Page 183 - Bedeseme Magazine Issue 56C
P. 183
How would you describe yourself What do you prefer: taking many photos or a few
I am somewhat of an obsessive; whatever I un- and spending more time on each one?
dertake, it really consumes me. I like to complete When I started I spent time taking lots and lots of
tasks and am never satisfied until I feel I have so- images, and hoping that there were gems in there.
mething mastered. These days I have a clearer idea of where a shoot
is headed, so once I feel we have nailed a shot I
Why a photographer? like to move on. So nowadays I probably manage
There is always something new to learn in photo- to tackle more looks, yet take less images in a
graphy, a new technique, a concept to develop. session.
Every day has its own challenges to be mastered.
What is your definition of beauty?
Is the world ready for your photos? Enhanced reality, elegant sensuousness
Some of them…hopefully I have new techniques
and ideas to amuse, amaze or disappoint still to What is more important today: mastering the ca-
show. mera or Photoshop?
They complement one another and are equally
What did you study. important. Every day I learn something new about
I studied optometry, which is the science of how one or the other.
light behaves and vision.
What equipment do you use? Why?
What is your favourite theme? In the studio I use Nikon cameras and lenses, and
I love crossover themes, such as mixing latex with Bowens/Westcott lighting.
fetish, pinup or beauty
At this point it would be too costly to start over,
Do you believe photography is underestimated and keeping to Nikon has allowed me to upgrade
and considered a minor art? over time as needed. If money were no object I’d
Almost certainly it is under appreciated. Everyone probably upgrade to newer lights that would allow
with a phone or camera is a photographer. There remote control of power.
are millions and millions of people on Instagram,
putting out work that ranges from the banal to ge- In this digital era, can anyone be a photographer?
nius level. When you study images it is clear so Of course; indeed everyone already is. As discus-
see that the smallest of minorities produce ex- sed earlier, the standard of photography can vary
ceptional work, and an even smaller number of greatly. An iphone user with a keen eye will inva-
people produce work of a consistently high stan- riably produce more interesting work than an
dard. equipment fanatic who is more concerned with
pixel count than the end result.
Was it difficult to gain the confidence of models?
Certainly in the early days, when I was finding my How important are wardrobe and makeup in the
feet it was quite hard as I had little confidence in final result?
my abilities. However with repeated practice I ac- Makeup and styling is tremendously important –
quired more confidence which made it easier to it takes a photoshoot to another level.
relate to models, and them to me. I generally know
early in a shoot whether I am going to have to Any person you specially would like to have in
work hard to develop an empathy or if it is present front of your camera?
from the outset. Pretty much any performer
What makes you different from other photogra- Anyone you would not like to take portraits of at
phers? all?
This is a difficult one to answer. Whether we like There have only been a couple of ‘divas’ over all
it or not, we each develop a certain style. I have the years I have been shooting, and aside from
had several models mention that they can always them I can’t think of anyone else.
identify one of my images, even if it is not signed.
For a time I made a conscious effort to change my B&W or full colour pictures? Why?
style and realised it was not happening, so al- Over time I have grown to love monochrome more
though my work slowly evolves I have been less and more. It simplifies tones, putting the empha-
concerned to completely change it. sis more on the subject .
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