Night Visions talk at B&H’s Event Space

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For those of you who have never had a chance to see my Night Visions talk at B&H’s Event Space – it is has been recorded and you can now watch this 2 hour lecture at your leisure.

B&H also just published a blog I wrote about Star trails vs Celestial skies.

I give a lot of useful information in the video but nothing beats the experience itself.  Taking a workshop and immersing yourself in the night with someone to guide you is the most successful way to improve your photography.  Oftentimes these Night Workshops offer access to a unique locations that would be impossible to get to otherwise.  The fear of security coming down on you or just fumbling around in the dark is taken out of the equation.  Light painting is often practiced so that you can become more comfortable with it as well as knowing when to use flash over flashlights.  Processing techniques are shared and 9 times out of 10 you will walk away with a unique set of images that you can add to your portfolio as well as inspire you to continue create more night visions.

Good friends and fellow nocturnalists Lance Keimig and Scott Martin made a wonderful 6 minute video about night photography and workshops.  Last year I was invited to speak at the Nocturnes 20th anniversary Night Festival in Mono Lake which offers entry to Bodie National Park, the surreal tufa’s of Mono Lake, and Yosemite.

Another popular Night Photography Workshop is Joe and Troy’s junkyard 3 day workshop.  Their spring class is sold out but you can get on their mailing list for future workshops.

There are still a few more spots open for Tim Cooper and my week-long Vegas – Zion night workshop in March.  I wrote about my experience of shooting 7 straight nights a few years ago and with the Vegas lights and Zion nights this is sure to inspire!

I will also be announcing the Bannerman 2012 Night Workshops, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Nights, as well as a new historic NY location that Matt Hill and I will be offering in the Spring and Fall by mid-February.  We are very excited about all these locations so stay tuned for more info soon!

See you when the sun goes down!

 

One week Night Photography Workshop – Vegas to Zion

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Hosted by:  Rocky Mountain School of Photography

Limited Availability!!!

Date: Sunday March 4th- Friday March 9th 2012

Instructor: Gabriel Biderman and Tim Cooper

Where: 3 nights in Las Vegas area and 3 full moon nights in Zion National Park

Cost: $1895

Join me and the Master of the Magic Hour, Tim Cooper, as we teach you how to capture iconic images of the Vegas lights and Zion nights.

We are very excited to be working with the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in offering this very unique course that is bound to better your portfolio. The days will be filled with classroom lectures that will teach you the skills to become better night photographer. At night we will practice the topics we covered and challenge you to bend time and capture the most inspiring images possible.
Lensbaby has also graciously agreed to provide all participants with a Composer Lensbaby during the workshop! These specials effects lenses will push our night visions even further as we sculpt the neon light around us. One lucky student who takes the best Lensbaby night shots during the class will win a Composer Pro!
To learn more details on the Dusk to Dawn weeklong workshop click here 
Check out Tim Cooper’s latest images from Vegas and Zion.

Postphobia

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Post-pho-bi-a [post-foh-bee-uh]
noun
A persistent, irrational fear of blogging that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it. This typically happens when there has been a long interval between blogs and when work, life, and FB interfere with the amount of free time the blogger thinks he/she has.
See www.ruinism.com

There, it’s out of the way. I think it all started this spring when my Nikon D700 and newly acquired 35 1.4 lens was stolen while I was traveling in Milan. Thankfully I wasn’t physically hurt but it certainly depressed the hell out of me and sent me on a bit of a photo funk.
Now most of you know that I work for a small camera shop called B&H and have access to loads of camera gear. So instead of dropping another $2500 on a camera, I figured, now was a good time to really give some new and different cameras a workout. However what I failed to realize is that I had grown to love my D700. It, combined with either a Lensbaby or the Zeiss 21 2.8 lens had truly become an extension of myself.
So however many cameras I tried, I never felt “it” until my good friend at Fuji let me borrow the hard-to-get Fuji x100 for a month. Was it a perfect camera? No, but I also believe there is no perfect camera; we just try to find what best matches our needs. On a whim I brought the camera out to our last Bannerman Night Workshop of 2012. And that’s when I fell in love again. Yes, I was a sucker for the retro rangefinder design and the image quality was very impressive. But at night, during long exposures, it rocked!
The image above is called the Blue Hour. It was taken during the early morning as the night gave way to the day. You can see the small star trails at the top resisting the mists of the morning. It was a magical moment to capture but also to just sit back and enjoy.

However, soon after this shot, I had to return the camera to Fuji and it was again a long waiting list, even for a guy like me. But I’m a lucky fella, who married the right girl. Nancy had noticed how much I enjoyed “seeing” with this camera and surprised me by getting it for me for our 5th year anniversary.
So I’m back – inspired to shoot and back to blogging!

2011 Bannerman Castle Night Photography Workshop

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Bannerman Castle 03 ~ Mamiya 7 with 43mm lens ~ 1 1/2 hours at f/11 ~ Fuji Acros 100 filmBannerman Castle 03 ~ Mamiya 7 with 43mm lens ~ 1 1/2 hours at f/11 ~ Fuji Acros 100 film

Join photographers Gabriel Biderman and Matt Hill as we lead you on a night photography tour of one of the oldest and most inspiring locations in all of NY – Bannerman Castle. This turn of the century castle rests upon the small, lonely island of Pollepel about an hour north of NYC in the middle of the Hudson River. Perhaps you’ve seen it on a train ride north or on a boat tour from Beacon; it has mystified generations of people and now you will have the opportunity to photograph it at night.

This will be a rare overnight excursion, so bring a tent if you think you will sleep, last time we shot until 9am! Thom Johnson co-founder of the trust and author of the book Bannerman Castle (NY) (Images of America) will be on the island for a historical tour before we set up our tripods and focus on creating some truly outstanding images under the full moon.

Gabriel and Matt will go over the basics of night photography and how to successfully meter, capture star trails, paint with light, and hone your “night vision”. The majestic Castle and Residence will be the main focus but there are many little details on the island that will be yours to capture, including the Twin Towers, rising from the water, that guard the south harbor. This will be a very hands-on, one-night workshop that is sure to add some amazing images to your portfolio.

Logistics:

We are making this unique opportunity available on two separate full moon nights in 2011:

Saturday August 13th from 4pm (sharp!) until 9am Sunday August 14th.

Monday September 12th from 4pm until 9am Tuesday September 13th.

Fee: $350 for one night.  Payable by check to the Bannerman Castle. Please contact me for this information.

Boat transportation to the island and from Cornwall on the Hudson are included in the price. We recommend that you bring your own food, snacks, and water. Tents and sleeping bags are recommended, if you want to sleep. No animals live on the island but there is plenty of poison ivy so please wear the appropriate shoes and clothing (shorts are not recommended). Portable toilets are located on one side of the island.

This extraordinary night adventure and is limited to 6 people each night.

Technical Requirements:
Film and/or Digital SLR Camera, Tripod, & Cable Release

Who should attend: You must be familiar with your camera, especially in Manual Mode. A full list of suggested gear will be sent to you upon payment.

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