Most of our photoshoots are on location using digital equipment, and the post-processing is done using the latest software technology in our digital darkroom. Each image is retouched to ensure the best color rendition before it's sent to our client. The advantage of the digital capture is that we don't spend time scanning film like we used to do. Our turnaround time is faster so we can meet tighter deadlines. In many situations we have to do some manipulation to get what the client had envisioned, and that's when Photoshop comes into play. I have worked with Photoshop since its introduction in the early 90's, and can't find any other software that can do want I need to do.

Gearbox

Nikon Digital/Film
D1X · D100 · D70 · N90s
10-20mm f3.5
19-35mm f3.5
28-70mm f2.8
75-300 f5.6
300mm f2.8
400mm f2.8

Medium Format
Mamiya RB67 Pro
65mm f3.8
90mm f2.8
127mm f3.8

Large Format
Toyo View 45F
PhaseOne Photophase

Lighting Equipment
White Lighting UltraZap 1600
Minolta V
Photoflex Softboxes
Chimera Umbrellas

Digital Darkroom
Macintoch G3 w 21" Radius
Athlon64 PC w 2GB RAM
Photoshop CS2
Indesign 2.0
Illustrator CS
Premiere 1.5
Encore 2.0

Printing
Epson 2200

Scanning
Minolta Dimage Multi
Minolta Dimage IV

Film Recorder
Afga FotoColor



 



In this particular situation, the client, Florida Leisure Communities, needed to publish an ad in the local paper, but the project wasn't finished. The photo was captured as three separate images then stitched manually in photoshop. Then I continued to replace the missing garage door, put in some trees and grass, paint the unfinished walls, and pave the roads using Photoshop.
The final image was delivered to the newspaper the following morning for publication. The time between the capture of the original shots and the final image sent to the paper was less than 20 hours.
Now our clients can see the images as they're being captured and approve them on the spot, saving us a lot of time printing proofs. Besides, we offer online previews of all images for them to review if they don't want to make decisions on the set.
Before
After
One of the most used techniques in the digital darkroom is painting with light. Instead of using a Hosemaster continous light system, I take several images at different f-stops and then combine them using layer masks or lighting effects in PS. To enhance the effect of the roses I painted them with light creating an attractive glowing effect, perfect for the ad that the client had envisioned.
While most of our work is done digitally nowadays, we still have film equipment available for those clients looking for the unique film look or require large files that can only be achieved by scanning a medium format transparency.