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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Hi, from Brazil

Ucha Aratangy

New member
Hi everyone,

It is nice to find a place like this. Clear, professional, necessary. Great, thanks!

My name is Ucha, and I've been working with photography for almost 24 years, if I start counting from when I was as assistant at the age of 15. And it has been about 18 that I run my own studio.

My first camera was a lovely Canon AE-1, that belonged to my father. He saw a picture I took wirh a plastic 110 camera on a school day, and thought I could be good at it, so he gave me his Canon. I am still trying to prove him so.

I am back in Brazil after living 6 years in Europe, and am now trying to make room for me in the market once again. Sort of starting from scratch all over, but anyway...

Most of my work is product shoot, specially but not exclusively food. Also, having graduated as an architect, I do some work on this field as well.

I started shooting digital in 2002, with a D1x. Moved to a 14n and then to Canon, where I now happily am. My budget still does not allow me to make the move to MF, but I plan to do so someday. Working in situations where I could (or had to) use someone else's equipment, I proved Leaf's and Phase One's backs, and of course fell in love with them. That day will arrive for me as well.

I guess I will be more of a listener than talker here, but it will be fantastic if I can someday contribute and help someone.

Best,
Ucha Aratangy
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Ucha,

I am happy to welcome you to OPF . Brazil is now the largest Portuguese speaking nation in the world. Amazing!

Brazil, uniquely, has made exemplary strides in being independant of fossil fuels. Growing out fuel appears to be Carbon dioxide neutral to environment and that is great for our planet!

We are lucky to have quite a few Brazilians working in Los Angeles and they are all full of life and wonderful people to know. There must be a special Brazilian "spring" that seems to be genetically present in these folk!

Rio is on my next travel itinerary.

I would encourage you to post and show us how you have found MF backs compared to Canon cameras.

We need to learn from everyone about the choices in lens-body-back combinations.

Looking forward to seeing your participation.

Asher

BTW, feel free to add a link to your portfolio by your signature.
 

Ucha Aratangy

New member
Hi Asher,

Sorry I took so long to answer, I was outside the studio for a few days, and with no time for internet playing.

You are right, Brazil is a special and unique place. We do have lots, tons!, of problems and things that could be much better, but we also have good, fantastic things. This is one of the reasons I am back after living in Europe for 6 years. And I am not talking about "samba, caipirinha, football and mulatas". You wrote about our recent acquired self-sufficiency, and this is a very important thing. Not only because we can rely on our own fossil fuel, but also because we have been using sugar cane alcohol as a fuel for more than 25 years now. It is renewable and much less pollutive.

Enough of Brazil, sorry, got carried away...

Back to photography. Although it was great using MF backs, and I would really like to have one (Phase One is soooo clean... And I really enjoyed Leaf's software), for the kind of work I do it is hard to justify the expense. I hardly ever get my pictures published bigger than a A3, @300ppi. And for this kind of size, I think the Canons are just great, for the money they cost. Of course sometimes in architecture I do miss the big format and all the movements. Tilting and shifting with canon lenses is OK, but not the same (corner definition and all that). But I can always stitch, which I do when necessary.

In any case, when my budget allows me, it will be hard no to be tempted to make the move, even though it will probably be more a fetish. Although I think once I get my hands on one, it will soon show me how much I needed it!

Having arrived back home not too long ago, I am still in the process of unpacking and rebuilding my (specially professional) life. My web page is on the way, almost finished, and I will publish a link to it an my signature ASAP, thanks.

This is a great place, thank you and everyone involved for opening it and making it public.

Best regards,
Ucha Aratangy
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
We're looking forward to your pictures, why don't you email me a bunch or post one for critique?

Asher
 
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