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Behind the Lens is a new series that allows you to learn a bit more about your favorite FYP Writers.  While we know your enjoy their articles, sometimes you just want to know what makes them tick!  We are pleased to provide that insight for you.

Hugh Walker is an amateur photographer who lives on the beautiful island paradise of Barbados with his wife, Cheryl and 14 year old daughter, Giselle. Photography is a family affair for the Walkers; Hugh’s wife and daughter being award winning photographers, having both won numerous medals and special prizes at the annual Barbados National Independence Festival of Creative Arts. As Hugh put it: “We have a healthy family competition going on and so far I am losing to the ladies”. However, Hugh is not to be outdone by the family, having won silver and gold medals as well and special prizes in Architectural, and Black & White photography.

Hugh has a passion for landscape photography and one of his greatest dreams is to have the opportunity to travel to exotic locations and be exposed to a wide variety of landscape scenarios. In late 2010 he took one such memorable trip to the Grand Canyon. His comment about the trip being “The temperature was about 5 degrees below zero and there is this guy from the Caribbean, with an insane smile on his face, shooting everything in sight an loving it! It was a dream come true”.

Besides landscape photography he has dabbled a bit with portrait photography. Hugh is however drawn to architecture and abstract photography. There is something about the lines of a building that intrigues him. Each building has a character that has been developed through the design elements used by the architect, and he loves to try to find it and demonstrate it in an artistic manner.

Hugh loves to create images that are dramatic in nature; his point of view is that “We see the ordinary every day in our lives and I strongly believe that the images we create should not be ordinary, but should attempt to take the viewer to another place”. Hugh embraces colour, but loves black and white. His initial exposure to photography was in the era of film and the wet dark room . “Black & white was the medium we used because we could not afford to process colour, because of the cost of the chemicals and papers. We had full control of the black and white process, from developing to printing”. Today he embraces the digital tools, especially Adobe Lightroom and the Nik suite of plugins. His favorite tool is Nick Silver Effects Pro which he finds is best at black and white conversion.

When it comes to equipment Hugh has a foot in both of the major camps. He shoots both Nikon and Canon. Some may think this is strange but he finds that both have their weakness and strengths and that being slavishly tied to one system does not fit his profile. Favorite lens are the Canon 100mm f 2.8 L macro, and 70 -200 f2.8l and the Nikon 16-85 VR . Favorite software products are Adobe Lightroom and Nik Silver Effects Pro.

Hugh’s work can be found online at his portfolio site  http://Art4life.zenfolio.com

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[Editor's note:  Photographs in this post contain a degree of nudity and maybe considered NSFW.]

This month we interview Fine Art and Editorial Photographer D. Yee, who is currently based in New York City and works freelance. He uses photography as a continuation of his works in figurative drawing and painting, and through it he experiments with his admiration for the human condition.

FYP: Tell us a little about yourself

D. Yee: I lived in the metro areas of New York for most of my life. Apart from photography, I continue to paint and draw as my other alternative to visual work involving human figures and stories. World travel is one of my favorite activities whenever I get/make the opportunity to.

FYP: Have you had formal training in photography?

D. Yee: No proper training as in classes or school. I’m mostly self taught and had worked with a photographer for a summer some years ago. Studying photographs and photo essays are also ways of learning and discovery.

FYP: Where do you see yourself in five years time?

D. Yee: That’s what I asked myself five years ago this time. So, for the next five years, maybe I see myself finally putting together a book of strong (and I mean very strong) collection of work, live and work abroad. Or, simply to have seen more of the world than I have now.

FYP: What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your photographic career?

D. Yee: Projecting my most honest tone of voice and vision in my work. Whether or not it appeals to others. I’m sure this is something one comes into conflict with, especially when you start out. You want to produce work you want to feel accepted by a mass public. If you can find pleasure in this go for it. For me, when I took into consideration what may appeal to others I found myself feeling bland and quite empty. I don’t often listen to what people want to see unless it’s a commercial job (even with that, I try to inject my aesthetic – stand for your artistic voice).

FYP: Who is your favourite artist?

D. Yee: I have quite a few, but I’ll randomly pick one now: Guy Bourdin.

FYP: Where do you find your inspiration?

D. Yee: In the most unexpected places. It could be from a silent walk to the most absurd moments/subject matter. I try to keep my senses open.

FYP: What are your favourite techniques or methods?

D. Yee: I tend to I draw out an idea before I decide to go forth with a photograph (if it’s a production). For my street work, it’s just a lot of aimless wandering and patience while framing each moment as if I’m shooting the film that I see before me.

FYP: How much emphasis do you put on post-production?

D. Yee: Depends on the situation and project. Half and half? Or less. I’m mostly concerned about color temperature in a photograph when it comes to this stage.

FYP: What genre would you most like to experiment in?

D. Yee: Cinema. Motion storytelling.

FYP: If you could photograph anyone/anywhere in the world, who/where would you photograph?

D. Yee: I would like to shoot a short film (or stills) on a beautiful baron landscape of individuals (and nudes) adorned in some kind of strange and beautiful fashion. It’d be based on a short story I have had in the back of my mind for the last six years. Just haven’t found the right time and place to do so.

FYP: Have you got any hints or tips to share with aspiring photographers?

D. Yee: Realize that photography is a soul-sucking job, but being persistent and passionate about it helps. And, most importantly, don’t always follow the stream even though we’ll fall into it once in a while. Go explore and take a creative risk once in a while. Make the best of yourself. You live once.

FYP: What is your favourite way to de-stress?

D. Yee: One of my de-stressors is thrashing/dancing to my favorite bass-thumping dance tracks. Drawing/painting or a long walk would be my more quiet alternative.

FYP: Thanks for sharing, D. Yee, and good luck with the future!

Contact Info:

Facebook

Flickr

Website

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Behind the Lens is a new series that allows you to learn a bit more about your favorite FYP Writers.  While we know your enjoy their articles, sometimes you just want to know what makes them tick!  We are pleased to provide that insight for you.

Ameena comes from a small town just on the outside of London, United Kingdom.  She will be 21 years old this September, and will have been with FYP for two years and a few months by that time. She currently lives in Bristol, in the south west, where she is in her first year of studying photography at university.

Ameena is a prolific writer and has published numerous articles about different techniques and genres in photography at FYP, but at the moment she is responsible for the ‘Weekend Photo Focus’  and ‘Weekend Photo Find’ which are published every Friday and Monday. She also publishes a monthly interview with notable professional photographers, which goes live on the 30th of every month (look out for this months featured photographer).

Her style is still in its developmental stages, and therefore very experimental. Portraiture is her strongest area, as well as conceptual photography, which is mainly due to her participation in the 365 project (in which she attempted to take a self-portrait everyday for a year). As well as that, she has a great love for creating surreal and dream-like images, especially as sometimes she gains inspiration from her dreams which can be very vivid.

As well as portraiture, she loves to photograph landscapes and different cultures, this stems from having relatives all over the world and being quite well-traveled as a child because of it.  One day, when she can afford it, her dream is to go traveling and discover all the hidden gems of the world,  just to take photographs.  Ameena also has a growing collection of film cameras, and loves to expose roll upon roll of black and white  film.

Recently, Ameena upgraded her dSLR from a Nikon D60 which was cherished and loved for many years, to a Nikon D7000 which was bought because of its greater range of features but also because of its ability to shoot video, which Ameena hopes to experiment with in the near future.  Her favourite lens is also a recent purchase, a 50mm F1.8 lens, which she fell in love with as soon as it was affixed to her camera.  Ameena loves to use it for her portraiture photography, and self-portrait series as it provides gorgeous depth-of-focus, she is rapidly developing an affection for prime lenses.  It was also the perfect lens for a recent series she did based on the cinematic style for a university project, which she also did an article on.

Ameena was introduced to photography in an unusual way; before she was given a digital camera for her 14th birthday, photography as an art had never crossed her mind.  She took her new camera with her to local gigs that she attended fortnightly with her friends, and started taking photographs of the bands that played.  Eventually, she was asked to take photographs for the company that held the gigs, so that they could show them on their website.  She did this for about three years, and during those years her skill in using a camera developed, and her interest became a full-blown love affair with photography, which to this day has not dwindled, nor does she expect it to.

As mentioned before, Ameena is in her first year, studying photography at university, and intends to become a famous and perhaps rich photographer one day, photographing for the likes of Vogue and I-D magazine.  Writing for FYP has given her the technical skill and desire to become part-journalist and to also has allowed her to pick up a variety of other skills to add to her collection and therefore up her value as a creative.  When she started university, Ameena decided to take it a step further by seeking clients and hopefully have the chance to work with real models and establish her name in the industry.  Yes, it is a slow process, but everyone has to start somewhere, fortunately for Ameena it is paying off slowly because  in December 2011 she did her first ever fashion shoot in which she shot some brilliant photographs, and had a great experience at the same time.

You can view Ameena’s most recent work on her Flickr and Facebook page, and her portfolio here. She may also be contacted by email to a.rojee@hotmail.co.uk.

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[ Editor's Note: Some items in this posting maybe considered NSFW ]

Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

This week spotlight, Eric James Leffler, hails from Walnut Creek, CA. His style ranges between fine art, portrait, and wedding photography.

Despite the genre, Eric is never without his main camera – A Nikon D700. If the 700 should fail him for whatever reason, he carries a D90 as a backup.

Eric’s len’s choice is a Nikon 24-70/2.8, which he fondly refers to as his “workhorse.”   Wide enough to handle most of his city and landscape work, yet versatile and sharp in the studio.  It’s also a great lens for low light situations.   A self proclaimed “sucker” for compression and bokeh; Eric also carries a 70-300 lens, which also serves as a secondary.

Eric prefers working with natural light, on location, when circumstances permit.  When shooting landscape and city, he will occasionally use bracketing in the event he wants to tone map or some manual blending.

An off camera flash/strobist is always standing by for indoor portrait work, night shots, or a more dramatic effect during the day.  When it comes to ultimate preference, Eric refers to natural light as his “happy place.

Adobe Lightroom 3 is Eric’s go to software for file management and the majority of his editing process.  Photos requiring additional polishing find their way into Adobe Photoshop CS5 and onOne Photo Suite software.

Diversity is key when it comes to the shoot.  Boredom can set in quickly, so finding a new location, concept, or subject is what drives him.  He is also inspired by the city;  San Francisco to be more precise.   A Bay Area native, Eric still finds something new every time he heads out for a shoot.  Another inspiration is the water as it relates to his beauty and fashion photography.

Inspiration also comes in the form of other photographers, and Eric has his list.  He enjoys Jaime Ibarra for his fashion work, Chase Jarvis for his adventurous side, Hoffer Photography’s wedding work, and Thomas Hawk for his ability to see art in just about everything.

Turning to tips and techniques, Eric suggests focusing on post processing and file management, and Lightroom is the tool of choice.  Eric would also like to try underwater photography someday, and would love to get into pro sports as well.

Be sure to check out more of Eric’s work on Facebook, Google+, and his personal site.

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For many people, including me, certain photos can be somewhat disturbing.  I am sure that everyone has a certain type of photo they don’t like looking at because it makes them uneasy.   Whether it be those cheesy family portraits which a ‘professional’ wedding photographer is taking forever to shoot, where you feel you could shoot better shots within a few minutes; or the photos of you when you can’t actually remember the night before when the photo was taken.

Personally, I find that pictures of dead animals are powerful and show a true message, but for some people they find these kinds of pictures very disturbing to look at, although it is something you could see many a time when on the road when travelling.  For some people, it is not the fact that the animal is dead, it is because they cannot imagine a reason for taking a photo, however; if you are a photographer yourself you can probably see the powerfulness in such images, like I do.

Staged photos can really seem cheesy to some people, sometimes I can see how they show a message, like in the photos of car crashes which portray the message to “think while driving”, and I think these are necessary photos to see.  However sometimes photos can be dirturbing; the following photo for example, I do not know if it is staged or not, but it just makes me want to laugh at the awkwardness, just because of the concept of the photo.  It may be real, those people may have really fallen of those bikes and that random women may just be riding past on a Segway, but I highly doubt it.

War is uncomfortable most of the time, so why do we need graphic photos of it?  Well that’s my view and many other peoples opinion also, I feel uneasy looking at photos of war.  Although sometimes it depends what the photo includes; if it is a photo of the army guarding a building or gate then it isn’t so uncomfortable, it is just an ordinary person doing their job.  However the following photo is uncomfortable for many people including me, it is a whole different type of photo than someone doing their job in the army, this is a photo of people dying doing their job.  To many people the idea that there is a photo in front of them of people who have died during a battle somewhere is very uneasy on the mind.

The following photo may be disturbing for some people, particularly for those cultures that don’t utilize the funeral pyre as a standard burial practice; again death is the subject of the image but I think it is a little more tasteful, I think it is powerful and shows an image of values, religion and beliefs.  Everyone deserves a decent ceremony when they are deceased but societal standards may cause this image to be disturbing for some while it is perfectly acceptable for many.

Remember those photos of you, which you wish you could delete but you didn’t take them?  You know, those ones of you doing those embarrassing or silly things when drunk, and you can’t even remember the event happening?  The ones like this.

These are never really uncomfortable to look at for anyone except yourself who is in the photo, or maybe perhaps your son or daughter if you have one who now views you as an embarrassing parent.  Honestly though, I like these photos, I don’t see them as that awkward if I can’t remember them being taken, as I know I surely had a good time if I drank that much!

Share some images that you consider “disturbing” with me and while you are at it consider that while some images may be of concern to us they are perfectly acceptable to others.  Be sure to examine both sides of the coin.  I’m looking forward to seeing your shares in the comments section below.

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There usually comes a point in every artists progression when the question of “originality” seems to be of great importance.

I think I ignorantly thought as a younger artist that “of course everything I create is original!” I wasn’t too concerned about it. As I continued to progress and develop my skills, I became more aware of the world around me and increasingly unsatisfied with the work that I created.

It didn’t seem original enough.

Surely, my images were not earth shattering enough for one to say that they had never seen anything similar before. That seemed to leave me with a sense that my work was nothing special.

I took a break from looking at other photographers work for awhile (especially those living in my area) and became determined to think and create on my own. I discovered some interesting things.

I still remember one particular occasion of triumph and disappointment.

As a portrait/lifestyle photographer I am constantly scouting new and interesting locations to photograph my subjects. A few weeks after moving to a new home I discovered the most amazing house a few streets away that had incredible landscaping mixed with vintage art. An old school bus, bikes, rustic wooden buildings, a chicken coup, and many more exciting treasures to be found around each corner. I resolved that I must shoot there and congratulated myself on such a unique find! Soon after, I knocked on the door to seek permission to use the owners yard for a shoot.

A beautiful woman with long silver hair answered the door and listened to my request with an almost knowing smile on her face. After I finished my elaborate compliment of her artistic yard, she nodded casually and granted permission.

“Of course you can photograph here!” She began. “We get photographers all the time who want to use our place and we’re delighted that other people can enjoy it!”.

Instead of feeling triumph in obtaining the right to shoot, I suddenly felt deflated inside. Other photographers had already discovered this place before?! I wasn’t the first one to come here?! My work would be just like all those other photographers who came here before I did?

I thanked her, and scheduled the shoot regardless.

This same type of experience has happened to me on a few other occassion’s. I think of a thrilling concept, I approach people for permission, only to discover with their gracious cooperation that others had been there before I had.

But is this really a reason to get down on myself for the quest of originality? Should I visit Grand Teton National Park and refrain from taking pictures, simply because Ansel Adams already photographed the Tetons?

I was beginning to see that chances were high that anything I wanted to create, had likely been done before in some form.

But thats the key. It was only a “form”. Sarah Ban Breathnach said, “There is no such thing as originality. Only authenticity.”

If I sought for truth, if I sought to be honest in my work, drawing from my own life experiences and perspective, my form and interpretation would be different and unique.

I began to discover that perhaps my naive young artist self hadn’t been so wrong after all. Everything I create is original in the end. Just as C.S. Lewis said,

“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”

In a recent interview with Tamara Lackey, photographer Scott Bourne shared this piece of advice, “Don’t worry about new, worry about you.”
The quest for new can be a misleading and disappointing road to follow, especially if that is our main intent in creating.

Seeking originality simply for the sake of originality produces work that lacks a deeper more communicative purpose.

I’ll never forget the day I sat in my graduate level music composition course listening to the new works of fellow composers. The quest for originality was more valued than authenticity among the faculty here, and as such, there were quite a few “interesting” works produced. Like the 20 minute musical work written for Clarinet and Vacuum Cleaner. Most certainly it was original! I had never in my entire life heard a piece that was written for the vacuum cleaner. Ever. And I really don’t care to hear another one. Ever.

Contrastingly, I have also heard another piece written by this same composer when he was less concerned about impressing a faculty with his originality and instead wanting to communicate something important to him.

Both pieces ended up to be original in the end. But the latter was far more profound and communicative.

I have since learned that the quest for authenticity is much more powerful and fulfilling than the quest for originality. And really, that’s what makes this whole photography experience as thrilling as it is… how can I share my perspective? How do I see the world differently than those around me? What is my story?

Trying to find our own authenticity among the abundant work that has already been created is not merely a matter of shooting something similar with a different lens, or taking a higher or lower vantage point. Its about finding the spirit of who we photograph and what we photograph. Its a moment that can sometimes be as fleeting as 1/100 of a second. But its yours. Its truth. And its original.

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Behind the Lens is a new series that allows you to learn a bit more about your favorite FYP Writers.  While we know your enjoy their articles, sometimes you just want to know what makes them tick!  We are pleased to provide that insight for you.

Chris Gronde was born outside of Chicago and raised in Indianapolis, IN.   He spent seven and a half years serving in the US Navy including two deployments on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in the Western Pacific and a deployment as part of Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar Team 2 in Baghdad, Iraq.   He met his wife and fellow photographer Brandy while on board USS Ronald Reagan where they traveled the world together and then when Chris discharged from the military he and Brandy got married and moved to Washington DC where she is now stationed and still on active duty.  As a well versed IT professional, Chris became a government contractor for the US Navy at the Pentagon where he now works.   He was pursuing a degree in IT, but was not very motivated about it.  Although he is good at what he does, it was just a job to him and not something he wanted to devote that much time to.  His wife and friends spent some time trying to convince and then twisted his arm and got him to change his major to Photography.

Chris, the member of the dynamic duo who contributes to FYP,  writes about the ever changing wedding photography business as well as photography education and his experiences in getting a formalized degree in photography.  If you want to shoot weddings you have to love weddings.  His wife Brandy eats sleeps, and breaths weddings.  If she’s at home on the couch, it’s because she is probably watching the wedding channel. You have to keep up with what’s trending and relevant in weddings and wedding photography.  If you don’t keep up and stay fresh in your shooting style and show off their details and their fashion in a way the bride wants they will quickly find a different photographer.  Chris tries to let you know what to look out for and the things to keep in mind if you really want to jump head first into this business.  There are a growing number of people with entry level DSLRs out there passing as wedding photographers and at one time Chris admits he was one of them, but he didn’t shoot a wedding until he was sure he was ready and he wants to make sure if our readers want to shoot weddings they are as ready or more ready than he was.

Chris describes his style is a “Naturalistic Dramatic Portraiture”.  Naturalistic meaning that although he and Brandy encourage posing, they don’t really pose.   Brandy is phenomenal at encouraging movement and placement.   Instead of placing your hands and tilting your head, she’ll just ask “can we get a kiss?”, “Hold her close”, or “Now, pretend you two love each other.” (That typical gets a nice laugh or smile).   The subject does each movement the way they naturally do it and it looks like there is no posing at all.  Dramatic means we’re telling a story, but instead of journalistically we tell the story you want to tell.  When Chris was a child, a wise man once told him, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story!”  Also, it means that the photos are enhanced either through framing, effective lighting, or post processing to add drama and create a striking photo that is worthy of being treated as art; something worthy of being in a gallery or hanging on your wall.

Brandy and I both shoot Nikon.  Chris’ weapon of choice is the Nikon D300.  It’s a very sturdy body (He’s been known to drop cameras out of trees), shoots quickly, and has very low noise at high ISOs. Brandy’s favorite is the Nikon D7000.  It’s currently the Boss of the midrange DSLRs for Nikon. High megapixel count, dual SD card slots, and the best video Nikon provides are some of its key features, as well as being small and light enough for her to hold up for 8 hours of a wedding.  His favorite lens is probably one of their most inexpensive.  The good ol’ 50mm f/1.8. If you’re going to shoot weddings you need a quick lens for those low light situations and it has such a great bokeh.  Brandy is the details person so if it’s a Macro, it’s her favorite lens, anything to capture those remarkable ring and shoe shots the brides love so much.

Chris’ interest in photography started at a very young age.  Since his first experience with a  110 film camera he borrowed from his dad to take to the circus as a child, he had been in love with photography. It grew as a hobby and became his passion.  Ironically, while serving in the Navy, he met a woman who shared that passion!  From 110’s to her first 35mm Vivitar, Brandy has always loved capturing memories. While overseas the dynamic duos first date was spent taking pictures together at Disneyland in Hong Kong, China with the Nikon D60 that she bought Chris for his birthday. They traveled the world photographing everything they could. After Chris’ time in the Navy was up, Brandy and he got married and they were not too impressed with their experience with their wedding photographer. The pictures were decent, but they had to direct the shots and the photographer just wasn’t personal about it. It was just business.

After their own wedding experience, Chris and Brandy opened Gronde Photography in April of 2010.  They had finally found their calling.  Although Chris maintains his IT job, his career and his life is photography.  First and foremost they are wedding photographers, but they also provide family, maternity, boudoir, senior, and newborn portraits.  Occasionally when they need to feel so inspired they help young models with their portfolios or do some fashion or editorial style shoots.  Their resident makeup artist Victoria Barth is always happy and available to stand in as a model for them. As far as writing for FYP, Chris and Brandy met Patrick Onofre through Union 206 Studio of which they are all members.  Patrick offered Chris the opportunity to tell his story and share his knowledge through Fuel Your Photography.

There are many places online to view their work.  The first of which is their main client website.  You can also read Chris’ personal blog, Gronde Photography: Behind the Lens.   Some of their editorial and fashion work can be seen on 500px.  If you want to see sneak peeks of what they working on right now, please feel free to “like” them on Facebook and follow Chris on twitter @grondephoto and Brandy’s twitter @photog_princess.

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Behind the Lens is a new series that allows you to learn a bit more about your favorite FYP Writers.  While we know your enjoy their articles, sometimes you just want to know what makes them tick!  We are pleased to provide that insight for you.

Brooke Snow is a lifestyle photographer in Northern Utah.  She lives with her husband and spunky two year old son in a 99 year old house–all of which have a lot of character!

Brooke’s formal education includes advanced degrees in Music, and she often seeks for ways to merge music with her photography. Whether that is composing a track of music for an image slideshow, taking inspiration from the lyrics of a song, or simply learning to “listen” through the creative process, she loves to find ways to bring the influence of all her interests into her work.

Brooke writes inspirational articles that take root in the concept of being true to your authentic self.  As an educator, she passionately believes that each person has a unique vision that is influenced by every life experience, interest, trial, or triumph that make up who we are.  Exploring the different ways that we can capitalize on our unique differences is a theme you’ll see again and again in her writing.

Brooke is a Nikon shooter who prefers prime lenses because of the limitations they bring. Not having a zoom option, in essence forces her to be a bit more creative and physically active in creating a photo.  This compliments her lifestyle storytelling approach in her work, as she is always searching for exciting perspectives and composition to bring in a little intrigue into a visual story.

Brooke spent four  years shooting professional portrait photography and recently opted for a business sabbatical to give more time to focus on her online photography courses that empower photographers both technically and creatively.  Much of her current photography work involves exciting and interactive shoots that are filmed live for her classes as well as a list of personal photography projects to keep the balance of using photography as a source of joy and not just a source of income!

You can follow Brooke’s work on her blog: http://blog.brookesnow.com

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This month, we are interviewing travel and portrait photographer Anthony Asael.  In an incredible feat, he is one of the few that has traveled among each of the countries of the United Nations, numbering just under 200. During these journeys, he visited over 950 schools and taught photography to thousands of children. Read below to gain an insight to this photographer’s mind.

FYP: Tell us a little about yourself.

Anthony: I am an international photographer and part of Corbis agency. I am of Turkish and Italian origin. He is also the founder of the not-for-profit organization Art in All of Us.  My passion for photography began very early – at 7 years old, I was already developing my black and white work in the lab. Over the next few years, I travelled several times  with Ruggero Gabbai – a professional photographer and film director – as his personal assistant.

FYP: Have you had formal training in Photography?

Anthony: No I have not. I am self taught, at the age of seven, I was already playing in a photo lab revealing my own photos in black and white. Photography was part of my childhood

FYP: What camera and equipment do you currently use?

Anthony: Nikon D700 and about 8 different lenses. However, most of my shooting is done with a simple 50mm 1.8. For me, photography is not about equipment, but about creativity and emotions.

FYP: Where do you see yourself in five years time?

Anthony: I have no idea, and I am so happy about it…. I just follow the wind.

FYP: What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your photographic career?

Anthony: Well most probably it is to have visited taught photography in all 193 countries of the world. The most difficult to enter was North Korea. It took me 2 and a half years of negotiation with the local government. While entering as a tourist is possible to nearly everyone with some patience, entering and work there in a public school is slightly more difficult. Even with all cultures that one can see around the world, people are very similar, children above all. Children have all the 3 same dreams: one to be loved by their parents, two to be able to play and three, unfortunately, to grow up too fast.

Picasso once said “Children are all born creative and once they are growing up , they lose their creativity”. I passionately believe in that, even if shall be the reserve. When we grow up, we shall be wiser, have access to more knowledge, more information, have a more open mind…. But it is the opposite that happens, with unconscious “brainwashing” from parents, media and education. We should try to stimulate more the creativity and curiosity of children, and that is one of my missions when I travel.

FYP: Who is your favourite artist?

Anthony: Sebastiao Salgado

FYP: Where do you find your inspiration?

Anthony: Simply by closing my eyes.

FYP: What are your favourite techniques or methods?

Anthony: I try to photograph emotions.  To do that, I have to be invisible, even if am straight in front of the model. Models have to feel at ease and not stressed by the camera. Being patient and talking with them is very very important. At the right moment, they will feel comfortable and simply forget about you, that is when I can start shooting.

FYP: How much emphasis do you put on post-production?

Anthony: Very little. I just clean up some dust spots, or add slightly more contrast when necessary. I don’t touch composition, which is also key to my photography. FYP: What genre would you most like to experiment in?

Anthony: I am not in an experimental phase at the moment. However, I have a very dreamy project for the future. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you more about it right now …. Just be patient, I’ll keep you posted on my website.

FYP: If you could photograph anyone/anywhere in the world, who/where would you photograph?

Anthony: I am now in Madagascar, my favourite spot to photograph. People are so genuine and also very positive towards cameras that I can’t be more happy. However, I would like to go back to North Korea and make a longer photographic documentary.
FYP: Have you got any hints or tips to share with aspiring photographers?

Anthony: Don’t buy expensive equipment.  It might be easier to have nice pictures with good cameras as an amateur, but if you want to be a real and good photographer, you need to be excellent at all kind of cameras. The best way to start and to learn is to have the basic of the basics. Be good at it, be excellent at it , be outstanding at it and only then get a better camera.

FYP: What is your favourite way to de-stress?

Anthony: Putting my feet into the ocean and closing my eyes.

FYP:Thank you for the interview, Anthony! Good luck with the future.

Anthony: Keep creative, and keep smiling!

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Last month we spoke about the stages of finding your style, and specifically, learning how to discern between work that you admire (speaks to your mind) and work that you are attracted to (speaks to your heart). Find part 1 HERE.

Learning how to discern between these two is essential for finding your own voice as an artist. Some of you may already know immediately what you are attracted to, but for the rest of us who need help filtering, here are some great creative exercises to consider.

Look for themes

I offer you two creative exercises in helping to narrow the vision for what you are attracted to

1. Spend some time collecting images of others work. Only choose images that attract you (not just that you admire). Consider some of the following questions:

Does the image make you feel a certain emotion? What is that emotion? Is this the type of emotion that you hope to communicate in your work? Tag it.

I especially love this question, because it is truly helpful in judging the difference between admiration and attraction. There is so much work that I admire that communicates to me, but if I ask myself if that is the same type of message I want to communicate in my own work I usually can know immediately that it doesn’t fit my own personality and how I see the world. And thats okay! We can still admire, remember!

Does the image make you want to take action in any way? (create something, explore, try something new, etc.) Tag it.

If something moves us to action, its stirring in our souls the need to communicate. And if we are wanting to communicate something similar, we have found something our hearts resonates with. Pay attention to work that motivates you in any way!

2. Spend some time looking through your own portfolio. Pick out your favorite images with the following questions in mind:

Why is this a favorite image? What beyond the photographic qualities of light/processing/or exposure speaks to you? What does it say?

If you could boil your style down into three words, what three words would they be?

Do these three words fit your favorite images from your portfolio? Or do your three words represent more of the work that you would like to start creating?

What is style anyway?

A big focus of these questions boils down into the idea of communication. What message do you want to share with the world through your images?

Remember, that style is not merely the way a photo is edited. It is not necessarily the way your subjects are dressed. It isn’t something that can be bought, or derived through templates, actions, or textures.

Your style, is your message.

A consistent message that plays through the body of your work.

The benefits of knowing your style

1. When you understand your message you can be more intentional about the work that you create.

When we’re in the imitation stage of the journey to finding your style, we lack a bit of focus and intent in the work we create. We’re trying out different styles to see what fits us best. Some days we may wear one hat, and other days a new one.

When we finally find the style and message that we want to share consistently with the world, it gives a sharper clarity to the process of creating. You suddenly have goals that are associated with the intent of your work and you begin to create for your vision, not just creating under the expectations of a client.

2. The more clearly (and consistently) you communicate your message the more you will attract the type of people who resonate with your message and style.

There is nothing more awkward and frustrating as an artist or business owner than creating work that you don’t enjoy or creating work that a client doesn’t enjoy!

If you are clear about communicating what you do love by only showing this type of work on your website or blog, you are significantly more likely to only work with people who enjoy the same message and style as you do.

Several years ago, a frustrated photographer emailed me, panicked at a sticky situation with an unhappy client. The client was upset at the lack of formally posed images with everyone looking at the camera.

“But I’m a lifestyle photographer!” the photographer complained to me. “I don’t pose people. I just let them interact as a family and take pictures!”

I had a hunch that proved to be true. We took a quick look at her website and blog. Could you tell that she was the “lifestyle” photographer that she claimed to be? Not by the eclectic images she features that ranged from every type of session, every type of edit, and a lack of consistent style that mixed formal posing with snapshot images.

There is a major lack of communication here.

The photographer is not clear on what her message is, and as such, the client is not clear on what they are hiring. Its a recipe for dissatisfaction on both sides.

Style can change. Just like you can change.

If our style is our message then it should be no surprise that it can change along with our life. We each go through different stages of our life when what is important to us varies according to what season we’re in. We’re always learning new life lessons through all of life experiences and since we ourselves are a work in progress, our perspective of the world is constantly changing.

There was a season for me that I enjoyed shooting weddings. I was newly married myself and related to the style and message of the work that I was producing. As we started our own family, my perspective of the world changed and I found a new passion for photographing family centric work that focused on relationships and the imperfections of life–simply because that was something I was finding as a reoccurring theme of importance in my own personal life.

I’m not implying that our style or message is limited to what stage of life we are in, but I have become increasingly aware that my own life experiences influence my message. And it grows and changes along with me.

My style defined:

So, if I were to choose three words as my own personal message and representation of my style, what would they be?

Relationship. Truth. Story.

Each of these words represents something that I value in photography.

I value relationships. Not just on a pedigree level. But a unique level that is personal to each relationship I photograph. I want to find what makes that specific relationship so valuable to the subjects. And if I can show that in an image it is thrilling to me.

I value truth.   I have no interest in staging a set full of props that are trendy and have no meaning to the subjects. I have no interest in creating imagery that makes people look more glammed up than they ever look in real life. I have no interest in creating imagery that is meant to convey an emotion that people are acting instead of feeling. No judgement towards photographers who do any of those things, but my message is centered on the beauty of real life and its imperfections.

I value story. I am simply fascinated with the challenge of storytelling in photography. It largely influences my work, especially in regards to relationship and truth. Sometimes this means that I take a photojournalistic approach to a session, and other times it means that we set out to re-create story moments that are authentic to the subjects.

But that is my style. What is yours?!

In summary:

• Keep in mind that this is a journey that takes time. Finding your own authentic style doesn’t happen overnight and most often comes through the experience of trying on many different hats!
• Learn to judge between work that you admire and work that you are attracted to.
• Your style is akin to your message. What is it you are wanting to communicate through your work?
• The better you become at communicating your message, the more intentional your work is.
• The better you become at communicating your message the more like minded people will be attracted to you.
• Style can change, just like you can change! Its an evolution in progress and that is what makes it exciting! Enjoy the journey!

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The Indie Spotlight

Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

As a preforming musician of thirty plus years, I have both empathy and much respect for the concert photographer.   Getting a decent shot is a challenge in itself, but when you add the drunk fan or out-of-control mosh pit to the mix, that challenge raises a few notches.  Emily Rose McGonigle, this week’s Indie Spotlight, meets that challenge and more.

Hailing from my hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Emily describes her style as “people photography.”  She doesn’t like to narrow it down to “fashion” photography or “portraits” because she does not feel that she is specifically doing either of those things, however, she is taking photos of people and enjoying it.

Emily’s photographic arsenal includes a Canon 550D (T2i) body and a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens.   This lens was purchased with music photography in mind since many venues are not well lit.  Being able to open the aperture to f/1.4 allows her to get great shots without drastically slowing down the shutter speed.

Emily, like most photographers on a budget, plans purchases based around what will benefit her style.   Since she does not have the luxury of setting up specific lightning in a concert setting as she does with a model shoot, faster and shorter lenses are a must.   This keeps her in front of the action during a concert shoot, rather than having to stand in the back of the venue.

When shooting a live band, Emily has the camera settings in check before leaving the house.  Since she has been shooting bands for quite some time, she has found that f/2.8, 1/125, and an ISO of 1600 to be a good average setting.   Of course, this can change once the show begins and she can assess the lighting, however, the aforementioned settings have proven to be a good starting point.

When shooting a live concert, Emily prefers not to use a flash because she loves the color and the aura that a live setting provides.   If the stage is poorly lit, or the lighting itself is so bright that it blows out the color channels on the camera, she will use a small amount of flash to “water down” the colors.

When photographing models, Emily finds that it depends on the situation.   She will generally try to incorporate ambient light along with some flash to create drama in the scene or to enhance the existing light.  Her main light modifiers presently are umbrella’s.  She will often use these as “shoot-through” umbrellas. On occasion, she has used “gels” on her flash to get a certain effect.

Despite the shoot subject, all images are immediately transferred into Adobe Lightroom.   Next in the workflow is flagging which photos will make the cut and chosen for post processing.  The flagged photos are ready for basic editing (exposure, white balance, contrast, noise reduction, etc.) within Lightroom, and finally the edited photos are exported to Adobe Photoshop CS5 for final processing.

The photos are sharpened in Photoshop, but that is the extent of editing.   Occasionally if there is something that stands out, bothersome to the extent of losing a good night sleep, she will use the cloning tool, however, this is a rarity.  The remaining photographs go through normal retouching (skin smoothing, Liquify, Dodge/Burning, Etc.).

Emily has been shooting for a little over a year and a half, and is still trying to define her style.  She is definitely a fan of the bright color, which is the main reason she chooses to shoot without a flash at live performances.  Keeping the effects of the stage lights is an important part of the process.   From a shooting perspective, Emily tends to use manual focus at live performances when not using a flash, mostly since it is dark and the musicians are moving around so quickly that the AF does not have a chance to lock in.

When photographing models, Emily will sometimes use gel filters.  A favorite photograph, which was a close-up of a model’s face, was shot using a “shoot-through” umbrella and a CTO gel on the flash.  This produced the soft light she wanted to achieve while warming up the model’s face yielding a “sun-glow” look.

A post processing techniques that Emily stumbled upon recently is using the white balance, and tint within Lightroom to tame over saturated colors.   Another is changing the ambiance to dramatically enhance the photograph from the original.

Photographers that Emily admires are Zack Arias, who can create beautiful drama with a single light, and Joey L whom she describes as captivating and awe inspiring.

Although Emily enjoys shooting models and other “people photography,” her dream is to be a concert/promotional photographer on a much larger scale moving from the local/regional scene to national artists.

Emily can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and her personal website.

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“Les Amoureux du Sacre Coeur” by silxy

Let’s talk about the cinema.  For my first project at university, I chose to explore the ‘Cinematography’ genre that I had admired from afar for quite some time.  I have always loved films and the cinematic style, and I decided that in my first project to translate it into my photography.  The theme was “Representing Time”, and I chose to photograph people in their ‘free time’, and to depict their actions in the style of a cinematic film-still.  I had also just purchased a new 50mm F1.8 lens that was perfect for this theme, the reason for which I shall discuss later on.

So what makes a photograph cinematic?  How hard can it really be to make something look cinematic?  Surely all you have to do is insert those two black bars on the top and bottom of an image, and bingo?  Throughout my project, I discovered that it is not as easy as it looks – as most things go.  You cannot just give a photograph two black bars (Mattes) and call it a cinematic shot.  There are numerous other features in cinema and film that make a certain image ‘cinematic’.

"Cinematic: 2" by nfilipevs"

So what makes a photograph cinematic? As of yet, there is no definite explanation, but from what I have gathered (and what I have tried to achieve), a photograph is classed as cinematic if it appears to be of a scene straight from a film because of its stylistic values, and/or if it translates ideas of a bigger back story because of its content. An important thing I should point out is that I was only working in portraiture for my project.  Because of this, I found that one of the main aspects of ‘cinematography’ I employed while I was shooting, was perspective. I found that there were certain compositions and angles that worked and gave my images that ‘film-still’ style, and others that did not. For example, below is an image of someone watching someone else, or perhaps following them. This photograph was taken from behind the person doing the watching/following and it allows the audience to see from their perspective, but to also see them at the same time. From the way the watcher is positioned at an angle away from the person walking away, I want to say that they are not following them, but just watching them walk away.  The lack of colour as well gives a feeling of sadness and emphasises a feeling of abandonment, created by the perspective of this image.

"Cinematography project 2" by santeria-girl"

Another aspect that I paid a lot of attention too was colour – admittedly, this is more of a post-production aspect but as I did not work in RAW all the time, I had to make sure the white balance, tones and general colour cast was suitable for the atmosphere I was trying to create.  Colour plays a big part in cinematography, as it does in all other photography. Again, because I was working in portraiture, I used colour to effectively create the mood of the photograph.

"90" by Ameena Rojee"

"A Drowning" by ravenblakh"

Above is one of the first finished images from my project. In retrospect, I would edit the colour to be less warm because it does not suit the mood that I was trying to get across in this image. I wanted it to feel subdued and quite cold – blue tones and whiter lighting would have been more suitable. Lighting was also a problem though – I had to use whatever lighting I had around me as I have none of my own, and daylight was slowly disappearing earlier and earlier with the approaching winter. In the room I took this photograph, the light was very yellow, and combined with the cream walls it has cast a warm yellow colour over the image, and I have had to just try my best in post-production to get it to where I wanted.

In contrast, this image by ravenblakh shows a woman being drowned by an unknown person, or entity. I say entity because of the colour of the assailants hands – they are an unnatural pale white colour, hinting that whatever is attacking this woman is not completely human, if at all. The colours in this image are very cold, and unnatural because of the combination of the red water and the blue/green tones, which suits the atmosphere and story very well. Also, the perspective of the photograph is very interesting as it puts you in the shoes of the assailant and, and for this reason I think it is very successful in being a ‘cinematic’ photograph because it is a great and effective perspective, especially in this kind of story-line.

"Moody Water" by Latryx"

These tones in this image are gorgeous – the blue tones, the lone fisher in his boat all give off vibes of loneliness and complete desolation. There is not even a hint of life in the river itself. I say loneliness and desolation instead of calm and relaxation, which blue also connotes, because of the darkness of everything. A brighter blue on a sunny day would turn this image into one of happiness and give off the feeling of calmness and utter peace; however, this is not so. The blue is a very dark, murky blue, and the location also gives off the feeling of alienation from the rest of the world. The mistiness and rare calm of the body of water, combined with the seemingly gorgeous location, also add a slight sense of magic and the supernatural, and it is a very atmospheric photograph. Another thing about cinematic style photography that can be included or not are the mattes (the black bars) in images. They exist because of widescreen film, and the 16:9 aspect ratio, and can appear on top and underneath, or on either side of a film. The most popular format though, as seen above, is below and above. On the other hand, the mattes do not need to be used to make an image ‘cinematic’. It does emphasise the idea of a cinematic film still, perhaps more so to those who do not appreciate images as much as photographers and artists, but it does not necessarily make an image cinematic, and therefore should not be seen as a quick shortcut.

Depth-of-field also plays a large hand in cinematic photography. As you can see  in “90″, the focus is quite shallow, only being on the hair, hand and that end of the sofa. This shallow depth-of-field is very common in ‘cinematic’ photography, especially portraiture; however, it is all dependent on the nature and content of your photograph. For example, if there was a landscape photograph of a range of mountains, F1.8 would not be a good choice unless there was perhaps a person or something else in the foreground of importance that you wanted to focus on, consequently removing the focus off of the mountains. For my project,  I have trying to take all my images using my 50mm at F1.8, mostly because I adore a shallow depth-of-field, but I have found that it proves to be most effective when working in portraiture, as proved in the below image.

"105" by Ameena Rojee"

"The Embrace Scene" by Ameena Roje"

Below are a few images from my project that I consider the best.

The above photograph of two people hugging has to be one of my favourites. It was a great timed photograph that I got because I was playing around with my camera in a friend’s flat. I really love the emotion captured in the image, and although it is a very happy image, I went with what felt right when editing the colours, and this is the result, which I am quite happy with. It seems a very nostalgic image, so maybe there are two levels here – the first is the character remembering this scene, and the second is this scene actually happening. Perhaps one of the two people here is the main character, and he or she is remember an old friend or old love. This is the beauty of cinematic photography, I find – the stories created can be as detailed or open-ended as the photographer wants them to be.

"The Kitchen Scene" by Ameena Rojee"

"120" by Ameena Rojee"

At the end of this article, I can say that there are various aspects that are needed to be taken into account when creating cinematic photography, some of which I have explored here. Obviously, there are a whole lot of other things that can affect photographs when trying to create a cinematic style, and hopefully here I have covered the main ones. So what does make a photograph ‘cinematic’? Post your comments, thoughts and links to your cinematic images below.

Thanks for reading!

"vrabiorul-vint" by zorislav stojanović"

Some useful links:

“What is cinematography?”

Cinematic photography tutorial 1

Cinematic photography tutorial 2

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

Matteo Fiorelli, 27, hails from La Spezia, Italy and is employed as a mechanical engineer.  Although he considers himself an “amateur photographer,” the photography on this page tells a different story.   Matteo does not have a particular style of photography, however, he is very instinctive of his surroundings and will shoot whatever is interesting.  Matteo is not one to place his style into any category, but if he had to choose his favorite types of photography, he prefers to shoot portrait, street, concert, and people generally.

His photographic arsenal includes a Canon 50D, which he received as a graduation gift, and a Nikkormat ft from the sixties with a 50mm f1.4.  The Nikkormat is a film camera, and he finds it very difficult to get a good photograph using this method.  Matteo’s lens’ of choice include a 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 and a 50mm f1.8II, both from Canon.   The 50mm is perfect for portrait photography, however, Matteo is intrigued by the wide angle lens, so much that he recently purchased a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8.   This lens allows him to stay close to the subject, which he likens to stepping into the picture, a gratifying sensation from a photographer’s point of view.  Overall Matteo’s lens choice falls between an ultra-wide angle and a 50mm with proper aperture of course!

Preparation is the key for Matteo, so before the shutter button is pressed he seeks out composition and viewpoint to avoid cropping in post.   He shoots primarily in RAW, and in most situations has his ISO set to 200-400 to freeze the frame.   In post production Matteo uses Adobe Lightroom and the histogram tool to correct any imbalance in exposure.  After the exposure is balanced, he moves on to tone, vignette, and noise.  The next stop is Adobe Photoshop where final dodging, burning, mid tones, and shadows are adjusted.   Matteo compares the final shadow adjustment process to working in a traditional darkroom.

Matteo does not have one subject that he enjoys shooting.  His goal is to take his surroundings, despite what it may be, and convey another point of view and evoke emotion by telling a story with each photograph.   He would also like to learn how to use fill-flash settings when shooting backlit subjects in manual mode.

Matteo admires photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Jeanloup Sieff, however, his list goes on. Make sure you connect with him online to learn about the other photographers whom he draws inspiration.

Matteo would like to try photojournalism, to go places where emotions are strong and degradation is commonplace, to tell the stories of the human soul through photography.  Shoot 4 Change, a free association of photographers is one such organization that Matteo compares to this type of photography.

You can find Matteo on Facebook and Google+, as well as his portfolio on 500px.

Lastly, Matteo asked that I end the article with the following statement:

“I would like to thank Bryan for his patience and consideration given to me, and best regards to all the team of Indie Spotlight & Fuel your Photography!”

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Bill Gerrard is our contest winner of the FYP October Photography Contest, congratulations Bill!  I addition to being featured in our Indie Spotlight Bill also won an annual 500px.com account.  Here is Bill’s winning image.

Bill is an eclectic photographer from  Northern Utah in the United States, but he has also recently lived in Las Vegas, Nevada and Southern California.  Bill’s favorite subjects to shoot are landscapes, automotive, architecture, events and portraiture.

Bill’s primary camera is the Canon EOS 5D but he usually has his Canon PowerShot S90 in his pocket for those moments that he is unable to have his SLR.   A true photographer is rarely without his camera and Bill finds that for a point and shoot camera, the Canon S90 produces quality images, while it lacks the control afforded by the 5D the image is far better than no image at all.  Bill’s stalwart lens is his  Canon 24-105mm f/4L.  He finds that  it gives him a nice range for anything from landscapes to portraits.

Bill admittedly says that his workflow is rather quite simple.  The majority of his work (landscapes, automotive, events) is captured in natural light.  He uses artificial light sparingly for portraiture and special effects in which one of his favorite techniques to use is “dragging the shutter”, dragging the shutter shows motion and then freezes the subject matter with second curtain flash, here is a video link to explain the technique.

After Bill has captured his images he then loads them into Adobe Lightroom and usually apply some presets to give the image some pop or special toning (vintage, etc.).  He then processes some of those images with the Topaz Adjust feature, many of his automotive images are processed in Topaz giving them that HDR like look, on the rare occasion he loads an image into  Adobe Photoshop but that is only when the image requires  special attention.

Bill has an extensive list of places he’d like to photograph for  for landscape photography, however with his growing interest in photographing people, he has an interest in mixing people with his landscapes in interesting ways. He has already experimented with this technique had hopes to do many more.

Bill has started a process of discovery in which he experiments more with post processing techniques that give his images a vintage or yesteryear look, or even a grungy or more atmospheric look. There are a lot of presets available for Lightroom that make this easy, or that give a base or idea to start with. He suggests experimenting with Lightroom in this way. Download some of the free presets and see what creative processing can do to an image.

Bill has one of those motivational pictures of a basketball court that says “You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” and he takes this advice to heart.  Bill advises  “No matter what kind of camera you have, get out and start shooting.  The more photos you take the better the photographer you will become.”

Bill discovered  his love of automotive photography completely by accident.  He had always admired the old wooden bodied automobiles that were manufactured in the early 1900’s affectionately known as “woodies”.  One summer at the local county fair, his wife purchased a really cool photograph of a group of these woodies lined up in an old warehouse.  While completing the purchase his wife mentioned to the photographer that her husband Bill  liked woodies and the photographer suggested that she advise him to attend a woodie show coming up the next month near their hometown.  It was slated be the biggest gathering of wooden bodied cars in the world.

While had had never done any type of automotive photography before, Bill jumped in with both feet when he got there; he was in heaven.  Everywhere he looked there were these beautiful wooden cars and he started shooting right away.  He was awed by the wood grain, being a photographer he appreciated the craftsmanship. he admired the reflections in the chrome and lacquered surfaces.  Bill found that everywhere he turned there was an image waiting to be captured.  This love of woodies was further cemented when he post processed his photographs with the previously mentioned Topaz Adjust technique that he was taught by Rick Sammon.

Bill has a few photographers whose work he really admires.  He is inspired by Art Wolfe’s landscape and people photography, in fact Bills says that Art’s work has inspired him to visit some of the places where he has captured some of his best images.  He also appreciates  John Telford’s work in photographing and documenting historic buildings of worship has inspired much of his architecture photography.  Not leaving out the old pioneers, he was initially first inspired to landscape photography through the work of  Ansel Adams.

One of the styles that Bill has on his bucket list to try is light painting .  He is in awe of the quality of the photographs being produced now and seeks to join a group of local photographers who get together on a regular basis to experiment with the technique, he admires the light orbs they create using steel wool and other objects in the execution of the technique.

Bill has also created a few images mixing people or wildlife photography with landscape photography wants to spend more time exploring that genre.

You may view more of Bill’s work at his website where he has images for sale, on his Facebook page and he has just started populating his 500px.com presence.

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Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition.  Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.

If you read my previous Indie Spotlight article, the initial attraction to the photographers work was the fact that they experimented with various styles and did not confine themselves to a particular genre.   Our Indie Spotlight this week not only experiments with various styles, but is from the same part of the world as the aforementioned spotlightee.

Holy Déjà vu Batman!!

Germán Ruiz, a system engineer and photographer from Bogotá Colombia, is a self proclaimed minimalist as it relates to nature and macro photography, and a ‘maximist’ regarding architecture, landscapes, and some portrait photography.  He is attracted to the saturation of color as well as the contrast of  Black & White.

Armed with a Nikon D7000, battery grip, and various speedlights, Germán is prepared to shoot any subject and genre that comes his way.   The lens’ of choice for our Colombia native is a Sigma Ultra-Wide Angle 10-20mm f4-5.6 and Nikkor Fish-Eye 10.5mm f2.8 for landscapes.  What’s that?  You think those are the only lenses he carries with him?  Nay my photographic friends, for macro work, he depends on a Nikkor 60mm f2.8 with a Kenko 3x Teleconverter.

Germán shoots entirely with natural light, which seems to be a running theme with our Indie’s as of late.   If the shoot focuses on landscapes or architecture, he will study the weather first and then prepare accordingly.  Germán’s gear will normally consist of a LowePro bag, Vanguard tripod, camera, lenses, filters, and a remote trigger.  Upon arrival at the shoot location, angles and bracketing are essential, usually choosing three or more exposures.

After the shoot, Adobe Bridge is the first stop to choose the best photos.  Post production includes Photomatix Pro or HDR Efex Pro from NIK Software to produce the best HDR effects.  Noise reduction is pushed through Imagenomic or Noiseware, and finally Adobe Photoshop CS5 via Camera Raw for retouching and edge burning.

When shooting portrait, and depending on the lighting (in-studio or outdoors) Germán will choose the model, the clothes and makeup, the lighting, and the background.   The remainder of the workflow is similar to shooting landscapes except HDR processing and the addition of touching up imperfections and softening skin if needed.

Regarding tips and technique, Germán offers the following suggestions.   When shooting portraits “on-location” a medium density ND filter should be used on bright days, as this will enable the photographer to use their lenses at the maximum aperture in turn creating a nice bokeh effect.  Also, use apertures between f5.6 and f11 as it makes for a nice sharp image.  A creative touch can be accomplished with the use of a fisheye lens.

When shooting portraits “in-studio,” he suggests using two studio softboxes, a reflector, a flash with an umbrella /snoot, and color filters for backgrounds.  This will help in achieving a great photo with the lighting in line with makeup or clothing.  Germán will always shoot with white balance in “PRE” mode and a 18% gray card settings to get the best colors and avoid corrections in post-process.  Lastly, when shooting portraits always focus on the eyes.

If shooting landscapes, and the day turns cloudy, do not hesitate to use HDR as the clouds will take on a dramatic and interesting effect.

A technique that Germán stumbled upon happened while visiting a dinosaur park.  He was prepared to take a photo using a flash, and accidentally moved as the camera fired, aiming directly at the sun.  The photo turned out so good that Germán includes the sun whenever possible and mixes in some speedlights for good measure.

Two photographers that inspire Germán Ruiz are Joe McNally and Scott Kelby.   A few lesser-known names like Frank Doorhof, Karl Taylor, and Calvin Hollywood have also inspired much of his work.

Lastly, Germán would like to do wedding photography someday as well as shoot a forest of bamboo in China, which he describes as a mystical place.

Germán Ruiz Online:

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