Sam Javanrouh is the photographer behind daily dose of imagery, a photoblog that has won Best Photoblog and Photoblog of the Year in numerous publications.

PetaPixel: Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Sam Javanrouh: My name is Sam Javanrouh. I was born in Tehran, Iran and lived most of my life there. I finished university in Tehran in French Literature, but was always fascinated by movies and cameras since I was a kid. My father is a cinematographer so I’ve been around cameras from 8mm to 35mm Arri film cameras as well as many types of SLRs. My first camera as a kid was one of those Kodak cartridge 110 film cameras that I loved. But I didn’t own a serious camera until I came to Canada. My first one was a Nikon CP950 Digital Camera in 2000.

I moved to Toronto, Canada in 1999 when I was 26 years old. In Iran I worked as graphic designer and started doing 3D animation and Motion Graphics a few years before moving to Canada. I continued in that field in Canada and currently work as Creative Director at Optix Digital Pictures, a post production and visual effects company.

PP: How strong is the Toronto photoblogging community right now? Can you tell us about it?

SJ: Toronto has one of the strongest photoblogging communities out there. There are many great photographers here and blogging is very strong as well. There might be a few reasons for it. First Toronto is a very online city. The cold winters could play a part in that! Also the fact that Toronto is a very multi-cultural city, maybe the leader in the world, means that there is a very diverse range of point of views in the city. The leads to many interesting neighborhoods and varied urban sceneries that are not very apparent if you’re just a visitor in Toronto. It’s a city of hidden treasures and not a city of big landmarks. Another reason might be the extreme weather. You shoot a scene in July and you shoot the same scene in February and they look completely different. The beach in winter looks like a scene from Antarctica and in summer looks like a scene from a Fellini movie. Whatever the reason, Toronto’s photoblogging community started very early and has been going strong ever since.

PP: How did you first get into photography?

SJ: My father is a cinematographer and he took to the set of his movies and later on I worked as his assistant so I was exposed early to world of cameras. I used to take behind the scenes photos for movies and TV shows I worked on, but it wasn’t until I came to Canada that I took photography a little more seriously.

PP: Can you tell us about your first camera?

SJ: My first camera was a Kodak Pocket 110 cartridge camera, I think it was Kodak Tele – Ektralite 40.

My mother bought it for me when I was 8 or something I loved it. But then after that I didn’t own a camera up until 1999 when I got my first digital Camera a Nikon Coolpix 950. Between those times though, I used my father Minolta SLR or my friend’s Canon AE-1 occasionally.

PP: What’s in your gear bag now?

SJ: I have a few gear bags now! I have one that is mostly for when I’m on the bike which included a Canon 5D Mark II with a wide zoom, either a 17-40L or a Sigma 10-24 plus the Canon EF50mm f1.4 lens and sometimes a EF100 f2.8 Macro. I also always carry a point & shoot camera on me, even when I’m just going to the grocery store. At the moment my favorite P&S cam is Panasonic LX3.

When I’m going out for walking around and shooting photos, I carry my bigger bag which can fit a telephoto zoom which in my case is EF70-200 f4L plus one of my favorite lenses which is EF 200mm f2.8L. I also carry a PCLIX, which is an intervalometer and shutter release unit at all times. If I have room I carry my fisheye lens with panorama head to shoot some 360 panoramas.

PP: What’s your favorite body and lens?

SJ: Currently my favorite body is 5D Mark II and for lens I like many to point only one. I do love the pics shot with the EF200 f2.8 and I also love the super wide results of the Sigma 12-24.

PP: What’s on your wishlist?

SJ: That’s the problem with photography, there is always something you want, it’s never ending! I really like fast prime lenses, which are generally very expensive so it’s no wonder they’d be in my wish list, like the Canon EF85 L f1.2, EF24 L 1.4 and EF14 L f2.8. I also really enjoy tilt/shift photography so the four Canon TS-E lenses are very attractive. And now with the addition of video to the new DSLR cameras, I feel the need for a video rig for 5D Mark II like the ones from Redrock or Zacuto. Oh, and a Litepanels Micro Pro wouldn’t hurt either.

PP: Has it been hard posting a quality photo a day for so many years? How do you keep it up?

SJ: It’s been definitely challenging. I sometimes can’t believe it myself that I’ve been doing this for almost 6 years. Sometimes I feel really lost and don’t know what to post and it gets really hard to find something worth posting. It’s interesting though that when I look back many photos on the site reflect how I felt in that day or at that time. And then there are days that I sit down and process ten images that I’m happy with and I can breathe for a few days. But when you’re talking about posting photos daily for years, there are definitely posts that are, for the lack of a better word, fillers, and then there some that are winners. It’s pretty much impossible to produce something amazing everyday, and sometimes it gets frustrating when people have very high expectation from you. But overall it’s very rewarding, when you push yourself on a daily basis you’ll have to come up with new ideas and try new things that you might not normally try otherwise. For example I’ve experimented with adobe flash to add a level of interactivity and also posted interactive panoramas and time-lapse photography to vary my posts.

PP: How many fan emails do you get on a regular basis?

SJ: It varies, depending on what I post and the day of the week. I get somewhere from 10 to 50 emails a day. Some email with questions regarding my site and photos, some are very kind and thank me for the daily photos and some are professional inquiries.

PP: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced since you started your photoblog?

SJ: My photoblog started in 2003 as a fun side project. I had only a handful of visitors daily for the first month, but suddenly my number of visitors skyrocketed to thousands a day which slowly transformed my photoblog into something bigger than a small side hobby. My biggest challenges are: Keeping the site interesting for my visitors on a daily basis over the years, and with that balancing my time between my full time job, having a family and keeping up with all the daily feedback from the site. I work in an animation company which in itself is not a 9 to 5 job and I have to work many long hours, and my site requires at least a few hours a day so you can imagine how challenging everyday can be. And I have a three-month daughter now, so you do the math! But at the end of the day my blog has been and continues to be an amazing experience.

PP: After so many years of shooting, how much disk space have you used? How do you archive all of your photographs?

SJ: Right now my photos archive is around 3TB on 1TB drives. I have mirrors of those drives as backups. But after upgrading to 5D Mark II the size of RAW files got much bigger which means the size of the backup drives increase faster. My processing drives are two 1.5TB internal SATA drives. I save my PSD files and my current archive on these drives since they’re faster than external USB drives.

PP: Can you tell me about your workflow?

SJ: I shoot RAW exclusively. After shooting, the first thing I do is ingesting the photos using Camerabits Photo Mechanic. I use Photo Mechanic to attach my copyright info and all IPTC metadata including keywords to files. I set PM to also rename my photos to add the sort-able date and time before the filename. Then I use PM to browse through shots and tag and rate and select my shots and delete files (which is rare, I keep almost all my photos).

Next I import all photos in Adobe Lightroom, which reads all the info attached by PM. You might ask why I don’t LR to ingest and attach IPTC. It’s a valid question since LR can do all that too, but the short and simple answer is speed. Photo Mechanic is many times faster than any other software I’ve ever tested when it comes to browsing RAW files. The JPG extraction from RAW files is also lightning fast in PM.

I do most of my processing in Lightroom. I still however use Phase One occasionally, since I find the speed and final quality is superior but I absolutely love the workflow in Lightroom. If I need to create an HTML photo gallery for clients I use Lightroom but if I want it to happen really fast I use Photo Mechanic.

After processing in Lightroom I continue editing the file in Photoshop, where I finalize my processing and then resizing for web and sharpening.

For catalogue and indexing of my final JPG files I use Microsoft Expression Media (formerly i-view media). That’s where I attach the GPS info to photos as well. I use to use RoboGeo, but after the addition of location tagging in the new version of MS Expression Media I don’t need to anymore.

Surprisingly I get this question more than anything else: “Why do you use Windows and not Mac?” The short answer is I use applications so it doesn’t matter what OS. And I’ve been comfortable with Windows for many years and also I use many apps on it that don’t exist on Mac.

As for video workflow, I import the video files with photos using PM and then convert the files to Cineform Avi files with NeoScene. This produces larger files, but they are much faster to work with in Adobe After Effects and Premiere. MS Expression Media also supports video files so it fits in greatly in my workflow.

I have a brief video of my workflow here.

PP: If you had the opportunity to shoot anything, what would you most like to photograph?

SJ: I love cityscapes, urban and street scenes, architecture and landscapes. My dream is to travel to all corners of the world and photograph places and people. One of my regrets is that I didn’t take photography seriously when I was in Iran and I’d love to go back and only travel the country exclusively to take photos.

I also love to shoot in abandoned places and decaying factories, building, etc.

PP: Who are your favorite photographers and photobloggers?

This is one of those questions that are very hard to answer since there are too many to count. I always remember afterwards that I missed many people. But here goes.

Probably two people that influenced me most are Horst Hamann and Raymond Depardon. Hamann’s book Vertical New York was probably the main reason I went out and bought my first digital camera. I discovered Depardon years later and his book Errance is one my favourite photo books of all time. Joe McNally is another photographer that hugely inspires me. In my opinion he’s the perfect photographer, he shoots practically any subject anywhere in the world and he’s not afraid to try new things and continues to challenge himself. And the fact that he’s very active online (his blog is one of my favorite photography sites) makes him even better. I’d love to attend one of his workshops one day. When people ask me why I shoot so many different subjects and don’t stick to one style of photography, my answer is what’s wrong with that? Look at Joe McNally!

Other photographers I love include Steve McCurry, Reza, Gregory Crewdson, Andreas Gursky, many Magnum photographers like Martin Parr, and the list goes on. Classic photographers like Henri Cartier Bresson, Walker Evans, Andreas Kertesz and Robert Frank might seem too obvious to name but they never cease to inspire.

Then there are the new generation of photographers which I found through flickr and other photography sites that are immense sources of inspiration like Chase Jarvis, Jeremy Cowart, David Hobby and so many more.

Same goes for photobloggers, there are so many amazing photobloggers out there that is almost overwhelming. To name a few, I hugely admire the works of Miles Storey (mute), David Nightingale (chromasia), Jessyel Gonzales (dailysnap), Jonathan Day Reiner (18% grey), Tanja Tiziana (double crossed), Kathleen Connaly (Durham Township), Jonathan Greenwald (Shrued), Istoica and many more.

PP: If you could see one person interviewed on PetaPixel, who would it be?

SJ: I would love to read an interview with Joe McNally or Chase Jarvis. Great photographers, great people. Always an inspiration.

Gayla Trail is photographer behind Making Happy. She is also the founder of Fluffco and You Grow Girl.

PetaPixel: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Gayla Trail: I’m 35, I’m a garden communicator, which means that I write and speak about gardening for a living. I also take photos of gardens and plants. I used to do graphic design for a living but most design work is now done primarily in conjunction with the gardening work.

I live in Toronto, Canada with my partner Davin who is also a photographer and graphic designer.

PP: How did you first become interested in photography?

GT: I bought a Polaroid One-Step from a thrift shop when I was 18, but sadly could not afford to buy much film for it. I went on to take a couple of photography classes while doing a Fine Art Degree, including non-silver photography which I really enjoyed.

Despite that and some dabbling with digital cameras after university, I would say that my interest only really took off sometime in 2003, shortly after starting Making Happy.

PP: Do you exclusively work with film?

GT: No. Although I have a hierarchy in my head with film at the top. I consider the film photos to be the “real” photos. I use digital primarily for work. It is used out of necessity but I would use film all of the time if I could.

PP: What is it that you love about medium format? Why do you shoot medium rather than 35mm?

GT: I have an affinity for squares and prefer to compose within that shape. I think this is because square photos allow you to get more height into the shot without making a very long rectangular, which is what you get when you turn 35mm sideways.

PP: Why did you end Making Happy after five years?

GT: There were a number of reasons. One was that I felt I was becoming too locked into that format (photoblogging) and wanted to push myself to try something different. That required making some space. The great thing about websites like that is that in some ways there is no definitive beginning or end. This can allow you to go where you don’t expect to go and build something one day at a time with less pressure or intimidation. The problem is that it can go on forever.

I wanted to get back to making art with a defined beginning and end. I needed to force myself to edit in a way that went beyond, “I like this today.” When I started the site I needed that open-ended freedom. Over time I felt that the space and time dedicated to it was keeping me from challenging myself in other ways.

PP: Any chance Making Happy will make a comeback anytime soon?

GT: I don’t think so. I’ve had another online photo project in mind for a while but it has been shelved due to a new book and an enormous workload over the last year. That project will not be a blog but will definitely have a beginning and end in a defined number of parts. the62steps.

PP: Can you give an estimate as to how much money your photography hobby costs?

GT: Ha! No idea. I keep myself in a safe little bubble of denial about that. I try to keep it in check and allow myself to splash out on film in exceptional circumstances. Since the digital stuff is primarily work I keep that separate.

PP: What do you consider the most important technical element of photography that aspiring photographers should focus on mastering?

GT: I have got to be the worst person to ask about technical stuff. Bring up the word technical and my eyes immediately start to glaze over. I feel like a fraud offering any advice in that regard.

I think this is why box cameras were what got me back into photography. Going back to the basics and understanding light without worrying about f-stops. All you have to worry about is distance, composition, and holding the camera steady. I learned more from exploring box cameras than I did in school. From there I was able to move back up into the technical stuff with ease.

Mastering? I’d say work on figuring out what you want to photograph and composition. The technical stuff is secondary.

PP: Can you briefly explain what a box camera is and how it differs from other cameras?

GT: The box cameras I am talking about are older model cameras that often held 616, 620, or 120 film. It’s literally just a box that holds film and has a lens, a shutter, and a viewfinder. Often times that doesn’t work very well. No focus or aperture, although I have seen a few with a version of both. In general they are really simple cameras. And yet there is still a lot of room for experimentation. A pinhole camera is a box camera without the lens.

PP: How do you go about taking a photo? Can you walk us through your mental process?

GT: I don’t know how to answer this question. Not as a process. Here’s all I’ve managed to work out:

This is very different depending on the photo I am taking. The work photos are much more conscious. I did a lot of set up shots for work in the last year, which involved styling the shots. That involved another step in itself because I often had to prepare all of the aspects of the “sets” beforehand. If I am taking a portrait of someone it is also much more conscious because I am really concerned about not making those pictures so much about me. The other photos, the ones I call the “real” photos are much more unconscious. I would describe that process as meditation in motion. And while I can’t meditate sitting still, my experiences here function in the same way, clearing my mind. All of the same steps are going on in my head, but I have no idea how I would lay that out as a process.

PP: What equipment do you use these days?

GT: My favourite camera is a Hasselblad 500 C/M. I have two lenses for this: a 120mm and a 60mm. I bought the camera as a kit from someone I know and that’s what came with it. I still regularly use my crappy, falling to pieces, has exploded several times Great Wall DF-. How that thing is still working is a small miracle and the product of much taping and jigging with coat hangers, etc. I love my SX-70 Alpha 1 camera to bits but haven’t had any film to take pictures in about 6 months.

I still take my Horizon 202 panoramic out now and again and just bought an older, metal model too. There are lots of others but those are my go-to cameras.

PP: How often do you shoot?

GT: I take photos everyday or very nearly everyday.

PP: What advice do you have for an aspiring photographer?

GT: Not to get too hung up about gear. You can take a good picture with any old piece of shit. Yes, the equipment does matter when you’ve got a specific idea in mind, but it’s by no means the be all and end all. A lot of people seem to think that the can’t be a photographer without the “right equipment.”

I am also often asked about taking a class. I can’t answer that question for everyone, but I will say that I learned TONS more by just experimenting on my own than I ever did taking classes.

PP: Do you follow any photographers online? If so, who?

GT: Shannon Richardson, Zoe Strauss, Miles, Therese Brown, and Andrew Newson.

PP: If you could see one person interviewed on PetaPixel, who would it be?

GT: Of the photobloggers, Shannon Richardson.

PP: Anything else you’d like to say to PetaPixel readers?

GT: It sounds so silly but really to just get out there and take pictures and try not to get hung up on having the right equipment or doing things the right way. I don’t think there is any one right way to do anything. And some of the best results come from totally screwing up and doing things wrong.

Take chances. Photography is very subjective and personal in a lot of ways. The photographs I like best both from myself and other photographers are emotional and individual. Try not to worry about what other people think about your photos too much and instead trust your intuition.

Pierre Pallez is the photoblogger behind hotpixel.

PetaPixel: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Pierre Pallez: I live in Switzerland, 40 yrs old, 2 kids 7 and 11, my day job is IT analyst. I have a passion for images, since I was a kid. I think I somehow went into photography through amateur astronomy. I built my own digital CCD camera, and the programs to read images from it myself first, then moved on to digital photography because that was too much work. I find “normal” photography much more rewarding.

Apart from that, I like cooking, reading, listening to music, spend time with my family and friends, etc.

PP: How did you build your own digital camera?

PP: That was back in 1998 or so. I built a CCD camera designed specially for astronomy, out of a kit that was popular amongst amateur CCD photographers back then. To give you and idea, this thing was 0.4 megapixels, and it took 20s to read a frame over the parallel port of a PC at the time. It was cooled 40 degrees Celsius below ambient temp and used a humongous power supply. When I switched over to a DSLR that was over 6MP and could write an color image to disk within tenths of a second it just blew my socks off.

PP: You took that photo with the camera?

PP: No, but with a more elaborated CCD camera. Digital imaging in astronomy is still not easy today, but 10 years ago it was even harder. A good thing about it is it teaches you a lot about technology and, maybe most importantly you get to learn to be patient. The image I sent to you was shot through an H-alpha filter, which lets through only a tiny amount of light, it’s like a big ND filter. I think the combined exposure time was 3 hours for this image, and it’s far from perfect.

PP: How did you first get started in photography?

PP: I had a film camera when I was a kid, then I got myself a used Nikon SLR with a 50mm lens. I loved it but the cost of film processing was too high for me, so I was not using it too much. Then in 2003, I went into a shop and got myself an EOS300D. That was one of the 1st DSLRs, and really it got me back into the hobby.

I had a blog at the time, and I started posting pictures. Some people went oooh-aaah, and I thought they were just being nice. But then, I started to get feedback from some artists, and they were encouraging me. So I continued.

I was lucky enough to have nice people around me to help me out, whether internet friends or real people. My wife kept encouraging me. I also had a lot of support from a colleague and from some artists friends of mine; they helped me a lot getting forward. Some of them were very helpful in providing critique of my images.

So I created a separate website and posted some images on it. I wanted to find out whether all those people were right about my pictures when they were saying some of them were quite good, or were just being nice. So I started participating in photo contests, and put some images to the test. And I scored a few wins. I know it doesn’t mean much at all, but it was encouraging at the time. All it proved is that some other people I didn’t know liked my pictures, not just my friends. So I kept working on it, read piles of books, stalked every photographer I could meet, etc.

Photography is a virus. Once you get the bug, you’re toast :)

And then I wanted to learn lighting techniques. I attended some courses and workshops, including at the broncolor factory. When I enrolled for a one -week lighting course there, I didn’t know those guys were actually manufacturing the rolls-royce of lighting gear, I picked them up because that was the only lighting course that was close to where I live.

Many people in the course I attended traveled as far as from Dubai or Chicago, and I was the only amateur guy in there :) So I felt really like a privileged man to have this type of course close to where I live….

PP: What equipment do you currently use?

PP: Canon 5d mark II and a bunch of lenses. Hasselbald x-pan panoramic camera 45mm and 90mm lenses. Holga. Elichrom studio strobes. Vivitar and canon hotshoe flashes triggered by pocket wizards. And many doo-dads.

Equipment is secondary. The guy behind the camera makes the image and is supposed to be in control. What gear you use to create the image does not matter, you can make incredible stuff with inexpensive gear if you want to. A camera is a tool, so for me the best tool I have found so far is this, and it varies all the time. I also had a used hasselblad 500c/m, but the cost of film processing and the time scanning rolls of it were too much for me, so I sold it recently.

PP: Could you tell us about some of your favorite lenses and why you like them?

PP: Canon 24-70 L, Canon 70-200mm L 2.8 IS, Canon 105mm macro f2.8, Canon TS-E 90mm f 2.8, and Canon 50mm f1.4.

The 24-70 is a great all-around lens and is always in my bag. I always take either the 50mm f1.4 or the 85mm f1.2 with me. I take the other ones out for specific situations. The 70-200mm is very sharp and contrasty, the 85 can be really soft when you want it to be, great for portraits and at f1.2 it’s really a light bucket. The ts-e is a killer for panorama shots that I stitch together. I’ve done one in Paris that is over 150 megapixels with it, and it’s really really crisp. This ts-e is a normal manual focus lens if you don’t use its tilt-shift controls, it works also great for portraits. I dig portraits that are shot at either 85, 90, or 105mm focal length. There must be some law of optics that make portraits especially pleasing at this focal range and that I don’t know about :)

I just looked in my archive, and it seems 70% of my shots went through the 24-70 lens. I just love it, but it’s heavy.

PP: What is your favorite type of photography?

PP: I dunno. I’d say in this order: portrait, landscape, macro, studio. I dig studio lighting quite a bit at the moment. And I like to use flashes to explore lighting possibilities. I have no preference, really, but it seems I like either pure uncluttered landscapes, or human interaction.

I also like to capture what is usually unseen. hi-speed photography, long exposures at night, double exposures, 2nd curtain sync, etc. or extremely long exposures of the night sky. I like challenges :)

PP: Can you tell me about your workflow?

PP: All images end up into lightroom2, they’re tagged, selected. The keepers are flagged as such, and then I do minor adjustments to them. Crop, or adjust levels etc. Nothing much. I’m not that good with post-processing in Photoshop, so it’s usually levels adjustments and a tad of sharpening if it helps, but not much. I wouldn’t know how to more with it to save my life, so one thing I don’t do is shoot something and say “I’ll fix it in Photoshop later” .

PP: What do you look for and focus on when photographing? What makes a good photograph in your opinion?

PP: I was asked exactly this a while ago, and it’s hard to answer. Sometimes, you know you’ve snapped a great photo the moment you click the shutter. Maybe more so when you’re kind of doing some photo-journalism, and captured some action. But, for the images that you invent, design, create, or think through, whatever you want to call the process, it’s different. In my case, if I can think of a title for an image I am in the process of shooting, then I know it might end up as a keeper.

If I shoot something with no particular intention, then I know when I press the shutter it has a good chance of being thrashed when I get home. You can get some nice surprises from time to time, but my personal ratio is darn weak. If I have time, what I try to do is watch, think, then maybe shoot or maybe not if I don’t think it would end up as a good pic. Sometimes I go out for hours and don’t shoot one frame. If I don’t see something I feel like photographing, I don’t do it. We get to decide what we want to show in our pictures, no ?

PP: What is your goal in photography?

PP: Wow. There’s a lot of debate about what photography is. I think cartier-bresson said that photography was about freezing a moment in time, which he surely did. I guess that’s what a lot of people tend to go for. Whether it’s capturing some fleeting expression in a portrait, or freezing motion with a hi-speed photo, you want to show something compelling. My hunch is that a good photo is one that I shoot and I can say to myself: I don’t know how to do better that this.

I try to be a perfectionist, and it’s hard not to settle for what I think is good enough. But in the end all we guys can do is do our best with the tools and the knowledge we have at the time we shoot. So that’s not easy to set a goal.

The events we cross, the people we meet, the conditions we live in, the tools we have all determine up to an extent what our goal is, not us. I think I like photos with a content. If I can make a picture that touches people’s minds, then I’d be happy with it.

PP: Who are your favorite photographers?

PP: I lived in France for 30 years, so I’ve been influenced by cartier-bresson, doisneau, dieuzaide and many many others. I like the work of robert capa, raymond depardon, james nachtwey and other war photographers too. Salgado, berengo-gardin, ansel adams, eisenstaedt, weston, and so many others I can’t quote.

I like BW photography quite a bit. There’s a quote I like a lot “if you want to take a photo of someone take it in color. If you want to take a pic of their soul, shoot them in black and white”. Don’t know if that’s why I like BW photographers a lot, but there you go. I’d shoot more BW if my kids were not asking for color. :)

PP: Do you follow any modern photographers online?

PP: Of course, there are shmuzillions of them out there. I like diane varner, kat from durhamtownship, round-here was a great inspiration, chromasia, notraces, kea, etc, moodaholic, and about a million more.

PP: Who would you like to see interviewed on PetaPixel?

PP: Diane varner.

PP: Anything else you’d like to say to PetaPixel readers?

PP: Have fun, take it easy and enjoy clickin’

By the way – a plug to joe macnally, one of my favs at the moment. I recommend his book, the moment it clicks. A great read.

Also in the plug department : strobist.com – a gold mine for anyone out there trying to understand lighting without getting bankrupt. Get your flash off-camera, guys, it will really change the way you see and photograph things.

Valerie J. Cochran is the photoblogger behind your waitress.

Portrait by Bill Vaccaro.

PetaPixel: Could you tell me a little about yourself?

Valerie J. Cochran: The question I most often get asked is ‘Are you really a waitress?’. So yes, I am a real waitress. I’ve worked in the restaurant industry off and on since my first summer job at the age of 15.

I grew up in a small town in Missouri. After high school I moved to Georgia to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design where I studied photography until the financial laws were changed. Then I moved back to Missouri and studied Comparative Literature. That led me to California in 2001 and UC Berkeley where I studied for a short spell. Berkeley the college did not agree with me, yet the Bay Area felt like home. Today I live and work in beautiful Oakland, California.

PP: When did you first get into photography, and what was your first camera?

VC: When I was a little girl I loved shooting Polaroid’s of my family with my dad’s Land Camera. It was magic to watch them develop! I also had a Kodak 110 camera. I had it for years and took it everywhere. My first serious camera was also my dad’s. It was a Pentax ME slr with a 35mm lens. I used it in all through art school.

PP: What equipment do you use now?

VC: Today I shoot only analog. My main camera is a Canon AE-1 with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. Recently I was gifted a Canon AE-1 Program camera with a 28mm lens which I have taken out a few times. Other cameras include: Holga 120N, Shakey’s Pizza Diana Clone, Kodak Brownie, Fisheye 2 35mm from lomography.com, and disposables. I love shooting disposables!

PP: Where do you develop your film?

VC: The cheapest place. Drugstores for everyday C-41 and local photo labs for black and white. Then when I do prints for exhibition or for sale, I have a pro lab scan my original negatives. I detest scanning! I’m ok with letting the pros take care of that end. I am grateful to have darkroom experience though. I keep saying I’m going to build one in my bathroom, but I’ve been saying that for years. One day… maybe I just will.

PP: When and why did you start your photoblog?

VC: Your Waitress began five years ago after a bad shift at work. I was managing a restaurant and working 80 hours a week. A guest of the restaurant was a bit belligerent after a few cocktails and I told her we could no longer serve her drinks. Then she proceeded to list all of her accomplishments and asked when I was going to become a ‘real person’. A waitress in her eyes was just a servant. I got a bit upset.

Later that night I decided to start a ‘rant blog’ and write about mean restaurant patrons. I deleted the post in the morning but kept the blog. A few days later I found a box of pictures I had taken at SCAD. One self-portrait in particular caught my eye. Who was that girl and what happened to her dreams?

A few days later I started scanning some old pics and changed my site title to ‘Your Waitress Photos’. Then I started taking pictures around my neighborhood with a digital camera, a Fuji FinePix A201. I started anonymously, only using your_waitress for my name, as a protest to those who felt service people had nothing to offer. I went back to film when my digital camera broke. By then, I had a few followers and was hooked on not only photoblogging, but also on having a creative outlet back in my life.

PP: Do you still have that self-portrait that caught your eye?

VC: Yes, I shared it on the first version of my photoblog for my birthday in 2004.

I use it as a profile pic in places such as Twitter, since it is the beginning of my current photographic journey. It was taken in the fall of 1992 in my apartment on Oglethorpe Avenue in Savannah, Georgia. I was 19 years old.

PP: How do you go about taking portraits of strangers?

VC: That is the second most asked question I get. I used to be terrified of shooting people. I was worried about offending them or invading their privacy. However, I kept finding myself drawn to people and wanting to take their photograph.

The first true street portrait I took was of a man named Michael (just like you) in Berkeley. I had already spoken to him a few times and had given him some change for food as he was homeless. I was walking around my block with my camera and passed him sitting in a doorway. He smiled and said hello as I walked by. After a few steps past I came back and told him my dilemma. I wanted to start taking street portraits but was afraid. He agreed to be my first. I only took one frame of him because I was so nervous! It worked though. After that I got more courage and starting asking other people I had met before. That is how I started, with people in my neighborhood.

PP: Could you share that first street portrait with us?

I would be honored to share it.

This shot of Michael was taken with my old Fuji FinePix A201 on Dwight Way in Berkeley. It was originally posted at the first version of your waitress photos on August 26, 2004.

PP: Do you have any memorable or awkward experiences with street photography?

VC: I have only been yelled at seriously for taking a picture once. I was shooting a veteran in downtown San Francisco, and a woman walking across the street was worried I was shooting her. I tried to explain that I was only taking a photo of the man, and just had to walk away.

A few times I have almost been hit by cars, usually taxis. That may be my doom one day – stepping off a curb while trying to focus a shot and being run over by a taxi. I’ve also been bumped and pushed in protests usually by police. Nothing too serious though. You just have to stand your ground out there and make your presence known.

The most memorable moments are the strangers I have met along the way. Last month in New York I met an amazing event photographer, Louis Mendes. I talked about the experience a bit on my photoblog. I will never forget that day.

PP: Are there any tricks of the trade regarding street photography that you’ve picked up over the years?

VC: What works for me is to be visible and honest about taking pictures. Some other wonderful photographers are great at being sneaky. I am not sneaky. I always keep my camera out and try to look like I belong there. When approaching a subject for a street portrait, I don’t ask right away if I can take their picture. I smile, and say hello first. Then I try to talk to them. I don’t just want their picture, I want to know a bit about them as well. I love meeting people, and working as a waitress has helped. I have to talk to strangers everyday. Once I got over my own fears, I learned to focus on helping my subjects get over their fears. People get nervous with a camera in their face. I do take pictures of people without asking but I am still very visible. They know I am there, even if it isn’t obvious in the shot. Waiting for the moment, to shoot a frame, when people get used to you being there might be my trick.

PP: What do you consider to be the most important skill or technique in taking pictures that aspiring photographers should focus on mastering?

VC: If I only get one then it would be: Shoot often!

I obviously don’t think you have to have the most expensive gear to be a good photographer. A person behind the lens of a decent camera shooting something they are passionate about will do just fine. Get to know your camera. Trust it. When you take a picture you like, figure out what you did right and repeat. Then take some chances, try some new film, and you will find your way.

PP: What’s on your wish list?

VC: It might be cliche, but I have dreamed of owning a Hasselblad 501CM for many years. A dear friend had one when I lived in Kansas City. He was kind enough to let me shoot it a few times and I have wanted one ever since. Also, that darkroom I mentioned before would go together nicely with the Hasselblad since medium format is much more expensive to develop commercially.

PP: What do you wish you had known when you had just started your waitress?

VC: I’m not sure honestly. Maybe I should have gotten the domain from the beginning instead of restarting the photoblog, twice. I have no major regrets. The surprise of the journey is part of the fun.

PP: What are some of the most challenging aspects of what you do?

VC: As a photographer? Shooting on the street creates different conditions that are not always ideal for photography. In a studio you can fix the light to your needs, on the street you take what you get and do your best. Just getting out there though is the hardest part. Most challenges I face, like all the other areas of life, come from within. Inspiration can be fleeting. That is one reason I have never tried to be a photo-a-day photoblogger. When I have something interesting to share on the photoblog, I post. When I am not shooting, I don’t. I no longer feel the need to ever ‘feed the blog’. I fell into that trap a few times in the beginning, now I understand that breaks are good.

PP: This is unrelated to photography, but is there anything about being a waitress that most people don’t know or realize? Also, if you could broadcast a message to the world on behalf of all waiters and waitresses, what would you say?

VC: Yes, people are crazy. If you understand that in the beginning, you will be a great waiter/waitress! Of course, that applies especially to people in the restaurant business. I do love my job. I enjoy taking care of people. I love learning about different cuisines, wines, liquors, napkin folds, etc. The best part about waiting tables is that each shift is a new beginning. You get to start with a clean slate and rarely have to take your work home with you. A bad shift can be erased by a good talk with your coworkers over a cold beer at the end of it.

As for the second question: If you treat people the way you wanted to be treated, everyone will benefit. A boss of mine used to say: Sugar goes a lot farther than salt. Also, tip more than you think you should for great service. I’m sure all my fellow servers would agree to that last bit.

PP: You’ve shot in quite a few different cities. Which stand out to you? How are they similar and different?

VC: Travel is always inspiring. Even across the Bay Bridge to San Francisco. New Orleans is my favorite city. I was there in 2005 a few months before Katrina hit. The people and vibe of NOLA are like no other. It is truly magical, and the night shots I brought back are still some of my favorites. Chicago was fun! I grew up in the Midwest but had never spent time in Chicago. Wandering around an abandoned candy factory with my fellow photogs, what more could you want? My most recent trip was to NYC, also for the first time, last month. I shot 43 rolls of film that week. New York is a pilgrimage for any street photography or cinema or literature fan. To finally walk those streets that have been ingrained into our culture, was amazing! Plus the people were extremely friendly, which surprised me a bit. It is the little things that make them different, like how New Yorkers don’t wait for red lights to cross the street. Those are the things you remember.

PP: Who are some photographers you follow online?

VC: I have met several of my photoblogging heroes and have a gallery of them in my 86 list. A few I haven’t met but have followed for years include: Rion Nakaya, Rachel James, Juan Buhler, Markus Hartel, and Susan Burnstine.

PP: Who is one person you would choose to see interviewed on PetaPixel?

VC: Juan Buhler.

PP: Anything you’d like to leave PetaPixel readers with?

VC: I would just like to thank them for making it to the end of the interview! Oh, and shoot often.

Fredrik Olsson is the photoblogger behind smudo.org.

PetaPixel: Could you tell me about yourself?

Fredrik Olsson: I’m Fredrik. I live in Stockholm, Sweden with my wife and two kids.

I guess the thing anyone meeting me for the first time says is “gosh, you’re tall!” :) Wow, it’s hard to talk about myself like this… I like music, not playing, but listening to. I like to take pictures. I’m overall a fairly happy dude.

For a living, I’m a researcher in language technology and information access. My current professional interest is in how to make advanced information access techniques available to a broader public. Spare time-wise, I like to hang out with my kids and family, and, of course, to take pictures. :)

PP: How tall are you?

FO: 204 cm (6 foot 7 according to google).

PP: How did your interest in photography start?

FO: I’m not really sure. I’ve always liked to draw and paint. At some point I borrowed my mother-in-law’s Pentax Spotmatic F. I think it was in 2000 or 2001. The next thing I knew, I had signed up for an evening course in photography. That was in 2002. From then on, I’m stuck. :) But I still don’t remembering taking the decision of signing up to that course.

PP: Is there any meaning behind the name “smudo”?

FO: Yes, a rather silly one. A decade or so ago, some friends of mine used it as an expression to mock someone who was a little bit too clever for his own good… as in “hey smudo!”. It’s an acronym for “super mega ultra dukt-olle”.

Well, I guess the first part is clear. Nowadays, I don’t think of it as being an acronym. Just the name of my site. I cling on to it since I like the sound of it, and that it sounds like an actual word, but isn’t.

PP: Do you prefer film or digital?

FO: Wow. That’s a hard one! There’s something special with film, for sure. But I more often than not end up using my digital gear. I’d say I prefer film, but if I had to make a one-time decision, it’d be digital. What I find attractive with film is the process of taking pictures, that each and every exposure is there, not deletable, and that it forces me to spend more time to think before pressing the shutter.

Recently, I picked up a Polaroid sx-70, a camera that I’ve been looking to get for a long time. I pretty much find that one to combine the best of both worlds, in a sense; it’s instant feedback, but the sheer cost of pressing the shutter requires me to be very certain about what I want to capture and how to do it.

PP: Isn’t your time with the sx-70 ticking though, since Polaroid retired their film?

FO: Yes, definitely! I’ll get me some more packs of film, then I’ll see what happens. Maybe me and the sx-70 won’t last more very long, or it’ll be a camera that I’ll use on very special occasions only in the future.

PP: Can you list some of the gear you currently use?

FO: Um. Nikon d700 + various lenses, Polaroid sx-70, Lomo lc-a, Holga, Fuji f200exr.

PP: Which are your favorite lenses and why?

FO: As for now, I’m really fond of the 105/1.8. I got it recently, and haven’t really come to grips with it yet. It appears to be a great portrait lens, and I particularly like the shallow DoF it is able to produce. For the same reason, I really like the 50/1.4. That said, the lens that I use most often, is the Tamron 28-75/2.8; I like it because it is lightweight, fast, and delivers reasonably good image quality… it manages to keep up with them kids at home and it’s a good walk-around lens.

PP: What type of photography do you enjoy the most?

FO: Turning everyday moments and situations into something that I (and hopefully others) enjoy looking at. Snapshots with a twist. Photography that selectively samples the things enjoyable in life.

PP: When did you start your photoblog?

FO: I made the first post on July 3, 2003, so it’s been six years next week.

PP: What has been the most challenging thing you’ve faced since starting smudo.org?

FO: Blog-wise? To keep the blog personal without flaunting the privacy of my near and dear. From working with information access and the Internet, I know that what goes on the internet, stays on the internet; I want my kids to be able to actively make the decision regarding their presence on the web when they’re old enough. Other than that, I think the most challenging thing about running a blog, of any kind, is to keep posting on a somewhat regular basis.

PP: Have you wanted to quit at times? If so, what kept you going?

FO: I’ve thought about quitting, but not for long. The thing is, I’m very bad at quitting things. :)

Seriously, without the blog and the social interaction it has entailed, I probably wouldn’t be doing photography. So, no blog, no photography; and I find it hard to think of a life without photography.

PP: How much does post-processing play a role in your photography?

FO: Oh, a big role, I’d say. About half the work is in post. That doesn’t mean I end up doing many edits, but in thought, the post processing plays a great role. Let’s say that I allow post processing to be half of the image creation. I usually don’t do other things in post than I couldn’t have done in a wet lab.

PP: Can you describe your workflow?

FO: I’m shooting in jpg (fine) and raw. Offload the images to the computer, sorting them based on date offloaded. I use iview mediapro for looking at and cataloging the images (it’s a discontinued software, so it doesn’t handle d700 raw files, but my computer is old and can’t cope with anything newer). After the selection process, I fire up my very old copy of Photoshop (or bibble if converting from raw) and do whatever edits I find appropriate (levels and curves mostly, maybe some (de)saturation), resize for web, unsharp mask and save. That’s about it. I try to keep the images backed-up on at least two different external drives.

PP: Let’s say a genie gave you the opportunity to photograph anything. Can you describe that dream situation or location?

FO: In any situation? Wow. I need to ponder that for a while…

What comes to mind, having kids of my own, would be to take photos and mental notes from the point of view of a child. The first few years, we, as kids, remember nothing from. But the same years are the ones that the parents perhaps cherish the most. It’d be interesting to keep memories of those years; What were we thinking about? What situations influenced us?

PP: Do you have any advice for aspiring photographers who are looking to get where you are?

FO: Keep shooting. Carry a camera at all times. Be active on discussion forums and on sites like flickr.

PP: What are the biggest influences on your work?

FO: I’ve chosen not to delve into the world of classical photography. So I know almost nothing about the Great Ones… which is sort of weird given my day-job as a researcher. :)

Thus I can’t really say what inspires me in terms of the history of photography. I’d have to say that my biggest influences include what I see, read and hear about in the media. Tt’s vague, I know. Sorry for not being able to come up with a proper answer.

I follow people on flickr and through their photoblogs; Those are my main inspiration.

PP: Who are your favorite photographers?

FO: there are a number of photobloggers that I follow; I’ll list some of those…

John, sannah, justin, radio.urugay, raul, …

There’s a whole bunch of great sites out there… I’ve listed some of them on my links page, and I continuously add images I like to my flickr favorites.

PP: Who is one person you would like to see interviewed on PetaPixel?

FO: John of orbit1.com.

PP: Any final things you’d like to leave PetaPixel readers with?

FO: Stay (trigger) happy!

Phil Bebbington is the photoblogger behind terrorkitten.

PetaPixel: Could you tell me a little about yourself?

Phil Bebbington: Well, my name is Phil Bebbington, I’m 51 and from the beautiful georgian city of Bath in the UK. I have been taking photos since about 1976, and blogging for about 3 years. I was a police officer for many years although I’m not sure what that has to do about anything. I have taken breaks in photography over the years but have been fairly focused on it now for about 8 or 9 years.

PP: What do you do for a living?

PB: I am retired – working part time doing this and that to supplement my income.

PP: How did you first get into photography?

PB: I don’t remember exactly, I know it was 1976 and I saw a camera for sale in a local store – it just seemed to catch my attention. I saved for it and started shooting – the rest is history.

PP: Do you primarily shoot film or digital?

PB: I shoot film.

PP: How come you haven’t transitioned to digital when so many photographers have?

PB: I like the pace of film – I enjoy the fact I cannot see what I am shooting. It slows me down, I have to have confidence in what I am doing – there is no point in shooting two shots as I cannot see the first. It gives me time to think, to look, it gives me confidence and assurance in my ability. All I have is my exposure meter and the camera, all the decisions are mine.

I also feel more comfortable with a tried and tested system. We know how long film lasts given good storage. I know that a negative, even if tramped into the ground, will yield an image – I have had digital images break down and lost for ever.

I’m not saying one is better than the other… I just feel comfortable with film. I feel it gives me the best of both worlds.

PP: How did the digital images break down?

PB: Just commercial scans that when I tried to access would not let me read them. You never get that issue with film.

PP: What equipment do you use these days?

PB: Many. My main camera and the one I love is my Hasselblad SWC (wide angled fixed lens) – I also use a Holga on a regular basis as well as other Hasselblads. I would say however that most of my work is with the Hassdelblad SWC and the Holga.

PP: How many cameras and lenses do you own?

PB: I would say 10 or 12 cameras including Polaroids and a few extra lenses.

PP: Is there anything on your wish list?

PB: Not really – I guess a nice medium format panoramic camera but I’m not sure how much I would use it. I probably have too many cameras already.

PP: Have you received any formal training in photography, or are you entirely self taught?

PB: Totally self taught.

PP: What are your thoughts on digital photography and where photography in general is headed?

PB: Generally I think photography is headed down the digital route, which I don’t have a problem with. I feel film has a place but will probably occupy a niche market.

My worry with digital is the snapshot side – the guy in the street that used to take snap shots used to have the films developed and then threw the negs into a tin and there they sat – to all intent and purposes 36 negs with one or two of use – of course the whole set told the story because we didn’t sling the bad ones.

With digital however, we photograph our sons birthday, look at the photos, delete the bad ones and keep the couple of good ones and so the story is gone as the story was the good and the bad – my worry is the loss of the documentary photography done by the guy in the street!

We may not feel the effects of that for 30 years.

PP: Any thoughts on the announcement by Kodak today that they will be retiring Kodachrome film?

PB: Any loss of any film is a sad day – the films available now is shrinking by the day – sad yet inevitable I feel.

PP: What’s your favorite film?

PB: My favourite is Fuji Provia 100, however developing has become costly and difficult so now I use Fuji 160C or Kodak 160VC.

PP: Where do you develop your film? Do you do it yourself?

PB: No, I use a local lab – they are few and far between for 120 film – perhaps when the local one stops I may have to do it myself.

PP: How often and how much do you shoot?

PB: Most days I look for shots. I shoot in two ways: my daily routine is with the Holga, and other projects with the Hasselblad SWC – mainly because the portability of the Holga allows me to carry it at all times.

PP: What is your goal in photography?

PB: For more people to see the photography I am pleased with. I shoot mainly for me so promoting myself I find difficult and a chore as I see little worth in it – still, positive reactions are nice and I guess I wouldn’t have an online presence if I didn’t want to show people.

To perhaps one day be represented by a gallery would be nice – I guess the ultimate aim is not to make money but for it to be self financing. Yeah, self financing would be very nice.

PP: What has been the biggest challenge since starting your photoblog?

PB: My biggest challenge perhaps has been making my photography match the way I think – for years the two seemed out of kilter. I felt I was taking photos but not seeing – the day I started seeing, it started to make sense.

PP: As an aside, why did you choose the name “terrorkitten” for your photoblog?

PB: Well – the blog was originally a gallery of types – I thought it would be good to choose a domain name that at least made people look and perhaps to wonder what the web site was about. Nothing more than that really.

PP: Who are some photographers you keep up with online?

PB: No Traces, The F Blog, pinkie style, electrolite, and lenscratch.

PP: If you could choose one person to be interviewed on PetaPixel, who would it be?

PB: Angie Harris at pinkie style.

PP: Anything else you’d like to say to PetaPixel’s readers?

PB: Sheesh! Not really – you have made me think that’s for sure, and I have enjoyed it tremendously.

David Nightingale is the photographer behind Chromasia, an award winning photoblog that was selected as “Best Photoblog” by numerous publications, and was ranked as the 6th most influential blog in the UK by the Financial Times.

Portrait © Bobbi Lane (www.bobbilane.com)

PetaPixel: Can you tell me a little about yourself and what you do?

David Nightingale: I’m a photographer, currently living in rural Bulgaria with my wife and six children, and am working on a range of projects, including; my own online tutorials; a new book; and a variety of personal photographic projects.

PP: How did you come to live in Bulgaria?

DN: We met someone who lived out here, and the more we looked into it the more we liked what we saw. The climate is great, the people are friendly, and the cost of living is very low. We still have our house in the UK, but plan on spending most of the summer months here, if not longer.

PP: Can you briefly tell me about chromasia.com?

DN: chromasia.com started in early 2004, as a personal photoblog, and for the first couple of years I attempted to post an image a day after being inspired by such blogs as Daily Dose of Imagery.

In the early days, it was definitely no more than a hobby – something different to do when I wasn’t thinking about my day job. As time went on though, chromasia became quite popular and we began to receive requests for prints, some small commissions, and so on.

In June 2005 we received a major commission from the Arts Council, UK, at which point my wife and I decided to set up chromasia as a limited company. At this time I was still working as a psychology lecturer in a UK university, and chromasia, though it was now a business, was very much a part-time concern.

Towards the end of 2006 though, two things happened. First, my university was offering a voluntary severance package – i.e. paying to get rid of some of us :) – and I was offered a contract to write a book on baby photography. Both events convinced us that we could run chromasia as a full-time concern.

Since then we’ve carried out a number of major commissions – for the Bahamas ministry of tourism, a winery in Germany, and the Dubai International Financial Centre – have written a book on HDR photography, and have established our own online Photoshop tutorials, for which we now have over 1500 subscribers.

PP: I noticed you said “we”. What role does your wife play in the business?

DN: While I’m fairly confident that I know what I’m doing with a camera and post-production, Libby, my wife, has a much better business sense than I do. For example, our online tutorials were her idea, and now form the major part of our business.

PP: How did you first get into photography? When was it, and what was your first camera?

DN: I first got into photography when I was quite young, probably about seven years old, as my father allowed me to use his camera to take the odd shot during our family holidays. With the benefit of hindsight he probably just wanted a few frames with him in too, but at the time it seemed like a great honour. :)

When I was around 18 though, I bought myself a Canon A-1 and a couple of lenses, and taught myself black and white developing and printing. I never managed to produce a print I was entirely happy with, but I had a lot of fun with the process.

PP: Do you still shoot film?

DN: No, I haven’t shot film for quite a number of years now.

PP: You have nearly every professional piece of gear Canon offers. What are your favorites?

DN: Well, not quite – I don’t have a 1DS Mark III, or a 5D Mark II. :)

As for my favourites: I love my cameras (a 1Ds Mark II and a 5D), but these are incidental; i.e. they’re just a way to capture the image, and both have their strengths. My favourite pieces of equipment are my lenses. And while I’m not sure I could pick a favourite I would probably have to say that my 35mm f/1.4 and 70-200 f/2.8 IS are the ones I like shooting with best. The one I shoot with most, which is also a great lens, is my 24-70 f/2.8, but it’s not as much fun as the other two.

PP: Could you tell us a little about your favorite lenses?

DN: The 35mm f/1.4 is a stunning lens, especially when shooting wide open, and it’s probably one of the sharpest lenses I own. In terms of features though, the 70-200 is extraordinary. Using the IS I can shoot at 1/50s, which is great for low-light shooting, the DoF is extremely shallow at f/2.8, and it also produces exceptionally sharp images. It’s only downside is that it’s really heavy.

PP: What is the item at the top of your wish list?

DN: That’s a difficult question, as there are two pieces of kit that I’d really like at the moment: the 5D Mark II, and the 85mm f/1.2. If I had to choose one of them though I suspect I’d go for the 85mm f/1.2.

PP: You seem to take a lot of photographs from strolls on the beach. Could you tell us a little about that?

DN: One of my favourite ways of relaxing is to take a walk along the beach, photographing either the landscape, or any items washed up along the shore. In some ways, though I’m not sure I could explain it all that coherently, walking along the shore and taking photographs is one of the ways I can lose myself in the moment.

PP: What would you say are the most important elements of post-processing that photographers should focus on mastering?

DN: I don’t think there’s an easy answer to that one, as post-processing is part of a much larger process – one that starts with optimising a digital exposure (assuming you’re shooting with digital kit), through understanding how best to manipulate an image to produce a technically optimal image, to achieving a goal that meets both technical and aesthetic criteria. In short, I don’t think that any particular part of the process is more important than any other. You need to understand the technology, both in terms of what it can do, and how it can be used, and you need a good understanding of a whole range of post-production techniques that will allow you to explore the creative potential that each image offers.

PP: Did you have any memorable breakthrough “AH HAH!” moments as you were learning more and more about photography and post processing?

DN: It happens all the time, but I think that the biggest breakthrough in my own work was when I realised that converting the RAW file (using ACR, Capture One, or any other software package) was probably the most significant step in producing a good final image.

PP: Could you explain a little into why that is?

DN: I think the major reason that this stage is so important is because you can make specific changes to a RAW file – during the conversion process – that result in a higher quality image than if you make the same changes during post-production in Photoshop. In other words, getting the RAW conversion right, whatever ‘right’ might mean, is probably the most important step.

PP: How many images would you say you’ve taken since starting Chromasia? How do you store and back them all up?

DN: I’ve lost count of how many I’ve taken, but it’s tens of thousands of images, all of which I store on two RAID devices: one in the UK, one in Bulgaria. My nightmare is a tech failure leading to me losing any of my images. By having duplicate RAID devices in 2 countries I’m hoping that that won’t happen. :)

PP: What is your opinion regarding HDR? A lot of photographers seem to hate it, while you’ve done quite a lot with it.

DN: I think it’s a useful technique, and one that can be used to produce very effective, if not unique, images. I also think it’s a technique that lends itself to being done badly; i.e. the software doesn’t really care what the final image looks like, and will produce quite hideous results unless you’re careful to think through how to use it and what sort of images you want to produce.

My own view, at the moment at least, is that if one of my images ends up looking like a typical HDR image, then I probably didn’t do it right. In other words, it’s a technique I use, but one where I want my own style to be the first thing the viewers sees, not the fact that it’s an HDR image.

PP: What are some of the questions you’re asked most often by your fans?

DN: The most common question, and most general one, is “how did you do that?”, i.e. how did I post-process a particular image. And this question was the impetus for our online Photoshop tutorials. An alternative, especially when I also publish the original, unedited shot, is “why did you do that?”; i.e. why or how did you decide that that’s how you wanted the final image to look?

PP: How long do you spend on the average image you post online?

DN: There isn’t an average amount of time, it really depends on the nature of the shot and the extent of the post-processing, and could be anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours. Typically though, I’d guess that I spend about 30 minutes to an hour on each shot.

PP: How often do you shoot? How many shots do you take during each outing?

DN: I shoot as often as I can, which isn’t often enough, and there isn’t a fixed amount of shots that I would take during a specific outing. Oddly, the shoots that tend to work best are the ones where I take less shots – where I spend more time thinking about composition, lighting, and so on. One of the best things about digital photography is that you can take thousands of shots during a shoot, and it doesn’t cost you a penny, but this is one of the worst things about it too; i.e. it’s just too easy to rattle off hundreds of shots – because you can – without pausing to think through each one.

PP: What words of advice would you give an aspiring photographer hoping to get where you are in photography?

DN: I think that the best piece of advice I can give is that any aspiring photographer should try and work out what they’re best at, then hone those skills. In my case, I’m known for my post-production – and that’s what I tend to concentrate on, at least for most of the time – but for other people, other skills will be more important.

On a more general level, we live in a world where photography is everywhere – there are countless thousands of photographers, producing good work – so being a good photographer is only a part of the story.

What’s also important is finding ways of getting your work out there – by joining photographic communities, being active in a variety of social networks, and spending time thinking through how to get yourself noticed. It’s not easy, and it’s not photography, but it is essential if you want to make any progress in the world of photography.

I read somewhere that that the business of photography is 90% business, and 10% photography, and after working as a professional photographer for the last few years, sadly, I would have to agree.

PP: Which communities are you a part of? What are some of the best avenues for getting your work noticed?

DN: I think there are two ways to get your work out there …

First, you can join any number of online photographic communities, such as photoblogs.org, photos.vfxy.com, coolphotoblogs.com, and so on. Second, I think that social media will become increasingly important in the years to come, i.e. twitter, facebook, and so on.

Social networks, in many ways, have replaced something that we seem to have lost in modern society; i.e. they are the new ‘local’ communities, played out on a global scale. As such, if you want to make progress as a photographer, being a member of such communities is becoming increasingly more important.

PP: Who are some of your favorite photographers?

DN: Historically, my favourite photographer is Ansel Adams, as he managed to marry both technical and aesthetic genius; i.e. understood his craft in a way that far outstripped many of his contemporaries, and he could use that craft to produce images that are still awe inspiring today.

From a contemporary perspective, I think that my criteria are slightly different; i.e. there are many great photographers out there, but my favourites are the ones who, in addition to producing great photographs, also have something to say and something to teach. For example, David Hobby (strobist) and Zack Arias both produce great images, but they have both taught me a lot in terms of my own photography.

PP: Who is one person you’d like to see interviewed on PetaPixel?

DN: Ansel Adams.

Failing that, Zack Arias would be great, as would David Hobby or Chase Jarvis.

PP: Anything else you’d like to leave PetaPixel readers with?

DN: This refers to one of the points I made earlier, about honing your skills …

Practice, practice, practice, and when you’re bored of practicing, practice some more. Photography is a craft skill – you need to know your tools, and what they can do – and the only way you can truly know their strengths and limitations is through constantly pushing them and yourself to produce images that meet or exceed your creative expectations.

Faisal Sultan is the photoblogger behind friskyPics.

PetaPixel: Could you tell me a little about yourself?

Faisal Sultan: I’m 33. Male. Born in Karachi Pakistan. Sort of lived all over in cities like London, St Louis, MO (where I went to university), San Francisco where I moved to right after college to join the dot-com boom… They were apparently just handing out jobs back then in the late 90s and I joined this startup that had no business plan nor idea what they wanted to do – but hey, it was San Francisco and I was living history! I’m a techie / geek / nerd at heart and profession. Currently working in a business / product role for a huge media / Internet company in New York City. Besides photography, I also enjoy running my own Internet radio station and record label… So with all that stuff going on, I have no “free time” nor do I get much sleep. I anxiously await the day they invent cloning technology so I can clone myself into 3 Faisals.

PP: How did you get started in photography?

FS: I’ve always been sorta into photography. Growing up we used to take loads of vacations as a family and my father used to take our pictures so I used to play around with his Yashica. When I bought my first digital camera about 8 years ago: a canon SD 100 or something, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I only really got into “photography” until only about 5 years ago, when I bought Canon Powershot G4. After that I bought my first SLR the Nikon D70 and the rest is history I guess.

It was mostly me looking at photoblogs via photoblogs.org, looking at some of the amazing pictures people were posting back then and thinking to myself, “hey I wanna get as good as those people are one day”. Or, thinking, “I would have taken that shot differently”. That’s really how I got into photography as an “art.” I still don’t think I am an any good tho – and I still get really humbled when people say that they like my work. I feel like I haven’t even learned 20% of what photography is.

PP: Why do you take pictures?

FS: I take pictures for purely selfish reasons: for myself. I like to take a moment in time, frame it, and make it my own. I know that once I have taken that shot, it’s like taking a moment in time and history all for yourself. This might come across as overly dramatic but that’s really how I feel. Bottom line: I take pictures for myself. All those folks looking at and appreciating my work is a huge added bonus!

PP: When did you start friskypics, and how many photos have you posted since then?

FS: I’m actually coming up on friskyPics’ 5 year anniversary in October. Before Oct 2004, I used to post images on a ghetto picture gallery script I wrote myself on my blog site. On friskyPics, I must have posted about 800 images thus far. I had an HD crash about 3 years ago and had to reboot the photoBlog and lost most of the older shots – which is fine by me, as some of my earlier work was horrible.

PP: So you lost hundreds of photographs permanently in the crash?

FS: Unfortunately, most of them yes. That thought me the valuable lesson of backing up the HD! Some of them are still on my HD, which I might or might not publish in the archives. I’m actually working on a redesign of the photoblog, so I might post all of the old photos then.

PP: Have you taken additional steps since then to make sure you don’t lose photos again?

FS: Yep. I have an external HD which I backup weekly, in addition to MAC’s Time Machine backups. I also have all my RAW images backed up on Amazon’s S3 cloud. So I think my work is safe now.

PP: What equipment do you use these days?

FS: Nikon D700 with a 24-70 2.8 lens most of the time. 50mm 1.8 when I don’t feel like lugging around the huge lens. I also love the 85mm 1.4 lens for some street photography. For those point-n-shoot moments I have a Leica D-LUX 3 that goes with me everywhere. Besides those two cameras, I also love my Holga! There’s nothing like shooting with that thing! So much fun!

PP: What’s on your wish list?

FS: Aaah don’t get me started! I’ve been lusting after a Leica M6 rangefinder for ages. I really want to get into film and I feel M6 would suit me and my style best. Besides that, I really really really want a good solid medium format camera. If money was no object, I’m get a Hasselblad 503 tomorrow! But realistically, I’m say a Leica M6 is what I’m probably gonna buy in the very near future.

PP: Why did you go with Nikon over Canon?

FS: You know, I’m not one of those people that think one is better than the other. They are simply brands. I don’t really get all the “canon fanboys” doing all the promotions for Canon by always talking about how Canon is the next baby Jesus. In the end, the camera doesn’t matter. I always get a little bit ticked off when people focus too much on the equipment and not the person behind it. That’s why I never ask other photographers what they used to take a shot. What really matters is the person behind it and how you chose the subject and frame your shot. But why did I personally go for Nikon? Well, I got a great deal on the Nikon D70 when I was shopping for an SLR. That’s how I ended up as a Nikon user. Sorry – went on a little tangent there. :-)

PP: Could you briefly tell me about your workflow?

FS: You know – I’m aware that my workflow sucks. I’m a little bit of a disorganized person so anyone reading this should copy this workflow at their peril: I download all shots from the memory card into Lightroom. I organize them either by day, event, or if I went to a particular place to shoot (eg: Empire State Building) I will name the folder that way. From there, I will usually work on the curves and contrast a little, nothing more than you would normally do in a dark room really. Once I’m happy with it, I will import into PhotoShop CS4 to work on Levels some more. I don’t usually do any other post processing other than Levels and Curves. Sometimes, when I’m feeling adventurous, I use masks to do custom levels and curves on particular areas of the image. Other than that, I don’t manipulate images too much. I usually take a shot knowing how I’m going to process it. If you start off with that one image in your mind’s eye, processing seems almost natural.

PP: What’s the one thing you’ve learned since starting out that has had the biggest positive impact on your photography?

FS: Good question. Nailing it down to just one thing is gonna be next to impossible so I will say this… I’ll say the most important thing I’ve learned is that I really don’t know anything. Looking at all the other photographers that I follow everyday, looking at their work makes me realize how much I still have to learn. And that really is a good thing – because I know for a fact that I can learn so much more from these folks and push myself in my work. I’ve always learned that in the end – I do this for myself. It’s easy to get seduced by popularity and trying to get more and more people to look at your work – and that might lead you to start posting images that you think your “audience” might like. I post images first and foremost for myself, as a way for me to keep track of my photography. It just so happens that since it’s on the Internet, others can enjoy it too… or not enjoy it and tell me that I suck. Entire way – it really doesn’t bother me. However, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it when people email me and tell me that they enjoy my work. It’s the best feeling in the world.

PP: What is your favorite type of photography?

FS: I’m say the photography I most enjoy shooting is abstract and urban landscapes. I love shooting buildings and other city structures. I also like taking a normal subject like a building, and challenging myself to find a new, unique way to photograph it. Lately though, I’ve been getting more and more into shooting humans. If you look at my archives, you’d think that I live in a world with no humans – I almost never shoot any pictures of people or with people in the frame. The reason is two fold: I like desolate, vast open and empty spaces. Another reason is that I know my limitation, I know that I’m not that good at photographing people. And that’s something I’ve been pushing myself to get out of my comfort zone and shoot more portraits etc. I have a series that I’m working on at the moment that I’m pretty excited about. It involves people! I hope to post it to celebrate the 5-Year anniversary of my photoblog.

PP: How often do you shoot, where do you go, and how much do you shoot at a time?

FS: Not enough. But lately I’ve become “that guy.” The guy that cannot step outside the house even for a minute without his camera in tow. So now, wherever I go I take my camera with me. But besides that, I will normally go out to shoot something specific once every 2 weeks or so. I wish I could shoot more, but I simply don’t have enough time with my job and my “other job” running the station and record label… It’s exhausting… Photography is strangely relaxing for me though – so when I’m feeling stressed or burnt out, I will go out with my camera and try to shoot. Usually on an outing I will take about 120+ shots – most of them end up as crap but there’s always that one shot that I end up liking…

PP: Do you get a lot of comments through your blog? What are some common things you’re told or asked?

FS: There’s a bug in my photoblog code that makes it impossible for people to comment using IE that I need to fix. But yea usually I get a few comments per shot – which is nice. But I’m thinking of getting rid of commenting altogether in the redesigned blog site that I’m working on. I’m also working on a “portfolio” site where I want to showcase some of what I feel is my best work. But yea besides the “nice shot” and “nice perspective” comments, which are nice to get BTW, I also get comments from people asking me about how I processed the shot, or what lens I used. I also got an email from a photography student, asking me for my feedback on their work, which I thought was mind boggling… I mean I was very honored, but I really don’t think I’m any good – there are sooo many other better photographers out there.

PP: What advice do you have for people looking to improve in their photography?

FS: I know its cliché, but I’m say the best advice I can say is shoot shoot shoot. You can’t really learn this in a classroom. Starting out, people used to ask me if I have taken any classes and I used to tell them I don’t believe in taking classes to learn photography. Confession: Even a year into my photoblog, I had no idea what the “rule of thirds” meant. The point is, the technical side doesn’t matter – it will come thru practice. And once you go out and shoot, you will start to learn things like the right settings and exposure controls for a particular shot or subject. So yea, shoot shoot shoot. Then go out and shoot some more. Push yourself into being creative and out of your comfort zone – be bold.

Also: try not to get sucked into trends or what’s “popular”. Case in point: HDR. It’s popular, but is it photography? No it isn’t. Please, be a friend, don’t do HDR.” There, I HAD to say something about how much I hate HDR.

PP: Who are some of the photographers you follow online?

FS: I follow these folks daily – or whenever they have a new post up: Jessyel (dailysnap), Miles Storey (MUTE), Andy Bell (Deceptive Media), Daniel Cuthbert (Hmmm), Fredrik Olssen (Smudo), Bob (No Traces), and Your Waitress. I also love Daily Dose of Imagery, and Orbit 1 (although I don’t visit it everyday). Gosh so many people that inspire me every day!

PP: If you could have one person interviewed on PetaPixel, who would you choose?

FS: I’ll say Daniel Cuthbert. He’s not only a good fashion photographer, but a great photojournalist as well.

PP: Is there anything else you’d like to say to PetaPixel readers?

FS: Well, you’re still reading this interview so I guess you are interested in what I have to say so I will take this opportunity to say thanks for reading and checking out my work. Now go out there and do it too. Push yourself to take better pictures and remember that there’s no such thing as a “perfect” photograph – like art, photography is subjective. That’s you should why remember this: if you’re not doing this first and foremost for your own self, you should probably take up another hobby. Also: don’t just use one camera to shoot pictures. Some of the best shots I’ve seen have been taken by toy cameras or even iPhones. So try to get out of that “camera makes the shot” mentality.

Otto Kitchens is the photoblogger behind ottok photography.

PetaPixel: Could you tell me about yourself?

Otto Kitchens: I live right off downtown Atlanta, GA in an old Victorian house with my Ocicat cat, Sam. I’ve been in Atlanta for most of my adult life. I work in the IT industry as my current day job, a necessary evil to help fund my photography. I would love to do photography full-time, but right now that’s not possible.

PP: How did you first get into photography?

OK: I got a Canon AE-1 film camera in high school and used it through college, but never really passionately. Then I started doing big vacations with a friend every year. My introduction back into photography as a passion began then, wanting to better record my travels.

I started with a basic point-and-shoot film camera and then decided to jump on the digital bandwagon. My first was a pretty basic 2MP HP digital camera. Then I progressed to a Canon G2, I think. I kept hitting limitations with what it was able to do, so I finally got a digital SLR, a Canon 20D. It was also around this time that my passion for photography progressed beyond my travels. Then I started to capture the more local world around me.

I eventually got back into film, starting with the ever popular Holga. Then it was like a light bulb went off and so more about the potential creative side of photography became clearer. Then I started obtaining other film cameras and started using my digital SLR less and less. Until finally, my digital SLR became forgotten in my camera cabinet. I now have almost 30 film cameras, mostly medium format but also some 35mm cameras as well.

I also got into working in the darkroom and signed up for a course at a community art center to learn how to develop my own B&W film and make my own B&W prints in the darkroom. Now I develop my own B&W film at home and still go into the darkroom to do printing as often as I can. I love shooting color and B&W film. My cameras range from the high end, my beloved Hasselblad 501CM and Pentax 67, to the downright “crappy” plastic cameras with little to no settings, and I use that lovingly. I also have several pinhole cameras as well. In fact, I just got a new old camera from eBay, an Ilford Sporti, made in the late 50s to early 60s.

PP: What do you like about film photography that caused you to put your digital gear aside? Most people seem to go the opposite direction.

OK: Yeah, I know. Heh. I’m not sure… it’s hard to put into words exactly. There is something tactile about film; it can be gritty and dirty, magical even. I don’t have that same feeling with digital. This is just a personal response. I have nothing against digital at all as I credit it for getting me back into photography and finding my real passion in life. Who knows one day I might shoot digital again; I still follow the new advancements, etc. If I had to get a digital camera now, I’d get the new Canon 5D Mark II – well, I’d save up for it. :-)

PP: How much time does your hobby take you?

OK: Oh wow, a lot. Usually at least and hour or two a day during the work week, and potentially a whole day each weekend, if not more. It’s the weekends where I get out to shoot when I can. It’s hard to do that during the week. If I am getting ready for a show, my involvement takes a lot more time.

PP: How about money? How expensive is this hobby for you?

OK: Well, it wouldn’t be so expensive if I’d quit buying cameras. :-) But yes, it has been expensive, but totally worth it. The personal fulfillment that photography gives me is incredible – I can’t imagine not doing it now.

PP: What is your favorite type of photography?

OK: I like doing all of that really. No particular one is my favorite. It really depends on my mood and the subject when I go out to shoot. I usually take 2-4 cameras with me, each with its own characteristic. Once I get somewhere and get a feel for the place, I’ll use one or more of the cameras to capture either what I’m seeing or what I’m feeling about the location, be it on a country road or an abandoned building. If I’m at a single site, I’ll usually walk around the area without a camera in hand to get a sense of what it is like and what grabs my attention. And it’s then when I’ll start shooting.

I may be at a location for a couple of hours but only take about 36 or so pictures. I’m very deliberate about each shot and what I want to capture. The world just falls away when I put the viewfinder to my eye and it’s very calming for me.

PP: Where are some of the places you’ve traveled to?

OK: New Zealand (twice), Alaska, the Pacific Northwest (US and Canada), Fiji, the Caribbean, Europe several times including drives around Ireland and Scotland and a hike around Mont Blanc, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico…

PP: Where are some places you’re hoping to go in the future?

OK: Well, if I can manage it, this fall I want to go to the US Southwest. There is a hike in the Himalayas that we want to do. Patagonia is high on our list as is Africa.

PP: If you had to choose just one body and one lens, which would you choose?

OK: That’s a toughie, I love so many of my cameras, but if I had to choose one I’d say my Hasselblad 501CM with an 80mm lens.

PP: What type of photography would you want to become a professional in?

OK: Fine art, whatever exactly that it. That’s what calls me. Most commercial photography doesn’t overly appeal to me. I’ve sold stuff commercially and as fine art prints, but I like to shoot what I want, when I want.

PP: Do you use your bathroom as a darkroom?

OK: No, my kitchen. I have a changing bag that I use to work on film and then I just use the kitchen sink. I eventually would like to convert my attic and add a real darkroom up there. But I have other things that are higher priority on this old house than that.

PP: How many mistakes or disasters have you had with film photography?

OK: Oh several. On a Polaroid back for my Holga, I’ve had it unattach exposing the Polaroid film, more than once. On a pinhole I’ve had the “lens” cover fall off, exposing the film again. And a few times I’ve had developing problems, the worst being once using the fixer before the stop bath, actually switching the two mixtures accidentally. That roll was ruined. One of the potential drawbacks of using film that I wouldn’t have with digitial, barring losing or destroying the memory card.

PP: What do you wish you had known when you first started out in photography?

OK: I don’t know. I like where I am right now with my art, and I see the mistakes that I’ve made as the path that got me where I am, warts and all. And hopefully where I’m going.

PP: What advice would you give someone starting out in film photography?

OK: Well, for film or digital, I’d say learn what I call the art of slowing down. Give thought to each shot; take your time understanding the composition, focal length, etc. That’s why I like to walk through or around a location before I ever start photographing. Also, learn to shoot in manual mode as that teaches you a lot and gives you way more control over the results. Even if you don’t shoot in manual mode all the time, learning how to do it is a wonderful teacher.

OK: Also, don’t be afraid to take chances, be adventurous. Learn the rules of composition, etc., but also try breaking them. I think that’s partly why I like having so many cameras. Each interprets a scene in its own way and allows me to try new things.

PP: What’s on your wishlist right now?

OK: Camera-wise I don’t have much of a wishlist… that is until I see some new (usually old) camera that I didn’t know of or think about until I saw some pictures by it and I’ll usually get it, unless it’s really expensive. Otherwise, I really would like to get a better scanner to scan in my negatives. I have a decent one, but I’d like to have a better one. I’m always on the lookout for a new, good camera bag. I have plenty, but I keep an eye out for the one.

PP: Where do you usually purchase your camera equipment from?

OK: I have two main locations, eBay or KEH. I’ve certainly bought from other places, but these are the two that I have used the most. KEH is local and I know someone who works there, so that’s convenient.

PP: Do you follow any photographers online?

OK: Yes, I follow a lot and have been inspired by and become friends with quite a few of them. I enjoy seeing what others are doing. Just a few of them are: 16+ photography, BOXMAN fotologue, eddiemallin, Film is not dead it just smells funny (not a single photographer, but it showcases a wonderful collection of images from different photographers around the world), and Lost in Pixels.

PP: If you could see one person interviewed on PetaPixel, who would you choose?

OK: Tread from gotreadgo. He’s a real hoot. :-)

PP: Is there anything else you’d like to say to PetaPixel readers?

OK: Hmm… shoot for yourself, not for others. You have to please yourself first. If others like it, then that’s wonderful; if they don’t, so what. It’s your art; don’t lose sight of that. I’m pretty sure why I’ve mainly stuck with fine art photography. It had to have some meaning for me.

Jonathan Greenwald is the photoblogger behind Shrued.

Portrait by Kathleen Connally.

PetaPixel: Can you tell me a little about yourself, your interests, and your background?

Jonathan Greenwald: Sure, I was born in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up, my interests ranged from playing sports, getting into trouble with my friends, and having as much fun as possible. Today, the same holds true with one exception; I no longer live in Brooklyn. I now reside just North of Toronto in Vaughan, Ontario.

PP: What do you do for a living?

JG: I’m a service account manager for Sun Microsystems.

PP: Why is your photoblog called Shrued?

JG: Unfortunately the story is not very interesting. I first discovered photoblogging by visiting photoblogs.org and the first site I visited was Chromasia. I really wanted a cool name for my own photoblog so I started mashing words together to come up with something clever. Somehow I got Shrued and my photoblog was born. In the beginning, everyone felt the need to inform me I incorrectly spelled shrewd. I thought about changing it to avoid these comments, but decided not to in the end.

PP: How did you first become interested in photography, and what was your first camera?

JG: When I was a teenager, my dad gave me a pentax to play with. I really enjoyed taking photos, changing film, and taking the exposed film to the lab for developing. That’s when I was first really interested in photography. Oddly enough, the interest was lost when I started driving and no longer cared to walk around with a camera around my neck.

PP: What’s in your gear bag nowadays?

JG: Well, to backtrack, it wasn’t until 2005 when I got bored and needed a hobby. Someone told me about the Gates in Central Park, so I borrowed my Dad’s point and shoot and headed over. I showed my family and friends the photos and they convinced me to get back into photography, some 20+ years later. A week later I convinced my dad to take a ride with me to a photography shop and picked up a canon digital rebel 300d. I shot with it for a year and a half and gave it to my dad. I picked up a 20d which is the body I’ve shot with ever since. I also carry a 17-40 and 24-70 lens with me.

PP: Do you still shoot film?

JG: About 2 years ago I bought a holga and shot a few rolls. I really enjoyed the results; however, not knowing what the results would be until I brought the film into a lab bothered me. I prefer the instant gratification of a digital camera. My dad also gave me a polaroid 103 which was fun to play with and he gave me his pride and joy, the canon ae-1 which growing up I was never allowed to touch. I see others shooting primarily with the ae-1 and sometimes consider it as a backup camera or something to play around with from time to time, but again, I don’t think I have the patience for it.

PP: What is your goal in photography? Why do you shoot?

JG: In the beginning it was all about architecture. My undergrad is in architecture so I was essentially pulled into that area of photography from the onset. It wasn’t until I did a photo walk with one of my photography friends that I discovered street photography, my real passion. I shot a lot of homeless people in nyc and toronto and from that, found myself being asked a lot of questions about the photos. I was interviewed by someone at ABC world news tonight online edition, and several magazines around the world posted my photos with short blurbs about me. I thought about using that experience as a jumping off point into photojournalism until I found myself living in toronto and then moving up north to suburbia.

PP: Can you tell me about your workflow?

JG: I’m probably one of the most unorganized photographers in the world. I have changed my workflow several times over the course of the past 4 years. At one point, I was pulling images directly from the camera via the digital link to my desktop pc. It wasn’t until I picked-up a macbook pro that I shifted gears and began importing images via iView Media Pro. I didn’t follow any sorting method which was always a big mistake because locating images was always a tedious, labor intensive exercise. I have two backups of my raw (out of camera) images as well as the processed tif (large format) and jpg (web). I think this is where I mention please don’t apply these same techniques on your own. As for the digital workflow or processing, I sort through the photos I have taken. Once again, I shoot a lot. For every 2-3 photos the average photographer snaps, I probably snap 10. I am a big fan of burst shooting as I am always concerned about missing a shot. when I find the photos I want to process, I import the raw files into Photoshop CS4 and typically upsample. I make very limited adjustments in Camera Raw. Most of my processing, as subtle as the modification may be, are done within photoshop. I have been playing around with Lightroom more and more, especially since there are countless plugins which provide instant processing adjustments which would take me hours to recreate.

PP: Why do you do the bulk of your editing in Photoshop rather than in Camera Raw?

JG: Layers in photoshop allow for better management of the changes. If I make several changes to an image (selective color) unsharpen mask, curves, layers, etc, I can hide each layer to review the various effects. I may adjust white balance and exposure in Camera Raw; however the only real purpose for me is the upsampling.

PP: Can you briefly explain what upsampling is?

JG: I still shoot with an 8mp canon 20d. I am often limited in the size of my prints. Upsampling is an arguably safe way of enlarging the effective megapixels of an image. An 8mp raw image is often 25mp within photoshop after upsampling.

PP: How do you back up your images?

JG: I have two external hard drives: a 1TB and a 350GB drive. I keep a copy of the Raw and processed image on both drives.

PP: What is your favorite type of photography and why?

JG: I love photos of people. Interactions between individuals can result in the most interesting images. Not all images of people need to be candid; however, it is often the subject who does not realize they are being photographed who provides the most interesting results. NYC and Toronto have their fair share of interesting subjects.

PP: How do you go about taking portraits of strangers on the street?

JG: When I first started photographing strangers, it was via shooting from the hip. Essentially I would hold my camera on my hip and walk past someone I wanted to photograph. 8 times out of 10 I missed the shot; however, when I was lucky enough to capture their image, it was often very rewarding. Today, I’m more aggressive without actually giving the impression I’m photographing someone. First, I never look anyone in the eyes before, during, or after photographing them. I never want them to know I’m taking their photos. Sometimes I pretend to be shooting past the individual. Just another way of avoiding contact. There are exceptions to my shooting style and there have been times when I ask someone if I can take their photo; albeit, these situations are few and far between. I found myself the subject of a heated discussion when an interview I gave about photographing homeless people was released. Most people didn’t favor my style; they seemed to prefer I approach individuals and ask permission. I believe they thought I was exploiting the individual. I tend not to listen to anyone about photographing people on the streets. It really depends what you are after as a photographer and more importantly, your comfort level with your subjects.

PP: Do you have any awkward or memorable stories from your street photography experiences?

JG: There were a few times when I was approached by people who were not pleased with my camera in their face. I was once chased down 42nd street by a homeless person, and while photographing a dumpster diver in chicago during a photo roam with other photobloggers, the individual, who did not appear to be someone to be taken lightly, began yelling at me. I regretted putting my fellow photobloggers in that position and was glad it didn’t result in a confrontation. I’ve been asked countless times by people if I took their photo and on every occasion, I simply say nope and walk away.

PP: Are there any photographers that you follow online?

JG: Yeah quite a few. durhamtownship, thinsite, ddoi, JVL’s specs, MUTE, wastedphotos, chromasia, and many others. I’ve befriended many of these photobloggers over the past 4 years as a photoblogger.

PP: Who is one person you would like to see interviewed?

JG: Great question. One of my favorite photobloggers and a really great guy is Attila Schmidt of Thinsite. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and the commentary which accompanies his photos are often very funny.

PP: Do you have anything else you’d like to say to PetaPixel readers?

JG: Have fun and be your own person. Everyone will critique you and offer their “professional” opinion, but at the end of the day, you need to shoot for yourself and determine what your own style of photography will be. There are countless photographers out there who you can learn from and who won’t mind offering their advice; at the end of the day, you want to be recognized for your own creativity. Most of all, never leave your camera at home. I may not always feel inspired or know what you will photograph next; however, there have been plenty of times where the perfect moment was right in front of me and I was unable to capture it. Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to me if anyone wants to know about a specific photo I have taken or has additional questions about street photography. I still love answering these types of questions and am always humbled when asked about my photography. Thank you for this opportunity.