Alps around here are know for their glaciers, and I have been always drown to photograph them. As it is quite dangerous activity to move over the glacier, it requires some knowledge and in ma case I usually take a guide with me. Security is important, and remember it is also illegal to venture the glaciated terrain on your own.
Read moreLarge Format Photography with Ebony SW 45
I purchased my first large format camera Ebony RSW 45 in 2011, and I have been using it with more or less success for my landscape photography since then. I even traveled with this camera to Iceland, to discover that it is not so difficult to use this cumbersome equipment in rather challenging weather conditions. I regularly take it with me to the mountains and also around the lake here in Geneva. At the end it is not so heavy, so I can carry it everywhere I want. However, to set up camera properly can be sometimes quite challenging. Especially when it is windy or cold, but it is getting easier with practice.
Read moreGood News from Bergger
I have not been participating to many photo competitions last year, But when i saw invitation from Bergger (which is French manufacturer of black and white negatives and high quality photo papers) to submit photographs for their new baryta papers packaging, i decided to take my chance. I prepared three photos and send them just before the deadline expired without any hopes and expectations.
Read moreOta Featured On TwelveSmallSquares
If you are a fan of true traditional black and white photography, you should know David Kirby and his amazing website with wonderfully poetic name Twelve Small Squares. David is a darkroom purist whose work stands out for miles on the net and I only wish I will see it once with my own eyes. Check out how he studies shapes and conveys deep moods in his landscape imagery, as an example.
Read moreIceland Exhibition Showcase
I'm happy to report that the exhibition of our Iceland work is going very well. We have seen some visitors coming in and received some great feedback so far. I wondered for a moment if they had just been polite or they meant it, but what's the difference after all? We love polite people as much as we love our fans.
Read moreIceland, One Place Two Visions Exhibition Announcement
We are proud to announce the Land & Colors' exhibition titled Iceland, One Place Two Visions. It is taking place in La Julienne Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland. All photographs are installed as we speak. Ota just needs to finish few tiny details today and the show will be ready to officially commence tomorrow December 3, 2014. It will last until December 20, 2014.
Read moreBlack and white workflow – Part 2
Few months back I wrote first part of this black and white workflow tutorial and I really did not expect that it would take me so long to come up with part two. So here it is:) As I said last time I prefer to have just simple grey files as a starting point. It helps me to select only the strong photographs, which I really want to present. I can imagine that everybody has their own system how to mark and rate photographs so just only briefly about my way. All photographs, which I convert to black and white get red label (number 6 in Lightroom) and during the selection process I do rate individual pictures with stars and one star means that this picture is ready for further adjustments.
Read moreBlack and White Workflow – Part 1
Quite a lot of people, including my friends from Lightharmony, have been asking me how do I do mine Black and White conversions. So finally I have forced myself to start with this little tutorial about my workflow and black and white landscape photography in general. My attraction to black and white photography started sometime back in 2005, and as I mentioned in previous blog the main trigger for me was John Sexton’s book “Recollections”, where I was so impressed by all the different tones of gray, the precise compositions and the overall strong atmosphere of the photographs that I wanted to try it by myself. The whole transition process from color to black and white photography took me couple of years and approximately from early 2009 I have been seeing the world exclusively in tones of gray. I can say that this switch opens entirely a new world of landscape photography for me. Since, I am now focusing on composition and subject matter more than before and I am trying to keep my photographs as simple as possible. I have found that in some of my older color photographs colors play to big role and more or less are substituting for not very strong compositions. I also think that black and white photographs have kind of more abstract and mystery feel, which forces viewers to use fully their imagination:)
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