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12.05.2008 » Features

Published December 5, 2008

Spotlight: Katrin Eismann	4 0
A RIT success story.
by Maximiliano Herrera


Joanna Eberts

Katrin Eismann is a RIT success story. She graduated summa cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography and Electronic Still Imaging. In 2002, she received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Design from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) located in New York City. Today, she is a renowned photographer, author, and educator.

Eismann has written six books, the latest being The Creative Digital Darkroom which is a tutorial approach that enables the reader to use concepts from the traditional darkroom setting and implement them with contemporary digital solutions such as Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom. The book was co-authored with Sean Duggan, a fellow photographer, author, and educator. In addition, Eismann is currently the chair of SVA’s Masters of Fine Arts in Digital Photography program. Eismann has definitely made something of herself but things didn’t start out so great for her.

Before RIT, Eismann studied political science, but she quickly realized that was not the career path for her. “I was studying something I wasn’t happy studying…[Political science] required a lot of sitting, thinking, writing, reading, and I really wanted to work with my hands. I wanted to be outdoors, try different things, and see different things,” she explains. In an attempt to remedy the situation, a friend gave her a camera and told her, “Just get out of the apartment, take a walk, and take pictures.” That was Eismann’s official start in photography. “That kick was an inspiration to me that really got me to look at the world in a new way,” she confesses.

Soon after, Eismann decided to attend RIT. “I took it very seriously. I approached my education like a job,” she says. Eismann is a strong believer in the idea that “school is the foundation for the rest of your career” and attributes much of her success to her own education. “I wouldn’t be where I was without RIT,” she states. Education continues to be a major part of Eismann’s life and career. Eismann believes strongly in the empowering effect of education; in fact, that is why she started writing instructional books.

“I started writing because I really wanted to show people what they could do with the digital tools and technologies,” Eismann says. Her books are a blend of technical and creative information meant for both professionals and budding hobbyists. “Just knowing what the slider does, does not help your picture, but knowing what you want out of your image and then knowing what slider to use. That’s very empowering,” said Eismann.

In 2005, Eismann released her third edition of Photoshop Restoration and Retouching which gives its readers various step-by-step examples of how to restore, retouch and enhance valuable images while highlighting the tools and techniques used by the professionals. Eismann wrote the book knowing that she “was empowering readers to get those old images out of the attic and bring them back to life.” People wrote to her saying, “You brought my family together,” and, “You gave me back my grandfather.” What good is a photo in some box or drawer? With this book, Eismann inspired her readers to dig them all up and share them.

Eismann believes her books have a positive impact on her readers because she is giving them the tools to express themselves. She encourages them “to be creative, to trust themselves, and to take risks.” Eismann believes too many people have been discouraged and have been told that they can’t, or they were wasting their time when that’s not necessarily true. “Creating art and working with images are really a positive use of your time,” Eismann states, “so if I can get somebody to get out of a rut, go take pictures, and enjoy being outside. That’s a good thing.”

Eismann wants her readers to have the same passion that she has for photography. “It’s not about showing off, proving you’re the smartest, or the most talented. It’s about communicating information to people, helping people understand it, and then allowing them to create their own work,” explains Eismann. She hopes readers will be able to create unique work that they can call their own and become passionate about. However, she doesn’t want people to get hung up on the technical aspect. Eismann believes too many people ask questions like, “What filter settings do you use?” Eismann responds with, “Who cares?” Photography is more than the minute technical details.

The ability to explore is what drives Eismann and makes her passionate about photography. “When I have a camera in my hand I really focus in on the world…I don’t need to travel to Antarctica, the Serengeti, or the Grand Canyon to take great pictures. I can take pictures in Weehawken, New Jersey!” exclaims Eismann. When Eismann holds a camera and looks through the viewfinder, she isn’t seeing the same world she ordinarily sees. “That’s really what photography does; it really lets me view the world.”