Back Home From Tanzania

The 2015 year has been off to a busy start, as I guided a private group to Botswana’s Okavango Delta in January, and recently I was in Tanzania’s Serengeti for my first open signup safari for the year. Both were amazing safari experiences, and this is my first image to share in the new year. Enjoy!

Lion On A Rock

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

February 2015

Phase One DF+ camera, IQ250 digital back, Schneider 240mm lens

Fine Art Photo Processing Sessions! New Dates Added

I have been doing 1-on-1 sessions for quite a few years now, and the best feedback I have received from past participants is a willingness to spend more time in my studio past 1 day, without breaking the bank. Well, here is my plan for the rest of 2015 with this feedback in mind.

The Dates

• April 6-8
• July 14-16
• August 25-27

The Plan

I am going to host a series of 3-day Fine Art Photo Processing Sessions in my studio in Houston. Each session will be limited to only 2 or 3 people each. We will work diligently on the processing of creating the absolute best quality images and prints possible. We will work on color images. We will work on images for black and white. And we will create proof prints and large prints alike. And you will go home with a large number of prints.

What Is Included

These 3-day sessions will include mid-day meals, all materials including ink and paper, and all you need to do is show up. I do prefer you show up with your own computer, as we will optimize your machine for the best color possible, which you will enjoy when you are back in your own environment. I have a *ton* of printing equipment from 13” printers all the way up to 44”. I am likely to have your exact printer model if you are using Epson, Canon or HP printers.

The Cost

These sessions are $1,850 each. I normally charge $950 per day, and since we will work in small groups I am able to reduce the price significantly.

Other Information

Here are just some of the topics we will cover:

• Color management (how to definitively know your display and printer are properly calibrated and profiled)
• Lightroom processing and workflow. This is my workflow, not a class on Lightroom functionality.
• The use of Nik Software plugins
• Soft proofing and how to correct your printing workflow if it needs correcting.
• Black and white image processing and how to create dynamic B&W prints
• What to look for in a good print and how to correct
• Paper choices
• Print sharpening
• Upsizing and sharpening files for large format output
• Editing images for a portfolio

How To Signup

Just email me at info@andybiggs.com and I can send you an invoice and additional details such as hotel recommendations. That’s it! I hope you will join me for some exciting times in my studio.

2014 Year In Review [Long Post]

I am now reflecting what a crazy year 2014 has been for me, both professionally and personally. I know I traveled too much away from home, and I say this every year. The single most difficult part of running my business is balancing the time needed at home with my needing to travel in order to earn and income. Since I plan my schedule 12+ months ahead, 2015 is going to be similar to 2014 with the quantity of travel, yet my 2016 year will likely have less travel for me. I absolutely love what I do for a living, and am looking for a better balance so I can stay healthy (mentally and physically).

Camera Equipment

2014 was the year that I sold 100% of my Nikon 35mm equipment. Yes, all of it. As I wrote in an earlier blog post this year, I have moved to medium format gear from Phase One. The first half of the year I was shooting with their IQ280 80 megapixel digital back, and mid-year I switched to their new 50mp CMOS chip product. I am now able to shoot a much higher ISO’s (up to 3200), have better control of my depth of field and also have more frames per second. We aren’t talking 35mm speed, but good enough for me.

International Travel

I started off the year with a safari in Kenya, during its off season time of the year. These off season months are my preferred times to be in the Masai Mara, due to the few vehicles and abundant resident (non migratory) wildlife. The plains have very few vehicles out and about, and thus game drives are much more private. In April I spent the entire month in Namibia, guiding a pair of overland landscape workshops. Namibia never disappoints, and these overland trips were no exception. We had dramatic weather, great light and fun people to travel with. Since 2006 I have logged more than four months of time shooting in Namibia, and I still feel like I have only scratched the surface. I may decide to return in 2016, and if I do it will likely be another overland trip to some destinations that rarely visited.

June found me in the Galápagos Islands, a place that I have visited many times before and always enjoy. I chartered a private motor yacht for the group and we visited most of the islands in the eastern side of the archipelago.

In August I guided a pair of trips in East Africa, beginning with my Great Apes safari to Uganda and Rwanda. We trekked with wild chimpanzees in Uganda for three days and then trekked for mountain gorillas in Rwanda for another three days. It was my first trip with the new Phase One IQ250 digital back, and this meant I could use it in low light situations, hand-held. At the conclusion of the Great Apes trip I co-guided a safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara with good friend and über guide Grant Atkinson. After I finihsed up in the Masai Mara I then headed over to Amboseli National Park region to photograph herding elephant with Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop.

To top off the year I was down in the southern ocean, photographing penguins and icebergs. The 20-day expedition visited the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica. The highlight of the trip was South Georgia, which hosts the largest king penguin colonies on our planet. We had hoped for one really good landing, and in the end we had landings at 3 of the 4 largest colonies. High fives all around.

2015 is going to be a fantastic year, filled with new destinations! Here is a quick roundup of my year:

• January - Private safari in the Okavango Delta of Botswana
• February - Tanzania wildebeest migration
• March - Scotland’s Isle of Skye
• April - Moab Behind The Scenes
• May - Tigers of India
• September - Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees, The Ultimate Great Apes Safari
• November - Botswana: The Premier Photographic Safari (two of them)

My Office

The Boss

Masari Mara, Kenya

Intrigue

Masai Mara, Kenya

Intimacy

Masai Mara, Kenya

The Open Plains of Amboseli, Kenya

Stare-Down

Amboseli, Kenya

Elephant Migration

Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Drinking Elephants

Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Chimpanzee

Kibale Forest, Uganda

Chimpanzee

Kibale Forest, Uganda

Chimpanzee

Kibale Forest, Uganda

Chimpanzee

Kibale Forest, Uganda

Silverback

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Silverback

Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia

Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia

Aerial Photo Over Sossusvlei

Aerial Photo Over Sossusvlei

Aerial Photo Over Sossusvlei

Sea Lion and Pup

Galápagos Islands

Rise Above The Rest

Galápagos Islands

Iceberg and Sun

Cierva Cove, Antarctica

King Penguins And Surf

Saint Andrews Bay, South Georgia

King Penguins

Fortuna Bay, South Georgia

Beating Around The Bush, A Found Book From My Grandfather

My mother passed away almost five years ago, and after her funeral service we were going through her belongings in my parents’ home. In that process I found some really interesting things, and at the top of the list were my grandfather’s photographic equipment and books. My cousin had sent these things to my mother before she passed away, but for some reason I never received them. Since I didn’t have much time to do more than sort, pack up and throw out different items, I brought back these goodies and put them in my closet. They sat in my closet until recently, and one specific book caught my eye that required further investigation.

Beating Around The Bush by Clara Lee Brown was the book, and it decribed an extended safari that she had taken with her husband. I opened the book and quickly noticed that my grandfather had highlighted some passages throughout the book. These highlighted passages were obviously a way for him to help in planning a safari that he wanted to take, but never did. This is very poignant for me, as I guide photographic safaris to the same exact locations that he highlighted. My grandfather passed away in the early 1970’s and I didn’t have a chance to know him very well, and through this book I have a connection with him that I cherish. Call this book a baton, of sorts. A continuation of a passion for photography and for travel. I know that he was a Leica man, and I wish that I could have found his collection of rangefinder cameras that he once owned. Nobody in the family can figure out where they went, but at least I was able to possess his Weston light meter. How cool is that? To me it is extremely cool. This latent gift is my best Christmas gift for 2014, as it reminds me of how important family is, whether alive or deceased. And it reminds me to always seek out new experiences and destinations with a camera in my hand.

Pawpaw, I don’t remember you very much, but you have enriched my life more than you will ever know.

1TB External SSD Solution

I have been looking for a 1TB external SSD solution for quite a while, especially with a Thunderbolt connection, however nothing has been available that either could be found or that was ‘affordable’. So I went out looking for a custom solution that didn’t break the bank. If you are looking for something similar, here is how I made it work:

SSD Drive = Samsung 840 EVO (available on Amazon)

Enclosure = Anker USB 3.0 enclosure (available on Amazon)

The Samsung 840 Evo SSD drive is currently $439.99 and the case is only $13.99. This is the fastest, least expensive 1TB SSD solution that I know of. The reason why I need and want an external SSD is that I have recently retired my Mac Pro desktop in favor of using my 15” Macbook Pro as my daily machine. Since my internal drive on the Macbook Pro is only 750GB, I needed more room to augment the internal SSD. I have all of my raw files on an external 8TB G-Tech G-RAID and the Lightroom catalog, all previews and smart previews are on the new 1TB external SSD. Just for reference, I have 191,000 raw files and the entire Lightroom catalog and associated previews (standard, 1:1 and Smart Previews) take up 250GB of space. Since the space is limited on the internal SSD on the Macbook Pro I needed to look for more space. I am also using the external SSD as a Time Machine backup destination.

Samsung 840 EVO SSD drive

Anker USB 3.0 enclosure

Isle of Skye, Scotland Workshop Announcement

 Isle of Skye, Scotland: A B&W and Color Master Class

March 23-29, 2015

$4875

Scotland’s Isle of Skye is a dramatic island off of the west coast of Scotland. Skye has extremes: craggy rocks that merge with the sea and highlands with steep cliffs and spires that rise above the surrounding land and sea. The Isle of Skye combines beaches, rock formations, lochs and waterfalls all in one location. This workshop will concentrate on better b&w photography,  however we will also work in color when those moments are right for it. We will have weather that benefits B&W, as March is a great time of the year for dramatic light and atmosphere. This workshop is primarily a field workshop, however when there is time (depending on weather conditions) we will also go over black and white processing workflow and how it can be applied to your photography.

We organized this workshop for those who really want to dive deeper into their own creativity, who want to explore B&W as a creative avenue and who are looking to go home with a better sense of direction with their photographs going forward. Think of this workshop as a creative retreat, where you can free yourself from collecting photographs of trophy locations and then engage with your creativity. This workshop is as much about answering the ‘why’ questions as much as it is about the ‘how’ questions. Come and join us if you want more from your photography.

For more information, please visit the workshop information page:

Isle of Skye, Scotland B&W and Color Masterclass

The Luminous Endowment for Photographers

Good friend and photographer Michael Reichmann has announced the Luminous Endowment for Photographers. “The mission of The Luminous Endowment For Photographers is to provide financial grants to photographers world-wide to foster current and anticipated projects. Grants allow photographers to pursue specific photographic goals, such as mounting an exhibition of their work, publishing a monograph or book, or photographing a special subject or location as part of either commencing or completing a body of work. Note though that grants are not available for the purchase of photographic equipment.”

Michael has graciously extended an invitation for me to be one of the jurors for this very worthwhile cause, and some amazing grant proposals have been coming in already. You can read more about the grants by heading over to the Luminous Endowment Grants page.

If you are looking to play a part and would like to know how, Michael has released his 20 Year Retrospective, a 400-page large format book of his own work.

Michael Reichmann’s 20 Year Retrosepctive

Published August 1, 2014, this large format, cloth bound, hard-cover book has 400 pages, containing 380 images. It was designed by Arturo Chapa, one of the world’s top book designers. This book is available in two editions; a signed and numbered limited-edition (500 copies only), contained in a clam-shell style slip-case, and also in an open series hard-covered edition without slip-case. To obtain a copy of his book, a donation to the Luminous Endowment for Photographers is the only way to secure your own copy.

I bought my hard back copy today and cannot wait for it to arrive. Consider paying it forward and purchase your copy today, as there are many photographic projects that need funding.

Back to Africa

I am shoving off for yet another adventure in Africa, and this time I will be guiding two back-to-back safaris between three different countries. My first safari will be my Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees: The Ultimate Great Apes Photo Safari. We will begin with trekking with chimpanzees in Uganda, and then ending with trekking with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. At the conclusion I will then head over to Kenya to guide my Luxury Great Migration Photo Safari, in hopes of capturing some beautiful sights out on the open plains of the greater Maasai Mara. And if that weren’t enough I will be finishing my trip in Amboseli National Park, where I haven’t visited in many years.

As far as gear goes for this 3+ week long trip, I am bringing a combination of medium format and 35mm gear. As you may know, I sold off all of my Nikon camera eqiupment earlier this year as I moved to Phase One medium format. This trip has some challenges that medium format may not be able to handle, so I am bringing a backup Canon system with me for either longer focal lengths or for ultra high ISO’s. Here is what will be in my Gura Gear Bataflae camera bag:

• Phase One DF+ camera body
• Phase One IQ250 50 megapixel digital back
• Phase One IQ280 80 megapixel digital back
• Phase One 75-150mm
• Phase One Schneider 240mm
• Phase One 2x teleconverter
• Canon 5DMk3 + portrait grip (rented from borrowlenses.com)
• Canon 70D (rented from borrowlenses.com)
• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II (rented from borrowlenses.com)
• Canon 1.4x III (rented from borrowlenses.com)

Phase One has graciously loaned me the new IQ250 50 megapixel digital back for the trip, and I can choose between the 50 and 80mp backs, depending on the situational need. The new IQ250 allows me to shoot at higher ISO’s, say up to 1600 or perhaps 3200, has a higher frame rate and is a slightly smaller chip in size (and thus a more narrow field of view is captured), and the IQ280 has a larger file size yet at the cost of only being able to use lower ISO values, like 50, 100 and perhaps 200 or 400. It’s the best of both worlds and I am going to feel spoiled.

The Canon gear is all being rented from borrowlenses.com. This allows me to flip flop between Canon and Nikon systems on different trips, a wonderful bit of flexibility that I need in this day and age. Why would I want to have different systems on different trips? It’s easy: I want and need to communicate to my travelers that I understand the systems that they use and that I can understand how to setup and use their cameras and lenses.