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Born in Dallas, Texas on November 29, 1982, Nadyia enjoyed painting and photography as a child and young adult, and in high school, became interested in graphic design. She studied fine art photography and majored in graphic design at school and recently has started to explore video production, which she hopes to incorporate into her photography.
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
My father sparked my interest in photography when I was fairly young. He’s an amazing underwater photographer and taught me a lot about what I know now.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
Canon 40D and Canon 5D, and on occasion, film.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
This is hard to pinpoint because I draw inspiration from so many different things. But I guess with photography, it’s people. I try to bring to life what makes a person beautiful, sexy, or sometimes, vulnerable. Sometimes I like to shoot someone in a way no one else has, just for the purpose of making and exposing something different.
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
Definitely. Sometimes my job gets incredibly busy and I just don’t have time to shoot my personal work. But it’s important to me that I have that outlet, so I try not to go too long without it.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
My favorite is definitely conceptual photography. I like to actually think and plan a shoot or even a specific shot. I love seeing ideas I have become real. I also love collaborating with other artists, models, etc and making something amazing.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I just moved to Austin and I’m incredibly grateful at how welcoming other photographers and artists have been here so far. I’m already planning and scheduling shoots with another photographer for a collaborative mixed media project. I’m really excited about it and can’t wait to see what comes of it.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I don’t know if it makes my work unique, but I pay close attention to detail, so much so that it annoys me sometimes.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
My grandmother when she was my age, because she helped raise me and because she was a really beautiful, genuine person.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
Spain, just because it’s the one place I’ve always wanted to go to that I haven’t yet.
what’s your post production process?
I bring the raw images into Lightroom then do most of the editing in Photoshop.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I’d probably stick with what I have and just get more lenses. I don’t have enough and I’m always borrowing some from other photographers.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
My father, of course. Also an amazing man named A.Kaye, he’s been my main mentor and a really wonderful friend. He started out as a sports photographer for professional sports and is now photographing for a project, Heart of Women, to raise money for women who have suffered domestic abuse. I also really love Mark Sink, all of his work is really interesting but I’m fascinated most by what he does with wet plates.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
Being published in several magazines and publications. That’s always a good thing.
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot fulltime or students who are just starting out?
Make sure it’s a passion of yours before you jump into it. It sounds mean, but I don’t like being in the same industry with people who don’t care and are only doing it because it seems like a cool thing to do. Also, remember that most photography is a collaborative effort, and being able to respect those that you work with is essential.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
When it comes to music, I’m all over the place. But when I’m editing, a majority of the time I’m listening to David Bowie, Bjork, or Saul Williams.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
I don’t have one favorite spot. I like trying out new places, especially in Austin because there is so much here.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
Usually something light like a salad so I can still be pretty active. And if I’m celebrating, probably Makers or Bulleit.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
I have so many favorites, but this one I just love because the image I had in my head came out exactly as how you see it in the photograph.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
I can’t pick just one photo, but go here and check out the photos in his wet plate galleries.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
No, but the direction I’m going definitely has.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
Not really. As long as it’s comfortable, I’m good to go.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Both!
what’s your sign?
Sagittarius
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Anyone I’ve already mentioned, also maybe J Woods (who does amazing photo composites) or Hutch MuselessMime (talented photographer/videographer in Dallas). I have worked with all of them and really admire their work.
Angela Ryan
Ivy
RS
©NadyiaMarshal
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com, subject: Art Star.
*please include your website and examples of your work
____
Maleonn
1972
Born in Shanghai
1984-1995
Shanghai Huashan Art School
Attached High School to Fine Art College of Shanghai University
Graduated from Fine Art College of Shanghai University, Major in Graphic Design
1995-2003
Engaged in commercial film as Art director and Director
2004-
Engaged in independent Creation of Art
Lives and works in Shanghai, China
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
Since 2004, I started to work on my own artwork in 2004, bought the camera, and fell in love with photography.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
Mostly digital cameras, before I used CANON 20D, now it’s CANON 1DS MARK iii. Sometimes i also use a film camera like MAMIYA RB-67
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Reading and watching films, and chatting with funny people.
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
I always devoted all my time to the creation, so I’m not that rich. But some kind people help me, sometimes they support my exhibition, sometimes they collect my work. The money is enough for my simple life.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot?
conceptual
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I have a solo exhibition soon in Singapore, another one in Spain.
If you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
Myself. But more handsome than I am now, and less sensitive.
What’s your dream photo field trip?
Wild grass, abandoned city, the space where once people lived and left, where we can see obligation and time.
What’s your post production process?
Mainly photoshop, sometime I hand paint.
If you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I would buy the top digital camera. I don’t like traditional cameras. But sometimes the camera I use right now is still cheap. The work isn’t as perfect as those taken by film. Not necessarily like film, but with more details and color.
What has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
When I decided to buy the camera, I quite hesitated because I had never touched a camera before. And the camera was expensive. I’m wasn’t sure if it would be able to help me to find myself.
Do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot fulltime or students who are just starting out?
There are too many details in the techniques. Lots of interesting things can be done, but try not to only being addicted to all that. To a good photographer the most important thing is to find out one unique angle to look at the world. But that needs consideration, various experiments. I rarely used a camera. only after I thought about that clearly, I decided to take the camera and try to complete my ideal image.
What’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
All kinds of cello music. I only like the cello. Recent two years all like that.
Will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
self portrait
If you ask the reason why this is my favorite, I can only say that I feel everyone’s works are self portraits, shooting ourselves or our generation. This picture contains me, my illustration and my sadness. But also a little bit of unbroken hope inside. The growth of our generation all in this instance, in our spiritual world.
Has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
No, I’m still passionate, I just have fewer works, because I don’t want to repeat myself.
Do you have a favorite or lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
I have a necklace that brings me luck, sometimes I need it to bless me 
I often use it when I take pictures.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Definitely not camera gangsta.
©Maleonn
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
at info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com
subject: Art Star
please include a link to your website and examples of your work
____
I grew up on a small farm in upstate NY. Nothing huge, but we had sheep when I was young. And grew lots of yummy things. I think it instilled my obsession with nature, and my comfort with non-human beings in non-human environments. Ironically I’m now based in Brooklyn, which I’m trying to use as a base in between projects that take me out somewhere. I began my photo studies in New York in a fine arts program, finished them with a journalism degree in Florida, and am now trying to figure out where I fit in and what exactly it is that I want to do.
http://celiatalbottobin.com
http://thelovelylens.com
http://www.pangeaphoto.com
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
I honestly don’t remember. I had this romantic idea of a photographer’s life from a pretty young age, I’d say around 11. I was obsessed with National Geographic. I imagined that there could be no better job than being paid to do the kinds of things they do (I still sort of feel that way). I began taking pictures seriously in high school, but my practice hasn’t been consistent throughout the whole time since then. There were years when I set it aside. But there was always an awareness of photography growing up. My dad (who’s now a writer) studied it in school, and my mom (who’s an education professor) also studied art. So I guess it was a visually inclined home from the beginning.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
I’m either using a 5DMII (on which I’m trying to practice video skills), the Nikon F2 I’ve had since high school, or a Holga.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
I’m not sure, but I definitely don’t have just one. There are so many forms that originate from very different places and affect different parts of my brain I think. Being outdoors is always inspiration for me, preferably in the woods. The books I read. Flipping through National Geographic still gets my juices going, especially the more science-related stories these days. Photographer friends of mine, as well as great photographers who I wish were my friends.
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
Yes. It’s disappointing. Part of that is simply my environment. I’m sort of in this pattern right now where I live in NYC for a while, primarily shooting assignments and gigs that pay, then save enough to go off for a while on my own. It’s not a great pattern, certainly not my ideal. It’s not that I find NYC uninspiring to shoot in, it just triggers a different momentum within me, one that tends to focus more on business. But I’d like to be able to tap into a more creative faucet within myself here. This city fuels the creativity of so many people.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
I think most work isn’t so easily defined. A lot of photography floats in a more obscure space. I think this has always been true, but I also believe that institutionally-speaking, the photo community seems to be even more comfortable today with not needing to label photography in such a way. I will say that my documentary way of thinking through projects seems to be gaining strength. That doesn’t mean that the images themselves aren’t going to be ambiguous or conceptual or self-expressive, but those aren’t traits that I’m consciously striving for. If they manifest themselves that way, that’s great. I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m actually not as in love with the medium of photography as I am with communicating and storytelling. I realize that’s an odd statement for a photographer to make, but I’m more attached to the idea of conveying information than to the still camera. If I couldn’t communicate through photography, I could be happy finding another vehicle to do it through. All photography is communicating something, in some form, so maybe using the word “communication” in regards to what I’m aiming for is redundant. But it’s the still image as a vehicle for transmitting info and emotion that attracts me. There are subjects in life that are important to me. And though I believe it’s arrogant and egocentric to think that what’s important to oneself is important to others in the world, I can’t help but feel that way about some things. Maybe I should just scratch all this rambling and stop kidding myself and accept the term “documentarian.”
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
Not at the moment. I’m hoping to hear about a possible artist-in-residence position at Syracuse University soon though.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I’m not sure. I definitely have plenty of cynical days when I feel like “it’s all been done before” and nothing I do seems unique. But my photos and projects tend to evolve very organically. So hopefully that comes through. I don’t analyze or over-think my photos much, I sort of float along with my visceral reactions. And I’ve come to feel pretty comfortable with allowing myself to be within my photographs, as opposed to outside, looking in. Because I like to shoot things that I feel personally connected to, I let my sub-conscience project itself. I don’t believe objectivity is possible anyway, no matter who you are….
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
My great-grandmother. I know a lot of people chose their grandparents, but they’re inevitably going to be fascinating, aren’t they? Photographing anything that far back in history would be interesting. I think nostalgia is called upon a lot in photography, and there’s a reason for that. My great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland when she was seventeen. The photos in my head of her life, especially in Ireland, are stunning. I have only vague memories of her and her Irish soda bread from when I was very little.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
There’s too many. But anything that involved someone paying me to immerse myself in a luscious environment would be a dream. I worked in Ecuador for a year when I wasn’t focusing or thinking about photography. I wouldn’t change that one bit, but I would like to take my camera and revisit where I lived.
what’s your post production process?
Sift through takes and hope there’s something decent. It certainly feels more hands on when it’s film- handling negatives and scanning. I’m currently working at the International Center of Photography, just once a week, so I can have access their facilities.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
Hmm….well I’m trying save for a Mamiya (7). So I guess that says something…
who are your favorite photographers and why?
That’s hard. Different people have different places in my heart for different reasons. For example, Sebastiao Salgado was the first exhibit I remember seeing in person. And he pretty much solidified my desire to follow this path. But was around 14 then, so a lot’s changed. Nowadays, I often find myself going back to Carolyn Drake‘s work. There’s just something very magical about the way she sees things. Her images have so much texture and always seem to be glowing somehow. And people’s environments and landscapes get just as much attention in her work as the people themselves. That’s a soft spot of mine.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
Do “big breaks” happen like that? I don’t know, I’m still waiting for that. But I made it into a gallery exhibition in Brooklyn this past fall, that was a nice feeling of accomplishment. It was a weird sensation seeing so many people putting their noses right up to my images. And having people buy them was even stranger. But very neat.
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
Try to nourish your vision and commit to standing behind it. It’s hard when you’re beginning and you’re not quite sure where you want your work to go. But once you sort of settle into yourself, I think it’s important to stand behind it. That doesn’t mean not evolving or changing or trying something new. But editors and peers will always be advising in different ways and suggesting different things, and they’ll often contradict one another. Obviously you can’t act on all the advice, so you have to absorb critiques on a non-literal level. Then tune in to try and figure out how you see yourself.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
More often than not, I’m listening to podcasts and audio books. And if I’m working at the computer, my playlist is often Debussey and Chopin and Bach. And as if this could possibly get any dorkier, I listen to a lot of jazz. There’s no replacement for Billie Holliday. I sound like a 75-year-old. Let’s see if I can name something modern….Iron and Wine. And recent fixations with Yellow Ostrich and Tune-Yards.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
My kitchen, Or hiking around the area where I grew up.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
If I’m celebrating an achievement, I let myself cook a meal to my heart’s delight without feeling guilty about how much time I’m putting into it (and not into work). Does that count? I’m obsessed with cooking.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
This image isn’t a favorite, I’m not sure I have one. But it’s an example of a project that was personal, started organically around the area I grew up in, and I let myself sink into instinctively.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
I’m choosing this Sanguinetti image mostly because I just cited it as inspiration in another interview and I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately. My dad owns a print of this that my mom gave him. So I spent high school looking at it, studying it. It’s one of the most expressive portraits I can think of. It feels like a fantastical drama, or like something out of a magical realism novel. The entirety of this series is told in this one photo. And even though the ideal behind photography is that one photo can “tell it all,” I think that in reality that rarely happens.
http://alessandrasanguinetti.com/
The Adventures of Guille and Belinda……image #3
The necklace, 1999, Alessandra Sanguinetti
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
I’m sure it’s evolved in more ways than I’m aware. Mostly I think it’s changed in some of the ways I’ve mentioned here already: becoming comfortable with being vulnerable to what I’m shooting, comfortable with subjectivity, and more detached from the visual medium itself while focusing more on its communication value.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
Na. The most consistent thing I can say about what I wear is that I always have enough layers, if not too many. I always prepare for the coldest temperatures imaginable and usually end up sweating.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
I can badly fake gangsta if I need to. But I think it’s safe to say in all things in life I’m a big nerd.
what’s your sign?
Taurus
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Tim Hussin, he’s doing some cool stuff right now.
©CeliaTalbotTobin
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com, subject: Art Star.
*please include your website and examples of your work
____
Twin brothers and a directing duo from New Bedford, Massachusetts, the Luu Brothers are passionate about directing and telling stories, and spend most of their time making short films, music videos and commercials, many of which are produced on little or no budget. Check out their work at www.LuuBrothers.com.
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
When we were very young, our parents would rent these Vietnamese drama shows and although we couldn’t understand the plot completely, we were always drawn into the story and the characters. Imagine, two little chubsters emotionally invested in a scene involving the death of the main character’s love interest…it was very odd. The ability to cause these emotional responses from an audience was something that stuck with and inspired us.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
We use our Canon 7d for most of our projects. The codec is tough to work with in Final Cut Pro, so we have to convert the footage first using MPEG streamclip. As far as lighting, we’re big fans of realistic and natural lighting, but on occasion use an Arri light kit with a Chimera softbox and dimmer. We actually just finished filming a short, where most of the scenes were completely lit with only 3 lamps on dimmers. We record audio to a separate device and then sync it up in post.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Our number one source of inspiration, as cliché as it would sound, is our parents. They immigrated to America in the late 70’s and since then, they’ve worked hard to live a comfortable life, own a house and raise 4 children, including us. Whenever we have a long shoot day or feel like our production is spiraling out of control, we try to remind ourselves of what our parents have done. It really puts things in perspective.
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
We definitely try our best to make time to do our own personal projects, but whenever we do get paying gigs they take up a majority of our time, so we always try our best to incorporate some sort of new technique or refine the ones we are developing. Then we take what we’ve learned and apply it to our own productions. Any experience can be good as long as you’re open to learning from it.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot?
We would have to say narrative drama, but there isn’t a specific type of drama we try to stay with-in. Whether it’s sci-fi or thriller, we love to tell stories that the audience can relate to and share ideas that end up resonating with them.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
We have a new music video for a local Dallas band called “Cocky Americans” that we have just wrapped post-production on, titled “2012.” It was a very tough project and by far our most complex production to date. We shot it over the course of 3 long nights and just released it online. We’d love for your audience to check it out and give us some feedback!
Here is a link to the video: “2012” by Cocky Americans
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
Since most of our projects are low budget and run with a crew of four or less, including us, we have to be practical in our shooting. Lucky for us, we are huge fans of films that feel natural and real. So we are okay with filming a scene with all natural light if it feels right. We definitely try to stray away from the “commercial” look. We also like our narratives to be more character driven. To us, It doesn’t matter how epic your story is and how amazing your shots look, if the characters are lifeless and the audience can’t connect with them, then the film will fall flat. Our style is certainly something we are still developing.
If you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
This is a tough one. Martin Scorsese, the man is brilliant! And we hear he has kind eyes.
What’s your dream photo field trip?
We’d love to shoot in Vietnam where the environment and culture is completely different then what we are surrounded with now. Also, being able to shoot in our home country would be a very exciting experience.
what’s your post production process?
Kelly is usually the person who organizes the clips and audio. It’s a pretty tedious process, but he does it pretty well. From there, we both edit on and off using Final Cut Pro. We also have a good friend name Tyler Piersall who usually composes our work. We met him in school and since then he’s been writing music and getting better with each project. Friend him on Facebook, he’s a cool guy.
If you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
It’s hard to say, but if we had to choose, it would be the Red One. The quality is phenomenal and we really feel that it is the best option for independent filmmakers who are use to shooting on a digital format and want to get the most film like cinematic quality.
who are your favorite photographers?
One of our favorite cinematographers is Rodrigo Prieto. His resume includes “Babel,” “21 Grams” & “Biutiful”. His style is very organic and real. You could literally pull a frame from anyone one of his films and it would look like an amazing photograph.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
We had a screening for a music video we shot called “Balrog 24/7” by Man Factory. The video itself had about 5 child actors in it, who all showed up at the screening with their families. As the video played, they were all laughing and cheering and when it was over they were screaming, “Encore! Encore!” It was a great time, especially because the production was a 15-hour day for us. To have the final product completed and see the kids who worked so hard on it with us, enjoying it as much as they did, we just couldn’t help but smile. It was a good time.
Here is a link to the video: “Balrog 24/7” by Man Factory
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
The best advice we can offer to anyone thinking about becoming a full on filmmaker is that they need to HAVE a passion for it. There will be times where you haven’t slept for more than 2 hours in 3 days and there will be days when it will feel like the whole world is against your project and that not even the tiniest little thing is going right. And if you don’t have a passion for it, then you’ll end of giving up on the project or perhaps even begin to regret becoming a filmmaker. Film-making is tough; you have to really love it to enjoy it.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
We’re big fans of film scores. Our favorite composer is Michael Giacchino, who wrote the music for “Lost” and most recently “Let Me In.” We often find ourselves listening to his music and sometimes even editing to it. His music makes our stuff look 10 times better, but it’s a double edge sword, because once we take his music out for festivals because of copy right reasons, our stuff looks 10 times crappier. Our current favorite soundtrack is “Moving On” by Michael Giacchino, which was his final score for the “Lost” season finale.
best chow to get you ready for a shoot?
It isn’t necessarily a snack, but those 5-hour energies have been saving our asses. It tastes pretty bad but it’s worth it if you haven’t slept for days leading up to a shoot.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
It certainly has. Our productions have steadily gotten larger and it takes a lot more time and effort from pre-production to post nowadays compared to when we started. If you think about it, after all those hours of planning and shooting, all it takes is for one mishap with audio for the project to either go down the drain or for the workload to double. It takes a lot of perseverance to keep doing this, but we truly believe that the more we film and overcome these problems, the greater our passion for film-making gets.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
Kelly says that he has a lucky production hat, although we run into a fair amount of problems on set when he’s wearing it. I think he’s bullshitting, but who knows. Maybe things would be much worst if he didn’t have it on.
are you photography nerds or camera gangstas?
Hmmm…we’re not sure about this one. Is there a category for cool guerrillas?
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
Capricorn for both.
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Honestly our first thought would be our friend Tyler Piersall. We know this is more of a photo/filmmakers site but he’s very talented with sound/music and I’m sure you’d get a very interesting interview with him.
©Kevin&KellyLuu
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
at info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com
subject: Art Star
please include a link to your website and examples of your work
____
©RoegCohen
Mikael Kennedy is a photographer living and working in New York City. He is the author of the internationally acclaimed Polaroid travel blog: Passport to Trespass and his Polaroid work is represented by the Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art Gallery of New York City. Kennedy’s Polaroids were recently the subject of a solo show at the historic Chelsea Hotel in New York City and were shown at the International Polaroid Symposium in Cardiff, Wales where he was invited as a guest lecturer. His work has appeared in Nylon, Dazed & Confused, Blown (UK), Cosmopolitan, WWD, GQ.com. His photographs are part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX as well as in private collections nationwide.
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
My mother gave me a 2 photo books when I was young, Herb Ritts and Ansel Adams. I think that can explain where I am today.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
A Polaroid SX70 and a Mamiya 6
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Art comes from life, I also am fascinated with the American Landscape
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
Not really, Art takes priority, a long time ago I decided that I was going to let art take over everything.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
If you look at my Polaroid work you will see that there is no preference.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I have a show opening in Vancouver on June 30th:
I recently released Vol. 7 in my Passport to Trespass series: Hunt Them Out.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I’d say most folks know me from the decade long Polaroid documentation of my travels: www.passporttotrespass.com
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
I wish I had a chance to meet Allen Ginsberg.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
The next one is going to be driving around the west. New Mexico to Montana.
what’s your post production process?
I don’t really have one, My Polaroids are scanned for publishing purposes but otherwise they are finished when they come out of the camera. My larger format landscape work are all printed in a traditional darkroom.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I don’t think that the camera you use matters. I have seen some beautiful work made with a point and shoot and some horrible work made with a Hasselblad
who are your favorite photographers?
I love the photography of Allen Gisnbery, Daido Moriyama, Wim Wenders, Jonny Dark. There is a sincerity in their work.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
I had my first solo show with my gallery, Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art, NY in NYC in 2009, we rented at the Chelsea Hotel and installed 500 Polaroids on the walls.
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
Find a way to distinguish yourself from the masses, millions of people right now are carrying around cameras taking pictures. The world doesn’t simply need more photographs, it needs new and unique visions.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
Brown Bird (www.brownbird.net)
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
My van out on the open road.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or to celebrate after?
A beer is a good.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
This is an image from my series ‘The Odysseus’ …it’s crossing into California from Oregon. Mostly I’d like to go back there.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
Wim Wenders from his book “Once” I recently said in another interview that I don’t like to explain photos, I like them to stand on their own. I leave that to the critics and historians.
harlomo: Dusk in Coober Pedy | 1978 | Wim Wenders @ Haunch of Venison until 14th May 2011
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning pro?
If it did, I guess I’d probably quit taking pictures.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
I have a St. Christopher necklace from Jamaica that was given to me by a wandering friend who has since passed away. I’ve worn it every day for 6 years.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
I don’t know what you mean. I’m not a scientist if that is what you are asking
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
Libra
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
©MikaelKennedy
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
at info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com
subject: Art Star
please include a link to your website and examples of your work.
____
Born in Bristol, England, I have always had a creative itch, I used to paint although I’m not sure I would show anyone those now. I have been in web design and eCommerce for 12 years which although hasn’t made me rich (yet), has meant that I now know my way around photoshop and a graphics tablet. I’ve been into digital photography for 4 years especially Infrared, where almost opaque filters cut out the colors that make up the world and leave postcards from ghostly and ethereal worlds.
www.darkoptics.net
blog.darkoptics.net
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
I had cameras when I was younger, had dabbled with photography in art college but can remember always being disappointed with the small photos that came back from the chemist. Forward wind (a few years) and the discovery of the digital negatives and my computer could give me the types of images that I wanted, I was never going to be any good in a real darkroom, I’m way too messy.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
I have a Canon 5DM2 which I use for normal and IR images with filters and a fully converted 450D, and a few lenses that I’ve settled on. They are mostly wide angle, I love distorted angles.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Sunshine (but not too much), InfraRed loves sunshine, the golden hour is around midday when other photographers need to stop shooting, the chlorophyll in the plants glow the brightest and the sky is at its darkest red, that’s what gets me out taking photos. Its a shame I live in England where we get only a week of sunshine in a year.
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
I’m fortunate that I have a job that I enjoy, pays some of the bills and allows me do my photography on weekends, its not as good as being able to take photographs all the time, but it lets me concentrate on photos for ‘me’ rather than having to take pictures that other people like.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot?
Ruined architecture and bleak landscapes.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
My first exhibition is happening in July, in a gallery called Rhubarb & Custard in Eton, Windsor – England. I’m exhibiting a portfolio that I’ve put together from 2 trips to the 30km exclusion zone around the Chernobyl power plant, It was a very unique trip, Intriguing, exciting and humbling and I hope the photos show that, this is my chance to give something back through my photography as well since I’m donating the proceeds to a Chernobyl children’s charity.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
When I choose locations and subjects, I try and look for angles that are different and in Photoshop I try to put my twist on the images, it doesn’t always work that way but I still see myself as a work in progress. I’m concentrating more on atmosphere now, rather than getting carried away with sharpness and color of the photos I’ve entered into photo competitions.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
I don’t really do portraits, if I were to then it would have to be a musician, maybe Keith Flint from the prodigy or Beth Gibbons from the Bristol group Portishead
what’s your dream photo field trip?
Chernobyl was my dream field trip actually (i have weird dreams), I’ve been trying to work out why, maybe it was because of the stories, the abandonment or danger or just a curiosity to see somewhere on that scale unlike anywhere on earth, like being on the set of a movie set. On a more scenic level, I want to do a trip to Iceland to see the Glaciers and volcanic lava fields.
what’s your post production process?
IR images need a lot of work in the digital darkroom, That’s one of the reason I think I like them so much, I start by applying a custom profile which allows the white balance to be set to lower that the camera raw’s -2000k, then tweak the calibration colors before changing it to grey scale with the color sliders separating the colors and shades. Once open in Photoshop, I work with layers and filters to add the noise, the light leakage and halation to the images.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I want an IR converted 5DM2.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
There are a few professional photographers that I like, Simon Marsden was my inspiration for entering the world of Infrared, I also like Gerd Ludwig’s portfolio from Chernobyl.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
I’m hoping that this exhibition will be my big break, I’ve had a lot of encouragement from this, I started planning the exhibition and I didn’t really have any specific goals in mind, now I’m starting to believe that world domination is actually possible.
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
The process of putting together a portfolio has helped me immensely to focus, whether for an exhibition or qualification, I’ve learned a lot from it. I would definitely advise anyone that’s feeling overwhelmed or has photo block to consider this as something to focus on, I spent the last 3-4 years chasing the perfect photo, before I discovered that it wasn’t one photo, it was many.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
Music always been a major inspiration to me, I’ve always had quite eclectic taste in this as well, RJD2, DJ Shadow, Massive Attack, Buck 65 to name a small selection. I’ve always loved the photography, artwork and typography on CDs and records, it will be sad to see this fade away.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
Old crumbling buildings, the damper and dirtier the better, It does sound weird but there’s something about these old places, the thoughts of all the history that went before, the feelings and even the smells. I try and capture the interaction between these and the nature that almost always is slowly creeping back in.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot?
Fajitas, I could eat them every day!
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
This isn’t part of the exhibition, but its one of my favorite shots, I have a huge print of this on my wall at home, it was taken at an abandoned water park and I love the curling round of the side with the graffiti rising out of the glowing weeds.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
These were the kind of photos that got me into IR, light leakage, burnt out highlights and dark shadows, but so much atmosphere, its almost like watching an old black and white horror film and feeling all those emotions from just one image.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
I’m still very much in the amateur category, but who knows, maybe not for long!
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
Maybe my walking trainers, they have protected my feet from protruding nails and glass on many occasions, I would feel naked without them.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Honestly.. I’m probably on the nerd side of the scale, as much as I would like to think I’m a gangsta, I am definitely a nerd when it comes to cameras and lenses but then ruin it all by putting opaque filters in front, and processing them so that they look analogue.
what’s your sign?
Gemini
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Gerd Ludwig, definitely
©DarrenNisbett
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
at info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com
subject: Art Star
please include a link to your website and examples of your work
____
©CharlesYesenczki
Andrea Morales was born in Lima, Peru in the midst of hyperinflation and political instability to a very lovely couple. Her family caught some luck during a visa lottery and hopped a plane to Miami, Florida. Her formative years were spent in South Florida, observing life and writing about it in Spanglish. At some point, she tucked a journalism degree in her pocket and took that, along with her two-wheel drive Jeep on a series of newspaper internships, including one in Ohio. Frustrated with a confusing industry and then conveniently stuck in the Midwest, she made the decision to go to grad school at Ohio University. Now, she lives in a shotgun shack in an old coal-mining community with two awesome cats, but refuses to be called a cat lady because of its anachronistic and close-minded implications.
http://www.andreamoralesphoto.com
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
The idea of making photographs has been a latent interest as long as I can remember, but I spent a lot of my time before college pursuing the idea of becoming a writer. When I realized I habitually overuse passive sentences, I gave that up and found myself exploring the visual instead.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
I went and spent a lot of the little money I have on a Canon 5D Mark II, so that’s my primary tool. When I have the extra scratch for film, I love spending time with my thrift-store point-and-shoots.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
The people I’ve met, the people I’m hoping to meet and the people I know.
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
Fortunately for myself, there aren’t a lot of paying photo gigs in Appalachian Ohio so I have nothing but time for my personal work. The struggle for money is certainly a very real one for me. Some months I don’t even have cash to fuel my stinkin’ rattletrap of a vehicle. I’ve been making do by picking up odd jobs along the way, but the only reason I’m still here is to finish an on-going personal project, so that remains front and center. If I can maintain some semblance of that pattern for the rest of my life, despite its instability and lack of perceived glamor, I could be very happy.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
Anything with lots of angst.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I’m spending the next few months preparing to defend my master’s project. If I don’t follow through, I would like your readers to hold me accountable.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I’m only 5’2, so that makes for all kinds of fun low angles. But there’s probably something about who I am that also yields something different.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
My mother in a full-on collaborative shoot. I just can’t imagine her doing that, because of who she is and what our relationship is like, but I think it would be amazing if she opened up to me. If not her, then Shakira.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
Hard to answer this one because I’ve been in one place for more than a hot second and going anywhere with a camera sounds like a dream. I’m going to say exploring the Brazilian Amazon via canoe.
what’s your post production process?
Lots of coffee, the kind of pop music that most people work out to (or something equally sassy), a cat on my lap and enough inches between me and the screen so that I’m not compromising my eyesight. I like going through my pictures in reverse chronological order too. It gives me some weird comfort and clarity. Then its all file naming conventions, some note-making, sharing with a lover, saving in two places and sleeping on it.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
A SX-70 Polaroid Camera with an infinite film cartridge. I would never touch digital anything ever again.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
Brenda Ann Kenneally, Nan Goldin, Elinor Carucci all use photography in a way that’s introspective but also reaches out to a universality that a lot of artists and documentarians fail to do. They lend you their journeys and others’ journeys so that you can learn from them and I appreciate that. On the other end, there are journalists who unintentionally but effectively made coverage of conflict something I could believe in again, like John Moore and Victor Blue.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
While I was in the middle of a strange little newspaper internship in Lima, Ohio, I was talked into producing a piece about my family’s experience on our road to U.S. citizenship. Not realizing how excited the editors were about this, I mostly took photos for myself when I went back to Miami for the naturalization ceremony and turned in one of my dad cheesing for the camera in front of this gigantic American flag. The paper ran that photo as the lead on the front page. We’re not an overly patriotic bunch, but something about having the story published definitely gave my parents a lot of joy. Not a big break, but definitely a shining moment for my folks who have given me everything.
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
Don’t qualify your work through the work of others. Be yourself. Experience the world. Success doesn’t require exclusivity.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
These here are two questions: Old bolero, merengue and Andean folk is the soundtrack to my life. While I’m editing, I’ll listen to nearly anything that will only consume me enough to push me forward.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
A good porch with good friends and some decent beer.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
I’m usually devouring something in my car that’s in sandwich form while driving to go shoot somewhere and you can’t deny the PB & Honey sandwich. While I do eat to celebrate, I don’t remember ever celebrating a brilliant capture, or ever acknowledging one. General celebration food however does exist and that is a cheesy, sloppy egg sandwich or something bacon-y.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
Roxy Ann McKee, 3, works on her sucker while staying still as her older cousins Nykki and Jameska spray her hair pink at the local high school's homecoming game. Roxy and her little brother Shane have been taken in by their cousins after her parents handed over custody of them.
Roxy continues to be one of my favorite people to photograph and hang out with. She is part of a series I’m building into my master’s project in a neglected and often vilified town here in southeast Ohio. I know people say its easy to photograph children, but the complexity of her life and how she interprets that into her surroundings is always surprising. She was left in the care of relatives after her parents surrendered to their addictions and the trauma of her life showed in her behavior. Now that she’s a little older and has been provided for in a certain way, her personality and kindness is no longer hostage to her fears.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
©Alessandra Sanguinetti
I’m enchanted and obsessed with so much that photography and visuals have to offer its hard to pick a singular image, but Alessandra Sanguinetti’s work offers an option I can be confident in. This particular image hits upon a lot of what I think is worth exploring regarding girls, self-image and relationships. And its beautiful.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
I think because passions are the way they are, consuming and kinetic, they are always changing. It was not until a short time ago that I called myself a professional to someone else and actually created an invoice. It was weird. But its a good thing to engage in that sort of business because it will allow me to continue supporting this ridiculous affliction I have.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
A pair of pants that won’t embarrass me when I get low and a tiny felt baby chick my little sister gave me when we were younger that I keep in my wallet
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Gangsta nerd, if anything. Ask anyone who knows me.
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
Leo
As a coal train rolls by in the background, Brittany, 8, poses for a picture while playing dress up with her neighbors. Her chosen outfit was an old ballerina number.
Nikki Barnhart, 15, offers her cigarette to her dog Miley while lying in bed with her boyfriend Tim, 18. Nikki and her boyfriend had been living together at her mom's house for a few months until he got felony charges for helping out her older brother in a hair-brained scheme to rob the local E-Z-Mart.
©AndreaMorales
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com, subject: Art Star.
*please include your website and examples of your work
____
I was born in Texas and grew up in Texas and Alaska. I studied painting and graphic design in Austin, joined the Army and lived in Germany for two years where I pursued painting along with my military duties. After leaving the Army I moved around between Texas, California, Minnesota and Virginia, working as a graphic designer and eventually ending up in Dallas. I’m now a freelance photographer and photojournalist specializing in event, editorial and assignment photography. I am also a volunteer photographer for the American Red Cross.
when and how did you become interested in Photography?
I suppose my interest began when I was an intern at the Austin Chronicle. Martha Grenon was the art director at the time and she assigned me to the darkroom where I operated the process camera and developed halftones and line art to be used in the paper. I have always used a camera as a tool for my painting and design work but it wasn’t until five years ago that I started concentrating on photography as my sole means of expression, and when I found myself in the press-pool for then senator Clinton’s Democratic Primary rally at Fair Park I decided to make photography my vocation. Now it’s a full-time job and I love every minute of it!
what gear do you mainly shoot with?
I primarily use a Canon 400D (yes, I need to upgrade) with a 50mm 1.8 lens for about 80% of what I shoot. I have a Sigma A7 and a Yashica Electro 35 for film, but in the end, I’ll use my phone-camera if it means getting the shot.
what is your #1 source of inspiration?
People and specifically my wife.
many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
For the most part I consider my paying gigs personal work so I guess there’s not much of a struggle. I would like to get back to doing studio nudes, hopefully my “paying gigs” will subsidize that.
what is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
Again I would have to say people, how they look, where they go, what they do, how they behave, what they eat and so on. I’m fascinated by what makes us uniquely human and the stories that result.
do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I have a couple of things in the works but nothing anytime soon.
what is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I’m not sure if I can judge what makes my work “unique” but I can say that I’ve learned to shoot in hostile lighting conditions long enough to get what the editor needs.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
Martin Luther, just to to see if I could get him to smile.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
A three month excursion heading to the East and coming home from the West.
what’s your post production process?
I try to get as much right “in-camera” as I can, then Lightroom for color/exposure adjustments. I use Photoshop only for sharpening or if retouching is needed or requested.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
A Leica M9. I hear Leica makes good cameras.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
Off the top of my head: Robert Capa, Ron Haviv, Chris Weeks, Helmut Newton, Severin Koller, Jeff Dunas, Jeanloup Sieff, Dorothea Lange, Gene Dailey…the list could go on & on…I think it’s the connection they make (one way or another) to their subjects that interests me.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
Recently it was being chosen to photograph the largest Alba truffle in North America (thanks to Steven Doyle and Chef Chad Bowden) Shooting for the Red Cross has and will always be a series of shining moments.
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
Figure out what you like to shoot and shoot it until you like something else. Don’t get hung-up on “gear”, learn the rules of your craft, get a handle on them, shoot with what you have and go from there. What you bring to a camera is the important thing. Give yourself “assignments” and try not to miss deadlines. Read, go bowling, write poetry, make meaningful relationships, never stop learning, sleep when you’re dead…
Daniel Kagle gave me the best advice ever: “Find the light, find the moments… the rest will be easy.”
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
Ennio Morricone’s “Fistfull of Film Music” … my favorite music while working varies from Kenny Rogers to Eminem & I’m often listening to Podcasts of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
I don’t stay still enough to have a favorite.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
Red Bull and a cigarette for both.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
One of my favorites is this photo I took at a 5 alarm apartment fire in Dallas, I think I was able to show not only the human emotion and compassion involved, but to also illustrate the role of the Red Cross in disasters local or abroad.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother” is the first thing that comes to mind. I can remember seeing this image in a book (Family of Women I think) when I was a kid and it always stuck with me.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
I always seem to wear one of three shirts but other than that no.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Gangsta’! I’m not smart enough to be a Nerd.
what’s your sign?
Taurus
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
She recently moved to Austin but I would love to see Kate Wurtzel interviewed. I think she does some amazing work http://www.katefotos.org/
©RobertBostick
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
at info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com
subject: Art Star
please include a link to your website and examples of your work
____
Joseph Holmes’ photos have been exhibited in dozens of solo and group shows across the country and are featured in the international survey, Photography Now: One Hundred Portfolios. Joe was one of four photographers in the national print campaign, Stunning Nikon, in 2005 and 2006. As part of Berlin Meets New York, twenty-eight photos from his series, joe’s nyc, were displayed on multimedia screens in Berlin subway trains. For more than four years, his daily photographs of New York City have been syndicated in Charlie Suisman’s Manhattan User’s Guide. Joe’s short stories have appeared in the literary journals Phantasmagoria, The North Atlantic Review, and Pikeville Review. He lives and works in Brooklyn.
portfolio: http://portfolio.streetnine.com
20×200: http://bit.ly/20x200joe
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
When I was twelve years old or so, my father sold his Leica and bought a Miranda Sensorex SLR with a built-in light meter, a simpler camera that my sister and I could use. Ever since then, I’ve loved taking pictures — and developing and printing them.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
I use a Nikon D700 digital SLR, most often with the Nikon 85mm f/1.4D and the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. That’s my desert island kit.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
New York City. #2 would be my sixteen-year-old daughter Sophia, who constantly impresses me with her artistic soul.
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
My personal work always comes first, because it’s the personal work that makes up my career, selling prints through my galleries and through Jen Bekman’s 20×200 project. I’ve been very lucky that the things I love to shoot for myself have resonated with so many people.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
I love shooting New York City, though what I come home with isn’t strictly street photography or cityscapes or any other genre I can pin down. Maybe the genre is just photos of New York City. Can that be a genre? But I’m also having a wonderful time exploring portrait photography. Portraits are rich on so many levels, and I love the social challenges of photographing a stranger.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
Not at the moment, I’m still recovering and taking a bit of a break from a busy winter. My solo show, “The Urban Wilderness,” was at the Jen Bekman Gallery, 6 Spring Spring Street, through last January 23. http://www.jenbekman.com/
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
That’s something I can’t answer. I’m always fooling around with new ideas and new ways to see things and new things to shoot, but I have to trust those around me when they say that all my work has some kind of consistency of vision. I believe them, but I’m too close to the work to see it myself. Instead, every new idea I shoot tends to feel radically different, like I’m starting from scratch.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
I wish I could go back just a few years to shoot my father before he died. Now that I’m exploring portraiture, I would have enjoyed trying to find a way to capture him.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
My dream field trip is actually just a short walk out my front door. The trip I love best is walking into Prospect Park here in Brooklyn right after a fresh snowfall, arriving before dawn so I can capture the first people hiking through the new snow in that early winter light.
what’s your post production process?
I take images first into Apple Aperture for cataloging and key wording, then I open the selects in DxO tools which corrects for lens flaws like distortion and chromatic aberration. Finally, I finish with some basic corrections in Photoshop — contrast, exposure, etc. It all takes only a few minutes. The end of that process is an image I label a Master Source, which I archive. From that master, I can then re size and sharpen for the Web, for printing, publication, or whatever final destination.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I think I’d enjoy shooting 8×10. (at the time of this interview) I just finished a project, NYC Xmas Tree Vendors – http://bit.ly/nycxmas – that would have been really fun with an 8×10. And it’s less a matter of expense than time. My work days are already filled with not just taking pictures but the whole business of photography. Leaning a whole new format would be a serious investment of time. On a more practical level, some day I’d like to move up to Nikon’s D3s, which is very similar to my D700 but bumped up to that next level of gorgeousness. It might be the most perfect camera out there for how and what I shoot. Until Nikon’s next camera, anyway.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
Lee Friedlander has been the most difficult photographer for me to wrap my mind around, right from the start. It’s not like he breaks the rules, it’s as if he’s never heard of them, as if he were born without them. His choices of framing and subject are wildly unexpected. He makes me work so hard for every image I see, and then once I finally absorb what he’s doing, I can’t get it out of my mind. He’s my favorite because I can’t explain him, I can’t imitate him, and I can’t get enough of him.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
My solo show at the Bekman Gallery this past December and January was certainly the shining moment. I really loved having the Urban Wilderness images printed, framed and hanging — three of the prints were 30×40″. It just felt really great to stand in the middle of the gallery surrounded by the work. And the opening was such fun — people from all walks of my life came in, and I had the time of my life.
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
Trust your gut. When you find a project that really excites you, that feels like it’s working and makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning and start shooting, run with it. Don’t ask opinions, don’t show it around, don’t second guess yourself and worry that you’re headed down a dead end street — just shoot the hell out of it until you run out of steam, until you know you’re finished. And only then start showing it around. Worst case: it was an important learning experience. Best case: it really is brilliant.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
I listen to Marnie Stern, New Pornographers, Regina Spektor, Ratatat, XTC… but I can’t listen to music while I edit. It seems to distract the part of my brain that makes good photo decisions.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
The East Village is where I love to shoot, though I don’t know if that’s really a hang or just me walking with a camera. I do all my real hanging at home.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
Breakfast! For some reason, I really love getting up early and out the door. The light is great, the city is still waking up, everybody’s got lots of energy. So the best chow is a bowl of Cap’n Crunch and a double espresso.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
I’m very fickle about my own photos, and I have no desire to be objective. I’m always in love with whatever I’m shooting right now and tired of the work that’s finished and done. That said, I still love this photo I shot a year and a half ago. It not only works for me in many ways, but it represents that Gift from the Photo Gods that I treasure. Sometimes the woman in the yellow dress steps into your frame, and all you can do is press the shutter release and thank the photo gods. In that order.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
It’s always changing, but today’s favorite image is this shot by Alec Soth. This portrait really demonstrates Soth’s brilliance: it feels both posed and candid, mysterious and simple, revealing and withholding. It’s almost uncomfortably intimate. And like all of Soth’s work, it’s gorgeously shot. Soth has a huge number of portraits that are damned near perfect. I’m always inspired by his work.
©AlecSoth
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
Not at all. My passion for photography took off when I first shot digital. That totally opened things up for me. I’ve never looked back.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
I love shooting in my leather jacket. It’s not especially lucky, it just looks really good on me.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Mostly a nerd — or maybe I’m a camera hippie. I love the gear and the techniques, but I believe strongly in working from my gut, not over analyzing what I’ve shot or what I’m going to shoot next. For that reason, while I like to talk cameras and lenses, I don’t like to talk about the photos and what they mean.
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
Actually, I was born without a sign. Strange but true.
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Mark Alor Powell has been shooting sublime work for such a long time now, I’d love to hear more from him.
©JosephHolmes
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
at info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com
subject: Art Star
please include a link to your website and examples of your work
____
Half Albanian, half Belgian, Sophie Rata grew up in Belgium and started completely devoting herself to photography about two years ago, but it was always part of her life somehow. After finishing school (photography) in 1998 she assisted Marc Lagrange for about a year. that was before digital photography when photographing was still quite an investment. At that time she was experiencing life, traveling and still photographing from time to time. Then all her equipment was stolen and she just stopped shooting for about 2 years. Embarking on a trip to India, she decided to acquire a digital camera …and from that moment on, she slowly but surely developed the passion that for the last 2 years has turned into an obsession. She always had a talent for drawing and found that with the digital revolution she was able to put her entire self into a photograph by editing it exactly the way she wants it to be.
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
i guess subconsciously when i started to realize i could fantasize my own reality through what i see in everyday life. so very soon in life actually..
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
mainly a nikon d700, 85mm 1.4, 50mm 1.5 and sometimes a 24mm 2.8 and a 70-200 2.8
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Butterflies, i have this obsession with their colors how they always seem to match in every different species of butterflies… so I use that inspiration a lot in my work when it comes to color choices. I have hundreds of pictures and drawings of all different kinds of butterflies at home
Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, ending up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?
it depends, sometimes i do sometimes i don’t… but i try to get jobs which allow me to do the kind of work i love most. i try to stay true to what i love instead of doing a lot of commercial jobs to earn more money
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
whatever i have in mind, which can be every genre i guess creating a certain ambiance is very important to me
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
i really wouldn’t know for sure, but i guess the way i use color and i have a certain soft film-like editing style. also i tend to work with wide open f to get creamy dimensional blurs (hence why i mainly work with prime lenses) when editing i try to give my images kind of an analogue feel to them. I also try to make scenes look as plausible as possible, even when i really tweak colors and such. i love to create something surreal, but in such a way that it looks real, if u get what i mean, as if the world i create really does exist somewhere. I hate when a picture looks totally Photoshopped and fake, like shooting in studio with harsh light and then layering up in landscapes which are obviously fake… it can be done, but few are those manage to get it right in my opinion.
Light is very important!
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
amongst my favorite celebrities are: Lily Cole, Juliette Lewis, Scarlett Johansson, Kirsten Dunst, Ania Franziska Plaschg and Audrey Tautou, just to name a few. because of their endless beauty, and outspoken personality. but just actually anyone with that thing that triggers me would do, they really don’t need to be famous at all…
what’s your dream photo field trip?
i will be going on a shooting trip to Dartmoor soon, that’s one of them
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
hasselblad, because I like the challenge of square framing, the grip and the extreme fine quality of lenses.
who are your favorite photographers?
tim walker for his concepts
eugenio recuenco for the pure beauty, scenery and use of light
sally mann for ambiance, honesty and analogue love
marc lagrange for his perfect technique
do you have any tips/tricks or advice for amateur photo nerds who are looking to shoot full time or students who are just starting out?
show your work as much as you can and shoot and edit as much as you can, always strive to improve your skills. once you stop doing that, it’s over
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
i like listening to piano music a lot but I enjoy many, many styles of music. at the moment I love radical face for editing, I also tend to listen to soundtracks of movies that inspire me and sometimes i put on a great movie or series that i can watch over and over again while editing commercial work
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
outside on location
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
a great vegan power meal and a fresh orange-carrot-ginger juice
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
This is one of my faves because it looks so weird and i love the colors, actually I took this shot while we were cleaning up, i saw her walking with the frame as such and of course asked her for a few more shots. The light was perfect, actually it was dark already… i like shooting in twilight.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
I have many, but here’s one by Sally Mann. I really love how bizarre this whole scene looks with the kid on stilts in the background and the way they are standing there as adults waiting for something…
Candy Cigarette ©Sally Mann
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Neither, or a little bit of both
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
Gemini
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Marc Lagrange
©SophieRata
If you are a photographer and would like to be featured as a future/potential Art Star on our blog, email us!
info@photopolus.com or ange@angefitzgerald.com, subject: Art Star.
*please include your website and examples of your work
____
www.photopolus.etsy.com
