Really, put that thing away. I don't need to see that.
Unless we're in a museum maybe. Then it might be kinda hot.
I suppose some explanation for the title of this page (look in your browser tab) and the above headline is in order. A collodion was a type of early photographic plate--we're talking pre-film, here; 19th century tech--that had to be kept moist, hence: moist collodion. It wasn't until nerds perfected dry plate technology that photography began to become more than a lab curiosity.
I can't remember where I first heard the term, but it was years ago when I first began fooling around with photography in earnest, during my teenage years. The term "moist collodion" sounded vaguely naughty to my adolescent mind, and, well, since I still enjoy juvenile humor, here we are.
Among the various nerdy, geeky pursuits of my life, photography ranks near the top. I had my own black & white darkroom set up in my parents' basement back in the day, took all the photography classes I could, and blew a lot of lawn-mowing money and Steak-and-Shake paychecks on film and paper, dark room chemicals and whatnot.
Then college came along, and my trusty Minolta collected dust for the most part, as I concentrated on getting a print journalism degree (and the other typical college pursuits: drinking, tawdry encounters, etc.). At times over the years I knocked the dust off as required by newspaper employment, but for the most part, my love of image making remained dormant.
But in the past few years I've rediscovered my old love, in her new digital guise (I use a Canon Rebel XTi, and the usual accoutrements: assorted lenses, tripod and whatnot--I'm planning an investment in lighting, too). Many moons have passed since I contemplated f-stops and shutter speeds, but I've found it is like riding a bike. And now, thanks to Photoshop, I can combine two nerdy interests: computers and photography. I <3 digital compositing. And gradient maps, as evidenced below.
Pretty self explanatory; click on a thumbnail to view the image, which will open in a new browser tab/window. You can see the latest and more over at Flickr--more arty-farty shots, photos of my travels, class assignments, and a partridge in a pear tree. Actually, I don't have a shot of that, yet. But you can read more about how these images were created, where they were shot, etc.
Of course, if you want some prints, permission to use an image, need a photographer, or if you want to talk shop, by all means, get in touch.
