Frequently Asked Questions

I once read that if two or more people email asking the same question, then that means the site is missing information. In that sprit, here are the answers to some questions people frequently ask me about photography, my photos and this website.

What's the difference between fine art prints and prints I can buy in a mall?

What's a Certificate of Authenticity?

What kind of film do you use?

What cameras and lenses do you use?

Why do you use Nikon cameras instead of Canon?

Do you photograph weddings?

Why did you wait so long to shoot with digital cameras?

What are the best lenses?

Do you manipulate your photos electronically before posting them online?

Why do you photograph so many lighthouses?

Why don't you sell prints of tennis players on this website?

What's the difference between fine art prints and prints I can buy in a mall?

Prints that are available at mall art stores are mass-produced. They're posters. The advantage to this is they're cheaper to buy, and therefore more accessible to the casual art buyer. The disadvantages are: 1) They're generally printed on thin glossy paper, which can easily tear and may fade over time; and 2) Because they're mass produced, tens of thousands of other living rooms and offices will have the exact same photo on display as you do.

Fine art prints are more expensive, for several reasons. They're made on true, quality photographic paper that will likely last as long as you live. They are not mass-produced; you will be one of only a very few people in the world, if not the only person in the world, to be displaying a particular piece of photographic art. You deal directly with the photographer (in this case, me), who ensures that the print is perfect.

What's a Certificate of Authenticity?

It's a certificate that says the corresponding print is an authentic limited edition from me. It includes information about the print, including technical specifications, size and a brief artist's statement. Also, most importantly, it has my autograph on it.

No, seriously ... Well, it does have my signature, but what's most important is that the certificate has the print number on it. For example, if the print is No. 20 from of a limited edition of 100, then the certificate will read 20/100. This is important to the value of a fine art print, especially should I ever become famous. (Let's all simultaneously hold our breath.)

What kind of film do you use?

I don't anymore. I've been shooting almost exclusively digital since 2004.

Still, I made a lot of photos on this site before then. For black & white work I used Kodak, either Tri-X or TMax, depending on what I was shooting. For color work, I used Fuji — exclusively. And they didn't tell me to say that. I love the colors of Fuji films, specifically Provia and Velvia. I love the blues in Provia, and love the color saturation I can get in early-morning or late-day light with Velvia. I actually miss shooting with them, and often find myself trying to make my digital photos mimic the look I used to get with those films.

What cameras and lenses do you use?

Here's an inventory of my camera gear. I have a bunch of small accessories, too, but the list is of the important stuff.

Why do you use Nikon cameras instead of Canon?

Because that's what I started with. In college, when I first began taking photography seriously, I had an opportunity to buy a decent amateur Nikon camera for a very reasonable price. Then I started buying lenses, putting together a camera system that suited my needs. Through the years I've gradually upgraded different pieces of that system, but have never wanted to completely sell everything and start over with a new brand. Nikon makes great professional cameras, as does Canon. The differences are only in the details of how the machines work, and a photographer's preference is just that – a preference. I'm sure Canon cameras would serve me just as well, but I love my Nikon system and have never seen a reason to abandon it.

Do you photograph weddings?

Yes, but not in the traditional way. I have a background in journalism, and I therefore work weddings in a photojournalistic style. However, to stay fresh, I accept a maximum of only a few wedding assignments per year. For more information, see Connecticut Portrait and Wedding Photographer Chris Nicholson.

Why did you wait so long to shoot with digital cameras?

Because I liked working with film better, mostly for post-production reasons. Film was just easier to shepherd through the process of editing, filing, etc. (Most of those issues have been addressed now through the development of digital asset management software, such as Lightroom and Aperture.) If you'd like a more detailed explanation, please read my old article "Digital vs. film: One photographer's experience."

What are the best lenses?

The ones with the cleanest glass.

Do you manipulate your photos electronically before posting them online?

Only minimally, to make the scans or captures look like what I saw while in the field. I don't do anything to my files that a talented printer couldn't do in a darkroom. Digital manipulation is a legitimate art, but my art is straight photography.

Why do you photograph so many lighthouses?

I don't know. Part of me tries to avoid photographing lighthouses because it's a well-covered photographic topic. But whenever I travel for photography, I always end up finding the lighthouses and shooting them. Even when I was in Australia for two months in 2001, any time I saw a lighthouse on the map, my mind would instantly coordinate my schedule so I could be at the site in good light. Perhaps it's because I grew up in a New England seaside town; perhaps I like the romanticism of the old lighthouse keepers' lifestyle; perhaps I'm afraid of the dark. Photographing lighthouses is a passion that I don't analyze, I just do it.

I've seen your tennis photos in publications such as Tennis magazine and USTA Magazine. Why don't you sell prints of tennis players on this website?

Photographing athletes and selling the photos to publications is a First Amendment right. Selling prints of those athletes to consumers is a marketing venture -- it's making money from someone's image. The argument is that I wouldn't be able to sell a print of Joe Shmo hitting a serve; but Andre Agassi (for example) hitting a serve would make me money. Without Agassi, I don't have a marketable product, therefore his agent would want me to pay a licensing fee or a percentage of my profits in order to sell prints of him. (If you want to see any of my sports work, feel free to check out Connecticut Sports Photographer Chris Nicholson or Pro Tennis Photos. Also, see my book at PhotographingTennis.com)