TIME OUT NY (January 31-February 7, 2002)
"BRUSH WITH THE LAW"
By day they bust drug dealers, but at night, two NYPD narcotics officers bust out the paint
...Zisa brought his paintings to the Spectra photo lab in Noho to be photographed; there he developed a friendship with the lab's manager, Ed Lynch. "I've seen a lot of paintings in and out of here," says Lynch, who also photographs the work of neighborhood artists Chuck Close and Carmen Cicero. "I liked Sal, and I said to him, 'Why don't you put your feelings in your paintings? Let's show you're a cop—this is interesting.'" ...
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TIME OUT NY (January 21-28, 1999)
"ALTER YOUR PHOTO"
Few of us are as photogenic as we'd like to be, but with new digital-retouching techniques, Spectra Photo/Digital can help us approach perfection. "You can always remove blemishes or freckles—even change your hairstyle," says graphic artist Frank Carbonari. Or you can "play Frankenstein," as he puts it, and replace less-appealing features with those of the supermodel of your choice. "You can even swap naughty parts," he says ominously. Of course, vanity comes at a price ($100 per hour), but purging your photo album of pesky details may be worth it. "We can remove lovers and ex-husbands," says Carbonari. "I'm removing someone even as we speak.
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TIME OUT NY (December 16-30, 1999)
CAMERA READY
Make your pictures perfect through these photography classes, organizations, stores and services
Spectra is a favorite with artists and professionals—as well as aspiring pros—looking for high-end printing and developing. To make itself more accessible, Spectra has branches outside the confines of the photo district, including the East Village and Upper West Side. Film from all of its locations is developed at the original, 20-year-old La Guardia Place branch (its efficient messenger system ensures you'll get results in 24 hours or less, no matter where you drop off your film). What's so special about Spectra's photo printing? Like Duggal, Spectra uses the three-hour dip-and-dunk method of film processing. The closely monitored process keeps your blues blue and your reds red. The prints are a steal: $11.07 for a 24-shot, 35mm roll of color prints—matte, glossy or premier-border. Read Complete Article >>