I am from Harrisonburg VA in the USA , I am 23 years old
I get my ideas for my work from people. I know that is strange but I have no other way to explain it. I sit and just watch them how they move how they talk and how they interact with others around them. I also get a lot of things by talking to Amber she is not an artist but is very interesting. The things she sedes and her problems in life feed my work, infact if you where to look over my work I dun sense last summer you will see a lot of her influence in them. She has tote me many things and because of her my work has improved 10X. I also drow a lot from muck (Moby, PPK, ACDC, FSOL, Arrosmith, 5th level, Nickelback, Pink Floyd, Ozzy//Blacksabith and a LOT more) and moves and other art forms. I pick up my modals up at a coffee house called The Artful Dodger where I sit a lot. It is some where that I go when I just need a brake and I can sit and talk to a lot of people I met a lot of people there over the years. I also get things from the things that I have lived throw like going to Hallmark ins. Of photography in 96 graduated in 97 and right after that joing the army. I got out of the army after a year because of my bad leg in 98 (I think the photo school was harder than basic training no drill sergeant was as hard on me as the teachers there). I have 10000000000 of things I could tell you about but I do not wont to write a book. I also get a lot of feedback at the photo web sits I put my work up at www.photo.net and www.usefilm.com and www.photoblink.com
(My folders at photo.net and usefilm are at http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=77308 and http://www.usefilm.com/browse.php?mode=port&data=436 if you would like to see more of my work 189 photos as of now photo.net has all my work on it and I put work up there first I am always putting new stuff on there) I would like to thank all those people that take the time to look and leave comments on my photos they really mean a lot to me.

Ok now for the tencal side of how I shoot. I use a Pintax k1000 50mm lens 400 fugy color, Kodak 400 or 800 Photoshop 7. Some of my work in my folder where shot with a 4x5 210mm Kodak 200 transparency or 200 b&w, Hasslblab 500c 120mm or 80mm lens Kodak 200 tr-x, 200 color 400 or 400 tmax, Nikon 4004s 30to70 Kodak 400 color or 400 fugy. For the most part what you see is stuff that was shot with my k1000. The computer I use varies Mac, dell, and pc because I have to use what ever I can because I cannot afford my own as of yet. Getting laid off restly is not helping matters any. As for Photoshop 7 what I do on that is I start with a sort of an idea that I shot a person for it never works out so I just play with the photos till I get some thing that looks good. So in other words I just hit buttons lol. Shooting, well I shoot mostly in my apt. I use my blanket that I sleep with every night and hang it on differt walls to get the lighting I wont. I do not have a studio so I have to use what is coming throw my windows. I have found that at different times of day different walls give different effects. So I find people to shoot that would work at that time of day. I also shoot people in my bathtub. It has a window in it and I love the lighting in it. Then I also use a lamp tree with a 60-watt bulb in it. Most of those I turn b&w and just use the litting patterns. Other places I shot an abandon Tran stashen near where I live, abandon matary school that looks like a casl, the artful dodger, court house, I just go around and keep a mental record of good places and try to mach people I pick to them. I get modals by asking random people I just walk up to them and ask if I can photograph them. To get my film and developing and photos on cd I barter. It would cost me a lot of money to have this entire dun so I worked out a deal with King Photo that is a local film store. They are by far the best and even if I become famous I will have them process my film they really do my photos the way I like. I do not use a dark room a lot because of time and money. The way I am doing it now costs me nothing so like now when I have no money I still can get my film and developing dun. How it works is that I digtly restore X number of photos for them for un used film, developing and all the photos on cd. This saves me time beuuse I do not have to scan or find a scanner and I do not spend howers in a dark room trying to get what I wont.

I think that a lot of photographers depend on to much stuff me included. I just shoot with my k1000 and a 50mm lens that is all I need. Where I go over board is with photoshoping things to death some times. I think that I need to cool it a bit but my mind keeps going HOOOO pretty do that do this. You know the KISS rule. I have talked to photographers that bring 100 pounds of gear with them to go shoot a sun set. What for??? All you need is a camera and a try pod and of cores film. I had a teacher at Hallmark that sad some thing all the time "in put junk out put junk" (Don Aott sorry the best spelling I can do) it really dues not matter if you have the latest toys if you are not a good photographer and do not know the fundamentals of photography your going to suck. I do belve that some people are born with it, others like my self have to work very hard to master what makes a good photo. What makes a good photo (this is my option) it has to have some type of emotional grab. That covers a lot of stuff I know but I seen a lot of stuff that dues nothing for me like photos of flowers or land scaps unless there unusual in some way there is nothing there for me. But people on the other hand, that is where you get the full range of emotion anger, sadness, fear,. I am not saying that there are not good landscapes out there or that there bad there just not for me. I have seen where people are going cross medium with photos and this impress the hell out of me. I think mixing panting, drawings and poetry is one of the best things that has ever happened to photography sense the invitation of the 35mm. I know that in the past people have dun this but sense Photoshop it can truly work and work well.

And a gen I would like to thank Amber, she dues not understand how much she helps me with stuff she looks at me weird every time I tell her but I learn a lot from here and I hope to learn more.
If there is any one than wants to talk to me they can eme at smoke4@rocketmail.com or AOL im KGB40427 I would be happy to talk to you!!!!!!!!!

OKTOBER 2002 FOTO ART MAGAZINE