photography

Photographer Interview: Jamie MacDonald

Jamie MacDonald is an everything photographer – the guy just makes and makes. Jamie and I have shot together a few times, and I always respect his sense of experimentation and adventure.

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Jamie MacDonald and I am a professional photographer for Olympus Imaging North America, podcast host, and workshop leader. My position with Olympus takes me all over the place doing workshops and promoting not only their equipment, but also my work, and my podcast focuses on the world of mirrorless cameras.

How did you get started in photography?

I got started in photography when I decided I needed a camera for a family vacation back in 2007. I had never owned a camera, and thought one of those fancy interchangeable lens cameras was just what I needed. Once I started shooting I realized it wasn’t just the camera that I needed, it was a reconnection to my past life as an artist that I abandoned after high school.

What do you like about your photography?

I like that my photography is not subject limited. I like that when I walk out the door the world is my muse and I feel as comfortable shooting an impending storm, as I do a senior portrait session or an eagle in flight.

You take a variety of photos – everything from dramatic landscapes to intimate portraits. Where do you get inspiration for your style/ideas?

That is such a difficult question to answer, but I’ll try my best to put it into words. When it comes to inspiration I guess I should say that I am always in this weird state of wonderment about the world around me. The best way to explain it would be to ask you to remember a fond childhood memory, and when you have one picked out, think about how it makes you feel. I have that same sense of excitement and yearning to drink up life as I did when I was a kid. I even tell people that my soul has not grown up yet. So I guess I try to explore things visually in a way that shows I am still in a state of wonder about the world I live in.

What kinds of themes do you explore with your work?

Life. That is the theme I explore. Life is everything, and comes in every conceivable color and shape and form. I get the same level of excitement discovering a patch of weedy flowers growing through the cement, as I do standing atop a mountain shooting the sun filling the valley below me. I imagine that sounds crazy, but it is a part of who I am and how I see my world.

Any upcoming projects or shoots you’re working on?

I sincerely wish I had a glamorous answer for that question, but I do not. I have never once had a project come to mind, and yet I think I need to do some sort of series of photos as a way to grow myself. But I just haven’t had anything come to mind.

I DO however have a lot going on in the way of photography workshops and events this year. I will be presenting at the Out of Chicago Conference in June. There I will be doing a class titled “The Art of the Dramatic Landscape” where I discuss my approach to landscape photography, with an emphasis on my particular post processing methodology. I am also co-leading an astrophotography workshop in the mountains of Arizona in May, a weekend workshop in Philadelphia, and a few events here in Michigan. It is going to be a busy year!

Find more of Jamie’s work on his portfolio site, at @sl33stak on Tumblr, and on Flickr. 

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Photographs No Longer Needed

alesserphotographer:

  • Sunsets
  • Fireworks
  • Waterfalls
  • Trails
  • Breakfast, lunch, dinner
  • Lattes
  • Leaves on branches (even in autumn)
  • Dew-covered flowers
  • Anyplace with a gift shop
  • Anything with its own postcard rack
  • Portraits of wrinkly faces (just because they’re wrinkly)
  • Concerts with more than 25 attendees
  • Rain on windows
  • Celebrities
  • Area 51
  • Anything that’s popular on Tumblr
  • Anything that’s popular on Instagram
  • Anything popular
  • Anything the pros are doing

Use all the extra time to create something awesome.

Add to that list: Iceland.

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Photographer Interviews – A Wrap-Up

Canon AE-1

After a month, my photographer profile project is complete. Almost 20 photographers shooting everything from landscapes to portraits to products to documentary reportage.

I tried to think of one thing I learned doing this project – a consistent theme that ran through all the interviews. Maybe what I learned is that there are all kinds of photographers, with all kinds of backgrounds, and we all get into the hobby or profession in a million potential ways.

It’s these folks, after all, that gives those rebloggers and “”curators”” something to latch on to. It’s these photographers who are making original material. They shoot what interests them. They put stuff out into the world. They’re makers.

Other than a theme, the one thing I learned was that most artists you admire are approachable and friendly, and more than willing to participate in a crazy idea you have. For many of these photographers, I’ve followed them for years on Tumblr, or Flickr, or Instagram, and have always wondered how they got into photography. To learn more, all it took was an email and a proposition.

I should’ve done this years ago.

Check out all the photographer profiles, and stay tuned – I may have a few more coming in the next few weeks.

And thanks to everyone who participated!

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Sunday With Saul Leiter

Sundays With Saul Leiter

I’ve become somewhat of a collector of photo books in recent years. My favorite has become Saul Leiter. He only released a few books while he was alive, and it’s my goal to get them all.

This Sunday I watched In No Great Hurry as well. It’s the perfect weekend documentary: quiet, relaxing, and yet entertaining.

I hope that, as the years go by, Saul’s estate releases more of his work in photo book form. Especially the newer stuff – he never stopped shooting. It’d be nice to see some of his modern, digital work, because (and they hint at it in the movie) his style never really changed. Saul Leiter was always Saul Leiter.

You can still get Early Color, though it isn’t the easiest to find. And Early Black and White is a double book that’s a look of fun to see.

Study the masters, gang. Find someone you like and study the hell out of them. Steal and copy. Make it your own. Maybe start with Saul.

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Junk Sites

Because where is there anything on these junk sites that has anything to do with creating images. It’s all about the gear, the whole gear and nothing but the gear.

Review sites, Forums and the state of the Photographic Internet — Soundimageplus

Much of what passes for photography “reviews” these days is exactly this. Rubbish. As David says, there’s no such thing as a bad camera making bad images these days.

It’s fun to be “into” the gear. Just don’t fall for the gear lust that most of these review blogs and sites inspire.

Photographer Interview: Freddy Clark

Freddy Clark is a food, product, and beverage photographer, as well as a hobbyist of other kinds of photography.

I got to know Freddy’s work thanks to the Google+ On Taking Pictures podcast community (listen to it – it’s a great show), and I was excited to learn more about his work and his ambitions.

Where are you and what do you do?

I live in central New Jersey, outside of New York City. For my day job, I’m a Product Manager in Technology for an investment company. I’ve been a part time photographer, doing portraits, weddings, and events for about five years now. Recently I started a food/product photography business called Santé Photography. The goal is to have a focus on food and beverage photography for commercial work.

How did you get started in photography?

I had been doing family photos and videos since my daughter was born in 1998. Little by little I realized that the pictures meant a lot because of the subject, but I wanted to learn how to make them look more professional, so I started to read magazines and what ever I could find on line, over my crappy dial-up connection.

I taught myself how to edit digital video after I got my first video camera and then got a job at a local Photo/Video Studio. Officially I was doing the wedding video editing, but I took the opportunity to learn as much as I could about shooting video and stills. Over time I realized that I really enjoyed shooting stills more than video. I started second shooting weddings and things great from there.

What do you like about your photography?

Depends which day you ask me. Some days, there’s nothing I like about it.

You do a few different types of photography: products, portraits, still life. Where do you get inspiration for your style/ideas?

I try to keep my eyes open as I move through my day. I don’t really believe in inspiration. I think it can be a crutch for people. You want inspiration? Keep making pictures. Is everyone going to be brilliant? Nope. Ansel Adams said something like he felt it was a good year if you got a few good pictures from it. Look at the website of a photographer you really admire. You’re seeing their best, not their entire Lightroom catalog or hard drive like you do your own. You don’t see their crap, but you do see your own crap, so people think the good ones were inspired, but they are not. Just keep working.

Through the work, you will get better and maybe come up with a few that others can attribute to inspiration. The muses come to you when you are working. Not the other way around. I make pictures of things and people that interest me. If I like it first, then I’m on the right track.

What about food/beverage photography gets you excited?

The lighting. I’ve gotten the feeling that people look at product shots as less than artistic. Try doing a really good job lighting a few different reflective surfaces without having blown highlights or weird reflections. It’s hard to do. Not taking anything away from other photographers, but nailing the lighting on product shots will make you really know how to use your lights and make you better at portraits or even seeing light on the street. I find it to be a challenge.

What kinds of themes do you explore with your work?

The above mentioned lighting. That and trying to connect with a person or place. Lately I’ve been bored with pretty pictures. I’m trying to find another level beyond the sunset, the guy in a red jacket walking down the street or the pretty landscape. I’m not there yet…I’ve thrown out a lot of pictures lately, but I feel like there’s something right around the corner. I can almost see it, but I just keep missing it. Finding another meaning, another level another element. If it has good light and interesting to look at, sometimes that is enough. I don’t know, sometimes it seems like pretentious art gallery bullshit. Nailing the lighting on a product shot makes me happy, lighting a good looking plate of food does too. The rest of my photography, I’m looking for something else and I haven’t quite yet found it.

Any upcoming projects or shoots you’re working on?

I’ve been experimenting with some liquid motion photographs. It’s still a work in progress, a messy work in progress. Nothing ready to be shared yet, but getting there.

You can follow Freddy and see his work on Twitter and his G+ profile.

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