field Workshop
San Gregorio Valley. Highway One Workshop..
The Studio, Scholarships and Mentoring
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 Google Blogger.
We 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. 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.
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, I am starting a Print Mentoring Program that 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 if you 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.
Equipment for Sale
New Space Photography Products
Apollo 11 Collectors Portfolio
A suite of photographs from Apollo 11. 12 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
Apollo 11 Collectors Portfolio examples.
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 41
page 13
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
New Pacifica Book
Page 27
Page 7
A collection of photographs in and around Pacifica California. Include a trail map.
74 pages
11x17 wire-bound book
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
National Park Note cards
National Park Color Note Card Set
Stephen Johnson
12 cards/envelopes $20 set
From "With a New Eye" Beautiful 300 line screen offset reproductions with envelopes in clear box. A great gift.
NEWSLETTER ADMINISTRATION
We've sent you this newsletter because, at some point, you told us you were interested in hearing from us.
If you'd like to unsubscribe, change your email address, or give us comments about the newsletter, please send a note to lists@sjphoto.com.
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.