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Greetings, and thanks so much for visiting my online gallery! It is my heartfelt desire that these images even begin to convey the joy I’ve felt in making them. I am often asked about the various aspects of my photographic process, so I thought I’d take a moment to discuss the making of these images from capture to print. Equipment: I use Nikon camera bodies and lenses. Depending upon the situation, there are several different setups I choose from. When I have no space or weight restrictions, such as during a long road trip, I shoot mainly with the F6 camera body. I carry a variety of lenses, which provide me with focal lengths from 17mm to 400mm; on those rare occasions I find myself needing more than 400mm, I carry a teleconverter that multiplies my lenses’ maximum focal lengths by 2 (for a total of a super-close 800mm). For compositions that require maximum depth of field, I'll sometimes use Nikon's "Perspective Control" lenses, which provide the tilting and shifting capabilities of large format field cameras in a 35mm format. For filters, I use the Moose Peterson series warming polarizers, and a collection of graduated neutral-density filters for controlling dynamic range. And, perhaps most importantly, I never hit the road without my trusty Manfrotto tripod! When space and weight are a factor, such as during a multi-day mountain climb, I typically shoot using an N80 body and a lightweight 28-200mm lens. While slower than my other glass, the lighter weight and huge zoom range allow me the flexibility to make a variety of images and move quickly between locations. (These also go with my heavier rig as back-ups.) If I know I'll be shooting wider angles or up-close action sports, then my fast 17-35mm/F2.8 zoom lens doesn't add too much weight. I’ll throw on a light tripod as space and gumption allow, but have been known to use ice axes, trekking poles, and rocks to make acceptably sharp images. Capture and Processing: Nikon aficionados will notice that I named only film cameras to my toolbox. My current capture medium consists of Fujichrome Velvia slide film. People have asked me if I’ve stuck with film from a purist’s standpoint, and if I have an aversion to digital capture. Quite the contrary! While there are certain advancements I would like to see, I’ve grown to love digital, and I see myself changing platforms within the next year. Until then, all the images you see here will be film captures. Each slide is shipped to a pro lab, where it is scanned using a $70,000 Tango drum scanner. The scans are touched up for dust and scratches, then digitally corrected for contrast and color balance to match the scene I envisioned before the lens. At this point, I begin consulting with a highly trained custom printmaker. Through a series of emails, telephone calls, and proofs, we apply creative and technical adjustments to each aspect of the image, while taking great care to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the original transparency is maintained in the final print. The process can take many hours over weeks or months. Except on extremely rare occasions, no adjustments are made that could not be performed in a traditional darkroom. “Rare occasions” include, for instance, the digital removal of a small but distracting jet contrail in the corner of an otherwise acceptable image. Under no circumstances will I introduce colors or objects that weren’t present before the lens. In all cases, I am happy to show you my original slide for comparison. The Prints: All prints are produced on Fuji Crystal Archive paper using a top-of-the-line ZBE Chromira enlarger. The Chromira uses red, green, and blue LEDs to expose the paper, rather than the inks and dyes used in other processes. Tests have indicated that Crystal Archive prints will last 70 years or longer before the human eye will detect any degree of color fading. Because this is a true photographic print, and is made using one of the most environmentally friendly methods available today, this process has been adopted by many top nature photographers. I am happy to answer any further questions you may have about my photographic process! Simply click on the “Contact” link above to send me a message. Presuming I am not in the field, I will do my best to get back to you in a timely fashion. Best, |
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