Newsletter #135:  October, 2016

© Chris Harris. All rights reserved.

The Countdown to the Book Launch Continues!

Hi everyone,

Last evening Rita and I watched the audio/visual components we will be sharing at the book launch and subsequent book tour slide presentations. They are image sequences set to original music compositions by Ken Marshall. This is unique, inspiring and impossible to describe.

Meanwhile the shipment of books should arrive at our doorstep in the next couple of days; that will be the next exciting day before the launch.

We can’t wait for the October 22^nd book launch and upcoming book promotional tour. We have an audio-visual extravaganza to share with you.

This is the 135^th consecutive monthly Newsletter; my TWELTH YEAR without missing a single month!  Enjoy!

Our goal at the Chris Harris Gallery is to share photographic adventures and inspire others in the creative process. Please share this Newsletter with friends. We appreciate your interest and continued support for my work.

Contents:

1.   The Book Tour Presentation: Original music by Ken Marshall

2.   Why is this my Last Book? My humorius answer!

3.   Multiple Exposures: For unlimited creative expressio

4.   2017 Photography Workshops: Developing your Creative Vision

1.   The Book Tour Presentation: Original music by Ken Marshall

There is something very special about this book tour presentation compared to all previous ones. This is the launch not only of a publication of which we are extremely proud, it is the premier of the most exciting musical project I could have imagined.

Last Christmas Eve a gentleman named Ken Marshall and his beautiful wife Mary walked into our Gallery looking for a print as a Christmas gift. In casual conversation I discovered that Ken is a composer and producer of music. After a recent career in Los Angeles where he worked with film producers, advertising producers, video game producers, and musical bands, Ken moved to 108 Mile Ranch. Imagine, LA to 108 Mile! Sounds like a ‘no-brainer’ to me!

Long story short, Ken and I are now working together. Ken takes a sequence of 60 images or less, for a maximum of 6 minutes. I then share with him the narrative behind the images. From that point on, Ken creates his magic.

The result is a multi-media presentation where you will experience the breath-taking imagery of British Columbia’s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast while listening to original, enriching, and inspirational musical settings by Ken.

Ken

Looking forward to seeing you at the book launch or a presentation nearest you:

Please visit my website under the Appearances page for a presentation nearest you. Some are small private showings while others are larger events open to the public. Bring your friends; it’s an audio-visual extravaganza!

“This is the premier presentation series of this creative partnership featuring Ken’s compositions inspired by and composed for Chris’ images. Join us and experience this unique collaboration and come away transformed by beauty”.

2.   Why is this my Last Book you Ask? My humorous answer!

In September of 2014, I headed to the remote Nemiah Valley in the Chilcotin region of central BC. I was to meet Roland Class who was going to take me on a four-day photo excursion around Chilko Lake; a spectacular 65km long fjord-like lake nestled up against the Coast Mountain range.

Chilko Lake…a place of mood

Roland brought his son Jesaja along to help with logistics and operating the boat. As they prepared the boat, I made my first image of the lake. I could tell by the mood of the place I was in for an adventure.

As much as I was amazed by the moods and beauty of Chilko Lake, I was likewise amazed by the talent of Jesaja, a young man who is completely self-educated through the internet. He has also learned to be a creative photographer, a magician, and circus artist. At age 14 he was performing on stage and producing magic-themed videos for his YouTube channel.

Jesaja Class – 2014

It wasn’t long before we were throwing ideas around, and knowing I would be asked why my upcoming book would be my last, we dreamt up the following three images to explain the answer. Jesaja took three images of me, and then created the composites at home on his computer.

I was photographing for my last book when suddenly a grizzly appeared.

 

I got my image, but then it dropped on all fours and charged. I ran!

 

Eventually, I tripped and fell, and the grizzly was on top of me.

With one swipe, my back was broken, and that is the reason why this is my last book!

 

3.   Multiple Exposures: for unlimited creative expression

I love my Canon EOS 5D Mark III! It’s my favourite digital camera I have ever owned. The aspect I love the most is its multiple exposure feature. With four blending modes and the possibility of shooting up to 9 exposures, the possibilities for in-camera expressive image making is tremendous.

Forest raven

One foggy morning while demonstrating double exposures on my last workshop, I was making two mountain ridge lines out of one. There is just enough tonal contrast to make out the 2^nd ridge line in the upper right. I had made my first exposure and was about to make the second when a raven flew by. After a very quick focus, I made the second exposure.

When the camera blends the two images together, the sensor captures bright light values over darker values.  So if you look closely at the black raven, you see the brighter green light values of the forest being recorded over the black light values of the raven. Thus the ‘wings of trees’!

Aspen copse at sunrise

A few days ago I was walking through grasslands at sunrise, not far from where I live. When sunlight hit the aspen trees beyond grasslands still in shadow, I made a multiple exposure of 9, with slight in-camera movement. I find the mood of this capture cheerful, and the feeling, more expressive than a single documentary rendition would have been.

Many people don’t know if their camera has a multiple exposure feature. I’d get that old manual out and give it a read! You could have a lot of creative image making ahead of you!

 

4.   2017 Photography Workshops: Developing your Creative Vision

Join us in an extraordinary location where your photography will grow to new levels.

Earlier this year, Dennis Ducklow and I taught two highly successful 7-day intensive photographic workshops at the Tallheo Cannery on British Columbia’s west coast. We are operating two more in 2017.

This course is designed for any photographer with a passion to develop their photographic vision, increase their knowledge of effective image design, enlarge their creative toolkit, and who is willing to work hard at improving their craft. Beginners and advanced photographers are welcome.

Complete details are on my website. Registration begins on October 15^th, 2016. Don’t be disappointed. Register early.

Testimonials:

“One week of photographic immersion is extremely valuable. This is a 5-star course with so much inspiration every day”.   BC

“…it changed my life”.  GB

“An unforgettable experience to transform you into the artistic photographer you always wanted to be”.  TJ

“It was the best, most instructive, most fun, most enriching, most enjoyable week of photography I have ever had”.  JL

See you at a book presentation near you!