Experience Does Matter:
Digital Imaging - 17 Years
Commercial Photography - 25 Years




I began my photographic career as a motorsports photojournalist, and immediately began to experiment with new and different techniques to add more excitement to the already interesting action photography. I perfected many strobe effects for location, which led to my building large lightboxes to photograph motorcycles and large motor vehicles, both stationary and in action, on location, in large format.

In the early '90's, I was exposed to the first hi-end digital imaging, and immediately saw the potential for improving photos ( retouch ), and even more, creating scenes that could not be done in camera as a single photo. This changed my life forever. I immediately spent the next 6 months training myself to do digital imaging. I learned to "see" digitally - to instantly visualize how the elements should be shot, and how they will fit together.

At this time I have done more than 750 hi-res automotive digital composites, and retouched several thousand other photos, including people and product.

In 1997, I supervised and was one of four distinguished judges for one of the first ever digital photo contests, sponsered by Nissan, which ultimately led to purchasing my first digital camera. I have photographed almost exclusively digitally (unless requested otherwise) ever since.

I have always enjoyed the challenge of a new digital assignment, because there is really no specific approach to a digital composite or retouching. Once you have all the elements, it is like playing an instrument freestyle, knowing from extensive experience that the result will be exactly ( or even better than) what the client wants.
 

• Photoshop Training •

Adobe Certified Expert Photoshop
Adobe Cetrifie Instructor Photoshop
CompTIA CTT+ Certified

NEW SCHEDULE OF WORKSHOPS FOR 2012 COMING SOON!

In addition to my Fundamental and Intermediate Photoshop and Photoshop Elements workshops, I will be starting a new workshop series called "Urban Safari's", which will incorporate a location photoshoot emphasizing how to "see" digitally, and then an
afternoon of digital classroom working on the images you created during the morning photoshoot.

There will be three different  "Urban Safari's":

1) Urban Landscapes - the blend of natural and man made environments
2) Urban Portraits - guerilla portraiture on location with an urban flavor
3) Urban Architecture & Texture - the art of the man made environment

I will have my schedule of workshops ready early in February.

Stay tuned!

Remember - create images, do not just take pictures!

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Commercial Photography & Digital Imaging Services

1) Commercial Photography:

25 years of experience with location and studio work. Extensive experience with shooting for digital imaging and digital reproduction. I am fully equipped to not only shoot digitally, but process and do preliminary digital work on the spot. Teamed with my colleague Elde Stewart, who has 25 years of photographic experience as well, we can shoot and do imaging simultaneously - improving creativity, quality, and productivity.

2) Digital Imaging:

17 years of experience creating high-end digital imaging for print and for internet. More than 750 high-end automotive composites for advertising and several thousand photos and composites retouched and prepared for the internet.

Efficiency and attention to detail are the prime prerequisites here. Working with automotive advertising agencies that require the utmost in quality with extremely tight deadlines has honed my digital skills to a fine edge.

3) Retouching:

17 years of retouching work, both in automotive and glamour. Extensive
experience in color matching for both print and for the internet. Each requires different approaches and techniques for maximum clarity, reproduction, and appearance.

Retouching automotive sheet metal is one of the most difficult techniques to master, because the lighting and form variations in the body shapes are not evenly lit, and there are often reflections of background items to contend with. The gradations are 3-dimensional, and any imperfection shows up instantly. I have retouched well over 1000 automobiles and trucks.

Skin is somewhat different than sheet metal. Skin has both smoothness and texture that must be carefully managed. I have retouched several thousand photos of people - retouching skin, hair, eyes, reconstructing different body parts, shaving and shaping. The important thing here is to maintain the integrity of the original photo.

Print work ( reflective art ) requires matching color for a particular lithographer or digital printer. Each requires different setups for a particular press. 25 years of experience with matching for print.

Web work must be matched to either tube monitors or flat screen monitors, as well as matching to different browsers and operating systems. I have 8 years of web image preparation experience.

4) Print & Collateral:

In addition to photography and digital imaging, I have designed and produced many different print items, from promotional pieces to brochures, ads, & POP packaging.

Understanding what the photos you are shooting will be used for and working with the original layouts for many years has honed my own vision and design philosophy.

In advertising the 4 second rule is always applicable. You must catch the viewers interest and attention in 4 seconds, or you lose them. That leads directly to simple, clean, eye-catching designs that make you want to look. This holds true with packaging and brochure design as well.

It is really very easy - K.I.S.S. ( Keep It Slick and Simple )!

5) Internet:

I have spent 10 years producing photographic materials that will not only be used for advertising and promotion, but also will appear on the internet as well.

Photos and graphics for the internet need to be detailed and of a high enough resolution for quality viewing, yet they need to be as small a file size as possible for quick page loading. I have optimized many thousands of images for the web.

In preparing a website to operate with the 4 second rule, the site needs to be optimized for quick loading of pages. It also must have easy to understand and use navigation, and high quality, quick loading photos and graphics. Again, clean and simple are my design rules.

It is also very important to do Search Engine Optimization for your site, in order to get high rankings on the search engines. The search engines are your principal source of traffic on the web. I have applied these methods with excellent success.

Once again - K.I.S.S.

Contact:

Michael Brown
M.B. Digital Productions
 Los Angeles, California
P: 1-213-304-5246
email: mbrown@mbdigitalprod.com