Welcome
Welcome to the website of Patrick C. Cook, Photographer.
Welcome!
Thanks for stopping in! I am an advanced-amateur photographer interested in landscape photography utilizing HDR and digital infrared photography. I also create interesting fractal images and animations. This website provides a peek into some of my work over the years, where you'll also find information about me and the training courses I've authored and published. I am a software developer by profession, and have been at that for about 40 years. With my experience with computers, I’m not intimated by them and powerful software that helps me process and create amazing images, as well as author amazing video animations. I’m happy to have this opportunity to share my work with you. Enjoy your visit!
Suggestions for Your Visit
You might like to start by reading About Me and my Artist Statement. Take a look at my digital infrared training course if you’re interested in that special area of photography. Check out my Infrared Gallery to get an idea can be done with infrared photography. You might enjoy viewing my fractal images, terrain images and Mandelbulb 3D animations. Also available are a number of my photos from my early days of film and digital photography, including my Grand Canyon trip where I utilized my skill in HDR photography.
NEW!
A Fractal Fantasy presentation named “One Life” is released and enjoying success on YouTube. Read about the project at this website below or link directly to YouTube to view this new 4K Fractal Fantasy presentation.
Digital Infrared Photography
My Infrared Photography Gallery contains a selection of my images produced with a digital camera specially converted for infrared radiation.
I publish an infrared photography training course on Udemy.com. Learn more about the course in the pages about the course at this website and review the educational articles of extracted from the course (listed under the “Infrared Photography” menu). You might also like to explore what digital infrared photographs look like in my Infrared Photography Gallery.
Backgrounds for Vertical Videos
As a fractal artist I have experience using a variety of fractal generator applications to create fractal images and animations. One of my software tools is JWildfire, a powerful fractal generator that focuses on flame fractals. Using JWildfire (and others) I have assembled a large library of fractal backgrounds that comply with the format required by YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for vertical formatted videos usually referred to as shorts, stories or reels. My fractal backgrounds for these vertically formatted videos span a wide range of visual styles, patterns and colors. You can browse a small selection of my fractal backgrounds in the gallery below - simply click on an image to view it in a larger size. To browse a much larger selection of my backgrounds for YouTube shorts please link over to the gallery of Backgrounds for Vertical Videos at my Zenfolio gallery.
Boring Animations for Bedtime
Over at my creative YouTube channel I’ve published animations that are intended to help you get to sleep. These sleep-aid videos are about 10 minutes long that provide interesting fractal animations set to relaxing music. They are intended to be “boring” to help you fall asleep, but interesting enough to help keep your mind from processing the day’s worries and tomorrow’s tasks.
I hope they help you.
Mandelbulb3D Animations
I’ve created a number of animations using software that enables the creation and animation of 3D fractal patterns by combining formulas and various parameter values. The software is called “Mandelbulb 3D”. The software is very old, but very capable of producing amazing animations once you master it (I’m still working on that). I’ve published my Mandelbulb3D animations on YouTube, some of which are viewable below. Click the links to my YouTube animations below or stop over to my YouTube Channel to browse. Be sure to view the videos in high quality, with many of them being 4K. Please enjoy!
Photographing the Great Hall is an animation that simulates walking through an amazingly detailed great hall snapping photos along the way. Photographing the Great Hall is perhaps my toughest Mandelbulb3D animation to date. This production required careful blending of stock footage with Mandelbulb3D animation and complex Fusion processing within the video editor DaVinci Resolve. Rest assured, however, that the Mandelbulb3D animation is very real, needing over 12,500 frames that required hard drive storage space of 55 gigabytes. Please enjoy!
The Ruins of Jemidar is my (imaginary) visit to an ancient collapsed community. Years ago I brought my trusty 8mm camera to the Ruins, got the film developed which is now loaded into my (troubled) projector. We’ll have a good ole’ fashion home movie night. BYOP (Bring Your Own Popcorn)
Let the Good Times Roll with a fun romp through a Mandelbulb3D scene with Dazzle!
Visit an ancient tomb with Tomb of the Ancients, where we glide, twist and turn through a Mandelbulb3D scene. Each frame of Tomb of the Ancients was rendered in true 4K resolution to be sure that the animation had no dithering or quality artifacts. I am especially proud of the fact that I made no cuts to the entire animation. The animation resulted in over 25,000 frames that took 3 high-end PC’s 31 days to render for a total of 185 gigabytes of hard drive storage. I think the heavy resources that went into Tomb of the Ancients was well worth it. I hope you agree.
Here’s Hydra, a spooky Mandelbulb3D flythrough of a creature’s domain. Hydra is my most popular Mandelbulb3D animation to date.
Xenomorph is a very close-up of a simulated lifeform. This presentation takes a different approach than my usual Mandlebuld3D animations. With Xenomorph I positioned the camera extremely close to the surface of a Mandel bulb which was created from the Fuzzy formula available with the Mandelbulb3D fractal generator. I then took very high resolution screen captures which were integrated into the video presentation. The tricky part was getting the camera that close to the bulb’s surface while keeping the focus sharp. Challenging, but worth the effort. I hope you agree.
Ever wonder what it’s like to stand on a fractal? Well, check out this Mandelbulb3D animation to find out!
There are more of my Mandelbulb 3D videos up on my Youtube channel. I have plenty of ideas for new Mandelbulb 3D animations which will be posted on YouTube when each are completed. Please enjoy!
Here’s another of my Mandelbulb 3D animations called “Summer's Folly”.
Here’s Roam On, a fun Mandelbulb animation set to a 1927 Foxtrot by Harry Reser’s Orchestra recorded from one of my 78 RPM records. Enjoy!
Nest - When I first discovered the Mandelbulb 3D design of this animation, I immediately recognized it as an insect nest. However, I didn't want to create an animation that was unpleasant to view with a swarm of insects crawling over the surface of the Mandelbulb graphic. However, I set my PC to perform the animation images anyway, thinking (hoping) I would come up with a better theme than an insect nest when I saw the completed animation. It didn't work out that way.
Macra - When I discovered this Mandelbulb 3D graphic I immediately saw its resemblance to the "Macra" creatures of the third episode titled "Gridlock" of the third Dr. Who series. The Macra were crustacean creatures that evolved feeding on the poisonous gases emitted by the anti-gravity vehicles trapped in a massive tunnel enduring a perpetual multi-level traffic jam. Those who "earned" the privilege of moving to the "fast lane", which was the lowest level of the multi-level traffic lanes, were unknowingly placed just above the dwelling level of the Macra and were at great risk of being snatched and eaten. With the bottom level out of sight no one realized the true danger of the "fast lane", but everyone wanted to be for better travel progress. Just goes to show that advancement in the fast lane has its, often unseen, risks.
Boneyard - This animation was not easy to make - but still a lot of fun. It took me an entire Saturday to land on just the right graphic and define the keyframes to get interesting animation motion. In addition, I spent quit a while tweaking the knobs of the Mandelbulb 3D software to get level of detail I was after. After that, 3 PC's spent a day rendering the 5000 frames. Then I pulled everything together in DaVinci Resolve Studio 18 where the video editing was done, text added, the soundtrack brought in and the 4K upscaling done.
Twisted Steel - A flythrough of a Mandelbulb 3D graphics resembling steel girders. But these girders don’t seem all that stable. The soundtrack was created with the Arturia Minifreak synthesizer.
A Bug’s Paradise - A romp in an other-world garden from the bug’s perspective complete with fellow bugs going about their business. The insects were created using the excellent Adobe After Effects “swarm” animator called Creative Effects. The soundtrack was created with the Arturia Minifreak synthesizer.
Chandelier - A flythrough of a strange and interesting devolving crystalline environment with intense light beams accompanied by a soundtrack made with Arturia’s Minifreak synthesizer.
In Good Time - A fast paced spin with a warping fractal that is sure to help you pass the time. The excellent soundtrack is from Orchestralis (Envato).
Hydra - Among my best Mandelbulb 3D animations to date (I’m a bit biased), Hydra takes you on a trip in close proximity to a menacing and undulating hydra-like thing. Watch out for that tentacle!!! The soundtrack for this animation was created using the Arturia Minifreak synthesizer.
Below are some still captures from the Hydra animation (click once to view the larger image). Please enjoy.
Below is a presentation on YouTube about the making of the Hydra animation. I discuss making the graphic and keyframing with the Mandelbulb 3D fractal generator application. I then provide an overview of preparing the animation video. Then, as the Hydra animation plays, I provide a commentary of some of my artistic goals.
The Devil’s Playground - Ok ok, so not all my animations are award winners. But this one is visually interesting if you take the time to study the graphics as they steadily pass by. No rush, just be in that world for a few minutes and see what develops. The soundtrack for this presentation was created with Arturia’s Minifreak synthesizer.
Fractal Cascade - This was actually an experiment, which is described in the description of the YouTube video. I almost didn’t publish it, but the experiment worked out well that I thought other’s might enjoy it. This was the first Mandelbulb 3D animations where I used my newly acquired Arturia Minifreak synthesizer for the soundtrack.
Edge of Chaos - With this Mandelbulb 3D animation I tried an experiment where I had the camera, with an extreme field of view (FOV), “slide” right-to-left in a perfectly straight path as it moved past a single fractal object. The result is even better than I expected, so this animation didn’t end up on the digital cutting room floor. The soundtrack is by Orchestralis (Envato).
The Rim - I worked hard on this guy to try and simulate a believable underwater experience. This animation required five software applications to build and I have about 18 hours into it, yet it has a very low view count on YouTube. Goes to show that effort doesn’t always result in popularity The coral-like material is a Mandelbulb 3D fractal at an extremely up-close distance. The marine life is created using Creation Effects. Video editing along with masking, underwater effect, light-shimmer, etc. is using DaVinci Resolve Studio 18. The soundtrack is by Orchestralis (Envato).
Riding the Loop - Now this was a fun animation to put together! Very challenging, but fun. The camera travels on a nice straight-line path moving steadily along inside of a high-detail fractal object. The tricky part was getting the camera inside the fractal object without collisions and clipping. The rear-view in the upper left corner is the forward animation re-rendered with the keyframes in reverse order. The soundtrack music is from Orchestralis (Envato).
There are more of my fractal animations on my YouTube Channel. Feel free to stop in when you get a chance. Consider subscribing to my YouTube channel to be notified of new animations as I publish them. Of course, LIKES are always welcome.
Mandelbulb3D Tutorials
A tutorial series for the Mandelbulb 3D fractal generator and animator application is available on my YouTube channel. If you are interested in creating your own fractal art with the Mandelbulb 3D fractal generator, please visit the Fractal Art page at this website to learn more about my Mandelbulb tutorials, including list of topics covered in the series. Below is the fist session of the Mandelbulb 3D Tutorial Series #1. Here is a link to the playlist of this tutorial series.
The Mandelbulb3D Tutorials on my Learn Mandelbuilb3D YouTube channel are listed below. The links below are to the tutorial itself or the playlist of the tutorial series.
So You Want to Become a Mandelbulb3D Guru? - Getting Good with the Mandelbulb3D Fractal Generator!
Ultra Fast Mandelbulb3D - Getting good results from Mandelbulb3D - fast.
Why Mandelbulb3D Art - My view of why Mandelbulb3D art is an worthwhile creative pursuit.
Let’s Build a Mandelbulb3D Animation - An in-depth tutorial for building a Mandelbulb3D animation.
Mastering Mandelbulb3D Formulas - An advanced tutorial concerning working with Mandelbulb3D formulas.
Mandelbulb3D Formula Example Reference - A reference resource of Mandelbulb3D formulas.
Mandelbulb3D Animated Formula Shorts - A variety of 1 minute animations of Mandelbulb3D formula renders.
The Mandelbulb3D Gotcha Series - Discussing the bugs, crashes and quirks of the Mandelbulb3D application.
The Mandelbulb3D Animation Copilot - Demonstration of my Mandelbulb3D Animation Helper toolset.
Mandelbulb3D Buildout Time-lapse - A variety of Mandelbulb3D projects in time-lapse format.
Fun with Mandelbulb3D Mutations - Discussing a valuable tool for creating Mandelbulb3D graphics.
Mandelbulb3D Epic Rendering - Discussing a method of creating high-resolution Mandelbulb3D graphics.
Digital Terrain Art
As a photographer I have always enjoyed capturing the beauty of our world with it’s vast terrains and landscapes. However, access to such beauty is often difficult and expensive. But I can still travel…in my imagination. I thoroughly enjoy creating landscapes using software tools because it enables me to imagine landscapes that I can’t travel to with my physical camera. The terrain art shown in my gallery were created using World Creator and in some cases Tarragen. My digital terrain creations are just one way to enjoy the beauty of our planet, even if it’s only simulated. Please take a peek at my Digital Art Gallery. Enjoy!
Take a journey to interesting landscapes.
Digital Fractal Image Art
My Fractal Art Gallery presents a number of unique images created with software that maps pixels using mathematical algorithms.
I’ve set some of my best fractal images to soundtracks that are amazing and entertaining. Watch these high-definition videos at the YouTube links provided in the “Fractal Fantasy Videos” section below. Please enjoy!
Fractal Fantasy Videos
On my YouTube channel you’ll find a large collection of my Fractal Fantasy videos that I think you’ll find interesting and entertaining. Fractal art is a hobby of mine. The software used for most of these Fractal Fantasy videos is JWildfire, a popular and extremely capable “flame” fractal generation software. I’ve enjoyed many hours creating these wonderful mathematical graphics. After creating the images I have a variety of ways to present them which includes high-resolution prints and/or set to music in videos. The soundtracks are properly licensed from their respective authors. Below are a few samples of the Fractal Fantasy videos along with a complete listing of what I’ve posted to my YouTube Channel. Please enjoy!
NEW! A new Fractal Fantasy presentation named “One Life” has been released.
One Life takes us on a journey of one variation of a human lifespan, from birth to death. Along the way we sample the toddler, the teenager, the young adult and the working adult. Also encompassed in One Life is companionship, misfortune and nostalgia. Our One Life journey concludes with the senior and the elder years, and then death.
One Life can be viewed below or directly on YouTube. One Life is a 4K presentation, so viewing it at the highest quality your device supports will provide the best experience, Headphone or earphones will also improve your experience.
One Life is a project that I planned for over a year. I wanted to tell a story of a human lifespan, doing so with fractal graphics and music presented in a manner where the graphics and the music compliment one another. Selection of the music was a long process because I wanted music that was unique and interesting, expertly performed and that fit the timeline of One Life. I narrowed the music down to royalty-free selections from Orchestralis that licenses their work on the Envato Market. Orchestralis has a wide selection of royalty-free music and are excellent performances.
Once the soundtrack was decided, I turned my attention to the graphics. It was challenging to accomplish multiple goals for each segment of One Life where the graphic needed to conform to the music and also be relevant to the segment topic. Some of the segments were easier to assemble than others. Misfortune, for instance, was difficult to get the animation to match the many variations of the music for that segment. But I think the Misfortune segment turned out well. I also put in an extended effort with the "Arrival" graphic because I wanted the perfect opening to get One Life off to a great start.
All of the graphics for One Life were created using JWildfire version 8.10. I have a couple years experience with JWildfire from creating my many Fractal Fantasy videos, which are available on YouTube. One of my design goals for One Life was to be consistent in the style of the graphics, which is one reason I used only JWildfire to author the fractal graphics. I knew I could create wonderful images with JWildfire, but the animations were a challenge because of the timing with the soundtrack. Using JWildfire for this project was made practical because, just in just the past couple years, JWildfire had been made capable of using the GPU for rendering fractal graphics. Considering that One Life required 72,550 image frames, the project would have been essentially impossible were it not for GPU rendering. The final fractal graphics were each custom designed and animated to help tell the story of One Life.
Editing One Life was challenging because of my rather stringent design goals for the project. First, I wanted One Life to be edited in native 4K quality - not upscaled to 4K after editing. Second, I wanted the segments of One Life to blend together as would an actual human lifespan, which required detailed control of the numerous elements of the project. DaVinci Resolve Studio 18 was up to the task, as was my beefy Intel i9 personal computer with an excellent GPU. In total the One Life materials consumed 627 GB of hard drive space, required 72,500 frames of graphics, utilized 6 software applications and involved 3 PC's. I estimate that I invested 125 hours into the One Life project - and enjoyed them all!
One Life can be viewed below or by linking directly to the presentation on YouTube. For your best experience, it is highly recommended that One Life, which is 4K quality, be played at the highest possible resolution your device can support and with headphone or earphones. The YouTube description for One Life includes a summary of each of the segments of the One Life presentation.
Please enjoy One Life!
To the left are a few Fractal Fantasy videos to get you started, with others listed below (more will be published to YouTube as I create them). I would love to tell you which are my favorites. However, as the creator I’m too biased to decide - I love them all! Please enjoy!
Film And Digital Color Photography
Review some of my favorite color photographs in my Color and HDR Photography Gallery, and take a tour of my Grand Canyon Gallery photos that I brought back from my memorable trip to the Canyon in 2011.
You may also be interested in my photography video courses described below.
Training Courses
The Infrared Photography Masterclass
This 7+ hour video course is an extensive training course for digital infrared photography. The course covers many topics from the fundamentals of infrared photography to how to be successful with this exciting branch of creative photography.
The Infrared Photography Masterclass is designed for anyone interested in the unique branch of creative photography known as digital infrared photography. All photography skill levels welcome. All camera makes and models. No camera required to take the course. Please visit this page at this website to learn more about this course.
The HDR Masterclass
My 6+ hour video training course delves deeply into HDR photography. The topics of this training course include HDR image examples, HDR defined, fundamentals of HDR, capturing for HDR and tone mapping. The HDR Masterclass is a start-to-finish video course to help develop HDR capture and processing skills by which to make remarkable and memorable images. Please visit this page at this website to learn more about The HDR Masterclass.
projects
Project GBPL (Game-Based Photography Learning) explores how current 3D game technology can be leveraged to learn real-world photography.
One evening while playing a video game I wondered how 3D game technology could be used to learn real-world photography. I reasoned that an in-game camera could simulate a physical camera and the game environment could simulate a real-world environment. So, it seemed to me that the principles of photography could be learned and practiced in a game situation.
So I set about to build a prototype using Unreal Engine 4 to evaluate, for myself, if 3D game tech could be leveraged for teaching photography. It’s possible that game-based photography learning could become a viable method of learning real-world photography.
Please visit the page for the Project GBPL on this website for more information.
Blog Articles
My Blog has a collection of photography stories and some helpful advice that you may be interested in. Stop over when you have a few minutes.
I also have a number of educational blog articles over at my infrared learning website. Stop in if you are interested in learning digital infrared photography.
Other Ways to View My Work
While this website showcases much of my work, feel free to visit the following Web locations:
If you are interested in digital infrared photography, visit an overview of the course at this website and read the educational articles listed under the menu “Infrared Photography”. You might also want to visit the course on Udemy.
You can browse my YouTube channel to discover the Fractal Fantasy and Mandelbulb 3D videos I’ve published to date.
I post my photography-related videos at this YouTube channel.
I have a selection of my images at 500px.com, several of which are very popular.
I maintain a personal cache of my images at my Flickr account.
At this time I am not active on the Twitter, Facebook or Instagram social media platforms. With their ever-increasing focus on commercialization (ad insertion) I found them to be a time-sink and one-by-one cancelled the accounts to free up time to focus on my creative interests and projects. I do, however, maintain several YouTube channels for my fractal art and my photography interests.