Michael E. Gordon Photography

Art from the Pit

michaelgordon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:59:47 +0000

Art from the Pit

Nope – this post has nothing to do with juicy tips from the trenches. Although it may end up being the first of many Art from the Pit posts. What the hay am I talking about?

I have a sweet and loving pit bull named Mojave. You can read a little about her story here. Despite her sweetness (no different than any other pit bull well-treated by humans), she has jaws of steel and enjoys crushing containers, cans, basketballs, wood…you name it. Pit bulls enjoy exercising those fat muscles in their heads and relish in the careful disassembly of most objects, and Mojave is no different. So I’ve decided to start photographing her ‘works of art’. It’s an aluminum cat food can today, but it could very well be a glass container tomorrow….

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

Lucky – one month later…

michaelgordon — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:37:30 +0000

Lucky the Cat, pre-injury
About three weeks ago I wrote a post about our cat, Lucky, who had been shot at close range and sustained a severe fracture of the front left humerus. It’s now been about one month since the incident, and Lucky had yet another follow-up appointment and more radiographs today. I’m happy to report that Lucky is doing excellent and healing as planned, so he won’t have to visit the vet again for another month. He still has another month of low-activity confinement, but we hope that for his sake the time will pass quickly. He is growing bored

THANKS to everyone for their compassion and support!

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website.

Fuji Film Discontinues 50-sheet Boxes of 4×5″ Pro160S

michaelgordon — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:03:24 +0000

AKA “Fuji Doesn’t Want Our Business“

No, they haven’t discontinued the emulsion, but they’ve made it more expensive (and less GREEN) now by forcing us to buy only 10-sheet boxes, which effectively now makes this film 20% more expensive. But I’m stubborn and cannot be forced into anything. So, Fuji, because you’re making it hard to do business with you, I’ll just do less business with you. You first took away my Acros Quickloads, and now this. I’m left with no choice other than to switch emulsions and purchase from your competitor. My color negative film from here on out will be Kodak Portra 160NC.

B&H is already out of the 50-sheet boxes, but you can still find it at other online retailers.

Please, please, Fuji: don’t kill my Astia.

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

Rabbitbrush & Snakeweed Garden – Post #100!

michaelgordon — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:40:36 +0000

Rabbitbrush & Snakeweed Garden
Although I’m not nearly as prolific a blogger as many friends and colleagues, I’ve somehow managed to successfully reach my 100th post! So here it is – THANKS for reading and helping me to keep it going!

I found this beautiful and wild Rabbitbrush & Snakeweed garden (Chrysothamnus nauseosus, Gutierrezia sarothrae) in southwest Utah while on my return home from our early October Creative Landscape Photography workshop. Cloud coverage allowed me to shoot away despite the mid-day light, and a shallow aperture permitted me to place the focus right where I wanted it. The triptych presentation was conceived in the field while photographing.

I think I might have been channeling my feminine side here, as based on my experience, this photograph is the kind that woman will go for (my wife loves it!). There’s little in the way of masculinity expressed in this photograph, but I’m perfectly OK with the more sensitive side of my photographs

To celebrate my 100th post and honor my blog readers for their loyalty, I am offering an Open Edition 14″ print of this triptych for the very special price of $25 (plus shipping). Click here to purchase, but don’t delay. This offer ends on November 23, 2009.

Thanks for your readership and comments – it’s been a fun and interesting ride!

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

How-to Video: Daylight Black & White Sheet Film (4×5″) Development

michaelgordon — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:30:46 +0000

more about "Daylight Sheet Film (4×5″) Developmen…", posted with vodpod

In this lengthy but highly detailed and informative video, Michael explains how to develop your own large format black and white sheet film at home *without* needing a darkroom! This is an entirely ‘daylight’ process requiring only a few specialized pieces of equipment and patience. So grab a pen, a notepad, and beverage of your choice, and get ready to take notes!

Enjoy! I hope you find it helpful.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: My good friend Robert Myers, who went to great lengths to help me complete this video and get it online.

And also SPECIAL THANKS TO: the great photographer and print maker Per Volquartz who encouraged and helped me get started with this process some years back. And finally, THANKS to my friend Scott Schroeder who conceived and designed the brilliant, inexpensive, and portable “drying cabinet” first seen at 40:20 in the video.

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

Digital Printing Insights #7: Media Type Settings

michaelgordon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:53:37 +0000

the Media Type selection
Exactly what does the Media Type (or Paper Type in non-Epson drivers) setting control? Most importantly and critically, it determines the amount of ink coverage (or ink density) that the paper will receive (in addition to: drying time between printer head passes; paper thickness; platen gap, and many other variables). The Media Type selection is not something to be taken lightly – the quality of your prints depends greatly upon having made the right selection.

So you’ve got a new inkjet paper that you really like, but it’s made by a third-party vendor (not the same manufacturer as your printer). Naturally, the Epson printer driver Media Type selector (click the image at left for a larger view) does NOT include a media selection for your new inkjet paper since it is non-Epson. So how do you know what media type to choose? Check first with your paper manufacturer’s website. Most not only provide free printer profiles for their papers (more on this below), but they also share other technical specifics; including what media selection should be used in conjunction with their paper. What if they do not suggest a media selection or provide profiles for your printer? Time to start printing and testing! Select the most appropriate match to your media type (for instance, select Matte Paper if you’re printing to a matte paper), and make test prints with each of the specific media choices available under Matte Paper. Allow sufficient time for drying (I suggest 12-24 hours), and carefully analyze the subsequent prints. You’re looking for the most dense ink coverage you can get without any ink bleeding; that is, the inks are not running or bleeding into white border of the paper. The prints should be smooth and ink dots should not be visible to the naked eye. Once you determine which media type gets you there, record it and stick with this setting each time you print.

Now you’ve got your media type dialed in, but the paper manufacturer does not provide a printer profile for you to use. No worries! I create very high-quality and low-cost custom printer/paper profiles and getting one is very easy and fast. Please visit GreatPrinterProfiles.com for more information and to order. Please be sure to read the testimonials of my many happy print-making clients.

Thanks for tuning in! If you have any suggestions for future editions of Digital Printing Insights, please let me know!

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

Making the Photograph: The American Dream

michaelgordon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:21 +0000

The American Dream
The California desert is littered with the abandoned homes of prospectors, vagabonds, and dreamers. Some came to strike it rich; some came to escape the city; some came to get away from others. All became too familiar with the trials and tribulations of living on the desert – it ain’t easy. The money runs out, the water runs out, or the patience runs out, and what’s left long behind are the forgotten possessions and stories of those who tried but failed.

A few years back, during the midst of the summer monsoon on the Mojave Desert, I used the often useful WWW (indeed, there is more to it than just Facebook and Twitter) to watch radar and satellites to determine the locations of the fattest thunderheads. And then I went chasing.

Some have assumed that this photograph is a composite. No way! This was the scene as I found it; I have not digitally added or changed the clouds. The unusual lighting adds in some part to the suspicion, I suspect, as the entire foreground is in open shade, while the cloud structure receives full sun. This beautiful Cumulonimbus cloud structure was fortuitously “parked” behind the abandoned structure and building in volume, and the addition of the Joshua trees on the left side made me excited (the desert equivalent of an old oak tree in the yard!). I used my 4×5″ large format view camera, black and white film, and an orange filter. The final look of this photograph came at the printing stage, where I turned the sky black for maximum impact and imparted the overall look and feel I was after.

Just in time for the holidays: purchase a beautiful 8″ Mini-Print (made with pure carbon pigment inks on archival cotton rag, mounted/matted to 11×14″) for only $50. Larger prints are also available.

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

“In order to be a good photographer…”

michaelgordon — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:15:58 +0000

“…you need to work more on your emotions than you do on your technique.”

Listen closely to the amazing photographic artist, Paul Caponigro:

“I dont want to repeat the formula over and over again. I want to be free enough to see every day with fresh eyes.” I just love this quote!

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

What is it?

michaelgordon — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:46:58 +0000

What is it?
I’ll be amazed if anyone can tell me what is seen here. This digital photograph was made right about one year ago here in California. Bonus points if you can actually say where the photograph was made

I’ll reveal the answer in a few days.

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website

Black and White or Color?

michaelgordon — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:15:01 +0000

There are now three realms of photography: black and white; color; and “this isn’t working in color; let’s try converting it to black and white”. I say this rather tongue-in-cheek, but it’s become a more prevalent tactic with today’s photographers (especially if one is attuned to some of the online photographer’s forums).

This isn’t something that occurred very often back in the “days of film”, because film costs money and developing it costs even more money and time. With some exceptions (Polaroids were useful for this purpose), the film photographer decided then and there whether they were using color or black and white. Today’s digital tools and software have made it exceptionally easy now to “experiment” by using the built-in and remarkably excellent conversion tools. But has this made us better or just lazier photographers?

Let me first get this off my chest: if your photograph is not very strong when viewed in all its colorful RGB glory, then converting it to black and white will do nothing to improve it. A mediocre color photograph converted to black and white only becomes a mediocre black and white photograph. I’ve said this many times to fellow photographers, friends, and students: strong black and white photography arises from forethought, rarely from afterthought. When Ansel talked about visualization, he was talking about a process that took place before the shutter was fired, not after. In other words, a strong black and white photograph is conceived in the mind (or mind’s eye, as some would have it) while in the field, not during post-processing. What I especially object to is the notion that black and white is ideal when the light sucks or when the image isn’t working in color. These are two lousy notions.

Color or Black and White?
As a photographer who practices both color and black and white photography, what approach do I take? When I’m in the field, I look for and see either in color or in black and white, but rarely can I do both successfully at the same time. Depending upon where I am – let’s say in this colorful southwest Utah setting seen in the photograph at left – I’ve determined that the color of this location is what is drawing my attention, so I begin seeing only in color. And therein lies my Photographic Rule #1,456: if the COLOR of something draws me in, then photographing/printing in color is the obvious choice. If the LIGHT, TONE, or CONTRAST of something draws me in, then black and white is my more obvious choice. The color might do nothing other than add distraction.

You are visiting the blog of fine art photographer Michael E. Gordon. For additional photos and information, please visit his official website