Evergrey
Thank you
xzmattzx for the nomination. It is a great honor to be nominated by one of my favorite documentarians of small cities in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
What are you shooting with and what would you like to shoot with?
I shoot with a Sony DSC-H2. I don't know anything about cameras or the art of photography, but this camera seems to do what I need it to do. The 12x optical zoom is my favorite feature.
I wouldn't want one of those gigantic high-end cameras... because I like to walk gritty streets... and I don't want to stick out too much and be the target of someone's paranoia.
I suppose if I had the chance... I'd like to shoot with
Hayward's iPhone.
If you could sum up your style in one photograph what photo would it be?
Uhhh... maybe this?
Talk about your inspirations and influences.
It was
Giovanni Sasso who first inspired me to join SSC and later SSP (with a hat tip to the hilariously infamous Cincy vs. St. Louis battles of '03 led by
montecarloss).
And it was certainly
mrherodotus who was my primary inspiration to engage in urban photography. I really enjoyed his pure urban documentation of my favorite city, Pittsburgh. There was no flashy artistic gimmicks distracting from the sober presentation of architecture, building stock, streets and urban fabric. I was impressed with his comprehensive coverage of neighborhoods, and have always aimed to do the same with my own threads (a compliment I often receive from Sasso). I spend ridiculous amounts of time in tiny places like Bradford, PA walking the streets... driving into every nook and cranny trying to find some interesting hidden view.
Where have you not been that you want to photograph?
My head explodes when I think about trying to photograph a European city. I don't know where I would begin in places of such urban richness. Przemyśl would be interesting. I have an affinity for cities located within the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to travel much for the past few years... so there are countless places I'd love to photograph.
But I think I excel most in urban Appalachia... I have a knack for photographing the topography and its interplay with the urban fabric. And I've always felt compelled to showcase my home region to the world... which is unfortunately overlooked.
In realistic terms... I'd like to photograph the PA county seats and other significant smaller towns I haven't shot yet... places like Towanda, Wellsboro, Jim Thorpe, Ebensburg, Waynesburg, Meadville, Chambersburg, etc. I'd also like to do Jamestown, NY; Toronto, OH; and Sutton, WV.
Talk about your most popular (in your opinion) photothreads.
My
Erie, PA thread has by far the most responses (104) and views (11,406) of any of my threads. While it is unfortunately over-saturated... it is a pretty badass look at an extremely gritty small Great Lakes city.
Some of my Pittsburgh threads were blockbusters too...
Pittsburgh: from the roofs of parking garages
This one has some of my best color, sharpest skyline shots and gorgeous twilight shots. I think I've forgotten how to take pictures like that.
Watch out Utica! Pittsburgh is on the... grow!
I used to be all about the buildings... but I developed an interest in people shots.
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh: an Urban Adventureland
This is probably my all-time favorite photo thread. It's a departure from my usual "neighborhood tours" I was doing at the time... and is a mishmash of shots from throughout the city. There are attempts to be artistic... and I really tried to show the people enjoying the city of Pittsburgh. It's all over the place... colorful, dramatic, diverse... and as pj3000 commented... "
Sasso-ish"
Pittsburgh: Zenith of Appalachian Civilization
Another mishmash thread taken during a stretch of gorgeous late autumn weather. It showcases a lot of the overlooked nooks and crannies of the city... and some of the more interesting decay.
One of my more recent threads that generated a huge response was unexpectedly
Renovo, PA. This is a town of 1,000 in the absolute most isolated site in Pennsylvania... yet people were captivated by it. Its remoteness and spectacular built environment really make for some excellent pictures.
Talk about your photothreads that didn't get the response you wanted.
To be honest, I feel like there's been a declining response to my threads after peaking a couple years ago. I don't know if it's a forum issue... but it could be my almost exclusive focus on obscure small towns lately. Most people just aren't inclined to click on threads of places they've never heard of... "ohhh... another dull Pennsylvania small town".
Probably the most disappointing response was to my recent
Dubois, PA thread. I spent all day walking around that town... and felt there were a lot of interesting shots... and it does have some name recognition as an I-80 control city... but it tanked.
Any tips or personal wisdom you'd like to pass on to others?
When confronted by a paranoid fool... tell them you're an architect taking pictures for a new development that aims to take cues from the existing architectural vernacular of the neighborhood.
Who should we ask these questions of next?
Thundertubs is probably my favorite newer photographer. I love how he captures the mood and muscularity of Northern cities.