Mr. Butcher..

I don't remember if this guy's photography was ever highlighted here but it should be.....


Not only was he imaging in large format and printing huge before most of you were in diapers, but he is one of the few allowed to have a commecial enterprise within a national state park..


His name is Clyde Butcher  ...isn't that so American!! And you can view his mostly B&W galleries here.....

Very inspirational....If you make a trip to the everglades his gallery is right there at the entrance....


http://www.clydebutcher.com/photographs

enjoy....


Paul

Clyde spoke at the NANPA convention a few years ago at Jacksonville Florida. Really enjoyed his talk and images!!

I've never met Clyde Butcher, but very much would like to. I have seen some of his original large format prints in person and they are truly stunning. Anyone who has an opportunity to see his work (including at his Big Cypress Gallery) or somehow connect with him person, do so. Clyde Butcher is an incredible photographer with a stellar photographic history and inspiring life story as well. One of the greats by any measure...

Plus he has a giant Santa Claus beard and wears a cowboy hat.

I remember seeing him in a PBS/Nat Geo type show on tv doing his photography in the Florida bayous and Everglades. I liked his slow methodical approach, and remember watching him wade into the marsh to set up for a photo. I know there are a number of video links of him and his photography - very much worth a look.

I'm getting more and more stunned looking at his stuff as I go through it...

Here's a page off his site with lot's of videos...
http://www.clydebutcher.com/videos

Long ago when I visited his gallery there in the everglades and I nearly stepped on a very large alligator that I just didn't see at that little pond next to the converted house. Good thing for me it was more into gettin the heck out of my way than turning and taking a chunk out of me...Talk about being startled!!!


Here's something very interesting that he said in the first video on that page:

I photograph using black and white because I found that without color, all the elements including small blades of grass exhibit a "Oneness" and receive equal attention with everything else in the image. Getting people to look up close on a huge printed image because the detail is so interesting is the result.

I live in the Tampa area and have visited Clyde's Venice Gallery and studio. He reminds me of Ansel Adams! When I last visited, his daughter gave us the tour of the back studio where he does all his printing. She mentioned then (Spring of 2014?) that her father had just gotten out of the hospital after a lengthy stay. She mentioned that they almost lost him. She never told us what he was battling and nobody asked.

Clyde Butcher is a treasure to photography. If you get a chance to visit one of his galleries, do so! Get his autograph in one of his books while at the gallery. I had him autograph three of his books that I bought the day I visited.

amullis wrote:I live in the Tampa area and have visited Clyde's Venice Gallery and studio. He reminds me of Ansel Adams! When I last visited, his daughter gave us the tour of the back studio where he does all his printing. She mentioned then (Spring of 2014?) that her father had just gotten out of the hospital after a lengthy stay. She mentioned that they almost lost him. She never told us what he was battling and nobody asked.

Clyde Butcher is a treasure to photography. If you get a chance to visit one of his galleries, do so! Get his autograph in one of his books while at the gallery. I had him autograph three of his books that I bought the day I visited.

Cool....I wish I could get for one of my prints what he charges!



I am trying to figure out how he accomplishes "that look" he gets with B&W. And especially get it using the digital process...

Any one out there who does a lot of B&W work have anything to input on that.??...I have been dragging the feet for so long with B&W but maybe it's time to get on with it..



Paul

pleverington wrote:

amullis wrote:I live in the Tampa area and have visited Clyde's Venice Gallery and studio. He reminds me of Ansel Adams! When I last visited, his daughter gave us the tour of the back studio where he does all his printing. She mentioned then (Spring of 2014?) that her father had just gotten out of the hospital after a lengthy stay. She mentioned that they almost lost him. She never told us what he was battling and nobody asked.

Clyde Butcher is a treasure to photography. If you get a chance to visit one of his galleries, do so! Get his autograph in one of his books while at the gallery. I had him autograph three of his books that I bought the day I visited.

Cool....I wish I could get for one of my prints what he charges!

I am trying to figure out how he accomplishes "that look" he gets with B&W. And especially get it using the digital process...

Any one out there who does a lot of B&W work have anything to input on that.??...I have been dragging the feet for so long with B&W but maybe it's time to get on with it..

Paul

Paul, Go to anyone who has mastered B&W printing and they'll tell you:
"Detail in the whites and detail in the shadows along with good separation in the mid-tones"
This is easy to say and hard to accomplish without lots of practice and many failures :( 
This equates to lots and lots of wasted paper.
Actually the same thing goes for color prints.
Try it, process the image as a B&W first following the above and then look at it in color.
 

Hey Dick would programs like NIK silver effects be something that would get me there?? Or another B&W program??

Or dare I say just PS using curves and masks??.....(work...)


Paul

Paul, Silver Effects is a good program but you still need to understand the basics of B&W processing. If Silver Effects was the one step answer to great B&W images there would be a whole lot more of them and Clyde's images wouldn't seem so exceptional. Ansel Adams' books The Print and The Negative are good resources for getting the basics about what goes into creating a good B&W print. Also if you get a chance to take one George DeWolfe's www.georgedewolfe.com print workshops you'll be studying with some one who studied with Ansel Adams and Minor White. If you can't get to one of George's workshops his book B&W Printing Creating the Digital Master Print  http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Masters-Printing-Creating-Photography/dp/1600591655/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1454165817&sr=1-3&keywords=george+dewolfe is very good.
DeWolfe's book is probably easier to integrate/understand when doing digital capture. 

As with most things it is necessary to fully understand the process of "developing" the B&W print in order to capture an image that can be developed to its full potential when printed. 

Thanks Dick.....checking out your links I see there are quite a few B&W books out there that cover digital processes..  Well it will be some fun....I think I have a few images that would do so well with B&W.


Here's one I especially like....

http://www.clydebutcher.com/image/51

Nice image you linked Paul. Digitally To get this look first a full histogram, tones all the way 0 to 256, then plenty of contrast in the right places, I would be using luminosity masks to separately adjust shadows/mid tones/highlights. Then a great monitor and set of custom print profiles to accurately transfer the screen to the print. Picking a great paper as well... Beyond that it's a lot of experience. The micro detail in a LF file/print also seems to help a lot. And last but not least a great framing job and lighting the print properly. Oh and having a great subject goes without saying.