Perhaps the story of my shop and my photography can best be told through an imaginary interview, because we all like to pretend that we're famous.
Q: Wow, your shots are amazing! What kind of camera do you use??
A: Thanks for the semi-compliment. I get this question a lot. My main camera these days is a Canon 5D MK III digital SLR, and I use my older Canon 7D as my backup. I've also used entry-level cameras like the Canon Rebel T2i, the Lumix G2, and even a point-and-shoot to make shots that I've sold as artwork. In the end, great shots can be made with any camera, but it helps to have one where you can tell it exactly what you want it to do.
Q: Paul, I notice that a lot of your [amazing] shots are taken at dawn, and sometimes before the sun even rises. Does this mean that you're a morning person?
A: Absolutely not. And I never have been. When I was a wee lad, my dad and my brother would wake before the crack of dawn to go fishing or hunting, but you could not have paid me enough to get up that early. And that was around the age, 12 or so, that I started becoming interested in photography - strictly during normal waking hours of course. It was only many years later that I realized that the shots that other people were getting that I wanted to get were happening at odd hours - before dawn or in the middle of the night. So my enthusiasm for photography "forced" me to start waking up earlier to go out and grab these elusive shots that everyone has come to love so much in my portfolio. But to this day, I only drag myself out of bed early for a shoot. On any other given day, I'm perfectly fine sleeping in til 9!
Q: So how exactly did you start doing photography, and when did you get your first camera?
A: My dad was a good technical photographer, so he was able to show me the basics when I was relatively young. The story of how I got my first SLR is a funny one. My dad had a friend who owned a Canon T70 35mm SLR, and he brought it out with him everywhere he went. For some reason I was so fascinated by this camera that I started asking my dad's friend everything there was to ask about how to use it, and how to figure out exposure and whatnot. He very patiently answered every question, but for a curious kid, every answer just led me to ask another question, until he couldn't take it anymore, and he just outright gave me the camera so I could experiment with it on my own! I think my dad must have ended up paying his friend for the camera later on. So that became my first camera, the Canon T70.
Q: Where have you done most of your photography?
A: Most of my shots are from my home area of the Northeastern US, but I've photographed in New Zealand, Hawaii, India, parts of the Midwestern US, and all over California. Most people say my best work is from around my home area, which is no surprise. I think people have a very intimate and intuitive connection to the region where they've lived for most of their lives, and that allows us to naturally find great art in our environment
Q: Can you briefly describe the process by which one of your digital photographs becomes a product that you would sell on Etsy, or at a live event?
A: Once I've edited my photograph, I send the file to a lab that I trust for printing. The process is color managed from begining to end, meaning that my equipment and the lab's equipment are calibrated to the same standards to insure that the final print colors are a close match to what I saw on my monitor. The prints are sent to me a few days later. I believe in matting every photograph I sell, because the mat is part of the artwork and gives me the chance to caption the photograph on the mat and sign it as well. For larger pieces, I hand cut the mats from matboard stock, and for smaller pieces, I may buy pre-cut mats. I always prefer mat dimensions that fit commercially available frames, just to make it easier for my customer to buy a frame later on. I use three main colors of mat: white, ivory, and black, because these will match almost anything. I mount the photo to the mat, and then add a backing board for stability, and put the whole thing in a cellophane sleeve for protection. This becomes a finished item that I could sell in my Etsy shop, or at an art fair. I also frame many of my works myself, and I sell these framed pieces at art fairs.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who's looking to improve at photography?
A: Don't be enamored with the "latest and greatest" camera out there that promises amazing picture quality. Trust me, I've tried upgrading as a means of improving my photos, and it didn't help! Instead, just stick to one camera for a while, become really familiar with how to use it, know it inside and out, and that will be the single best way to improve your photography, because it will allow you to emphasize the art part of it, rather than wasting time getting used to a new camera. And wake up early. Really early.