focaltalk-blog

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Hannu Huhtamo

www.hannuhuhtamo.com

[focaltalk-blog]

Interview with Hannu Huhtamo

Hannu Huhtamo is a visual artist, musician and photographer from Helsinki, Finland.

Starting in 2008, Hannu has established a very beautiful and distinctive style in the world of light painting photography. The photographs he produces are fresh, exquisite and come straight of the camera with only minimal RAW-processing done to the images.

This interview will include some of Hannu’s images, talk about gear that he likes to use, tips and some friendly advice on light painting photography itself.

  Also check out more of Hannu’s work in the links below:

Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/hhuhtamo/

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/HannuHuhtamoPhotography

Website: www.hannuhuhtamo.com

  -Interview:

1. What interests you most about working in Photography? Why do you take photos?

It’s probably the challenge to get a good story captured in a one single frame. All you got is the moment, decisive moment like Cartier-Bresson once said. In long exposure photography things are a bit different though, but you still have to think about the composition, light & shadow and how much you want time to be included in the picture. To me it is also fascinating to seek hidden beauty from unexpected places and try to convey it to the people.

2. How did you get involved with the type of photography you are doing now?

Well, it all started in 2008 when a fellow light painter and good friend of mine Janne Parviainen aka Jannepaint showed some of his experiments with LED-lights and long exposure time. I was blown away immediately and I started to save money for my first dslr. I did my own experiments almost every night and it quickly developed into an obsessive hobby. Today it’s a way of life and also a source of income

3. In regards to equipment; what type of gear do you find fits best with your work?

I try to keep things as simple as possible. But sometimes the shooting place or the weather conditions can be really difficult and challenging to your gear. My favourite combination for light painting sessions is Canon 5Dmk III and their 17-40L lens.

When doing light art you have to have good quality light tools also. I’m an official ambassador of Led Lenser products and their high quality LED-torches are the best you can find in the market. There’s no better equipment to light up objects like trees and hills or big buildings where you must have high power light sources with optical focusing of the light beam.

Along with this professional gear I still use cheaper stuff like keychain LED-lights, battery operated decorative lights, kids light toys… almost anything that emits light will do. One of my all-time favourites is electroluminescent wire aka el-wire. It can bend into different shapes easily and gives you a nice smooth, smoky kind of an effect. Some of my tools are self-made. I might use recycled plastic bags and bottles as a colour filters, it’s even better if there’s holes and wrinkles all over them. Light trails come much more livelier with complex textures.

4. Do you find there is any limitation with using the type of gear you described above?

No. Only limit is your own skills and imagination. I mean, incredible things can be done with just a one flashlight if you know how to use it properly. Same thing goes with today’s camera gear also. Not the technology itself produces good images, the person behind the lens does.

5. What inspires you to capture light painting images?

There's something magical in glowing lights in middle of the darkness and how the light itself reacts with the surroundings. It gives you alternative and unique way to create breathtaking visual effects without post processing. Although it’s digital, there’s something organic and humane in it, because the trails and shapes are done by the artist himself, not the computer. And what makes it even more challenging is that you can’t see what you have drawn. There are no traces of lines behind your brush sweeps, only your own memory of where your hand was or might have been seconds or minutes ago. Very few forms of art gives you the possibility to draw in a three dimensional space.

6. Do you find a lot of mishaps happen to your gear, when working (especially in the dark)?

Sometimes yes, mainly I might drop light tools or put those on the ground for a second and forgetting the place after the shot is done. When shooting in abandoned buildings and creepy locations you’re always exposed to danger. Light painting has lot of common with urban exploration and its hazards.

7. What does your post process workflow look like? 

All my light painting photos are straight from the camera, there’s no Photoshoping or manipulation done. Of course I do some RAW processing before printing images, but nothing else. It’s all there on my every pic’s EXIF info.

8. What elements of the work bring you the most stress? And perhaps what encourages you?

To invent something new, always.

Trying to avoid repeating myself and pushing my art to the new levels. Sometimes it just might happen by itself, but usually not. Another thing is to make living out of it. Of course as a photographer you can get many kinds of assignments, portraits, weddings, product shots and journalistic works, but at the moment I just want to focus only on light painting and get the money from other jobs.  Light painting is still very marginal form of art and it needs to be made more known in commercial sector.

9. When you go out for a shoot do you bring along a team to help assist you?

Usually I work by myself, but some shooting trips require helping hands. Mainly just to watch my back so that I don’t get hurt or won’t get robbed.

10. Do you have a dream assignment?

Yes, I’d travel around the world with my own tech crew doing light painting in various amazing locations and get paid of it. Or maybe just spend a week in some abandoned city or village with same specs.

11. If I ask you to give me some advice, what would it be?

Put your main focus on content and try to have something to say, a statement. Good technic skills are bonus, but it’s not nearly as important as the content. Be original. Be you and try to put a piece of yourself in everything you do. Follow your instinct, contest rules and regulations, but remember to be empathic. Keep your antennas up all the time. Killer ideas come usually on unexpected sources. 

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Hannu Huhtamo

www.hannuhuhtamo.com

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Jeremy Jackson http://www.tackyshack.net

[focaltalk-blog]

Interview with Jeremy Jackson

Jeremy Jackson is a light painting ‘fanatic’ who lives along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Jeremy started waving lights in front of his camera in 2008 and has since developed vivid, creative and stunning pieces of art.

Light painting is an emerging trend in photography, in which the camera is exposed to a hand held light and produces a coloured pattern of where the light had been waved within the frame of the camera. (Requiring a long shutter speed)

Jeremy uses this technique along with other lighting methods to create beautifully illuminated photographs.

Check out more of his work in the links below:

Website: http://www.tackyshack.net 

               http://www.interactivelp.com

Flickr:     www.flickr.com/photos/tackyshack/

Interview:

 1.    What interests you most about working in Photography? Why do you take photos?

 I wasn't truly interested in photography until I discovered long exposure light painting.  The creative capabilities that a light painting artist has working within a frame for extended periods of time is way more fascinating than your typical fraction of a second snap shot.  Time and space take on new meaning.  You have control over so many variables that the possibilities are endless.

I take photos to escape reality and paint my imagination onto a scene with lights.  

 2.    How did you get involved with the type of photography you are doing now?

 I stumbled onto the scene in 2008 after playing with glow sticks in front of my point and shoot camera.  I figured out how to set it to 15 second exposures and began testing different movements and ideas.  After searching online I found other artists that were pushing their imagination into planned compositions of light.  I acquired a DSLR shortly thereafter and became immersed in the scene and obsessed with taking the art to new levels.

 3.    In regards to equipment; what do type of gear do you find fits best with your work?

There are 4 crucial tools that any light painting artist must have to properly explore the art form. A DSLR camera, a tripod, a shutter release and a flashlight.  The rest is trial and error and imagination.  The shutter release is crucial if you want to be able to create a composition for longer than 30 seconds.  My longest exposure to date was 27 minutes and there were countless steps involved.  

I use a Canon t1i which is dated and low end in comparison to what's out there now but it works great and is more than adequate for light painting.  I have a couple of Manfrotto tripods and a Nikon N65 film camera to capture light paintings on 35mm film. 

I also have many different manual lenses.  I stopped using auto lenses for light painting a long time ago after discovering that the aperture could be changed during a single exposure with a manual lens.  This is a great capability that I appreciate given some lights are brighter than others just as some environments have more ambient light to deal with.  I could not have created many of my photos without the ability to adjust aperture.  For example, an LED strip is BRIGHT!  I have to shoot it at f/11 - f/16 in order to avoid washing out the colors and lines.  On the other hand, the gelled lighting of trees and other objects in the frame generally require f/4 - f/8 as they are not as bright. Shooting the two effects in separate frames and stacking them in post is a potential solution but if I'm using post production, then I'm not remaining true to the process.

 4.    Do you find there is any limitation with using the type of gear you described above?

Gear can always be tweaked to follow your will.  The only limitation I have found doesn't involve the gear but the weather.  All outdoor photographers rely on the weather to cooperate while shooting.

 5.    What inspires you to capture light painting images?

The journey into the unknown.  I never know what photo will pop up on my display after closing the shutter.  I always have a vision in mind but very rarely does it come out like I anticipate and the surprise is what keeps me coming back for more.

 6.    Do you find a lot of mishaps happen to your gear, when working (especially in the dark)?

Oh yeah!  You trip over light tools, struggle to find switches, stumble over unseen objects, fumble around looking for flashlights or the perfect spot to wave a particular light.  While setting up a composition you can have your headlamp on and feel out the space but once the lights go out and the shutter is open, it's a real challenge to feel comfortable with your surroundings.

 7.    What does your post process workflow look like?

It is imperative for me to have little to no post production.  I shoot in RAW to avoid getting hot pixels in my long exposures.  JPEGs always end up noisy.  I convert the RAW files to Jpegs for uploading and on occasion I may have a small crop or bump in contrast/saturation but otherwise my photos remain "straight out of the camera" (SOOC)

 8.    What elements of the work bring you the most stress? and perhaps what encourages you?

The most stressful are commercial endeavors.  I usually have set criteria for these shoots and having any limitations on what I am able to do creates dilemmas in my work flow.  Otherwise, I light paint to relieve stress. 

 9.    When you go out for a shoot do you bring along a team to help assist you?

The best aspect of light painting is collaboration.  I have on many occasions had friends or fellow light painters join me in the planning and execution of a light painting photo.  It's always a lot of fun and having someone with you while exploring around at night gives a certain level of comfort undoubtedly.  Most times I shoot solo around my property in the country but I am always keen to join forces with others to share a collaborative vision.

My dear friend of many years, Aaron Bauer and I have started a business endeavor called "Interactive Light Painting".  Our mission is to educate the public about light painting by having them participate in the creation of collaborative photos during workshops.  It was well received by all ages and we are always looking to share it with more people.  http://www.interactivelp.com 

  10. Do you have a dream assignment?

I have often thought that a team of artists creating complex photos quickly on a stage for an audience would be the ultimate form of light painting.  While this may not become a reality in my lifetime, I hope more than anything that I get the opportunity to meet and create light paintings with some of the awesome artists I have gotten to know around the world.  An international LP meet up would make this a reality and I do believe that this will happen in my lifetime. 

11. If I ask you to give me some advice, what would it be?

Persistence.  Never give up on a vision.  I have so many ideas I have put to work and light tools I have created over the years.  Some have worked out well, others have come up duds but I always learn from each experience and make adjustments in my techniques and equipment to reach my goal.  Whenever I find myself losing inspiration and ambition, I look at the amazing photos from other LP artists around the world and rekindle my spirit.  If you love what you do, do it as though it was your first or your last time.  Be appreciative of your blessings and utilize them to enjoy the journey.

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Jeremy Jackson http://www.tackyshack.net

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Clarte Photography - Melbourne Wedding Photographer www.clartephoto.com

[focaltalk-blog]

Clarte Photography - Melbourne Wedding Photographer

Dawei Ye is a Melbourne based photographer for Clarte Photography. Clarte Photography benchmark themselves internationally against the best wedding photographers in the world for photographic quality and output. Clarte best describes themselves to suit wedding couples who are after a natural looking, colourful, vibrant and beautiful photography. The photographs captured are exquisite and simple beautiful.

Website: www.clartephoto.com

Interview with Dawei Ye.

 1.     How did you get started? What was your first job?

21st Birthday Parties for friends during University

2.     What interests you most about working in Photography?

Ultimately it's about the joy and tears and smiles on people's faces as they see my photos pop up on the Screen at the Reception, or later down the track during the client delivery phase. Knowing I made a difference and provided an extra bit of happiness makes photography worthwhile for me.

3.     What elements of the work bring you the most stress in working within wedding photography?

Wedding venues are ironically not structured well to provide for good photographic lighting and sometimes it can be frustrating dealing with mixed lighting and heavily backlit situations.

Gear malfunctions, even though I use the most expensive high-end gear, it is always a cause for concern. Once my CF card locked up whilst the Bride walked down the aisle, freezing my whole camera. However as Wedding photographers we manage risk, so I simply grabbed my backup camera from my other shoulder and proceeded to continue photographing.

4.     What does a typical workday for you look like?

I am a part time photographer as I have a day job which keeps me busy Monday to Friday. On the weekends, it takes me 2 hours to prepare for a Wedding from a gear perspective; in addition to the 2-3 hours I spend typically managing the administrative side of client bookings.  For an actual Wedding workday, I arrive at client's premises to photograph the Bride and Groom "getting ready" photos, then move onto the Ceremony, location photos and reception. Every wedding is different, however they all follow the same general theme. Indian weddings tend to spread over a number of days, which makes for an exciting but tiring long weekend!

5.     How would you describe your style in photography?

I aim for multi-faceted excellence. Some photographers obsess about being "photojournalistic" versus "posed". I feel this is an unnecessary distinction. I photograph everything and strive for excellence in everything

6.     What do you find works best when advertising or promoting your business?

Word of mouth referrals are by far the strongest means of advertising. I do not advertise on Bridal magazines, Bridal expos nor bridal directories, but some photographers have reported mixed success with these

7.     Do you work with a team, and how does it differ from working on your own?

I often engage the services of a second photographer or assistant at a Wedding. Often you cannot achieve complete coverage without a second photographer, but it comes with the downside of managing their output and taking responsibility for their performance, or more problematically, their non performance. I have been very fortunate to work with great second photographers and assistants.

8.     How much time do you spend on planning, shooting and postproduction? In which area do you find you time spent most in?

Planning - up to half a day

Shooting - up to a day

Post Production - up to 3-4 days

9.     What advice would you give to a photographer starting out?

Network, network, network. Additionally, photographers always think they are better than they are. Always critically evaluate your skills and acknowledge that there is always room for improvement.

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Clarte Photography - Melbourne Wedding Photographer www.clartephoto.com

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Melbourne Cake Smash Photography

http://melbournecakesmash.com/main/

[focaltalk-blog]

Andrew Sharpe- Melbourne Cake Smash Photography

Melbourne Cake Smash Photography

Andrew Sharpe is a Melbourne based Photographer specialising in Cake Smash, Baby and Portrait photography. He is currently operating out of a home studio in Blackburn South.

  Check out these websites for more information:

http://andrewsharpephotography.com/

http://melbournecakesmash.com/main/

https://www.facebook.com/melbournecakesmashphotography

Interview with Andrew Sharpe

1. How did you get started? What was your first job?

I first started taking photos back when I was still in high school. I was given a camera for Christmas one year and ever since then I have always had a camera with me. My first real job was shooting weddings in Banff National Park as a second shooter and helper for another photographer.

2. What elements of the work bring you the most stress?

I think the most stressful part of the work would have to be time restrictions. Tight deadlines and trying to get things to some clients who need the product right away can be a bit stressful, but it's worth it.

3. What does a typical workday look like for you?

A typical day here, would be waking up nice and early, checking all the gear getting everything set up. Clients arrive and we take the photos and have some fun. At the end of the day, photos are transferred and the post processing begins!

4. How would you describe your Photography?

The style would be quite minimalistic for cake smashes. I try to keep things simple and by using a solid white backdrop, it helps drive the attention directly onto the subject.

5. What sort of equipment do you like to use?

I currently use 2 different camera platforms. For all our cake smash shoots, I use a Nikon D800 with a few different lenses, Elinchrom, flashes and modifiers. I do also shoot portraiture, landscapes and a few other types of photography, for those I use a Phase One medium format camera and lenses.

6. How much time do you spend on one project?

Cake smashes are pretty quick in terms shoots. A shoot lasts about an hour and then most of the time is spent post processing and printings/preparing images for the client.

7. What is your dream assignment?

Whilst I love doing studio work and cake smashes, I think my dream assignment would be to travel to remote areas in other countries to capture portraits of the native people of those countries. Africa and Afghanistan are two places I would love to travel to for portraits.

8. What advice would you give a photographer starting out?

I think the most valuable advice I could give is something that I am sure every photographer was always told starting out: "Stick to it and get out and shoot as much as possible."

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Melbourne Cake Smash Photography

http://melbournecakesmash.com/main/

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Mark Rogers

www.magnumphotography.com.au

[focaltalk-blog]

Interview with Mark Rogers

Mark Rogers is an Australian photographer with over ten years of broad experience in the photography industry. He works alongside the company Magnum Photography and produces an exquisite collection of inspiring photographs.

Mark has specialized in the following: - Action Sports Photography - Wedding Photography - Corporate & Industrial Photography - Real Estate & Architectural Photography - Portrait Photography - Glamour and Model Folios

Mark is a fully Accredited AIPP Professional Photographer. He is located in Port Melbourne, with a studio in South Melbourne, just a few minutes outside the CBD.

Check our Mark’s website: www.magnumphotography.com.au

Magnum Photography's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Magnum-Photography-Melbourne/122264154475092

 How did you get started? What was your first job?

I started out as more of an amateur photographer, my dad was an accomplished photographer/painter and I met up with a friend of many years who was also interested in working as a photographer. My first job was at a baby christening followed by a wedding. This one family became a client and I have since done a number of various assignments for them.

  2 .  What elements of the work bring you the most stress?

Time restrictions bring the most stress or working with a subject that can be difficult. Add to that poor weather, equipment malfunctions, that’s about it really. If you’re confident in your ability, you can pull off most assignments. I tend to be a perfectionist in some ways. Some jobs, everything falls into place, others you need to really work hard to achieve the results.

  3.      What does a typical workday look like for you?

Every work day is different. Like any job, much of my work is mundane, everyday commercial work which I would rarely publish on FB or my websites. The really interesting projects and jobs always make the mundane, bill paying jobs worthwhile.

  4.      How would you describe your Photography?

I don't consider my photography particularly artistic. I really do admire other photographers who come up with fresh & innovative ideas. My style is just as I see it, given my mood at the time and the location.

  5.      What sort of equipment do you like to use?

I use Canon EOS, and Elinchrom studio lighting, including location work.

  6.      How much time do you spend on one project?

Time spent on projects would vary from job to job. I try to shoot a good image from the start to minimize Photoshop/post-editing time. I rarely shoot RAW files as Jpeg is sufficient for most of my work. I tend to spend a fair amount of time with Set/Location set up.

  7.      What is your dream assignment?

Dream assignment would be a model portfolio shoot in a remote location like a salt lake with 50's & 60's style retro theme. Sort of Americana in the 50's is the best way to describe it.

  8.      What advice would you give a photographer starting out?

It’s a hard road to photography these days, simply because technology has opened photography to so many people. I suggest having an additional income source (job) as photographer rates are always being undercut, driving the real value of a professionally accredited photographer down. It’s a hard RD these days.

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Mark Rogers

www.magnumphotography.com.au

[focaltalk-blog]

Photographer: Simon Beedle

www.simonbeedle.com

[focaltalk-blog]

Interview with Simon Beedle

Simon Beedle is an international award winning landscape photographer, based in Australia.

Simon was born in Europe and moved down with his family to live in New Zealand where he found his interest in photography. In his early twenties Simon moved across to Australia where his love for photography advanced into a career.  

Simon is a completely self-taught photographer who works in harmony with nature, uses available light, slow film and small apertures, leading to exposures of 30 minutes and sometimes even more. His images are profound and completely captivating. Simon continuously endeavours to capture amazing light and scenery through his camera. This is due to his enthusiasm for photography, his consideration to detail and his ability to carefully prepare for each shoot.

Also check out more of Simon’s captivating photographs on his website:

www.simonbeedle.com

Here is the interview:

1.      How did you get started? Your first job? I started my career into photography very young, having a camera around my neck from around 13 years old. I started shooting friends surfing and beach scenes, which progressed into landscape photography after discovering the work of Peter Lik and Ken Duncan.

I purchased a panoramic film camera in 2009 and been hard at it since. In-regards to my first job, I mainly freelance and sell my work as fine art prints, but occasionally take on assignments that suit.    2.      What interests you most about working in Photography?

I love taking images and travel, so those are the things that inspired me to start a career in photography.  3.      What elements of the work bring you the most stress? The hardest part of my job is marketing, as these days there is so many photographers and standing out and making a living is difficult.    4.    What kind of usage agreements do you have on your photography? I sell my work as prints, and I don't need any agreements, but when I sell my images for say, calendars, and books. I have an agreement for a one use only unless otherwise stated, which I get signed by the company. 5.      How would you describe your Photography? Fine Art Landscape Photography. 6.      How do they advertise or promote your business? Mostly through social media, my website and email marketing.  7.      Has social media changed your business? And if so how? Sure has, a great way to promote your work, I use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I feel Instagram is best platform these days, as you can direct market to businesses. 8.      What does a typical workday for you look like? Edit, market, accounts and sunrise/sunset shoot.  9.     Do you work with a team, and how does it differ from working on your own? I mainly work solo.   10.  How much time do you spend on planning, shooting and post production? In which area do you find you time spent most in? Huge amount of prep is a most for landscape photography, watching weather reports, tides, where the sun rises/sets at the location. This is a big part of preparing for a shoot. 11.  What advice would you give a photographer starting out? Niche in a subject and perfect your style. This will make you stand out get noticed. Get good business advice, as I find its 20% photography and 80% business and marketing.