Intro/Bio;
Hi, my name is Dave, I am 50(ish ;) I majored in commercial photography/Art, but work as a Network Engineer - Consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area. I use photography and graphic arts as a stress release from the high pressure day to day grind. I prefer to think of myself as just a simple artist more then anything else, I love all art forms!! My personal style is very bright, full or color and life or dark and moody. I have been working with a few local fashion models with portfolio development and they're modeling in exchange for my personal more artist projects. I freelance part time/as often as possible, anything to make the equipment pay for itself. I realize my style is not for everyone, I am gearing my projects more towards the commercial advertising trends in today's market. In the commercial world realism is a concept, fantasy is real. As an artist I see it within my rights and my responsibility to alter any image so that it conforms to my artistic vision. I welcome constructive critiques and comments as I attempt to grow as an artist in the commercial world.
Technically;
I shoot with a Nikon D-200, at ISO 100, both in the studio and outdoors. I shoot in Nikon RAW format only. My cameras profile is highly tweaked (contrast, white balance, hue & saturation, intensity) so that it conforms to my personal style - vision and what you see here in my gallery.
I use a Nikon SB-800 (or two) for fill light when shooting people outdoors. Studio Lighting; Alien Bee 1600's with a 22" Beauty Dish as my main and a 8"x36" baffled softbox for fill. I usually go with a 3 light setup.  All of my works pass through Photoshop CS2, at one point or another. From simple RAW file conversion to a complex creation. Photoshop is the only tool I have found with the ability to produce my true vision.
A Note On Skin Effects: I'm ask all the time how I process skin in Photoshop, with very, very few exceptions, I Don't!! Its the Beauty Dish that adds that deep rich color and glow. The Beauty Dish is designed for photographing makeup and fine portraiture and it has a "sweet spot" that is very difficult to find. It took me over a year to get to the point I am at now. I blundered into learning, its the feathered light that produces the rich skin tones. As with Tiera - Rapunzel, Rapunzel..
I am so moved by the works of other great artists that they have influenced my life and style. Some of these artists are; Michael Rosen, Luis Royo, Salvador Dali, M.C. Escher, and Olivia de Berardinis. There are a number of artists on this site that are so awesome and awe inspiring, you may notice they're influence soon :o) A special thanks to Rnofsky for collaborating with me, I'm honored and flattered he would take the time and share his own vision!!
 
Regards
Dave