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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
____
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
____
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
____
Jim grew up in between two pig farms on the East Coast. One is now a 3000 square foot home subdivision, and the other is soon to be an 18 hole golf course. He spent several years traveling through out the United States and was then roped into attending college by his brother Paul – four years after he graduated from high school. He received a bachelor’s degree in English/Journalism from the University of New Hampshire and had hoped to be the next Earnest Hemingway. His mentor, Dan Habib, told him to focus on either writing or photography, he chose photography. Jim has just finished his master’s degree in photography with the School of Visual Communication at Ohio University. He is currently living and working in Saudi Arabia.
www.jimkorpi.com
www.jimkorpi.com/blog
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
My childhood was rural and consisted of jaunts through the woods that would often consume whole days. There came a point at which I began to see things in the woods, like trees felled by beavers, and other natural phenomenon that I felt like I needed to record and share. This began when I was about 14 or 15. Soon after this I was working at McDonald’s and attending school at the same time. Newsweek magazine came to my school and interviewed me and others about the struggle of going to school and working at the same time. A Newsweek photographer then contacted me and asked if he could photograph me flipping burgers at McDonald’s. The franchise wouldn’t allow it, but the two of us sat down for a long conversation about our lives, and that moment opened my eyes to a life of exploration beyond the confines of the fast food industry.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
Strangely enough, I bought a Mamiya 7 camera with a normal lens off a friend of mine about two years ago and haven’t looked back. I haven’t picked up my Canon 5D in about 4 months. This camera and the slow process of using film has brought back an aspect of photography that I lost with the immediacy of digital.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
My ideals. The standards I hold to the world are an accumulation of my past and a growing understanding in the direction of our future. This reservoir of thought does not inspire me as a Picasso may inspire a painter, but instead it fuels me and pushes me out the door when all the struggles of life tell me to stay in bed.
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?
Truthfully, I’m having the reverse problem presently. I’m finding it harder and harder to do work that is NOT personal work. I would much rather shovel cow manure on a farm than make portraits of some corporate executive who makes money from exploitation. I don’t want photography to be a job in the common conception of a job. I never want to pick up my camera and think to myself, “I really don’t want to pick up this camera right now.”
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot?
This is a hard question. Genres are boxes I’m not sure I want to place myself into. I mainly seek truthful reflections in the peculiarities of the current human condition, whatever genre that may be. Documentary I guess.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
In January my friend Ross Mantle and I had a show at a gallery in Dayton, Ohio, titled Confluence. Ross has been working on a telling project about the Monongahela River and I’ve worked on a long-term project along the Ohio River, so this group exhibition was a culmination of these two bodies of work that compliment each other extremely well. The exhibit has started to pick up some interest and will be at San Francisco’s Exposure Gallery in May.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
My past. There are plenty of amazing photographers out there, and truthfully making a photograph is getting easier and easier. But I’m not interested in “good photographs” necessarily. I’m interested in what a photographer has to say about the world around them. Good light, composition… I could not care less. Like a good painter, a photographer must be able to translate thought to canvas. In the past couple years I’ve begun to speak through photography, this makes my work unique to me.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
My first thought is my grandfather. He was blind and ran a farm in what is now suburban Massachusetts. He died when I was young, and my memories of him are reserved to seeing him in a coffin and the obituary photograph my mom would always keep tucked in the corner of the mirror on her bureau.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
Currently I’m dreaming up ways to fund a trip around the United States photographing people and land.
what’s your post production process?
I get my film back, sleeve it, scan in the sleeves to make contact sheets, prints the contact sheets, keyword and archive contact sheets, make high resolution scans of my favorite images and then tone, remove dust… Film is an arduous process.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I would most likely pick up something like the Fuji GX617 panorama camera. I’m interested in working with this wide format in the future. The frame size and camera design suit my modus operundi.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
I’m currently in love with what Taryn Simon is doing. Her concepts and execution of projects are both thoughtful and humble. I do not see her ego in her photographs but instead her thoughts. Carl de Keyzer is one of my all-time favorites. His critical vision has continued for decades. He has also grown over the years. The project he did on Siberian prison camps shows this unique vision but also a craftsmanship that has been years in the making.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far?
Up to now there have been no fireworks or pinnacle moments. Instead my photographic “career” has taken on the appearance of a slow growth curve. At an exhibition of my work recently a German fella’ came up to me and told me my work spoke to him in way that he had not felt with photography in a while. This understanding by others of my current work has been an important moment of growth.
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?
Photograph things that make your blood boil. Photograph your past and present. Photograph the point at which your heart and mind collide. Try not to look at the work of others too much. This will only fill you mind with imagery that you will inherently repeat in the future. Uniqueness will come from within.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
Folk and bluegrass are usually always playing on my computer, but I’ve been on an Arcade Fire and Sean Hayes kick lately.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
The woods. “Only in the wilderness is pure truth.”
best chow to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
Kentucky Bourbon. I’m big into food and cooking, but if I were to celebrate I’m likely to toast with a glass of Kentucky’s finest.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
This photograph speaks to where I am as a photographer. The image is an intersection in the unusual nature of humanity with normalcy. Recognizing these fleeting but quiet moments is what I strive for as a still photographer. This is where the stillness of photography reigns in power.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
Sabastio Salgado’s photograph of young workers relaxing in a sauna after work in Zaporozh’ye, Ukraine taken in 1987, was a transformational image for me. It such a simple image, but the humanity behind it and behind the work of Salgado is often breathtaking. Salgado has no pretense with allowing the subject to look into the eyes of the viewer.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
I wouldn’t consider myself “pro” at all. The majority of my income comes from photography, so in the true sense of the word, I’m a professional. But if paying the bills through photography doesn’t work out, then I will move on to paying the bills through something like farming or woodworking. I will not change my style of working to suit the market.
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 dress practically and as discreetly as the occasion requires. I do feel content wearing a scarf and my old wool sweater though.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Somewhere in the middle.
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
My astrological sign is Aries, or Ram.
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
©JimKorpi
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
____
My name is Melissa Aquino and I live for everything that is abandoned or bizarre. Originally from New Jersey, I recently transplanted to Hollywood, CA to escape the “Snookie” stereotypes. Though I occasionally miss the pizza and pappardelle, I’m enjoying a whole new color palette on the west coast.
http://theaquino.com
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
When I was a kid I had one of those old-school point & shoot brick cameras with the square negatives (wish I could remember what they were called). I always had my camera with me so that I could take photos of important animals I met. I didn’t get serious about photography until high school.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
Honestly, my set-up is pretty ghetto – I’m happy with what I’m able to do with limited resources. I shoot with a Canon Rebel XTi (kit lens, shhh. Someone please buy me a new, better one).
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Anything retro/cheesecake, DIY kids Halloween costumes, and music. I’ve based entire shoots around songs by Gary Numan and the Magnetic Fields.
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 work in social media during the day to pay the bills. So yes, it is a struggle! I try to shoot as much as I can on nights and weekends, but I long to be able to just wake up one weekday and wander around, shooting aimlessly.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
It’s a toss-up. I love planned portraits, but I also love documenting random things that I stumble upon in travels.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
Stay tuned.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I’m obsessed with “the way things used to be”. I love finding abandoned buildings or “secret” spots and setting up there.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be?
my ancestors.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
Oh, my. Get me a time machine, and I’ll take it from there.
what’s your post production process?
Some minimal Photoshop color corrections, and hours of painstaking indecisiveness.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
A top-of-the-line Leica digital camera. But I’d settle for a Canon 7D.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
I mostly only keep up with my friends’ photos, or really any photographer under the age of 40. There are a lot of lesser-known visionaries these days.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
I’m really happy whenever anyone likes something I’ve made.
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 take photos of flowers, unless they’re really, really perverse.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
60’s girl groups.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
Any vegan spot in Los Angeles, or cooking in my kitchen.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
A huge breakfast with lots of protein and avocado is great for both of these occasions.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
Such a strange, lonely moment while driving through New Mexico on my way to California from New Jersey.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
this one (by Chrissie White) It’s kitschy and dreamy, but so, so sad. I love it.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
I’m smarter now when it comes to things like lighting, but I think my feelings have remained the same.
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 forget to wear proper shoes when out in nature. For me this question should be “what item of clothing have you thrown out because of an important assignment or project”. Once I decided to wear leather snakeskin-print flats out into the middle of the woods for a shoot. They were wearable for a few more days but really very sad. Another time in New York City I got caught in a 3am downpour and ruined my all-time favorite t-strap metallic flats. Once you get rained on/step in puddles in New York City, you have to burn every article of clothing on your person…it’s a rule.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
Gangsta because I’m low-budget, but nerd because I care.
what’s your sign?
Leo. The best sign.
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Yumna, because her photos make you feel like you’re in a totally different universe. And she’s a super nice person.
©Melissa Aquino
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
____
Currently traveling in between hometown Antwerp (Belgium) and place of study Eindhoven (the Netherlands), I try to make as much time for photography as possible. Not having any photographic education, I build up my own view on photography by looking through books, watching movies, traveling, etc. Sensitivity for colors and light is something I most definitely got from studying design. In my work I try to capture emotions and beauty, mostly the raw and unrefined beauty of a girl.
www.charlotteboeyden.be
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
I’ve always loved looking at photographs and when I was younger I used to collect my favorite images from magazines. But the actual idea of taking photographs myself only came about a year and a half ago. I started following some flickr profiles and they inspired me to try it out myself.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
Right now it’s basically just a 35mm camera (canon FTB) and a 50mm lens.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Girls and their mesmerizing power when they look into a camera.
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 haven’t done any payed gigs so that makes it quite easy. I’m in the luxury position of being a student with sweetheart parents who pay my rent. But I’m still naive enough to hope that in the future, I will get paid for doing the things I love most.
What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
Fashion, definitely fashion. I’m hoping to broaden my experience in that area in the time to come.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I never had a photography course so all I can do is follow my intuition. I judge images with my feeling, and try to find beauty in their flaws.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
These kind of questions really stress me, because I know I will come up with the perfect answer once I pressed the ‘send’ button. But I can tell you that I feel very intrigued by the beauty of boyish looking girls with really long hair.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
I have many, but at the moment I’m a tiny bit obsessed with volcanoes and mountains.
what’s your post production process?
Scanning my images. From time to time I crop an image, brighten it up a bit, or make it black and white. But that’s really it. I try to keep the images as pure and honest as possible, which is also why I prefer analog photography.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I don’t really care so much about the gear, I think I’d just get a good lens.
who are your favorite photographers and why?
I have tons. Mostly young photographers like Jeff Luker, Sophie van der Perre, Lina Scheynius and Wai Lin Tse, but I also really love the work of Mark Borthwick for instance.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
I don’t need to shine, as long as I can continue doing what I love most.
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?
I’m sort of one of them, aren’t I? But my tip would be: don’t be a sheep. Follow your own intuition and don’t try to become someone you’re not.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
Whilst scanning I prefer soft music, I’m always way too energetic and can never wait until I have all the pictures scanned, so I need the music to calm me down.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
Cute little cafés where I can have a coffee and a piece of pie. I hope to own one of those one day.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
Chafra, which stands for ‘Charlotte and Francois sandwich’. It’s a range of sandwiches my boyfriend and I like to make (for instance ciabatta with salmon, rucola, olive oil, basil and Parmesan cheese) Embarrassing, right? But damn good!
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
What I like most about this photo is the atmosphere. It’s sweet but then it’s not. It’s intriguing in a way.
how about your favorite photo by another photographer?
The choice is killing me so I’ll just go for the last photo I saved on my computer which is this one by Annemarieke Van Drimmelen:
I love the feeling, the movement, how fragile and temporal it is.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
I haven’t turned pro but I hope I will one day and I hope it will only make my passion bigger and more genuine.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
No, but I really should get some sort of protection photography outfit. I always want to look nice and dress up but then I come back soaked, dirty or bruised. Often with ruined tights and broken shoes. (I do crazy things to get the right angle)
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
I’d say I’m a photography noob.
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
I’m a capricorn.
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
Lina Scheynius
©CharlotteBoeyden
If you are a photographer and wanna 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
____
Randall Slavin was born in Hollywood, CA. Mr. Slavin was working a dead end job at a gas station when he wandered into a local photography studio and struck up a friendship with the owner. This studio owner took the young Mr. Slavin under his wing, taught him some photography basics and then promptly fired him a few months later. Faced with nowhere else to turn, he put one foot in front of the other, kept going and never looked back. His photography debuted in the prestigious New York Times Magazine. His work has since appeared in GQ, Esquire, Rolling Stone and many other publications. Randall had his first exhibit in Paris in 2008 and is currently working on his first solo show to be held in New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
www.thisphotolife.tumblr.com
www.randallslavin.com
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
I was always interested in images…obsessed with looking at pictures of actors and stuff when i was a kid. I would pour through my family photo albums..so, i guess i was interested in being a photographer long before I consciously realized it..
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
I now shoot primarily with my Canon 5D and for snaps i use the Canon G10..sometimes I use my Hasselblad H3, but only on bigger jobs..i like the speed of the Canon.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
that’s an interesting one..mostly i just try to keep my eyes open. i tend to get obsessive about things and i get obsessive about new magazines and images and am always stopping to look at books to try and find something new and amazing..and also to see what everyone else is doing..
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?
well, i take pictures all the time. much to my friends annoyance. i always have my G10 with me..so, i’m always shooting and looking for pictures. i actually think all of my pictures are personal. they are diaries of what i did that day..it might be a boring,uninspiring assignment,but,it is what i did that day and i want to remember it, I love taking pictures. I would rather be taking pictures any day of the week than NOT taking pictures..i still do free little tests and personal stuff, cuz, i just like the action of being a photographer. it feels good to me. some guys like playing basketball, i like shooting pictures. i don’t just wait to get hired to shoot. also, having a blog has really opened my eye up to other things besides faces. its made me look at the world differently and made me find pictures where i didnt see them before. I was very limited in my vision.
what is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, documentary, commercial, etc..)?
I love shooting simple, raw portraits. i’m really into it right now..minimal lighting. simple backdrop. just..raw. i love it. I also love reportage-type stuff. i think that’s the most fun and the most rewarding for me. just grabbing a camera and shooting is what separates the men from the boys, i think.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I’m doing a series of portraits of iconic people of our time. actors,musicians, dancers, writers..its been an amazing and very difficult experience,but,so incredible spending a few moments with some of these people. all the proceeds from this exhibit will go to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Our first exhibit will be in NYC with shows to follow in LA and Hong Kong.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I think my pictures have a cinematic quality to them which I like..Maybe it’s my film background and stuff…i like to make little movies. My pictures have an inherent sadness and loneliness to them.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
i would love to shoot Prince. he’s at the top of my list..i would also love to shoot Bill Clinton…President Obama…Kate Moss…
and Peter Beard cuz he has had such a profound impact on my life.
what’s your dream photo field trip
i would love to go to Africa with Peter Beard or on tour with U2..
what’s your post production process?
oh, i don’t really care so much about that shit. i just send it off to the retouchers and that’s it..i like the actual shooting part. the rest is all static.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
well, i wouldn’t mind owning a hassy H3 with P60 back, but, my biggest concern would be all the storage!! that’s a ton of shit..too much…
who are your favorite photographers and why?
it really changes over the years. the people i first loved i don’t really pay attention to anymore..i evolve and change…Avedon is the king. He could do it all…fashion, portraits, advertising, reportage..the king…Annie Leibovitz, I feel the same way about…she can do it all. I like Glen Luchford, Javier Vallhonrat…Peter Lindbergh, Mert and Marcus…Gregory Crewdson…Tony Duran…oh jeez…I think Mary Ellen Mark is the greatest living photographer…she blows me away over and over.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
oh god..my big break i guess was a shoot that i did with Charlize Theron a few years ago for FLAUNT magazine. they ended up running the story as a separate 45 page book included with the magazine. that shoot brought me a lot of attention and really took my career to another level. I did a photo recently of Eddie Vedder that i’m incredibly proud of because everything was working against me. I was in the ocean, which i hadn’t planned on, high noon (terrible light), with no time and still managed to pull off a really magnificent picture. I haven’t been able to show it to ANYONE, sadly, because it was a personal shot for him. I’m hoping someday I will be able to show it.
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?
first off, i say just shoot..shoot shoot and shoot. just keep doing it. and eventually you will find your voice. it takes a lot of copying and a ton of mistakes to find your niche. To find out the thing that makes you unique so that your work is cohesive and looks like it all came from the same hand is a process that takes time and failure. experimentation.i would also say to just shoot what gets you off. shoot what excites you. shoot what YOU want, not what u think “they” want you to shoot like. Also, if you are into shooting celebrities; here’s my advice for you…(Anthony Mandler told me this years ago and he’s dead right 
They hire your lighting. remember that. its true.
what’s the soundtrack to your life and/or your favorite music to listen to while editing?
lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Chet Baker.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
i like hanging at the Chateau Marmont in LA.
best chow (meal/snack) to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
i don’t really eat before a shoot..during though, i do consume ungodly amounts of tea and diet coke though, so, i guess just caffeine, caffeine and more caffeine.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
I don’t really have a favorite shot. I look at certain shoots and i am most proud of everything that went INTO getting the shot. if the conditions were terrible, the subject was difficult or we had no time together and I still pulled off a great shoot. let me think…if I had to pick my favorite shot…oh, I don’t know..I have a list of faves but not one specifically. The shot i have attached of actor Jeremy Renner writing on the wall is a new shot that exemplifies what I do best..(hows that?)
your favorite photo by another photographer?
jeez..just one? this whole shoot by Glen Luchford of Natalia Vodianova for W
©Glen Luchford
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
yes. it has grown.
do you have a favorite / lucky item of clothing, outfit or uniform that you like to wear when shooting an important assignment or project?
no, but I always insist on packing my camera at the end of the shoot.I like the ritual of it..taking of the lens, putting the caps on, placing them in their spaces, wrapping up the cords…that’s my only ritual i do.
are you a photography nerd or a camera gangsta?
i’m a photography nerd w/o the education cuz i dont know jack shit about the technical side of photography,but, i know buckets about the history of photography and all the great shooters,editors and everyone who came long before me.
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
Leo
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
©RandallSlavin
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
____
Born and raised in Kansas, Cortney Andrews received her BFA in Photography & New Media from the Kansas City Art Institute and her MFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has exhibited in New York, Providence, Kansas City and throughout the US, and is a contributor to Bitch magazine. Her work explores female sexuality and desire through photography, film, and video installation. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
www.cortneyandrews.com
When and how did you become interested in Photography?
Before I went to art school, I took a summer photo class at the university in my hometown, and I immediately became obsessed with the process. From the beginning, I was constructing narratives and scenes using my female friends as the subjects. I began experimenting with themes of identity, eroticism, and pain–it came very natural to me. The camera allowed me to play out all the things that I felt, but wasn’t able to express.
What gear do you mainly shoot with?
All of my work is shot on film with a Hasselblad.
What is your #1 source of inspiration?
Emotions, and how they are reflected on the body. I am specifically interested in the conflicts inherent to desire and identity.
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 find that there is never enough time to make work. A large part of my process is failure, and there has to be time for that in order to explore, push boundaries, transgress, and change direction. I am constantly re-shooting things that didn’t come out as I had imagined, so this always puts me behind schedule. Having a job, photo related or not, always limits the time you can spend on personal projects, but this is a reality that all emerging artists have to struggle with.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I was recently in an exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City entitled Thinking Photography: Five Decades at the Kansas City Art Institute, which was shown through January 2, 2011. My work will also be featured in an essay by Maria Elena Buszek titled “ Eros and Thanatos: Surrealism, psychoanalysis, and contemporary feminist art,” which is in the catalog accompanying the forthcoming exhibition In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
What is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
My work is very intimate. Through the camera, I am interested in revealing parts of myself that would otherwise remain hidden. By performing scenarios that give visibility to the conflicts of desire and identity as I experience them, the viewer must question her or his own boundaries of self and other, real and fantasy.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
Pina Bausch. She was a dancer and choreographer, and a brilliant provocatrice. Although she was incredibly thin and fragile looking, she still had a very intimidating and intense presence. I like this contradiction. I would also love to photograph Beatrice Dalle….and the list goes on.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
I am generally the central subject performing in my work, but often there are friends and lovers who perform with me. With no time or cost constraints, I would love to have a small group of my friends travel with me throughout rural areas of France, Spain and Italy while scouting for locations. Upon finding a great location, we would set up there for a week while I choreograph the scenes and shoot, then we would move on to the next place.
what’s your post production process?
I scan all of my contact sheets and choose the best images before going to the lab to do high resolution scans. I do all the color correction and retouching, and return to the lab where I have digital c-prints made.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I would probably buy a Canon 1D Mark IV Digital SLR. I don’t shoot digital for my photographs, but I shoot video, and this camera has the ability to shoot 24 fps HD (the same frame rate as film). I’m not a big tech geek with cameras, I love shooting film and I will continue to for as long as the market allows, but having a nice digital SLR, with HD video recording, is always convenient because I can instantly preview what I will shoot on film.
who are your favorite shooters and why?
I love Claude Cahun, Hans Bellmer, and Francesca Woodman because their images are transgressive, emotional, erotic, provocative, and haunting. They each subversively confront the social construction of gender and sexuality from a very personal perspective.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
I wouldn’t really say I’ve had a “big break” in my career. I am reminded of a great quote that I read recently from Jeffrey Eugenides, author of Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides. When asked about success, he replied: “Success doesn’t happen to you. It happens out in the world somewhere…Success is a kind of numbness, an analgesic. It feels like nothing. Failure, envy, these things have a far keener, physiological effect…Because the baser emotions are more fiery, and success, if anything, a temporary shelter from them.”
who would you like to see interviewed by photopol.us next?
©CortneyAndrews
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
____
pf by Josh Birnbaum
Peter Hoffman (b. 1984) is a photographer and educator based in nowheresville/everywheresville suburbia but working in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. He holds an M.A. in Photojournalism from Ohio University and a B.S. in Advertising from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His work tends to be documentary in nature and he makes portraits and essays for clients like The Wall St. Journal, TimeOut Chicago, CITY Magazine and others.
www.peterhoffmanphoto.com
when and how did you become interested in Photography?
My girlfriend in high school told me her photography class was fun, and I loved the skate photos in my monthly Thrasher, so I took the class. The teacher was terrible because he was preoccupied with being a wrestling coach, but the upside of that was that I pretty much got to do whatever I wanted in class, so I had fun. Fast-forward a few years to when I was 20 and living in New Zealand going on surfing road trips with some new found friends and I felt like I needed to take tons of pictures, probably for the first time in my life.
what gear do you mainly shoot with?
A Hasselblad, or Leica M6, also Contax g2. I try to keep it simple. My clients usually want digital so that’s just Nikon D700 and a few small primes. I love shooting film though and would do so exclusively if I could.
what is your #1 source of inspiration?
Yikes, there isn’t one. I’d say I get the ideas and the drive to make new work when I’m outside being active. That usually means trail running but sometimes surfing or snowboarding. The most visually present inspiration in my work is probably my concern about and love for nature. A lot of the time I am looking for elements of nature within a man made world, and questioning the relationship between the two. I’m probably an optimist at heart but I photograph out of concern, curiosity and frustration in many cases.
Also I’m inspired by different writings, particularly existentialism lately. It’s sort of an absurd thought but sometimes I wonder what if Nietszche or Kierkegaard took photos? How would that look? I often think that photography, at least in terms of how I practice it, is much more akin to writing than it is to painting, or illustration. If I read something that I feel changes the way I perceive the world then often the first thing I want to do is make pictures. I know that might sound a bit strange and may not necessarily show in the actual photos I make, but that’s the sort of thing that gets me going.
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 find that the greater challenge is forcing myself to get out the door to shoot even if I have an open day. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that when I wake up and the light isn’t perfect and my bed is just so good and I probably won’t find anything or meet anyone today and what’s the point of this project anyway and do I really have the money to be sending 5 more rolls to the lab and maybe I should market myself today instead and…. you get the idea. Beating that is harder than finding time. I have about three bodies of work that I am currently working on that can all be advanced within my area if I am successful with getting myself out the door for the day.
what is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, commercial, etc..)?
I guess I don’t think of photography in those terms. I’m just interested in compiling a collection of work that communicates some cohesive notion about the time and place we are in. My foundation is that of a photojournalist and although I realize I am a completely subjective being I photograph things as they are, be it space, people, things etc. The one thing I’m not interested in is creating a fantasy or another world. I really just want to make pictures that cause people to question or reconsider their surroundings.
do you have any upcoming shows or events you want our readers to know about?
I just had some work (Bryan House) up at the Fotografia Festival in Rome, and I’m getting published in the American Photography 26 edition, but other than that right now I’m mostly concentrating on making new work. I get really hesitant about putting much work out there right now because most of it is not what I would consider a complete thought, yet.
what is the one thing you feel makes your style or your work unique?
I’m not really sure that any of my images are really unique, but I hope that when I die, if someone stumbles on a shoebox of my prints they might get specific a sense what the world I saw was like. I hope that my catalogue is an honest representation of who I am and the world I’m in. That’s about it.
if you could photograph anyone, (past/present/future), who would it be and why?
Off the top of my head, probably Timothy Leary or Augustine of Hippo. Not for the pictures necessarily. I look at portrait shoots as a chance to have a conversation with someone, and the portraits are a byproduct of my connection with that person. I’d love to talk to those fellows.
what’s your dream photo field trip?
I’d love to go back to New Zealand and photograph a town called Piha, as well as most of the Islands really. I’m mostly shooting things that are at least loosely related to water right now, so anywhere with coastline. If I had a camper van and some good friends, surfboards and bicycles that would all be great too. I spent a summer on the road solo…company would have helped at times. There are a few places in Canada in in the Nordic countries I would love to photograph too, but I’m looking at those as more long-term goals.
That said, I’ve spent a large portion of my life wanting to and trying to leave the Midwest, and though I have in fits and spurts I always end up back here. Now that I’ve accepted this and am actually quite okay with it, I feel it pretty important to make Midwestern work. I think there is a lot of uncharted territory here (photographically speaking) and I’m here to try and explore some of that. I won’t lie, my recent forays into surfing on Lake Michigan are a big part of why I’m okay with living here now. For the work I feel strongly about doing, I’m in exactly the place I need to be at this particular moment. In a year it may change.
what’s your post production process?
I take my film to the lab and then pick it up. For digital I use Lightroom. I really try to minimize my computer time. That’s not where you make photography. I hardly use photoshop anymore, which makes me happy. If I do it’s pretty much all curves adjustment layers and cloning out dust from scans.
if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?
I pretty much like the stuff I have. I rarely photograph anything shorter than 35mm and longer than 85mm so I’ve got it covered. Maybe I’d get another lens (50) for my Leica, and that new 35 1.4 for the Nikon, and spend the rest of the money on a better scanner and really just endless film and processing.
who are your favorite shooters and why?
This changes but some constants are William Eggleston, Trent Parke, Sam Abell and Michael Kenna. Lately I’ve really gotten into work by Gus Powell and Saul Leiter. There is so much good work out there now though, it’s pretty cool. I like them all for different reasons.
what has been the shining moment of your career thus far? (or, describe your “big break”)
The things that have helped my photography the most were 1) Ohio University letting me into their grad program for photojournalism and 2) The fellowship I got for the National Network of Forest Practitioners where I pretty much drove around and shot documentary work of people and their relationship with the land for an entire summer. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be anywhere without those opportunities. That said, I’m still trying to figure this whole “career” thing out…
who would you like to see interviewed by photopolus next?
You should check out the work of my friend Ross Mantle. *ed. note: oops, we already did – last week.
what’s the soundtrack to your life …(or your favorite music to listen to while editing)?
I like a lot of ambient and hip-hop instrumental type stuff for editing, Blockhead and RJD2 etc. Also jazz….Hird and the Bad Plus are a couple good ones I’m digging at the moment. I’m still big into hip hop and punk rock though….Pennywise, Bad Religion, Tribe Called Quest, Aesop Rock are some constant favorites.
what’s your favorite hang (when shooting or not)?
Going running is key to my functioning, so, the forest preserve or anything outside where I’m not being constantly reminded of things like traffic and strip malls is good. Other than that yea I’ve got a favorite watering hole I hit up with my friends, but they have bad cover bands on the weekends so it’s mostly a Tuesday night thing.
best chow to get you ready for a shoot? or best way to celebrate a brilliant capture?
I’ve never thought about that. Most of my favorite images just sort of happen when I’m living my life, and I usually don’t know that I like something until days or weeks after. If it’s an assignment I feel pretty good about maybe I’ll go on a long run afterward. Then again, if it’s one I’m pretty frustrated by I’ll probably do the same thing. I love Chicago pizza…Lou Malnati’s followed by Giordano’s.
will you share with us one of your favorite shots?
This always changes for me, which is partially why I keep making photos, I guess. Lately I’ve been photographing the streets of Chicago quite a bit which has been a new and interesting challenge. I was teaching high school kids downtown this summer and I often went out shooting after class as a way to unwind. I think about 30 min before I made this photo (see first image below) a guy threatened to bash my head in, but he spoke more eloquently and graphically than that. Photographing in public is always an adventure. I have my reasons for liking it, but you can take from it what you will.
your favorite photo by another photographer?
I can’t judge photographers based on one picture. I feel that’s like reading a page of a novel and making an assessment. It just totally short changes the work. The photographers that I admire all have great bodies of work. I’ll show the portfolio from Alec Soth’s Dog Days Bogota book. This is possibly my favorite photo book, despite the fact that I feel like this one gets looked over in his catalogue.
has your passion for photography changed at all since turning “pro”?
No. If it did I would pick up a hammer or something. Yea there are shoots where I may have to do something I’m not into, but I really try to minimize this. If I get to meet new people or see a new place I’m happy, even if one would think the place might be boring. I had an assignment recently where I was sent to a strange town I’d never been to and the editor told me to just do what Eggleston might do. There’s not much you could say to make me more excited. What’s better than getting hired for shooting how you want to shoot? Days like that will make me put up with a decent amount of nonsense and still love the medium.
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 seem to always have this wool hat that my late grandfather bought in Ireland some decades ago. I don’t always wear it, but it’s usually nearby.
what’s your sign? (we’re conducting a poll)
Aquarius
©PeterHoffman
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
____
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