Open House this weekend - Sat, Dec 5th 3-8pm

I am having a small celebration to thank all my supporters and customers over the last year this coming weekend (Dec 5th) at our Holiday Party/Open house at our house in Sunnyvale. Hopefully I will also get some new images on the wall! You can just drop by and have a glass of wine - bring the kids as it is a kid friendly event. Drop me an email or a comment if you want me to send you the address to attend.

New Photo Exhibit! Planet Granite Indoor Climbing Gym in Sunnyvale

I am excited about a new fine art photography exhibit that I have at Planet Granite Indoor Climbing Gym in Sunnyvale, California! I have about 10 images up including quite a few from my Yosemite "Water, Light and Textures" series. I put up all Canvas Gallery-wrap Giclée images including the 40x60 inch waterfall from Uvas Canyon Creek! I love sharing my images where other people are as much (or more) outdoor and fitness enthusiants than I am. I am taking the family to get certified for belaying and Laura (6) and Henry (4) are REALLY excited about rock climbing (and also excited about seeing Daddy's prints there!) Looks like we will have to get a membership! The management and staff are really awesome folks there and everyone seems to have taken an interest in my work - quite a few nice comments from people walking by even as I was hanging the pieces!! It is really those kind words that also help drive me to get to another place to try to take some great images. Looks like Planet Granite will be one of those places I will be on a Friday afternoon.

My images will be on display there until June, 2010. Stop by to check them out or for a workout if you are in the area. Then head over to another rock themed place -- the Rok Bistro for some fondue and entrees served on a Hot Rock! My images are still on display there and are continuing to be changed out.

Also! Open House /Holiday Party at our house in Sunnyvale, December 5th. Send an email for more information/directions.
Back to printing and stretching more canvas!

Don't forget the holiday sale going on for all of my images.

Great Photography Workshop in Yosemite with Mike Osborne / Ansel Adams Gallery

There is an upcoming photography workshop with retired Yosemite park ranger, Mike Osborne that I am going on. It is a one day workshop this Saturday, November 21st. The title of the workshop is "The River Nobody Knows" and focuses on the beauty of the Merced River and the Granite and water flowing along 140 that most people zip past trying to get to Yosemite.

Normally, I don't write about just any workshop, but I had the opportunity to meet and shoot with Mike last fall while taking a Fall Color workshop with Michael Frye through the Ansel Adams gallery (which was awesome btw!)

Mike is one of Yosemite's hidden gems and I want to get the word out because opportunities like this don't always come around! Mike is just an incredible guy - one of those almost stereotypical park ranger-looking guys you would see and ask questions or directions!! I had a blast shooting with him - his eye for details, composition and the stories about the year are amazing. I know that I couldn't spend a month in the Yosemite back country in the winter with only a pack and a mule!! Mike is very soft spoken and is able to share his techniques and expertise with a wide variety of photographers.

Mike loves the big landscapes but also the small details. You should see some of his pictures of ice crystals on small ponds in the morning. Just breathtaking! Mike has influenced me since I met him last year (My "Water, Light and Textures" series would be a good example!) Mike also loves rocks and rock abstracts that I love (granted with a touch less vibrance :-) Mike was recently featured in the book, "First Light: Five Photographers Explore the Yosemite Wilderness" as well as an updated book he has written called, "Granite, Water, and Light" (I have copies of both!) The links above are to the Yosemite Association where you can purchase the books or better yet, join!

I am hoping to learn and capture some new perspectives this weekend at the workshop. I hope you might also get a chance to sign-up and shoot. It is an inexpensive but priceless opportunity that I am looking forward to. If not, I will be glad to share some of my images! Keep shooting. John

Title for picture taken by John Harrison "Mike Osborne points out the dramatic lighting on the photographer he found in the wild."

Interview with Jennifer Wu, Canon EF 24-70 Lens

I just finished up a workshop assisting for Jennifer in October. A couple days later this great interview with her and one of her favorite lenses. Although it is a Canon :-), it is a really nice piece of glass! This is in the October Interview of Lens of the Month, so you may need to look through the "BACK ISSUES". Jennifer does some amazing work! You can find more of Jennifer's work at Majestic Peak Images on her website.

Awesome new Vincent Laforet video shot on the new Canon 1D Mark IV DSLR

New Vincent Laforet video shot on the new Canon 1D Mark IV at ISO 6400 with available light. Just wild and stunning. You can click the link at the top to view the full 1080p version if you have bandwidth (courtesy Chris MacAskill). This is hosted on the SmugMug site that also does a supreme job of hosting and displaying the video - the best site around for photo and video hosting.

Here is the link for the automatic sizing based on your display:

If you REALLY have some bandwidth and processing power (like a mac) to view the FULL 1080p HD video, then check out this link.

Shooting in Beijing was great!

My whirlwind trip to Asia got me to Beijing. I hired a guide and driver to take me around Beijing and managed to see The Great Wall (Badaling), The Summer Palace and The Forbidden City. I managed to get the guide to get me out early and was the first person to arrive at one of the most popular sections of the wall. I had about 30 minutes to shoot before other folks started to arrive! This is DEFINITELY the way to enjoy it. I captured this image just as I was getting ready to go in. The camera happened to be setup and ready to go or I wouldn't have gotten this. More images to post later.

Now off to shoot fall colors in Bishop and the Eastern Sierra.

Photography Workshop: Fall Colors in the Eastern Sierra this weekend

I am barely back from my travels to Sydney, Beijing, Chapel Hill NC and now I am off to assist in my first photography workshop in the Eastern Sierras near Bishop California. The target is Fall Colors in the Eastern Sierras near Bishop California and near Yosemite National Park. Jennifer Wu is the pro photographer that is leading the workshop. Jennifer was one of the pros that I got to work with when I won the Aperture Nature Photography Workshop (ANPW) contest and is also a Canon "Explorers Of Light" pro.

It should be fun and the weather is looking nice. There IS still a few spots left so let me know quickly if you want to go. Hopefully we will get some nice fall colors as it is cooling down this week here and especially in the higher elevations. Last year during this exact weekend I was shooting fall colors with Michael Frye. It started out at 90 degrees and we had 6" of SNOW by the weekend! The mountain passes closed and I had to take the long way home (an additional 4 hours!)

Here is some additional information about the workshop.

Oct 2-4 Bishop, Ca Majestic Peak Photo Workshop
Fall Colors in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas

California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains offer beautiful locations
to photograph a variety of subjects. Fall colors, the White Mountains,
Mount Whitney and natural arches are just a few. These locations
require being at the right place at the right time of day and year.
This workshop will get you to those locations!

This workshop will get you to those locations! Most our time will be spent photographing and
less on lectures. Informal lectures will be held during the day in the hotel lobby.
We will show you new ways to see and photograph and it will be an invigorating experience!

http://www.jenniferwuphotography.com/-/jenniferwuphotography/wildcard.asp

Jennifer's Bio can be found here.
http://www.jenniferwuphotography.com/-/jenniferwuphotography/about.asp

Fun Down Under! Seeing the sites in Sydney

I have managed to get out to see a fun fun places in and around Sydney. I have a view from my hotel room of Circular Quay and the Opera House. What an AMAZING place! I went walking around the Opera House last night and this was one image from my walk. It truly is a wonderful place to see up close!

Upcoming Shooting - Sydney and Beijing

I have been traveling for work quite a bit lately, but I have some great upcoming business trips (my day job is in computer security) that will be bringing me this month to Sydney, Australia and Beijing, China!! I have been to Sydney before but never with a decent camera. I am hoping to venture out to the Harbour and the Harbour Bridge and might even get down to Melbourne and shoot along the Great of Road (I don't think I will make it that far.) This summer while I was shooting in Yosemite, I met a nice couple hiking and taking pics as well - turns out he is a marketing manager for Nikon in Australia! Hopefully we will connect and do some shooting while I am there. I am going to be looking for some nice coastal settings and maybe even a sunset. It is winter there so at least it won't be TOO hot! I have booked a few extra days to shoot there.

While I am in Beijing I won't have a lot of spare time to shoot, but I will still venture out! Maybe get to the Summer Palace or a quiet portion of the Great Wall. China has International Day coming up so festivities are starting to get ready. I would really like to find a photo tour guide while over there to make best use of my time.

If you have ideas or suggestions of places to shoot or find a photo guide, please let me know!

New Fine Art Exhibit and Reception! Pacific Art League SVOS Invitational

I have a new exhibit that is showing this month (in addition to the Rok Bistro in Sunnyvale and Mike's Cafe in Menlo Park). I have been accepted to the 2009 SVOS Invitational Exhibition at the Pacific Art League! This is a select group of the top artists from the Silicon Valley Open Studios that I participated in this spring. One of my images was selected for the event postcard as well. Hope you can join me at the reception! I will have two of the Gallery Wrap Giclée images on display.

Silicon Valley Open Studios and the Pacific Art League are pleased to present the 2009 SVOS Invitational Exhibition at the Pacific Art League during the month of September.

The show is free to the public and there will be a public preview on Friday, Sept 4th, from 6 to 9pm. Refreshments will be served.

In addition, the exhibition opening reception for artists, friends and the public will be Friday Sept 11th from 6 to 9 pm. Awards will be presented at 7pm. Refreshments will be served.

I am also the curator for an exhibit across the street for the Palo Alto Camera Club exhibiting some of the top prints from 2008 during the month of September in the main lobby from September 1 to September 29th.

September 11th is ALSO the reception for the Exhibit that I am the curator for at the Palo Alto City Hall/Civic Center. This reception is open from 5-7pm. For more information about this exhibit, please check out the Palo Alto Camera Club website.

These receptions are your opportunity to view some of the finest art from the recent Silicon Valley Open Studios, Palo Alto Camera club and meet the artists personally.