No, I haven’t had any children.

The new fullness comes from a couple new pieces of gear for the studio.

The first is something I’ve been wanting for a while:  A fainting couch.  It’s not the best style (or color), but for the price, I just couldn’t pass it up.  $120 (delivered!) from the Antiques Mall of Portage.   They have another, better one in the window display, but it’s a little out of my price range right now.   If it’s still there when I have the spare cash, I’ll definitely head back.

I did my best to keep my eyes averted as I walked through the store.  When it comes to antiques, I’m like a kid in a candy store.

The 2nd new addition to the studio is a Pentax K-x Digital SLR.  I’ve been looking at a new camera for a while, and the K2000 I was planning on buying has been discontinued.  The K-x is the replacement.  I haven’t had a chance to give it a full shake-down, but so far, I’m finding some good things and some not-so-good things.   It’s lighter and feels good in my hand, the rear display gives a large display of the settings (it’s going to take a while to break myself of the habit of looking at the top of the camera for those), and it included 2 lenses.  I’m sure once I get used to the slight variations in the controls, I’ll like it quite a bit.

On the down side, Pentax changed their .PEF “raw” format so that my processing software can’t read the files.  I can use the .DNG format (another “raw” format) and do some conversions to get where I need to be, but I lose some functionality and add several steps.  I run a Linux system, so I can’t use the processing software that came with the camera–and even if I could, it’s severely limited compared to what I normally use.  Hopefully the DCRaw converter application will be upgraded soon and Linux will once again be able to read the images properly.

Life is all about change.  Sometimes that change is easy, sometimes it takes a little bit of patience and work.

After two and a half years of doing photography just for fun, I’ve decided it’s time to make this hobby pay for itself–at least a little bit.   So… Welcome to Studio 142:  The for-hire wing of Fotoaparat.

I don’t know how much this blog section will be used, but it’s here just in case.

Photographer

I first started working with photography early in high school. Even at that time, I was interested in looking at things differently; standard portraits and landscapes just didn’t do it for me.

I hold a Bachelor of the Arts in Technical Theatre (design) from the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay. 2 decades of working with lighting and design for stage and dance has given me a strong understanding of the rules of lighting and presenting objects and people–and the courage to step beyond those rules to create stark, powerful photos.

Philosophy

My job, as a photographer, is not to shape you into the pose I want; it’s to let you be you and capture the moments that show it off.

The moto of my company is “Truth, Lies, & Beauty”. Beauty is not only skin deep, and the camera always lies. The skill is in finding the lie that reveals the greater truth about a person’s beauty.

The photos I take are not airbrushed or “photoshopped”. If you’re looking for a glamorous photo with perfect skin and every hair in place, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for photography which understands that imperfections are what make a person interesting, this is the place.

Ownership

With most artists these days–including photographers–you’ll hear a lot of blustering about copyrights; namely all the things you’re not allowed to do with the photos you buy. A few of us operate under a different philosophy that’s come to be known as “copyleft“. There’s a lot of variation on the particulars, but the core idea is “Yeah… I still own the images I take, but I’m not going to get all bent out of shape if you choose to use them for personal stuff.”

As the photographer, I do own the rights to the images. But I’m not going to come chasing you down to check if you’ve made copies at the local photo-shack, or if you’ve posted them in your online profile. I’ve got better things to do with my time.

Where I will assert my rights is if you intend to use the images for commercial applications (advertising, for example), or for promoting things against which I have strong moral objections (racist propoganda, for example).

If you want to use the images for commercial purposes, we just need to add a rider to the contract stating that you’ve paid for this use (see the Rate Card for details). Not a big deal.

Operation

I work out of my small home studio, or on location. I’m casual, easy-going, randomly irreverent, and prone to get into strange contortions to get just the right angle for a shot.

During a shoot, my shutter is constantly moving. It’s common to average about 200 shots an hour. A lot of those will be junk. The vast majority will be okay, but not good enough. The few that remain, however, are where the camera’s lies reveal the truth.

I ask that models come to the shoot with a selection of their own wardrobe (excluding, of course, fashion and commercial shoots based on wardrobe). We will select the outfits that work best. A few tips on wardrobe:

• Solid colors work best. Large patterns can work okay as long as they aren’t too complex. Small patterns–especially stripes and checks–can cause strange effects when photographed. These effects are usually enhanced when images are resized. So… while the pinstripes may look great in real life, they can become a spastic disco pattern when posted online.
• Black fabrics will not show up as black. Black dyes are based on either a red base or blue base. Under studio lighting, that base color will show through. Our brains know how to adjust for the color changes of lighting; the camera does not. A black blouse & skirt combo that appears to match perfectly may show up as purple and green in a photo.
• Unless there’s a reason for tighter-fitting clothes, loose clothing tends to work better. Especially under harsh studio lighting, tight clothing tends to exagerate bra lines and panty lines and other unwanted features. Loose clothing also makes it easier for you move around and be yourself during the shoot.

I ask that models come to the shoot without makeup, but (if applicable) bring along a basic makeup kit.

Always remember that the shoot is about you. Don’t be afraid to do your own thing, ask questions, or make suggestions. Just don’t be offended if I choose not to take the suggestions.