david carrales | photography
I do what I feel, that's all, I am an ordinary photographer working for his own pleasure. That's all I've ever done. Andre KerteszAbout me
Acknowledgments
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Gallery One | Favorites
Gallery Two | People
Gallery Three | Places
Gallery Four | Things
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About Me
 |
I
think I am like most people or at least the ones I know and have asked
if it was ok for me to take their picture. In general, they don't like
their photographs taken and neither do I. This is my school
picture from the first grade, circa 1973. It is one of the
few photos of me that I truly like. It's probably the dapper bow tie.
You'll see some recent self-portraits a bit further down the page. I'm not particularly crazy about them, but thought it might be nice for you to see what I look like thirty-six years later. I noticed after I placed them on the web page it appears I'm hiding a receding hairline. For the record, I'm not. I was just trying to be artistic in the framing of the shots. I also noticed I'm not smiling. That is intentional. I was going for a self-absorbed, serious artist look. I figured if I'm actually going with a eponymous web address, it's the least I could do to act the part. |
The
details of my personal life should be
of little interest to anyone. But since you have read the
first two paragraphs, here's the timeline to present:
Born in Dallas, Texas. August 17, 1967. Raised in Irving,
Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. Attended Holy Family of
Nazareth Catholic school, K-8. Graduated from Bishop Dunne
High School (yes, another Catholic institution) in 1985.
Graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989 with
a liberal arts degree. Thus ended a long, average, academic
career. After graduating, I moved to Dallas, then lived in
Chicago for a few years. It was in the windy city I met my
wife, Nancy. We were married at the Basilica on the Notre
Dame campus in 1994. After tying the knot, we moved to
Austin. We found employment with the state, fully expecting
to last maybe a year until we found "real jobs."
We're still there. Our lucrative state
jobs allow us the time and resources for travel. It is
during our travels that I make the most of my photographic
opportunities. Now with the E! True Hollywood Story bio out
of the way, I would like to share some information about my background
in photography.
I received my first camera, a Canon T70 single lens reflex (SLR) 35 mm, for Christmas as a teenager. I might as well have received an electron microscope. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I learned how to load the film, but beyond that, the manual was a mystery. I couldn't grasp concepts like "depth of field" or "focal length." I always kept it in Program mode, allowing the camera to make the decision on aperture and shutter speed, often with good results. As far as I was concerned it was a fancy point and shoot camera.
I didn't get serious about taking pictures until my senior year in college in 1989. At that time, I would roam the UT campus taking pictures of all my friends for posterity. At night, I started experimenting with long exposures and attempting portraits of friends.
A few years passed and I was in Chicago visiting my sister. I wandered into the basement of the Art Institute and saw a Lee Miller exhibit. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by brilliant photography. It was a life changing experience. I suddenly grasped the potential power of photography. I shot 20 rolls of film on that trip. When I organized the photos upon my return home, I thought maybe I had uncovered a hidden talent.
triptych of a self-absorbed artist, March 2009
At what point does one lose their amateur status as a photographer? After 20 years, you would think I'd consider myself at least "advanced," but the more I delve into the art form the more I realize I have to learn. I am essentially self taught, mostly through trial and error. The only formal trainings I received were a darkroom class at Truman College in Chicago and a darkroom class at Custom Black and White in Austin.
I do think I have a sense of what looks interesting which reflects some natural talent for composition. After viewing the Lee Miller exhibit, I started to study the work of masters of the craft: Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Andre Kertesz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, Fritz Henle to name just a few. Not only will a person find the work inspiring, but I believe it will start influencing your work.
I made the switch from my Canon T70 to a digital Canon Rebel XTi in 2007. I was reluctant, but resigned to the fact that I had to get with the times. I could never imagined the impact this piece of magnificent technology would have. It has made a world of difference, most notably, the ability to review a photograph's stats for later study.
Most of the photos in the galleries were shot with the Canon Rebel XTi with a Tamron 28-300 mm telephoto zoom lens, affixed with a UV and a polarizing filter. In June 2009, I "upgraded" to a Canon 50D with a 28-135 mm telephoto zoom. I also acquired a 50 mm prime lens (1.4 aperature) that allows me to shoot in low light conditions (see the "Benny Green Trio" or "Amber Digby" galleries for examples of the power of this remarkable lens). Sometimes equipment does matter!
When I shoot black and white, it is using the monochrome setting, occasionally making use of the filters and toning options. If I want the same image in color, I shift to a color setting. I do not manipulate the image after its taken. I believe anyone should be capable of replicating the shots I produce with equivalent equipment. I also upgraded from the built-in flash, to a more powerful flash. I prefer to use the flash only when I don't have a choice, suchs as trying to capture the fast action of a roller derby match. I like to keep things as simple as possible, such as relying on a tripod or whatever is stable and readily available for a long exposure shot. To me, that's all part of the creativity. Sure, I concede if I had the proper training, fancier equipment, etc. I could possibly be better, but where's the fun in that?
I guess I like my amateur status. I hope you like the photos in these collections.
Enjoy!
I received my first camera, a Canon T70 single lens reflex (SLR) 35 mm, for Christmas as a teenager. I might as well have received an electron microscope. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I learned how to load the film, but beyond that, the manual was a mystery. I couldn't grasp concepts like "depth of field" or "focal length." I always kept it in Program mode, allowing the camera to make the decision on aperture and shutter speed, often with good results. As far as I was concerned it was a fancy point and shoot camera.
I didn't get serious about taking pictures until my senior year in college in 1989. At that time, I would roam the UT campus taking pictures of all my friends for posterity. At night, I started experimenting with long exposures and attempting portraits of friends.
A few years passed and I was in Chicago visiting my sister. I wandered into the basement of the Art Institute and saw a Lee Miller exhibit. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by brilliant photography. It was a life changing experience. I suddenly grasped the potential power of photography. I shot 20 rolls of film on that trip. When I organized the photos upon my return home, I thought maybe I had uncovered a hidden talent.
triptych of a self-absorbed artist, March 2009
At what point does one lose their amateur status as a photographer? After 20 years, you would think I'd consider myself at least "advanced," but the more I delve into the art form the more I realize I have to learn. I am essentially self taught, mostly through trial and error. The only formal trainings I received were a darkroom class at Truman College in Chicago and a darkroom class at Custom Black and White in Austin.
I do think I have a sense of what looks interesting which reflects some natural talent for composition. After viewing the Lee Miller exhibit, I started to study the work of masters of the craft: Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Andre Kertesz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, Fritz Henle to name just a few. Not only will a person find the work inspiring, but I believe it will start influencing your work.
I made the switch from my Canon T70 to a digital Canon Rebel XTi in 2007. I was reluctant, but resigned to the fact that I had to get with the times. I could never imagined the impact this piece of magnificent technology would have. It has made a world of difference, most notably, the ability to review a photograph's stats for later study.
Most of the photos in the galleries were shot with the Canon Rebel XTi with a Tamron 28-300 mm telephoto zoom lens, affixed with a UV and a polarizing filter. In June 2009, I "upgraded" to a Canon 50D with a 28-135 mm telephoto zoom. I also acquired a 50 mm prime lens (1.4 aperature) that allows me to shoot in low light conditions (see the "Benny Green Trio" or "Amber Digby" galleries for examples of the power of this remarkable lens). Sometimes equipment does matter!
When I shoot black and white, it is using the monochrome setting, occasionally making use of the filters and toning options. If I want the same image in color, I shift to a color setting. I do not manipulate the image after its taken. I believe anyone should be capable of replicating the shots I produce with equivalent equipment. I also upgraded from the built-in flash, to a more powerful flash. I prefer to use the flash only when I don't have a choice, suchs as trying to capture the fast action of a roller derby match. I like to keep things as simple as possible, such as relying on a tripod or whatever is stable and readily available for a long exposure shot. To me, that's all part of the creativity. Sure, I concede if I had the proper training, fancier equipment, etc. I could possibly be better, but where's the fun in that?
I guess I like my amateur status. I hope you like the photos in these collections.
Enjoy!
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