Materials and Methods
I’m always keen to know about the art practices of my favourite artists and so I thought I’d share about my materials and methods, such as my camera and lens choices, post-production and printing practices.
My favourite three cameras are:
Canon EOS 4000D SLR.
Pentax LX analogue 35 mm.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR.
Starting with my digital camera, the Canon EOS 4000D which I’ve owned for over a year now and taken the bulk of my images with. When using it, I carry a 50 mm prime lens and a 17 – 55 mm zoom lens, both from Canon. I also have an ultra-wide 10 – 18 mm lens, that I originally bought to take architectural shots, but I use it less frequently given my work has changed direction. For street photography, I prefer to use the 50 mm lens because the images produced are as close as possible to the seeing eye. It's also lightweight and discreet which are key when taking images of people in quickly changing situations.
I borrowed a Pentax from a friend to experiment with B&W film photography and I enjoyed the experience so much that I was gifted one for my birthday. Its key features are its light weight, takes great images and is engaging to use. It’s my favourite camera. For simplicity I use it with a 50 mm prime lens. I often research other lenses but never seem to end up buying them. The camera takes 35 mm film and is currently loaded with Lomography Color negative 35mm ISO 400 film which takes extraordinary colour images.
Untitled, 2024
For developing my MA projects, I’m using digital format as I’m not limited by the number of photos I can take. Digital photography allows me to easily assess the images in post-production. As my work develops, I plan to use the Pentax as I love the quality and detail only found in film.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR (another digital camera) is on loan from university as an experiment with a full frame sensor and 24 mm lens. I’m interested in comparing the images quality with those from the other Canon. My first impressions are how bulky it is and what that’ll mean for capturing chance encounters on the street.
Image selection
I’ve learnt to trust my intuition on what is a good image, often asking myself “Does this image jump off the page?”. When it does its ripe for post-porduction experiments and printing. My studio wall is covered with works in process for me to contemplate the broader meanings of this body of work. As the collection grows, the underlying themes become apparent.
Printing
Using a basic home printer, the Epson ET-2820 Ecotank, I print 4’ x 6’ photos on economy photo papers and post them in my studio. I like to annotate them with my intended edits such as cropping and tonal adjustments.
Then in Adobe Lightroom and/or Photoshop I make these edit and reprint, this time on a dedicated photographic printer. These photos then get added to the studio wall and I repeat the cycle again until the aesthetic resonates my intention. Once satisfied, I commit to a final print using an Epson Expression Photo HD printer.