Chief Editor
10-22-2004, 04:52 AM
:idea: :idea: LIGHTS ON ! :idea: :idea:
This time the spotlights are directed at ...
Landis Major a.k.a. Landis
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/3551/399004-10-SPOT-AVATAR-Landis.jpg (http://www.photozo.com/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=839)
Joined Date : July 11, 2003
Located in : Panama & Massachusetts
Wanna tell us a little about yourself, like work / hobbies / interests?
Work: I've done everything from being a professional photographer doing TV ads and fashion and product photography to managing a public bus company in the former Panama Canal Zone, managing a battery factory and for the past 25 years have managed and operated a secondary lead refinery in Panama.
For hobbies, of course the primary one is Photography. I really got back into photography in 1990 initially with 35mm B&W, which then expanded to medium format and large format cameras, doing all my own darkroom work, as well as framing photos and all that goes with that final process. My other hobbies are guitar playing (not very good) and fishing for bass in the Panama Canal. And of course I am a Computer nut that goes along with my digital photography. I'm a "Mac Man" and have no interest or understanding of PC's.
What made you start with digital photography?
That was sort of a lark. I had been watching the pocket digitals come on the market for a while and seeing the mediocre results they gave friends. They looked cute, but as I'm a freak on quality, I wasn't going to jump on the wagon until they had something that could approach what I was doing. I had been scanning negatives for a while at high resolution and printing them out in quad-tone B&W on an old Epson 1520 printer that I adapted for that purpose. I was getting pretty good at it after a while of fooling around on my own.
When Canon came out with their D30 Digital, and as I had Canon lenses for my EOS-3, I made the jump. For a while, I wasn't happy because I couldn't "See in color" from all my years in B&W. Slowly my mind set changed and I was getting pretty good images. I then traded up to the D60, which was much better, and finally the 1Ds, which is just terrific.
How did you find Photozo? What made you stay?
How? I guess I just stumbled upon it. I had seen a number of other sites, mainly DPReview, which I still use for finding out about the new models of cameras coming on the market. They are very helpful on that part. The forums have far too much back-biting and arguing on them. Photozo seems so friendly, so I stay here 95% of the time.
I really like to help people understand more about digital and I remember how frustrating it was when I first got into it. I realize I sure don't know it all, but my knowledge base is expanding all the time and I feel I can be helpful to newbies.
Do you have a favorite thread or topic at Photozo?
I think it's in the Printing Forum, because that is where I know I'm the strongest in being able to help others. I have taken a few Color Management and Color Printing workshops given by pros and have picked up a wealth of information that I have learned to put to good use for myself. My color printing is now at a professional level on my Epson 7600 printer and I do my own .icc profiles which work beautifully. It's really just a matter of being able to put it all together in the right order and get everything calibrated and your prints will come out well.
What topic would you like to see explained in the Knowledge Base?
Something I'm trying to learn is how to use Flash properly. I don't use flash often, but when I need it, it needs to be right. Last weekend I shot my first wedding for a very good friend who got married. I practiced before the wedding and thought I had it all worked out, only to find there were some minor glitches. I only missed a few shots, but that shouldn't happen. With digital, there are so many variances and parameters to set up, as well as color balance, and flash compensation, etc. I'm a perfectionist and still have a ways to go on all this.
Anything else you like to share about Photozo or yourself?
One comment I would like to make to everyone. Fred Picker, founder of Zone VI Photography and a wonderful photographer taught me an important lesson about 12 years ago. When I asked him a question, he replied, "Landis, if I tell you the answer to that good question, all you will know is 'The Answer'. Now if I tell you to go out there and 'Try It', you will find the answer and along the way, you will probably find about a dozen other good things you can use. So, my answer is "TRY IT"
Too many times I see someone post a question on the forum "a good question" and may times the answer to that question has already been discussed. I look at it, and just wonder why this person hasn't taken any time to see if their question isn' t already there. I just shake my head sometimes at people who want to be spoon fed the answer before they are willing to work it out themselves.
I also think that when people ask a question and someone answers it, they shouldn't argue with the answer, as I see so much. I also think that if you don' t know the answer to the question, you shouldn't write anything. This needs to be a Digital Forum where people can come to visit and/or stay and have fun, make friends and learn, as well as share their knowledge with others.
What is your favorite photo from your gallery and why?
For those of you who have taken the time to look at my gallery, you can see that if there is a central theme to my work, it revolves around water, whether it's the ocean and what goes on around it, or whether it's women, specifically naked women, in and around the water. After receiving a friendly reminder to the rules of Photozo regarding nudity, I had to remove a few 'offending photos' which I understand and gladly comply with the rules.
Landscapes are fun and I like doing those, but nothing gets me clicking like a woman in the water, especially the waters of the Panama Canal with jungle backgrounds, roots and trees and fun shapes of all kinds. My #1 Model, Mary, is a joy to work with and I've been photographing her for 6 years now. Her parents are good friends of ours and I have known her since birth. Making women look and feel beautiful is hard work as well as rewarding. If they don't tell me, "Wow" when they see their prints, I'm not happy.
Judging by the number of hits this photo has received on Photozo this is not only my favorite shot, but everyone's.
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/3551/399004-10-SPOT-FAVPIC-Landis-ButterflyTattoo.jpg
This time the spotlights are directed at ...
Landis Major a.k.a. Landis
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/3551/399004-10-SPOT-AVATAR-Landis.jpg (http://www.photozo.com/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=839)
Joined Date : July 11, 2003
Located in : Panama & Massachusetts
Wanna tell us a little about yourself, like work / hobbies / interests?
Work: I've done everything from being a professional photographer doing TV ads and fashion and product photography to managing a public bus company in the former Panama Canal Zone, managing a battery factory and for the past 25 years have managed and operated a secondary lead refinery in Panama.
For hobbies, of course the primary one is Photography. I really got back into photography in 1990 initially with 35mm B&W, which then expanded to medium format and large format cameras, doing all my own darkroom work, as well as framing photos and all that goes with that final process. My other hobbies are guitar playing (not very good) and fishing for bass in the Panama Canal. And of course I am a Computer nut that goes along with my digital photography. I'm a "Mac Man" and have no interest or understanding of PC's.
What made you start with digital photography?
That was sort of a lark. I had been watching the pocket digitals come on the market for a while and seeing the mediocre results they gave friends. They looked cute, but as I'm a freak on quality, I wasn't going to jump on the wagon until they had something that could approach what I was doing. I had been scanning negatives for a while at high resolution and printing them out in quad-tone B&W on an old Epson 1520 printer that I adapted for that purpose. I was getting pretty good at it after a while of fooling around on my own.
When Canon came out with their D30 Digital, and as I had Canon lenses for my EOS-3, I made the jump. For a while, I wasn't happy because I couldn't "See in color" from all my years in B&W. Slowly my mind set changed and I was getting pretty good images. I then traded up to the D60, which was much better, and finally the 1Ds, which is just terrific.
How did you find Photozo? What made you stay?
How? I guess I just stumbled upon it. I had seen a number of other sites, mainly DPReview, which I still use for finding out about the new models of cameras coming on the market. They are very helpful on that part. The forums have far too much back-biting and arguing on them. Photozo seems so friendly, so I stay here 95% of the time.
I really like to help people understand more about digital and I remember how frustrating it was when I first got into it. I realize I sure don't know it all, but my knowledge base is expanding all the time and I feel I can be helpful to newbies.
Do you have a favorite thread or topic at Photozo?
I think it's in the Printing Forum, because that is where I know I'm the strongest in being able to help others. I have taken a few Color Management and Color Printing workshops given by pros and have picked up a wealth of information that I have learned to put to good use for myself. My color printing is now at a professional level on my Epson 7600 printer and I do my own .icc profiles which work beautifully. It's really just a matter of being able to put it all together in the right order and get everything calibrated and your prints will come out well.
What topic would you like to see explained in the Knowledge Base?
Something I'm trying to learn is how to use Flash properly. I don't use flash often, but when I need it, it needs to be right. Last weekend I shot my first wedding for a very good friend who got married. I practiced before the wedding and thought I had it all worked out, only to find there were some minor glitches. I only missed a few shots, but that shouldn't happen. With digital, there are so many variances and parameters to set up, as well as color balance, and flash compensation, etc. I'm a perfectionist and still have a ways to go on all this.
Anything else you like to share about Photozo or yourself?
One comment I would like to make to everyone. Fred Picker, founder of Zone VI Photography and a wonderful photographer taught me an important lesson about 12 years ago. When I asked him a question, he replied, "Landis, if I tell you the answer to that good question, all you will know is 'The Answer'. Now if I tell you to go out there and 'Try It', you will find the answer and along the way, you will probably find about a dozen other good things you can use. So, my answer is "TRY IT"
Too many times I see someone post a question on the forum "a good question" and may times the answer to that question has already been discussed. I look at it, and just wonder why this person hasn't taken any time to see if their question isn' t already there. I just shake my head sometimes at people who want to be spoon fed the answer before they are willing to work it out themselves.
I also think that when people ask a question and someone answers it, they shouldn't argue with the answer, as I see so much. I also think that if you don' t know the answer to the question, you shouldn't write anything. This needs to be a Digital Forum where people can come to visit and/or stay and have fun, make friends and learn, as well as share their knowledge with others.
What is your favorite photo from your gallery and why?
For those of you who have taken the time to look at my gallery, you can see that if there is a central theme to my work, it revolves around water, whether it's the ocean and what goes on around it, or whether it's women, specifically naked women, in and around the water. After receiving a friendly reminder to the rules of Photozo regarding nudity, I had to remove a few 'offending photos' which I understand and gladly comply with the rules.
Landscapes are fun and I like doing those, but nothing gets me clicking like a woman in the water, especially the waters of the Panama Canal with jungle backgrounds, roots and trees and fun shapes of all kinds. My #1 Model, Mary, is a joy to work with and I've been photographing her for 6 years now. Her parents are good friends of ours and I have known her since birth. Making women look and feel beautiful is hard work as well as rewarding. If they don't tell me, "Wow" when they see their prints, I'm not happy.
Judging by the number of hits this photo has received on Photozo this is not only my favorite shot, but everyone's.
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/3551/399004-10-SPOT-FAVPIC-Landis-ButterflyTattoo.jpg