Frank Zipperer Photography

My Review of SanDisk 16 GB Extreme Pro CF90 Compact Flash Memory Card

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:36:00 +0000

Originally submitted at Adorama

SanDisk 16 GB Extreme Pro CF90 Compact Flash Memory Card

Gets the job done!!

By MusicShooter from Asheville, NC on 1/7/2013

Pros: Reliable Performance, Large Capacity, Writes/Reads fast

Best Uses: Write Speed, Read Speed, Portable images/multimedia

Describe Yourself: Professional

Primary use: Business

Was this a gift?: No

Gives me the needed speed and capacity for live music photography.

(legalese)

A Table and Two Chairs

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 06:23:00 +0000

Two years ago I started a project of shooting a table and chair setups in some of my favorite eating places in and around Asheville, NC. These images capture that project to date, however, it is an ongoing project so I'll be adding to it as I find more subjects.

Live Music in Asheville, NC

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:02:00 +0000

Winter Scenes from Asheville

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:02:00 +0000

The Images below were made on Christmas Day at the Biltmore Estate.

The drive through was like being in a winter wonderland.

Scenes from Western North Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:52:00 +0000

I have recently moved to Asheville, NC and a whole new landscape is beginning to refocus my view of photographic subjects and opportunities.

These images were made recently of my new environs.

(The image above was made from the top of a hill less than a mile from my house, which is
a little left of center in front of the first mountain range)

(The beautiful Biltmore House...America's largest castle.)

(The images here and below were made from a little known spot off the traveled road on the Biltmore Estate.
The water was not completely still but you can still see the reflection of the back of the house.
I'll be back to this spot again.)

Honoring All Veterans

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:49:00 +0000

Peonies in Black & White

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Recent Black & White Photos

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Stairway to Abandoned Quarters

Asymmetry - West end of the East wing of the National Art

Gallery, Washington, DC.

Symmetry - West end of the East wing of the National Art
Gallery, Washington, DC.

Memorial Day 2009

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:29:00 +0000

I made this picture as a self assignment for an NYIP photo class many years ago. The object was to use converging lines to lead the eye into an image. Although I had never visited the Wall before, I decided to check out the location. It was a perfect day to avoid crowds of tourists...wet, miserable and chilly. After looking at the possibilities, I set my camera on a tripod at the apex of the wall to capture the Washington Monument at the converging lines formed by the Wall and the sidewalk. Just as I was about to release the shutter, that lone visitor appeared from seemingly nowhere at the point of convergence. Sometimes I guess we just get lucky.

After I had captured the image and was preparing to leave, I turned to the left and there on Panel 1 of the Wall I saw the names of some of my aviation unit buddies from 1964-65, at eye level, right in front of me. The sight of those names brought on emotions that I had not expressed since the day they were killed in Vietnam. I have been back several times since then and am always overwhelmed by the tremendous loss those pieces of black granite represent.

Earlier this month another name was etched on the wall. The addition brings the number of names on the wall to 58,261.

Frank Z

Another of Mama Shan's Outstanding Photoshop Tutorials

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Ramblings

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sat, 09 May 2009 05:20:00 +0000

In photography as art, what do we really mean by "original" anymore? It's pretty clear when you are talking about original or vintage prints made from the film negative of the masters of yesteryear. But does it even make a difference as to who makes the print or is it who made the image that is on the negative that results in an original photograph? I'm pretty sure there were prints made by master printers for photographers and not printed by the photographers themselves. Just as is the case of photogravures that were pulled by master artists, using original negatives, either with or without the photographer's guidance...such as this Jon Goodman gravure of Edward Steichen's "The Flatiron."

And then what about the future? There will come a time when there are no negatives in the process. Already has to some degree. Then what is the original...the raw file of 1s and 0s? Or the processed and converted file suitable for printing...or the first print made and signed by the photographer? Further, which file is the original...the one on your hard drive or the two or three exact duplicate backups of the file on removable media. I think a lot of my questions about this subject really started after seeing the Robert Frank exhibit at the National Gallery of Art recently. It was a great experience overall, but particularly to me, that we were able to see his marked up negatives as a first cut, then the printed contact sheets, then the 8x10s with his notes and crop lines pinned to a bulletin board and then finally those magnificent 83 prints that ended up in "The Americans." It dawned on me that future generations will not be able to experience being immersed in the step-by-step work of the photogs of today who will at some point become the masters of tomorrow.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

Frank

Mama Shan - Watermarked Client Proofing Disk

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:26:00 +0000

Photo of the Month for January

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Anyone who has travelled along I-95 at the North and South Carolina border knows about the huge complex just inside S.C. Known as "South of the Border", the kitschy tourist mecca invites the traveler to make a stop going either north or south, using hundreds of billboard ads many miles before arriving.

I made this image just after the sun had set and the neon signs started lighting up.

Frank

Winter Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Well I don't know what happened to October and November, but suddenly I find myself in December. The winter scene I chose for this month was in the backyard of my partner's family. I'm not really a "snow" person, being from the South, however I do love to watch while it's falling and before it is spoiled by human and animal traffic.

This was a particularly beautiful snowfall and I was the first one to step out with my camera. Of course as soon as I made the shot, I went right back in to the warmth of the house.

Photo of the Month for September

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:02:00 +0000

My pick this month is a high-key portrait of a single Starburst lily. This bloom is just beginning to open into the beautiful and beautifully scented flower that it is.

A short video of a flowering Starburst lily can be seen here.

For a gallery view of this print, click on the image.

Best always,
Frank

Queen of the Night (Part 2...

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:46:00 +0000

...for Part 1 see Photo of the Month for September.)

Last week I had the opportunity to record some images of an incredible blooming event. Our long-time friends and fellow Cereus enthusiasts, Ralph and Steve, gave us the heads up on the impending blooming of their Night Blooming Cereus.

The first photo shows the buds as they were beginning to open at 7:15 on the evening of August 20. At about 8:30, Ralph called to say that the blooming had started and that all six of the flowers were opening fast. I took the next photo of the almost fully opened blooms at about 9:40. The close-up shows the intricate details of the flower's throat.

Once again, the beauty of the flower and the perfume scent that it gives off is hard to describe. However, Ralph did a very good job of it on his blog. So I suggest you hop over there and take a look at his accounting of the evening (but come back of course).

(Click on photo for gallery view)

This Was Fun (And took a lot of work!)

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:55:00 +0000

I put a layer of the first leaf over a background of the second leaf then blended to form a new image.

Photo of the Month for August

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 23:47:00 +0000

By now, if you have witnessed my obsession with creating images of flowers, plants and trees; you will know that one of my favorite subjects is the Southern Magnolia. I tend to concentrate my work on the flowers themselves, however, inspired by some of my favorite photo artists, I decided to try and create images from the beautiful shape and form of the leaves. As an example of images that have inspired me, see the work of Ruth Bernhard and Imogen Cunningham. The sepia toning of this leaf was inspired by Joyce Tenneson's Flower Portraits.

I welcome your comments.

Frank

Photoshop Mama's Colorization Concept

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:46:00 +0000

Posted below are three more of Mama Shan’s Photoshop tutorials. They should be viewed in the order in which they have been posted because each tutorial builds on the techniques covered in the prior video.

Photoshop Mama's Colorize Black Dress

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:44:00 +0000

Photoshop Mama's Remapping Color

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:36:00 +0000

Photo of the Month for July

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:52:00 +0000

"Packard Abstract"

I'm of that generation where a boy's love of cars was at the center of his consciousness. We chopped them, blocked them, painted them with many coats of shiny lacquer and yes we raced them in the streets and cruised around the drive-in diners in them. Think "Happy Days." I think this affection doesn't go away as we get to be older boys. I still love big old classic cars. My first one was a 1949 Hudson. Originally green, I had it painted black, removed the hood ornament and leaded in the holes and then moved the antenna from the front to the rear fender. I installed 2" lowering blocks on the rear. This move was self defeating as the Hudson already had about the lowest silhouette of any car back then. After dragging the street a few times with the rear end, I had to remove the blocks.

I found the subject of my "Packard Abstract" at a July 4th antique car show several years ago. The original color was a beautiful cream. Here is an unprocessed photo of the original for comparison and an additional view.

Question and Answer on Technique

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:55:00 +0000

Occasionally I receive a question from a viewer on the process I use in my floral photography. I'm not really disciplined enough to use step-by-step techniques that are appropriate for each image. I guess it would be much easier and less time consuming if I did. But, my processes are much more experimental and I will work hours on one image until I like what I see. Here is a recent question and my answer:

Q: Frank, I very much enjoyed viewing your online photo gallery. Would you mind sharing how you photographed the southern magnolia and ten orchids? How did you create the black background, the lighting, and the appearance that the flowers were suspended in air? That is, how did you set up your studio?

Kindly,Cheryl

A: Cheryl,to answer your question about my "Suspended" flowers, I shoot about 95% of my flower shots outdoors in their natural environment, still attached to the mother plant. I don't have a studio but on the few occasions that I do bring any flowers inside, my technique as far as capture is very uncomplicated. I put a piece of black foam core or felt beneath the subject and either shoot from above or if the flowers are cut and in a vase, I shoot them against the black foam core or an off-white wall. I try always to use natural lighting but if I need flash I use a wireless control on my Nikon and two remote flashes, one on either side of the lens. Each light can be removed and placed away from the camera and each can be turned off or on and the output on each can be adjusted if shadowing is desired.

I use Photoshop CS3 as my digital darkroom as well as several graphic software plug-ins to achieve the results I'm looking for or sometimes discover accidently. I experiment a lot with different techniques but probably spend too much time in processing and fine tuning on the computer. However, IT was my professional background and I enjoy the fact that I can now control my output from original capture to final print.

I have several galleries on PBase.com one of which is devoted to providing examples of how I get from an original image to the final print. The floating magnolia is shown at the bottom of the web page and I invite you to take a look at that as well as the many other images that you will find there. The gallery is titled "Transitions" and can be found at:
http://www.pbase.com/fzipperer/transitions

Example:

1. The Original Image

2. Original Marked for Cropping

3. Cropped and Converted to B&W
(There are many ways to covert to B&W and I use several different ones, but recently I have been using the B&W action layer in CS3 for most of my conversions.)

5. Removing the Background
(I used the eraser tool with the background color set to black.)

6. The Final Image
(After processing the image with the leaves attached, I decided to eliminate them to really draw attention to the beautiful bloom of the Southern Magnolia. I also print this image in sepia tone and color as shown below.)

Best regards and good shooting!

Frank

Photo of the Month for June

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:46:00 +0000

Photo of the Month for May

noreply@blogger.com (FZipperer) — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:42:00 +0000

Ahhh, the beautiful blossoms and wonderful scent of the Southern Magnolia.

The magnolias will be in bloom again in about a month here in Virginia...and I'll be out looking for new images to capture.

Occasionally I go into my files and find a treasure like this bloom that I have never published before. I hope you enjoy this one.

Frank