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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you teach classes? I do not currently have any classes scheduled, but that changes periodically. Email me if you're interested -- I am also sometimes available for one-on-one tutoring in Photoshop and the Polaroid Image Transfer process. Generally, classes are limited to the San Francisco Bay Area. If you shoot with a digital camera, how do you make the slides for use in producing your Polaroid Image and Emulsion transfers? I do it all online, uploading my digital files and ordering slides through IQimaging.com. Reasonable prices, excellent service. How long have you been a photographer? I've only been seriously involved in Photography for about two years. I started out taking photos for use in the Polaroid Transfer process and my interest mushroomed from there. In that time, I've taken about 50,000 photos, so although I'm short on chronological experience, I've taken a lot of photos. I'm also schooled in fine art, with a lifetime of experience in drawing and painting --- this experience has facilitated my understanding of light and composition. How can I become a photographer? Shoot, just do it! Take a lot of photos and study them with a critical eye. Bracket your shots like crazy and experiment. Know your camera intimately. Study the work of photographers you admire. Learn to read the light. Learn to SEE. Awake before dawn and wait for the light -- but don't let photography get in the way of your enjoyment of a sublime sunset. I've participated in message boards, where new members seek the Holy Grail -- they assume that someone will do a core dump of information that transforms them into great photographers without having to put in the time. The Rocky Mountain School of Photography offers summer intensive programs that can make you technically proficient in a very short period of time -- check for similar programs in your area. If you're interested in alternative processes, darkroom work and the like, the Photographer's Formulary (in Condon, Montana) offers wonderful workshops in an idyllic setting. Although formal training certainly helps, many famous photographers were self-taught.... don't let the inability to attend classes hinder you. And take in the work of as many photographers as possible. You'll learn to distinguish good from great, and this knowledge will help finetune your own work. What equipment do you use? My cameras include an Olympus C-2100 UZ and a Holga 120S. For Polaroid transfer work, I use a Daylab 135+, with 3X4, 4X5 and SX70 bases. I also have a newer Polaroid 600-series camera that I've modified for Time Zero film, but rarely use it for SX70 manipulations, because 1) I prefer the greater control in capturing the image with my digital camera, and 2) If I have a particularly good shot, I like the flexibility of making multiple prints. How can I get started in Polaroid Image Transfer? Although Kathleen Carr's books are excellent resources, I recommend taking a workshop in addition to reading the books. If you've never worked with an enlarger before, the instructions can seem quite mysterious --- it's much easier if you see someone doing it a few times. Many adult schools, community colleges and camera stores offer classes (and by all means, if you can take a workshop from Kathleen, DO!). If you're not sure if this process is for you and are hesitant to buy the equipment, many camera stores like Calumet offer rentals for reasonable prices. Since you'll go through a lot of film in practice, I recommend buying slightly expired film from eBay at a discount. Results are often indistinguishable from fresh film, and offer a less expensive alternative when learning the process. Do you doctor your shots, or are they straight out of the camera? Both. I use my digital darkroom as necessary to make the image as good as it can possibly be. By shooting on the underexposed side to preserve color information, I achieve rich, saturated color --- but this often requires that I adjust the brightness, curves, levels, etc. in the areas of the image that are too dark. Sometimes, when an otherwise perfect image has blown out highlights, I'll paint the color information back in -- or I'll splice two photos with different exposures together. I do always try to remain true to the original image. Read "Is Photoshop for Cheaters?" for more of my thoughts on this topic. I'm currently a film photographer, considering a switch to digital, but am concerned that the quality of digital images is not good enough to warrant my making the switch. Your thoughts? With the exception of the super high-end digital cameras, digital quality generally lags behind that of film. However, I think I shoot better photos with a digital camera because I can view each shot as it's taken and make adjustments as necessary. Unencumbered by the onerous cost of buying and processing film, I can take many more photos with my digital camera, so my photographic skills improve much faster. Because feedback is relatively immediate, I can critically assess my photos and understand more quickly why a given photo was successful or not. With my digital camera, I can shoot color, BW and infrared without having to swap film or film backs. How cool is that? But if you're really not much of a computer-head and don't use Photoshop, you may be more comfortable shooting film. I think there's a place for both film and digital. Ultimately, it's a question of what you're comfortable with and what best fits your lifestyle. Don't go digital just because everyone else is. But don't stick with film just because you don't think digital can measure up. What digital camera should I buy? Currently, the hottest prosumer camera is probably the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. If you have the money, it's an excellent choice in the sub-$1000 range. With that said, I cannot recommend a camera to you anymore than I can recommend what underwear you should purchase. It's an extremely personal choice. What I can recommend is going to Steve's Digicams and DP Review --- both are excellent resources to help you research your digital camera purchase. Keep in mind that patience pays off -- prices drop off dramatically within the first 6-9 months of a camera's introduction, and even more so after a followup model is introduced. What accessories do I need for my digital camera? Spare batteries and media cards/storage are must-haves. Here are my accessories - roughly, in order of importance:
I'm a longtime Epson user, and highly recommend their 1280 and 2200 models. As packaged, the 1280 does not produce archival images, so I recommend the 2200 if you are selling images or if longevity (the amount of time a photo can be displayed without fading or shifting color) is important to you (it should be). However, I rarely use my home printer any longer since I discovered the convenience and superior quality of online photo processing companies such as PICTOPIA and SHUTTERFLY. Both print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper which has the greatest longevity available (60+ years), and results are far superior to what you can get on your home printer. In addition, it's a whole lot easier than DIY, especially when you have a number of images to print. Of Shutterfly and Pictopia, which is better? Depends on your needs. Here's a breakdown: PICTOPIA: Simply amazing quality and service. Because I have a lot of odd-sized panoramic photos to print, Pictopia was the only place I found that could print any size I wanted for a reasonable price. Pictopia has four superior advantages over Shutterfly: 1) You can specify custom sizes from 1" x 1" to 50" x 120"; 2) Choice of matte or glossy for any size; 3) Pictopia's sophisticated up-res technology automatically improves the quality of lower resolution images that would otherwise print poorly at larger print sizes; 4) Superior customer service. All this comes at a price, though --- two 8X10s will cost $15.30 (vs. $6.38 for Shutterfly). SHUTTERFLY: For standard-sized prints at a reasonable price, Shutterfly is great. They have a number of other products in addition to photos -- the greeting cards are professional quality all the way (with no minimum runs), and the snapbooks were a huge hit when I had some printed from photos taken at a family gathering. (I keep meaning to have calendars printed.) If you're selective about the finish, be forewarned: Shutterfly offers only glossy for 8X10 and smaller, and only matte for 11X14 and larger.
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