Member Profile: Tom Lane

About me:

Do you consider yourself a Professional/Semi-Pro/Amateur/Beginner photographer?

I am an enthusiast deeply committed to the process of capturing light on film or an electronic sensor.

Who are you?

Howdy! Tom Lane here (72) from Midland, Michigan. I am a short, round, sometimes bearded, bald guy who has been capturing light for nearly 70 years (poorly, I might add). Photography was my mother’s hobby, and I spent countless hours in the darkroom with her, witnessing her latent images appear in the developer bath. She used an early Minolta TLR Autocord with no batteries, meter, or automatic settings. She was not a technical photographer; her images were often soft, and her exposures were seldom correct. Yet, her images were always engaging; they told a story and elicited an emotional response.

I fancy myself a technical photographer whose images, unfortunately, lack the human connection my mother’s images could achieve. I probably should note that I am a retired scientist (chemist), which should explain a lot! It is my personal journey to capture an engaging image, and my statistician friends say that the odds are beginning to work in my favour, and if I live long enough, I am due!

Tell us about your photography journey.

I love photography, the creative process, and the variety of tools at our disposal. I am particularly interested in keeping some of the old techniques and processes alive. I still shoot film in formats up to 4x5 and know my way around a darkroom. However, after losing my darkroom in a major flood (2020), I still developed my film in daylight tanks but scanned them into digital negatives. So, my transition from a darkroom to Lightroom has begun. I also use modern digital cameras with most auto features turned off and, whenever possible, adapted manual focus vintage lenses!

I found TSOP trolling the internet looking for support as I began transitioning from the darkroom to Lightroom and Photoshop, and I could not be happier. TSOP has been outstanding, with digestible content that is easy to follow and always available to serve as a refresher when needed. I began with Lightroom and have been working my way through the portfolio of offerings. I am currently working my way through the Landscape course. I have been a member of TSOP since 2020.

What is your preferred genre?

I love doing portraits, but my family has grown, and we have no furry friends I can bribe with a treat. I mostly do landscapes and still life now.

What inspires you to create photography?

Photography is at a magical intersection between science and art. I love being in the vortex of curiosity, creativity, experimentation, and process.

Who are some other photographers you’re inspired by?

I take inspiration from many photographers, but my loyalty is held by early masters: Ansel Adams, Alfred Steiglitz, Irving Penn, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Edward Weston, and Richard Avedon. I often use cameras, lenses, and film of their period to capture the feeling of a time gone by. Again, if I live long enough, the odds will be in my favour.

My favourite photograph:

Describe the first photo you took during your learning journey.

I am too old to remember my first photo on this journey. Let’s say I have grown considerably in the use and application of the tools available to photographers today, thanks to TSOP. I am comfortable with Lightroom and Photoshop, and I look forward to the new releases of Photoshop Beta, where I spend more time than I should playing with new filters and generative AI.

What is your favourite photograph that you’ve taken?

As a chronic sufferer of imposter syndrome, it isn't easy to consider a favourite, but I do like a couple of images. The first is a grab shot of my daughter as an early teenager. This black-and-white film image is far from perfect, but it is about as close as I have come to creating an image that engages the viewer. It is a realistic representation of who she was at the time. The second image is more technical but interesting. This was the result of rim, dark field lighting.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?

TSOP has helped me successfully transition from the dark (room) to the Light. It has given me the essential skills and confidence to use them to achieve post-processing results in minutes, which might have taken days, if at all, in the darkroom.

What’s next for Tom?

My quest for an engaging image is still ongoing. As a scientist, I failed (a lot) every day because that is how we advance the body of knowledge. After all, running an experiment for which you already know the results is not very instructive! I plan to experiment, fail, and gather the learnings of my efforts, and I hope to live long enough to create that one image that proves statistics correct.

Another favourite image of mine ©*Tom Lane*

My favourite photo that I’ve taken ©*Tom Lane*

Conclusion

Photography has always been a safe haven for me. It is what I turn to when everything else is going wrong; it is a time to shut out the world and focus on the process of capturing light. Loading a couple of 4x5 film holders, gathering my gear, and heading out somewhere in nature is magical. It might take forty-five minutes to set up for a shot; going over every setting repeatedly before going “click” frees me from the daily stresses of the day. Then, to come home, head to my now makeshift darkroom, turn off all the lights, and put on my music (Lady Gaga) while I process the images. It is cathartic and healing. I plan to continue my passion for keeping some of the old techniques and processes alive and available for the next generation to enjoy. As for my quest, the odds are in my favour largely because of the flawless instruction of TSOP, thank you!

Where can people follow you?

Unfortunately, I only post to my Facebook page and occasionally on Instagram (@maingeek1).