Author, Painter IX for Photographers	September 2006
	…Photoshop and Painter enable you to do whatever you like. If you can think of it, you can do it. You can teach lots of people how to press buttons and how to do things in Photoshop but it is difficult to get them to break out of the standard way of seeing.

Martin, how did you get started in photography? I’ve read that you’ve been working in photography for 35 years.

Not really working in photography. I don’t do photography as a profession; I do it as an interest…a hobby. I’m a retail manager at WHSmith. I first got involved with photography in my twenties when some people I worked with were joining the local Worcestershire Camera Club. I joined and have been a member ever since. I served on the council in various capacities for 24 years and was awarded life membership for services rendered. That’s how I came into photography. It’s been a passion of mine all my life really. In the early years it was mainly based around that club, which is a very enthusiastic group of amateurs.

I’ve read that that club has been around for quite a long time.

Yes, well over 100 years.

And you founded another photography group called Infinity Plus?

Yes. It’s something I started because I felt that at the club level we see lectures and have competitions but we don’t actually discuss in detail anything about the pictures we take. We have a small membership of about ten members and meet monthly. We talk about what we are trying to communicate with the pictures, sometimes how we did them, and through the feedback we get ideas. It works very well. It’s been going now for about 15 years.

You are also a member of Smethwick Photography Society?

Yes, that is one of the largest and most active clubs in the country. I have run a course on Photoshop there for about 5 years.

I read that you are a fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. What is the Royal Photographic Society?

It was founded in the 1800’s to promote the art and science of photography. It’s similar to the Photographic Society of America.

What does it mean to receive your Fellowship?

There are three levels of distinctions awarded. The first level is Licentiateship, for which 10 slides or prints must be submitted. The next is Associateship with 15 and finally Fellowship where 20 slides or prints are required. These are assessed by a panel and accepted or rejected. I was awarded my Associateship in 1990 with a submission of slides and my Fellowship in 1995 with a set of color prints printed on traditional Cibachrome paper. It’s very hard to get a Fellowship, there are only a few awarded each year in each category.

What was your category?

Mine was in the Visual Arts category which covers the artistic side. I submitted a set of kaleidoscopic pictures for the Fellowship, and they accepted them. It was quite an honor.

Your wife has an Associateship with the Royal Photographic Society, correct?

Yes, she produced a set of prints based on the history of her family and in particular a house which had been in her family for five generations.

Do you lecture and do demonstrations for clubs only?

Mainly, I have also led a residential workshop on creative photography and I demonstrate digital imaging techniques at public events. A lot of the clubs will have special days that are open to all. I’ve been lecturing for probably 30 years or so, I mainly lecture with a colleague of mine, Clive Haynes. Together we lecture at the clubs and weekend events throughout the country.

I understand you lecture in creative photography, Photoshop and Painter.

Yes, it’s varied over the years. We started by doing audio-visual sequences using multiple projectors. Then our lectures changed to slides and prints, at that time we were printing traditionally using monochrome and color positive paper. About ten years ago we moved into the digital imaging field which was building up at that point.

How long have you been working with Photoshop and Painter?

About 10 years on both. I learned Photoshop first, and then went on to Painter.

Is Painter more for the artistic-minded?

Yes. The way I like to compare the two is this: Photoshop is aimed at photographers, but if you’re an artist you can paint with it as it’s got a lot of painting tools. Painter is designed for painters who want to paint from scratch on a blank canvas, but you can import photographs into it and use the program for re-interpreting photographs.

And that is what Painter IX for Photographers is about?

Yes, exactly. The interesting thing is that they work in completely different ways because they were originally designed with a different viewpoint, I often end up with different pictures, depending on which program I started in. The chief difference is that in Painter you use the brushes for pretty well everything. The brushes are the key to understanding the program.

So you can paint in watercolor, oils, pens, or whatever you want?

Everything, yes. The program is designed to replicate painting as closely as possible.

Are you also a painter?

It is an interest. I’ve done photography all my life, and I’ve often thought I’d like to paint. So about three or four years ago I decided to try some painting. My wife and I took up painting together. We took some time out from our photography, because something has to give, and we painted. We tried different mediums and I ended up doing mainly soft pastels, so that’s my rather limited experience with painting.

Did that help you?

Yes, it did help. It helped me to appreciate how a traditional painter might approach a program such as Painter.

Do many professional photographers use Painter?

Yes, they are using it more and more. Although my book was originally written for enthusiasts like myself, I had a huge response from professional photographers who would like to use it.

Will you gear the next edition for both the enthusiast and the professional photographer?

Yes, both. There are several new chapters going in specifically aimed at professional photographers, primarily in portraiture. I’m working on formulating ways in which they can take a standard portrait photographed in a studio and give it a painterly or artistic finish relatively quickly using Painter. By enhancing it using paints they can create a more premium product. Much of what is in the current book will stay, but it will be revised and there will be some new pictures together with the new chapters.

You said that Painter is an ideal compliment to Adobe Photoshop. By that do you mean that you can take an image and edit and manipulate it in Photoshop and then take that image and edit and manipulate it further in Painter?

Yes, that’s exactly it. However, you can use Painter as a stand-alone program. You don’t need Photoshop to use Painter. You can take a picture into Photoshop, work on it, and then open it up in Painter, do a painterly finish on it, and if necessary take it back into Photoshop, the programs are so compatible. Each of the two programs, Photoshop and Painter, have their own strengths. If you were looking at changing tones, colors, general work, Photoshop is brilliant. You can’t beat it. If you wanted to use the painterly style, Painter is by far the best; you can’t get the same technique in Photoshop. Although they are owned by different companies, they work together very well. It makes it a brilliant companion.

Painter is geared more towards the fine arts photographer, whereas Photoshop appeals more to the commercial photographer?

Yes. Photoshop is an all-around program which I don’t think any serious photographer can do without.

I noticed “cloning” is a big topic in your book. What is “cloning”?

Cloning in Painter has a rather different meaning than cloning in Photoshop. In Photoshop it normally refers to repairing and retouching photographs. Cloning in Painter starts with a photograph and reinterprets it using the vast range of brushes and paper textures into a painterly version. The final result depends upon what brush and surface you have chosen to use. For instance, if you are using a thick oil brush, your cloned picture will look as though it has been painted with thick brush strokes. Select a chalk brush together with a rough paper surface and the result will be similar to using a piece of real chalk on rough paper and will therefore have a very rough and textured finish. So it actually re-interprets the picture as you paint.

I know your wife is also a photographer. Did you actually meet her through photography somehow?

Yes, I was giving a lecture at the Worcestershire Camera Club and she was in the audience. She asked lots of questions and I like to joke that she married me to have easy access to the answers!

How nice that you have a shared passion.

Yes, we both love photography, and we have a lot of interests in common, so it’s great.

Do you exhibit often?

We actually have a joint exhibition next week and we are getting things ready at the moment. We have exhibited in many exhibitions over the past few years.

Do you sell the photographs?

Yes.

How did you come to write Painter IX for Photographers? Was this your idea?

When I visit photography societies I take a laptop with a digital projector so that I can show photographers how they can use Painter. It’s new to a lot of people, because it’s not as well known as Photoshop. Quite often people come up to me and say they have the program but they haven’t been able to use it because it’s really quite complex. They ask if I can recommend a good book for photographers and I always had to answer that there wasn’t one. So the next question I always got was, “well why don’t you write one?” So I originally planned to write a small pamphlet, maybe fifty pages to help people get started. I started working on that, but it just got bigger and bigger. I also wanted to include a lot of really good pictures.

Was your intention to use the book at your lectures?

Right. That was the original idea. Then I thought perhaps I could put it on a CD Rom, so people could take it home and print it out. The more I worked on it the more I thought it would make a great book. So I finished writing it and laid it out in the Adobe In Design publishing program and sent it to Focal Press. They were very enthusiastic about it and it went on from there.

You didn’t have any previous relationship with Focal Press?

No, I’ve never written a book before. I just sent it to them cold.

Is Painter IX for Photographers the only book written about Painter specifically for photographers?

Yes, nothing else is available solely for photographers.

The book is written for Painter IX, but is it relevant for previous versions?

Yes, certainly. The key things have been the same for many years in Painter. You can use it for any version.

It also contains a CD. I’ve heard it contains the actual images that you use in the book, so readers can go step-by-step with you through the various techniques.

Yes. I think the CD is really important and effective in learning the techniques.

What I liked about the book was that it was easy to read, it had color-coded chapters, very clear examples, and lots of ideas. What would you like people to know about this book?

The book is special because it’s aimed specifically at photographers. It’s very attractive to look at, and hopefully readers will be inspired by the pictures. It may lead readers to try this program; a trial version download is available on the disk. I put my email address on the back of the book, and I’ve had a lot of feedback from readers all over the world. I’ve heard how many people have enjoyed the book, and they have said that they have yet to find another book of this sort which actually has some really good quality pictures in it. Many of the graphics books are written by brilliant technicians, but not necessarily artists. Many people have said to me that they have been inspired by the pictures.

How will you make the next edition better?

The feedback was that readers wanted to see more on portraiture, so that will be the biggest difference in the next edition. I’ve noted the feedback I’ve received, and have a list of ideas for other improvements.

Have you started the next edition yet?

Yes, I just started writing it.

How long did it take you to complete the first one?

My original writing took about six months, then I sent it to Focal Press, and then a new version of Painter was coming out and Focal Press wanted the book to be for the latest version, so it was another six months or more of writing.

Do you work with Corel at all?

I’m a beta tester for Painter and it was Corel who first suggested that I should submit my book to Focal Press, they were very supportive.

How do you like being an author?

I like it very much. It’s was a real thrill when the advance copies first arrived. It’s nice to have something that you can leave behind.

What has been the highlight for you in photography?

I suppose there have been various highlights. One was receiving my Fellowship at the Royal Photographic Society because it’s a tough one to get and I got it on the first try. That was a real thrill. The most recent highlight has been the publishing of this book. It’s been a real boost and I’m so excited about it. I’m looking forward to the next one now, I’m thinking of how much I can put in it. Then, of course, getting married to Doreen was wonderful. She is such a support to me; she makes comments and suggestions for my work and helps a lot with editing and checking the initial drafts of the book. Being a photographer herself she is the ideal person to bounce ideas off.

How long have you been married?

Almost 20 years.

I noticed that you dedicated the book to her.

Yes.

What photographers have inspired you?

I get my inspiration from many sources, often more from the art world rather than from other photographers. I enjoy reading art magazines, specifically International Artist , which has given me a lot of inspiration. It’s purely for artists; it isn’t for photographers at all. My pictures have always been artistic rather than documentary. I do a lot of abstract work, and I love to make the viewer wonder what it is or how I did it. I like to make it intriguing and hope they take a second look . There is one photographer in particular who has inspired me. He’s a Canadian called Freeman Patterson, he has written several books, including one called Photography and the Art of Seeing . He’s a brilliant photographer and communicator and shows you how to look and see things differently.

Do you feel like you can express yourself more with digital photography than you could through film?

Yes. The ability to use Photoshop and Painter provides a huge range of ways in which you can do anything you like. I did a lot of creative work in film before digital imaging came along, things like multiple exposures and moving the camera, and techniques like that to break away from the standard picture. But Photoshop and Painter enable you to do whatever you like. If you can think of it, you can do it. You can teach lots of people how to press buttons and how to do things in Photoshop but it is difficult to get them to break out of the standard way of seeing. I did a week-long creative photography workshop and by using several projects I tried to get them to look at things differently. One of the projects was to photograph very simple objects. I wanted a roll of film on something very simple like a feather, or a paperweight. The people on the workshop had to produce 36 good pictures on this very simple subject, and it’s quite difficult to do. I got this idea from Freeman Patterson, the Canadian I mentioned earlier. He opens your eyes to something different. One set of prints which I made illustrate this point. I did a series of photographs on an old rusty cooker which had been abandoned in a disused quarry. If you look at it closely enough, you can find details that are actually quite beautiful. Most people just walk past and say “what an eye sore.” If you really stop and look around you, and look closely at things, you can find the most incredible detail and patterns. Things like bark, wood or stone, or a piece of rubbish. That’s what I enjoy photographing, things that most people would walk past.

What’s next for you?

At the moment, my focus is on the new book. My next few months will be taken up with that, and of course my regular full-time job.

I’m surprised that you’ve never been a professional photographer.

Yes. People ask me that quite often. I suspect if I did photography all day for a living maybe I wouldn’t enjoy it so much. I enjoy my work. I also love music. I’m a great opera-goer. I love opera, and nowadays I get lots of filmed opera on DVD which is fabulous. I often play music from the operas while I am working in Painter or Photoshop.

Have you thought of writing other books outside of the subject of Painter?

have thought about writing other books on photography. Perhaps when I stop work I’ll have time. I have a list of things to do when I retire. One lifetime isn’t long enough for everything!

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