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Fine Art Photography
by Diane Varner
What was once a casual past-time with my beloved dog, Boomer, is now a healthy, daily obsession. Almost every day I can be found hiking the coastline and mountain trails, taking photos of the beautiful Northern California terrain.
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My daily walks often take me on paths that lead to other worlds... mystical ones... where quietness, oneness and a sense of peace prevail. I've discovered that while paying attention to the small but miraculous details of nature, one can actually tap into the beauty and expansiveness that exists within each of us.
My hopes are such that these images will “take you away” for a brief moment... and in that moment, you'll catch a glimpse of the magic that I experience every day.
For frequent news and updates, please join me on .... Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
— Diane Varner
Online Interviews
For more information about Daily Walks, read these online interterviews:
• Telegraph.co.uk - Kate Day: Photographers' Lives: Diane Varner, March 2009
• Creative Liberty - Liz Massey: In the Studio With Diane Varner, May 2008
• Photoshop Support: Diane Varner of Daily Walks Photoblog, December 2007
Awards / Press / Elsewhere
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2010: BEST AMERICAN PHOTOBLOG
A heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you who made this award possible. Being voted in by fellow photographers makes this all the more rewarding.
A special thanks to Cool Photoblogs, the sponsor of this award. |
• 2010: WINNER OF PX3, Prix de la Photographie Paris
Second Prize in category Nature - Domestic Animals: "Already Consumed"
• 2010: First Impressions by Mansi Bhatia: Photographer of Month - Diane Varner, July 2010
• 2009: Life and Learning Through the Lens by Darwin Wiggett:
Photographer of the Month - Diane Varner, May 2009
• 2009: Smashing Magazine - 50 Wonderful, Inspiring Photoblogs
• 2009: 10 Most Stunning Photo Blogs - MakeUseOf.com
• 2008: Photoblog Awards - Best American Photoblog Finalist
• 2008: Photoblog Awards - Most Popular Photoblog Finalist
• 2008: Telegraph.co.uk - Top Photography Blogs by Kate Day
• 2008: Garden Photographer of the Year - Plant Portraits - 2nd Place
• 2008: Top Yachts Magazine - The Spirit of the Ocean by Alberto Brigidini
Featuring Daily Walks' Ocean Images - 4-Page Spread
Poem by Federico García Lorca - Magazine Cover
• 2008: Seattle Post Intelligencer - Ten photo blogs by Regina Hackett
• 2007: Photobloggies Awards - Runner-up for Best American Photoblogger
• 2007: Photoblog Awards - Best American Photoblog Finalist
• 2007: Telegraph.co.uk - Damien Noonan reviews the Best Websites for Photography
• 2007: The Providence Journal - by Sheila Lennon
• 2007: National Post - Wasting time is good for your soul - by Robert Fulford
• 2007: John Nack on Adobe - Urban decay, pigs on mopeds, & other good photos
• 2007: VFXY Photos - Weekly Pic by Dawn M. Armfield
• 2006: Photoblog Awards - Photoblog of the Year Finalist
My Camera Gear and Post-Processing Software
All my images are shot in camera-raw and post-processed in Photoshop CS4. My goal with each image is to fully express the essence of the subject at hand. By exploring and experimenting, I post-process the image as far as possible while attempting to maintain the original integrity of the shot. If you are interested, you can read about my Post-Processing Technique.
Listed below are the specific tools I use:
• Canon 5D Mark II
• Canon 7D
• Canon Powershot s100
• Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM (My Favorite)
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L USM IS (Excellent)
• Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM (Excellent Wide Angle)
• Canon EF 50mm f1.4
USM (Everyday Lens - great for low-light conditions)
• Kenko Extension Tube Set
• Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Digital Darkroom)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.0 (Catalogs / Bulk Processing)
• Imagenomic Noiseware (to reduce noise)
• Nik Pro Filters (great set!)
• Nik Software Viveza (wonderful light & color control!)
• Soundslides Plus (for multimedia slide shows)
Suggested Books that have terrific tips and tricks:
These are my favorite books and the ones that initially inspired me to take my post-processing to another level.
• How To Wow: Photoshop for Photography by Jack Davis ( Amazon )
• The Art of Photoshop for Digital Photographers by Daniel Giordan ( Amazon )
Suggested Quick Online Training Videos:
Fantastic resource for video tutorials on Photoshop, Digital Photography, Web Design, etc. for a monthly/yearly fee: Lynda.com Online Training Library
Photoshop Training Workshops, Videos, Associations
Kelby Training Live
There's nothing like participating in a Photoshop workshop with other photographers to get one motivated. I try to attend at least one a year.
Software Cinema Videos
Jack Davis is one of my favorite Photoshop instructors. If you can find him teaching in your area,
I'd highly recommend attending. In the meantime, check out his videos.
Adobe Studio Exchange
An excellent forum to find Photoshop Actions, Brushes and more for your images.
Photoshop Support.com (great resource!)
Free Tutorials, Plug-ins, Actions, Resource Links, Video Training, Blog
NAPP - National Association of Photoshop Professionals
This is one organization I would HIGHLY recommend joining for their numerous benefits
including GREAT discounts.
Contact Information :
If you have any other questions regarding my work, feel free to contact me:
dailywalks (at) gmail (dot) com
Please Note: All images & words on this site are under the ownership & copyright of Diane Varner. If you wish to duplicate a photo or any content, please contact me to discuss it.
Thank you!
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