You can also find Image West Photography
at the AGPix web site.
A couple of sites that we have created, maintained, or that features our work include:
- For California's secret wine region chock full of world-class wines, go to the Amador Vintners site at www.amadorwine.com
- Tire of hearing just the environmental movement's doom and gloom narrow outlook of the world? Find out the rest of the story from both sides of western envinronmental issues at www.RANGEmagazine.com
- Amador County is receiving national attention as a tourism destination. Find out at www.touramador.com
Regarding equipment and film: we usually tell people we use cameras with lenses and film and silicon for capture (hint: it's not the equipment but how you use it!;-). Good equipment helps (more reliable, less hassle), but anything will work, you just need to go out and shoot and learn everything you can about it!
We use these tools for image capture:
If you buy a Nikon or Canon or any other camera, stick with the manufacturers lenses, else why buy it?
Film comes from two manufacturers. We like them both:
- Kodak - both color negative and transparency films
- Fuji - both color negative and transparency films
When it comes to our digital imaging, there is no comparison. We use the Cadillac product for its superior usability and color management: Apple Macintosh PowerPC equipment. We've used them exclusively since 1984 and found they work best for us and that the hardware is highly reliable. Our G4, an upgraded 8500, has over 8,000 of power-on hours since 1996 and still runs well! Our last repair was in 1992). We haven't had a virus infection since 1987. Others will differ and that is fine with us. You won't ask us how to do it and we can spend more time with out projects;-). We use both color-calibrated and managed PowerPC G4 and G5 computers in the studio and G4 Powerbooks for our field editing. Images are stored on CD and DVD.
We output to an Epson 2200 and Epson 4000 prints, state-of-printers using Epson's Ultrachrome pigment sets. According to imaging experts, our prints will outlast us by decades.
Yes, you can get good results from the Windows World if you are willing to spend the time (checkout George Lepp), but our preference goes to Apple and their superior Unix-based OS and bullet-proof hardware. We would rather work with our equipment than work on it trying to get it running.
Macs come ready to go for digital photography and include iPhoto, iVideo, and iTunes. No muss, no fuss digital photography.
Of course, we use the standard of digital software, Adobe Photoshop.
For captioning our digital photos in the studio and on the road we use a PhotoMechanic. Loads the images quickly and allows us to tag, edit, caption, and sort the photos before burning a CDs and DVDs.
Other great photographers out there include:
- Doug Keister, host of the eclectic Self-invitational Black Rock Golf Classic and master of photography of cemeteries, bungalows and vintage travel trailers
- Our friend and corporate shooter Ira Gostin in Reno
- Will Crockett a master of color, lighting, digital, and marketing. The founder of the "Shoot Smarter" seminars
If you are a photo buyer, I urge you to learn about dealing with professional photographers and contemporary business practices. The key concept in the business of photography is "win-win". No low-ball. No buy-outs. No work-for-hire. Great info is available to you on-line:
Digital links I can recommend: For pro-level issues regarding equipment and technique:
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Nevada
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San Andreas, California
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Newport, Oregon
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Death Valley
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Utah
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