Digital camera, computers are new tools for Best Portraits

Photo by Dave Boyd Jack and Vella Tester are owners of Best Portraits and Photography, located on E. Elk Ave. Jack does the photography, while Vella is office manager and in charge of displays.

By Rozella Hardin
STAR STAFF
rhardin@starhq.com

   The word "digital" is one of the hottest buzzwords today. Adding "digital" to any product means cutting-edge technology, and this is certainly the case with cameras.
   "Things have changed drastically during the years that I have been a photographer," said Jack Tester, who with his wife, Vella, own Best Portraits and Photography on E. Elk Avenue.
   It has shifted dramatically away from traditional film-based cameras to digital cameras. "We are the only full-time studio in Elizabethton that is completely digital," Tester said from his relatively new studio. "We moved two doors down the street to this building (formerly Religious Book Store) last year. We have lots more room here." The building has a large studio with several backdrops for portraits.
   He admits that the impact of digital cameras has been enormous. It's changed the way a photographer makes a living -- for the most part for the better. But it's also meant that photographers have had to adapt a great deal. New equipment, new technology, new terminology -- almost every aspect of the craft of photography has been touched by this new medium.
   Formerly a photographer with Olan Mills Studios for 21 years, Tester and his wife opened Best Portraits six years ago on Valentine's Day. "We are truly a 'Mom and Pop' business," Tester said.
   The studio specializes in school portraits. "We do school shoots in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and we have some schools in the southern part of West Virginia. Also, we do a lot of senior pictures in the studio," he said.
   However, the studio's work is not limited to school photos. "We do portraits for all ages -- babies to senior citizens -- as well as family portraits, weddings, anniversaries, school reunions and family reunions. If you need a photo, we can make it," Tester said, noting that he is his business' only photographer. Occasionally, when the schedule gets overloaded, the studio hires an independent photographer to help out. This is especially true with school shoots.
   Tester, who has over 20 years of experience in photography, said, "Digital provides instant gratification to both the photographer and subject. It allows you to see the picture instantly. As a result, you can make corrections on the spot, such as lighting and pose. The subject can also see the picture instantly, whereas with film, sometimes it was a week before prints and proofs were ready. Because digital photography provides instant pictures, orders can be placed at the same time that the picture is taken. It has surpassed film photography in many ways. As well as instantaneous results and the ability to experiment, the quality is as good or better than film," Tester explained.
   One of the more drastic ways digital photography has touched Tester is through the computer. "I had to learn to use the computer. I had worked with film for years, but, when we went digital, it meant doing away with film and the darkroom and going to the computer. In the beginning, I hired someone who knew computers to do that part of the photography, but I now can do it myself," he added.
   Going from film to digital camera was a solid business transition, one Tester doesn't regret. "It also helps keep us competitive. Serving clients will never change. Digital allows me to serve clients better. We can take that image and go into the computer and enhance it even more. It's exciting," Tester exclaimed.
   Although he is the photographer, Tester says his wife, Vella, is a very important part of the business. "She answers the phone, makes appointments, and is every student's mother. She does their hair, fixes their clothing, and makes sure everything is just right for the photo," he said.
   "Obviously the tools of our business have changed, but our philosophy remains the same. We try to treat every customer's photograph with the same care as if it were our family," Tester said.
   As for the future, Tester says there will be more changes in photography. "While we do a lot of studio shots, more and more photos are being taken on site, at home, and at other locations," he said. This means that Tester has to think beyond the front door of Best Photos.
   The digital camera and computer have opened new horizons for modern-day studio photographers like Jack Tester. They are the new darkroom; the new tools of his business.