| This is the first in a series of profiles of | | | | how to operate a basic control, but read it all |
| photographers from various parts of the imaging | | | | from front to back and then test out each and |
| spectrum. In the future we will shine the light on | | | | every advanced control. That way you get to |
| news photographers, commercial photographers, | | | | know your camera thoroughly, and you may |
| nature photographers and so on in order to give | | | | happen upon some interesting effects. Try |
| you the digital photographer some valuable insights | | | | different levels of fill flash, use the white balance, |
| to help make your images better. | | | | and test the effects of speed/aperture on depth |
| Geraldine Allen is our first subject artist in the | | | | of field. Oh, and look at possible uses for any |
| spot light. Initially trained in art history and graphic | | | | mistakes! I have been known to use prior |
| design in the UK; Geraldine gained valuable | | | | unintentional mistakes, as deliberate controlled |
| experience in aesthetics and design principles. | | | | effects at a later date." |
| Later in life she undertook study of Psychology | | | | What kind of digital camera gear do you favor? |
| and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honors | | | | "Predominantly, I am a digital SLR user of the |
| degree. However, Geraldine's long time interest | | | | Canon variety. I just like the look, the feel and |
| and passion for photography drew her back. | | | | the performance of Canon. A Canon feels right in |
| Enthused by the possibilities brought about by | | | | my hand so what more can I say? |
| Adobe Photoshop in its early days of | | | | Currently I am shooting with a Canon D60, which |
| development, she was soon absorbed by | | | | I was very happy to own when they were first |
| experimenting with digitized photographic collages. | | | | released. Unfortunately 6 months down the line |
| It was then she decided to return to Salisbury | | | | the 10D was released with a substantial drop in |
| College in the UK to formalize her experience and | | | | price to boot. Now of course there is the 20D |
| update her knowledge of the visual media | | | | too! Such are the agonies of being a die-hard |
| industry. | | | | techie fiend. I use only fixed focal length lenses, |
| Geraldine studied Creative Digital Arts to | | | | having found the 'ever-practical' zoom to let me |
| familiarize herself with industry standard | | | | down with zoom creep on long exposures." |
| multimedia software, and wishing to focus on still | | | | Currently Geraldine is using four lenses: a 15mm f |
| imaging, then chose to complete her BA (Honors) | | | | 2.8 fisheye, a 35mm f/2, a 100m f/2.8 Macro, |
| in PhotoMedia (Photography). Whilst computer | | | | and a 200mm f/2.8 L - all Canon EF. Of course |
| manipulation was becoming increasingly popular, | | | | using these lenses on a DSLR mean the focal |
| she chose to experiment [and now favors] "in | | | | length is longer than using on a film SLR due to |
| camera" effects. | | | | the size of the sensor, which is why the fisheye |
| When did your "aha" moment arrive; the time | | | | is not truly 'fisheye' but just very wide, and the |
| when you knew that your affinity for | | | | 35mm is used as the standard workhorse lens - |
| photography could take you further regarding | | | | the equivalent of a 50mm. Shooting an awful lot |
| your creative and professional career? "I took a | | | | of nature pictures, her 100mm macro lens has |
| candid shot of my teenage son one day when I | | | | proved a wise investment, allowing her to gain |
| just happened to be at an elevated height; the | | | | that extra close distance both for macro work |
| combination of height, the long lens, and the way | | | | and longer distance shots. |
| I had composed his posture in the frame brought | | | | Geraldine says "I have never had much desire to |
| an interesting result and I thought then that there | | | | shoot very long distance. I tried a 300mm 'L' glass |
| are so many variables and I would never get | | | | once, but sold it within a fortnight. The thing was |
| bored if I did this for a living. I had always | | | | a monster, and at f5.6 widest aperture, it was |
| enjoyed photography but I didn't really learn much | | | | just not fast enough coupled with the focal length |
| until digital came along. All of a sudden I learned so | | | | and weight of the thing. I simply could not achieve |
| fast because the results were instant and I could | | | | sharp enough pictures. Rather than bring faraway |
| relate which mistakes were associated with which | | | | subjects close to me, I prefer bringing tiny things |
| controls." | | | | into my visual plane, so that I can study each tiny |
| Do you prefer total control over your | | | | little detail. I therefore have a natural affinity for |
| photographic subjects or do you sometimes | | | | Macro photography and Photomicrography. I use |
| shoot natural non-studio images? "I don't have a | | | | an IMXZ Microscope with a zoom factor from |
| preference. I am so passionate about | | | | x10 - x40 for real tiny subjects, or when I want |
| photography and there are so many different | | | | to reveal what the eye cannot normally see, but |
| aspects that I find it impossible to hold favoritism. | | | | with an aperture of f0, I am inevitably dissatisfied |
| I have to separate photography into genres and I | | | | with the lack of sharpness throughout. Quite often |
| take a different approach according to that genre. | | | | I will just use the 'sweet spot' area and crop |
| For example, creative photos are pre-conceived in | | | | down afterward. I also have a bellows for an FD |
| the mind of the photographer/artist, so it does | | | | lens but I rarely achieve a satisfactory result |
| require the subject to be set up and controlled - | | | | owing to the lack of mobility and adaptability. I |
| to a degree. Although studio controlled images | | | | would really enjoy the more mobile MP-E65 but |
| dominate my light painted portfolio, I often leave | | | | unfortunately it's not within the budget at the |
| people as subjects to position themselves. The | | | | present time. |
| picture aims to portray a little essence of their | | | | I missed the medium format experience |
| natural character. I do help them with ideas if | | | | altogether, but what a great discovery it was to |
| they are stuck though, usually by distracting them | | | | find out I could afford a large format system! I |
| with conversation and saying "hold it there" when | | | | ended up with a 4x5 Toyo View camera with a |
| I think a particular posture, expression or | | | | monorail extension, dark cloth, lots of double dark |
| mannerism would work well for the picture. | | | | slides, an Schneider Symmar-S 150mm f5.6, and |
| For nature pictures I rarely control anything | | | | two boxes of Fuji Provia RDP II, all for |
| except perhaps using a little fill flash or a reflector | | | | £400!!! The film and processing costs have |
| in conjunction with the available light. I make a | | | | been adding up since, and the results still look |
| conscious effort not to interfere with a natural | | | | plainly 'LF novice'. " |
| scene as I wish to document it as real and | | | | The only other shooting equipment I have are |
| naturally as possible. Having said that I must | | | | two strobes, a 1000 watt halogen lamp, a Canon |
| confess I can't help moving obtrusive litter, sticks | | | | Speedlite 550EX, softbox, reflectors and stands. |
| or stones from the frame." | | | | These are not used very often, but are on |
| Have you ever had a mentor who had an impact | | | | standby for the odd studio request. Generally |
| on your style and art? "I received an awful lot of | | | | though I prefer natural light and natural settings. |
| support from a wonderful tutor called Ian Smith | | | | Post shoot editing of course requires a digital |
| at Salisbury College in the UK. Whilst I was given | | | | darkroom. I use a fast processor Dell PC with |
| endless encouragement to experiment in | | | | tons of RAM, a Mac Powerbook G4, an Olympus |
| whichever way I liked, I was also taught to | | | | Camedia Dye Sub printer, a Canon S9000 inkjet, |
| question everything and to give that | | | | and an Epson Perfection 4870 scanner for my |
| experimentation some decisive direction. I was to | | | | 4x5 film. Let's also not forget that king of king |
| ask myself what my pictures were trying to | | | | piece of software - Adobe Photoshop. I just |
| communicate, and to plan them with specific | | | | upgraded to CS and I'm not disappointed. ooops... I |
| intention and aims. In the final year at Salisbury | | | | forgot to mention my trusty set of three halogen |
| College I reached the dreaded stage where I was | | | | torches for light painting.... nothing special or |
| forced to choose one field of specialization. God | | | | expensive, just normal household torches of |
| forbid, how was I to make a single choice when I | | | | various strength." Says Ms Allen. |
| loved all and sundry from traditional to completely | | | | Geraldine has always been intrigued by the |
| abstract and contemporary? I remember actually | | | | magical, unique and otherworldly qualities found in |
| struggling to hold back tears when it came to the | | | | the work of photographers like Robert Damachy, |
| point of my having to drop some genres. I was a | | | | Julia Margaret Cameron, Diane Arbus, and Sarah |
| cop-out really because I chose to stick with two | | | | Moon. Specific influences on her photographic |
| fields instead of one; fine art and nature, and then | | | | development with her light painting have been |
| I used a unifying concept to put them both in my | | | | Berthold Steinhilber, Jorg Grundler, and Diana |
| final portfolio! | | | | Thorneycroft. |
| I was also privileged enough to work with | | | | If you visit her site you will see some of the |
| landscape photographer Charlie Waite in his studio | | | | wonderful macro photography Geraldine captures. |
| for some months. Although practicalities of work | | | | Many of those are floral based subject matter. |
| and business dominated our concerns, I observed | | | | She says "for floral macros, I like to use |
| his attitudes toward his projects and indeed within | | | | extremely limited depth of field. This means I |
| his natural day-to-day practicalities. If I had to | | | | inevitably make use of a longer focal length |
| choose one primary point that I will always | | | | [100mm], the closest shooting distance possible |
| remember, it would be how he would look at the | | | | and a wide aperture [often f2]. This usually means |
| sky and all around whenever he stepped | | | | the shutter speed is quite fast because there is |
| outdoors. He would immediately and instinctively | | | | plenty of light entering the lens. But, that does not |
| study the light and how it fell upon subjects in his | | | | mean I do not need a tripod in a natural setting. |
| immediate surroundings, no matter where he was | | | | Often I like to have only the tiniest element in |
| or what he was doing. You could say he was | | | | focus, which means handheld shooting is a definite |
| obsessed with light! So, he taught me the most | | | | no-no, as the plane of focus can slip at the |
| valuable lesson of all; to study the natural laws of | | | | slightest movement [in the camera or subject]. If |
| light, how it naturally affected the world around | | | | the element to be focused on is flat, then |
| and how different it looked according to the | | | | generally it is easier to achieve sharpness where I |
| various conditions." | | | | want it. However if it is curved or rounded I try |
| Your best advice for budding digital | | | | to make sure the camera is positioned at such an |
| photographers? "Experiment, and then experiment | | | | angle as to allow the element to be parallel with |
| some more! Make full use of manual controls | | | | the back of the camera so that as much of the |
| instead of sticking with the safe Auto mode. Don't | | | | element as possible is on the same plane as the |
| just refer to the manual when you are stuck on | | | | sensor or film back. |