Nathan Allan
Trained at the North Oxfordshire School of Art, acclaimed UK photographer Nathan Allan quickly distinguished himself with a distinct style that combines contemporary portraiture and modern fashion. Today, he works with such notable clients as The British Army and leading international salon chain Toni & Guy, along with many leading corporations.
Nathan reveals that the importance of color management came early on in his successful career, when, as an in-house photographic manager, he had the opportunity to work closely on a pilot project for some of the first professional digital imaging cameras developed by Kodak.
“Through that experience, it quickly became apparent that managing the colour workflow from capture right through to print stage was of prime importance,” he notes.
It’s an understanding that Nathan feels every photographer – aspiring to pro – should have.
“Anybody wanting to get great controlled results from their photography needs to learn and understand what colour management is about. It is too easy to dial your camera onto auto and hope for the best. But as we all know, the results from this are not great. The most important thing to understand is to keep your colour workflow constant, and a well-balanced monitor is a great base for this. You can then fine tune everything else around that”, he says.
Nathan, who has just been awarded Licentiateship (LBIPP) status with the British Institute of Professional Photography, relies on X-Rite’s ColorMunki Photo to ensure that “what I am visualising through the camera whilst shooting will be realised in the prints I get off at the end.
He became interested in X-Rite color technology based on “great industry feedback”, and feels everyone should keep apprised of the latest and greatest color management tools. “There are advances everyday in cameras and printing techniques; but it is pointless investing in the latest photo technology if it is going to be compromised by poor colour control. It is a fast changing industry at the moment and everyone needs to be switched on with colour processing,” he says.