by Peter Pan-tsless (Pedro)
Jun 24 2005

Where do you live?

I live in the tiny town of Vidalia, Louisiana.  It’s directly across the Mississippi River from Natchez, Mississippi.  This area is part of the “old” South.  There are still many of the antebellum homes standing and several of them are used as a Bed & Breakfast. We do get some really great music festivals but the main industry is tourism so there’s not a lot to do here unless you’re fascinated by really old houses and plantations.

What’s the one thing that only Sher knows about Vidalia?

Well, I know that it’s DAYUM HOT here but I don’t think I’m the only one that knows it.

Tell us about your family/friends. Have you met anyone from DPC?

I have extremely strong bonds with my family and friends.  They are the most important things in my life and where I draw my strength and solace.  They are all very supportive of my goals and I feel very blessed to have them in my life.  I’ve talked with many DPC’ers on the phone but I’ve only met crabappl3.  He and his daughter were kind enough to visit with me on their way back home from vacation.  I fed them lots of red beans & rice, chicken & sausage gumbo and pones of cornbread.  Crab proved that he has mad skills in driving his box on wheels in reverse.

Did you make him suck the head of a crawdad?  That would almost be cannibalistic wouldn’t it?

LOL…I didn't make him do that...just seemed like it would be a little too much of the Cajun experience all at once. First comes red beans and rice or gumbo then you graduate to the fine art of crawdad head sucking.

What is your occupation?

I worked for 20+ years in accounting and finance but due to some health problems, I stopped working outside the home.  I still do some consultation work and I help people with their résumés and reports from time to time for extra money.

Have you ever worked as a Hot Dog Vendor in those little carts shaped like a Giant Hot Dog?

No, but it sounds like a pretty cool gig!

Don’t let the glamour fool you.

Do you get to eat all the hot dogs you want?

Absolutely.

Cool...I’m in! Just don't tell me what the dogs are made from

How long have you been involved in photography?

Oh wow…for as long as I can remember.  My great-grandfather was a professional photographer so I grew up with boxes and boxes of old family photographs that just fascinated me.  It’s in my DNA to be involved in photography. :-)

Do you see yourself doing photography professionally?

I would love to do it professionally! I have grand daydreams of myself being in demand by all the big magazines and newspapers and having to travel from one gallery show to the next. Then…the Pulitzer Prize. Might as well dream big, huh?

Have you won any photographic competitions outside of DPC?

I’ve been fortunate enough to win several POTD at other photography sites and thanks to crabappl3 for entering my "Feeding Frenzy" photo, I won first place in the 2004 Heard Museum Nature Photography Contest in McKinney, TX.

What's your favourite movie?

I am a total vidiot!  It’s really hard for me to pick just one favourite movie.  If I had to pick one, I would probably choose “Rebecca”.  It’s gothic, it’s a mystery, it’s romantic…what’s not to love?  I’m a sucker for Alfred Hitchcock movies so I could have just as easily picked any of them.  I also LOVE horror movies!  Psychological horror, slashers, old dark houses, brain-eating zombies, even really bad B-movie monsters…bring ‘em on!  They’re all just so much fun to watch.

If you were being chased by zombies, how would you destroy them?

Well, everyone knows that to destroy a zombie you have to whack them really hard in the head. If you don't, they come back in sequels and those are never as good as the original.

You certainly DO know your zombies.

Oh yeah, I’m a zombie aficionado.

What music do you listen to? Do you listen to music while post processing?

From Albinoni to ZZ Top and everything in between.  My passion for music runs a close second to my passion for photography.  I’m almost always listening to music.  As a matter of fact, I’m listening to The Black Keys while I’m answering these questions. J Lately, during post processing (all the time, actually), I’ve been listening to a lot of really great stuff like Andy Tubman, The Jane Doe’s, Frou Frou, Imogen Heap, The Bellrays, Dios Malos, Zero 7, Damien Rice, Incendio, Cities of Foam, The Jayhawks, Black Eyed Peas, Death Cab for Cutie, Fisher, Citizen Cope, Dispatch, Jazzberry Ram, Gabriela Anders, Harry Manx and Feist.  That’s just this week, though.  Last week I couldn’t get enough of Rosemary Clooney, Bobby Darin and Big Band music.  Who knows what it will be next week…maybe Megadeth and Black Label Society. :-)

I’m also a classically trained pianist so classical music holds a very special place in my heart.  Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini” relaxes me; Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” makes me happy; Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” makes me cry; Schubert’s “Death And The Maiden” gives me strength; Bach’s “Unaccompanied Cello Suites” makes my heart overflow; and I love to play Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C# Minor”.

[sarcasm]So really you don’t have much of an appreciation for the finer arts then?[/sarcasm]

Well, of course I do! Classical music, photography, art, poetry, bowling, WWF, demolition derby…I’m all up in the fine arts!

 If you could do a WWF move on Danny (Crabappl3), which one would you choose?

Lol…ok…I don’t really know the names of any WWF moves but I’m sure it would entail one or both of us running back and forth across the ring and bouncing off the ropes until I “clothesline” him. :-)

What is your favourite food?

Asian food…hands down!  Chinese, Japanese, Thai…yummy!  Living in Louisiana, though, I’m lucky enough to have access to fresh shrimp, crawfish and crab so there is always plenty of great food to eat here.

If J.S. Bach were coming to dinner, what would you make him?  And would you invite me, too? I’d promise not to embarrass you.

I think a full blown Cochon de Lait with all the trimmings would be the order of the day if Bach was coming to dinner. Of course you’re invited and since one of the main activities of a Cochon de Lait is consuming mass quantities of adult beverages, I don’t think you could do anything that would be considered even slightly embarrassing.

Do you have a main source of caffeine? If so, is it Tea, Coffee or Chocolate?

Diet Mountain Dew…I almost always have one in hand.  In fact, I’m out of them at the moment and I’m jonesin’ for one now.  I love Dr. Pepper, too, but I try to limit myself on those because of all the calories…ugh!

Where does your nickname on DPC derive from?

Sher9204…my name and the last 4 digits of an old phone number.  I’m so creative. :-)

Once I had a phone bill that was $92.04.  It made me think of you.  True story.

Uh huh…I believe you. Why wouldn’t I?

Do you have your own website, if so can I list it here?

I don’t have a website yet but I hope to have one soon.  Until then, I just use http://www.pbase.com/sher9204 as my gallery.

Take us through a history of your camera purchases, both film and digital.

There were always lots of cameras around when I was growing up.  I can’t remember all of them but I know I had one of those Polaroid cameras with the peel-away film and that little liquid filled piece of foam that you always had to sniff a couple of times before you used it to coat the photos. :-)

Do you think the foam-sniffing has anything to do with your current obsession with twisted horror films and cemeteries?

I’m sure that’s the culprit, although, I’m really quite a shy, reserved and innocent person. Some might even say I’m angelic. *coughs*

I also had a 110 Instamatic and I’m sure there were others.  My first serious camera was a Pentax K1000 35mm SLR.  I still have it and use it on occasion.  It’s a great camera and it’s almost indestructible.

Almost indestructible?  What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done to it?

More like, what haven’t I done to it? I’ve had the camera since 1978 and it’s been through the wringer. I have to admit that I’m really rough on cameras.

When I went digital, my first camera was the Olympus D460 1.2mp.  I am still really surprised at how well the photos from that camera looked.  With the right interpolation software, I easily got 8 x 10 prints from it.  I even got a 16 x 20 of "Into The Mystic" and there is only a slight pixilation and that’s only visible if you get really close to it.

Let’s talk about "Into The Mystic" for second.  It’s the 21st highest scoring photo on DPC, and your highest scoring photo to date. For lots of reasons that photo touches people on many levels.  Tell us what that photo means to you personally. When you were taking it, did you have any clue about its magic or was that one of those pleasant surprises when you got it on to your computer?

It really means a lot to me because I was still a newbie at DPC and to digital photography. In my mind I could see how I hoped the finished photo would look but it was raining and cold, I was holding the camera in one hand and the umbrella in the other and I only got off about four shots before the weather got too bad. I was surprised when it turned out so well and even more surprised when it won the blue ribbon…with a 1.2mp camera, no less!

By the way, I should mention I’m really impressed with your use of the word interpolation.  That’s a big one.

LOL...I know lots of big words, I just don’t use them much because they sound weird coming from someone with my country hick accent. They come in handy playing Scrabble, though.

What’s your favourite 5 syllable word?

Dog…but you have to pronounce it "dawwwwg" and drawl it out for 5 syllables.

 What camera do you currently use and are you happy with it?

Currently, I use a Fuji S602.  It’s really a great prosumer camera and it has a nice flexibility with regard to manual settings.  I’m happy with it as far as the quality of photos it produces.  It falters in low-light settings and the auto-focus is a bit slow. Of course, I would love to have more lens choices but it serves me well and it will do fine until I can afford something else.

I can tell by your bevy of ribbons and five entries that scored 7+ that it’s really holding you back.

I honestly think that you can do really well with any camera as long as you learn its limitations and don’t try to make the camera do what it won’t do.

Oh yeah…definitely!  As soon as finances permit, I would love to purchase a Nikon D70.  Well, as long as I’m wishing, I would love to have a Nikon D2X.  I also wish for a million dollars and to look like I did when I was 20! (runs to the mirror…RATS! It didn’t work!) I like the D70 because I got to fondle one once and it felt good in my hands.

What size memory cards do you have?

I have a 512 mb and a 256 mb card.  Not nearly enough space but I make do with what I have.

Do you shoot in JPG or RAW mode?

My camera doesn’t shoot in RAW, only JPG or TIF.  I shoot in JPG because of storage space issues.

How do you like your steak?

Are you buying? Medium well rib eye for me, please!

Have you ever lost any images on memory cards?

Not yet…knock on wood.

If you have a home studio setup, please describe it.

I don’t do much studio shooting so my setup is very basic.  I’m a fiend for natural light so I use that whenever possible.  If I can’t get the natural light, I’ll just use a couple of halogen shop lights.

Paint a picture for us:  if you found yourself in the right place at the right time to take the Sher-photo-of-a-lifetime…what would it look like?  (subject, lighting, time of day)

I’m constantly searching for my photo of a lifetime. (BTW, if you’re a nervous passenger, I don’t recommend letting me drive. I’ve been known to slam on my brakes in the middle of a bridge and get out of the car just to get the perfect angle on a shot.) I don’t think I can describe what the photo would look like. I just can hope that I recognize it when I see it.

Does your car have passenger-side airbags?

Uh huh…and I’ll give ya a crash helmet, too.

Do you use any software for organising your digital pictures?

I don’t though I really should.  I just burn my files to a DVD and make fairly detailed lists of what is on each disk.  Then I search until I find what I need.  It’s not very efficient and really time consuming.  What is a good program for organizing?

ACDSee has great album and search features, thumbnails faster than any program I’ve seen, and can handle most formats.   Either that or a yella pad and an HB pencil.

I’ll definitely try that program. Thanks for the advice! I’m starting to run low on yella pads and pencils. 

Do you use Photoshop or an alternative? If so what version?

I’ve been using Photoshop since version 4 or 5.  I’m using Photoshop CS now.

If pressed could you process photos with the same result with a basic/free program like the Gimp or Irfanview?

Oh sure! I really don’t do a lot of editing on my photos other than levels and toning and sometimes a little Gaussian blur. I’ve used the Gimp and I really liked it. I feel sure that I could get the same results with either program. The key is learning what the program can do and practice, practice, practice!

What Photoshop skills do you consider to be essential to digital photography?

I think it’s imperative to learn basic cloning, healing, dodging and burning and how to use those tools to enhance your work instead of overshadowing it.  I also think that it’s important to learn to use layers because it really gives you an amazing amount of control with your editing.

What’s the average amount of time you spend on editing a photo for DPC (not counting the countless hours lamenting over which one to enter)

 I have my workflow down pretty well so it doesn’t take too long to edit several photos. I’d say I can edit 3 or 4 potential challenge photos in about 30 minutes or less. It takes me a lot longer to think of a title. Then I spend the next few hours or days submitting and resubmitting. Either that or I’ve edited a photo and submitted it at the last minute. If that’s the case, I just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Out of your own challenge entries on DPC, which had the most digital editing?

Ya know…it’s probably one that you wouldn’t expect. "The Girl With The Pearl Earring" has the most of what I would consider “real” editing and not just playing around with levels or tones.  I think the reason it took a lot of editing is because I wasn’t shooting my vision, I was shooting Vermeer’s vision.

How do you think Vermeer feels about that?

Um…if he’s thinking, I’m sure his first thought would be, “Get me out of this coffin!” 

Do you use any other software in relation to digital photos? If so, what?

I use Fred Miranda’s SI Pro to get my photos ready for print.  Other than that, I have several Photoshop plug-ins and custom actions.

What has been the hardest image to photograph, out of all of your entries on DPC? Why?

It wasn’t hard to shoot but it was probably the most dangerous one, "Behind The Green Door" in the Abandoned Buildings challenge.  The whole time I was shooting, I had the sense that someone was watching me.  I peeked inside the cracks in the wall of the building and there were mattresses all over the dirt floor and there was a gigantic dog laying on one of them.  There was a definite odour of death inside the building.  Needless to say, I got the shot and skedaddled pretty quickly.

I always wondered how you spell skedaddled.  Thanks for sharing that.

 You know me…I’m all about the giving.

Right before the recent cemetery challenge a thread emerged calling you the odds-on favourite to win due to your penchant for such things.  Care to talk about that challenge or your fabulous "T.J." image?

It was a great challenge and there were a lot of really amazing photos submitted. The thread before the challenge put the spotlight on me and I put too much pressure on myself because of it. It’s the only challenge, in recent memory, that I was really upset about my score. Thanks for the compliment about my photo, though. I just love it. I’ve photographed that little statue so many times from all different angles. Actually, it makes an appearance in another of my challenge photos, "Where Angels Fear To Tread" in the Feet challenge.

What is your preferred style of photo? (i.e. macro, landscape, etc)

I love shooting macros.  There are so many little details we miss as we go about our busy lives.  I like showing the beauty of those details.  I also love portraits but I don’t like shooting them in a staged setting.  I think the best portraits are made when the subject is outside and comfortable.  My best portrait shots are almost considered candids.

So you’re kind of a ‘don’t ignore the trees for the forest’ kind of gal then? 

I really try to be a “stop and smell the roses” kind of gal. Are there anymore descriptive proverbs we can use? 

“Don’t eat yellow snow”.

Watch out where the huskies go!

Name 5 photos on DPC that inspire you, in order of preference.

It’s so hard for me to pick just 5 photos that inspire me.  If I have to pick, these are my choices:

"Sun Studio" by Gringo	Well, first…it’s Ellllvis, baybeh!  How can you not love something that has Elvis in it?  Actually, I just think it’s a masterful shot.  The light coming through the blinds and the exposure is just perfect.  Also, it speaks to my love of music.
"a moment of …" by Manuel Librodo Jr.	There have been many studies (I can’t remember all of the studies but a good place to start is with Julian Jaynes’ work) about the bicameral mind and the asymmetry of our facial features and I think this photo is a fascinating example of those studies.  In your face I can see a sweet smile and a touch of sadness in the eyes.  In your reflection, I see an expression of mischief and a bit of sarcasm in your smile.  Apart, you show (or, we perceive) each side of your personality; together, I see the Pedro we all know and love. :-)
"The madonna of the leaves and rain (2005)" by Lesley Goodman	This is such an artistic shot!  The colors are beautiful and I love the surrealism it portrays.  I think Lesley Goodman is THE most underrated photographer at DPC.
"Rejuvenation" by Peter Marlin	There is something so melancholy about this image but I can’t help but love it.  The man’s downcast eyes seem to show that he’s lost in his own world or perhaps he’s listening to music that only he can hear.  Either way, every time I look at this I just lose myself in this scene.
"Guys and Dolls" by JPR	Freakish, twisted, bizarre and tons of fun for all!  This image just makes me laugh every time I look at it and I think it’s one of the most creative shots on DPC.

What are the 5 favourite shots that you have taken, and why?

"Death at the Lake"	When I was a child, I wanted to be an archaeologist (followed closely by my second choice of careers…Avon Lady).  At the lake, I spotted this dead fish and I could see the final image in my mind.  It makes me think of cave paintings and prehistoric creatures.
"Minutiae"	This is what I was talking about earlier in the interview.  These are the tiny details that can be so beautiful if only we would take the time to notice them.
"Mary David"	Well, you know how much I love cemeteries and this shot is the epitome of my favorite cemetery.  I also like the dichotomy of the gravestones and the cheerful, bright flowers.
"Bonded"	This is from a shoot I did of a young mother and her son.  When I first saw this shot, I was so disappointed because all I could see were what I perceived to be flaws.  When the mother saw it, she loved this shot over all the other more technically well done images.  Now, it’s one of my favorite photos because it shows the personality of the subjects and it seems to be alive.
"There’s Beauty In The Breakdown"	I have to list these photos together because they were taken within a couple of minutes of each other.  These were taken in a beautiful park behind the cathedral.  There are lights in the shape of stars in the trees and a huge fountain in the middle of the park.  It’s a wonderful place to sit and listen to the water and the birds singing.
"Offering"

 When I look at "Charmed" I immediately think “Sher”. Do you go find subjects like that, or do they find you?

Well, my photo outings usually consist of me crawling around in the woods on my hands and knees looking for subjects like this. I guess it’s another example of my fondness for details.

What do you consider to be important aspects of photography?

I think composition is the most important technical aspect to learn.  I think, though, if all you concentrate on is the technical aspects, you’ll end up with lots of technically perfect photos that are sterile, antiseptic and boring.  You’ve got to bring the fire of emotion to your images.  Make the viewer feel something!

Again…in that perfect Sher photo – what would your viewer feel?

 My emotions are always bubbling just beneath the surface and I try to channel my feelings into my work. I would hope that I could make them feel the same thing I was feeling when I made the shot. My ultimate goal, though, is just to touch someone and make them feel anything...happy, sad, bittersweet…it’s all good.  

Are you planning any photo trips in the future? If so, where?

I would love to take some photo trips when my finances allow.  I’ve always wanted to visit Machu Picchu, Easter Island, Rome, Alaska, the American Northwest…I could go on and on.  If there are any benefactors out there who want to schlep me along with them on their trips, feel free to e-mail me. While I’m waiting for all the e-mails to arrive, I’ll likely go to New Orleans in the fall. It’s been way too long since my last trip and I miss it.

Who is your favourite photographer on DPC?

There are so many great photographers on DPC and I don’t want to slight anyone.  I’ll just say that I don’t make choices lightly and if I’ve added you to my favorite photographer list or chosen your photos as favorites, you’re definitely one of my favorite photographers.

Do you have any photographic projects outside of DPC?

Recently, as strange as it might sound, I was made the official photographer for the Natchez City Cemetery in Natchez, MS.  These old cemeteries are gold mines for genealogists and historians.  The old headstones contain a lot of family information other than just the name and dates.  Currently, I’m working with some people at the school of architecture in Philadelphia, PA to document the ironwork made by Robert Wood and his partners, Perot and Miltenberger.

Some critics still don't think photography is a form of art. What is your response to this?

Well, I guess it would depend on the style of photography.  There are some forms of photography that just concentrate on straightforward documentation of what is seen.  I wouldn’t necessarily consider that form to be artistic, although, it can be and often does produce strong emotions in the viewer.  I think if you define art as thought provoking, entertaining and emotionally driven, then photography definitely qualifies.

What do you feel is your most underrated shot?

Normally I don’t make predictions on my score because a lot of my photos don’t seem to have a very wide appeal with the DPC voters.  As I said earlier, though, I really thought my cemetery photo, "T.J." would score much better than it did.

If you could change one thing about DPChallenge, what would it be?

I think DPChallenge is an amazing community of artists and I’m very proud to be a part of it.  The one thing I would change is the structure of the challenges.  This site has become so large and I think it’s suffering a bit from growing pains.  When I first joined this site it was almost unthinkable to have 200 photos submitted to a challenge.  Now, 200 entries is pretty much the norm and it’s getting harder and harder to spend as much time on each image as it deserves.  I’m not sure how to achieve a change but I think the time has come to do something.

What do you think about the idea of a Parcheesi tournament to decide who gets to enter each challenge?

I don’t know how to play Parcheesi! Can we play Twister instead?

Only for the free studies. And certainly not for Nude challenges.

Oh yeah…good call!

What was your motivation for joining DPC back then? Is your motivation for continuing to participate any different today?

When I joined back in May, 2002, I had just started shooting digital and I knew nothing about digital photo editing.  I was looking for a place I could learn and I definitely found it.  I continue to participate because of the feedback from comments and the fact that I’ve made some great friends here.  There really is a sense of community.

If you could offer some advice to somebody who is new to DPC and submitting to DPC challenges, what would it be?

Don’t take your scores personally!  When I first started, I had a lot of trouble with that.  Toughen your skin, steel your heart and take the constructive criticism.  Trust me; it will make you a better photographer.

As I read this Sher, I can’t help but think “physician heal thyself” (or some take your own advice quote).  Care to share your own personal demons with respect to scores etc?

lol…I understand your thoughts about this because you’ve certainly been on the receiving end of my lamentations regarding my DPC scores more times than I can count. (Thanks for being such a peach about it, too.) I do have a tendency to wear my feelings on my sleeve but I guess I’ve just recently decided that, for the most part, I’m never going to be an “in your face” photographer with regard to the challenge topics. My style is more subtle, I suppose, and there are so many photos being voted on that “subtle” usually doesn’t score well.

Since challenge entries are pretty much a part of your "permanent record", in retrospect, are there any pictures you wish you hadn't submitted to a challenge?

Oh wow…more than I could possibly list here!

For the record, there are many of your images I wish *I* submitted.

You’re such a sweetie! For the record, I feel the same way about most of your images, too.

How do you decide which challenges you are going to enter and which ones you'll skip?

I enter the challenges when I feel inspired by the topic.  I don’t feel the need anymore to enter every challenge.

Do you regularly seek assistance outside of the DPC community in trying to determine which of your photos you should submit?

Definitely!  I trust the opinions of my friends.  I’m too close to my own work to always make a good choice so I seek the advice of people that have no emotional ties to the photos.

Are your friends usually right?

Usually they are and more times than not, they just confirm that the one I chose was the right one.

If you could personally ask Drew & Langdon for one new site feature or enhancement, what would it be?

I would love to be able to browse through a portfolio by clicking a “Next” button instead of having to go back to the thumbnail page every time.

Why do you enjoy photography?

I’m not eloquent, I can’t write poetry or music but I can express myself with photography.  It allows me to attempt to convey my emotions at that particular time.  Photography captures time…one moment in time that will never occur again…ever!  That’s as close to time standing still as we can get.

 Everyone who loves Sher raise their hand! [P raises hand]

Awww…you’re gonna make me cry, hon!