Last week, Don Libby of Iron Creek Photography in Tucson, AZ and Ken Doo Photography of Carmel, CA co-hosted the 2nd Annual Capture Integration in Carmel medium format digital workshop.  Capture Integration in Atlanta, GA and Miami, FL is a Phase One Dealer of the Year, and is widely known for its customer service and knowledgeable staff.  Stemming from its previous year’s activities, the informal and light-hearted workshop is also known as the 2nd Annual Pigs in a Blanket, where unbeknownst to most participants, last year Don Libby ordered everyone Pigs in a Blanket for breakfast at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Carmel Valley.  And a monster was born.

Sutro Baths, San Francisco.

Sutro Baths, San Francisco.

The workshop is primarily for those interested in medium format digital photography.  Participants are able to use the latest technology, such as the Leica S2, Leica M9, Cambo RS, Phase One P65+, P40+ and P45+ digital backs, and a host of the latest lenses from Rodenstock and Schneider, all of which were graciously provided by Dave Gallagher of Capture Integration (CI).   Although the focus of CI in Carmel is on landscape photography, many of those attending are also photographers that work in other fields, such as weddings, portraiture, commercial, and fine art—those that demand the finest in image quality for their clients.

Dave Gallagher of Capture Integration sets up a Cambo RS with Rodenstock 40mm Digiron and Phase One medium format digital back

John Muir Redwoods: Rafa, Dave, Don, Mariah, Phil, Christine, Kristen and Ken (just missed Gary and Chester!)

Dave Gallagher reviews images taken with the new Leica S2 and 70mm lens with Mariah, while Rafa and Phil look on.

The itinerary this year started at the historic Sutro Baths in San Francisco.  Not entirely planned (but consistent with how we roll), we then headed across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Muir Woods National Monument.  By the way, all of the images on this blog post were taken with a Panasonic GF1 camera (more on this great little camera later).  I’ll post of a few of my landscape images taken with the Phase 645AF and Phase One P65+ medium format digital back in part two of this series.  We ended the first day’s activities with a tour of Alcatraz at Night.

Alcatraz at Night

Me & Don. That's Don with the new Leica M9.

The workshop then headed down the coast back to locations in Carmel, Monterey, and Big Sur.   On Saturday, Dave Gallagher taught an incredible two hour class on the new Capture One Pro 5 raw processing software.  Don and I both noted that it is this type of customer service and support that makes Capture Integration such a formidable photography dealer.  I know that my boutique studio in Carmel can depend on Capture Integration for all my Canon DSLR and Phase One medium format digital needs.

Photographing Garrapata

Don and Dave work with Gary on the Cambo RS

Kristen works the Carmel Mission. www.kristenphoto.com

Gary and Rafa at the Mission

Chester Ng tries his hand at with the new Leica S2 and 70mm lens

Dave Gallagher teaches a C1 Pro 5 class; Dave really enjoyed using my Dell PC workstation...

A ten foot projection screen in studio made it easy to follow Dave's Capture one Pro 5 class.

Happier than Pigs in a Blanket---Breakfast at The Wagon Wheel in Carmel Valley. How many orders of Pigs in a Blanket? That's no typo...

Don and I were really happy with the outcome and we learned alot.  We’re already talking about future Pigs in a Blanket workshops… Stay tuned!  ; )  I hope to post a few landscape images taken with my Phase 645AF and Phase One P65+ digital back in the next blog installation.  And a big thank you to Dave and Christine Gallagher from Capture Integration!  Without Christine, we would never have known how sharp that Leica 70mm lens really is….   ; )

For more information (including future Pigs in a Blanket excursions) contact me at my boutique studio in Carmel at (831) 626-1844.  Ken Doo Photography.  www.kendoophotography.com

My landscape work can be seen at:  www.houseoflandscapes.com