Who are you and what’s your profession?

My name is Keith and I am a photographer. I mostly exhibit my work these days, but I enjoy shooting corporate seminars/events and shooting stock when I am in that frame of mind. I also work as a photo editor for a large photo agency. I share what I do on Pbase, Flickr, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Tumblr, and I post most everyday to my blog, keithgoldstein.me, on WordPress. I love sharing my imagery, my knowledge of photography, and history.

I live and work in New York City. When I am not working, I spend my time with my family, my wife Nicole and our 4 ½ year old son Ethan. I also am an avid cyclist, and when given the time, I am out doing some distance across the GWB in northern New Jersey.

What’s your rig?

My rigs have changed quite a bit over the years. I have used everything from ½ frame to 4X5. Lately I have been selling off quite a bit of gear. I’m trying to pare down and clean out the cabinet, to reduce my gear down to what I truly use and need. These days I can honestly say that I have embraced digital fully.

There are three systems I absolutely find joy in using. First, the Fuji X system. The Fuji system is slowly replacing almost everything I use. (Mostly my Canon gear) I absolutely love my XE-1. The IQ is stunning and the optics are superb. My most used lenses are the 14, 18, 35, and the 55-200 zoom.

I have been into the M4/3 system since it was introduced and it had been my walk around system till the Fuji came out. I currently use the Olympus OMD EM5. My favorites and most used lenses of this system are, the Lumix 14, the Lumix 7-14 zoom, the 50 Pana-Leica, and the Lumix 45-200 zoom.

My old tried and true go-to system has been the Leica M system. I’ve been a Leica shooter for some 35 years. I’ve kept two film bodies, a M4 and a MP. Even though they haven’t seen a roll pass through them for quite some time, I can’t bear to part with them. They have been everywhere with me. I use the M9 mostly now, with a M8 as backup. Though I have many lenses, my most used lenses are the 28 Elmarit Aspherical, a pre-aspherica 35 Summilux, the Voigtlander 50 Nokton, the 90 Elmar-C, and the Konica Hexanon 21/35 Dual.

I am also very into pocketable cameras, the iPhone is a wonderful tool, and I truly love the Ricoh GR. I have used the original Ricoh GRD and the GX100. The Ricohs are small, discreet, fast, and wonderful for street shooting. No matter what else I am carrying, I always find a pocket for the GR.

What software do you use?

I primarily use Adobe Photoshop CS6, Lightroom 4, and Silver Efex Pro, all on a Mac Quad Core desktop. It’s kinds old now, but I take care to keep the system “clean” and running smoothly. I never keep files on my computer that I am working on in case of crashes. I backup to a couple of different drives along with using JustCloud. I just added an additional 1 gb of ram. I find it helps keep things running smoothly now that camera files are larger.

I use an older Epson 2200 for printing.

What would be your dream rig?

My dream rig hasn’t been invented yet, but it would be a truly pocketable full frame, full auto/manual Ricoh GR with a 24-200 zoom and built-in high resolution EVF.

What’s your favorite photography quote?

There are quite a few quotes that resonate with me. The one I always come back to is one by Robert Frank –

“I’m always looking outside, trying to look inside. Trying to tell something that’s true. But maybe nothing is really true. Except what’s out there.”

http://keithgoldstein.me/
http://www.pbase.com/keithbg/root&page=all
http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithbg/