Thanks William. I am familiar with some of these sources, and will check out the others. I do think that there is a need/place in my workflow for PS, even with all of the improvements to LR over the years.
First make sure you are fully calibrated, meaning your monitor and that you are using the proper paper profile and media type. This should ensure that your prints look like your files on your monitor. Also learn to use soft proofing and finally making a proof print.
If you want to try an outside source for your prints, I can recommend Aspen Creek/Metal & Paper as a lab to try. Read their websites carefully for profiling info, or call them to make sure your prepared your file properly for uploading to them.
But the primary way to improve your prints is to improve your post-processing. I consistently see photographers not paying enough attention to the nuances in their images such as maintaining detail in shadows or the subtle shadings in highlights like clouds or moving water. Problems such as these are easily fixed. Other issues such as including distracting elements in your frame are magnified and suddenly are apparent when an image is enlarged.
I hope this is useful, and thanks for your question.
I am excited to hear that you have so many of my books! Speaking of books, my new book Light on the Landscape includes 60 essays originally published in Outdoor Photographer and is illustrated by 128 of my photographs. In the essays, I write about my experiences in Yosemite in many of them. So I recommend the book as I believe it gives an expansive answer to your question.
Living inside or just outside of Yosemite for 43 years has been a blessing for my life and my photography. The combination of this epic location, having worked for The Ansel Adams Gallery, and connecting with many exceptional photographers including Ansel, well letās just say I couldnāt have asked for more! There have been challenges also, to create a personal statement while being surrounded by so many icons. To do this, and come out from the large shadows cast by Ansel. One of my essays is entitled āSeeking Images - Seeing Beyond the Iconsā touches on this subject.
Here is an excerpt from my retrospective book:
Living here has been an inspirational education, a mentorship taught by the landscape itself. When I managed to slow down to see clearly and listen carefully, I was able to learn many lessons about this landscape ā its light, its seasons. I learned from missed opportunities, like arriving too late for the best morning light. I discovered that, in spite of well-planned timing, I did not find exceptional light or inspiration. Other times, I experienced magical light and weather when least prepared for it. I found awe and delight in Yosemiteās grand and famous landscapes, but often I connected to its more intimate details most deeply.
I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for asking!
Hi, this is William (not Neill). Thanks for your question. My experience of marketing my work has occurred incrementally over decades. What worked for me long ago may be obsolete today. Although Iāve adapted fairly well to the many changes occurring in the photography marketplace, I donāt know how I would start from scratch. I DO know that I have primarily focused on the art, not the money. Although I have been involved with commercial uses of my photography in high-end ad campaigns, the photographs used were not made for the client but made for myself, then my art was selected for these uses. I have turned down jobs like shooting a cigarette ad for ethical reasons.
I have also learned that progress happens incrementally in steps, with each step adding to the resume providing a foundation for the next level. Building an audience through social media, blogging, YouTube videos, and email newsletters is a good path for most photographers. If you teach workshops, your clients may well become buyers of your photographs. Photographers who are also excellent teachers often produce ebooks or video tutorials that sell well and help you gain an audience. If you like to lecture, camera clubs and other photography groups want to offer presentations to their members. And network, always keep networking!
I hope these ideas are useful.
Best wishes with your photography.
2 Likes
Hi William
I saw your webinar and I am in owh of you. You are an amazing outstanding artist.
I loved your work very very much.
I live in Toronto/Canada. I am interested in learning from you but I am Not a beginner or advanced.
Guide me
Thx
Niru
Thanks for your kind words. You can learn from me at my 1-1 Yosemite workshop, or through my books. My new book has a lot to offer you in the form of 60 essays. Light on the Landscape