Vivid Color Nature Photography
Vivid Color Nature Photography
by John Houtman
The following frequently asked questions are responded
to below. Simply scroll down to the question of choice.
Do you travel a lot to get these pictures?
Did you really take all these pictures?
What kind of camera do you use?
Your pictures are so colorful. It really didn’t look like this, did it?
I’ve never seen such a sharp picture. How did you do it?
You used a filter on this one, didn’t you?
Do you have your own darkroom?
Do you have someone else make the prints for you?
What kind of scanner do you use?
What kind of printer do you use?
Will these pictures fade?
Do you sell larger or framed prints?
Are these limited edition prints?
What art shows will you be doing this year?
What if I get the picture and I’m not satisfied?
Do you travel a lot to get these pictures?
Currently, I travel three to four months of each year. I photograph nature
subjects from Florida to the Great Lakes area in the Midwest. My home is in
Southwestern Pennsylvania. I have a travel trailer and camp in the areas that I
photograph.
Did you really take all these pictures?
Yes, these pictures are my original work.
What kind of camera do you use?
I use a 35-mm, single lens reflex, camera system with interchangeable lenses and
a digital camera system with attachable lenses. My cameras of choice have been Olympus for the past 30 years. I
currently use the OM-4Ti (35-mm) and the E-10 (digital) model cameras. These cameras
allow spot metering and
manual control of exposure, which is my way to be sure of getting proper exposures
under light situations of choice.
Your pictures are so colorful. It really didn’t look like this, did it?
For the most part, it really did look like this. It’s hard to believe
sometimes if you have seldom gotten up before dawn or watched a sunset to the
very last second. Sunrises and sunsets have as many color variations as
the number of stars in the nighttime sky. I say “for the most part”,
however, because the film in a camera sees light without the benefit of
interpretation by the brain. So sometimes, the film records more realistic color
than we see (or that our brain tells us that we see). Then sometimes the
saturation capability of the film enhances the colored light that is present. I
use professional films that permit saturated images.
I’ve never seen such a sharp picture. How did you do it?
To get sharp pictures requires the use of a sturdy tripod, film with very fine
grain, high resolution digital, and a printing system that can render the slide image to paper with high
resolution.
You used a filter on this one, didn’t you?
Usually I do not use a filter. The only colored filter I will use is a warming
filter when I expect the light to have a blue cast to it. I also will
occasionally use a polarizing filter to remove unwanted glare.
Do you have your own darkroom?
I do not have a chemical darkroom. I have a digital darkroom, a computer with a
film scanner and an ink-jet printer. I use transparency, or slide film, that
requires a standard chemical process. So I send my film to a chemical lab that
develops the slides. I then scan the slides to make a digital image file for my
computer to print.
Do you have someone else make the prints for you?
I control the printing. I control the whole process from exposure to the final
print except for the slide development, which is a controlled and standard
process.
What kind of scanner do you use?
I use a high-resolution slide scanner made by Minolta, the Dimage Scan Dual II.
What kind of printer do you use?
I use a photo quality ink-jet printer made by Epson, the Epson Stylus Photo
1280. It uses a 6-color photo ink system that provides the best-looking
color photos.
Will these pictures fade?
It is reported by Epson that by using Epson paper and Epson ink, the expected lifetime is
at least twenty
years for a printed image to retain its quality. This
will not be true if the print is exposed to direct sunlight. Please pick a
location that does not get direct sunlight.
Do you sell larger or framed prints?
Framed or matted prints are no longer available by online purchase. Larger
prints (greater than 12"x18") are only available by direct contact
with me at this time since I
do not stock them. The same process would be used, only the prints would be made
by an outside source, on an Epson printer with Epson paper and ink.
Are these limited edition prints?
Go to the Art Exchange at www.art-exchange.com and click on "artist search", then click on the letter "H" to find my listing.
What art shows will you be doing this year?
Go to
Art Festivals 2005 for a list of my
planned art shows, dates, and locations.
What if I get the picture and I’m not satisfied?
I will not send a picture to you that I would not hang in my own home. If you
are not satisfied, however, for any reason, you may call me at 888-871-4182 or
email johnhoutman@photosforyouonline.com
and I will refund your purchase price and shipping charges as well as the
shipping charge to return it.
