You work a lot of post-processing into your final pieces. Where did you learn your processing techniques? Nearly all of it is self-taught. As a teen, I was into digital painting for a while, so I picked up some basic Photoshop skills that way. Aside from that, I’ve caught some little tips and tricks from fellow artists, but many of the things I do I figured out simply through trial and error. Which is both a frustrating and very rewarding way of going about it. If you’re able to push past the frustration and figure out a new method of editing, it is so incredibly satisfying. And more recently I’ve looked up tutorials on certain special effects. But mostly I enjoy challenging myself to figure it out on my own. Sometimes I relate it to solving a puzzle: “now how did that photographer DO that?” I enjoy puzzles very much.
But mostly I enjoy challenging myself to figure it out on my own.
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issue 02 | FALL 2012
There is much debate over the validity of Photoshop manipulation vs. authentic images. What is your take on the subject? My take is that there are myriad forms of art, and whether that is a base photograph for a person or a base photograph that is then tastefully reconstructed, it really is a matter of preference. I have an appreciation for both. And nowadays we have the tools to do nearly anything we wish with photography, which is a beautiful thing! My aim with my work is to take a very strong base image and then utilize modern-day technology to take that base image and make it into an alternate reality, mood, or universe that best expresses the whatever it is I am going for at that particular moment. Sometimes I don’t do much manipulation at all, really. It all just depends. I’m very much in an experimentation phase at this point. Just trying to learn who I am and what I like best. For those people who scoff at photographers who enjoy utilizing Photoshop, I feel that they just haven’t learned to appreciate all of the aspects of art that surround photography now. As long as people are creating and expressing themselves, that is really what matters most. Not who has the best camera or who is a purist.
(bottom left) Cradling Hyperion - Day #171 (top right) Self-reflection - Day #160