Roy Gill in Pt. Barrow Alaska, August 1955

Part of the process of publishing my dad's book is gathering and digitizing the slides he took on his rangefinder. He used both Kodakchrome and Ektachrome slide film. The Kodachrome slides are in almost pristine color condition. The Ektachrome slides are a different story. The image on the left is one of the Ektachrome slides and you can see that all the cyan and yellow color has faded, leaving only the magenta. Through browsing several online discussion forums, I was able to learn how to adjust the levels and color balance in Photoshop CS4 and bring back a semblance of the original color. It's not perfect, but I'm happy with the results.

Before I became a tile maker, I made my living as a graphic designer. Since 1999, I have relied on my design skills to create print and web designs for Red Step Studio. I've also donated my services to various local community groups such as Seattle Tilth, Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton Farmers Market and the Artisan Tile NW association.

A current project is book design and production. My family has hired me to assemble my father's memoirs, family photographs and memorabilia into a hardbound printed book. I am finding the work rewarding; it feels like I am getting back to my roots. The learning curve is challenging yet gentle, and I take great delight in coaxing the project towards completion. Some of the challenges ...