I always start with a 35mm camera and an idea. Both are essential components in my art. The camera faithfully records the subject matter, the composition, the lighting, and the color. The idea is the filter for impressions, feelings, and subjective observations. For my art, I've found that I have to be there to experience the scene; I record both the visual and emotional content. I shoot both slide and print film at the scene because they both have their strengths. Slides faithfully record the colors; viewing slides strongly recreates the scene. Print film has greater exposure latitude, and gives a better chance of capturing the subtlety of the scene, when they are scanned.
To digitize the photos, I use the Polaroid Sprintscan 35mm scanner which is fast and scans either slides or negatives. After scanning, I use Adobe Photoshop to adjust values, combine images, and usually reduce the pictorial information using a variety of filters. This is where the images from the camera and from the idea are combined. I focus on one feeling or impression when I import the simplified image into Fractal Design Painter. Here I paint the image using cloning and cover brushes and a variety of paper textures. The final interpreted "painting" is then ready for printing. I use a variety of output media, depending on the image. I often use Iris digital watercolors, which allow me to emphasize the watercolor effect.
Michael Berger
[View Artist's Statement]
