AlternativePhotography.com: R. Brad Knipstein

	Historical photographic methods in use today - the art, processes and techniques of alternative photography
		BOOKS		COMMUNITY & EVENTS		GALLERY		PROCESSES HOW-TO		SUPPLIERS

Photographers A-Z

Artists from:

Supporting us

Born in 1976, R. Brad Knipstein was exposed to photography at an early age through his father's hobby. Playing with his father's cameras, he saw how photography could change the way one perceives the world around us. During high school, he assisted his photo teachers and was already selling prints of his work. After high school, he attended Rochester Institute of Technology where he earned his bachelors degree in photo illustration. Brad spent his time at R.I.T exploring photography and producing a large and varied body of work. Some highlights of his time there include a series of 8x10 inch platinum prints and the unique opportunity to shoot with the Polaroid 20x24 inch view camera.
Since then, Brad has been fascinated by the potential of digital image making as well as continuing to work with traditional processes. Through his work as a high-end scanner operator along side his continued fine art work, he is forging ahead into the frontiers of imaging. In 2000, Brad won a grant from Polaroid for a series of photographs he produced using a process of traditional film manipulation combined with digital enhancement. Brad's work is distinguished by moving graphic elements presented through a unique process. Brad specializes in location portraiture, tabletop still life as well as his own fine art photography. Brad currently lives in San Francisco.

Brad says about his work:

"I love type 55 Polaroid film and have been experimenting with it for years."

About the Zodiac series

I love type 55 Polaroid film and have been experimenting with it for years. I particularly enjoy it's characteristics when the film has not been treated with sodium sulfite. So I began a series of photos of the 12 signs of the Greek Zodiac by shooting T-55 Polaroid film and devising a new process for completing the imagery. I first made three main exposures for each image: the background first, then the central element (sign) and finally the soft sun glow exposure. The main exposure uncleared t-55 negative was manipulated by hand soon after the image was processed to create the texture necessary to depict the characteristic of the sign. Next all three negatives were scanned (as negatives) and brought into photoshop for composting as well as color/tonal manipulation. The final result was both 12 individual images for each sign, as well as one piece that utilized all 12 images to create one large diagram of the Zodiac. In mid 2000, I won an artist support grant from Polaroid for the "Aries" image, and that made it possible for me to complete the 12 signs.

R. Brad Knipstein
Polaroid manipulations
Capricorn ©	Aquarius ©	Pieces ©	Aries ©
Taurus ©	Gemini ©	Cancer ©	Leo ©
Virgo ©	Libra ©	Scorpio ©	Sagittarius ©