Craig Stellmacher, Minneapolis
Member Since January 2009
Artist Statement Artist Photographer Writer
All Nikon since 1977.
First Nikon F2sb, though long gone her serial # was 7728338 and I miss her
Nikon Lenses--Fisheye to 1500 mm--favor wide angles, super telephotos
Nikons Cameras : D3, D300, D200, D40x
Nikon Strobes
Past favs : Kodachrome, Technical Pan Film, Besseler Enlargers, Cameras : Nikon F2sb, Fm2, F100, Leica, Mamyia 645, Hasselblad Super Wide Camera,--I'm just NOT a Canon kind of guy.
Nikon Film/Slide Scanner
Nikon Software Suite
Macbook Pro --can shoot Tethered, Wireless or Real Time to the Web
Alienware Laptop
Dell Desktop
Hewlet Packard Printers: Mobile 4x6, 5x7 and Desktop 13X19 format
Lowe Pro Bags
Bogen Tripods
Images Describing Things there are no words for
Events
Photojournalism
Stage
Live Music
Head Shots
Weddings
Photoessays
Metaphors
Advertising
Art
Nature
Abstracts
Prints
Tutoring --not your standard Intro to Photography--Intro to Art Photopraphy
Raised on Tri-X as a child, with puberty came Kodachrome and Cibachrome, then briefly the Zone System. Photo journalism in High School and College. I had an amazing mentor in High School, Roman Borgeding at Golden Valley High School Mn. Riveting teacher, we were completely different for style--BUT, I had to JUSTIFY every shot to him on the carpet verbally! You can't imagine how tough this was--unless you knew this man! All Color, All Digital now. My Style came Sophomore year of College--I acknowledge only ONE photograph before then, as mine. Then began my extreme experimentation with Films, Filters, and Double Exposures--including putting film through the camera multiple times, and Infrared Film.
Nod to National Camera Exchange Mpls Mn, I worked there in College and got to try EVERYTHING for FREE on nights/weekends--hence my European affair with the Hasselblad Super Wide Camera and Leicas --Thank You John Liss
Nod to friends that influenced my thinking and made me question everything: Chris Sherman, Rich Wilson, Tom Schmelling, Ann Whitehead, Prof. Paul Kirschner, and Prof. Walter Strom--both from St Olaf College Northfield, and Kurt Godel
Big Four Influences:
Roman Borgeding--hit me over the head with Metaphor, I actually had to graph them on a chalkboard!
Rene Magritte Surrealist Painter--otherwise I wouldn't title my Photographs
Diane Arbus took me to "Edge City", and showed me around
Edward Weston Seduced me with Abstracts--and Sensual Nature
Though I was Bio-Psych, I was Photo Editor of the Newspaper, and Tutored others in Photography for Credit while a student in College. The first thing I asked my students to do was write a Manifesto. "WHAT--I thought you were going to teach me Photography!"--yep--how do you define what Photography, and the World is--in words. I loved squishing their heads this way. Then we'd walk around and I'd give them Photographic Zen Koans...
"Beginner's Mind"--is always how we should look at things.
Now, I sell my Art, shoot Freelance, Tutor still, and write about the meaning of Life and Evolutionary Theory and Economics.
"Craig Martin Stellmacher" on Facebook
craigstellmacher@gmail.com
craigstellmacher.com Art and Freelance Gallery
craigstellmacher.com
Minneapolis, United States