Category Archives: Fire Canyon Arch
Yesterday I had the opportunity to work with JBrad Lewis on a few of the images he captured during my Novembers Southwest workshop. We used Adobe Lightroom developed module to process his image. Lightroom has a fantastic develop module and its cataloging system to organize my workflow is amazing and over the last year it has become my starting point for working on images. Lightroom’s lets you work with a thumbnail of your images instead of the full image storing metadata of the changes and making my workflow lighting fast. When I work with my images in CS6 program the larger files slow me down. Not having to wait for files to open saves me time to go out and do a little more shooting.
Antelope Canyon – Southwest Workshop
The unprocessed image looks good out of the camera but a few Lightroom adjustments makes it a award winning image.
Antelope Canyon Raw unprocessed image
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Leave a comment | tags: Charleston Photographic Workshop, Digital Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Southwest Photo Workshop, Topaz Labs, Tuscany photo workshop, Venice Photo Workshop | posted in Antelope Canyon, Audubon Swamp, Barns, Battery Park, Boneyard, Botany Bay, Charleston Photographic Workshop, Fire Canyon Arch, Fire Wave, Grand Canyon, Hopi Point, Horseshoe Bend, Michigan Photographic Workshop, Michigan photographic workshops, Natural Arch, Nik software, Petroglyphs, Photographic Workshops, Photoshop Elements 13, Pink Slot Canyon, Pink Slot Canyon, Rialto Bridge, Rome Photgraphic Workshop, Rome photo workshop, Smoky Mountains National Park, Southwest Photo Workshop, Southwest Photographic Workshop Tour, The Narrows, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Photo Software, Tuscan Photo Workkshop, Upper Antelope Canyon, Valley of Fire, Venice, Venice Italy Photographic Workshop, Virgin River, Zion National Park
Last week was the first time I had the opportunity to work with the new Photoshop Elements 13 and I was impressed by its highlight recovery. Debbie B. captured this wonderful image in Lower Antelope canyon during the Southwest workshop .
Lower Antelope Canyon Processed
If you have worked in any of the Photoshop develop modules you can work in any of the other Photoshop develop modules. They are all laid out similarly. Debbie B. emailed me this great composition that she had captured during the Southwest workshop and I walked her through the steps to process her image. The highlight recovery in Elements 13 is far superior to the highlights I have been able to recover in CS6 and Lightroom 5.7. Adobe keeps surprising me with their software magic!
Lower Antelope unprocessed
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Glow can be used as a stand-alone or a plugin to transform your photos from dull to dazzling. Containing more than 70 unconventional and quirky filters, you can infuse your images with neon, graphic, liquid and other electrifying effects.
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Leave a comment | tags: Charleston Spring Photo workshop, Digital Photographic Workshop, Italian Photographic Workshop, Nik Software, Paul Christopher James, Rome photo workshop, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Southwest Photo Workshop, Tuscany photo workshop, Venice Photo Workshop | posted in Adobe CS6, Charleston Photographic Workshop, Fire Canyon Arch, Fire Wave, Grand Canyon, Italian Photographic Workshop, Lower Antelope Canyon, Montepulciano in Tuscany, Natural Arch, Navajo Nation, Nik Software, Page Arizona, Paul Christopher James, Photoshop Elements 13, Piazza Navona, Pink Slot Canyon, Rome Photo Workshop, Slot Canyon Photo Workshop, Southwest Photo Workshop, Southwest Photographic Workshop Tour, Topaz Labs, Tuscan Photo Workshop, Upper Antelope Canyon, Valley of Fire, Venice Italy Photographic Workshop, Zion National Park
After our last morning shoot and discussion of the trip over breakfast everyone headed home or off to capture more images. I headed back out to the Valley of Fire to spend a few days capture images and taking advantage of the rare opportunity to spend time in the desert reflecting before heading home. After teaching a workshop there is nothing more relaxing for me than to capture images and watch the light in great locations that I have shared with new and old friends. Our deserts in the southwest are perfect locations for reflection and to clear our heads of the distractions that come at us through work and the media.
Cottonwood Reflections on the Virgin River in Zion – processed with Lightroom and Topaz Clarity
I am not sure if anyone driving with me to locations noticed but I never had the radio on to distract us from the beauty of the landscape and the conversations about the images we were capturing and getting to knowing each other.
Cottonwood Reflections on the Virgin River in Zion – unprocessed
This is not to say that I do not enjoy music or want to be informed about the events going on in the world but sometimes I like a break to enjoy the wonderful locations and the people who travel to these locations with me. As I am putting my thoughts down I am listening to a great music station out of Springdale NC http://wncw.org/listen-live 88.7 The reason that I like this station is that is plays an eclectic mix of music. If I hear a song that I like it may be a month or two before I get to hear it again.
I had a great time out west and hope that everyone made it home safely! Paul
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Leave a comment | tags: Charleston Photographic Workshop, Charleston Spring Photo workshop, Digital Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Southwest Photo Workshop, Topaz Labs | posted in Antelope Canyon, Fire Canyon Arch, Fire Wave, Nik software, Petroglyphs, Photographic Workshops, Pink Slot Canyon, Smokey Mountain Photographic Workshop, Southwest Photo Workshop, Southwest Photographic Workshop Tour, The Watchman, Topaz Labs, Topaz Photo Software, Valley of Fire, Virgin River, Zion National Park
The 4th of July is a great day to have fun with family and friends and plan trips to our great National Parks. My images below capture the beauty of Grand Canyon and remind me of the visual treasures the parks hold for us to photograph. I have scheduled two workshops this fall in our National Parks, hope you can join us.
The Great Smoky Mountains Workshop tour October 26-29 2014
Southwest Slot Canyon Workshop tour Nov. 8-14 2014.
Hope you can join me in one of our national parks!
Shadow Lands, South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Both Topaz and Nix software can work magic on your image. Today Ihave spent a little time today working on images of the Grand Canyon that are in my Panoramic Gallery. The Topaz software that I used to finish these images makes a huge improvement over the original processing in Photoshop CS3 used just a few years ago.
Tapestry of Light, South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Raw image with a few adjustments
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Leave a comment | tags: Italian Photographic Workshop, Nik Software, Paul Christopher James, Smokey Mountain Photo Workshop, Southwest Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity | posted in Antelope Canyon, Cades Cove, Dogwoods, Fire Canyon Arch, Fire Wave, Fog Bow, Grand Canyon, Greenbrier, Hopi Point, Little River Road, Natural Arch, Nik software, Ogle Cabin, Owl Canyon, Page Arizona, Paul Christopher James, Photographic Workshops, Rime Ice, River time exposure, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Slot Canyon Workshops, Smokey Mountain Photo Workshop, Smokies, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Smoky Mountains Institute, Southwest Photo Workshop, Southwest Photographic Workshop Tour, The Watchman, Topaz Photo Software, topaz simplify, Tremont, Valley of Fire, Virgin River, White Rainbow, Zion National Park
One of the best part of teaching is seeing the enthusiasm and creativity of my clients. After returning home from the slot canyon workshop Robert Perry entered one of his images in a photo contest the Cleveland area. The image bob captured in Zion titled Temple of Sinawava tied for First Place for “colorful fall” category. Bob has been on several location shoots with me and has returned with several award winning images.
Temple of Sinawava – Zion National Park
Bob has emailed me several of his images from the trip and my favorite is the self portrait he captured in Antelope Canyon.
Bob Parry – Self Portrait of a Photographer
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Leave a comment | tags: Charleston Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Southwest Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Labs | posted in Antelope Canyon, Fire Canyon Arch, Fire Wave, Slot Canyon Photo Workshop, Southwest Photo Workshop, The Watchman, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Photo Software, Valley of Fire, Zion National Park, Zion National Park
In 2006 I captured 6 images with my Canon 20D and used autopano pro to stitch them together and process what I thought was an amazing image of Hopi Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. When I look at what I can do with the new software the lyrics of the Bob Dylan song come to mind “Times They Are A-Changin‘”
Dawn of a new day – Hopi Point, South Rim Grand Canyon
This is the image processed in 2006 with all the latest technology available.
Original image processed in 2006
When processing new images with the new software available in Topaz and Lightroom I think of images I need to revisit. In this image I was able to bring back the highlight in the sun’s rays bursting through the storm clouds with the Highlight recovery tool in Lightroom. In the early versions of Adobe I was not able to bring back the highlights. Using the Shadow Recovery tool I was also able to bring out more detail in the shadow area.
Highlight and Shadows recovered in Lightroom
Then to add the finishing touches I used Topaz Clarity to bring back the mood of the stormy October morning that I shared with fellow photographer Darren Plant and my brother Robert.
Dawn of a new day – Hopi Point, South Rim Grand Canyon
The reason I decided to teach workshops is that I have found that these mornings have more meaning to me when shared.
“A journey shared is a journey remembered”
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Leave a comment | posted in Antelope Canyon, Fire Canyon Arch, Fire Wave, Grand Canyon, Hopi Point, Lightroom 4.4, Paul Christopher James, Photographic Workshops, Photoshop CS6, Slot Canyon Workshops, Southwest Photo Workshop, The Watchman, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Labs, Topaz Photo Software, Valley of Fire, Virgin River, Zion National Park
Natural Arch, Valley of Fire – Processed using Topaz Clarity
Southwest Natural sandstone rocks are unable to withstand the blasting of strong winds and the slow dissolving away by rains of the cementing materials holding its sand grains together, the weakened rock allows an arch to form. Eventually they grow too large to support their own weight and nature will reclaimed these beautiful arches. For me they are some of the Southwest’s greatest treasures and I look forward to photograph them this November. We will spend the first two days of this November’s Southwest Photo Workshop Tour capturing this and other great images in the Valley of Fire.
Natural Arch, Valley of Fire – unprocessed image
To process this image of Natural Arch in Nevada’s Valley of Fire painted desert I started with Topaz Clarity Sunset II and then used Topazes Vignette in Lens Effect and then brought it back into Clarity and applied Interior Strong.
When I look at Natural Arch I see two Indians chiefs relaxing at the end of a day’s hunt and enjoying the moon before she sets for the night. The first chiefs head if on the left with a flat head with his finger that is the arch resting on his nose in thought. The second chief is the darker red bolder behind and to the right of the arch.
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Leave a comment | tags: Digital Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Topaz Photo Software | posted in Adobe CS6, Fire Canyon Arch, Natural Arch, Photographic Workshops, Southwest Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Labs, Topaz Photo Software, Upper Antelope Canyon, Valley of Fire
Fire Canyon Arch is in the Valley of fire park where we will spend some time photographing during the Southwest Photo Workshop this November. Fire Canyon Arch is a wonderful sandstone formation where iron deposits which left brushstrokes of red painted into the earth. The winter light is better for capturing images in the Southwest and I captured this image a little before sunset last January. Nature has a her way of inspiring photographers. When I look at this arch I see the head of an elephant and the body of a lion.
Fire Canyon Arch, Valley of Fire
I processed this image using Topaz Adjust 5. I first used Vibrant Crisp then I used Setting Sun Dynamic and the finished the image with a Vignette in Lens Effect and enjoyed layering the effects. Topaz Adjust 5 has a great set of programs.
Fire Canyon Arch unprocessed
I am off too an art fair at Crocker Park in Westlake Ohio this weekend but have next weekend off and wanted to start creating screen capture videos using the Topaz software next week. I just purchased a new Samsung computer with the third generation i7 third generation processor with state of the art video graphics that will help with my workflow. All the new software was making the processing on my older computer a little slow. It is hard to believe that just a few years ago I was waving cardboard wands that I made from cardboard discs and were taped to metal rods I had snipped off coat hangers to burn and dodge the images in the darkroom. All of my friends would spend hours making our special tools to make our images pop.
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3 Comments | tags: Digital Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James | posted in Fire Canyon Arch, Nevada, Paul Christopher James, Southwest Photo Workshop, Topaz Labs Adjust 5
