Andrew Collett has a studio in Port Carling Ontario, a small town right next to Algonquin Park. He specializes in beautiful landscape images of the north and is especially known for his work within the park. The workshop class was small (7 of us) which allowed direct interaction with him in an intimate environment. It was conducted in the studio work area surrounded by all the tools of his trade: several Epson printers, frame-cutters, hanging/spraying room, canvas stretcher, matt cutters, etc.
We were asked to bring along a few raw files of images we would work on in the course. Most of the attendees were well established amateur landscape artists and brought amazing images. After this weekend, I felt like a rank novice in the world of outdoor/landscape imagery. Something I hope to improve on with some exercises over the summer and another one of his 'in-the-field' courses in the fall.
One by one the others brought their images onto the main computer for class discussion. My inexperience in the capture and handling of outdoor scenes became evident as successive students displayed their prize images. The distraction gave some opportunity for an emergency dive back into my small collection of archive images on the laptop. I slipped in one picture from a business trip the week before and another taken in panic on the morning drive to the studio.
Click on image for a larger view.Naval Test Facility at Dodge Pond, CT.
Click on image for a larger view.Roadside on the way to Workshop.
Andrew instructed us on image editing for print preparation. His fine touch was evident in the minor adjustments that, while appearing subtle, made all the difference in the final printed product. This included exposure and black point, white balance, curves, input/output sharpening, and a few other adjustments.
His understanding of the various print media led to selecting various subject images for a matching paper type. The test facility one above for instance is very contrasty and benefited from a glossy print to bring out the deep blacks and sharp edges. The roadside image was suited for a canvas media.
Finally, his framing and canvas wrap techniques were really cool. Canvas mirror wrapping, protective coating, stretching, and mounting were done very efficiently with two methods. He also demonstrated glass-cutting, matting, and framing. Those who had images printed out left with their artwork either framed or canvas wrapped.
Check out some of the fun here in a slideshow.
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