Calm Photos

The most recent self-publishing project featuring landscape photographs taken from late summer through autumn of 2009, “The Margins of the Day” is a 50-page, 8″x10″ coffee table-style book that comes in both soft and hardcover versions. All the images within the book are full-color. The introductory text describes my creative approach toward capturing landscapes in those times of day when the “good light” is apparent and the subtle tones and textures of foreground and sky compliment one another for resulting photographs that are serene, peaceful and calm. Many of scenes represented in the book are from the Hocking Hills of Southeastern Ohio, however, landscapes in the Colorado Plateau of Utah, the Great Smoky Mountains of Eastern Tennessee and the coastline of the Carolina Low Country are also included in this book which is a photographic celebration of the haunting beauty of natural light at dawn and dusk.

Margins of the Day Photography Book by Jim Crotty

The Margins of…

Fine Art Landscape…

By Jim Crotty

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Bryce Canyon in Winter by Jim Crotty

Originally uploaded by jimcrotty.com.

Landscape photography of the beauty of light on a winter landscape in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

Toward Winter by Jim Crotty
Originally uploaded by jimcrotty.com.

This past Saturday’s workshop – “Digital Editing and Workflow for Nature Photography” – went very well. As I was leaving the classroom at Cox Arboretum following a full-day of fun and instruction this was the scene that greeted me. I quickly unpacked my camera and tripod and captured these beautiful colors of a November sunset.

I am now in the early stages of planning my next photography workshop, perhaps a full-day program on winter nature photography on a Saturday in late January or early February. Once again I will present the program at Cox Arboretum (the Mead-Westvaco Theatre is the perfect classroom setting) and limit the group to 20 attendees. This time the instruction will be more of a balance between basic instruction on field shooting techniques and basic digital workflow. I also look forward to demonstrating the hidden beauty that can be discovered out on the winter landscape of Ohio.

If you’d like to be added to the mailing list of those to be first notified when the date is announced for “Winter Nature Photography,” please drop me a note via email.

Previously I was using kind of a “third party administrator” for sales of stock image licensing to most of my images. The monthly fee just simply wasn’t worth it. Hence I’ve returned to directly managing all of my stock image estimates and sales, and like the page on my web site that describes my commercial photography services, I don’t provide a standard rate. That’s too restricting, especially for the photographer. Each project and client situation is unique given the intended usage, distribution, print run, medium, etc., therefor estimates are provided only after I’ve had an opportunity to speak with the potential customer and ask him or her a series of questions.

My new page regarding stock image licensing includes several of what I call ’stock strips’ – samples grouped according to my most popular stock subjects, including Dayton skyline and cityscapes, wildlife, avian, Ohio landscapes and holiday images. These are also designed to be printed as 4″x8″ direct mail or leave-behind prints.

Also, I’m discovering that more and more publishers and agencies are fishing the waters over on flickr. Nine out 10 times they will contact the photographer of an image they are interested in using without mention of their stock fees or offer of compensation. They simply throw-out the usual “we’ll give you a credit listing” in attempt to take advantage of a photographer’s desire for “the big break.”

I strongly encourage photographer’s everywhere, whether amateur or professional, to stick to their guns when it comes to being paid for usage versus a simple credit listing, or less. Even in the case of most so-called “non-profits.” If the organization has a payroll and they pay for utilities, advertising, etc., then they can – and should – pay for image licensing. A photographer’s time, skill and knowledge go into the crafting of each image.

Last night I returned home from a full-day workshop in Cincinnati – PhotoTech by the Ohio Valley Chapter of ASMP – to discover in my mailbox a nice letter and certificate from the Professional Photographic Certification Commission. After taking and subsequently passing a two-hour, comprehensive written examination on technical expertise and successfully submitting 20 images from different commercial photo shoots to a panel of judges for review and approval, I have officially earned the designation of Certified Professional Photographer. Currently there are less than 2,000 professional photographers in the United States who have earned this designation.

Episode Nine of A Photographic Moment tutorial video series – performing targeted adjustments in Photoshop.

A February sky over Calvary Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.