View Single Post
  #196  
Old Posted Feb 17, 2012, 5:11 PM
HomeInMyShoes's Avatar
HomeInMyShoes HomeInMyShoes is offline
arf
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: File 13
Posts: 13,984
Chef

Chef

What are you shooting with and what would you like to shoot with?
I shoot with a Nikon D40, it is a great camera for the money. I have two lenses an 18-55mm and a 55-200mm. I'm not a big equipment geek but I am starting to run into the limitations of the D40. I would love a D3 if somebody wants to buy me one, or more realistically a D90. The recent out of date models always seem to be good deals.

If you could sum up your style in one photograph what photo would it be?
It is hard to say. I've only been doing photography for three years, I think my style has been evolving. In general I have a architecture style, a streetscape style and a people shot style. Here are a couple of examples:


mplsaug201107 by afsmps, on Flickr

For people shots I try to do slice of life type photos - a moment in time:


mplsjuly2011124 by afsmps, on Flickr


Talk about your inspirations and influences.
My best teacher in high school was my art teacher, I had him for three years. Largely because of him I majored in art in college. A lot of my influences come from art, especially in how the great masters and impressionists captured the different natures of light. Or at least I try to do that, hopefully as I get better at photography I will also get better at that aspect of it. In the winter a lot of my people shots have the person lit up and the background completely dark, that comes from Carravagio. The photos I took of Stillwater, Mn last fall were shot immediately after seeing an exibit on 19th century romanticist painting, the valley shots were an attempt to copy that style.

I haven't been influenced by very many big name pro photographers because I don't really follow that sort of thing; maybe I should. My biggest photographic influences were what I saw here when I first started checking out SSP - mrherodotus, ColDayMan, Flash, MSPtoMKE, sabotai, kingofthehill, segun, mr.John, Kilgore Trout, those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. As far as pro photographers go the only one that I ever followed was Wing Young Huie who is a Minneapolis street photographer who has done a number of public art projects in the city based on his photographs. Some of his stuff is out of this world, if any of you have the opportunity to check out his books you should.

I try to compose photothreads rather than taking individual pictures. I usually start out taking random photos and put the best ones together in a mock up thread. Once I have 5 to 10 good photos a theme will usually emerge. Those photos tell me what I should try to shoot more of. Minnesota is a very elemental place, so that has an impact on my photograghy. If it is the middle of winter and really cold and gloomy I try to take stark, gloomy photos. If it is late spring and lush and green I try to take photos that reflect that.

Where have you not been that you want to photograph?
I want to photograph everywhere. I especially want to shoot Utica and the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York. I grew up there but haven't been back since the mid '90s. It would be one of those threads that comes from the heart. I have reoccuring dreams that I am back there shooting. If you grow up in the rust belt you never really leave it all the way.

Talk about your most popular (in your opinion) photothreads.
I think the last two which were of Savannah and Duluth were the most popular. They are both compelling places to shoot and aren't seen very often here, that is a winning combination.

Talk about your photothreads that didn't get the response you wanted.
I think Minneapolis - city and nature is the best thread I have done so far, but it didn't make it to the second page. Cities that have a lot of posters get a lot of responses, but if do multiple threads of a city that only has a handful of posters you have to constantly raise the quality of your photography to keep people interested.


Any tips or personal wisdom you'd like to pass on to others?
Don't shoot port facilities if you have any outstanding warrants.

Who should we ask these questions of next?
Paradox21
__________________

-- “We heal each other with kindness, gentleness and respect.” -- Richard Wagamese
-- “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” -- Dr. Seuss
Reply With Quote