Comments from James Nachtway...
Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:42 pmNachtway is one of the worlds finest living photographers. A dedicated Canon user he has recently switched to digital photography.
The comments about the switch:
No one knows everything, and everyone knows something a bit different. We are all teaching each other as we go along. For me, it was not easy, but I’m now a fully re-booted electronic photographer — if necessary.
How has digital photography changed your process?
I still much prefer to have my originals on film. It’s a matter of quality, but also a better way for me to edit and eventually store my images. However, even though I like to shoot film whenever possible, my pictures now always become digitized through scanning. I use the computer to scan, tone and transmit every bit as much as I would if I was shooting my originals on a flashcard.
The working procedures of our agency, VII, are based on decentralized production. Each photographer independently produces their own scans, tones them and transmits them to the agency. Having our filing cabinets in cyberspace saves us a lot on rent and staff and keeps our operation lean and affordable. Computers come into play every bit as much, even though most of our pictures originate on film. In the field I carry a PowerBook G4, and in my studio I use a dual processor Power Mac G4 and an Epson 2200 printer.
Is a good photojournalist now a good digital photojournalist?
I can only speak for myself, but documentary photography and photojournalism are based on perception, not on technology. It doesn’t matter to me if my pictures are shot on film or digital. Photographs are a product of heart and mind and the ability to connect. But technology is absolutely essential as a delivery system, and in journalism the delivery is vital. From a strictly job-oriented, professional standpoint, it’s critical to be able to deliver on digital technology. The qualities that make a good journalist, however, have not been programmed.
The comments about the switch:
No one knows everything, and everyone knows something a bit different. We are all teaching each other as we go along. For me, it was not easy, but I’m now a fully re-booted electronic photographer — if necessary.
How has digital photography changed your process?
I still much prefer to have my originals on film. It’s a matter of quality, but also a better way for me to edit and eventually store my images. However, even though I like to shoot film whenever possible, my pictures now always become digitized through scanning. I use the computer to scan, tone and transmit every bit as much as I would if I was shooting my originals on a flashcard.
The working procedures of our agency, VII, are based on decentralized production. Each photographer independently produces their own scans, tones them and transmits them to the agency. Having our filing cabinets in cyberspace saves us a lot on rent and staff and keeps our operation lean and affordable. Computers come into play every bit as much, even though most of our pictures originate on film. In the field I carry a PowerBook G4, and in my studio I use a dual processor Power Mac G4 and an Epson 2200 printer.
Is a good photojournalist now a good digital photojournalist?
I can only speak for myself, but documentary photography and photojournalism are based on perception, not on technology. It doesn’t matter to me if my pictures are shot on film or digital. Photographs are a product of heart and mind and the ability to connect. But technology is absolutely essential as a delivery system, and in journalism the delivery is vital. From a strictly job-oriented, professional standpoint, it’s critical to be able to deliver on digital technology. The qualities that make a good journalist, however, have not been programmed.
