The equipment to produce Fine Art Photography includes a good camera and lenses. But be careful with this, because what makes a good picture is, not how expensive or brand your equipment is. "The camera is the tool to capture and create an image." The subject, the light, any element that comes with the image and the person behind the camera totally complete a good picture. Remember that "Photography is light" and when one can captures that moment, together with all the other elements, the image becomes magical that may incite the viewer's emotion.
For over twenty years, Norman has used professional large format cameras. But finally let go off his film cameras and moved on to digital at the turn of the new millennium. Since the advent of digital cameras, Norman has gone through so many updates with his Canon EOS Digital, these are the tools that Norman Piluke is currently using. Current Camera Bodies: EOS 1DS Mark III 21.1 Megapixel CMOS digital SLR camera EOS 7D 18.0 Megapixel CMOS Sensor Lenses: EF 17-40mm f/4L USM EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM EF 500mm f/4 IS USM EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM EF 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
Accessories: Speedlite Flash unit Better Beamer Flash Extender Canon remote releases Sigma Lens 150-500mm f/5-6.3 AF
Extender EF 1.4x II
Extender EF 2x II
Tripod Manfrotto 055MF4 magfiberArca Swiss ball
DARKROOM TO LIGHTROOM
THE DARKROOM LAB The quality and technical marvel of Norman's photographs were produced for twenty years in his darkroom lab using 5 enlargers and a 40" Kreonite processor. He became a master of creating photographic art using traditional darkroom printing methods. Every image that he produced, whether it was format size or murals contained great compositions, color and sharpness. In the film days, you will find here medium and large format enlargers and a 40 inches wide format Kreonite Processor. In the early 80s, it was unusual for a photographer or an artist to own a private lab and Norman has one. Nowadays, you will find that almost every photographer has his own private digital printer.
THE CURRENT PRINTING ROOM
The office was taken over by large format Epson Printers, so in 2003, the darkroom was renovated and the computers and Epson printers were moved in this current printing room. The first large format we had was the Epson Stylus 10,000 and there were several upgrades after that. Norman is currently printing with the latest Epson Stylus Pro 9900, 44" wide media and a Epson Stylus Pro, 17" wide SP4900HDR Standard Edition.
