By Cynthia Clanton
If you’re too young to remember flash bulbs, you may not realize how much photography has changed over the last four decades. No one knows those changes better than seasoned imagemaker and long-time AAEA member David Lundquist.
As David steps into retirement after 40-plus years behind the camera at CHS, we quizzed him on shifts he has seen in technology and plumbed him for tips the rest of us can use to improve our images in the digital age.
What did you carry on your first photo assignment? What do you take on assignment now?
In 1979, my film camera had a light meter, but shutter speed and f-stop settings were manual. My bag held several fixed-focal-length lenses – this was before zoom lenses were professional grade. The color film of choice was Kodachrome 64 and we shot a fair amount of black-and-white film, a 125 ASA and “fast” Tri-X 400.
Kodachrome was shipped to a Chicago lab for processing and black-and-white film went to a local processor for contact sheets and then prints from selected images. Either way, turnaround time was often a week or more before we had finished images in hand.
Today, I carry two still-image Nikon camera bodies, one with a 24-70 mm zoom lens (wide angle to short telephoto) and the other with a 70-300 mm telephoto zoom lens. I could record video on those cameras, but I usually use a mid-price Sony video camera with a good-quality wireless mic kit for testimonials and B-roll. I take a tripod everywhere, plus a round translucent scrim to filter overhead light, reflect light onto a subject and shoot an off-camera flash strobe through.
What has been the best photo innovation in the last 40 years?
I loved film photography. The technology made big strides from the late 1970s until I transitioned to digital in the early 2000s. But digital has been a revolution and has improved greatly. Where we used to “shoot blind” with film, now we can check recorded images to make sure we aren’t making gross errors in exposure or color balance. And it’s easier to take enough photos of active people to capture the right expressions. Another big plus with digital is being able to go from bright outdoor light to dark indoor situations simply by cranking the ISO. I often go into the 3200 range from 400 or 500 in bright situations. In film days, you’d need to change to a faster film, which might still have been insufficient. I shoot mainly in Program mode and make manual plus or minus exposure adjustments as I go.
What are your secrets to making people comfortable as you capture their images?
Be friendly and respectful. Beyond that, I try to convey that the picture-taking process is a mutual project – I am trying to tell a story with pictures and they are part of that. I often ask, “If you were looking at this photo in a magazine, what might be silly or incorrect?” It’s good feedback for me and engages them. In two- or three-person consultation situations, humor often helps people loosen up and soon they are having a real conversation. Their nervousness eases and body language improves. By the time I have my images recorded, they are usually still talking to each other.
What has been the best part of your job as a company photographer?
I feel very fortunate to have traveled the extensive CHS trade area in the U.S. and internationally to creatively and authentically portray many environments. I’ve met thousands of fine people and I still get excited about driving on a new highway!
After retirement, you’ll find David at [email protected].