http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/ en Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:03:55 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/ http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/86-something-about-holga.html Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:58:03 GMT I have been noticing an interesting trend locally in recent months. It has been the rebirth, so to speak, of medium format photography. To be more specific it has been a surge of the local population shooting 120 film with Holga Cameras. For those of you not familiar with the Holga, it is a... I have been noticing an interesting trend locally in recent months. It has been the rebirth, so to speak, of medium format photography. To be more specific it has been a surge of the local population shooting 120 film with Holga Cameras.

For those of you not familiar with the Holga, it is a cheap plastic toy camera that is made in China. They do not offer much control over the results, focusing is limited, vignetting is extreme and they all leak light…yet they are getting more popular all the time.

It is said you can shoot the exact same shot with many Holgas and no two will turn out the same and from what I have seen it is true. This would be the results of it’s most endearing and controversial qualities, the light leaks. They all leak but from different spots and with different severity. And everybody that buys them seems to have different ways of dealing with this. Some will wrap the camera with about 4 pounds of duct tape to try and stop the leak while others do nothing to try and prevent it. Some people will actually take their camera and throw it on the floor to cause more light leaks.

While I can already see many of you cringing at the mere mention of cheap, plastic, and light leaks when reading about a camera (I think I heard gasps when I wrote “throw it on the floor”) rest assured I am not trying to endorse or detract from it one way or another. What I am doing is loading film into the one I purchased for myself and am anxiously waiting for lunch time tomorrow when I can go shoot through a roll of 120 film downtown. I have seen the results, I am intrigued and I am launching my Holga career. ]]> cardmnal http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/86-something-about-holga.html http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/51-color-correction-101-remember-k-i-s-s.html Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:35:19 GMT Many of us are familiar with K.I.S.S., the acronym to “Keep it simple stupid.” It’s not meant to be a derogatory term at all rather it is a reminder not to over-think and overwork that which we are doing. This little saying is so appropriate when working in a photo lab that it is one of the first... Many of us are familiar with K.I.S.S., the acronym to “Keep it simple stupid.” It’s not meant to be a derogatory term at all rather it is a reminder not to over-think and overwork that which we are doing. This little saying is so appropriate when working in a photo lab that it is one of the first things I tell a new employee.

I am not, by any means, trying to simplify the art of color correction but, as the old saying goes, “you need to learn to crawl before you can walk.” Programs like Photoshop provide us with an enormous tool chest with which we can accomplish the job but our most valuable resources are those we already possess….our eyes and our minds.

The simplest first step to any color correction, or retouch is to stop and take a look at the image. Take a good look, think about it and ask yourself three questions:

1. Does it look it’s best?
2. Can it be better?
3. Can I honestly improve it?

If the answer to the first question is yes or if the answers to either of the other two are no then by all means print the picture call it good and move on.

A lot of folks, myself included, tend to try to fix that which is not broken. Sometimes the best job is the one that requires little or no work. ]]> cardmnal http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/51-color-correction-101-remember-k-i-s-s.html http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/45-editorial-start.html Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:53:06 GMT So here we are, it’s fall, ski season is around the corner and summer is just a memory now. The trees are bare, having dropped their multi-colored leaves, and on a daily basis I have been processing and printing photos of dead animals…trophies of ecstatic hunters. As these rights of fall slowly... So here we are, it’s fall, ski season is around the corner and summer is just a memory now. The trees are bare, having dropped their multi-colored leaves, and on a daily basis I have been processing and printing photos of dead animals…trophies of ecstatic hunters. As these rights of fall slowly tail off Christmas card season has already begun and soon winter will be in full swing.

I manage a photography business and full service photo lab in Jackson Hole, the gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. A worldwide tourist destination for skiers, hikers, whitewater enthusiasts, families on vacation, students, fisherman, hunters, artists, mountain climbers and many, many others. Millions of people from all over the world visit our town of about 14,000 every year and they are joined by thousands of seasonal workers.

This ebb and flow of humanity parallels the changing of the seasons and the one constant thing is photography. The very nature of the landscape seems to demand it. Ansel Adams has yielded to it, Joseph Mengleson has embraced it and a million John and Jane Doe’s explore it every year.

Yes, our landscapes are awe-inspiring and wild life abundant. Our old west downtown architecture and wooden boardwalks find their way into many snapshots. With such a diverse and changing population we also get plenty of birthday parties, weddings, family outing and pictures of dad falling off to sleep in his old stuffed chair.

Living here has changed my perspective, the way I look at the world around me. Although I cannot spend nearly enough time chronicling it with my own camera the very nature of my job allows me to view it through the eyes of many.

Therein lies the beauty of the business. It goes beyond the perfect blend of light, time and composition. It goes beyond the equipment and beyond the professional aspirations of the person behind the camera. It is about emotions and what is important at any given moment. It may be so important that we are willing to pay others to capture it. Somewhere at the very core of our being a connection is made to that point in time.

With these things in mind I humbly launch my blog. Hopefully it will be packed full with insights and tips from our photo lab where color correction is a way of life, restoration is a favorite diversion and a calibrated monitor is a badge of honor. It will also contain personal and professional views on photography and the photography industry in general. I am not sure which direction my blog will go but knowing myself it will most likely follow a winding course.

With all that said I present to you….”Views From 6200 Feet.” ]]> cardmnal http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/cardmnal/45-editorial-start.html