There's so much going on right now the next two issues of Insights will follow one another very quickly.
Both highlight resources on black and white - conversions, adjusting, printing, papers, seeing and more.
Epson has announced a new substrate - Exhibition Fiber Paper. It's a new milestone in printing (analog or digital). The black is simply stunning! Additionally, PixelGenius has provided high quality profiles.
Included are reminders of last issue's PDFs discussing criteria to evaluate substrates and Navigating the Epson Driver - Advanced B&W Photo.
Two new PDFS on simple Black and White Conversions have been posted along with another PDF on seeing in B&W. 21st century tools prompt a reconsideration of both workflow and ways of seeing.
You can hear me discuss my work and the evolution of digital printing in Scott Sheppard's Epson's Passion for Photography series on Digital Photo Radio.
You can learn about and use all of the featured items in my upcoming workshops.
Black & White Mastery (next date January 28 - Feb 1, 2008) is a special variant of my most popular workshop The Fine Digital Print I (next date April 28 - Mar 2, 2008) - a continually evolving workshop now in it's 12th year. What's the difference between the two? Black & White Mastery covers the same material with more emphasis on black and white aesthetics. Also, due to poplular demand, I'm offering a new workshop - The Fine Digital Print II (next date Feb 4-8, 2008). It's the follow up to The Fine Digital Print I. What's the difference between the two? FDP II is more advanced, tailored to individual participants, involves extensive reviews of work both brought and done during the week, encourages more collaboration and feedback with other participants, discusses presenting and marketing your work, and emphasizes printing a larger number of exhibition quality prints. 15% early registration discount for B&W Mastery and FDP II ends 12/4. If you'd like to take either workshop, register now - space is limited. The last one filled up fast.
I'll be coteaching a workshop with Andy Biggs in Namibia in May, 2009. You're among the first to hear about it. Act fast. It will fill up practically overnight. Get on the waiting list if you want to do it another year. I'm confident we'll repeat the trip.
My annual print offer, made exclusively to Insights subscribers, features an image from my recent trip to Antarctica.
Stay tuned for more soon!
John Paul
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In this Issue...
Creativity - Take A Break
View Original Masterworks
Workshop - B&W Mastery
Workshop - The Fine Digital Print II
News - Epson Exhibiton Fiber Paper
Technique - Evaluating Substrates
Technique - Epson Advanced B&W Photo
Statement - IDPR Epson's Passion for Photography
Technique - Simple B&W Conversions 1
Technique - Simple B&W Conversions 2
Creativity - Seeing in B&W
Workshop - Namibia
Special Offer - Print
Coming Soon
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Creativity
Take a Break
Stuck? Take a break!
When the solution to a problem eludes you ... Go for coffee. Take a walk. Take a nap. Sleep on it. Sometimes, you may need to do this for many days in a row.
Often, taking a break works best after you've done the necessary preparation or research on a given problem. Get the known (what you know and what others know about a particular challenge) out on the table and into the light of the day. Finding the know will help you find the unknown. You'll identify all the involved components and become more aware of what's missing. But, the unknown usually won't come to you when you are in an analytic state. It usually comes whey you are in a receptive state. Taking a break creates a space that you will fill naturally. Nature abhors a vacuum. Use this to your advantage.
Really let go. Get the problem completely off of your mind (which means out of your field of vision). If you find you can't stop your mind, do something else with your full attention. You may be so fixated on a problem that to get your mind off it, you have to make yourself do something else that's entertaining, exciting, or challenging.
You might think letting go is a sign of a lack of commitment or a form of quitting. It's not. Many times it's an absolutely necessity. It's a way of taking a necessary rest. At some point, everyone and everything needs rest - even your mind.
Once you've had the experience of benefitting from letting go, doing it again will become easier for you.
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View Original Masterworks
One of the best ways to learn how to make better prints is to expose yourself to great masterworks. You'll develop an eye for the aethetics of photographic printmaking. You'll become sensitized to the many nuances that add up to make a great print.
Go to museums. Go to galleries. If you call ahead, you can often make an appointment to see works that are not currently on display.
During my workshops you'll see original master works from the history of photography including original prints by Ansel Adams, Wynn Bullock, Paul Caponigro, Linda Connor, Kurt Markus, Arnold Newman, Olivia Parker, Chris Rainier, Joyce Tenneson, George Tice, Jerry Uelsmann, Brett Weston, Minor White, Huntington Witherill, and many more.
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Workshop
Black & White Mastery
Jan 28 - Feb 1
Black & White Mastery is a special variant of my most popular workshop The Fine Digital Print I. Like FDP 1, it provides a solid overview of color management, surveys current media, outlines a fine art workflow, demonstrates optimum sharpening and noise reduction, teaches sophisticated selection and masking techniques, and much more. It does all this with a more specific and in depth focus on black and white imagery. You'll never see black and white images in quite the same way again. Many myths about black and white are disrupted. Many new expressive possibilities are explored. You'll not only learn to make the finest digital prints possible, you'll see photography in a new way. After all, it's the 21st century and the medium of photography is experiencing the most significant paradigm shift in its history right now. Learn to put this new found power to work for you and your images in this workshop.
Next date Jan 28 - Feb 1, 2008.
Only 8 spaces remain.
15% early registration discount ends October 8.
Register today!
Learn More
Register
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Workshop
The Fine Digital Print II
February 4 - 8
This is the most advanced printmaking workshop I've ever taught. The knowledge base outlined in The Fine Digital Print I is assumed. Lightning fast reviews get participants on the same page. This allows us to address even more advanced techniques, such as addressing the limits of color management and rediscovering the lost art of proofing. This also allows us to be more creative, putting the tools to use for each individual's unique sensibilities. There are no formulas here, only dynamic strategies for solving problems in unique ways. In addition we'll discuss presenting and marketing your work. Extensive reviews of individual participants work sets the stage for our collaborative efforts.
Identify what's unique about your vision, start producing a refined body of work, and leave with exhibition quality prints in this workshop. You'll not only produce the finest digital prints possible, you'll see your images in new ways.
Next date December 3 - 7, 2008.
Only 6 spaces remain.
15% early registration discount ends December 4.
Register today!
Learn More
Register
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News
Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper
Epson recently announced its new Signature Worthy Exhibition Fiber Paper.
It was designed to create the finest black and white inkjet prints closely resembling traditional silver gelatin fiber paper. And it does.
It also makes very fine color prints.
It's a new milestone in photographic printing. Printed with the Epson Advanced B&W Photo option it yields a dmax of 2.6. Selenium toned silver gelatin yields a dmax of 2.35. The black is simply stunning.
It's so stunning that this is the first time I've been truly tempted to print a select set of my exhibition quality fine art pigmented ink prints on a non-matte surface.
Check out the newly revamped Epson Pro Graphics website for more information.
Read Epson's press release on PhotoshopNews.com.
Download profiles from PixelGenius.com.
Then, try the paper.
All of my workshops students will have an opportunity to do so.
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Technique
Printing
Evaluating Substrates
When it comes to making the finest prints, substrate (what you print on) is one of the most significant choices you can make. Learn what to look for when you choose in this PDF.
Read
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Technique
Printing
Navigating the Epson Driver
Advance B&W Photo
Epson's Advanced B&W Photo option provides superior neutrality, graybalance, improved ink limit controls, reduced metamerism, and increased longevity. Learn why and how to use it with this PDF.
Read
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Statement
Inside Digital Photo Radio
Epson's Passion for
Photography
John Paul Caponigro
Scott Sheppard of Inside Digital Photo Radio and I sat down in Vincent Versace's studio for an hour long conversation on digital imaging and digital printing. It's part of Epson's Passion of Photography series. The whole series is well worth listening to.
Listen
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Technique
Editing
Simple B&W Conversions 1
Keep it simple. Why use a more complex solution when a simple one will do the job? CS3's new Black and White adjustment layer can makes excellent color to black and white conversions simply and quickly. Learn how here.
Read
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Technique
Editing
Simple B&W Conversions 2
Sometimes two adjustment layers make better black and white conversions than one. Learn why here.
Read
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Creativity
Seeing In Black and White
Because our tools have evolved, photographers learn to see in black and white differently today in the 21st century than they did previously in the 20th century. YOu have more options now. Put them to use to advance your vision. Learn how here.
Read
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Workshop
Namibia Safari
May 9 - 19, 2009
Andy Biggs and I are coteaching a workshop in Namibia, Africa along the Skeleton Coast and into the oldest desert in the world. Andy has extensive knowledge of the area. The landscape is stunning! This workshop is going to be like no other.
Space is limited to 12. Only 5 spaces remain. Act now!
Learn more ...
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Special Offer Print
Once a year, I make a special print offer available to insights subscribers only. You can purchase an 11x14" limited edition pigmented ink print (Epson K3 on Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper sprayed with Print Shield) signed and matted for 50% off list price ($1,000) - $500 plus shipping. This year's featured image is Antarctica XXXVIII taken on my February 2007 voyage. Read more about the voyage here. See more images here. Act now, you'll never get a better deal on my prints. The edition is limited to 50. Print orders will be filled on a first come first serve basis. All major credit cards are accepted. Offer expires January 3, 2008. To reserve your print email jpc@johnpaulcaponigro.com.
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Coming Soon ...
A lot is happening!
The next issue of Insights will be out soon.
Special Offer - DVDs from AcmeEducational.com
News - NEC 2690 monitor
PDF - B&W Conversions Complex
PDF - B&W Adding Color
PDF - B&W Pallettes
PDF - B&W Expanding Definition Of
Statement - B&W Printing (excerpt from Digital Photo Pro)
Statement - Allies and Fumo
Gallery - Allies
Stay tuned for more!
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Upcoming Events
November
Article
Double Exposure
Lens Correction Filter
December/January
Article
Digital Photo Pro
B&W Mastery II &
Fine Art Master
December/January
Article
Photoshop User
Bracketproofing
November 26
Seminar
ASMP Houston
Pro Inkjet Printing
December 15-16
Seminars
Luminous Landscape
Toronto
Pro Inkjet Printing
Selections / Masking
The Power of Color
Illuminating Creativity
Jan 28 - Feb 1
Workshop
Black & White Mastery
Studio, ME
8 spaces left
Feb 4 - 8
Workshop
The Fine Digital Print II
Studio, ME
6 spaces left
