What's New 2009 - 2010 Archive

December 30th
Two new essays were added to the Free Newsletter Download section of this website today. These two essays are part 1 and 2 of my series of 3 essays on the Fundamental Rules of Composition. Part 3, titled Listening to Intuition, will be published in Spring 2011 and will also be available for download from the Free Newsletter Subscriber page.

I also added a French Version of my Fine Art Photography Top 16 List. This version was made possible by Marc Robillard who generously offered to translate the English version. Both the English and French versions of the "Top 16" are available from the Newsletter Subscriber Download section.


If you are already a subscriber, you can log on and download these essays now at this link.

If you are not a subscriber you can subscribe now using the Subscribe Button at the top of this page.

Finally, if you have lost your username and password, just email me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com and I will resend it to you.

December 29th:
Be sure to read my latest essay, Rethinking Talent on Luminous-Landscape.com (as part of my regular column on Michael Reichmann's site, "Briot's View"): http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/rethinking_talent.shtml

December 24th:
Natalie and I send you our best wishes for the Holiday Season:


Click on the card to download the full-size, printable version
(1.5mb download, 8" x 10" at 300 dpi)

December 17th:
Print of the Month price increase
The print of the month will increase by $100 on January 1st, 2011. This change applies to the entire Print of the Month Collection (92 images and 1 Folio as of December 2010 ).

If you are a collector, this means that your investment will increase in value. If you are not a collector yet, this is an excellent time to start your collection at the lowest price these photographs will ever be offered.

The print of the month collection is available at this link. All prices at this link will go up by $100 after January 1st, 2011.


December 10th:

A new podcast episode about our just-completed Route 66 Workshop is available on the Podcast Page.


December 9th:

New workshops are announced on the Workshops Page
.

The December Print of the Month is available. You save $100 by ordering it now, plus, you also get a mystery print with your order, and you are also entered into our Beauty, Passion and Inspiration drawing 2010 in which you can win a 22" x 28" mat size print of Sunset, Canyonlands National Park.

Any purchase made on this site qualifies for this drawing, be it Workshops, DVD tutorials, Fine Art Prints, Books, etc. Also, you are entered each time you place an order, so if you order multiple times your name is entered multiple times, increasing your odds of winning.

November 29th
The Summit Gallery is now online at this link. If you have not yet submitted your photographs for this gallery, or for the Summit Blurb book, you have only one more day to do so...


November 28th

A new podcast episode is available. In this podcast Natalie and I discuss how to study Fine Art Photography Effectively. You can listen to it now, free, on the Podcast Page at this link.


November 27th
How to use the new features of iPad, iPod and iPhone OS 4. Click on this link to access the page.

November 25th

Natalie and I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!


November 24th

Scroll down to see my latest image, Light Bends



November 21st: 2011 Summit Announcement Imminent!

Natalie and I are working on the 2011 Summit schedule right now. We will be announcing it after Thanksgiving.

The 2010 Summit was fantastic. But the 2011 Summit will be even better. You will love the location we selected for next year! We have never had a Summit there before, and we are sure you will agree that it is a fantastic choice. We also invited exciting new guest speakers for 2011.

Stay tuned for this important announcement next week. If you can guess the location accurately, you will get a special gift when you register. Just email or call (800-949-7983 or 928-252-2466).

Light Bends

November 14th: Moab Summit Update
Natalie and I say a big "thank you" to all of you who attended the 2010 Fine Art Photography Summit in Moab, Utah. You made this event a huge success, and we are grateful you joined us for this unique yearly event.

I prepared a 2010 Summit Page on this site where I will feature photographs from all the Summit Participants. This way you can all see the images that each of you created during the Summit
. To have your work featured in this online Gallery, simply email me your images (small jpegs please) at alain@beautiful-landscape.com

Also be sure to send me your selection for the 2010 Summit Blurb Book. All Summit participants are invited to submit their photographs for both the online gallery and the Blurb book.


Antelope Canyon Workshop Update
We only have 1 seat left for the Spring 2010 Antelope Canyon Workshop.
If you plan to attend, this is your last opportunity to register. Our workshops sell out fast, on a first come first served basis. They are a lot of fun, and Natalie and I do a huge amount of teaching during the workshop, in addition to our field photography sessions. All the details of this nearly sold-out event are here. You can register on this page or over the phone by calling us at 800-949-7983 (USA) or 928-252-2466 (international).


November 5th: Holidays 2010 Fine Art Prints Special Offer
During this offer you can order any Fine Art Photograph in the Alain Briot Print of the Month Collection, in Companion Size, at a price we have never offered before. You can also order the White Sands Folio at a special offer price.

Click here to read all the details.

November 4th: Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD Update available
This important update consists of the following:

Photoshop CS5 Update:

1 - Quickstep
2 - Tutorial Movies

Lightroom 3 Update:
1 - Quickstep
2 - Keyboard Shortcuts
2 -Tutorial Movies

Color Spaces Update:
1 - Profiles and RGB numbers
2 - Color Management Quickstep

Matcutting Update:
1 - Answers to Matting Questions
2 - How to Mat your Photographs
3 - Speed Mat Catalog

Printer Maintenance:
1 - How to clean your printhead

This update is free to all Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD owners.

If you do not have the Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD yet, we are offering a special offer for the Mastery Workshop on DVD series because of this important update. This special offer is available at this link.


3 books available


Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD Special Offer

Adjustment Layers DVD
Special Offer

November 3rd
Download the FREE Fine Art Photography Top 16 Free monitor wallpaper
My Fine Art Photography Top 16 is now available as a wallpaper for your computer monitor or iPad. This free download comes in 7 different monitor resolutions (from 30" to 12"), plus iPad resolution (1024x768). Below is a small jpeg of this wallpaper. You can download it now at this link.

November 1st
The November print of the month is available at this link.


October 27th

Layers Mastery Update: Tutorial Movies available

Tutorial movies covering the new features of LR3 and CS5 have been uploaded to the Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD update area.

This update consists of 9 different movies for a total of nearly 2 hours of instruction.

This update is free to all Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD owners.


If you do not have this unique tutorial yet, we are offering a special offer for the Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD package because of this important update. This special offer is available at this link.


Thanks for the updates on the Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD.
You really stand behind your work!
You did a nice job of covering the highlights of CS5 and LR3

Peter
Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD owner

_________________________________________________________

The layers Mastery Workshop on DVD is really excellent. 
I am continually learning from it as I work through different photos.


John
Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD owner


October 20th:
An important update to the Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD is available. This update consists of the following:
-
Photoshop CS5 Update: 20 pages PDF quickstep
- Lightroom 3 Update: 10 pages PDF quickstep
- Lightroom 3 Keyboard commands shortcuts: 5 pages PDF quickstep added
- Answers to new general questions
- Answers to new Layer-Related questions
- Step by step description of How to use the Layers Mastery DVD on your iPhone, iPad or iPod

Tutorial movies showing the new features of Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 that I use are coming next.

On the occasion of this important update we are offering a special offer for the Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD package. This special offer is available at this link.

If you already have the Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD you can access this update immediately in the Layers DVD updates area using the username and password that were emailed to you when you placed your order.

October 16th:
We just returned from our Eastern Sierra Workshop. We had active weather during this workshop which offered unique photographic opportunities, and the fall colors were beautiful. I will have photographs here shortly.

In the meantime a new essay on Marketing is available at this link. If you are selling your work, or if you are considering doing so, marketing is something you need to consider carefully. This essay, titled Marketing Importance, tells you why.

I'm working my way through the DVD--just finished half of it--and had to tell you how delighted I am with it. I relate to your practical and aesthetic approach so completely!

It's helped me with my understanding already, and your delightful accent is an added bonus. The illustration are great and a huge help. Thanks for this!

Marguerite

Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD owner

_________________________________________________________

I am enjoying the new layers DVD very much . I think this is a fabulous product and the information is very valuable. For me, perhaps the most valuable part is the discussions of the master files.

Mike
Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD owner


October 1st:

The October print of the month is available.


September 29th:
New 3-days Sonoran Desert Workshop

September 28th:

Canal du Midi, France


September 15th:
A four-pages review of my second book, Mastering Photographic Composition, Creativity and Personal Style, is published in the October issue of Shutterbug Magazine. This issue is currently available in newsstands. Here are photographs of the copy I purchased today at Borders:

If you do not have this book yet you can purchase it, signed, at this link.

September 12th
The Mono Lake and Eastern Sierra Workshop is now sold out.

The only 2010 workshops we have seats for are the Fine Art Summit in November and the Route 66 workshop in December.

If you plan on attending one or both of these events we recommend registering now before they are sold out too. Registering early is also important in order to secure hotel rooms. By registering late you fun the chance of not being able to get the room you want, or not get a room at all.


September 10th - Blurb is now a 2010 Arches and Canyonlands Summit Sponsor
We will be creating a Blurb book featuring photographs taken by all the 2010 Summit Participants. The Blurb book is one of the exciting aspects of the Summit and a great opportunity to have your work published.

A few seats remain available for the 2010 Summit and we also have discounts for 2 registrations this month.
Detailed information is available on the 2010 Summit Page.

September 7th -New essay:Composition Top 15

A new essay exploring what I consider to be the 15 most important aspects of photography is now available at this link


September 4th
- New book Special Offer
A brand new book is available for immediate order, together with a unique special offer for this book and for my two previous books. This is a limited time offer because we only have 50 copies available. All the details of this new book and special offer are available at this link. Additionally, the first orders will be entered in a drawing for a unique photography prize. Details of this drawing will be available soon. All orders placed now are automatically entered in this drawing.


September 2nd
- September Print of the Month
I selected one of my favorite photographs for the September Print of the Month.
Click on this link to discover which one.

August 9th
Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD Special Offer

A special offer is available for the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD. During this special offer you receive 20% off the regular price.

You also receive my upcoming book: Marketing Fine Art Photography, in PDF version, free, right away.

You also get free updates to the DVD for as long as you own it, a chance to win a free 1 on 1 consulting session and much more.

Do act now because this offer is strictly limited to the first 20 orders. All the details are on this page.

August 3rd
The August 2010 Print of the Month is now available at this link.


July 21st : "Complete your collection," Mastery Workshops on DVD Special Offer
An exciting special offer for our Mastery Workshops on DVD series is being announced today. This promotion enables you to order any of the 4 Mastery Workshops on DVD at the lowest price these uniquely extensive tutorials will ever be offered. And, if you already own one or several of these tutorials, you can complete your collection also at the lowest cost possible. Only 20 orders will be accepted, so don't delay, check it out and take advantage of this offer now at this link.

July 18th
Due to a cancellation we have 1 opening for the Fall 2010 Antelope Canyon Workshop. Here is the link. Grab this seat while it is available as this workshop is in high demand.

My 3rd book, Marketing Fine Art Photography, is coming soon. All the details including table of contents, full size cover, etc. are available right now at this link.

A pre-announcement list for this new book is available. Joining this list is simple: all you need to do to is email me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com with the words "Marketing Fine Art" in the subject line.

As a pre-announcement list member you will be the first to be notified when the book is available and you will have the opportunity to benefit from special offers available only to pre-announcement list members. You will also receive the table of contents over return email when you join the list.


Coming Soon
Email alain@beautiful-landscape.com
to join the pre-announcement list


July 14th

The cost of the White Sands Folio, which is released in an edition of 50 Folios only, increased to $475 today. Only 10 folios remain available.


A panoramic photograph of Courthouse Wash in Arches National Park is now featured on this page. Arches National Park is one of the locations we will be photographing during the 2010 Fine Art Printing Summit this fall.

The next two registrations placed this month (July) will receive $180 off the Summit registration fee. These two seats will go fast, so if you plan to attend the summit register right away. This is your opportunity to not only save some money but also participate in our flagship, instruction-oriented, all-your-questions-will-be-answered yearly event. All the details are here.


July 9th

The July Print of the Month is now available.
Follow this link to see which image I selected for this month.

July 5th

A new photograph from Canyon de Chelly is now featured on this home page. This photograph is a collage of 3 separate P45 captures. The full image could not be created with a single lens because of the extremely wide field of view. The image was optimized through the use of adjustment layers in Photoshop.

The most important aspect of my layers-optimization approach is a very carefully designed workflow that I have been refining since I started working with Photoshop in 1994. This process is now central to my work and I could not achieve the results I am looking for without it and without using layers. Layers give me the level of control and precision that I need. This file features over 30 layers organized in 5 different categories.


July 3rd
Adobe is now one of the 2010 Fine Art Printing Summit sponsors. This means we will have gifts from Adobe that will be raffled during the Summit. The Summit raffle is free for all Summit registered participants and everyone has a chance to win one of the gifts donated by our sponsors. If you have not looked at attending the Summit yet, or if you are thinking about doing so, you need to visit the 2010 Fine Art Summit page. Our guest presenter this year is printer extraordinaire and Nash Editions Co-Founder Mac Holbert. Find all out the exciting details about this event on the Summit Page.

July 2nd
Sean Reid, who publishes Reid Reviews, a paid site, just published a new essay on his workflow that I found very interesting. Titled From Soup to Nuts this essay deals not only with the technical aspects of workflow but also with the personal, and also the anecdotal aspects of this important aspect of photography. Sean's site is a paid subscription site, and in my view well worth it. You can read sample essays, and subscribe, at http://www.reidreviews.com

More news
I am in the process of optimizing a large number of photographs taken earlier this year, photographs that I did not have time to work on because I was completing my third book. Some of these will be used as illustrations and section headers in the final printed version of the book.


Marketing Mastery DVD + Book Special offer
Right now, we have a special offer for the marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD + my new book on Marketing Fine Art Photography. You can discover all the details of this very unique special offer at this link.


June 21st

A page dedicated to my 3rd book, Marketing Fine Art Photography, is now available at this link.

The table of contents, and the cover of the book, are also available in PDF format. To receive those all you need to do is email me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com with the words "Marketing Fine Art" in the subject line. You will receive the table of contents for this new book in PDF format immediately after you email me.


Coming Soon
Email alain@beautiful-landscape.com
to join the pre-announcement list


Today is the Summer Solstice, an important day for landscape photographers because it marks the longest day of the year.

June 10th
Several new online galleries are now available in the Portfolio Galleries Section. New photographs have also been added to previously available galleries.

These new photographs were taken earlier this year. I did not have the opportunity to process them until now because I was finishing my third book. Now that the book is in the editing stage I am able to work on new images.

A number of photographs were taken at several car shows that I attended this year. There are quite a few opportunities to photograph cars in Arizona, especially in the spring, and I visit several of these venues each year.

Here is the list of the online galleries that are either new or have been updated:
- Scottsdale Automobile Museum
- NHRA Phoenix 2010
- Wheels of Wellness Show

- 2010 "best of" gallery
- Arches and Canyonlands

- Blackstone

June 8th
This page now features a photograph taken in Canyonlands National Park during our Arches and Canyonlands workshop 2 weeks ago.

This month we are offering 2 seats at a unique price for the 2010 Fine Art Photography Summit: the next 2 registrations for the 2010 Summit will get $200 off the regular registration price. If you have been thinking of registering, this is the opportunity to do so and save money. The Summit will not be offered at a lower price, ever. You do have to be one of the 2 first to call or email to get the $200 off, so don't delay and do it now.
You can read the detailed summit description at this link.

The 2010 Summit guest speaker is Mac Holbert, co-founder of Nash Editions and printer extraordinaire.  If you are having problems printing your work,or if you want to reach the next step towards printing excellence, either Mac has the answer or no one does.  Uwe Steinmueller, myself and Mac Holbert will each give 3 new presentations on raw conversion, image optimizations using layers in CS5, printing and marketing. The Summit location is Moab, Utah. Moab is a photographers paradise with Arches and Canyonlands National Parks next door and countless fantastic other locations. You will not have a problem finding world class subjects to photograph!

After The Summit, Natalie and I offer a 3 days field workshop to little known areas of Navajoland. Join us to photograph locations we discovered during the 7 years we lived in Canyon de Chelly. This is going to be a fantastic finale to the Summit. You are guaranteed to come back with tons of great images, plus the knowledge to make world class prints!


June 7th

The June Print of the month is available. I just added a detailed description of the photograph I selected for June.

The 16 Tips Wallpaper Set is now available in the Free Newsletter Subscription area. If you are not subscribed yet you can do so by clicking on the "subscribe " link at the top of this page.


June 5th
The Portfolio Galleries section has been updated. New photographs were added to 2010 Galleries and older galleries were modified so they match the look of the site. Some of these had not been changed since the site had been updated to a Gray background several years ago. If you have not looked at these galleries recently, take a look now by visiting this link.

The June print of the month will be announced tomorrow, June 6th. I have been hard at work on my next book, Mastering Fine Art Photography Marketing, completing the final version of the manuscript, and this is the reason for this delay.

Incidentally, a pre-announcement list for this book is available. Joining this list is easy. Simply email me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com with the words "Marketing Fine Art" in the subject line. Your name will be immediately added to the pre-announcement list and you will have the opportunity to benefit from unique special offers as soon as the book is available. You will also receive free sample chapters of this new book in PDF format.


Coming Soon
Email alain@beautiful-landscape.com
to join the pre-announcement list

June 3rd
Rethinking Talent
A new essay, never published so far, is available. Titled Rethinking Talent this essay focuses on the different aspects of talent. It is part of a larger series of essays about the nature of art.

The June print of the month will be announced shortly. Until it is announced the May Print of the Month, the White Sands Folio, remains available.


May 29th
Only 2 White Sands Folios left at the Print of the Month Price
We have only two White Sands Folios left at the introductory special Offer Price. This offer ends June 1st, only a couple days away. The detailed description is at this link.

May 27th
The first photograph from our Arches and Canyonlands workshop was published today. It was taken at Sunset in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. This workshop was very successful because of the vast diversity of landscapes and light quality offered in Arches and Canyonlands and because of the wonderful participants who attended the workshop.

If you missed this event, and if you are eager to photograph Arches, Canyonlands and the Moab, Utah, Area (and if you are not, you should!) please know that we will be back in the same area this November for the 2010 Fine Art Photography Summit. The Summit is our yearly event, now in its 8th year. The Summit is taught by Uwe Steinmueller and myself. Mac Holbert, of Nash Editions fame, is our guest speaker this year.


You can read a detailed description of the Summit, and register, at this link.

May 19th
Fine Art Photography Top 16 Free monitor wallpaper
My Fine Art Photography Top 16 is now available as a wallpaper for your computer monitor or iPad. This free download comes in 7 different monitor resolutions (from 30" to 12"), plus iPad resolution (1024x768). Below is a small jpeg of this wallpaper. You can download it now at this link.


May 18th
A new essay titled Fine Art Top 15 is now available on Reflections. Reflections is the title of my new blog. It currently features over 20 short essays and new essays are being added regularly. If you have not visited Reflections yet, take a minute and do so now. I am sure that you will enjoy it.

May 12th
The White Sands Folio now ships with a PDF version compatible with Mac, PCs and iPad. This version is free with all Folio purchases. If you already placed your order, you will receive a link to download your iPad version shortly. If you have not placed your order we decided to offer 5 more Folios at the Special Offer price because of the new PDF version announcement.

May 11th
Spring 2011 Antelope Canyon Workshop
The Spring 2011 Antelope Canyon Workshop was announced today. If you have been waiting to sign up for this unique workshop you can find all the information, including dates and registration, at this link.


White Sands Folio
An update to the White Sands Folio will be announced shortly. Stay tuned.

May 8th
Due to a cancellation we have 1 opening for the Arches and Canyonlands Workshop this month. If you can take this seat you will be participating in a unique workshop at a phenomenally photogenic location. This workshop focuses on color and composition, and we will be studying both the technique and the art of Fine Art Landscape Photography. You can read the full description, and register, at this link.

White Sands Folio Update
We have 2 White Sands Folios left at the Special Offer price. I am also about to announce an exciting addition to this offer. All orders, past, current and future, will benefit from this addition.


May 6th

The May Print of the Month is the White Sands Folio. Visit this link to discover this unique print collecting opportunity. This just-released Folio, which consists of a beautiful collection of prints and texts, is offered at a very attractive price but only for the first 5 orders.


May 5th

Due to a cancellation we have 1 opening available for the June 2010 Zion, Bryce, Escalante and Capitol Reef workshop. If you can take this seat you need to rush to the phone or email and get a hold of us as it will not last long: alain@beautiful-landscape.com -- 800-949-7983 or 928-252-2466.

April 26th
Announcing my 3rd book: Marketing Fine Art Photography
This is the very first announcement of my 3rd book, Marketing Fine Art Photography. As the title implies this book focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary to market fine art photography both successfully and profitably.

The book is scheduled for publication this Summer. At this time I have opened a pre-registration list as I do with all major releases for book, tutorials, workshops and portfolios. Joining this list is easy. Simply email me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com with the words "Marketing Fine Art" in the subject line. Your name will be immediately added to the pre-announcement list and you will have the opportunity to benefit from unique special offers as soon as the book is available. You will also receive free sample chapters of this new book in PDF format.

April 18th
Spring 2011 Workshops Announced
We just announced the Spring 2011 Death Valley and Navajoland Workshops. If you missed getting a seat in these two workshops this year, or if you have been waiting for this announcement to sign up, this is your chance to do so now.

Our workshops fill up quickly and several seats in these two new workshops have already been taken by participants who were on our wait list.

You can read the detailed descriptions of all our workshops on our Workshop Page.

April 8th
April Print of the Month
The April Print of the Month is available. Visit this link to see which print I selected for April.

Reflections
New posts have been added to Reflections. Of particular interest are several posts about Apple's new iPad.

April 3rd
Reflections started
A new component was added to this site in the form of Reflections, a "blog", for lack of a better term, in which I will post reflections on Photographic art, technique, marketing and success. Reflections shares the same RSS Feed as this site.

Several entries are already available and you can post comments as you please.

Workshops
The fall 2010 Antelope Workshop is sold out. We still have 1 seat in the Zion, Escalante, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef workshop, 2 seats in the Mono Lake and Eastern Sierra Workshop and 4 seats in the Route 66 Workshop.

We do not plan to add new workshops for 2010, so if you plan to attend one our unique workshops this year you need to register now or wait until next year. The links to the detailed description of these workshops is on this page.


March 21st
Spring 2010 Antelope Canyon Workshop opening

Due to a cancellation we have one opening available for the Spring 2010 Antelope Canyon Workshop

March 12th

The 2010 Fine Art Summit is open for registration

Uwe Steinmueller and myself are proud to announce the 2010 Fine Art Summit. Our guest speaker this year is Mac Holbert. Our focus is print quality and the creation of Fine Art Photographs. the summit covers field photography, image conversion and optimization, and Fine Art Printing. The full description, as well as registration information, is at this link.

March 1st

The March print of the Month is available
. This month's selection is one of the 30 photographs featured on the new Adjustment Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD.

February 27th
Death Valley Workshop Opening

Due to a cancellation we have 1 seat available for the Death Valley Workshop this spring. All the details are at this link. If you can join us, let us know ASAP.

February 24th:
First updates posted to the Adjustment Layers DVD updates area.

This area is accessible to all Adjustment Layers workshop on DVD owners, using the link, username and password that were emailed to you when you placed your order.

February 16th
The adjustment Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD is available.
All the details of this new, and never before offered, tutorial are at this link including a video sampler, the table of contents and more.


Adjustment Layers DVD
Special Offer



New Blog

Coming Soon

Email alain@beautiful-landscape.com to join the pre-announcement list
White Sands Folio
Special Offer



1-Podcast
Feed + itunes

2-What's New RSS Feed




Adjustment Layers DVD
Special Offer


New Blog

Coming Soon

Email alain@beautiful-landscape.com to join the pre-announcement list
White Sands Folio
Special Offer

February 3rd:
The February Print of the Month is available. The photograph I selected for this month is one of the 30 images featured on the upcoming Adjustment Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD.

This New tutorial DVD features over 24 hrs of audio and video instruction, plus 30 master files and over 20 tutorial pdf files. It will be available very soon.

RIght now a pre-announcement list is available. Joining this list is simple: just email to alain@beautiful-landscape.com with the words "Adjustment Layers DVD" in the subject line. I will add you to the list and you will be first notified when the DVD is available. You will also benefit from a special offer available only to the first few orders.

January 30th:
New Workshop: The Zion, Bryce Canyon, Escalante and Capitol Reef Workshop
All the details are at this link.

January 28th
1 - Adjustment Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD

Since my last post I have been working on the Adjustment Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD. As of today, all the recordings have been completed and the DVD is going through its completion phases.

If all goes well this exciting new tutorial will be available at the beginning of February.

If you have not looked at the description of this new tutorial, click here to read the details of this upcoming Workshop on DVD and to join the pre announcement list.

2 - Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD update
An important update to the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD was posted to the Marketing Mastery Updates area. This update addresses some important errors to avoid at all cost if you want your photography sales to be profitable and if you want to make the best use of your time.

If you are not familiar with the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD, you can read a detailed description of this extensive tutorial at this link

January 19th
1 - New Workshop: The Route 66 Workshop
This workshop takes you to locations we have never visited before during a workshop. The teaching emphasis is on Creativity and the development of a Unique Style. We will visit 2 national parks and many fascinating locations during the photography adventure. All the details are at this link.

This workshop was previously announced to newsletter subscribers and is already half full.

2 - Coming Soon: The Adjustment Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD

Click here to read the details of this upcoming Workshop on DVD and join the pre announcement list.

January 9th
Coming Soon: The Adjustment Layers Mastery Workshop on DVD
Click here to read the details of this upcoming Workshop on DVD


January 2nd, 2010:
Natalie and I wish you a very Happy New Year!

The first print of the month is being announced today. Click here to see which images I selected for January 2010 and read a description of what I was thinking about when I created this image.

 

December 29th:
Part 2 of my interview with Peter Urban was published today.

The podcast page was also redesigned. You can now listen to the podcast directly on this site in addition to iTunes and RSS feed readers. Click here to visit the new page and access all 47 episodes of our very popular podcast.


December 23rd: three new online galleries:

1 - Very Large Array, New Mexico (just for fun)
2 - Route 66, Arizona (just for fun)
3 - 2009 Fine Art Summit (Summit Participants)


December 20th
New photographs added to the 2009 Online Portfolio

December 17th
Holidays Special Offers

Don't miss these unique special offers available only for the Holidays !

December 1st
December Print of the Month announced
We are pleased to announce a very unique special offer onall the Fine Art Photographs in the Print of the Month Collection. Click on this link to find out all the details.


1-Podcast
Feed + itunes

2-What's New
RSS Feed


New Book



November 27th
New Podcast: Photography as Art

What makes a photograph Fine Art? What makes a photograph not be Fine Art? In new episode in their popular podcast series, Alain and Natalie Briot discuss what makes a photograph a Fine Art Photograph.


November 25th
Only 2 seats left for the Spring 2010 Navajoland Workshop


If this workshop has your name on it, you need to register now or it may go to someone else. The fastest way to register is to call us at 800-949-7983 or 928-252-2466 now. We are in Arizona and we look forward to talking to you.


November 18th
Only 1 seat left for the Spring 2010 Arches & Canyonlands Workshop
- Update: sold out



November 17th
2009 Mastery Seminars Audio Recordings update


The Equipment page was also updated today

I am about half way through your new book and very impressed. 
You have done a great job with it and I am finding the concepts very helpful.
Thank you for writing such a great book.  I am really enjoying it. 
Your photo of the stars rotating around Polaris is wonderful.

Doug,
California

November 5th
My Interview with Peter Urban is now available from my Biography Page


November 3rd
The November Print of the Month is available

October 29th
New Podcast Episode
This new podcast is a discussion between Natalie and I on the subject of teaching photography as art during our workshops.
In this 1 hr conversation we talk about the dual focus we place on Fine Art Photography --technical and artistic-- and about how we implement this focus during the workshops.

We also go over what takes place during a workshop, including the extensive teaching content which includes syllabus, exercises, handouts, print reviews, lectures, presentations and much more.

This podcast is provided in mp3 format and will play in your browser, in Apple iTunes, and on any mp3 player.

I attended Alain's "slot canyon" workshop last year and found the instruction and results extremely beneficial. Natalie and Alain have a personal connection with all their students and provided insightful instruction. I will definitely attend more workshops with them in the future!

Leah Spears,
Texas

October 27th
Join us on Facebook:



October 25th

Two new reviews for Mastering Composition, Creativity and Personal style were published recently:

1 - Artie Alinikoff review
2 - Michael Roach review

October 22nd
New Thoughts & Photographs essay
A new essay consiting of an interview with Luis Argerich is now available in the context of the Thoughts & Photographs essay series.

You can see the entire collection of essays in this series (over 100 different essays) at this link.


October 16th
New home Page photograph: Mono Lake
Sometimes things work just exactly the way you want. On the morning this photograph was taken we had an open sky in the East, giving us beautiful sunrise light, clouds in the West, providing an interesting sky, a light dusting of snow on the mountains (difficult to see on the jpeg but visible on the Fine Art Print), no wind, providing us with wonderful reflections because of the still water, clean air meaning that the sky and the reflections of the sky are pure blue, and red hills behind the lake due to the grasses on the hills having turned yellow.

Plus, I had found the perfect location for this shot while the light was not at its peak yet, a good thing because the scene as you see it in this image lasted only a minute or two at the most, not enough time to relocate myself and re-set my tripod and equipment had I not been there when it happened. After that the sun was too strong to hold the delicate highlights in the Tufa without having them overly bright, thereby distracting from the overall scene. Before that the light was too soft and did not express my vision of this scene as well as in this image.


October 14th
New Photographs
New Photographs were posted to the Workshop Participants Photographs page and to the Photographs of Alain and Natalie page.

October 14th
New "Surviving the Recession" Podcast episode by Alain and Natalie

A new podcast episode from Alain and Natalie Briot was published today.

This new episode consists of a discussion between Alain and Natalie on the subject of how to prosper (not just survive) during the current recession.

In this 1 hr conversation Alain and Natalie discuss the changes they made in order to continue running a successful photography business during the recession.

Alain and Natalie also make recommendations to help you not only survive the recession, but also enjoy yourself and benefit from this recession.

This podcast is provided in mp3 format and will play in iTunes as well as in any mp3 player.

October 11th
Workshops openings update
:
Zion Summit: 1 seat left for field workshop
White Sands and Bosque del Apache: 1 seat left
Death Valley Spring: 1 seat left
Navajoland Spring: 3 seats left

October 1st:
The October 2009 Print of the Month is available

September 27th:
Only 2 seats left for the Spring 2010 Death Valley Workshop


September 23rd

We received the first testimonials for my new book (below).
It is not too late to take advantage of the special offer for the book at this link

Thank you for writing the book "Mastering Photographic Composition,  
Creativity and Personal Style". For me it is a must read, no other book goes into such detail about how to go from idea to finished print.

What struck me most in the book is that you explain your workflow in a very detailed way. From the start, the idea (creating art) to the finished product (the print).

It has caused me to look at the scene in a complete different way as I was used to. You're an equal excellent photographer, master printer and a writer.
Emmanuel, over email

I got my copy of your second book last week. I really like the chapter about how to develop your own style and inner self as a photographer. I have both of your books. They are fantastic and full of great ideas.
Iris, on Facebook


Dam!!!!! you have done it again.  Just as I feel comfortable in work along comes another set of ideas of goals or thoughts which inspire me to reexamine what I am trying to create.  Have just started book but enjoy the (dry) humor such as "I buy the best cards, lenses and equipment I can find".  Hope to work my way through in the next week or two.
Steve, Texas

Your book and the excellent print arrived yesterday. I was amazed by the
rich contents of the book and I am sure that it will be my invaluable
guide for many years to come. Just want to say a big thank you for sharing your expert experience with us.
TK, Hong Kong

Your book has arrived today and it's in perfect condition.  I feel bad for paying so little for the book - you should charge at least 10x more! I took a quick glimpse and I'm amazed with all the information that you put up together and all the things that you reveal that I'm sure most photographers wouldn't dare to!
Luis, Brazil

I really enjoy your new book, “Photographic Composition, Creativity and Personal Style.” I have probably read approximately 30 or so books on the subject of Landscape Photography (I enjoy reading).  Your “Mastering Landscape Photography” is the most insightful for me. The discussion of your journey as an artist captured my imagination and helped point me in a direction that was both liberating as well as daunting…development of a personal style.

That is why your second book resonated with me.  The subject of a personal style may be the most important topic that isn’t covered, and if covered only indirectly, in photography books that I have read so far (and I have read a bunch). You really handle it well. The challenge of defining abstract concepts in a practical and rational manner must have been as introspective as it was probably incredibly time consuming. I am most appreciative.
Lloyd, Texas

September 17th
New Video Photography Review
A new Online Photography review is available. This new review focuses on a photograph created by Johnny Eades. You can see this review, as well as all the previous ones, at this link. You can also submit your own photographs for review at the same link.

September 14th

Only 1 seat left for the Spring 2010 Antelope Canyon Workshop
. If you want to join us, for this unique and exciting workshop in one of the most photogenic locations anywhere, you need to register now. All the details are at this link.

September 12th
New Book Special Offer extended
Because of the vacations, many newsletter subscribers could not take advantage of the special offer when it was first announced. We therefore decided to extend it to September so that you can order the book as planned.

You can place your order immediately at this link. My new book is in stock and ships right away.

September 1st
September Print of the month

The September 2009 Print of the Month is available. Visit this link to discover which image I selected for this month.

The print of the month is priced $100 lower for one month. Price will go up by $100 after September 30th. You can save $100 by purchasing this Fine Art Print now.

August 25th
New book news
The Special offer for my new book is ongoing -- it is not too late to take advantage of our special offer.

If you placed your order before today, it has either been shipped or it will be shipped this week. Because of the high volume of orders, we are shipping orders in the order they are received.


Portfolios and 1 on one consulting
New Photographs have been added to the Blackstone Online Porfolio.

A new portfolio featuring Photographic locations near our studio is now available. This portfolio is of particular interest if you are planning to do one on one consulting work with us.

We do have a special offer for one on one consulting at this link together with a detailed description of our consulting program. We are also accepting one on one registrations for Fall 2009 now.


August 16th
My new Book is available - order yours now

My new book, Mastering Photographic Composition, Creativity and Personal Style, is available.

You can place your order now by clicking here now

At 370 pages it is the longest book I have written so far. It has 120 pages more than my first book which is 250 pages long.

We have several special offers available. You can see them all on the book special offer page.

Order now because this offer will end soon. Prices will go up 20% to 30% afterwards.

All orders qualify for entry into our Beauty, Passion and Inspiration Drawing

And, you receive $102 off the Fine Art Summit registration when you order the book!

August 13th
New essay on Personal Projects
A new essay by Eva Polak, with an introduction by myself, is available in the Thoughts and Photographs series. I am working on personal project with many of you, so be sure to read this interesting essay to read since it describes Eva's approach to her own project.

I have won first place in a juried photography show in Creede, Colorado. 

Much of the credit I owe to you and Natalie for your guidance, inspiration and positive criticism. 
My deepest thanks to both of you.

I am very proud of this.  It means a lot to me.

Here is the link to the winning photograph:

http://web.me.com/fieldswwe/Site/First_Place_Winner.html

Best regards and many thanks,

Bob Fields,
San Antonio, Texas


August 11th
New Blackstone online Gallery
Natalie and I joined the Blackstone Country Club this summer and, feeling inspired by the decor of this beautiful location, I decided to do some photography there. You can enjoy looking at the results so far in this new online gallery. I will be adding new images as I continue to photograph there in the coming days and weeks, so come back often to see my next images.



August 7th

New online photography Review
A new online photography review, featuring a photograph by Peter Puna, is now available at this link. You can also see many other photography reviews at the same link.

I have just finished watching your review and re-working of my image and I really have to thank you for your comments and insights. This is one of my most popular photographs, but you have shown that popularity is not necessarily a measure of perfection. You have opened my eyes just that much more, and for that I am truly grateful.

Peter Puna
You can see my review of Peter's work by clicking here



August 1st
August Print of the Month available
The August 2009 Print of the Month is available. Click on this link to find out which image I selected this month. As with all print of the months, this image is priced $100 lower than previous Prints of the Month.

As with all other purchases made from this site, this new release qualifies for entry in our Beauty, Passion and Inspiration drawing. You can find out what this is all about here.

July 30th
Print of the Month Prices Increase
The price for 16"x20" mat size Prints of the Month increased by $100 today. The price of 24"x30" mat size prints remains the same.

The prices for my work increase regularly, guaranteeing collectors a regular increase in the value of their investment.

The August 2009 Print of the Month will be announced tomorrow. As with all new prints of the month it will be offered $100 below the print of the month price for one month only.

The current Print of the Month is available for $100 less for one more day. Tomorrow it will go up $100, either framed or unframed.



July 28th
Mediterannée Online Portfolio
A new online portfolio titled Mediterannée, after the French region of the same name, is now available. Click here to visit and come back often as new images are currently being added to this portfolio.

July 23rd
New Beauty, Passion and Inspiration drawing announced

Better Digital Camera interview, July 2009

July 18th
New podcast episode: Landscape Blurs

A new podcast episode focusing on one of my favorite techniques, Landscape Blurs, is now available. This episode consists of a discussion between myself, Natalie and Venus Kondos.

My essay describing how to create your own Landscape Blurs photographs is also available for free download as a PDF file. To download this essay simply log on to the Free Newsletter Subscriber page, using the link and password you received when you subscribed.

If you are not subscribed to my free newsletter yet you can subscribe now for free using the link at the top of this page. Th link and password allowing you to download the free essay will be emailed to you immediately after you subscribe.


July 16th
Alain's interview in Better Digital Camera
Nick Rains interviewed me earlier this year and this interview is published in the magazine Better Digital Camera this month. Better Digital Camera is an Australian photography magazine, so if you are in Austratlia grab a copy. You may be able to find it elsewhere in the world, and the link to the magazine's website is here.

The essay features a gallery of my work, including the magazine cover. Several photographs are printed full page or double-page spreads, which does justice to the high resolution of my images.

July 14th
July 2009 Artist Statement
A new artist statement, describing my current approach to creating Fine Art Photography, is now available at this link. If you have been wondering what Fine Art Photography consists of, here is my answer to the question.

July 11th
S
an Juan 2009 Online Gallery
Earlier this month we led an exclusive workshop on the San Juan River in Southern Utah. A gallery of photographs from this workshop is now available. Additional photographs will be added shortly. Click here now to visit this new online gallery.


July 9th
Video Interview of Alain Briot by Peter Urban
Peter Urban interviewed me in a 2 parts interview this spring. Part 1 is now available on tv.smibs.com. Part 2 will be available shortly on the same site.

July 6th

New Online Video Photography Review
This new video review features a photograph by Max Hertelendy. You can watch this review, as well as all the previews reviews, at this link.

July 4th
Beauty, Passion and Inspiration Drawing
The winner of the first Beauty, Passion and Inspiration drawing is John Motzi from Downingtown, Pennsylvania. You can see the details of this unique drawing at this link.

A new drawing will be announced shortly. In the meantime every order placed now is automatically entered in the next drawing.

Natalie and I wish a safe and happy 4th of July to everyone!

July 2nd
July Print of the Month
The July Print of the Month is titled Moonlight Wash Reflections. You can read more about it and place your order at this link.

All purchases qualify for our Beauty, Passion and Inspiration Drawing


July 1st
Beauty, Passion and Inspiration drawing
Our first Beauty, Passion and Inspiration drawing is now completed. The winner will be announced shortly.

A new drawing will be announced shortly. Every order placed after July 1st will automatically be entered in this new drawing.


June 25th

New Book Final Table of contents available in PDF format
The final table of contents for the book, in PDF format, is available on the Book's Latest News Page. Other important news regarding this new book are available on the same page.

The book's publication date is still scheduled for August 15th.

The pre-announcement list for this new book remains open. Be sure to sign up for the pre-announcement list now so you are among those who are first notified. Several special offers limited to the first 40 orders will be announced to the pre-release list members the minute the book is available. Joining the list is easy: simply email alain@beautiful-landscape.com with Mastering Photographic Composition in the subject line. There is no obligation to buy, you will simply be first to be notified and you will have the unique opportunity to benefit from these exciting special offers.

New Home Page Photograph
A new photograph, taken in Slickhorn Canyon, in the San Juan River area of Southern Utah, now graces the home page. This photograph is also featured in my 2009 Online Gallery.


June 10th
1 on 1 in-studio consulting special offer
A limited time special offer for in-studio, one one one consulting is available. If personalized instruction is what you are looking for, be sure to take advantage of this unique offer. All the details are available at the link above.

Your June 2009 Print of the Month Is just stunning.

Dan Holik, Maryland
in email following Dan's order for the June Print of the Month

June 8th:
The table of contents of my second book Mastering Composition, Creativity andPersonal Style is now available.
An update to the publishing date of the book
is also available. Both table of contents and update are available on the book's Latest news Page



June 5th

Workshop Testimonial from Steve
Ehrich
Steve attended our Antelope Canyon Workshop this May and sent us his testimonial yesterday:

June 6, 2009

An unsolicited recommendation

It was my pleasure to attend the Antelope Canyon workshop in Page, Arizona in May 2009. This recommendation is a result of my reflections of the workshop while returning to Texas.

Instruction: The materials and information brought to the workshop were of the highest quality and provided information at many levels. Alain’s portfolios of Navajoland and his shots of Canyons around Page provided a benchmark that was most valuable in assessing our work and provided ideas for personal improvement. Natalie spoke to the issues of light, color and composition which provided both salient information and a jumping off point for discussions. No question was too vague or difficult for discussion. Questions were answered on many levels providing opportunities for further questions and discussions. The length of portfolio review and instruction seemed just the correct amount of time. The organization of time for the entire workshop was well balanced and productive.

Students at the Workshop: I was most impressed with the quality of students attending the workshop. All were pleasant, capable photographers who demonstrated a willingness to help others. This help was demonstrated by helping this old man over some of the harder walks to photo sites, discussing shooting angles, processing tips in P.S., and their personal shooting experiences which could be useful. One would assume that much of this helpfulness had to come from the personalities of Natalie and Alain Briot.

Photographic Opportunities: The workshop provided seven sites for shooting landscapes each based on light, number of others in the area and length of travel and walking to site. I had never been to northern Arizona so this, to me, was a most interesting and productive part of the workshop. Alain and Natalie were most helpful in providing ideas, information while allowing students to shoot as their artistic instincts directed. At one point in a shoot I was having difficulty framing a shot and Alain suggested how he would view that shot. This experience was very helpful without being pedantic or stiff. Over the course of five days I took about 500 images which will provide me with a solid base for work on a portfolio.

Bang for the Buck: This workshop was my third (first with Alain and Natalie Briot) and without questions the best of the three. I am so impressed with the quality and instruction I have decided to attend the
Fine Art Printing Summit in November, 2009.

Quality at this level is hard to find, and all aspects of the workshop were well beyond expectations.

Steve Ehrich
Fort Worth, Texas

You can see photographs taken by Steve during the workshop, as well as by other workshop participants, on the Student Gallery. If you attended one of our workshops send us some of your photographs and we will add them to the gallery.

June 4th:
The June 2009 Print of the Month is available.

May 2
9th:
Only 1 day left to save $100 off your Summit Registration
The deadline to receive $100 off the registration fee for the Summit ends on May 31st (which is tomorrow). Call or email NOW to register and save.

Out Guest Presenter and Teacher this year, in addition to Uwe Steinmueller and myself, is Mac Holbert, co-founder of Nash Editions and printer extraordinaire. If you find image processing, image optimization and printing challenging, if Lightroom, CS4 and other image software seem daunting to you, come to the Summit and we will teach you how to develop an efficient image processing workflow. The Summit is designed to help you become a master printer, and Uwe, myself and Mac will help you with your personal printing and processing challenges.

We reserved a block of 45 rooms at the Zion Best Western for Summit participants. Otherwise all hotels are sold out because Fall is the peak season in Zion. You benefit from an exclusive low room rate at the Zion Best Western as a Summit Participant. We email you all the information you need to make your reservations and get your special rate after you register.

The detailed description of the Summit is at this link. Don't delay, sign up now.

May 28th

Mono Lake Workshop update: only 1 seat left
We have only 1 seat left for the Mono Lake Workshop this fall. This workshop is offered only once a year, so if it is on your list this is decision time. This last seat can be yours, but you must act now or miss the opportunity to study photography with Natalie and I in one of the most photogenic locations anywhere.

Our field workshops feature lectures, print reviews, presentations and teaching sessions daily. While we take you to the finest locations at the best time possible for the light, we also teach you composition, light, personal style, etc. In all our workshops you receive a course syllabus, a detailed itinerary, handouts, skill enhancement exercises, viewing aides and more.

Keep in mind that all purchases, including workshops, qualify for entry in our Beauty, Passion and Inspiration contest through which you can win a 22x28 matted and signed fine art print of Mesa Sunset. All the details are at this link.


May 27th

A new
Online Video Print Review is available. In this new review I critique and comment upon a photograph by Susan Silberberg Peirce


May 18th

A new update
(the second one this month) was posted to the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD Owners Updates page. This update provides you with answers to the following questions:

1 - What is the percentage of prints I can expect to sell for each size?
2 - Do these percentages change depending on the venue?
3 - What percentage of prints can I expect to sell depending on the presentation, ie. paper, canvas, art cards, post card etc. ?
4 - What percentage of framed versus unframed prints can I expect to sell?
5 - What Inventory do I need to carry when I start to sell my work?
6 - How many prints of each size should I carry?
7 - What should I produce myself and what do you recommend I have done by a subcontractor (i.e. scanning, large printing, framing, etc.) ?
8 - What is a good profit margin?
9 - How do you recommend I print small prints (smaller than 16x20 or 10x15)? 
10 - Have you noticed a preference for canvas prints versus paper prints?

Our Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD special offer is still ongoing. You can save 20% by purchasing this tutorial now. The Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD features all the materials I cover during my two-days Marketin Mastery Seminar and more. The advantage of the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD compared to the seminar is that you can study anywhere you like, as often as you like, and you do not have to absorb everything in 2 days which is a very short time for that much information (over 40 hrs of audio and video, hundreds of PDF and text files, photographs, etc.).


May 17th
The
Beauty, Passion and Inspiration Drawing deadline has been extended until June 30th. We wanted to make sure you have plenty of time to enter this drawing, and this mis why we decided to push the deadline a little bit. The rules of this drawing are simple: purchase one of our fine products from this website, or sign up for a workshop or consulting, and you are automatically entered in the drawing. Plus, you are entered again each time you place a new purchase. There is no limit as to how many times your name can be entered, and of course the more time you are entered, the more chances you have of winning this fine art print. All the details are at this link.

May 12th
The
16x20 mat size prints (10x15 print size) is now discontinued and is no longer available in our Fine Art Price List. This size remains available only for some of the images in the Print of the Month Collection. Our smallest print size is now 22x28 matted (16x20 print size).

The reason for this change is that 22x28 is currently our most popular size. This size works very well for home decor being neither too small nor overly large. This size also does justice to the very high level of details in my work, especially for images created with large format (4x5) or medium format digital (Phase One Digital Backs)

May 11th
The May 2009 print of the month is now available

May 9th
Natalie and I returned from our Spring Navajoland workshop yesterday night. We spend a few days on our properties in Northern Arizona after the workshop relaxing and enjoying ourselves. This is my first post since we returned. Here are news of immediate importance:

1-Zion Summit - $100 off special offer extented until May 31
Why are we doing this? For several reasons. First, this site experienced technical problems and access was not available for most of the day on May 1st, the day of the original deadline. Second, we had to leave for our Navajoland Workshop also on May 1st and we did not come back until today, making it impossible to people to register until today. Therefore, to give an equal chance to everyone to get take advantage of this offer, Uwe and I decided to extend it until the end of the month. Click here to read the Summit description and to see the complete list of presentations scheduled for this unique event. This new deadline is it. It will not be extended again.

2-May Print of the Month:
The may print of the month will be available shortly. It will be offered in 22x28 mat size (16x20 print size). This size is our most popular size. It shows more detail of the high resolution images than smaller sizes and it is more adequate for the current home decor trend which is to feature larger artwork. The 16x20 print size will no longer be offered except for previous print of the month. The 16x20 mat size will be removed from my regular price list.
The curent print of the month remains available at the first month price until the May Print of the month is announced.

3-Grand Prix Racing
It's Pole Day at Indy and Helio Castroneves is on temporary pole as I type. The Spanish F1 Grand Prix of Catalunya is tomorrow morning (at least for those of us who live in the USA) and Jenson Button is on pole. Can't wait to see the unfolding of both! In fact, I will retun to watching Indy qualifying after these news are posted. Go Penske, Go Brawn.

April 30th
1 - Technical issues
This site experienced technical issues earlier today and was unavailable for part of the day. These issues have now been fixed and all is back to normal.

Some emails may have been lost during theses interruptions. If you emailed me and did not get a response, please resend your email. I have now answered all emails received, so if I did not answer yours it is because it has been lost.

2 - 2009
Zion Fine Art Printing Summit
Register before May 1st and receive $100 off the registration fee

The 2009 Summit takes place in Zion National Park. Our guest presenter and teacher this year is Mac Holbert. Mac is joining myself and Uwe Steinmueller for this event. Mac is one of the most experienced fine art digital printers and is the co-founder of Nash Editions with Graham Nash. We are very pleased he his joining us for this event and we know that you will find Mac's help a tremendous asset in helping you reach the next level of printing quality for your work.

We offer you $100 off when you register for the Summit before May 1st. There are only a couple days left, so don't delay any longer.
Click here to read the Summit description and to see the complete list of presentations scheduled for this unique event.

April 28th
We currently have three RSS feeds available. Subscribing to these feeds will keep you updated on all the latest news, workshops, special offers and more:

1-Newsletters RSS Feed

2-Podcast RSS Feed + itunes

3-What's NewRSS Feed

April 27th
1-
Podcast
Technical issues prevented the podcast to be available on iTunes last week. These issues (bad RSS feed) have now been fixed and the podcast is listed on iTunes as it was before. Here is the link to the Podcast page. The lastest installment is the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD "current economic environment" update.

2-Workshops
Bob Fields attended our Antelope Canyon workshop earlier this month. You can see the Photographs Bob created during the workshop at this link.
Here is Bob's testimonial about this workshop:

I recently attended a photography workshop in Page Arizona with Alain and Natalie Briot. We visited various slot canyons, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell and the surrounding countryside to study and photograph the magical rock formations and unique lighting.

If you are interested in improving your photography and learning more about art in general, I highly recommend you check out Alain's website and his workshop schedule.

This is my 4th workshop with Alain and Natalie. I highly recommend their professional, valuable and fun approach to informative and creative photography.

Bob Fields, San Antonio, Texas

A photograph taken during our April Antelope Canyon workshop now graces this site opening page. It is also displayed in my 2009 Online Gallery.
April 26th update: You can now see a "View at print size" crop from a 40x50 print of this image at this link

The audio description
of the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD update and Special Offer is now available


April 17th

Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD update and Special Offer
April 8th
1-Gallery Page posted
We just completed the furnishing and arrangement of our new home gallery and we now have a page on this site dedicated to the gallery. You can find it at this link.

2-Upcoming Marketing Mastery DVD update
Natalie and I are in the process of recording a series of tutorials on what to do and not do when selling your work plus how to continue selling your work and doing well in challengin economic times. This update will be provided free to Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD owners. I will announce this update here when it is available. If you do not have the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD yet, take a look at the wealth of help and tutorials it contains by visiting this link.

3-Discover our Gallery

April 3rd
1-New Special Offer

A Special offer for the Portfolio CD, Portfolio Toolkit and Hand Made Portfolio Case package is available. This package contains everything you need to create your own fine art portfolio. This special offer saves you over 20% compared to ordering at the regular retail price.

2-
New Online Print Review
A new online video print review was published today. The image I selected for this review is a black and white photograph by Daniel Rice. My video print review is available for immediate viewing at this link.

April 1st
I selected Dusk Moonrise at Mono
Lake for the April 2009 Print of the Month. Here is the link to the Print of the Month page with a description of how this photograph was created.


March 28th
My March 2009 Newsletter was sent Saturday. If you did not receive it you can read it online by clicking here now.

You can also read my two previous newsletters, January and February 2009, at this link.

If you are not subscribed to this newsletter, you can do so now by clicking on the Subscribe Link at the top of this page. You will receive over 20 free essays by myself, in PDF format, when you subscribe. Plus, you will benefit from special offers, exclusive announcement and up-to-the-minute news not available otherwise. Take a moment to subscribe and get your free essays. You can unsubscribe at any time and your information is not shared with anybody.

March 22nd

I am pleased to announce the upcoming publication of my second book: Mastering Photographic Composition, Inspiration and Personal Style.

The book is currently going through final editing. The publication date is set for June. The publisher is Rocky Nook, who also published my first book: Mastering Landscape Photography. The foreword is written by Tony Sweet.

This new book is the result of my reseach, teaching, writing and personal photographic work over the past 3 years. It focuses on composition but with an unconventional approach. Instead of looking at composition as being solely the positioning of objects in the frame, I approach composition as consisting also of light, color, contrast and much more.

A table of contents and sample chapters will be available shortly on this new page dedicated to the book.

At this time I am opening a pre-annoucement list, as I do with all my important releases. A special offer will be available to members of the pre-annoucement list, as well as a special limited edition set of prints. Joining this list and benefiting from the limited special offer is simple: simply email me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com with Mastering Composition book in the subject line. There is no obligation to purchase, you will simply be first notified when the book is available.

And of course, all purchases qualify as entries in our Beauty, Passion and Inspiration Drawing.

March 20th
New Summit Sponsors
Several new Sponsors joined the summit. Click here to see who will be providing gifts and support during our annual event in Zion this fall.

Death Valley Workshop
We returned from our Death Valley Workshop yesterday. The workshop was fantastic and Natalie and I say "Thank you" to all the participants who joined us for 5 exciting days of photography. Death Valley in the Spring is fantastic and I will have photographs taken during the workshop shortly.

Upcoming announcement
An important announcement will be featured on this page in the coming days. Be sure to come back so you do not miss it.

March 11th
On the Occasion of our 12th Year in Business Anniversary (March 1997 - March 2009) we are giving you the opportunity to win a 22x30 matted print of Mesa Sunset, the February 2009 Print of the month. All the details are at this link.

March 10th
The Nature of Glass
Natalie and I went to see Chihuly's The Nature of Glass show at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix a few days ago. If you are in Phoenix, I strongly recommend seeing this show. If you are not, the next best thing is to click here to visit my Chihuly Glass Photographs Gallery.

All the photographs in this gallery were taken with a Canyon G9 and all are straight conversions from the Raw files (I just clicked on "convert" in Lightroom without making any adjustments and exported the images straight to jpegs). Enjoy.

March 9th
Facebook
Click here to visit my Facebook page and add me to your friends list.

March 8th
Alain's Marketing CD available free to Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD owners
The Marketing CD is now available by download to all Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD owners. Simply log on the the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD updates page with your username and password and you will be able to download it immediately.

Updates were made to the Online Portfolios page and to the 1 on 1 consulting page - an updated photograph of our home gallery was posted to this page.

March 7th
Alain Briot online store changes
Changes were made to our online store today:

1 - A link to the posters page was added and posters no longer available were removed. Prices for single and both posters have also been lowered.

2- The Tutorial CDs and DVDs page was updated. The Composition CD and the Marketing CD are now no longer available separately. They are now available only with the Composition Mastery Workshop on DVD and the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD, respectively.

important: the price of the Composition Mastery Workshop on DVD and the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD did not go up. You are simply getting more for your money since you now receive the Composition CD and Marketing CD at no extra cost with your order.

The reason for this change is that the information available on the CDs is also available on the DVDs. This new approach prevents redundancy between these two tutorials. The other tutorial CDs --Briot's View 1 to 4 , Briot Speaks and the Portfolio CD-- remain available separately.

If you own or are planning to order the Marketing Mastery Workshop on DVD or the Composition Mastery Workshop on DVD, you will find the Composition and the Marketing CD, respectively, available in the Online Owners Update area for each DVD. The Marketing CD will be made available on Monday. The Composition CD is already available.

The Mastery Workshop on DVD series is very much in demand right now. I will have an essay on how this extensive and comprehensive tutorial series can help you study photography while saving you time and money shortly.

If your interest in in learning how to Market and sell your photographs profitably and professionally, please know that I will also have an update on Marketing and selling art during the economic recession. This update will be made available to Mastery Marketing Workshop on DVD owners by download in the Mastery Marketing Workshop on DVD updates area. As you know I do Marketing consulting one on one with many students, and I have my finger on the pulse of the market because of my personal involvement both teaching marketing and selling my own work. I therefore want to share my insights and knowledge of the current market conditions with you so that you can avoid the pitfalls and serious problems faced by many photographers right now. I will be attending an art show today, and visit with several artists and photographers that I know personally, and my report on what I will learn today will be featured in this upcoming essay. Not to be missed if your interest is to sell your work or start your photography business.

Again, this essay will be available to Marketing DVD owners in the Owners online updates area.
You can visit our online store and see all these changes now by clicking here: Alain Briot online store

March 6th
Phase One P45 Online Portfolio
A new online portfolio is available. This new portfolio features a selection of my favorite and most popular images created with my Phase One P45 digital back. Click here to see this new online portfolio.

March 3rd
March 2009 Print of the Month
The March 2009 Print of the Month is now available. Click here to read how I created this image and to place your order.

February 26th
Rock Art Perspective Show in Bend, Oregon
Five of my large format rock art fine art prints are featured in the show Rock Art Perspectives: Pictographs and Petroglyphs at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Detailed information about this show is available on the High Desert Museum website.

The show runs until May 31st, 2009. It opened on February 13th and the official reception is on April 2nd.

Three photographers are featured in this show: Alain Briot, David Muench and Michael Frye. Artwork by Native American artists and findings by archeologists are also part of this show.

A new online portfolio featuring my photographs from this show is now available.


February 24th
The 2009 Fine Art Printing Summit
Use Steinmueller and Alain Briot are proud to annouce the 2009 Fine Art Printing Summit. This year the Fine Art Printing Summit takes place in Zion, Utah, one of the most exciting locations anywhere. Our guest intructor and presenter is expert printer Mac Holbert. This is the seventh year we are offering this event.

Registration is now open -- you can find all the details of this exciting event on the Summit Page:


February 17th
New Online Print Review
A new online print review is now available. Click here to find out which image I selected for review this month and to watch the review on your computer.

Also, keep in mind that you can submit your own work for review. The instructions on how to do so are available at this link.

February 14th
New Master Files CD-1, 2 and 3 special offer
Our Master Files CD tutorial offer has been extended and expanded! You can now order any or all three Master Files CDs at an extraordinary price.

The Master Files CDs 1 and 2 have not been offered at this price when they were introduced two years, and one year ago.

Our very best offer --all three Master File CDs at a price you have to see-- is available for 5 orders only. Do not delay. Here is the link

February 8th
New Podcast episode: Success in Art and Photography.
This episode consits of a discussion between myself, Natalie and Venus Kondos on the subject of what makes someone successful as an artists and a photographer. Not to be missed.

Click here to listen to access the Podcast RSS feed directly.

Clik here to visit the Podcast page.

February 4th
Only 3 seats left for the September 2009 Antelope Canyon Workshop.

Master Files CD-3

It is not too late to place your order for the Master Files CD-3 tutorial. While many have alrady placed their orders for this exciting tutorial, we still have a few available at the special offer price. You can find out all the details at this link.

February1st
Print of the month
The February Print of the month was announced today. You can place your order at this link as well as read the details of this month's print selection.

January 27th
The Master Files CD-3 is available for immediate order
I have great news: my latest photography tutorial, Alain's Master Files CD-3 is now available for immediate purchase.

This tutorial shows the exact process I follow in Lightroom and in Photoshop to create my fine art prints. All the settings I use and all the adjustment layers I create are provided to you so you can study them and follow my approach step by step. Two tutorial movies showing me work in Lightroom and in Photoshop are included in this tutorial.

A special offer is available to the first 40 photographers who place their order. In addition you receive a free recording of the three presentations I gave at the 2008 Fine Art Summit in Bryce Canyon. These presentations are on image processing, composition and fine art printing. They are not available anywhere else.

The 2008 Summit presentations are offered as a free gift to the first 40 photographers who place their order.

This tutorial was announced to members of the pre-announcement list last week. However, you can still be one of the first 40 to place your order and receive the free gift. It is not too late, but you need to hurry.

The detailed description of this new and feature-packed tutorial is available at this link:
http://beautiful-landscape.com/Articles-CD-Master-Files-3-2.html

January 22rd
Workshops update
We have three workshops currently opened, and seats are being filled quickly. There are 4 seats left for the Antelope Canyon workshop, 5 for the Mono Lake workshop and 6 for the White Sands workshop. You can read the detailed description for all 3 workshop by clicking on the logos below:

Home page photograph
The photograph on this page was updated with an image taken at the Barrett-Jackson car auction show last week. This is a big event each year, and since we live only a few miles away we make sure to attend. This photograph, which is significantly different from my regular work, was taken with a Canon G9 a la sauvette.

January 8th, 2009
The Master Files CD-3 will be released next week. There is still time to add your name to the pre-announcement list. Simply email me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com with Master Files CD3 in the subject line. There is no obligation to purchase, you will simply be first informed when this new and exciting tutorial is first released and you will be able to take advantage of a special offer priced below the regular price. This lower price will only be available to the first few orders, hence the importance of being on the pre-announcement list if you want to take advantage of it and save money.

This page now features an image created in 2008 but not previously featured here. You can see my "Top 10" selection by clicking on the image above and on this link. I write "top 10" in quotation marks because while I like the term "Top 10" there are actually 47 images in this online gallery. 2008 has been a productive year for me. These have been selected from thousands of captures and conversions. Keep in mind that I look for quality, not quantity.

January 2nd, 2009
The first print of the month is now avialable. Visit the print of the month page to see which image I selected as the first print for 2009.

Our print of the month Holidays Special offer is now over. However, you can stil get a special price on the January print of the month. Here's how: print prices will go up soon, due to increases in shipping costs. However, I need to update 70 files to make this change, and I am busy right now finishing the Master Files CD-3 (to be announced soon). So, until I make these changes prices will stay the same. When the increase takes place, the print of the month will go up 15%. You can save this 15% by ordering now.

Incidentally, if you are not on the Master Files CD-3 pre-announcement list you can add your name to the list now simply by emailing me at alain@beautiful-landscape.com with Master Files CD3 in the subject line. There is no obligation to purchase, you will simply be first informed when this new and exciting tutorial is first released and you will be able to take advantage of a special offer with a lower price below the regular price.

You can read a detailed description of the CD contents on the Master Files CD-3 Pre-Announcement Page

 

Click Here to read the What's 2008 Archive

All images and texts are copyright © Alain Briot 2009
All rights reserved worldwide.


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