Capturing the beauty of the Earth in a colorful and captivating way.
Newsletter 1 Week of October 5-12
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Jeffrey's Weekly Newsletter
Week of October 5-12, 2020
Hi everyone! Welcome to my first newsletter! As this is just starting out, let me tell you what to expect. First, I'll give you a recap of what I've been doing this week. All the little events and highlights will be put into words for your enjoyment.
Next, I'll name the Photographer of the Week, a weekly series where I feature one outstanding landscape/ travel photographer that I've connected with who has both incredible images and a fluid grid.
We'll do our weekly recap on Instagram posts that I posted and I'll go into more detail about the images. Yes, more detail than what's been put in my caption. I know, it sounds crazy considering my captions are paragraphs. If you've been an old follower, I'll revive the shot commentary in this section as well as some more personal experiences.
Any sales or promotions will go here. And obviously, you'll get them in a mass email as well
I give you a new fact that I learned this week as well as any thoughts that I'm having
And we'll wrap up the newsletter with what I expect next week. Obviously, I can't predict the future, but I can sure plan for it!
This week, we had shots from Yellowstone as well as a selected image of Bali from Jord Hammond's instagram. .
"Turqouise Pool"
To say I was mesmerized by the blue colors of the water is simply an understatement. It really is this blue and this reflective. Pretty incredible if I do say so myself. My thought for this shot was to really make the pool look big and reflective. It's not that big in real life but the fact that it fills the entire frame and I was so close makes it look large. Some clarity enhancements and that reflection are great because it's natural. If you look in the foreground, there's a small line from the textures of the ground and lead the eyes in. Because every shot needs a subject that takes up space and not just a ton of negative space, I have that one cluster of trees in the right third that really helps hone the eyes in. Trees in the distance and mountains help emphasize depth
The canyons of Yellowstone have so many layers and so much depth! In this shot, I really emphasized on depth, using the winding river as a dynamic leading line to lead the eyes through the frame. The cliffs on either side helped with the framing of the river and gave the image vertical depth. The mountain layers and lush greens helped give the landscape life and dimension and the repeating trees helped fill the frame with subjects.
This shot comes from Jord Hammond's free for all. I chose this shot because of how difficult it was. The light was so harsh in the highlights and the blacks were crushed in the shadows. Many would call the raw file unusable and my Jurij even messaged me saying he wouldn't even attempt editing this shot. It is very difficult but the elements stood out. The layers of rice paddies, the green forest layers in the background, the mountains giving the image depth, and the wispy clouds leading the eyes to the mountains. Everything about this composition was amazing and I wanted to give it my best shot at really making the green jungles lush and vibrant. The secret, I'll tell you is luminosity masks. It allows you to reveal details in an image without sacrificing the contrast and dimension of the colors if done properly. It's a technique that puts simply lifting shadows and lowering highlights to shame.
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Photographer of the Week
This past week's Photographer of the week was Ty Inez. Much of his work features stunning seascapes, aiming to show off the beauty and dynamic nature of the waves. One glimpse at his grid and you'll be captivated by his vibrant colors and detailed textures. Dramatic sprays or smooth currents, Ty's got it all and he does it in world-class fashion!
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No free gifts this week but I'm working on something big and I'll give you a chance to claim some incredible 8k wallpapers and guides for free in the coming weeks! :)
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A thing I learned this week/ my thoughts:
Last week I learned about the sulfur miners in Indonesia. While the country of Indonesia is absolutely stunning and lush, many of its citizens are still living in poverty. In villages, many men are forced to resort to working in the sulfur mines high in the mountains. They have to travel to volcanoes as far as 400m one way in sandals to break away chunks of sulfur using sticks with fastened metal tips. While doing this cheap yet exhausting labor, they're being exposed to extreme heat and toxic sulfur fumes, shortening their lifespan. They then have to carry an exorbitant amount of sulfur on their backs down the mountain, often creating a strain on their backs and resulting in further health problems. They do this for merely $10 a day, all in an effort to support their family. What's most disheartening is that we take sulfur for granted even though it's put in everything we use. From pesticides to everyday cleaning solutions and soaps to even the chips in our phones, sulfur is all around us. I know reading this may make you feel guilty about your everyday life but it's important to be exposed to these stories. If you want to see a beautiful art piece on the Indonesian sulfur miner, look to Novo Amor's "Terraform" music video. It will definitely pull someheartstrings.
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Plans for Next Week:
I'll be hiking in the Smoky Mountains for next week and I'll be sure to tell you all about it soon! In the meantime, I want to thank you for reading and hope you all have a wonderful week next week. Always grateful for your support,
