Inspirational Photographers: Harold Davis
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| From Harold’s “Floral Studies 2009” flickr gallery. |
I was originally introduced to the work of Harold Davis when I read and reviewed his book Creative Black and White: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques. Harold is a prolific, award-winning photographer and the author of more than 30 books. I am amazed by the sheer volume of quality work he produces. My hunch is that, unlike the rest of us, he requires no sleep. My belief is supported by the fact that night photography is his specialty.
Harold’s night photography and experimental ultra-long exposure techniques are highlighted in his Digital Night photography website. I really like the fact that on the site’s homepage, he’s categorized his photos according to exposure durations. Click on the “Seconds”, “Minutes”, or “Hours” links to view images captured within seconds, minutes, or hours. It’s a quick way to get a feeling for shutter times required for each. If you’re interested in night photography, then you may want to check out his Creative Night: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques book, too.
Given how much night photography work Harold Davis has produced, you might be surprised to learn that it’s but a fraction of his portfolio. He does amazing floral photography (samples here, here, and here), and he covers a host of other topics. Peruse his Flickr photostream or go to the links below to see the breadth of his work.
While you’re at it, check out Hannah Thiem’s excellent Photo.net interview of Harold Davis for a better understanding of what makes him tick.
Finally, head over to Harold’s blog at Photoblog 2.0, and I think you’ll see why he’s one of my inspirational photographers.
Harold describes himself as follows:
“I think of myself as a post-film photographer. In my work, I am especially interested in image processing and what happens to a photograph after it leaves the camera and heads to the computer. I see myself as much a digital painter as a photographer. I never want to give up being behind the camera, but I also get a real kick out of sitting hour after hour trying to get the processing of an image exactly right. Life is full of exciting visuals, and as an artist I am never bored.”
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| From the Biologic section of Harold Davis’s photoblog2.com site. This photo graces the cover of Creative Composition: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques. |
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| “Wings of Man” from the Biologic section of the photoblog2.com site. This photo also took second prize in the North American Butterfly Association contest. |
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| “Parting Shot” from the Night section of the photoblog2.com site. This photo was also featured on Nikon World (here). |
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| From the Monochrome section of the photoblog2.com site. |
| All photos are copyrighted by Harold Davis and used here by permission. |
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Reader Comments (1)
Thank you very much for this wonderful profile Daniel. But yes, I do require sleep, at least as much as having four young kids allows me! Very best wishes, Harold