I am an advanced amateur image maker, who is very active with several photography clubs in Northwest Indiana & currently President of the Indiana Dunes Imagemakers Camera Club. I really enjoy meeting with others who share my interests and love of photography. I am always willing to share my knowledge of the art of image making to help others to enjoy and improve their photographic endeavors.

I use the camera and image programs like a media artist would use a brush, pen or other tool to create an image. This includes technical skills, composing techniques and how I interpret what my mind’s eye is seeing.

My current workflow is 100% digital. I shoot probably 95% in Raw format – mainly because the 12 & 14 bit data available from the image is significantly greater than other 8 bit formats -- great for the shadow and highlight details. I shoot with a Canon 5D MKII, Canon 5D, Canon 20D and Canon 1S. My printers are two Epson 3800 (one for gloss finish and one for matte finish) and an Epson 2200. I print both color and black & white. I currently use Photoshop CS5, Lightroom 4, Corel Draw and occasionally other image programs. I am an advanced user of CS5, using adjustment layers, layers, masks, filters, transform functions, etc. My preferred media is matte finished papers. For competitions that I enter, I print mostly on glossy papers -- it appears that the judges (photographers) tend to prefer the glossy finish over matte finish. My preferred format is black and white prints.

johnroquet.com