The Humanitarian

So we are here at last, number 10 on my list of photos/photographers that have done a profound impact on me and my photography. This is part of a quest given to me from my master +Glenn Guy at +The Arcanum 

Pick number 10:

The Racetrack at Sunset by +Colby Brown 

Well, what is there not to love in this photo. The powerful sky with the colorful clouds, horizon placed a third down. If you go for phi composition the foreground stone maybe is a tad to low but I think it works great in this photo. Perfect leading line in to the picture and an interesting pattern in the ground.

I have followed Colby Brown for a while, one reason being for his beautiful photos. But also for his humanitary work. He started The giving lens, an organization that attempts to blend photo education and giving back to local communities through sustainable development projects. TGL offers photography workshops in various countries around the world that allow you to not only futher your photography skills, but make a difference in the lives of those you work with along the way.

Well that was my last pic for this quest, hoping +Glenn Guy passes me and let me go to the next level. :-)

If you want to see some of my photos be sure to head over to:

www.larssonsphoto.com

Wishing you all a great New Years eve

The Educator

Ok, we have arrived on number 9 on my list for a quest at +The Arcanum in +Glenn Guy 's cohort.
This is a man that has produced tons of educational books and videos and have taken me from a totally newbie to where I am today. Now I'm hoping this wonderful experience with Arcanum will help me to the next level in my photography.

Pick number 9:

By +Scott Kelby 

This is a powerful portrait, lighten just right to emphasize the toughness in the player. Also the processing, tight crop and composition underlines this. 

Scott Kelby has produced many books on retouching, Lightroom and Photoshop. He also produces +KelbyOne where you can get videos on virtually anything in photography. I've looked at several of them for example +Moose Peterson , +Joe McNally and many more.

This is a part of a quest in +The Arcanum in +Glenn Guy 's cohort, where I'm to pick ten photos or photographers that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing. This is pick number 8.

If you want to see some of my photos be sure to head over to:

www.larssonsphoto.com

Wish you all a great day.

The traveling man

Ok we are at pick number 8 in my quest at +The Arcanum  in +Glenn Guy  's cohort. Today's pic is a man who in an intervju in +Fstoppers  (I think it was) said that he has been on the go for the last 3 years with no current adress. He has traveled the world and what I think he is now doing a video with Fstoppers.

Pick number 8 is:

Winds of inspiration, Japan by +Elia Locardi 

In this photo Elia has thought about everything, right moment, right light, right processing, right composition etc. The reason for this pic and Elia is that he emphasizes how important the right time is for a photo. Like here, perfect condition for the mountain in the back and the valley, great light on the blossom and the temple. Many, me included bring our camera on our vacations and dedicates perhaps a day photographing hoping for the right conditions. And it's nothing wrong with that but you have to have a great deal of luck, but the photos are sure good enough for the family album but perhaps not good enough for your portfolio. He says that he visit the sight day's in a row to get the right light, sometimes over a week. Learning point - be patient.

This is a part of a quest in +The Arcanum in +Glenn Guy 's cohort, where I'm to pick ten photos or photographers that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing. This is pick number 8.

If you want to see some of my photos be sure to head over to:

www.larssonsphoto.com

Wish you all a great weekend.

The HDR master

When I continue my list there is one man that I simply can't leave out, it is one of the founders ot +The Arcanum, you guessed it, +Trey Ratcliff. He is one of the reasons that I got in to shooting HDR. I've read several of his books, seen many tutorials and bought a bunch of his presets for different software.

The pick I've chosen is:

The Bamboo Forest by Trey Ratcliff

This pic is a bit like Judast Priest would have put it "Breaking the law" with the walk way smack dow in the middle. But here it works, rules are there to be broken. You only got to know when it enhances the photo. Here you have great symmetry in the bamboo on both sides of the pathway. And the pathway as a leading line leading you deeper in to the picture. I love the use of the soft light and the processing making the look kind of dreamy, like taken from a fairy tail. 

This is a part of a quest in +The Arcanum in +Glenn Guy 's cohort, where I'm to pick ten photos or photographers that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing. This is pick number 7.

If you want to see some of my photos be sure to head over to:

www.larssonsphoto.com

Wish you all a Merry Christmas

Polar Obsession

This is a part of a quest in +The Arcanum in +Glenn Guy 's cohort, where I'm to pick ten photos or photographers that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing. This is pick number 6.

Polar Bear Reflection by Paul Nicklen

This one have caught my eye for a long time, I think it is a beautiful photo that shows a fragile side of this magnificent animal. The polar bears eyes are following you and that is something that is important in wildlife photography, miss the eyes and miss the shot. The ice on top left ads to the photo to I think, the curve is the same on the ice as on the reflected polar bears back. The simple color palett is also something that enhances the moment I think.

This is what Paul him self said about the making of this picture:

"This picture of the polar bear diving underneath the ice and the water reflection. I had first drawn on a piece of paper ten years beforehand.
And I have been trying for ten years, every year going up to the Arctic trying to get that one shot of that bear diving underneath the water like that, and get a nice underwater picture to show people a look of a bear that they haven't seen before."

Paul Nicklen uses his camera to reweal what global warming is doing to the ice and what impact this has on the wildlife.

Ok, this was pic number six, stay tuned for my next pic. Fill in your e-mail adress to the left and click submit to be sure not to miss a post.

If you want to see some of my photos be sure to head over to:

www.larssonsphoto.com

Wish you all a Merry Christmas

The Virtuoso of Noir Monocrome

Todays pick is a quite new acquaintance, This is a part of a quest in +The Arcanum in +Glenn Guy 's cohort, where I'm to pick ten photos or photographers that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing.

This is pick number 5.

Huangshan mountans, study 42 - Michael Kenna

This photo takes the importas of layers to create depth to a completly new level. There is a enormous dept in this case. Love that it goes from dark to almoust completely white at the top. The mist/fog enhance the dept feeling. I get the feeling of infinity because of the wast distance to the horizon.

The reason why I got my eyes on Michael Kenna is a comment I got on a previous blog post, where +Dag Ole Nordhaug said that the photo was a bit "Kenna'ish". Then I looked at his work and I just loved it, simple but with great impact and something I want to learn more from.

Ok, this was pic number five, stay tuned for my next pic tomorrow. Fill in your e-mail adress to the left and click submit to be sure not to miss a post.

If you want to see some of my photos be sure to head over to:

www.larssonsphoto.com

Wish you all a great Monday

The Globetrotter

So what have I picked to day? This is one of the most famous landscape/wildlife/travel photographer there is. He has produced tons of books. Living in Seattle but mostly on the go somewhere in the world. He holds work classes all over the world and a dream of mine would to be to attend one of these, Polar Bears or the great migration. I'm of cause talking about +Art Wolfe

This is a part of a quest in +The Arcanum in +Glenn Guy 's cohort, where I'm to pick ten photos or photographers that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing. This is pick number 4.

Brown Bear Fishing - Art Wolfe

Taken in Katmai National park in Alaska, you almost feel like you are there. Waiting for the bear to charge at you. Wolfe really takes you to the place where this was taken. Great movement and impact in the photo. The composition, putting the bear in the middle I think is a great choice. There is so much action in this pic anyway.

Ok, this was pic number four, stay tuned for my next pic tomorrow. Fill in your e-mail adress to the left and click submit to be sure not to miss a post.

If you want to see some of my photos be sure to head over to:

www.larssonsphoto.com

Wish you all a great Saturday

The HDR wizard of the north

Next in line of photographers is a bit of a wild card, it is +Jacob Surland a Danish photographer who not only is a great on HDR, he's also a fellow Arcanian at +The Arcanum he is in +Robin Griggs Wood cohort while I'm in +Glenn Guy cohort. He is one of the reasons that I got in a bit deaper with processing in HDR and he's just a great guy to talk to over at Google+. He runs a great blog with lot's of free tutorials at http://caughtinpixels.com/.

This is a part of +The Arcanum and my level 7 quest. Where I'm to pick 10 photos that have had a profound impact on me and my photography.

And we have now reached pick number 3

The Christmas Viking Ship by Jacob Surland'

Perfectly aligned with phi, leading lines. This nearly feels like 3-D. I'm not a big fan of selective colors but in this case I thing it works great.

A stranded ship with a big sky above get me thinking about the old Viking gods like Odin and Thor. Great work and it's a privilege to follow you and your work +Jacob Surland 

The grandmaster of Landscape photography

As a part of +The Arcanum, where +Glenn Guy is my master, we get different quests and completing them takes us to the next level. My current quest is to identify 10 photos that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing.

Pick number two:

Tetons and the Snake River by Ansel Adams 1942

As a landscape photographer I can't leave Ansel Adams outside this list. He was an American photographer best known for his iconic images of the American west.

This photo of the Tetons appeals to me for several reasons. One being that I've only been into photography for about 4 years when I bought my first DSLR, a Nikon D3000. Given that I've only lived in the digital darkroom and never worked with film. I think it is astonishing to be able to get this result on film. The details in the for and middle ground, perfectly balanced high-lights with the sunbeams and over all light. The shape of the mountains in the back has an interesting shape I think. Then you have the river that leads you into the picture. The composition is a home run with rule of phi (golden ratio), leading lines etc.

There you have it, pick number two out of ten. Tomorrow I pick a new photo. Click the follow button to be sure not to miss anything.

If you want to see some of my own photos be sure to jump over to:
www.larssonsphoto.com

Have a great day.

The Mona Lisa of photography

As a part of +The Arcanum we get different quests and completing them takes us to the next level. My current quest is to identify 10 photos that have had a profound impact on me and my photographing. In this post and the coming one's I will present my findings. Some of them is chosen because of the photographer and some because of the photograph.

The first one I have picked is:

Afghan Girl by Steve McCurry

I guess that this is one of the most famous portraits of all time. The Mona Lisa of photography. And if one where to compare them there are resembles between the two. The penetrating eyes, the mystic expression on the mouth.

Afghan girl is a very strong portrait, it really feels like her eyes penetrates you. Everything in the picture is enhancing those eyes. The simple background, the brown/red cloth, skin tone enhance the light green eyes.

You can't help thinking, who is she, what kind of life has she lived, what kind of life will she have, what are her thoughts, etc.

Well there you have it, my first pick. I'll try to make one pick a day for ten days so be sure to enter your e-mail to the left and click submit then you won't miss a post.

If you want to see some of my own photos be sure to jump over to:
www.larssonsphoto.com

Have a great day.

Charity

Well it's christmas time and as the most of us feel the urge of giving I'm now giving one of my prints to charity. This year I'm supporting the Swedish "Musikhjälpen" It's a tradition to lock up a couple of Swedish famous people in a glass cage for a week where they broadcast radio the whole time.

This year their theme is AIDS and HIV, every day 4000 people die in this disease.
Here is the link
http://www.tradera.com/item/2301/221678570/unik-fototavla-smalandsk-morgon
It's in Swedish but please share the link in your socialmedia flow and let this photo earn a lot of money to the research to stop AIDS and HIV.

Here is the photo with my fiancee holding it. It's 55 times 75 cm, metallic print on Kapa 5 mm

Wish you all a great weekend