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Rangefinder Magazine
March 2002
Pixels to Print by
Charles Maring
Redefining Photography and Photographers in the Digital Age
Now that digital photography has become popular
and mainstream to both fine portraiture and wedding photography, I thought
it would be fun to share some of our experiences and workflow concepts.
We have used digital and constantly refined our approach over the past
five years. Having owned our own all-digital lab for some time has given
myself and my wife the opportunity to test equipment and see the results
immediately. It has also given our studio the edge in regards to knowing
the proper procedures to get the most out of all different types of digital
files.
Having photographed the majority of the images at our weddings with the
Nikon D-1 over the past year with incredible results, my wife Jennifer
and I were anxious to get our hands on the new Nikon D-1X. Being caught
in a hybrid workflow situation, mixing digital photographs and film, it
was a task to organize. Like many photographers slowly working into a
digital workflow, we could envision the day when we could photograph weddings
entirely with digital capture with world class quality results that we
demand from ourselves and our camera systems. We are confident that that
day is here with the advent of the Nikon D-1X.
Without question 2.75–3 megapixel cameras provide enough information
to produce impeccable candid-quality photographs for use in albums or
as smaller gift portraits from a wedding day. We have actually pushed
the limits of this amount of information to sizes of 20x24 and 20x30 inches
with results that we feel are superior to many of the medium format photographs
taken on past assignments.
After purchasing our first Nikon D-1X and testing
it for a day, we immediately purchased two more and the fourth is on the
way. The reason for our decision was simple. Nikon thought to build two
cameras into one. With a quick on-the-fly switch, the D-1X gives you a
resolution choice. We thought surely we would need two cameras, a high-resolution
one for portraiture and a low-resolution camera for photojournalism. We
thought wrong. This unique system give us the freedom to switch from a
7.51 megabyte file to a 16.9 megabyte file in camera. And the results
in each mode are phenomenal.
Working with fast lenses makes our lives a lot easier. It is so nice to
be able to walk into a situation with one camera in my hands and four
lenses in a hip pack that cover the range from 8mm f/4 made by Sigma to
200mm f/2.8. All my other lenses are Nikkors. Considering that the camera
has a 1.5X focal length difference, I am actually carrying everything
from an 18mm to a 300mm lens. Now I have the 300mm f/2.8 I have always
wanted without having to carry the bulky version seen on football fields.
My back takes less of a beating than carrying a medium format camera for
portraiture and a 35mm system for photojournalism. Not to mention that
f/1.8 and f/2.8 lenses allow me to handhold the camera in most portrait
situations indoors rather than carrying a heavy tripod around.
I also find the Nikon D-1X to have amazing accuracy in every respect,
from color to exposure. Complement the system with the dedicated SB28-DX
flash and life couldn’t get easier. If you know lighting you can
obviously create better images, but from a photojournalistic point of
view, I love being able to rely on my system to correctly expose the situation
so that I can put more emphasis on finding the moment. For me, digital
wedding photojournalism, is the cat’s meow. I am finally free!
The images with the D-1X also download with lightning
fast speed. I have yet to beat the camera in regards to shooting too quickly.
The camera has yet to slow me down and the instant image review is quick
to pop up and let me know I have nailed the shot.
Managing and Backing up Digital Images
Our studio has been digital on the portrait side for five years now. Not
once, knock on wood, have we lost a digital image. However, smart photographers
back up their files, then back them up again, and again. There is no doubt
that there is a risk in photography whether shooting film or digital.
I carry a laptop to my weddings for backup. During dinner, if time permits
I back up my files from the first part of the day, and leave them on the
IBM 1GB microdrive as well. Being on the road with weddings out of town
a lot, it makes sense to have two copies of the files as soon as possible.
It also give me a chance to review my work and build a website for the
couple if time permits. Once I get back to our studio, I copy all of the
images from the laptop to the desktop computer. Then I burn what I call
a “Raw Copy CD” before I make any changes to the files. This
is the first archive.
I found a program online called “The Rename.”
This is a free download that allows me to rename all of the files with
lightning fast speed. Once I rename the files from two drives so that
there aren’t any identical numbers, I burn the “Re-Numbered
CD”. Now I have 4 backups. Then I can delete from the laptop and
I am in a comfort zone. Once the final album is created I will delete
the files from the hard drive on the computer system. This may seem like
a lot of work, but it isn’t. Once you do it a couple of times it
becomes second nature.
Proofing the Images
In this day and age photographers are going in all different directions
regarding proofing. I have myself walked into a recent wedding only to
see enlarged engagement portraits in frames that I know the couple didn’t
purchase from me. Copying proofs is a reality and it is happening. After
speaking with several labs, I realized that nobody was interested in working
on an idea that would fill the bill for digital wedding photographers
wanting to be semi-proofless. So, we (myself and my family) built our
own all-digital lab called Resolutionlab.com. Rlab prints all of the photographs
in contact form on traditional Kodak e-surface paper with a traditional
RA-4 process. Utilizing the most state-of-the-art solid state laser technology,
Rlab can consistently print color or black-and-white digital images with
incredible detail and tonal value. Anyone having trouble finding a lab
that can produce impeccable and consistent quality black-and-white digitally
should check into their services. Each photograph is numbered with the
file number in the bottom right corner of the print and the contact size
is 2.5x3.5 inches. One can copy a wallet-size print, but it would be a
pain to cut the image out of the book, etc… These contacts come bound
book style with matte board for the covers and the whole concept runs
only $0.25 per image. No more spending five or more hours putting proofs
in a proof album. The proofs come back deliverable and bound book-style.
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Once I get the images completed and bound I take the creative
energy to put natural paper on the cover. Then I design and print
a suggested wall portrait for the cover of the book. When we offered
this concept to our couples instead of proofs, every couple preferred
the contacts. Who in their right mind wants to carry around 1000
full-size proofs in two full-size proof albums? And, what photographer
in their right mind wants to pay for full-size proofs or proof
albums and then have to spend hours on end organizing the images?
Our system makes sense.
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Increase Creativity, Save Time and Make More
There is no doubt that going digital saves a lot of money spent on
film. However, my reason for wanting to photograph weddings digitally
is for more creative quality; plus the fact that it has saved me a good
6–15 hours per wedding. Scanning takes a lot of time. Then having
to clean the scan from dust and surface defects adds even more work and
time. Digital files are far superior to fine tune and work with than film
scans.
Digital files simply react better to the special
effects that I use in Photoshop. For example, film grain adds a level
of difficulty to retouching. Once you start moving things around within
the image, the grain structure breaks up and you wind up spending a great
deal of time adding the grain back in. However, I really like the look
of film grain so I find myself using Photoshop’s film grain filter
on many digital images just for the look of it. I also feel that Photoshop’s
version of film grain is more like a texture screen that adds a gorgeous
aspect to a photograph.
The Design Factor
As we move forward into the future of digital weddings I see a whole new
kind of photographer ermerging. I consider myself as much a graphic artist
and designer as I do a photographer. Capturing the file is just one aspect
of the creative process. The majority of my images have layers of techniques
that add to the overall feeling of the photograph. These techniques wouldn’t
even be capable without the design options that Photoshop and other programs
such as Painter 6 provide. Having a complete understanding of my capabilities
has also raised the value of my work. The new photographer that embraces
the tools of design will simply be worth more than just a cameraman or
woman.
The design factor has also given our studio a whole
different wedding album concept that separates us from other photographers
in our area. Our albums are uniquely our own and each couple has the confidence
in knowing that they received an original work of art. I am confident
that this “Design Factor” will actually separate photographers
further apart. I have seen a lot of digital album concepts, some good,
some not so good. When you put these tools in the hands of somebody with
a flare for fashion, you wind up with an album with a positive digital
spin. There is something to be said for good taste, and with all of these
creative tools at hand where the final work of art winds up depends on
who is behind the mouse, not just who is behind the camera.
Originality and Change
This change has been good for the industry. Now more than ever people
are thinking for themselves. In talking with photographers from around
the country ideas are pouring out of everyone from workflow concepts to
creativity. I have heard many photographers that have been in the industry
for 30–40 years say that they were as excited about photography today
as they were when they first started. Digital technology has brought new
life into their work. The key is to take it at your own pace and enjoy
every minute of this incredible process.
Charles Maring will be a presenter at WPPI 2002 in Las Vegas. His program
is entitled, “Inspired by Design.”
Charles and Jennifer Maring own and operate Maring Photography Inc. in
Wallingford, CT. Charles is a second- generation photographer, his parents
having operated a successful studio in the New England area for many years.
His parents now operate Rlab (resolutionlab.com), an all-digital lab that
does all of the work for Maring Photography, as well as for other discriminating
photographers needing high-end digital work. Charles Maring is the winner
of the WPPI 2001 Album of the Year Award.
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