Canvas Print of the Day: Narrows of Zion

Gallery wrapped canvas inspiration – served up from time to time
with the generous permission of APC’s awesome customers!

Narrows of Zion National Park, copyright Jody Grigg

Photographer: Jody Grigg
Subject: “Narrows of Zion”
Size: 40 x 32 gallery wrap

“The ‘Narrows’ of Zion National Park, Utah, are a popular park location for the average tourist during the summer months because they provide plenty of shade and cool waters — an easy way to escape the extreme temperatures of the southwest. But come late October the ‘Narrows’ are bone chilling, especially when you are wading through calf to thigh water for hours on end looking for a moment to capture.

“This particular day I spent 5 hours with a fellow photographer exploring all the nooks and crannies. Trying to find a good place to set up the tripod was tricky due to all the rushing water, but with a little patience it paid off.

“Captured on digital format with a Canon 5DMKII and a Canon 17-40mm f/4 lens.”  — Jody

Ready to order gallery wraps of your own? Like Jody, you’ll love the winning combination of superior quality, great service and exceptional value at Artistic Photo Canvas.

Canvas Print of the Day: Golden Gate Bridge

Gallery wrapped canvas inspiration – served up from time to time
with the generous permission of APC’s awesome customers!

Golden Gate Bridge by Joshua Garvic

Photographer: Joshua Garvic
Subject: “Golden Gate Bridge”
Size: 48 x 32 gallery wrap

“This shot was taken at sunrise on January 21, 2011. There aren’t too many days in San Francisco when the fog doesn’t totally eclipse the Golden Gate Bridge and the surrounding areas. However, if you find yourself here on a fogless day, it’s the most beautiful city anywhere. The previous few days looked a lot like this and I kept telling myself that I needed to get up in the dark, drive to the Marin Headlands, and shoot the bridge before the fog came back.

“So, on this particularly cold January morning, I did just that. I got there about 30 minutes before the sunrise and there were already four other photographers there (and here I was being proud of myself, thinking I’d be the early bird). I shot from a few different angles until I found this one. What I like most about this photo is that everything is there. The bridge, Coit Tower in between the two bridge posts, the silhouette of the Transamerica Pyramid on the left, and the sun just peaking over crest of the horizon on the far left. I used five frames to make this composite with a little bit of post production. Overall though, the look and colors are as I remember them. A beautiful start to a new year.”  — Josh

Ready to order canvas prints of your own? Like Josh, you’ll love the winning combination of superior quality, great service and exceptional value at Artistic Photo Canvas.

Black and White – From Snapshots to Great Shots

Renowned pro shooter and author John Batdorff has once again teamed up with Peachpit Press to bring photographers a thorough reference guide for bringing their work to the next level — this time with a focus on achieving the perfectly balanced black and white photograph. In Batdorff’s new guide, Black and White — From Snapshots to Great Shots, you’ll get tips on everything from setting up your camera kit to DSLR shooting techniques to post processing in Adobe Lightroom and achieving the perfect print.

Check out Chapter 6 for information on printing, posting, and sharing your work. John is no stranger to Artistic Photo Canvas when it comes to displaying his award winning photography on our gallery wraps. In fact, he has a huge 40″ x 60″ gallery wrapped canvas print from APC featuring his new book’s cover photograph hanging at home.

Those mastering their black and white photography skills with John’s help can share their photos with the book’s Flickr group!

Here’s a description of the book from the publisher:

Now that you’ve bought that amazing new DSLR, you need a book that goes beyond the camera manual to capture stunning images. For digital photographers interested in black and white, this guide will help beginning- and intermediate-level shooters conquer the fundamentals and take amazing shots.

Pro photographer John Batdorff starts with the basics, including composition, light, contrast, exposure, and when to choose black and white. He covers all the key camera features (regardless of what type of DSLR you have) that affect your image, including the shutter speed’s ability to freeze and convey motion, and the aperture’s direct correlation with depth of field.

Once you’ve captured those great shots, John takes you step by step through the color conversion process to black and white in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom using simple presets. He also covers the enhancements and features that can be added using Nik Silver Efex Pro software–from presets to control points using U-Point Technology.

Follow along with your friendly and knowledgeable guide and you will:

  • Learn to see in black and white by understanding contrast, texture, and lighting
  • Understand all the best tricks and techniques for getting great black and white action shots, landscapes, and portraits
  • Create your own digital workflow by understanding the basics of post processing in Lightroom, then go beyond the basics with Nik Silver Efex Pro
  • Share your images and learn tips on printing and presenting your work online

And once you’ve got the shot, show it off! Join the book’s Flickr group, share your photos, and discuss how you use your camera to get great black and white shots.