FOREWORD

(BLACK FRIDAY DISCOUNTS BELOW)

Before I start with the practical things, I want to say that I am so proud of all my students and the people who read this blog and react to my ideas. I had the occasion in many circumstances to understand how you think even if I don’t know everyone personally. But I can understand from simple things the depth of your artistic soul and how much you all have to say, and I am moved.
Some of those reading what I have to say may think it’s not practical just because I’m not the one to offer quick tips or Photoshop fixes. The truth is I don’t believe in quick tips and Photoshop fixes. I don’t believe in receipts. Generally I don’t believe in quick tips and quick fixes in art, just like I don’t believe in them in life. I think they are just a marketing invention and I rely too much on the essence to use marketing tricks. Actually, I hate marketing tricks.

What I believe in is vision and what an artist has to say, and I can see this vision and the desire to create in so many people who are following this blog. These are the ones to whom I address, not the ones who search for  quick fixes. I’m happy the people who are following this blog have this depth and understanding and I’m happy  I can help them expand their knowledge and push their creativity.

My mission is to make photography more than photography. This is why I created (en)Visionography. I aim to make photography a tool for expressing oneself. Not just a “click and process” thing, but MORE. My mission is to prove that quick tips are overrated and that we can be great artists without being Photoshop gurus.

Everyone who has studied with me knows that I love artistic honesty, I love simplicity and I put vision first. They know that for me editing an image comes last and that I know you can create masterpieces by using basic tools.

I was one of the first who said this and I’m proud about it. Some of you didn’t believe it in the beginning and expected complicated solutions from me. But you saw that in the end everything is inside yourself and where my talent is, is in revealing it and in giving you the tools to use your talent at its highest level.

My biggest happiness is when I see people who were advocates of processing in the past, and who only searched for answers in their software and its rules, changing ideas and starting to believe in vision and what is BEHIND and BEFORE processing, starting to believe in photography as an art form. Not in fine art photography but in PHOTOGRAPHY AS AN ART FORM. Some of them may not even realize why they changed, many don’t even realize how much seeing photography as (en)Visionography has changed them, but I can see it clearly and I couldn’t be happier about this.

Because this is my belief, I want to tell to everyone who still relies only in editing or who thinks that Photoshop can create for them, I want to tell you that there’s somewhere else you have to search and somewhere else you have to start. You have to start with WHAT YOU FEEL. I know they will tell you that you can create this and that if you know how to use Photoshop but I can tell you with certainty that, if you don’t feel anything then you cannot create anything. And if you DO feel, then you will always find a way to create.

So, I urge you, forget quick tips and start looking at who you are is an artist.

This is what I’m preaching and this is what I’m teaching and this is why you like my photography, the ones who do.

Because I’m starting somewhere else. I’m starting with what I feel. I’m starting with who I am. This is what makes me an artist. Not learning the rules and not knowing quick processing tips. Not relying on my mind only. As I was saying in my book, your mind is important because it can put order in everything, but if you don’t use your heart to feel the world, you cannot be an artist.

I’m happy to say that I was one of the first (if not THE first) to talk about photography in this way, and I’m happy to see so many following this idea. Even if I won’t do anything else in photography till the day I die, the fact that I’ve made people think like this about photography is enough for me.

I’m talking about this way of seeing photography and many more other things in-depth in the video I’m working on, Creating (en)Visionography – The New Fine Art Photography – Long Exposure, Architecture and Beyond, that I will be launching very soon. And on this occasion I want to answer to all those who asked me if this is a processing tutorial, I need to tell you that it’s much more than a processing tutorial, it is a practical guide on how to create, on how to become an artist and not only a (processing) photographer.

BLACK FRIDAY 2016 DISCOUNTS

Now back to our subject, the Black Friday  2016 offers,  it’s that time of the year again and I know you love it. Everybody does and there’s a very good reason for it. Because, for a few days, you can get all those things you wanted and dreamt about, with a good discount. I have a long list myself, and I’m sure you do also. So here’s a couple of ideas for your list.

BOOK

I’m happy to offer 25% discount to my best-selling book From Basics to Fine Art – Black and White Photography – Architecture and Beyond with Joel Tjintjelaar and I hope you’ll enjoy the read and find it useful.

Get it with 25% OFF

from Thursday Nov 24 to Monday Nov 28, 2016

from the link below by using the code:

BLACKFRIDAY2016

From Basics to Fine Art – Black and White Photography – Architecture and Beyond

25% OFF

Thousands of readers considered the book their main resource for black and white fine art photography and prestigious critics have praised it repeatedly.
Here is what for instance George DeWolfe says about the book:

“Outside of Ansel Adams’ Basic Photo Series, From Basic to Fine Art, by Joel Tjintjelaar and Julia Anna Gospodarou, is the best book on black and white photography written in the last 40 years.” (…) “The importance of the book is reached in Julia’s and Joel’s abilities to blend the practice of classical form and content in vision and technique, so that Form is Content. While others claim to have achieved this state of aesthetic grace, this is the first time I have seen it accomplished with great skill and with a brilliant explanation of how to get there.” (…) “ I consider Julia’s (en)Visionography and Photography Drawing the most important innovation in black and white photography since the invention of the Zone System.”

Read many more impressions about the book on our webstore and get it for yourself with 25% discount from the link above.

TOPAZ COLLECTION

I can also recommend you another great offer, coming from Topaz Labs: not less than 50% discount for the entire plugin collection that I can guarantee you is the largest and the best you can find on the market.

Get it with 50% OFF

from Thursday Nov 25 to Monday Nov 30, 2016

from the link below by using the code:

BLACKFRIDAY16

Topaz Labs – Full Plugin Collection

50% OFF

Julia Anna Gospodarou – (en)Visionographer

Julia Anna Gospodarou is an architect with a Master degree, a multiple award-winning black and white fine art photographer, (en)Visionographer, author and sought-after educator, founder of (en)Visionography™ and Photography Drawing™, author of the best-selling book From Basics to Fine Art – Black and White Photography (co-author Joel Tjintjelaar), with high distinctions in the most important photography competitions worldwide, published internationally in numerous books and magazines, passionate about beauty and  trying to spread it into the world.