Photography by Jim Padykula
If you stopped by some of my other pages, you might think whining is my hobby. Actually, it's photography. As you may have already guessed from the above picture, I am not a fine art photographer. I just love to play.
My two favorite subjects are landscapes, especially Southern Utah, and creative darkroom (now computer) techniques, especially posterization. I've even come up with a few variations that I haven't seen anywhere else, which I explain on my One Step Further page, which I hope will inspire you to take it one step further still.
Highlight of my photographic "career"
While on vacation in Utah, I met professional photographer Bob Krist in Capitol Reef National Park. He was doing a shoot for National Geographic Traveler magazine, and I got my picture in the Nov/Dec.97 issue (pg. 94-95). It also ran in the Spring 1998 edition of Outdoor & Nature Photography, where you can see more of my face. That's me - really! I still have the hat to prove it!
National Geographic Traveler Magazine
Photo by Bob Krist
Other Milestones (Revelations in bold)
1971 - Cub Scout camera. First trip out west on family vacation.
1975 - First SLR and B&W darkroom. Photos in local High School paper.
1977 - First color print! After years of B&W, the first color print is magic.
1983 - Job at Clifton Camera Shop. Joined Clifton Camera Club. Camera: Nikon FM-2.
1984 - First trip out west (by myself). Many more to follow.
1986 - Learned in camera posterization. Joined West Essex Camera Club.
1992 - Joined Morris Photocolor Club.
1996 - Discovered Adobe Photoshop! No more darkroom.
1997 - Editor of Morris Photocolor Club Newsletter. Made my first website.
2002 - Digital Camera 1: Fuji 1.3 megapixel digital camera free with rebate.
2006 - Digital Camera 2: Nikon Coolpix 7600.
2006 - Got a new computer with a DVD burner and Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0.
2006 - Discovered making Digital Slideshows on DVD!
2006 - Got Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 - add video clips to slideshows.
2007 - Sold a darkroom and a lot of Nikon lenses on eBay. It's tough to let go.
2007 - Digital Camera 3: Canon S3-IS camera. Early Super-Zoom. Image stabilization rocks.
2011 - Digital Camera 4: Panasonic DMC-G2. Finally, a "digital FM-2".
2012 - Digital Camera 5: Canon SX40-HS. Super-Zoom Bridge Cameras best bang for buck.
2013 - Digital Camera 6: Panasonic DMC-G5. Meh. Great when you want control.
2014 - Digital Camera 7: Canon SX50-HS. 24-1200mm equivalent. Love it.
Gallery
Some of my photographs, both digital and non digital (...actually, they're all digital now!)
Video Slideshows
As soon as I figured out that I could make DVDs, I mothballed my slide projector.
Cover Shots
One of the benefits of working for a company that uses vacation pictures.
Exhibit
I had a digital photography exhibit (15 prints, before and after manipulation) at the Rockaway Township Public Library in 2000. See if you can spot the one created in the darkroom!
360ยบ Panoramas
Taken out west in June 1998. Stitched together in PhotoVista.
Posterization: In Camera, In Computer
One of my favorite techniques, darkroom to digital. Posterization: Replacing the tones of an image with colors. An article I submitted to the Photographic Society of America (PSA). Never published (...maybe something to do with me not being a member).
One Step Further
Why stop after posterization? An article about taking images One Step Further, both in the darkroom and on the computer. Some interesting variations, including mask & montage posterization, tone-line posterization, 4D (...3D manipulation), and good old oopses.