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News: Stop by the Good Beans Cafe in downtown Flint, MI to see ten of my photos from Sweden and Norway that will be on display and on sale until the end of February. |
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Information:
 About: I've been doing photography as a serious hobby for about four years. I became semi-pro about a year ago, selling prints and shooting for clients and some magazines. I started photography when two of my friends gave me an old model 35mm SLR. I do both film and digital photography. Both have advantages, and learning those advantages, being able to utilize them creatively - that is the key. I like film photography because I can be more creative with color and contrast, not to mention the fact that my film lenses are higher quality. I like digital photography because the color repoduction is generally more predictable and I can experiment without worrying about cost. Sometimes I use digital or film, sometimes I use both. Sometimes I want a specific contrast curve and film will offer more choices. Or, maybe I just feel like using a specific camera on a certain day. In any case, I don't agree with the bulk of hardcore film photographers that think digital isn't real art. It's just as much art as film photography. Art is about being creative and using what you're given. You need to limit yourself, and to learn from that limitation. In this respect, staying with film-only is completely understandable. Doing both film and digital, and trying to do them both well, is very challenging. I actually would only recommend doing digital seriously once you feel that you have really mastered film. Advice: Keep it simple. If you're just getting started in photography, use old equipment to learn. Don't go out and buy an auto-focus auto-aperture camera. It will confuse you. Buy an old camera, one that you operate completely manually. Buy a single focal length lens, something like a basic 50mm, non-zoom. You'll appreciate it in the end. The best thing you can do to increase your skills both in technical and composition areas is to limit yourself and practice with that limitation. Still, expect to blow a few rolls of film and a good amount of resources every time you try to expand your skills by adding a lens or a new technique. Photography takes a lot of time, and a lot of practice. Equipment: Cameras: Sony F828 - 8 megapixel digital Pentax ZX-L 35mm SLR Pentax ME-Super 35mm SLR Lenses: Sony/Zeiss 28-200mm on Sony F828 Pentax 28-80mm f3.5-22/5.5-38 Sigma 70-300 f4.5-5.6 w/super macro Sigma 20mm f1.8-22 Pentax 28mm f2.8-22 Pentax 50mm f1.7-22 Pentax 135mm f2.8-32 Digital Equipment: Minolta Scan Dual III film scanner (10.5 megapixel) Canon N656U flatbed scanner Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Films: (depending on situation / effect) Kodak Plus-X Pan 125 Kodak TMAX 100 Kodak TMAX 3200 Kodak Ektachrome 100VS Kodak Ektachrome 100SW Fuji Reala 100 Fujicolor Press 800 Tripod: Bogen/Manfrotto 3221WN tripod Bogen/Manfrotto 3030 head Flash: Pentax AF-330FTZ I have found that I am naturally better at several types of photography: landscape/nature and urban/cultural. I can also do sport photography, although I don't get many chances to practice in that area, and my film lenses (with a few exceptions) are generally pretty slow. I have done portraits, but I typically don't feel comfortable with that style. I'm a very technical oriented person. I thrive on urban lines. Still, you'd be surprised how well this technical orientation translates into landscape photography. I've developed a few odd skills. I like to push black and white film a little far, especially the Kodak TMAX3200, which I push to iso 6400, 12500, and 25000. I also have started distortion and perspective correcting my lenses digitally, especially for panoramic stitching. With this technique, I can simulate ultra-wide lenses, even wider than my 20mm, with a perfectly natural result. |
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