Me
My name is Nathan Loveland. I have been taking pictures since the early 1970s and working with digital imagery since the mid 1990s. Mainly I create photoimagery of animals (particularly birds and dragonflies), landscapes, tourist destinations, architecture, industrial sites, machines, sculpture, cityscapes, craft works, fairs and festivals, Lego creations, and pretty much whatever else catches my eye.
I also do digital photo finishing, photo-art transformation, retouching, and digital restoration, the last of which is in-computer repair of scanned and digitized paper photos, slides, or negatives. Unlike retouching, which changes the original image, the goal of restoration is to make the image look as much as possible like the original photo.
My Images
Photoimagery is what I call graphic images for which the primary source is a digital or film photograph. Sometimes the finished image looks like the original, sometimes not, but in every case, the source was a camera-generated photo. Except where noted, every image on this website started as a photograph taken by me, and has been intentionally modified in some way—in some cases extensively. My aim is to create interesting images that are pleasing, compelling, and worthy of more than a passing glance. To that end, I remove distractions, modify structure, enhance color and clarity, or apply artificial effects. A few images require little manipulation, and it's always nice to have one be that good out-of-the-box, but all are edited in some way.
I understand some people prefer 'honest' or 'natural' images, but every photograph is a lie to some extent, and what I care about most is making an image that pleases me. Even so, I never make changes to the essential nature of the subject and claim it to be otherwise. If I change the look, color, shape, or character, it will be obvious or I will say so if it matters, but I do not track or save versions of every change I make. Often, I only change contrast or lighten things a bit. Other times, I make big changes, like removing signs, antennas, light poles, blemishes, cars, and people, or by hiding flaws or adding small details. In the end, all that matters to me is that the finished image looks the way I want it to look. Taking a picture is only the technical half of the job. The other half, the art perhaps, is making it into something I like just as much every time I look at it as I do the first time.
That said, there are a few things I will not do. I will not secretly photograph or post a photo of a person who has a reasonable expectation of privacy, and satire or parody aside, I will not significantly modify an image of a person without appropriate permission. I also will not modify any image to deceive for criminal, malicious, or vile intent, and I will not photograph or work on images of illegal activities or subjects, both of which I will report to an appropriate law enforcement authority.
Last, for the record: I only edit copies and I always retain the original camera or scanner file, both for version control and copyright protection. Also, all of my posted or shared images are cropped, which means only I have complete originals, and except for web content, I do not store anything on a cloud service or web server.
My Tools
My cameras are made by Canon (5D4 & R62). The lenses I use most often are the Canon EF100-400mm, f/4-5.6 L IS III USM Zoom and RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM, seconded by a Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Macro Zoom. I sometimes use a Canon flash, but most of my photos are taken hand-held in available light.
My workflow involves a number of software tools, but the main photo editing software is PaintShop Pro. I've used PaintShop extensively since the mid 1990s for graphics and photo work, and all of the images on this website have been worked to completion in that program.
Last Updated: 3 Aug 2024