Mardi Gras World, New Orleans, LA. 2009, Dan Bailey

Digital Photography: Landscapes of Place, Community, and Culture

Conveying a sense of space and emotion in imagery is an age-old challenge and desire.  Using a foreign landscape (Italy) is an excellent vehicle for learning to see, record, and make meaning of places, communities and cultures. These skills, when translated back to the familiar worlds of home, allow an image-maker to be an astute observer and communicator.

The class will take advantage of the spectacular and diverse landscapes that make up the Tuscany region, but the class at times will also turn the camera inward and focus on intimate landscapes within the group of students and teachers living, learning, and traveling together.

Because of the small class size all levels of students will be taught and accommodated individually. This multi-level course will introduce the artist/student to both the technical and aesthetic aspects of creating compelling still images via a digital camera and computer.  For intro students the course will cover all the basic principles of lens-based camera systems; software manipulation and presentation of digital images; and developing a vocabulary for talking and thinking about images.  Output of imagery will introduce the student to both the digital print and screen-based online presentation techniques. Advanced students will be challenged with new techniques to create landscapes and documentary photographs both for print and online.

Note: The following earlier posts give an idea of optional demos of techniques and ideas that the instructor uses regularly in his work. Interested students and work in these areas.

Humor and a digital lab work well together.

Much of my own digital photography work is making panoramas that are “stitched” together from separate pictures.  This technique allows you the most control and gives you ability to create full 360 degree panoramas for immersive “virtual-reality” effects.  We will demo this technique and those who are interested can follow up on it.

I found this short video that shows the process of creating a full 360/180 degree panorama. It’s by Eric Rougier who is a terrific panorama geek from France. His website is FromParis.com.

He is using a sophisticated pano head, which is one reason this looks so simple, but otherwise its an accurate illustration. He is working towards creating an interactive VR posted online, not necessarily a flat image to print. This might get a bit too technical at the end, but we can go over it. Also, I will be bringing the pano head that he is using to the Certaldo class. Click the image to see the quicktime movie.

Short Video on Making a Panorama

If you want to see my own digital panorama work use the sidebar link.

btw “Chitarra non Richiesta” means “Guitar not required.” (You have to watch the video for this to make sense.)  So, you don’t need a Chitarra to stitch a pano, but if you bring one, I’ll play the drums…or at least clap along.

* These are more advanced techniques that might be of interest to students. Interested students can pursue them on their own with more help from the instructor.

The Rest is Gravy Along the Way

Class Demo Option #3*

When Sara Bailey licked cancer in the early 1990s her line about life was “The rest is gravy along the way.”  This is a photo mosaic portrait of her weed-whacking along one of the ways of her many flower gardens.

Though the technique of arranging many still photos to create a larger image has a long, varied, and rich history in photography, David Hockney in the 1980s brought the technique to the forefront.  He used Polaroids primarily to create exquisite portraits and still lives.  You can find some great examples of his work on-line.  Here are some on his own website.

Detail: Gravy Along the Way

We will look at his photo collages, along with other photographers, during the class and students may want to work in this tradition.  Creating these types of panoramas is a very different process than stitching together images to create a seamless image from one place.  In working with photo mosaics, the photographer usually moves around in the scene, discovering details.  It’s a very active process of seeing and recording.

* These are more advanced techniques that might be of interest to students. Interested students can pursue them on their own with more help from the instructor.

Orion and the Penland Cows

Class Demo Option #2*

This is a photo mosaic that I put together years ago at Penland. The idea of building up larger images from smaller ones has always been an interest of mine. They don’t always need to be stitched together into seamless images.  This technique is done by hand using paper prints.  Each image is cut out and then slowly arranged and glued down to make one image.

There used to be cows in the pasture at Penland and they were coal black with bright white faces.  At night as you walked by they would look up at you with glowing faces that matched the stars. Orion is my favorite constellation. This mosaic arranges their faces as Orion and sets them in the sky above a sunset near Penland.

* These are more advanced techniques that might be of interest to students. Interested students can pursue them on their own with more help from the instructor.

Target: Penland School

 Class Demo Option #1*

At some point during the course we will definitely work with taking photographs at night and working with “light painting”.  For this image of Penland School, I made a number of overall exposures and combined them with 2 hours of light painting to create the concentric circles and to bring out the building.  It took most of a night to complete it.

To see millions of examples, just type “Light Painting” into Google and search under Images.

* These are more advanced techniques that might be of interest to students. Interested students can pursue them on their own with more help from the instructor.

Thanks to Linda Darty, Director of the East Carolina State Italy Intensive Study Abroad Program for contacting me.

Moving On.  Booting Up.  Getting Ready.  What to take, what to pack….

Note: In the summer of 2010 this site focused on a digital panorama photography course at Penland School of Crafts.  To read those older posts, use the link in the sidebar.

Got Questions?  Leave Comments.
Dan Bailey, Instructor.

Someplace on a wall in the Penland Photography Studio is this class portrait of everyone in the class.  It was taken on a field trip to Hoot Owl Mine and was done with an infrared camera.  This makes a good demarcation line for the end of this digital panorama course.  We had a blast.

Usually walking around in the full sun at high noon is a lousy time for taking pictures, but with infrared its perfect.  Metering, composing, reviewing the images is all done normally.  You can hand hold the camera and use any variety of shutter speeds and apertures.

I took a few panoramas and again it was very easy.  I got one that I am happy with.  I’ll bring the camera to Penland for the class and anyone can try it.  It gets you out of your comfort zone.