Yes, it’s that time already! The 2012 Beloit ArtWalk is Friday May 18 5-9 PM, and Saturday May 19 10 AM – 2 PM. As in years past, I will be at The Villager, located at 429 East Grand Avenue here in Beloit, WI.

ArtWalk encompasses the Downtown Beloit area with art, crafts, and entertainment by a wide variety of area artists. There’s even a trolley running Friday evening to take you up and down the strip!

If you’re in the area, please stop in and say hello!

– Jack

I just finished reading Guy Tal’s latest blog entry, Small Joys. If you don’t already follow his work – all of it, written as well as photographic – you need to click on that link and spend some time exploring his site. (Really, I’m serious – you’ll thank me for it!) Guy inspires, simple as that.

– Jack

This is one of my photos showing the small joy of a brilliant autumn day in the Old Northwest Territory – I really don’t know if any of Guy’s photos contain cows… :^D

February 22nd in Wisconsin, and it’s raining. Barely a patch of snow to be seen. We have a chance of snow with accumulation up to 3″ in the next couple of days, but it’s supposed to be mixed with rain and melt soon. This is just so wrong. I blame myself, though – I finally bought a snow thrower this year in an effort to save my back for more important things like lifting grandkids and carrying a heavy camera backpack, and, well, you see the result. (Oh, sure, you scoff – but ask anyone who has gone through a checkout or toll booth with me about my Line Curse!)

I did get out once this winter. I didn’t find a lot to shoot, but it sure felt good to get out! I think these are the only keepers from that expedition…

If you’re actually getting a real winter this year, feel free to post below and make me envious!

– Jack

Every now and then I like to revisit the archives to look at my older photos with more experienced eyes. Often, of course, I find my standards are higher now than when I took the photos, but often enough I find photos that I think I can do a better job of interpreting and processing now than I could then. Sometimes I just like to try a different interpretation to see how I like it.

These are some of my earliest landscape photos, dating back to 2006, just a few months after I really got the bug. I think they hold up as photos in their own right, but I also have a nostalgic fondness for them.

Who else out there revisits old photos like this? Feel free to leave stories and links about your early days in photography in the comments section below!

– Jack

It’s starting to look like I might not get in a whole lot of winter shooting this time around – temps have been well above freezing most of the time, and there’s far more brown grass than snow to be seen. In the spirit of making the most of what I’ve got, here are some images of Big Hill Park during a recent rare period of sold and snow.

Just for fun, I’ve made variations with square crops – what do you think? Let me know in the comments section below!

– Jack

Well, 2011 certainly flew by! As part of wrapping up the year, I’ve added a new gallery containing my personal favorites from among the many images I shot in 2011. Photos from the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan feature prominently, of course, but I also have a number of favorites from Alaska and the Old Northwest Territory, including my home town of Beloit.

A number of factors came into play as I made my selections. Some I like more for aesthetic reasons, some evoke fond memories of the location, and some remind me of the stories behind their making. Many photographers select their top 10 shots of the year, but I didn’t feel like restricting myself to that arbitrary limit, so there are quite a few images in this gallery.

As of this writing, “Foggy Fall Mercer Morning 3134″ shown below is my single favorite image of 2011. That might very well change as time passes, but that’s my pick for now!

Which are your favorites, and why? Please let me know in the comments below!

– Jack

Well, another Holidazzle has come and gone! I think we had a pretty good turnout this year, and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. After picking up my emergency caffeine supply at Nikki’s Cafe (which sadly is still not open 24×7, despite my repeated urging), I spent the evening at The Villager. Things got off to the usual slow start – most people don’t get off work in time to get downtown right at 5:00 – but picked up nicely after a short while. The weather cooperated this year; it was pretty chilly, but there was no rain or snow.

As always, I got to visit with some terrific people who stopped in, including a few high school classmates, fellow Camera Codgers and other photographers, nature lovers, and art lovers (with some overlap between categories, of course). I really shouldn’t be surprised by now at how many people know where tiny Mercer, WI is, yet I still am at each show or event!

Many people admired the new prints of my nature & landscape photography of the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan, the Old Northwest Territory, and Alaska – always very pleasant to hear and much appreciated. Now I’m hoping some of those wonderful people come back to become collectors!

I want to thank Betsy and Tim Schmiechen and the rest of The Villager staff; they were terrific hosts, as always. I also want to thank Lloyd Smith of Nikki’s, who let me hang additional work there for the event. Thanks, too, to the Downtown Beloit Association for creating Holidazzle. And I especially want to thank everyone who came out for Holidazzle and made it the fun holiday event it always is!

If you were at Holidazzle, I’d love to hear from you – did you find any new artists, musicians, or craftspeople, or anything you especially liked? Please leave a comment below to let us know what you saw & what you thought of it!

– Jack

Tonight’s the night! I’ll be at The Villager (429 East Grand Avenue) for Holidazzle from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (although I might head down the street at 6:30 PM to check out the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator auction, for which I’ve donated a piece). I also have work for view & purchase at Nikki’s Cafe (604 Pleasant Street), so be sure to check it out while you’re getting a delicious hot beverage!

Holidazzle includes over 40 locations in the Downtown Beloit, Wisconsin area with lots of art, crafts, and entertainment by a wide variety of artists. There’s free trolley transportation around the downtown, and Santa will be at the Turtle Creek Bookstore. There will be events for the kids, and holiday treats for all, so bring the entire family out for a free evening of food, fun, and art!

Most of my photos on display are from the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan, but I’ll also be showing photos of Alaska, the Tetons, and the Old Northwest Territory (as the area around us in the upper Midwest used to be known). The Villager will also be hosting several other artists working in a variety of media.

I’ll have lots of new prints on display (and for sale!) this year, so please do stop in at The Villager to see my new work and say hi!

- Jack

In keeping with my tradition of the last few years, I’ll be at The Villager for Holidazzle, held this year on Friday, December 9 from 5:00 PM -9:00 PM. The Villager is at 429 East Grand Avenue, but Holidazzle includes over 40 locations in the Downtown Beloit, Wisconsin area with lots of art, crafts, and entertainment by a wide variety of artists. There’s free trolley transportation around the downtown, and Santa will be at the Turtle Creek Bookstore. There will be events for the kids, and holiday treats for all, so bring the entire family out for a free evening of food, fun, and art!

Most of my photos on display are from the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan, but I’ll also be showing photos of Alaska, the Tetons, and the Old Northwest Territory (as the area around us in the upper Midwest used to be known). The Villager will also be hosting several other artists working in a variety of media.

I’ll have lots of new prints on display (and for sale!) this year, so please do stop in at The Villager to see my new work and say hi!

- Jack

I’ve added a new image gallery for my favorite photos of Big Hill Park here in Beloit, Wisconsin. Big Hill Park is my favorite nearby location, and I plan to add more photos to the collection this winter – so check back to see what’s new!

As always, please leave comments below with your thoughts & feelings on the photos. If you’re from this area, do these images resonate with your experience of Big Hill? If you’re a photographer, what are your favorite local shooting spots?

– Jack

This post and image by fellow photographer and online buddy Mark Graf got me thinking about some of my own favorite autumn scenes. I love the bold fall color shots as much as the next guy, but there’s something about a quiet autumn image that I find incredibly soothing and serene. Here are some personal favorites, most of them the result of the sort of turn-around Mark mentions in his post. (If you haven’t read it yet, you should probably wait until you’re finished reading this post & looking at the pics – I can practically guarantee that once you go to Mark’s website, you’re going to enjoy hours of virtual wandering through his online galleries!)

What are your favorite types of fall photos? I invite you to leave a comment below & let us know!

– Jack

Look familiar, Mark?

OK, let’s get the disclaimer out of the way up front: I was recently approached by Easy Canvas Prints and offered a free 11″ x 14″ stretched canvas print of one of my photos in exchange for posting a review of their prints and service. They agreed that it could be a negative review if warranted – they were confident enough in their product that they just wanted me to post my honest opinion. I accepted their offer, and paid a bit to jump up to a 12″ x 18″ print.

So – there it is, then. Disclaimer out of the way, here are my impressions of Easy Canvas Prints… So as not to keep everyone in suspense, the short version is that while I would not offer these prints for sale in a gallery, they are great for hanging at home or giving as gifts – which is exactly how they promote them. With that purpose in mind, the prints and service get a big thumbs up from me. If you’re interested in the details, read on!

The ordering process is quick and painless, in part because they offer a limited number of options – again, the choices are clearly aimed at people wanting to turn their photos into canvas prints quickly and easily. Though few, the options are clearly explained and presented. You can select either .75″ or 1.5″ deep border wraps; color, black and white, or sepia color presentation; and minor, major, or no retouching. This is a terrific service for anyone without Photoshop skills – they will remove dust spots; adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation; crop the photo; and even whiten teeth and remove wrinkles, or perform other finishing touches after consulting with you on what you’re looking for.

As part of the ordering process you can see a mock-up of how your selected print size would look hanging above a sofa, and when you upload your image file they check to be sure it has enough resolution to print at the size you chose, assigning it a quality rating and letting you choose another size if necessary. These are really well thought out and very helpful tools for their target customers.

When I placed my order, standard delivery time was estimated at about 3 weeks, but they offer various shipping options and rush processing as well. My sales rep expedited my order and I received it just 1 week after placing the order.

Print packaging is reasonably good, but could use some improvement. The print itself is enclosed in a plastic bag, and then strapped onto the cardboard shipping box with wide strips of shipping paper, with another layer of cardboard placed on top of that for protection against errant blades when opening the box. Unfortunately, my print came loose during shipping and was small enough compared with the box that it was sliding loose in the box when I received it. Just one more strip of paper to hold it from the other sides would prevent this from happening. The print came through undamaged, though.

The print itself is of high quality. The color is true to the file I uploaded, and there are no flaws or gaps in the ink coverage. The canvas has a more prominent weave than the LexJet canvas I use here, and the surface has a slight glossiness, perhaps due to the protective coating (see photos below). These aren’t bad things, just matters of preference.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the print, and impressed by Easy Canvas Prints’ ordering process and customer service. If you have a favorite photo you’d like to turn into a canvas gallery wrap, go check them out – Easy Canvas Prints will turn your photos to canvas. Oh, and be sure to Like them on facebook – that will get you a 50% discount and free shipping on your next order.

– Jack

surface texture detail – click to enlarge

surface finish detail – click to enlarge

print hanging on wall – click to enlarge

If you’re looking for a great Alaska photo tour, swing by my friend Dave Taylor’s website at SixtyOneNorth.com, and especially check out the St. George Island tour (with a HUGE discount if you book soon). I haven’t taken one of Dave’s longer tours (yet!), but he set up a 1-day tour for me when I was in Anchorage, and it was a spectacular outing. Dave really knows his stuff, and he knows how to share his knowledge effectively – I can’t recommend him highly enough!

This is just one pic from that day – just about every “keeper” photo I brought home from Alaska came from that outing.

- Jack

Got my baby back today, good as new if not better! For those of you just joining us, I recently sent my Canon 5D Mark II back to Canon for service – I was seeing an extraordinarily high (and growing) number of hot pixels on every shot, to the point where it has been taking me the better part of an hour to clone out hundreds of bright red & green dots from every photo. I was a little hesitant to send it in, as I’d seen mentions on the interwebs that sensor replacement cost $1000 – $1500, but after a conversation with David at Camera Craft in Rockford, I decided to at least get a quote. Long story short, they replaced the sensor and tuned up the camera for a grand total of $241.60! I got the camera back 1 week after they received it, and it only took that long because they had to wait a couple of days for the new sensor to arrive.

And speaking of the new sensor… Ah, so clean, so sweet! No more starfield of hot pixels on every shot – just that 5D Mark II goodness I’ve grown to love!

Can’t wait to get out shooting again!

My thanks to David & Canon!

- Jack

Here’s another shot from my trip to the Wisconsin Northwoods earlier this month… There was a lovely fog that morning, but it burned off entirely too quickly – there were more locations and compositions I wanted to shoot, but I ran out of fog and time!

- Jack

Still trying to catch up on processing photos from the last several months… Here are a few more from the Kenai Fjords of Alaska, a stunningly beautiful area.

As always, please feel free to comment below!

- Jack

From 1787 til 1803, the land now comprising the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota constituted the Northwest Territory of the United States – more info can be found on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Territory. “Old Northwest Territory” just has a much nicer ring to it than “Wisconsin – Illinois Stateline Area”… :^D

These are more photos taken between Beloit, WI, and Galena, IL, some on the Wisconsin side of the border and some on the Illinois side. They’re a bit more pastoral than my usual work, but the scenes caught my eye and I thought it would be fun to do something different. Please leave a comment below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

This is an image I shot on my way to the recent Tom Mangelsen Artist Reception at his Images of Nature Gallery in Galena, IL. Stopping to shoot made me miss the first hour of the reception, but I figured stopping to make some photographs was a pretty good reason to be late, and they could just start without me… :^D (And I did still get to see his new work, and even get my photo taken with him, which was nice!)

As usual, I provide the wallpaper in two image sizes, 1280 x 1024 and 1440 x 900.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think.

- Jack

Pastoral Sunset 3703 pano 2 – 1280 x 1024

Pastoral Sunset 3703 pano 2 – 1440 x 900

I finally got away to the northwoods of Wisconsin, the Michigan Upper Peninsula, and even the North Shore of Minnesota for a few days this fall! I was really hoping to catch peak color this year, but as I was driving up there was a big wind- and thunder-storm that blew down a lot of the leaves. Still, it was a great few days getting away to the woods for some hiking and photography – can’t complain about that!

Here are a few images from Mercer, WI and the Porkies – the Porcupine Mountains in the U.P., and in particular the Lake of the Clouds. Let me know what you think using the comments section below!

I’d also like to hear how the autumn color is/was in your area, and if you have photos feel free to post a link to them in the comments, too!

– Jack

I went to Big Hill Park here in Beloit, Wisconsin, tonight to see how the fall color change is progressing. We’re not at peak yet, but there are patches of nice color to be found. There are also trees full of dried brown leaves and even bare trees to be found, so I’m hoping the color change picks up its pace!

You might recognize this path with its stone wall from other images, such as this image of Big Hill in autumn or these of Big Hill in spring; it’s one of my favorite spots to shoot around town.

As always, I’d love to hear your responses – please do leave comments below!

- Jack

Selected prints of my nature photography are now available at Paddle and Trail’s Beloit, Wisconsin location.

If you’re at all interested in outdoor adventure gear & activities, stop in and check them out. Trek bikes, kayaks, canoes, apparel and footwear; a full service bicycle repair & tuneup center; kayak, canoe, & bike rentals (including shuttle services); maps, trail guides, and outdoor resource guides for Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin; instruction, seminars, trips, and adventure tours; and yes, the always-popular Even More! And it’s all offered by a knowledgeable staff in a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Highly recommended!

- Jack

Selected prints of my nature photography are now on display (and for sale!) at Nikki’s Cafe of Beloit, located at 604 Pleasant St # 140, Beloit, WI 53511. Nikki’s is a family-run business and offers terrific coffee, tea, smoothies, and pastries in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Stop in and give yourself a treat!

- Jack

Here is the first handful of photos from my trip to Alaska in June 2011. I’m at a loss for words to describe the expansive grandeur of the Alaskan landscape. Mountains, lakes, ocean, forests, meadows, rivers; moose, bear, Dall sheep, sea otters, sea lions, porpoises, whales, eagles, puffins – I could go on for days and still I’d miss some of the wonders of Alaska. Suffice it to say that I’m in love with Alaska and look forward to future trips!

And I certainly can’t forget the people that made this trip special! I got to spend time with my sister Robin for the first time in many years, as well as Dave Taylor of SixtyOne North, Jena Haferman, Scott Slone of Alaska HDTV and his wife Mahala, and Albert Marquez of Planet Earth Adventures.

I’ve got a substantial backlog of photos to process from my trip to Alaska and subsequent photo trips closer to home; I’ll be working on images and posting them as time permits. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos – please post your thoughts & feelings below!

- Jack

Great time at the Welty Nature Rendezvous today! Lower turnout than the Welty staff had hoped, but it’s hard to predict these things in summer. The thunderstorms held off, which was good – bad weather might make great photos, but it can make for a lousy walk-and-talk!

Not a lot of people on the walk-and-talks, but it was fun nonetheless. One couple is heading to Alaska later this year, and I was happy to be able to offer them some photo tips based on my recent visit. (I’m running behind, but more info and pics about that trip will be up soon, I promise!)

The Welty Environmental Center is a great resource for the Beloit / Stateline area, and I’m happy to have done a little something to help them out. My thanks to everyone at Welty for inviting me to be a part of the Nature Rendezvous, and I hope to be back next year!

- Jack

Here are a few snaps of the event:

I’ll be leading a nature photography Walk-and-Talk session at the Welty Nature Rendezvous on Saturday, June 18, 2011, around 1:00 PM. If you’re in the Beloit, WI area bring your camera and join us as we explore the nature photo opportunities at Beckman Mill Park! After the Walk-and-Talk, we’ll have another session where we discuss post-processing and how to make use of your nature photos. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

The Rendezvous runs from noon to 4:00 PM, and in addition to my sessions there will also be workshops by other local artists as well as guided tours of the oak savanna restoration and new boardwalk trail along the wetland and horse-drawn wagon rides through the park.

More information about the Rendezvous, the Welty Environmental Center and Beckman Mill Park is available on the Welty Environmental Center website. You can also call 608-361-1377 or email info@weltycenter.org for more information.

Bring the whole family for a fun-filled afternoon of natural inspiration!

- Jack

This is a scene from Big Hill Park here in Beloit, taken on the beautifully foggy morning of May 29, 2011.

As usual, I provide the wallpaper in two image sizes, 1280 x 1024 and 1440 x 900.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think.

- Jack

Into the Green 9241 – 1280 x 1024

Into the Green 9241 – 1440 x 900

We had a lovely morning fog here in Beloit on Sunday, so I headed out to Big Hill Park to get some shots there. I ended up with a few I like, presented below for your viewing & comments! One of them was taken in the same spot as Big Hill in Autumn 9715 – I’ll have to remember to get out there next winter & shoot it then, too!

The fog was already lifting by the time I finished shooting these, so I followed the fog west for a while hoping to get some nice foggy images of the rolling hills in the Mineral Point area, but the fog turned into steady rain and gray clouds, so I didn’t get any other shots that day. Maybe next time…

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts & feelings – please leave comments below!

- Jack

I’ve added a new Posters gallery to the website to show which images are currently available as posters. Most images on the website can be set up in poster format, so if there’s an image you’d like to see as a poster that’s not shown in the gallery, please let me know!

The posters are suitable for framing and feature a 12″ x 18″ image printed on an 18″ x 24″ (standard poster size) sheet of high-quality paper, using long-lasting inks.

At only $25, posters offer an easy way to surround yourself with beauty on a budget! A poster is also a great way to live with an image before purchasing a more expensive fine art print version of it.

So, what do you think? Do you like the poster format & pricing? Hate it? Are there other ways you’d like to be able to enjoy my work, such as on cups, calendars, or mouse pads, or do you think those would be tacky or cheesy? Please leave comments below to let me know your thoughts!

- Jack

Well, another Beloit ArtWalk has come and gone! Today was much slower than yesterday, even though the forecast thunderstorms never materialized. I greatly enjoyed meeting the people who did come out, including Kathy & Bart Gustafson of Advance Marketing and their friend Chris. (Kathy interviewed me recently for the Your Business Now Radio Network.) I met & chatted with a number of other people, too – it never ceases to amaze me how many people from this area enjoy visiting some of the same (sometimes obscure) spots I do!

Many thanks once again to Betsy & Tim Schmiechen at The Villager for hosting my work for ArtWalk, and year-round, for that matter! And of course, many thanks to all of you who stopped in to say hi!

- Jack

So, the first day of the Beloit ArtWalk is over, and it was a pretty good one! Lots of people turned out, and as far as I could tell folks were having a pretty good time. These events serve as a welcome reminder that no matter what its problems, Beloit has a lot of friendly, decent people.

I got busy visiting with people and forgot to take any snaps to upload – I’ll try to remember tomorrow. Of course, I’m not sure what sort of crowds to expect since we’re supposed to get thunderstorms all day… guess we’ll see!

I had some print sales, and I’m printing some for delivery tomorrow as I type this, so that was nice, too!

Thanks to all who came out, and I hope to see some of you there tomorrow!

- Jack

I’m now offering posters of my photos! The 6 shown below are the first I’ve done; I’ll be adding to these over time, but if you have a particular image you’re interested in seeing as a poster, drop me a line & let me know.

These are suitable for framing, printed on high-quality paper with long-lasting inks. They’re in a standard 18″ x 24″ poster size, so you can pick up good but inexpensive poster frames at your local framing shop, Michaels, or any similar store.

Oh, and they’re only $25, so you can collect all 6!

If you’re coming out to the Beloit ArtWalk this weekend, you can see the new posters at The Villager.

Please let me know what you think of the new format!

- Jack

As anticipated, my interview by “Your Business Now” Radio Network host Kathy Gustafson of Advance Marketing was loads of fun! If you missed it, you can listen to the recording online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ybnradio/2011/05/16/in-focus-a-chat-with-landscape-photographer-jack-v-johnson or right here via the player below. Be sure to listen for the surprise caller when Kathy opened the lines! :^D

Many thanks to Kathy for inviting me and making it such a great experience!

- Jack

Look out, Peter Lik – my quest for World Media Domination has begun! “Your Business Now” Radio Network host Kathy Gustafson of Advance Marketing will be interviewing me on Monday, May 16, 2011 at 3:00 PM. We’ll be discussing nature photography in general, and mine in particular, as well as the upcoming Beloit ArtWalk. I believe we’ll also be accepting callers.

This promises to be a lot of fun, so please join us at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ybnradio/2011/05/16/in-focus-a-chat-with-landscape-photographer-jack-v-johnson!

- Jack

I came across this scene just outside Ashland, WI on a stormy May afternoon in 2008. I loved the charged atmosphere and vibrant storm-weather colors, and did my best to capture it in this image.

As usual, I provide the wallpaper in two image sizes, 1280 x 1024 and 1440 x 900.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think.

- Jack

Storm Clouds Over Ashland Farm 6883 – 1280 x 1024

Storm Clouds Over Ashland Farm 6883 – 1440 x 900

A bit over a year ago, friend and fellow Camera Codger John Spates took a photo of my work hanging at The Villager here in Beloit, WI, and turned it into a fun conversation piece with his caption “Great Art Doesn’t Match the Sofa”. I found out today that this made the “Artist Quote of the Day” blog at http://artistquoteoftheday.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/fine-art-doesnt-have-to-match-your-sofa/ ! John, your influence just keeps spreading! :^D

The Villager is owned and operated by the inestimable Betsy Schmiechen. You can visit in person at 429 E. Grand Ave. in Beloit, call them at 608-365-6077, or visit them on the web at http://www.villagergallery.com/. I’ll be there for the upcoming ArtWalk, so if you’re in the area from 5-9 on Friday, May 20 or 10-2 on Saturday, May 21, please stop in to say hi!

John’s work is on display at The Villager as well, and you can see more on his website at http://homepage.mac.com/drjohn/.

- Jack

Beloit ArtWalk 2011 kicks off Friday, May 20 from 5:00 – 9:00 PM, and finishes up Saturday the 21st from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. I’ll have work at The Villager (429 E Grand Ave.), but ArtWalk itself encompasses the Downtown Beloit area with lots of art, crafts, and entertainment by a wide variety of artists.

I’ll be at The Villager most of the time, so if you’re in the area please stop in to say hi! The current downtown road construction is supposed to be done the week before, so access & parking should be better than ever – and there’s even a trolley to provide transportation between the venues!

Update: The Downtown Beloit Association has provided the full brochure in PDF format. It’s a bit large at 655KB, but if you want it, here it is!
ArtWalk 2011 Brochure

- Jack

I’m reading Guy Tal’s new ebook, “Creative Processing Techniques” – highly recommended! It offers clear explanations of principles, the reasoning behind his workflow recommendations, and is illustrated with his own great photos.

The best part of the book for me is the look behind the curtains at Guy’s thoughts and explorations as he works through the techniques. Guy is a master of his craft, and more importantly, a talented artist who is willing to share his gift and experience to help the rest of us improve our own art.

Go get your copy for only $14.95 at http://guytalbooks.com/catalog_show_ebook.php?bid=2!

- Jack

Well, I guess the title spoils the suspense, but congratulations to Peter Black (http://www.peterblackimages.com/), winner of a copy of Peter Lik’s book “Spirit of America” (generously provided by The Weather Channel, sponsor of the new show “From the Edge With Peter Lik”).

- Jack

If you didn’t catch the premiere of “From the Edge with Peter Lik” on The Weather Channel tonight, try to catch a repeat or watch it on your TV provider’s “on demand” equivalent – much fun, beautiful scenery, and some great photography. I love the “Tree of the Universe” image shown on the episode!

And if you’re reading this on March 31, 2011, you still have a few hours to post a comment here, on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/jackvjohnsonphotography, or tweet @jackvjohnson – I’ll select the name of one commenter at random to receive the copy of Lik’s “Spirit of America” book donated by The Weather Channel on April 1.

Do leave a comment & let me know what you thought of the show!

- Jack

Larger-than-life Aussie Master Photographer Peter Lik has a new reality TV show coming to The Weather Channel starting Thursday, March 31, 2011. “From the Edge with Peter Lik” will document Lik’s photographic adventures for 13 weeks as he visits Hawaii, Alaska, Death Valley, Utah and other locations where weather continues to have a unique impact on the landscape.

Lik is a gifted photographer with an exuberance and enthusiasm for life that make him an entertaining host and character as well. If you enjoy landscape photography and the great outdoors, you’ll want to tune in for this series!

Premiere Date: March 31, 8pm E/P, 7pm C
Homepage: http://weather.com/peterlik
Slideshow: http://t.co/gk84hAf

As part of their promotional efforts, The Weather Channel is providing me a copy of Lik’s book “Spirit of America” to give away. This is a beautiful book showcasing Lik’s photography of both iconic and seldom-seen locations across the US. I own a copy of this book myself, and I’ve spent hours engrossed in it. For a chance to win this book, just leave a comment below or re-tweet the link to this post. After the show’s premiere on March 31, I’ll select the recipient’s name at random from among the comments on my blog, Facebook page, and Twitter.

So, spread the word, watch the show, and comment for a chance at the book! And if you’re not familiar with his work, check out Lik’s website at http://www.peterlik.com/ for a photographic treat!

- Jack

(Full disclosure – The Weather Channel emailed to ask if I’d mention the show, and offered the book as a giveaway, but I’m not receiving any sort of remuneration for this post. I’m a long-time fan of Peter Lik, and would have blogged about the show regardless!)

Philip Schwarz’ recent blog entry “Winter Photography at the Apostle Islands Ice Caves” has me jonesing to get back there this winter.

In the meantime, I was looking through some of my photos of the ice caves from 2009 and came across this one I hadn’t processed. I rather like it now, even though at the time I didn’t like it enough to do anything with it. That’s the way it goes with me: I see something that inspires me to make a photograph, but then when I’m going through them for initial processing only a few catch my eye as being worth working on further. If I wait a while, though, and go back through them again, I’ll find some that I like again and want to spend a little time on.

So, does this grab you? Or should I have left it where it was, in the softly spinning darkness of my hard drive? Please share your thoughts & comments below!

- Jack

(You can see other images from that trip here and here.)

Just a reminder – Beloit’s annual Holidazzle event is Friday, December 10, from 5:00-9:00 PM. As always, I’ll be at The Villager, located at 429 East Grand in downtown Beloit. If you’re in the area, stop in & say Hi!

Here’s what visitbeloit.com has to say about the event:
“A dazzling evening of celebration, featuring artists and specialty crafts-people in forty-plus locations, as they display one-of-a-kind gifts and unique pieces of art. Live music, Santa visits, children’s events and holiday treats make this a truly special evening for the entire family. Free event in Downtown Beloit! Call 608-365-0150 for more information.”

I hope to see some of you there!

- Jack

Hey, folks -

pj over at PhotoMontana.net has sadly found himself in some dire financial straits, and at a very bad time of the year, too. To raise the funds he needs, like right now, he’s offering a terrific sale price on prints of his image “Lower Falls – Yellowstone” – a limited run of 50 12″x18″ prints (on 18″x24″ paper) for only $50 each. I must say that this is my favorite image of Lower Falls, and I’ve ordered mine already.

If you can take him up on this offer in the next couple of days you’ll be getting a terrific bargain on a beautiful print and helping out a good guy to boot! (pj tells me he probably won’t be able to ship the prints for at least a couple of weeks, so I don’t think I’d plan on it arriving in time for Christmas, but it would still make a great gift!)

- Jack

Lower Falls - Yellowstone (© Paul Johnson / PhotoMontana.net)

The first light dusting of snow here arrived December 1, so to celebrate, December’s Desktop Wallpaper is a winter scene from Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, IL, a short drive from my home in Beloit, WI. Rock Cut is billed as the largest state park in northern Illinois, and while it lacks large, dramatic scenic features, I still enjoy walking and photographing there on occasion.

As usual, I provide the wallpaper in two image sizes, 1280 x 1024 and 1440 x 900.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think.

- Jack

Rock Cut Winter Road 6849-1 – 1440 x 900

Rock Cut Winter Road 6849-1 – 1280 x 1024

I’m very happy to announce that my work is now available through Xanadu Gallery!
Xanadu Gallery is owned and operated by Jason & Carrie Horejs in Scottsdale, AZ. The gallery has an interesting history, from Jason’s life as the son of nationally recognized oil painter John Horejs, to the timing of the gallery’s opening – on September 10, 2001!

You can find my work there on my Xanadu Studios page. And if you find yourself near Scottsdale, please stop in and tell them I sent you!

My thanks to Jason, Carrie, Elaine, and the rest of the fine staff at Xanadu!

Xanadu Gallery
7039 E. Main St #101
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480.368.9929
866.483.1306

- Jack

Holy cow – I can’t believe it’s that time of year already! And yet… it is! Beloit’s annual Holidazzle event is Friday, December 10, from 5:00-9:00 PM. As always, I’ll be at The Villager, located at 429 East Grand in downtown Beloit. If you’re in the area, stop in & say Hi!

Here’s what visitbeloit.com has to say about the event:
“A dazzling evening of celebration, featuring artists and specialty crafts-people in forty-plus locations, as they display one-of-a-kind gifts and unique pieces of art. Live music, Santa visits, children’s events and holiday treats make this a truly special evening for the entire family. Free event in Downtown Beloit! Call 608-365-0150 for more information.”

I hope to see some of you there!

- Jack

I’m honored to have one of my photos, “North Bass Lake Sunset 7127,” appearing in The Center For Photography At Madison’s first photobook, “First Look.” Comprised of juried images from CPM members, the book can be previewed and purchased via Blurb at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1640329.

Many thanks to Bob Beaverson, Trevor Passmore, Patrick Patterson, Gregory Parker, Reece Donihi, and John Fulbright for all their work in making this book a reality!

You can learn about The Center For Photography At Madison at http://www.cpmad.org/.

If you do preview or purchase the book, I’d love to hear what you think of it!

- Jack

Around a dozen of my prints are now on display (and for sale!) at Nikki’s Cafe of Beloit, located at 604 Pleasant St # 140, Beloit, WI 53511. Nikki’s offers terrific coffee, tea, smoothies, and pastries in a warm and friendly atmosphere, as you can see in the photos below. If you’re anywhere near Beloit, you really should treat yourself to a visit – tell Lloyd that Jack sent you! :^D

- Jack

This is just a quick update on my adventures with LexJet’s wonderful Sunset Photo Metallic Paper (see links to previous posts below). LexJet has always said that you can’t profile this paper yourself and to just use one of their profiles or one you made for their eSatin paper, so that’s what I’ve always done. Recently, though, I decided to give it a shot on my HP Z3100 just to see what would happen. The Z3100 has built-in profiling capability, which makes creating and using custom paper profiles a snap.

(What’s a profile, and why should you care? The short, non-technical answer is that a profile tells the computer how to translate an image’s colors from one device to another with the best fidelity possible within the given constraints. When going from your computer’s screen to a printer, the paper profile provides the information about the paper’s color-handling characteristics so the application doing the printing can compensate for the differences between what you can see on the screen and what the paper is capable of reproducing. Each type of paper, and even different batches of paper of the same type, can have different characteristics, so each requires the creation and use of a separate profile.)

To cut to the chase, I ran the paper through the Z3100′s profiler, and lo and behold, the Z3100 handled it without complaint. The prints I’ve made since have looked at least as good as those made using the profile from their eSatin paper, so I believe the HP did a pretty good job of it, too. (I haven’t made identical prints using the new & old profiles, since I’m quite happy with the results from the new one, but perhaps I’ll give that a try at some point, too.)

I don’t know if other profiling systems would get the same good result, but as the Z3100 uses a built-in EyeOne spectrophotometer for its profiles, I would expect that at least other EyeOne systems would work as well. If you’ve created your own profiles for the LexJet, Red River, or similar metallic papers, please post a reply below to let us know your experience!

- Jack

Previous posts on LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper:
http://www.jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/new-lexjet-metallic-photo-paper/
http://www.jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/lexjet-sunset-photo-metallic-paper-more-print-tests/
http://www.jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/lexjet-sunset-photo-metallic-paper-print-test-observations/

I’ve added 3 new photos to the Latest Work gallery, 2 from Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine and 1 more from the Northwoods.

Please leave a comment & let me know what you think!

- Jack

November’s Desktop Wallpaper is an autumn photo from the northwoods of Wisconsin. I was driving toward a state park when this harvest scene caught my eye. I don’t often include farmland in my images, but in this case I found the round bales of hay scattered on the bright, rolling field with a backdrop of colorful trees and blue sky so perfect that I knew I had to take the time to photograph it.

As usual, I provide the wallpaper in two image sizes, 1280 x 1024 and 1440 x 900.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think.

- Jack

Northwoods Harvest Time 8414 – 1440 x 900

Northwoods Harvest Time 8414 – 1280 x 1024

I’ve uploaded several new photos to the Latest Work gallery, all shot in October 2010. The majority were shot in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, but a few were shot in Pewit’s Nest in Wisconsin’s Baraboo Hills.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts & feelings, so please feel free to leave comments below!

- Jack

Got to meet Tom Mangelsen at a book signing / artist event at his gallery in Galena tonight! In addition to being a business and artistic inspiration, he’s a really nice guy… thoughtfully moved his glass of wine off the table when a little girl wanted her pic taken with him, and was graciously looking at the stack of photos the guy after me in line brought to show him… Glad I finally got the chance to meet him!

If you don’t know Tom’s work, you really need to check it out – at one of his galleries, if at all possible. His large prints are simply stunning! Even if you can’t get to a gallery, do check out his work online. His website is at http://www.mangelsen.com/ and he’s on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thomas-Mangelsen/53684409546.

- Jack

(This is my shot of the Moulton Barn on Mormon Row in Jackson Hole – Tom’s sells for much more! ;^D )

On my recent all-too-short trip north I stopped to visit the aspen clonal colony shown below. I need to enjoy this image, because it will be impossible to make another like it there – most of the colony has been cut, leaving only a thin strip through which I could see the bulldozers and bare earth beyond.

I am glad at least part of the colony survived, though. If it’s not all cut down, it could very well survive and grow back to its former glory sometime in the future after today’s new development is long gone and forgotten.

Maybe I’m showing my age, but I take great comfort in contemplating the natural beauty that at least has the potential to be here for the generations to come.

As always, I welcome your thoughts & comments below!

- Jack

Here’s the October wallpaper, a couple of days early rather than late this time! This is a sunrise image from Cave Point park in Door County, Wisconsin, taken 2 years ago. Lake Michigan’s water level was especially low that year, exposing the rugged, dramatically eroded rock you see here. I had the place to myself for hours, letting me wander up and down the beach in total peace, hearing only the wind and waves. Mornings like this make getting up at O’Dark Thirty worthwhile!

As usual, I provide the wallpaper in two image sizes, 1280 x 1024 and 1440 x 900.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think.

- Jack

Cave Point Daybreak 9433 – 1440 x 900

Cave Point Daybreak 9433 – 1280 x 1024

Good news for landscape photographers everywhere! Joseph Rossbach and Ian Plant have released great new ebooks in their ongoing series of instructional books on landscape photography. Guy Tal has joined in the fun with his first ebook, which I hope will be the start of a series from him!

Joseph Rossbach’s “10 Tips for Amazing Autumn Images” is an 88-page downloadable PDF beautifully illustrated by Joe’s own photos. This book is a terrific resource on the many aspects of autumn photography, released just in time for the fall foliage season in the northern hemisphere. Offering information and tips on concepts, techniques, gear, and post-processing, as well as links to other valuable resources, this is another must-have for landscape photographers – especially at the $9.95 Joe is asking for it.
(Disclosure: I received a free copy of this ebook from Joe, but that has no bearing on my recommendation for it – had I not gotten the free copy, I would have purchased one for myself anyway.)

Ian Plant’s “Five Landscape Challenges” takes a different approach from most landscape photography books. Rather than broadly covering all aspects of the topic, Ian focuses on five specific types of landscape scenes and the challenges provided by each. He compares it to a recipe book, and it is that, but the lessons will be useful in many other situations as well. This, the first book in a series, covers Slot Canyons, Spring Waterfalls, Sand Dunes, Woodland Flowers, and Geothermal Wonders. At only $5, that’s $1 per lesson – you can’t afford not to have this one! 66 pages, downloadable PDF, and beautifully illustrated with Ian’s photos.

Guy Tal’s “Creative Landscape Photography” was originally designed as a companion workbook for his workshop of the same name, but it works very well as a standalone instructional book, too. It covers the same wide range of topics as Guy’s workshop, from theory to visualization to capture to post-processing to presentation, and includes practical exercises for the reader. Lavishly illustrated with Guy’s photos, it is an 86-page downloadable PDF, and only $9.95.

If you enjoy landscape photography, and especially if you are a landscape photographer yourself, you really should snap up all three books at these incredibly low prices. Highly recommended, one and all!

Joseph Rossbach: “10 Tips for Amazing Autumn Images”

Ian Plant: “Five Landscape Challenges”

Guy Tal: “Creative Landscape Photography”

(These are not affiliate links; I have no financial relationship with any of these books or authors – I’m just an enthusiastic fan of these artists and their work!)

If you have or buy any of these ebooks, please feel free to post your comments on them below!

Hold the presses! Just as I was getting ready to post this, I learned that Joseph Rossbach and Ian Plant are collaborating on their next ebook, “Five Landscape Challenges 2″! Coming soon, so we have that to look forward to!

- Jack

I’m doing wallpaper instead of a calendar again this month – if you’d prefer the calendar format, let me know in the comments below! As usual, it’s in two image sizes, one wider than the other. I’m in an autumn mood, so this month’s photo is of a crisp September morning on San Domingo Lake in Mercer, Wisconsin.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think.

- Jack

Autumn Morning Reflection 1021 – 1440 x 900

Autumn Morning Reflection 1021 – 1280 x 1024

My ideal way of being in the world is best expressed by the Navajo concept of Beauty, or hozho, which encompasses beauty, order, balance, peace, and harmony.

This is the most beautiful expression of hozho I’ve found:

In beauty all day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.
With beauty above me may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty,
lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty,
living again, may I walk.
My words will be beautiful.

What are your inspirations for right living? Please share in the comments area below!

- Jack

I’ve seen some photographers criticize Thomas Mangelsen as being “too commercial,” but personally as a photographer I enjoy his work while as a business person / entrepreneur I admire his business success. I’ve been to his Images of Nature galleries in Jackson Hole, WY and, closer to home, Galena, IL, and I must say his large prints are truly impressive. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, you can get some idea of it from his website at http://www.mangelsen.com/, but if you get the chance I’d encourage you to visit one of his ten galleries to see his prints in person.

Sramana Mitra has published an informative interview of Mangelsen entitled “Artist As An Entrepreneur Photographer: Tom Mangelsen’s Images of Nature” on her blog at http://www.sramanamitra.com/2010/06/09/artist-as-an-entrepreneur-photographer-tom-mangelsens-images-of-nature-part-1/. Their conversation ranges from his biography to his attitudes toward art, photography, and nature conservancy, to his business experiences.

I think this is an interesting and worthwhile read for entrepreneurial artists and anyone who has wondered what life is like as a world-roving, internationally famous, and wildly successful nature photographer and business person.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts – please leave comments below!

- Jack

Joseph Rossbach, Ian Plant, and William Neill have all recently released terrific ebooks featuring landscape photography. Each has a different focus, but all are lavishly and beautifully illustrated with the authors’ own photographs, and all are worthwhile additions to your electronic bookshelf. And they’re all a steal, priced at only $5-$10!

Rossbach’s “Crafting Compelling Compositions” is a 62-page downloadable PDF focusing on design concepts, tips, and techniques for improving your composition to achieve that “wow” factor. This is not a technical book; it’s aimed at improving your photographic eye, not learning to control your camera. Joe’s photos make this a lovely picture book, but it will be mainly of interest to photographers who will be inspired by the photos and educated by the commentary.

Plant’s “Chasing the Light” is also a 62-page downloadable PDF, and also focuses on the design, composition, and philosophical aspects of landscape photography rather than the technical aspects. Despite some inevitable topical similarities to Rossbach’s book, the books focus on different aspects of the broader topics in the authors’ distinctive voices. “Chasing the Light” offers Ian’s own perspective on the subjects as well as his commentary on his own photos. This book, too, will be mainly of interest to photographers, and for the same reasons as Rossbach’s.

By contrast, Neill’s “Yosemite: Volume 1″ contains 114 pages, with each of 52 images appearing twice: once without commentary in the first half of the book, and again with accompanying commentary and anecdotes in the second half. Also a downloadable PDF, this ebook is more likely to appeal to non-photographers as a picture book, while photographers will find inspiration in both the photos and the commentary. (Neill also offers other similar beautiful photo ebooks at his online store.)

If you enjoy landscape photography, and especially if you are a landscape photographer yourself, you really should snap up all three books at these incredibly low prices. Highly recommended, one and all!

Joseph Rossbach: “Crafting Compelling Compositions”

Ian Plant: “Chasing the Light”

William Neill: “Yosemite: Volume 1″

(These are not affiliate links; I have no financial relationship with any of these books or authors – I’m just an enthusiastic fan of these artists and their work!)

If you have or buy any of these ebooks, please feel free to post your comments on them below!

- Jack

And now for something completely slightly different! Since we’re already halfway through August, a calendar isn’t likely to be of much use – so for August 2010 I’ll just make this month’s image desktop wallpaper and skip the calendar bit. It’s still in two image sizes, one wider than the other. This month’s photo is a twilight shot from Bayfield, Wisconsin (near the Apostle Islands).

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think. Should I go back to the calendar format next month, or stick with the wallpaper?

- Jack

Twilight View From Bayfield 3510 – 1440 x 900

Twilight View From Bayfield 3510 – 1280 x 1024

If you’re on Twitter & looking for some great nature photographers to follow, I suggest any or all of the following:
@AdamBarkerPhoto
@alpenglowimages
@andymcinroy
@artwolfe
@bernabephoto
@bretedgephoto
@christiankiely
@CornforthImages
@dakkid
@dorinbofan
@edcooley
@enlightphoto
@guytalphoto
@iainsarjeant
@ianplantphoto
@JohnOConnorfoto
@josephrossbach
@Justinreznick
@KariPost
@kevinmcneal
@kristenwestlake
@mfryephoto
@mkh_photo
@Niebrugge
@OrganicLight
@OutdoorExpPhoto
@PaulMarcellini
@rwphoto
@scolephoto
@sherri_meyer
@Sixtyone_North
@stephenoachs
@terragalleria
@Timecatcher
@timparkin
@tinylandscapes
@ttsweet
@wgneill
@yosemitesteve
@younesbounhar

… and not just because my blog is the August Featured Photography Blog on it! Photomontana.net is just one of pj finn’s (yes, that’s how he writes it) excellent and worthwhile sites where he posts beautiful photography and holds forth on a variety of topics. Photography, philosophical ruminations, world events, and life as it happens are all fair game for pj, and all worth reading for us.

His other sites are finn photography, where pj offers select prints for sale, and adventures with a two dollar camera (I’ll leave it to your imagination what this one is about!)

Check them out – you’ll be glad you did!

- Jack

My interests in photography are generally limited to landscape and nature subjects, but when I noticed a number of visits to my website coming from Peter Feldhaus’ The Sonic Blog I visited that site and found myself enjoying a number of definitely non-landscape posts and photos. This looks like a good site for broadening my horizons; if you’re interested in that, too, this is a site worth checking out.

Oh, and the visits were from a quote of a comment I posted on Facebook: “I just don’t understand the obsession with shooting fewer frames – this is art, not golf.” Thanks, Peter!

- Jack

(OK, this image is still pretty landscape-y, but I really don’t have that many images with human artifacts in evidence! :^D )

I’ve been going through images from our trip west last year, so I might be posting a few more in the near future. This is one of several water abstracts I shot on that trip.

As always, please add your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

Hard to believe, but the year’s half over already! Here’s my July 2010 desktop wallpaper / calendar image, again in two image sizes, one wider than the other. This month’s photo is a water abstract shot in Yellowstone National Park.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

July 2010 – 1440 x 900

July 2010 – 1280 x 1024

Here are my observations after several rounds of print tests, expanded a bit to include not only LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper but also satin & glossy papers and both Hahnemuhle Protective Spray and PremierArt Print Shield spray. I hesitate to call them anything but observations, as the differences I noted were in many cases subtle, and in all cases my preferences reflect my personal biases.

My objective in this print test was to see if it is possible to apply a protective coating to prints on LexJet Metallic so I can present them without glass, letting the full pearlescent effect come through. To avoid suspense, based on my observations the answer is a definite “probably” – Print Shield does a pretty good job in terms of appearance, but I still need to do some durability testing. If you’re interested in how I arrived at this conclusion, read on.

Initial testing consisted of printing the 4 images below from Lightroom 3, grouped on a 13″ x 19″ paper size. On the HP Z3100, I printed this paper size on the LexJet Metallic 24″ roll; on the Canon ipf5100, I printed on 13″ x 19″ sheets of the paper cut from the 24″ roll. On the HP, I printed 2 sets, one with Gloss Enhancer (set to full page coverage) and one without. The Canon doesn’t have Gloss Enhancer, so I only printed 1 set from it. Each set consisted of 2 identical prints, so I could spray 1 print and compare it with the original off the printer without any coating.

So, if you’re following along and doing the math in your head, I ended up with 6 prints on the metallic paper, with 3 to be sprayed with Print Shield and then compared to their uncoated twins. I only sprayed with Print Shield for this portion of the test, as I’d previously done limited tests with the Hahnemuhle Protective Spray on the metallic paper and was hoping to find something that yielded a better result.

Among the unsprayed prints, my (slight) preference was for the HP print with Gloss Enhancer. The Gloss Enhancer helps even out the gloss differential that results from spraying pigment ink on a glossy surface, but still lets the pearlescent quality of the paper come through. The HP print without Gloss Enhancer and the Canon print were neck and neck with each other and only a smidge behind the HP with GE. All the prints looked good, and I’d be happy with any one of them in the absence of the others.

(Side note: One interesting difference was in the rendering of reds – the HP renders colors with a red component much warmer than does the Canon. The Z3100 was noted to have problems with reds on glossy paper early in its production; HP addressed this in subsequent revisions of the Z3100′s firmware, but they might have gone a tad overboard. This really wasn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, as the Z3100 creates its own paper profiles, while I created the Canon’s profile using the ColorMunki, so the difference might just come down to differences in the profiles created by 2 devices for the same paper. The really interesting thing to me, though, is that the difference between the the colors on the HP & the Canon is almost the same as the difference between how I see colors in my left & right eyes – I see reds “stronger” in one eye than the other…)

On to the spraying tests. Again, my slight preference was for the HP print with Gloss Enhancer, although after spraying with Print Shield that preference was even slighter – Print Shield itself helps even out gloss differential, although it does it differently than HP’s Gloss Enhancer. Spraying with Print Shield leaves the surface almost unaltered – it does slightly reduce the glossiness of the surface, which is more apparent on some images than others. The sprayed prints all received 2 initial light coats, followed up by an additional 4 light coats on half of each image on the HP with GE print. The additional coats had only a tiny, almost-indiscernible additional impact on surface glossiness. I typically use 6-8 light coats of protective spray on any prints I display without glass, so I was glad to see that the additional coats didn’t degrade the image quality.

While I was at it, I also made test prints on glossy & satin papers. Hahnemuhle Protective Spray and Print Shield seem equivalent on the glossy and satin prints. The metallic paper definitely has a pearlescent / luminous quality the other papers lack, but I think the image needs to be properly displayed and lit for full effect.

So. There it is, then. More tests are to come – I’d like to compare a sprayed print with an unsprayed print face-mounted behind Tru Vue Museum Glass or Tru Vue Optium Museum Acrylic, and I haven’t tried to dry-mount the metallic paper yet. I’ll be sure to post updates.

This is an area of some interest to me, so I’d love to hear how others prepare and display their prints. Please leave comments below sharing your procedures, preferences, and experiences!

- Jack

Wife is at a movie with friends, so what’s a guy to do with a night to himself? Why, make test prints on LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper, of course! Canon ipf5100, HP Z3100 with and without Gloss Enhancer, and each one tested with and without Print Shield spray. I’ll post my results & conclusions soon, when I’ve had a chance to compare everything carefully!

- Jack

This is another image from my recent trip to the northwoods of Wisconsin & the Michigan Upper Peninsula. It was taken shortly after another image I recently posted, Mercer Lake Foggy Morning 7132. What a difference a few minutes can make in the light on the landscape!

As always, please feel free to leave a comment below!

- Jack

Yes, I’ve done it again – I’ve entered another Outdoor Photographer photo contest! This time it’s their 3rd Annual “Your Favorite Places” contest. This is a popular contest for nature photographers – there are still 5 days to enter, and there are already over 3000 photos in the online gallery.

You can see my entries at the links below. Voting for the “People’s Choice” prize will start on June 17, so if you like what you see, please remember to go back and vote.

In the meantime, please feel free to share this with your friends – heck, go ahead and share it with your enemies, too!
:^D

Thanks!

- Jack

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/3rd-annual-your-favorite-places/gallery/185251-impermanence-7571.html

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/3rd-annual-your-favorite-places/gallery/185221-north-bass-lake-sunset-7127.html

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/3rd-annual-your-favorite-places/gallery/185201-on-the-road-to-upson-9077-1.html

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/3rd-annual-your-favorite-places/gallery/185181-superior-sunset-5325.html

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/3rd-annual-your-favorite-places/gallery/185171-winter-fog-on-rock-river-1073.html

June already! Here’s my June 2010 desktop wallpaper / calendar image, again in two image sizes, one wider than the other. This month’s photo is of a peaceful sunset on North Bass Lake in Mercer, Wisconsin.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

June 2010 – 1440 x 900

June 2010 – 1280 x 1024

This Memorial Day please join us in keeping in our thoughts and prayers all who have served in our military, fallen and living. We would not be here without their duty and sacrifice; they are true heroes and have earned our deepest honor, respect, and gratitude.

- Jack

I’ve just updated the galleries (mostly by culling old photos that weren’t up to my current standards) and changed the way the gallery system works behind the scenes. If you spot any problems, please let me know!

As always, thanks for visiting!

- Jack

I’ve posted several new photos from my trip north a couple of weeks back – please check the “Latest Work” gallery to see them. The weather was almost too “nice” for photography, what with mostly clear blue skies and temps in the upper 60s & low 70s, but I toughed it out & made a few images I like anyway… ;^D

Please do let me know your feelings, thoughts, & impressions of these!

- Jack

The ArtWalk was much quieter today, with not nearly as many people coming through as did last night – I think the weather was just too nice! We did still see a fair number of people, and I had several nice conversations (hi, Mary & Sarah!). All in all, another good ArtWalk!

Many thanks to Betsy & Tim at The Villager for hosting me again this year, and to The Downtown Beloit Association for organizing the ArtWalk!

- Jack

Here’s the first photo I’ve printed from my recent trip to the northwoods of Wisconsin & the Michigan Upper Peninsula. This image is a bit of a departure for me, as I actually added an element of myself to the picture. I was planning to go to the beach by Superior Falls, as I do on most trips north, and thinking about the slowly eroding cliffs there. This image popped into my mind, fully formed, as a way to illustrate the impermanence of everything around us, even if the change is occurring over such a span of time that we don’t see it. My wet handprint serves to echo the cliff’s impermanence, although on a different time scale. I must admit I’d forgotten about the patterns in the rock that look like fingers were dragged through it, but they serendipitously provided the perfect backdrop to my handprint.

I printed this on LexJet Sunset Select Matte Canvas, which nicely complements the texture of the sandstone cliff face. This particular print is currently available at The Villager, 429 E. Grand Avenue in Beloit.

Please let me know what you think of the image in the Comments area below!

- Jack

We had a very good turnout for the opening night of Beloit ArtWalk 2010, despite a bit of rain. I spent the evening at The Villager, where Betsy & Tim were great hosts, as always! It’s always fun getting to talk with people about my photography, and a few photographers were in attendance, so I got to talk tech as well as art – bonus! :^D

This was the first time I’ve displayed prints on the new LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic paper I posted about recently, and it was a big hit! I got lots of comments about how those images had a feeling of depth & how the color popped, even compared with the same images on LexJet’s fine Sunset Photo eSatin photo paper. Very happy with this paper! (LexJet is at http://www.lexjet.com/ – check them out for media, supplies, and printing and display gear. I’m not a paid affiliate, just a happy customer!)

Many thanks to all who turned out, and for those who didn’t get a chance, you can still come by tomorrow! I’ll be at The Villager (429 E Grand Ave.) from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM – please do stop in & say hi if you’re in the area!

- Jack

ArtWalk 2010 kicks off Friday, May 21 from 5:00 – 9:00 PM, and finishes up Saturday the 22nd from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. I’ll have work at The Villager (429 E Grand Ave.) and at The Beloit Fine Arts Incubator (520 E. Grand Ave.), but ArtWalk itself encompasses the Downtown Beloit area with lots of art, crafts, and entertainment by a wide variety of artists.

I’ll be at The Villager most of the time, so if you’re in the area please stop in to say hi!

- Jack

I’ve been testing LexJet’s new metallic photo paper (http://www.lexjet.com/i-14286-LexJet-Sunset-Photo-Metallic-Paper-SPMP2400.aspx) and so far it seems very nice indeed. And I can print on it using my HP Z3100 printer – no need to have the printing done at a lab!

I’m wondering how other photographers present their work on metallic, Fuji Crystal Archive, or Kodak Endura media. The paper actually seems fairly resistant to scratching, but I’d really like to provide some protection for prints.

Any suggestions or pointers?

Thanks!

- Jack

Many thanks to all who attended the opening reception for “The Wonder of Light” last night! We had a great turnout, and I enjoyed meeting and talking with so many people who enjoy fine art photography.

Even if you couldn’t make it last night, you still have lots of opportunities to see the exhibit! The showing will run from May 7 – 28, 2010; gallery hours are Mon – Fri 10 am – 2 pm or by appointment. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 608-313-9083. The Beloit Fine Arts Incubator is located at 520 E. Grand Ave. Beloit WI 53511. You can visit on the web at http://beloitfineartsincubator.com.

- Jack

Just in time to start the month, here’s my May 2010 desktop wallpaper / calendar image, again in two image sizes, one wider than the other. This month’s photo is of a seagull flying over Lake Superior in Ashland, Wisconsin.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

May 2010 – 1440 x 900

May 2010 – 1280 x 1024

I’m one of 11 artists who will be displaying work at “The Wonder of Light” juried photography exhibit at The Beloit Fine Arts Incubator (http://beloitfineartsincubator.com/) from May 7 – 28, 2010. I’ll have 8 images on display, including the one below. The other artists are Jerome Jones, Heidi Johns, Abigail Jorgenson, Ben Henthorn, James Meldrum, Alyssa Merk, Alison Meyers, Bill Midget, Shannon Schaapveld, and Stan Smith. I’ve seen work by some but not all of these artists; I expect we’re all in for a visual treat!

An opening reception will be held Friday, May 7, 2010 at The Beloit Fine Arts Incubator, 520 E. Grand Ave. Beloit WI 53511. For more information, call 608-313-9083. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres & refreshments will be provided. If you’re in the area, please join us!

The showing will run from May 7 – 28, 2010; gallery hours are Mon – Fri 10 am – 2 pm or by appointment. The BFAI gallery is a beautiful space, and I’m looking forward to attending the exhibit as well as participating in it.

- Jack

Another image from the Wisconsin northwoods from the archives, and another one that’s also the monthly desktop wallpaper / calendar. This is a detail image of the cascades at Copper Falls State Park near Mellen, Wisconsin. Copper Falls is a beautiful park, with well-maintained and accessible trails providing great views of multiple waterfalls and cascades on the Bad River. And if you’re in the area, don’t forget to visit nearby Potato River Falls in Gurney.

I love getting your thoughts and feelings about these images, so please feel free to leave comments below!

- Jack

With not a moment to spare, here’s my April 2010 desktop wallpaper / calendar image, again in two image sizes, one wider than the other. This is a detail view of a waterfall in Copper Falls State Park near Mellen, Wisconsin.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

As always, please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

April 2010 – 1440 x 900

April 2010 – 1280 x 1024

This was the scene recently at The Villager, as recorded & captioned by friend and fellow Camera Codger John Spates, showing some of my work hanging above a sofa. While certainly nobody suffers under the delusion that my work is Great Art, I got a real kick out of this and thought I’d share it. Thanks, John!

The Villager is owned and operated by the inestimable Betsy Schmiechen. You can visit in person at 429 E. Grand Ave. in Beloit, call them at 608-365-6077, or visit them on the web at http://www.villagergallery.com/.

You can see some of John’s work on display at The Villager as well, and find more on his website at http://homepage.mac.com/drjohn/.

Oh, and if any of my work does happen to match your sofa, please do feel free to purchase it anyway!
:^D

- Jack

Another cycle of Chris Quillen’s “Photographic Explorations” sessions will be starting April 10, 2010 at the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator (BFAI). The class will meet 6 Saturdays from 9:00 AM to noon, and will focus on the art and technique of photography. Discussions, critiques, and location shoots will cover visual vocabulary, subject selection, technical considerations, and other topics.

If you’re in the Beloit, WI area and in the market for instruction, Chris is your guy! Chris is a professional photographer with decades of experience, including teaching photography at the college level.

For details, check out the course listings on the BFAI’s website at http://www.beloitfineartsincubator.com/education.htm, email Chris at badgerbicycle@tylerphoto.com, or call the BFAI at 608-313-9083.

Chris’ website is at http://www.tylerphoto.com/.

- Jack

I shot this image the same evening as the Lake Superior Sunset 5325 image I posted recently. This is a view of the shoreline cliffs on Lake Superior near Superior Falls, in the northwoods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Looking at these images takes me back to that beautiful spring evening, watching the sun go down and the sky light up, listening to the gentle waves washing ashore and rattling the beach rocks. You really had to be there, but I hope they give you some small taste of what it was like.

Please do comment or email to let me know what you think (or better, feel)!

- Jack

March already! Here’s my next desktop wallpaper / calendar image, again in two image sizes, one wider than the other.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

Please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

March 2010 – 1440 x 900

March 2010 – 1280 x 1024

I shot this in May 2008, but didn’t process it until now – I’m not sure why, as now I rather like it. Maybe I’m just in the mood for a warm sunset on the shore of Lake Superior, listening to the rhythmic slap of the waves rolling in… Just in case others are in the same mood, I’m making this the background for my March calendar, too.

This is the view from the beach by Superior Falls, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It’s another one of those spots I visit frequently on my trips to the northwoods, and I have a few other images from this location in the galleries.

As always, please feel free to post a comment below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

It’s that time again! Here’s my next desktop wallpaper / calendar image, again in two image sizes, one wider than the other.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

Please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

February 2010 – 1440 x 900

February 2010 – 1280 x 1024

Here’s a little rime for daughter Bri and grandson Jake, who share a birthday today. Wisconsin winter wonderland photo was taken this morning here in Beloit.

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Soft rime is a white ice deposition that forms when the water droplets in light freezing fog or mist freeze to the outer surfaces of objects, with calm or light wind. The fog freezes usually to the windward side of tree branches, wires, or any other solid objects.
Now you know that, too.

Happy Birthday! Love you both! :^D







(Definition of soft rime courtesy of Wikipedia.)

This is a different cropping of one of the images I posted for New Year’s Day. After I’d looked at the original image for a while, I realized that this was the image I was really after (for now, at least).

This seems to be a bit of a pattern with me… I could get a panoramic-format camera, but then I’d probably start discovering that I was really after a square crop from the center of the shot or something… :^D

Comments welcome, as always!

- Jack

Here are a few more autumn images from the northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that have been languishing on my hard drive for a while… They were shot at varying locations from Mercer, Wisconsin over to Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains in the U.P.

As always, I’d love your comments!

- Jack

At long last, after 2 extensions to the voting period, the Outdoor Photographer Magazine’s 2nd Annual Nature’s Colors photo contest has come to a close! One of my images, Autumn Falls At Pewit’s Nest 9454-2 (shown below), was a finalist in the contest and in fact made it to the top 20 in the People’s Choice voting.

My thanks to all who looked, commented, voted, and/or offered encouragement and support – I truly appreciate it! And my congratulations to the winners – I think I was in pretty good company, considering the quality of some of the work shown in the contest!

- Jack

Happy New Year, everyone! Here are a few more winter images to wrap up 2009 and ring in 2010.

These were taken the day after Christmas 2009 at Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, IL. We had a beautiful soft snowfall that day – you can’t clearly see the snowflakes in most of these, but the falling snow gives the images a certain texture they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

It was a great day to be outside, relaxing into the peace and quiet after the hectic run-up to Christmas!

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts – please feel free to leave a comment.

- Jack

So long, 2009 – here we come, 2010!

Happy New Year! Here’s my second desktop wallpaper / calendar image, again in two image sizes, one wider than the other.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

Please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

January 2010 – 1440 x 900

January 2010 – 1280 x 1024

This is another image from my recent morning outing in an early winter fog here in Beloit, Wisconsin. The Rock River runs through the middle of the city and along one side of Big Hill Park, so it’s a convenient and scenic spot to look for images in inclement weather.

I darkened this one in processing, simply because I like this mood and look. What do you think? Does this work for you?

- Jack

Chris Quillen will be teaching several photography & Photoshop courses at the Beloit Fine Arts Incubator – if you’re in the area and in the market for instruction, Chris is your guy! Chris is a professional photographer with decades of experience (sorry, Chris, but it had to be said! ;^D ), including teaching photography at the college level.

Check out the course listings on the BFAI’s website at http://www.beloitfineartsincubator.com/education.htm.

Chris’ website is at http://www.tylerphoto.com/.

- Jack

We’re coming down to the wire, but there are still a few days left to vote! One of my images (shown below) is a finalist in Outdoor Photographer Magazine’s 2nd Annual Nature’s Colors photo contest. Some prizes will be awarded by judges’ decision, but the People’s Choice Prize is determined by popular vote. People’s Choice voting will be open through the night of December 22, 2009.

So, if you like my image, please follow the link below and vote for it! (You’ll need to register, but it’s quick and painless, I promise!)

Here’s the link to the image – there’s a red “Register” button to the left, and you vote by clicking on a star (hopefully the 4th or 5th to the far right… :^D ).

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/2nd-annual-natures-colors/finalists/25678-autumn-falls-at-pewits-nest-9454-2.html

Oh, and please feel free to pass this along to friends, family, Facebook, Twitter…

Thanks!

- Jack

Here’s the first image I’ve processed from a quick shoot the other day. We had some great fog in the morning, so I stopped by the same park where I took this shot almost a year ago. I found a few compositions that struck me, so more to come in the near(ish) future…

- Jack

Need a little pick-me-up? Want some inspiration to jump-start your attitude? Check out these 2 videos by my friend Patrick Di Fruscia!

Inspiration and Wisdom Part I

Inspiration and Wisdom Part II

And be sure to check out his stunning photography while you’re there!

- Jack

Well, the Beloit Holidazzle was tonight, and a great time was had by all! The turnout was better than I expected, given the cold weather, and people seemed to be in a festive mood. I met a lot of friendly art lovers and got to talk with them about my work, reconnected with some folks I haven’t seen in a long time, conversed with the other artists at The Villager, and had a generally terrific time. Oh, and – bonus! – I even sold something!

Many thanks to all who stopped by, and many thanks as well to Betsy & Tim at The Villager for being such wonderful hosts again this year!

- Jack

Dave Taylor is a terrific nature photographer based in Alaska – if you’re a nature photography fan in the Rockford / Chicago area, you owe it to yourself to attend one of these presentations. And be sure to check out his website at http://sixtyonenorth.com/!

The information below is lifted from Dave’s website at http://sixtyonenorth.com/wp/2009/12/wild-lands-wild-life-presentations-coming-to-chicago-area/:

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Come celebrate Alaska’s Wild Land & Wild Life with professional photographer Dave Taylor of Sixtyone North.
January 3, 2010
For any nature photography fans in the greater Chicago area. I will be giving multimedia presentations featuring my photography in Alaska. The focus will be locations, logistics, and misconceptions so you can get the most out of your dream trip to Alaska! Each presentation will be about 1 hour long followed with 1/2 hour devoted to Q&A. This is going to be a fun & inspirational look at following your dreams, adventure, as well as some technique. Oh, and yes…
Entry will be FREE.

Venue 1
12:30-2:00 PM January 3, 2010
Sponsored by the Rockford Camera Club
Rockford Art Museum (RAM)
Studio C
711 N. Main Street
Rockford, Illinois 61103

Venue 2
3:30-5 PM January 3, 2010
Fox River Camera Club
Pottawatomie Community Center
8 North Avenue
St. Charles, Illinois 60174

Venue 3
7-9 PM January 3, 2010
Riverwoods Nature Photography Society
Ryerson Woods Conservation Area
21950 N. Riverwoods Road
Riverwoods, Illinois 60015

OK, this isn’t as seasonal as the images of the Lake Superior ice caves, but it is another image that has sat untouched on my hard drive for too long! This is from a walk in Big Hill Park here in Beloit on a pleasant foggy morning last fall.

Comments appreciated, as always!

- Jack

Here are a few more wintery images from my February 2009 visit to the ice caves on Lake Superior, just outside Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Please let me know what you think!

- Jack

The blizzard has me thinking winter thoughts, and going back through old photos for images I haven’t worked on yet. I found a few from my February 2009 trip to the Lake Superior ice caves outside Bayfield, Wisconsin. This was the first time I’d been to the ice caves, and they blew me away! I’m not sure if I’ll get a chance this winter, but I definitely plan to return there when I can.

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome!

- Jack

Just a quick note on the gear I have for sale here: I replaced a couple of empty ink cartridges in the Canon ipf 5100 printer, so I’ve adjusted both the description and the price for that item – it’s actually still the same amount of ink, but now more of it’s in the printer instead of in extra cartridges! I’ve dropped the asking price for the printer + any extra ink from $1400 to $1200. If you’re in the market and in my area, this is a great bargain on a great printer!

- Jack

This is a bit of an experiment, inspired by Dave Taylor and Varina and Jay Patel, among others. I’m starting with only two image sizes, one wider than the other.

To set an image as your desktop wallpaper, just right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on one of the links below and save the image to your desktop or some other location where you’ll be able to find it again. Then right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac) on the image and select the option to make it your Desktop Background / Picture.

Even easier, some browsers will let you set it as your Desktop Background / Picture directly from their context menu when you right-click (PC) / control-click (Mac).

Please leave your comments below to let me know what you think!

- Jack

December 2009 – 1440×900

December 2009 – 1280×1024

I’ll be at The Villager for Beloit Holidazzle, December 11 from 5-9 PM. The Villager is located at 429 E Grand Ave. in Beloit, but Holidazzle itself encompasses the Downtown Beloit area with lots of art, crafts, and entertainment by a wide variety of artists.

If you attend Holidazzle, please feel free to stop in at The Villager and say hi!

- Jack

On the Road to Upson 9077-1

OK, so this is a shameless request for your vote – one of my images (shown below) is a finalist in Outdoor Photographer Magazine’s 2nd Annual Nature’s Colors photo contest. Some prizes will be awarded by judges’ decision, but the People’s Choice Prize is determined by popular vote.

So, if you like my image, please follow the link below and vote for it! (You’ll need to register, but it’s quick and painless, I promise!)

Here’s the link to the image – there’s a red “Register” button to the left, and you vote by clicking on a star (hopefully the 4th or 5th to the far right… :^D ).

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/photo-contests/2nd-annual-natures-colors/finalists/25678-autumn-falls-at-pewits-nest-9454-2.html

Oh, and please feel free to pass this along to friends, family, Facebook, Twitter…

Thanks!

- Jack

These were shot at Little Girl’s Point in the Michigan U.P. in early October. This is one of those spots that offers so much more to the senses than I can show in a photo – the larger waves sent water splashing into my face (and the camera’s lens!), a crisp wind blew the scent of Superior inland, and the when the waves washed in and out over the rocks, they tumbled together to make an almost eerie clattering sound coming from under the water.

As always, please let me know what you think!

- Jack

Here’s an image of an aspen from my October trip to the northwoods of Wisconsin. I say “an aspen” as this is almost certainly a single organism, even though we usually refer to them as separate trees.

Aspens reproduce mostly by sending out shoots from the roots – what we perceive as individual trees are stems from the root system. An aspen grove is a single organism known as a clone, and while individual stems live around 200 years, the clone itself can live for thousands. The Pando aspen clonal colony in Utah is estimated to weigh over 6600 tons, making it the heaviest known living organism. Some estimate its age at 80,000 years, which would place it among the oldest known living organisms.

As always, please let me know what you think!

- Jack

Well, I’m still behind on processing images, but here are a few more from my October trip to the northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan’s U.P. This group of images was shot around Superior Falls on Lake Superior.

As always, please let me know what you think!

- Jack

]]> http://www.jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/more-fall-photos-from-the-northwoods-of-wisconsin-and-michigans-u-p/feed/ 2 http://www.jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/on-the-road-to-upson-an-image-from-wisconsins-northwoods/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=on-the-road-to-upson-an-image-from-wisconsins-northwoods http://www.jackjohnsonphoto.com/blog/on-the-road-to-upson-an-image-from-wisconsins-northwoods/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:18:57 +0000 Jack Johnson http://www.jackjohnsonphoto.com/?p=551

As usual, I’m way behind in processing images. This is from my trip north at the beginning of October. There was some really nice fall color, and lots of rain and clouds! That can actually be a good thing – it helps the saturation of the colors & makes them pop a bit.

I shot this near dusk as I was driving toward Upson Falls. I spotted the view of the colors and mist in the distance as I came around a bend in the road, then had to drive a couple of miles to find a spot to turn around to come back to shoot it.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

A couple of images from a recent trip to Governor Dodge State Park here in Wisconsin. The colors weren’t brilliant, but it was still a beautiful Wisconsin autumn day!

Unfortunately, you really lose the sense of depth with the small versions here. These are larger than the versions on my Facebook page (at http://www.facebook.com/jackvjohnsonphoto), but even these seem flat compared with the full-size, full-resolution images. Some images just don’t translate well to sizes convenient for web browsing!

Thanks for looking, and please let me know what you think!

- Jack

Gifted nature photographer Youssef Ismail was recently involved in a serious traffic accident that totaled the truck he depends on for his livelihood. Because insurance won’t cover the full replacement, he’s holding an emergency photo sale to raise funds. If you’re in the market for beautiful artwork at low prices, I encourage you to visit his website:

Update: Youssef is now calling this the Autumn Photo Sale, and the new link is:

http://www.organiclightphoto.com/blog/index.php/autumn-photo-sale/

You can also find him on FaceBook at:

http://www.facebook.com/OrganicLightPhoto

Even if you’re not in the market for art right now, you owe it to yourself to take a look at his work!

Thanks,

- Jack

Here’s another image from the recent trip to Pewit’s Nest in the Baraboo Hills of Wisconsin. This is more straightforward than the last image – it’s a simple image of the small waterfall at the end of the canyon. This was the last image of the day, made just after sunset.

Here’s a photo from a recent visit to Pewit’s Nest, in the Baraboo Hills of Wisconsin. It’s an image of the reflection of trees in a stream – look closely, and you can make out the leaves and sticks on the stream bed mixing in with the reflection of the leaves, trunks, and branches of the living trees. I like this image for the visual ambiguity of the combination of living and dead; for the symbolism of the submersion of the dead and the reflection of the living on the water; and for the philosophical musings it suggests about life and death, impermanence, and cycles in nature.

What do you see? Does this image work for you?

(You can see a larger version here.)

If you’re in the area of Oregon, Wisconsin on the 10th or 11th, check out the 2009 Oregon Arts Festival for lots of art, music, and fun! I’ll have work on display (and for sale) at Lemery House, 159 S. Main St. I’m trying something different for this show – all my prints on display are gallery-wrapped canvas. If you get a chance to see them, please let me know what you think!

Oh, and no worries about the weather – all art, music, and activities have indoor venues.

- Jack

Welcome to the new site! Some things (like the old news posts) are still in transition, so please bear with me as I keep plugging away.

Please have a look around and post your comments – I’d love to hear from you.

- Jack