“Forrest Gump” is your highest scoring image on DPC;
take us through the background to this shot, and what you feel about
it now, some 18 months later? "Forrest Gump"
Stupid is as stupid does. Sometimes you find a photo, and
sometimes it finds you. As soon as I saw the topic this idea
popped into my head. I look more like Forrest Gump than Brad
Pitt so I didn’t figure I had too many options. I garnered a
small audience sprinting back and forth from camera to bench
in a suit and bad-ass running shoes.
I’m pretty sure they were waiting for the nice men
in the white van with a fancy extra long-sleeved jacket to come
and get me.
From a technical perspective the photo sucks, but the
idea apparently was solid enough to overcome that minor
detail.
It is often said that true artists put their whole
self into their work. In producing “Disturbed” it looks like you
followed this ethos. This image has received high acclaims and
criticisms. Can you describe the thought processes you went through
to produce this, and your own responses to some of the observations
made by others?
I actually had the idea to do a series of shots with
fishing line well before this challenge came up. I have always been
drawn to slightly obscure images and wanted to create something
unique.,
"Disturbed"
I was pleasantly surprised by it’s placing, because
typically people tend to like pretty images, and this one ain’t so
much pretty.
I laughed when I saw that it received more ‘1’ votes
than any of my other entries; some of my entries have been really
bad. I can’t say I was surprised by the mixed reaction though…People
only see what they are prepared to see.
Looking through your challenge entries and
portfolio, you seem enjoy taking Portraits. What is it that attracts
you to this genre of photography, and which portrait shots have
given you the most pleasure?
I’m most often drawn to photos that I can connect with
on an emotional level. By definition, portraits have an inherent
advantage over inanimate objects in this regard. I hope I can
show my subjects in such a way that the viewer can connect to
it and may see something they wouldn’t have seen without my
direction.
I figure the camera’s job is to record what’s in front
of it; the photographer’s job is to gently guide the viewer
through the photo and see what he /she wants them to see. I
decided this year that I really wanted to develop my own style
of portraiture. Here
are some of the latest.
There are a number of photographs of horses in your
challenge submissions, are they an important part of your life, and
do you draw inspiration from them?
"At Last Light"
My father-in-law breeds Appaloosas, so for the past 15
years I’ve been around horses a lot.
I wouldn’t say I’m particularly inspired by horses
per se. However they’re willing models and really really really
ridiculously good looking, so they’re kind of a natural target
for a goof with a camera. And they don't bitch if their mane
is a little out of place and their mascara is running.
You seems to have an eclectic style, taking
inspiration from a number of different styles and techniques. Is
this just my take on things or do you feel you have developed a
specific style/technique?
Eclectic is just a polite way of saying random
and scatterbrained. I’m really still searching for my groove.
When I first got home from Thailand I was really lost about
what I wanted to do with photography. It brings me real peace
and so I didn’t like being at odds with it. Manny
(librodo)
and I had some very interesting conversations about what it
means to be an artist and being true to yourself that didn’t
really sink in until after I got home. Since then I've had a
much clearer view of the direction I want to go. I’m nowhere
near achieving it yet, but I’m on my way. I may never arrive,
but I’m enjoying the journey.
One of my favourites is “first snow” I like the
simplicity of this photograph. How did you come up with this idea,
how was the actual shot taken and how much post processing did you
have to undertake?
"First Snow"
I love clean lines and strong contrasts. The ‘yellow’
topic just begs for that sort of image. As with most of my shots
that score well the idea hit before I ever set out to shoot
anything. First I had to trek up half a mountain in -40 degree
weather to reach the beautiful and rare yellow snow daisy.
Then I was attacked by this huge polar bear and…ok…not
really. I went to the grocery store, bought a six pack of daisies,
drove in my heated car to a nearby park, poked the flower in the
snow, took the photo, and got back to my car as fast as I could. It
really was -40. I didn’t do much processing at all as it was a basic
editing challenge. Curves and USM.
Your “Morning
Mist collection” has some great images, what inspired you to
take this series?
Wow what a morning. I was up unusually early that day
(actually I think I was still up from the night before), and
as I drove over this bridge there was a crazy fog coming off
the Bow river.
Foggy
Road Home came from that day. I happened to be very near
my two favourite trees so I went and shot them too. I like the
idea of shooting series’ of pictures; building a story through
multiple images..
For me “Interlude” is one of your images which has
even greater impact when you understand its context. I often wonder
whether the “blind voting process” adopted for DPC reduces our
ability to fully articulate and appreciate a visual story. Please
explain the story behind this image and comment on my previous
statement.
Context is pretty important element of composition. I think
if the photo needs too much explanation you maybe haven’t done
a good enough job filling in those blanks
"Interlude".
That was a really weird day for me. It was just before
the third anniversary of 9/11. The last time I was in New York
before that was 3 weeks before the towers went down. Oddly I
stayed in what was the World Trade Centre Marriott
Hotel. I had pictures in my camera (film) from inside the World
Trade Centre that weren’t developed until it no longer existed.
Freaks me out a little.
I don’t really know how to explain the story behind
it. It’s a very noisy place. Not just the noise of the construction
and tourists and traffic…but there’s a persistent underlying
discord there. More than a few tormented souls were left behind
and if you’re listening you’ll hear them. Maybe if I was there
long enough I’d be able to tune them out, but I somehow doubt
it.
For the first half hour I was there I could barely
even move from my spot against the construction fence that surrounds
Ground Zero. I tried to focus on the sound of the erhu to keep
the other noises out. It’s got such a haunting and penetrating
sound you can’t help but be moved by it. I did finally get my
head out of my wazoo long enough to shoot some frames. After
that I don’t think I spoke for four or five hours. It was an
exceedingly heavy day.
.
The same two trees which are in your morning mist
collection appeared in your entry “Soul Mates”. This image has a
rather surreal and haunting feeling, which I suspect has been
achieved through post processing. Please can you explain the
inspiration behind this image and the workflow used to create the
final image?
"Soul Mates"
I'll explain a bit about the trees themselves later. They're
old friends of mine :)
This was my first shoot with them, and again I had an
idea in my head but not the technical expertise in Photoshop to
achieve it. I sort of got what I wanted out of it, but not really.
The idea was that in this barren desolate landscape these two trees
were chillin' out and were so peaceful together that their aura was
visible…that’s what the glow was all about.
All I really did to it was burn the heck out of the
shadows in the parts that I wanted dark, and dodge the highlights
in the parts I wanted to glow. In retrospect I could been much
more subtle about it and still got the same feeling from it.
If we have a “Do-Over” challenge, this is probably the image
I’d re-do.
What has been your hardest image to photograph, and
why?
"Tragic"
Hands Down it has to "tragic" Sometimes meeting someone
can have such a profound impact on you that it changes you.
I spent almost no time with this man, yet I think he
taught me more in 5 seconds than I’ve learned in the last 20
years. We didn’t actually speak.
If you would like to explain any more of your images
in more depth, please feel free.
"untitled"
Tony, the subject in this photo, doesn’t really look
like this. And those aren’t his boots.
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