About Me, and What I Do

Although I am a generalist, my specialty is providing original photography for education, business, corporate, and editorial use; primarily on location.

My photographic style has evolved since my newspaper days, but I've retained my reverence for shooting and delivery deadlines. For the past eight years all of my photographs have been shot on high resolution digital cameras.

Digital Photography - Frequently Asked Questions

We have tried to shoot our [ people, products, etc. ] with our company's digital camera but they just do not look very good in print. Why would yours be any better?

My 32 years in professional photography give me the most significant advantage in this regard.  I have been shooting film seriously since the early 1970's, and dabbling in digital photography in one form or another since the early 1990's.

To capture the absolute maximum of amount of image information, I shoot exclusively with my cameras' raw file format, and create optimized TIFF or JPEG files in post production for client delivery.

Within the constraints of the client's time and budget, I light my photographic subjects as appropriately and creatively as possible; just as I would have on a traditional film photo shoot. This may involve an array of flash and support equipment and possibly a photographic backdrop. My goal is to make your subjects the stars of my photographs. Producing quality photographic imagery is a deliberate and precise process.

We have seen some digital photos which look fine when reproduced in print at very small sizes but are not of sufficient quality when reproduced full page. How big can we use the ones you deliver?

My high resolution 12+ megapixel cameras (2848x4288 pixels without external interpolation) digital image files have been reproduced on everything from full page newspaper and double truck magazine pages to transit and wall posters.  Other prior uses include product packaging, catalog sheets, post cards, and billboards.  In short, they can be used in virtually any way that a conventional film photograph can be used.

Below are two examples of these files used in full sheet billboards very successfully:

How do you deliver your photos?

There are a number of options. For extreme rush jobs, in most cases I can download the pictures directly to your Macintosh or Windows computer on the scene. If you have an FTP server I can also send your photos to you that way.

When time is not quite as critical, I generally deliver your images on CD/ROM or DvD-R disks. If you choose this option, I am also happy to create 8.5x11 inch index prints for viewing any time, anywhere without a computer. These continuous tone prints display up 20 photos per sheet.  Each image is indexed to the appropriate file on the CD/ROM. My clients love these since most preliminary editing can be accomplished without the need for a computer.

What do we do if we want prints from your digital images?

Nearly any service bureau, photo lab, or online photofinisher has the capability to provide enlargements and reprints from digital files. I am always happy to make recommendations based upon your needs, timetable, and budget when so requested. I am generally able to provide actual photographic (wet process) prints up to 12x18 inches from digital files within a day or so of receiving your order. Larger sizes take slightly longer but can be expedited if necessary.

Can we use you to cover our special event and provide instant finished enlargements for our guests before they leave?

By design I've stayed away from pursuing this kind of "instant photo" type of assignment because there are just too many things to potentially go wrong, at least without a crew of several trained people. While the idea sounds great in concept, my suggestion would be for you to find a studio that specializes in this "on the scene instant event photography" work and confirm for yourself that they have sufficient backup hardware and personnel resources to avoid a potential disappointment.

Conventional event photography has been one of my specialties for many years, especially as a former long time news photographer. I'm always happy to talk to clients about event coverage where the final product will be delivered after the event ends.

Who owns the digital photos you shoot for my organization?

United States Copyright Law explicitly states that the ownership of intellectual property like original photographs remains with the creator - or in my case, the photographer. One of my personal goals is to see that you, as my client, are able to use the photographs I create for all of your intended uses.  In most cases I am happy to grant you all reproduction rights that you anticipate needing under our initial contract. I am happy to discuss specifics or exceptions on a case by case basis when I accept your assignment.

Those geniuses who run my company just scheduled a last minute press conference for this afternoon. We need to send out photo files immediately following the event. Is it too late to call you to shoot it?

As a former news photographer, I fully understand how things tend to come up out of nowhere. I work out of my home office and studio and check both my business telephone ( 301.698.0287 ) and my email ( kurt@holterphoto.com ) throughout the day when I'm around. I try and fulfill last minute requests for assignments to the extent that my schedule permits.