How long have you been taking pictures?
Since 1995.
Where did you learn photography?
From experience, mostly.
Do you shoot film or digital?
I have shot both, though I am now shooting digital only.
What kind of camera do you use?
A Canon EOS 40D. Prior to the 40D, I used two main cameras: a Mamiya/Sekor DTL1000, from circa 1968 (used from 2002-2008), and a Canon EOS Rebel G (used in 2008). Over the years I've made use of various other cameras, including a Nikon Zoom-Touch 470 AF (35mm), a Polaroid 35mm AF, a Kodak Tele-Instamatic 608 (110 format), and a Kodak EasyShare C613 (digital point and shoot). I have also done some work with a Polaroid one 600 instant camera, as seen on this site.
How many megapixels does your camera deliver?
The 40D delivers about 10.1 megapixels. As for the film cameras, see the "20 - 30 megapixels" explanation below.
Do you do weddings?
Not at this time.
Do you hire out as a photographer for shows / events?
Yes, on occasion. Drop me a line to discuss.
Do you do portrait work?
No, not as of yet.
Do you shoot color or black and white?
Both.
How do you decide whether to shoot color or black and white?
The choice is made based on the result I want to get, taking into consideration the shooting conditions.
Do you prefer color or black and white?
It depends on the setting and on the style I'm looking for.
What is your camera setup?
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What kind of film did you shoot?
In my very earliest days (summer 1995), I used a 110 format Kodak Tele-Instamatic. After that, I used 35mm up until I stopped using film in 2008.
What films did you use?
The main color films were Fuji Pro 800Z (2007-2008) and Kodak Royal Gold 100/400 (1995-1997). I also (from 2006-2007, afterward far less frequently) used Fuji True Definition 400, Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400/800, and Kodak Max 400/800. These latter films are of snapshot grade quality and produce significantly inferior results, so I generally tried to restrict their use to situations where I wasn't able to get my hands on something better or when quality was not paramount. Fuji Pro 800Z is a premium film that performs extremely well in low light levels, making it an ideal choice for shooting live concerts.
Black and White: Kodak T-Max (1995-2003), Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (2007-2008), and the C-41 process films Kodak BW400CN (2007-2008) and Ilford XP-2 (1995-2008). I also tried Ilford Delta 400 for a short time.
Did you process / develop your own film?
No. I never had access to a darkroom and never learned how to process and print film. I shot the film and then took it to a lab and told them how I wanted it processed.
Will you ever go back to shooting film?
No. It's too expensive and it's gotten too difficult to get quality film processing.
Do you shoot for a magazine?
No. Just for myself, and for this site, and on occasion for other people.
Do you sell prints of any of the photos on this site?
Not as of this writing.
What does the "20 - 30 megapixels" line mean?
20-30 megapixels is the approximate quality level needed to approximate a good, optimally exposed black and white 35mm film stock of ISO 50-100, shot with a good camera.
Why do you wear earplugs to shows?
The answer to this one should be obvious.
Why are you against circumcision?
Take a look at "The Unacknowledged Trauma" and you'll see.
Do you have a Myspace page?
Yes, at http://www.myspace.com/paoprod. It is no longer updated.
Do you have a Facebook page?
Yes, at http://www.facebook.com/paoprod.
Do you have a Twitter page?
No.
What else have you written other than what's on this site?
I have written a few things over the years, some of which are posted on this site, and I did draft the first part of what was to be a novel from 2001 - 2002. I have no plans for any new writing projects in the foreseeable future.
Will you be posting any excerpts from the unfinished novel?
Most likely not.
Have you ever performed anything you've written?
No.
Are you going to perform anything you've written?
Most likely not.
Have you ever performed anything?
I read three times at Bill's Records and Tapes, twice in 2002 and once in 2003, reading other people's work each time.
What was the title of your photo chapbook?
Portraits.
Are there any copies left?
There are three left as of this writing. All of them are my own personal copies.
Will Portraits be reprinted?
No. However, the contents of the book can be viewed here.
Do you play any instruments?
I have a drum set that I have played occasionally.
A CB percussion five piece starter kit.
Do you play in a band?
No. I was supposed to help form one a long time ago, but it didn't work out.
What's your favorite local band or performer?
Now, that would be telling!
What kind of music do you listen to?
Oldies, classic rock, hard rock, metal, thrash, swing, punk, 1920's / 1930's jazz and pop recordings, traditional / New Orleans-style jazz, a little old country, a little rockabilly, a little classical, a little of other genres depending on my mood at the time.
What are you using to record people for the Open Mic Project and Lost Art Open Mic?
The Open Mic Project recordings are made using a Sony TC-377 two track 1/4" tape machine. Some earlier recordings were made on a TC-399 model. Audio for the open mic nights was typically recorded straight to digital using GoldWave Digital Audio Editor.
Why do you record on tape?
I had a tape machine and never had a chance to use it before. And recording on tape leaves a more permanent physical record of what was done, not just a file on one's hard drive or a series of ones and zeros burned onto a CD / DVD that will be unreadable years down the road due to bit rot. Mainly, though, it's an excuse to use the machine for something other than taking up space in my closet, and people like the "retro" feel of doing it.
What do you use to edit the recordings?
The recordings are edited as 96kHz uncompressed WAV files, and processed using GoldWave version 5.12 and Adobe Audition 2.0.
I know a good poet or open mic artist. Are you looking for more people for the Open Mic Project?
Not really. The project is intended to be an ongoing concern, but it's by invitation only.
Are there CD's or chapbooks available for any of the people featured in the "Open Mic Project" area of the site?
Opalina Salas has a CD available featuring all the pieces recorded for the project. Johnny O. has published six issues of the Mad Swirl 'zine, available in electronic form through the Mad Swirl website. Most of the others have published chapbooks and/or CD's at one time or another, but these are generally out of print. Where I have access to a list of published works, it is included with an artist's biography.
What are you using to record the videos on this site?
A Sony DCR-TRV30 digital camcorder (mini DV format). Earlier videos were recorded using a JVC GR-DV3000 digital camcorder (mini DV) format and a Sony CCD-TRV87 Hi8 Handycam. All are NTSC format.
What programs are you using to put the videos together?
Analog video media are transferred to digital using a Canopus ADVC-110 external DV converter and Adobe Premiere. For cases where the audio is from a separate analog source, like the Sony TC-377 reel-to-reel machine, any needed processing of the audio is done using GoldWave and/or Adobe Audition. Non-linear editing is done in Premiere, and any video effects are added through Premiere and/or VirtualDub. How the final encode is made depends on the target format. For DVD's, the encode to MPEG-2 is done by frameserving out of either VirtualDub or Adobe Premiere, or sometimes through both together, into TMPGEnc, with DVD's being put together using DVDLab Pro. For the online versions presented on this site, an encode is made to H264 via MPEG Streamclip version 1.2.
How do you decide which artists / musicians to feature on this site?
Generally speaking, the bands and performers featured here are personal favorites of mine.
How can I contact the artists featured on this site?
Most of those who are still active have Facebook and/or Myspace pages. Or you can contact me.
How can (band) be mentioned on this site?
You can send an e-mail listing the name of the band and the schedule for any appearances including venue name, date, and cover charge, if any, and I will add it to the "Upcoming Events" page. I am also willing to post links to band pages or other sites, provided you are willing to post a link to this site.
Do you mind if I use any of the pictures on this site?
It all depends. If you're in one of the bands pictured and want to use a picture on a flyer, etc., I will probably be okay with this and agree to credit me and/or this site.
Will you post any band photos without the watermark / copyright notice?
No.
Can I submit a picture of (band) for the site?
Currently I am not featuring performance photos that I have not taken myself (this is, after all, a vanity site intended to show off my own work). You are welcome to send information promoting your band's shows and I may include it on the "Upcoming Events" page, provided you are willing to link to this site.
What is Knife Six Productions?
Knife Six Productions is a 2006 - 2012 project inaugurated by Alex Pogosov in an effort to raise awareness of the local music and art scenes, as well as of Dallas history and other local curiosities.
What is Death List Five?
Death List Five was a local poetry / art magazine published and edited by Joey Cloudy and Jolee Davis, "the Voice of the Lunatic Fringe."
What did you use to design this site?
Which browser is this site optimized for?
All pages on this site were manually coded in HTML and JavaScript. I use the Opera browser for all coding and design. All pages are tested for compatibility with Internet Explorer, Firefox/Mozilla, Google Chrome, and Safari. If something is not working in your browser, please contact me. I'm not a professional web designer and this site is what it is.
What screen resolution is this site optimized for?
1024x768 and [1280x800?] are the optimal resolutions for this site. Higher resolutions than this are supported, but the really high resolutions are not recommended.
Why are the videos not working?
Why are some of the links in the "Open Mic Project" area not working?
Nothing happens when I click / double-click on a photo to enlarge it. Why is this?
Either your popup blocker settings are too high (for the photos), or you have JavaScript disabled, and the browser is not executing the commands used to open the new windows and/or play the embedded videos. This site makes use of JavaScript for all interactive and multi-media content, and this content will not display correctly if scripting has been disabled or if an overly aggressive pop up blocker is in use. You will need to re-enable support for scripting or lower the settings for the pop up blocker. There are no pop-up advertisements on this site.
I still can't play any of the videos, and JavaScript is working. Why is this?
The videos are presented in H264 format and require the Adobe Flash plugin. If you are not seeing the media player embedded on the page, ensure that you have the appropriate plugins installed for playing Flash files (available via the Adobe website). If after installing the plugin you are still not able to view the videos, or the page is not working properly, then ensure that you do not have JavaScript and/or frames disabled in your browser. The media player makes interactive use of JavaScript and the PAO Productions video page uses an inline frame to display a description of each video when it's played. If these features are disabled, some content will not function correctly.
Do you have plans to include any video clips in Windows Media, QuickTime, or RealMedia format?
Not at this time.
How often will this site be updated?
There is no regular schedule for updates. If you would like to be notified when this site is updated, you can contact me.
Why did you decide to create this site?
Why not?
All material on this page is © 2007-2012 by Peter Orozco except as noted. All rights reserved.
For answers to questions contact the Webmaster
This page last updated on 22 January 2012 at 3:17 PM.