Broad Horizons  2007 Return to Main Page In December of 2005, I had refractive eye surgery to correct nearsightedness. This changed my life is some mundane ways, such as allowing me to see the crud in the tub while showering, but also in some subtle and more profound ways. I started seeing the things around me, literally, "around" me. Whereas my vision was once constrained by the frames I wore on my face, now I could take in sweeping landscape panoramas at a glance. This new way of seeing things inspired me to create a series of composite photographs in extreme wide format, to try to capture this sense of broader vision. Most of the photos were taken during my adventures in places near and far. I like bringing images of my experiences back with me, so that others who aren't able to travel might vicariously experience how broad and deep our world really is. Thanks for coming, and enjoy the show.   The original images, 40" across, have been greatly reduced to conserve bandwidth. You can click on an image to see it close-up, but be patient as it progressively loads. Even the large images have only a fraction of the pixels used on the actual printed images. Also, don't miss the vertical images at the bottom of this page.   -jim Return to Main Page Navarra Walking  2006- Navarra, Spain The Darkwoods I  2006- Galicia, Spain Note: this is part 1 of a two-panel, 80" wide image. The Darkwoods II  2006- Galicia, Spain Note: this is part 2 of a two-panel, 80" wide image. Roncesvalles Vista  2006- Navarra, Spain The Forest  2006- Washington Island, WI Cows of Galicia  2006- Galicia, Spain Waiting Wings  2006- Galesburg, IL Seminary Street 2007- Galesburg, IL Equipment These images are all shot with a Canon SD600 compact camera. I chose this camera for several reasons: •    It is extremely portable, so I can take it with me everywhere.  Most of my best photo opportunities came up unexpectedly during my various travels. •    It has a high enough resolution (6 megapixel) to allow for fewer tiles in each composite image. •    The canon digital processor algorithms are robust and produce excellent images. •    It has a wide array of features necessary for this type of shooting: timer, aperture hold, focus hold, adjustable exposure, etc. In addition, I also use a tiny portable tripod and a very large memory card. Media Until recently, digital output has suffered from rapid fading and deterioration, as well as poor image quality when compared with traditional, chemical-based photography. Technology has improved greatly in just a few years.  My images are printed on archival photo stock with an Epson R1800 professional medium-format photo printer, using pigment based inks. The frames are handmade from Lexan with UV protection.  This combination of archival paper, pigment inks, and ultraviolet protection gives the images a display permanence rating of over 110 years without noticeable fading or changes in color balance, as rated by Wilhelm Imaging Research. Technique All of the images on display are composites; that is, they are constructed with photo editing software from many images taken simultaneously at slightly different angles. This allows me to simulate a very wide angle lens with the relatively simple optics of a pocket camera, as well as performing perspective correction that normally requires a special lens. I discovered that this process has some unwanted surprises, in some ways like film photography. Occasionally, when I get back to the studio, I find that a critical picture wasn’t quite in focus, or that my tiles didn’t overlap all the way, ruining the whole image.   vertical images, from left to right: Pamplona Cathedral Cloister  2006- Pamplona, Spain Ibiza Coast  2006- Ibiza, Spain Bishop's Bridge  2006- Barcelona, Spain Stony Courtyard  2006- Barcelona, Spain