Death Valley is in the Tin…

by JB | Mar 4, 2013 | B&W, Chuck Kimmerle, Nik Silver Efex | 26 comments

Sorry for being out of touch, however, the internet in Death Valley is pretty much non-existant. We just finished our tour there with our very special guest instructor, Chuck Kimmerle. As my faithful blog readers know, I’m a huge fan of Chuck’s work, so it was a treat to finally meet him in person. I’m sure many are thinking, so what kind of guy is Chuck? Well, let me put it this way, on day two of our scouting, I heard him tell his wife in a phone conversation something like this… “so you know the immature childish jokes you think are stupid and don’t like? Well I’m with two guys who are more childish than me. You would hate it here but I’m having fun” I took great offense as it was abundantly clear that Chuck is so much more childish than Dan and I. Needless to say, Chuck was a blast to be with. He did portfolio reviews for those who brought images (prints). He lead two lectures about Black & White image making as well as processing. His knowledge of composition, image design and the subsequent toning in post processing is tremendous and all went away with pearls of wisdom. I hope Chuck will want to work with Dan and I in the future, however, I’m a bit concerned after our spending 9 days together. He might be having second thoughts….

The blog image was made on our scouting day to the Dunes. Keep in mind this was processed on my laptop, I’ll check when I get home today and to see if I need to adjust on a calibrated display. Hopefully, Chuck will approve!

Stay tuned for a few more Death Valley images in the week to come. Oh and the title is a reference to Peter Lik and Chuck’s excellent impression of him.

Update – I tweaked the image a bit since getting home and working on a calibrated monitor.

26 Comments

MariAnne on March 4, 2013 at 7:39 pm

Outstanding John! Love the curves!
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Chuck Kimmerle on March 4, 2013 at 7:48 pm

It’s a good start, John. A good start.
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- john8276 on March 4, 2013 at 7:49 pm
  
  Dang…. wait till I get back to my calibrated monitor… My goal is a “wow thats great!” Off to process more. 🙁
  Reply
  - Arthur Ransome on March 4, 2013 at 9:44 pm
    
    Crap, I didn’t get anything like that :-). Awesome workshop JB, Dan and Chuck.
    Reply
    - john8276 on March 4, 2013 at 10:17 pm
      
      Thanks Arthur. It was great having you along!
      Reply
Linda Russo on March 4, 2013 at 9:48 pm

Beautiful B&W. Love the lighting:)
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- john8276 on March 4, 2013 at 10:17 pm
  
  Thanks Linda.
  Reply
Nancy T on March 4, 2013 at 9:48 pm

stunning…
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- john8276 on March 4, 2013 at 10:17 pm
  
  Thanks Nancy
  Reply
John Heise on March 4, 2013 at 10:51 pm

I’ll give you a wow, hope you will be sharing some of that new knowledge. More childish then you an Dan, don’t think so.
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Scott O on March 4, 2013 at 11:23 pm

In an informal poll of workshop participants, 98% said Chuck was by far the most mature among the 3 leaders! The remaining 2% was split evenly between JB and Dan!!! Very nice shot by the way, I would have had several similar but they were all too blurry! 😉
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Ferrell McCollough on March 5, 2013 at 3:28 am

Wow John a winning shot. Sounds like a great time, looking forward to seeing many more wonderful scenes.
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- john8276 on March 5, 2013 at 4:43 pm
  
  Thanks Ferrell. It was a good trip.
  Reply
Sarah Marino on March 5, 2013 at 3:45 pm

This is really beautiful, John. I love the tones and wonderful shadows. It was great to meet you while we were out there and I look forward to seeing more of your photos from your trip!
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- john8276 on March 5, 2013 at 3:50 pm
  
  It was great to meet you, Ron and Danny. I hope your trip was a big success!
  Reply
Josh on March 5, 2013 at 4:01 pm

JB,
A “WOW” image!
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- john8276 on March 5, 2013 at 4:32 pm
  
  Thanks Josh
  Reply
Alice Olive on March 5, 2013 at 4:27 pm

Wow, this is stunning!
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- john8276 on March 5, 2013 at 4:31 pm
  
  Thanks Alice.
  Reply
Chuck Kimmerle on March 5, 2013 at 9:22 pm

Seriously, am extremely envious of this pic. It’s a great shape and is very nicely presented
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- Stephan on March 7, 2013 at 3:51 pm
  
  Wow!
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Stephan on March 7, 2013 at 5:43 pm

This image deserves more than a one word “Wow!” response…

“Like the oceans waves… the unseen flow and rhythm of the air… the sands are molded and shaped from above…”

The composition, motion and flow are amazing… As like wondering within Death Valley, this image provides an artistic adventure… Masterfully seen, captured and processed. Print this one BIG and hang it proudly in your gallery … and other galleries.

As a final note: Prior to seeing Death Valley, I assumed the meaning of the word “death” … Yet, Death Valley is very much alive and offers so much more. I was pleasantly impressed that with the hundreds of footprints that are found at the end of the day, they all are erased for the next day for those to experience DVNP as if they were the first to have ever set foot onto the dunes. Magical gifts – to say the least!

Magical work JB!
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- john8276 on March 7, 2013 at 7:19 pm
  
  Thanks Stephan.
  Reply
marty golin on March 7, 2013 at 5:58 pm

Wonderful interplay between the rhythym & flow of the light/shadow & ripples/textures in the sand. Clearly a “wow” image.
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Dale Curtis on March 8, 2013 at 5:25 pm

Having known John for nearly 25 yrs. and without knowing the other two gentlemen, I can safely attest that John must be the most childish! Haha–just know though that this is one of your endearing qualities that makes you so approachable and lovable (and I am sure helps to make for a fun workshop). Masterful work and great to see and read of its impact. Remember, I knew you when…
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- john8276 on March 8, 2013 at 5:29 pm
  
  Hey Dale!! I resemble that comment! Great to see you here on the blog bud.
  Reply