Stephen Johnson Photography News
November 2020
Bandstand and Fountain, Museum Concourse, Golden Gate Park. San Francisco. 2020. Canon EOS R5.
Prelude: For my fellow American citizens, now that we are past the election, let us please recognize our common values and work toward peaceful solutions with respect and appreciation of our precious democracy.
Coming Right Up
Workshop this Saturday: Raw Processing and Photoshop Editing. Nov. 14, 9am-noon PST
Upcoming Workshops and Sales:
Flora and Form: from Orchid Gardens to Virtual Digital Lab
November 19 - 21, 2020
No Gallery Print Sale
40% off all prints during shutdown
Welcome to the November 2020 Edition of the Stephen Johnson Photography Newsletter.
As the election results hang in the air, I’m trying to plunge ever more into the nature world where I know there is truth and calm. My photography continues to give me a grand excuse to spend the time and heart my soul needs.
— Steve
This month's View From Here column explores An Artist’s World View. Our new Virtual Classes are continuing to broaden with new offerings including my new Projects Lecture Series continuing with The Great Central Valley: Back to My Homeland on December 2. I hope you find the column interesting and will consider sending me some comments. As these Newsletters can cover many subjects, let me know of topics you would like to see addressed.
Workshops are all postponed, or moving to virtual where possible. All workshops currently scheduled are subject to necessary corona virus spread prevention logistics.
FEATURED PRINT November 2020
Road Posts. Stage Road. San Mateo Coast, CA. 1977.
Road Posts. Stage Road. 1977.
4x5 film negative.
These while road posts had caught my eye on many passings by and I had long intended to photograph them. When I did, I chose the best of what I could do, by 4x5 camera. It is one of my earliest experiments with the Zone System co-created by Ansel Adams, in this case, expanding the contrast with a plus development to emphasize the eerie glow of the white posts.
We're offering a 11x14 inch print of the photograph for $195, matted to 16x20 inch board. This print at this price is offered through November 30. We'll be taking orders until then, and shipping them out by December 15.
NEW PHOTOGRAPH
Layers of Color. Wave. Pacifica, CA 2020.
Wave. Pacifica, CA. 2020.
Canon EOS 5DSr.
Layers of color on incoming surf caught my amid the larger drama of sea, surf and sky..
LATEST NEWS:
As the response to the virus continues to tell us to avoid unnecessary exposure to others, masks and social distancing remain in order, our general gallery closure continues.
Gallery Appointments
However, we are now making appointments to show the galleries with a two person limit, masks and an understanding that my own social separation will be maintined.
With our shutdown closed gallery, I launched a print sale reducing prices to what I would normally earn from a gallery sale, 40% off my normal prices. This sale has continued through the shutdown and has been a good contribution to my business continuing and the keeping the studio. Thanks to all of you who taken advantage the sale and your words of appreciation on having the prints in your hands.
Life From Opening. 2019.
During the virus, I have naturally I am 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 late 2020 and emerging 2021 Workshop Schedule has been modified to accommodate the virus shutdown and unlikely ability to gather even later in the year. 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.
The late 2020 Workshop Schedule includes one of my favorites, the second session of my virtual Flora and Form class November 19-21. We are doing a socially distanced/masked field trip and online instruction. I’m continuing virtual lectures as well, the next being The Project Sessions Great Central Valley Project on December 2, 2020.
See what a great experience students have had on Steve's Workshops by exploring Workshop Testimonials.
Other Worldly is up in our galleries having joined the new Space Exhibit with the Life Form Exhibition. You can visit by socially distanced, masked appointment limited to two people. I hope to be able to open the galleries to the general visitation in the not too distant future so you can see what is on display at Stephen Johnson Photography.
Upcoming Events & Workshops
Invasive Beauty. Pampas Grass, Pacifica, CA. 2020. Canon EOS R5. RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM.
THE VIEW FROM HERE
by Stephen Johnson
A World View
Steve with Flag and Peace.
After searching, but not finding my flag from the Bobby Kennedy Rally in 1968, I settled for a newer one to put out on November 7, the day the election was called for President-elect Biden. Here’s to peace and the search for common purpose among the 144 million who voted on November 3.
I know there are a variety of reactions to the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States. I know that for me, the fear and anxiety I’ve been carrying for four years, is now eased. The refusal we’ve seen to acknowledge the results continues the discord.
It is very hard to make anything but reactive art in times of fear. I’ve tried to concentrate on the beauty. That has not been easy nor did it often seem relevant. I have sensed a fear in the land and air since November 2016. This will continue until January 20, but it is eased.
Beauty is now easier to believe.
I am very disturbed by feeling in defensive mode all of the time. Climate change being ignored, the virus let run wild, preserved lands being leased for oil and gas exploration, parklands being reduced, these things scare me. A sense of progress toward the good has been rudely interrupted by greed and lies while the faith in our democracy and law shaken. That is not a state of mind for me to feel creative except in protest.
I made a decision in my teens that I didn’t want to spend my life in battle, that I had to find another way of working toward a better world. That became my photography, even with the struggles for the environment that it led me to. Of late, it has been hard to keep faith with photography as a path of making a difference with the destruction that has been inflicted. I have tried very hard, and have certainly continued, to work. But the emotional struggle of celebrating beauty and wonder amid this chaos has been very demanding. Such struggles will not end with the current president gone, but I can already feel much of the weight lifting, and that is liberating.
Cloudscape over the Pacific. 2020. Canon EOS R5, 600mm lens.
The natural world has been my refuge during this pandemic, and I have been continuing my work for these past four years of political turmoil.
I can’t prove it is related, but I have noticed a feeling of people carrying extra weight in their mood, almost despair, and i know for me that was directly related to the long list of depressing moves from our government. People have seemed less inclined to take classes, or buy art.
But the work continues, the seeing remains seductive, old projects still need work and new projects keep me engaged and moving about the world.
Setting Sun through clouds. 2020. Canon EOS R5, 600mm lens.
Recent Work
Museum Concourse. Golden Gate Park from the Sky Star Wheel. 2020. Canon R5.
SkyStar Wheel in Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park’s 150th Anniversary celebration included the SkyStar Observation Wheel, a 150 feet Ferris Wheel. The virus delayed its opening until October 21 when we took a ride. The enclosed acrylic cabins made for very poor photography but it was great to see some low level aerial views of the park. The wheel did make for a rather bizarre addition to the park.
There is controversy about the presence of an amusement park ride in the middle of Golden Gate Park. Particular objections have been raised about it being located in the heart of the park’s museum complex. This is nothing new in Golden Gate Park history, the push and pull between parkland and amusement park are long-standing. In some cases the battles toward amusement have been lost, as in the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894, which was then torn down at much expense to the city. The SkyStar is a temporary installation. This follows another dispute about a big rebuilding of the tennis court complex just down the road from the Museum Concourse.
Golden Gate Park embodies for me a curious blend of human aspiration, creation and real world life filling new ecological niche. In the park’s creation there are powerful symbols to try to comprehend.
A Deer in the Woods
Walking a winding, largely empty archery trail, we found nice solitude peppered with the trail’s purpose, shooting ranges. In this case the hay-bailed target sites were posted with images of wildlife to shoot, from boar, to squirrel, to deer.
Near the end of our walk, we spotted a lone deer standing on front of a goose target. We stayed quiet, trying not to spook the beautiful animal, but could not help but wonder if we should adopt the role of obnoxious humans to a help make sure the deer would never trust humans in this place.
Museum Concourse. Golden Gate Park from the Sky Star Wheel. 2020. iPhone 7.
Black-tailed Deer and Target. 2020. Canon R5 RF600mm F11 IS STM.
Recently at Stephen Johnson Photography
Lectures and Photo Chats
My lecture program continues, completing the first of the Projects Lectures on the At Mono Lake exhibition on October 21. The next Projects Lecture is The Great Central Valley Project on December 2, 2020. I am considering making the lectures fee-available online.
I am also been doing weekly virtual Photo Chats with a groups of photo friends to keep everyone encouraged to keep working, share and problem solve. Let me know if you would like to join us.
Fog and Trees on Pedro Point. Pacifica, CA. 2020. Canon EOS 5DSr.
Local Scenes
Like all of you I’m sure, we immerse ourselves in our local worlds while travel remains virus risky. Car day-trips are still the safest in my mind, But my camera is always with me and the light, fog and sun near the sea is ever changing.
I remain grateful for my surroundings and still see brand new sights all of the time.
Contrails and Sun. 2020. Canon EOS R5.
Flora and Form Workshop offered again November 19.
Our experiment in our Flora and Form socially distanced/masked in-person workshop worked out very well. The Shelldance Nursery lends itself to having your own big surround of space, each with out own greenhouse, and great places to meet outside. The virtual intro and follow-up had also worked well so we will do another session on November 19, 2020.
No Gallery Print Sale
40% Off Original Signed Prints. 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. This sale is planned to only last through the California shutdown while our gallery and others are closed.
Virtual Experiences
I have now added Virtual Classes and Lectures to the schedule. Critiques are now virtual. In fact, as you might imagine, most all teaching is virtual at the moment. To flush that out, here is a list of the virtual educational opportunities we are offering.
Virtual Classes and Lectures. A series of new online live classes on various topics with limited space and Q&A sessions.
Raw Processing and Photoshop: Virtual Workshop. 9am to 12 noon PST. Saturday November 14, 2020
The Great Central Valley Project. 6pm-7:30pm PST. December 2, 2020
On the Dunes. Ocean Beach. San Francisco. 2020 Photo by Holly Grant.
Come Visit the Exhibitions (after the shutdown)
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.
Although the gallery is currently closed to regular visits for the corona virus shutdown, limited visitation can be arranged by appointment. 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
Post-virus, when school is back in classroom, we will again welcome teachers bringing 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 is our Mastering Fine Art Digital Editing and Printing which is going virtual with an after-class online sessions. We are working on ways to conduct he popular Flora and Form Workshop by reducing the total enrollment to 4 students in the nursery and substituting our lab time with a virtual session. 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
None at this time.
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
Pacifica Book
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
Page 7
Page 27
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.
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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.