Struck by lightning.....

In everyone person's life there are people that influence them in one way or another. From a photographic point of view one of mine is the late Peter Jarver.

Whilst my interest in photography peaked after the mainstream film age, meaning - I have never experienced true darkroom processing [sigh]. I have come to understand why many photographers I meet talk so foldly about the age of the darkroom. They tell me about that feeling of excitement and anticipation in the moments before their days photo work is exposed. The reason I mention this, is that I seem to get that excitement each time I look at Peter's work - especially his lightning work. Imagine the feeling going out and shooting in the middle of an electrical storm and having to wait to get home to find that you've shot some amazing images. From what I've seen, you won't find better lightning imagery anywhere in the world.
I was lucky enough to be involved in a whirlwide tour of some of Peter's work through Ken Duncan Galleries a few years ago. It was incredible to see in the flesh some of his, now sold out, images. Below I have included a few of my favourite lightning shots. Some of them are still available, starting from a mere $17,000. Yes I can hear you say "a mere 17 grand!". Yes! It's a small price to pay for some amazing imagery from an award winning photographer. If you still think it still a little bit pricey, then just enjoy it through my blog or visit Peter's website here.

See what you think, I'm sure you'll be amazed.

"Black Lightning" SOLD OUT © Peter Jarver

 

"Sunset Ligthning" SOLD OUT © Peter Jarver

 

"Thunderbolt" © Peter Jarver

Brand New Images!

Over the past two mornings I decided to visit a beach on the NSW Central Coast called Forrester's. Surprising it was the first time I had been there to shoot and I don't know why?! It's really cool for photography!

On Tuesday morning I arrived nice and early to survey the landscape. Having not been there before in photographic frame of mind, I wasn't sure which way to go......left or right. I chose right which took me to southern end of the beach. I must say I was a little disappointed. I couldn't find an interesting subject matter, plus the sky wasn't doing much at all. There was a thin strip of cloud on the horizon and I knew that the scene was going to blow out pretty quick. I spent about an hour wandering around to the point that I decided to call it a day.

On my way back to the car I thought - while I'm here I should take the left turn and do recon for tomorrow. To my delight I discovered a rock shelf close to the shore where the waves were crashing and splashing up really high. There was also a lot of really cool mossy rocks for forground. 

I arrived the next day very excited of the sunrise to come. My excitement elevated as I got nearer, because there was reasonable cloud cover. Bring on a colourful sky! Plus I had my new spot already figured out.

Whilst the sky did start quite colourful (which you'll see further down the post), at the time I took this one it had disappeared. It took quite some time and a heap of captures to get this shot. The scene seemed to be playing with me because every time I went to move on to a different composition and before I re-set up the biggest set of the day would roll in.

This was one of the biggest I captured. I like having the wash from previous waves in the foreground.

The next shot to be released is something quite different to what I have done previously. After a little bit of a play I think it finished to look exactly how it deserves to be. The initial eye catching point of interest was the intense moss covered rocks. I knew that this had to be the be the main focal point of the scene, so after some deliberation I edited to end with what you see below. I hope you agree - that this adjustment adds a real dramatic feel and show cases what I had set out to achieve, even though I wasn't sure exactly what that was for a while.

 

The third and final release from this shoot is probably my favourite. It was actually the first taken of the three, when the colour was a lot different. 

I thought these colours were actually going to get better as the shoot went on, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Well....I shouldn't say unfortunately because the overcast conditions allowed me to shoot for much longer than I ordinarily would.

The scene has a dreamlike state and was actually overlooked in my original perusal of my morning work and I was glad I took that second look. I hope you are too.

I hope you enjoyed this round of new images. If you did, I'd love if you could share it with your family and friends and have them enjoy them too!

Kind regards,

Josh

$3million photograph...

The age old debate - what is art?
Dictionary.reference.com defines art as -"the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance." .........of what is beautiful? If "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" then surely no one person's opinion could possibly define what is art and what is beautiful. 

Did you know that the most expensive photograph ever sold, sold for USD$3,000,000! Only joking.....that would be a ridiculous amount to pay for a photograph. Well..... it actually sold for $3,346,456! 

Andreas Gursky, 99 Cent II Diptychon (2001), $3,346,456, February 2007, Sotheby's London auction.

I really have to take my hat off to Andreas Gursky and the invester/s who bought "99cents" (above). I think we all do. Why?! 

Hands up everyone who has sold a photograph or piece of art in general for up to $100 [looking around the room]. A round of applause for all the people with their hands up. Well done! Now keep them up if you have managed to sell a piece for $1,000? OK, what about $10,000? Is anyone's arm getting tired? OK how about a $1,000,000? I think I made my point. But is that the only reason you would try your hand at photography or art?

All those people out there who would like to get into photography to make millions of dollars just by pressing a button. Don't bother. I will save you the time. Who wants to get up at 4am every morning to start work (to shoot the sunrise) and not get paid for your time? Photography is definitely about the emotional high a photographer has for his subject rather than how much they can get for the shot. Obviously, getting paid for your work is awesome. It allows you to travel to the new place, buy that new camera, open that gallery and so on. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a professional photographer who hates taking photos. It just wouldn't happen!

As a photographer, I get out of bed to shoot a sunrise with the intent to feel something. When you arrive, when you're waiting for something to happen, when it does happen and when you capture it. It's an indescribable feeling. It's that unknown, uncaptured feeling that all photographer's live on.

The below image was the first shot that really propelled my curiosity after I got "the feeling".

Soulmate's Saratoga, NSW

Maybe it's more to do with the people who throw away insane amounts of money to have these artworks. Or maybe I should broaden my back patting to include all the people who buy the books or the magazines that have theses images in them? But I want to go one step further and say hats off to the people who spread the word about these works, without spending the money!

Ultimately, I think it's all of the above. It's kind of like the chicken or the egg argument. Who sets the trends? The photographer or the buyers? Personally, I'm on the buyers side. Photographers can take all the images the what and put whatever price they like on it. But guess what? They won't sell unless people like them. They have to mean something!

Have you ever bought an artwork? If you have, you would know the true feeling inside that you get when you come face to face with something that captures your attention so much so that you can't look away, your skin tingles and you have such an emotional reaction to something that you could cry and its all you can think about (it does happen, believe me - I've seen it. Crying that is).

To give you an example - one of the few images that i have never forgotten is Steve McCurry's "Afghan Girl" which graced the cover of National Geographic Magazine in June 1985 (coincidentally the month and year of my birth).

Steve McCurry's "Afghan Girl"

I don't know about you, but I can't look away!

Ok..... back to me now!!!!

For all those people who haven't yet delved into the world of art, firstly - I hope you still have your attention and secondly, maybe you may now have a new appreciation for the photographer's that capture history and why people are happy to spend money on something that gives them such emotional pleasure. Just keep in mind that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and that "one's person's trash is anothers treasure." Only you can tell yourself whether something is worth striving to get.

I say - go buy that something tomorrow, hang on your wall and see if it makes you feel that feeling every time you walk past it. Is there something you have always admired hanging in a local gallery, online, at a friend's house or in a book or magazine? Go get it, I'm sure you won't be sorry. Plus it will help that artist further their career and produce more things that make you happy. Remember it is you that shapes the trends that make art history.

Have a great day.

Kind regards,

Josh

New blog & website launched!

Today see's the launch of my newly designed website and brand new blog. It has been a loooong time in the making and has undergone many new faces in that period. Apologies it has has taken so long - I'm a little bit of a perfectionist (as my wife to be will tell you), I wanted to make sure it was done properly. The new website is very much an online store where all my images, and other products in the future, can be purchased. The blog, in which you are reading now, will be my information related section - where you'll be able to find out new information about my travels, new photos, new products and some interesting articles. Feel free to join my periodic newsletter by entering your email address at the bottom of my website. While you're there, have a look around it and please let me know if there are any noticable errors -  I think it tested everything 50 times ;). You can also subscribe to my blog to the right of this page. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think. There will be some more exciting developments to come in the future.

I do hope you all enjoy it, please share posts with you family and friends. Because at the end of the day your support will determine the success of my photography. Whether you buy my work or simply spread the word about me, you are all helping in some way.

Have a great day!

Josh