I started my career in commercial photography as a photographic assistant at Promotional Arts Studio in Chicago. After spending a year there, I suffered from what I called “swatch fever”, acquired from spending all day photographing fabric swatch...
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I started my career in commercial photography as a photographic assistant at Promotional Arts Studio in Chicago. After spending a year there, I suffered from what I called “swatch fever”, acquired from spending all day photographing fabric swatches for Sears. Coming to the conclusion that this environment and I were not meant for each other, I left my job and Chicago to travel and explore other alternatives. When I returned, I decided to freelance as a photo assistant. Specializing in advertising and location photography, I opened my own studio in 1976. I have worked for many of the major advertising agencies and corporations, such as Leo Burnett and FCB Chicago. For many years I shot for American Airlines in flight magazine, American Way. I have photographed people from various professions, from bank presidents to chicken farmers, from heart surgeons to pizza chefs, and from authors like Isaac Bashevis Singer and Studs Terkel to working men and women. While pursing my photographic career I have always photographed what interests me the most, the empty urban landscape. I have spent years chronicling early mornings in every part of Chicago. If you are out early on a winter morning and see someone hunched over a camera, dressed for Arctic weather, that is probably me. No matter where my travels take me, you will find me out searching for what the early morning reveals. Though as fate would have it, I still photograph a swatch every now and then.
“I could photograph the street that I live on for the rest of my life and never run out of subject matter.” Edward Stiechen or Alfred Stieglitz I’m not sure who really said this, but to me it doesn’t matter, it’s true....
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“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs
This quote from Steve Jobs, as well as the support of family, friends, and loyal followers from many years are what inspired me to create this new website that is dedicated to photography. There are a lot of websites featuring photography. Many are good; in fact, many have been created and run by friends of mine. That is probably what I like most about photography. You make a lot of friends with whom, more than anything else, you share a passion and love for photography in many ways.
photoPXL was created around a dinner table with friends. This site will be about the community of photography, a place where young and old alike can share their stories, learn about the art and craft of photography, and gain an understanding of what it takes to Enhance Your Vision.
photoPXL will publish articles about photography and look at the many types of cameras we use to take photos, ranging from smartphones to medium format systems. We’ll explore the many options for processing your images and focus on the art of printing. I’ve always felt the process of making a photograph wasn’t complete until I could hold it in my hands. Color profiles, papers and types of printers will be reviewed, plus so much more.
One of the most exciting features of the new site will be building a community using photographer profile pages. This will be a place where you can share your images with other readers and see what others are doing with theirs. There will also be a forum where you can ask questions and share your knowledge, further developing the sense of community.
We will not only feature articles, reviews and opinions, but will also have a YouTube channel with numerous training and technique videos.
On the main site, look for more visits with some very well-known photographers where we’ll share their vision in our series “Shooting with the Masters.” There will be exclusive, behind the scenes segments where we’ll bring you things you haven’t seen before.
Photography for me has always been personal. I can be really serious sometimes, working to catch a certain image, but no matter what I never forget to have fun. I want this site to mean the same thing for you and be a place where you can come and experience many photography-related topics and have fun while doing so.
All in all, you’ll be Enhancing Your Vision.
Please sign up today. We will not only notify you when we launch photoPXL.com but will also keep you posted on the progress we are making on creating this site.
Joining me in this adventure is long-time friend and videographer Chris Sanderson. Chris’s insight, creativity, skill and passion have been invaluable in propelling me forward on this journey. Debra, my wife, will be sharing her unique vision and artistic view as well as handling workshops and so much more. Michael Durr is one of the more creative and fun videographers I have ever met. We are fortunate to have him as part of the team. Plus, we will have many articles from a wide range of well-known and maybe not so well-known photographers. There is so much talent out there.
We are working hard to not only create content but also to build a robust site that can be expanded upon over time. Something dynamic, and evolving.
I truly hope you will join us in creating this new community. We look forward to your collaboration, contributions and guidance along the way.
Kevin Raber
[email protected]
Owner, CEO, Publisher
