Dean Blotto Gray of BLOTTO PHOTTO is the Burton Snowboards Principal Photographer.

If there’s one small joy in life that I look forward to every year, it’s probably the Burton product catalog, which always features an eye-catching mix of creative product photography, cutting-edge board and page design, and breathtaking location photos.

Burton outfitted gold medalist Shaun White and the USA Olympic Snowboard Team and is one of the biggest snowboarding brands worldwide.

If you’ve snagged a copy of this year’s catalog, The Good Book, Blotto’s shots are featured in some of the spreads.

With so many riders on the mountain, snowboarding photography is also an integral part for individual riders to stand out from the crowd and get mainstream exposure and street cred.

Snowboard and ski photography are perhaps the most physically demanding types of sports photography, oftentimes set in the dangerous and extreme weather locations. At the same time, it’s got a youthful style and high energy culture that is very apparent in Blotto’s work.

PetaPixel: Can you give us some background about yourself; what you do, where you’re based, and how you became a photographer?

Blotto: I grew up in Arizona and Texas during my younger years, but Phoenix became my home starting in Grade 6. By this time I was consumed with riding BMX bikes, which led to racing at the local tracks until my mid-teens. Around this time I found skateboarding and that took over until this day. Once college entered my life, snowboarding did to. After the very first run I ever took on a snowboard, I knew this was what I wanted to do because it was like skateboarding on the mountains, total freedom to adventure.

I eventually moved to Colorado, Utah and Oregon to pursue a life in the snowboarding industry, but not as a professional rider. My friends and I started a small snowboarding company selling t-shirts, hats and bindings, so out of necessity I picked up the camera because we needed to produce our own images for our marketing materials. In 1999, I took a position at Burton Snowboards, which eventually led to this Principal Photographer role. My home base is Burlington, Vermont, which happens to be the world headquarters for Burton.

My official job title is Burton Snowboards Principal Photographer. It’s a year round position that keeps me on the road documenting their professional snowboarding team as they compete, film and tour. The photographic materials are used for Burton’s advertisements, catalogs, editorial purposes plus my website, photo shows and books.

PP: How do you get around the mountain/locations while you shoot? Do you ride, too?

B: A snowboarding background is ideal to document the life and times of the athletes because you’re in the mountains about seventy-five percent of the time. Everything we do is one-hundred percent team work based…picking locations, traveling, building the features out of snow, accessing alpine zones, getting home safe at the end of the day and being able to relate to your subjects around you.

When shooting in the alpine environment, we access mountain areas via chairlifts, hiking, snowmobiles and helicopters. Your mode of transportation is dependent on where you are in the world and what your snowboarding goals ultimately are. I prefer hiking to snowmobiling, but I also spend as much time as possible shooting from the helicopter so I can document the snowboarder’s action from above…it makes for a very unique perspective not always seen in action sports. We also spend a great deal of time in any given city that has seen significant snowfall. Using cement, metal and architecture is a treat because it differs so much from the alpine regions.

PP: Which did you start first: riding or photography?

B: Started snowboarding in 1992, picked up a Canon 35mm SLR in 1997.

PP: How do you bring your gear on a photo shoot? Do you have a special photo bag you prefer?

B: Burton Snowboards is very flexible and enthusiastic when it comes to research and developing travel bags and camera packs. I’ve been using the Burton F-Stop Camera Pack and Double Deck Travel Bags since the year 2000. It’s the ultimate combination for checking in luggage during airline travel and the most reliable and comfortable bag to have on your back while shooting. Burton has listened to our needs as traveling snowboarders and photographers and produced reliable, smart luggage.

PP: What gear do you usually bring on a shoot?

B: Canon 1Ds, assortment of Canon lenses, Pocket Wizard remotes, ProFoto Strobes, SunPak Flashes and a point and shoot camera. There’s an assortment of safety equipment, proper outdoor clothing and of course a laptop and hard drives.

PP: Can you tell us about the most extreme or difficult weather or mountain conditions you’ve shot in?

B: Shooting in the alpine environment has the inherit risk of snow avalanches. It’s something you always have to think about, prepare for and be ready. If you plan your route and personnel properly, most situations will never get out of hand. My equipment of choice has never let me down during any winter condition. It’s comforting to know your equipment will perform right along side you, so you don’t have to focus any energy worrying about camera failure.

PP: How do you protect your gear from the elements and the cold?

B: I’ve found that the equipment I use has been weather sealed enough to stay protected in any snowy condition, no matter how wet or dry the snow is. I don’t use any aftermarket covers for the body or lenses, they only inhibit the use of the device.

The key to equipment longevity and reliability is a proper dry out and cleaning every time after shooting. It’s a big no-no in snowboarding to show up to a shoot with gear that doesn’t function properly. Athletes are risking their lives to progress and document snowboarding, so you need to be on point as the photographer.

PP: Have you ever broken equipment while riding/shooting?

B: I’ve dropped my share of lenses and cameras, there’s no doubt about that. If this situation occurs in the field, you must do what it takes to continue shooting and not hinder the flow of the session.

PP: How did you land a job as the Principal Photographer for Burton?

B: I was brought into Burton as a Team Manager with specialized skills in photography, cinematography, photo editing, marketing and travel. I was always taking photos during my team management days, so it was natural for me to graduate to the role of photographer.

PP: Your bio on your site says you travel 290 days out of the year. Where do you travel most often?

B: My travel schedule of 290 days per year is a result of Burton’s endless photographic needs from their riders. Our shoot locations are dependent on the latest snowfall reports, so when an assignment comes up, it could be New Zealand in August or Newfoundland in January. During the springtime, we set up man-made snow features at ski resorts (with the proper manpower in place) to create our vision.

Over the last couple of North American summers, I’ve found some time to document the track bike revolution in various cities. It’s a dream come true to photograph where it all started for me…bicycles.

PP: Do you have a favorite location to shoot at?

B: If I had to pick three locations I would never give up shooting it would definitely be Japan, Alaska and Central Europe. Each place offers such a unique vibe and backdrop for snowboarding and photography…from the type of riding that happens to the images you’ll capture.

PP: How would you say snowboarding photography is different from general sports photography?

B: The biggest difference between snowboarding and general sports is location, but more specifically dealing with the threat of avalanches in the alpine. A common thread is most of snowboarding’s photographers and cinematographers are snowboarders themselves, many of which are former professional riders.

David Baker is the photoblogger behind milouvision.

PetaPixel: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

David Baker: I’m 46 years old and live in Southampton on the south coast of England. I’ve worked for a government agency for the past 26 years latterly in a legal/policy environment and I view my photography as an effective antidote to my office life.

PP: How did you first get into photography?

I started using a Canon A70 in about 2003/04 when my wife, Stef, and I began visiting stone circles, dolmens and standing stones. Despite my advanced years, I used to be a keen online Unreal Tournament player and during a lull in competitions and tournaments, a fellow player talked about his new camera, a Canon 300D, and suggested that I also buy one as I had become disillusioned about online gaming. This occurred at the same time when it was confirmed that I had no musical ability at all. A friend in Cornwall is a marvelous guitar player and after a visit, I thought I’d be one too. Sadly not. So, in January 2005, trying to engage a creative aspect of myself, I also bought a 300D.

Almost immediately I wondered what I had let myself in for as I had always used the A70 on auto mode. I started reading magazines, books (fortunately Southampton has an excellent library) and looking at other images in various exhibitions and photoblogs. In the spring of 2005, I started posting images on a web forum and as a consequence, in November 2005, Jamey (of http://www.jameyhoward.com/photoblog/) started a photoblog and convinced me that it was a good idea to start one too. I choose milouvision as my online gaming name was milou (I was a huge Tintin fan and milou is Snowy).

PP: Which are your favorite Tintin comic books?

DB: It has to be The Black Island. When I was a child in the 1960s, my mum used to return from a jumble sale with a big roll of comics – the Beano, Topper etc – and occasionally there was a Tintin book amongst the weeklies. I think the first one I saw was The Black Island and for a youngster from a small provincial market town it promised adventure.

PP: What equipment do you currently use?

DB: In January 2006 I bought a Canon 5D which I’ve only just sold due to the purchase of a 5d Mark II. For 95% of the time, I use a 17-40L lens. I also use a 50mm prime and a 70-200 zoom and I use a tripod about 80% of the time. I also regularly use Lee ND grads and a Lee ND plus a polariser and the mighty B+W 10 stop ND which I’ve just replaced as I dropped my 5D Mark II on its first outing in very high winds. I got distracted and the whole set up fell onto the rocks albeit from a very low height. The camera was ok but my 10 stop ND was smashed and buckled on the 17-40 lens. I used a knife to take out the filter glass and fortunately the front element of the lens wasn’t scratched. I then used the knife to tease the remains of the filter from the lens thread and again fortunately the thread wasn’t stripped although it looks likely that it’ll have to be replaced. A little later whilst cleaning spray off a Lee grad, the wind whipped it from me and it scuffed on the rocks.

PP: Anything on your wish list?

DB: A Canon 16-35. Maybe. Is it better than the 17-40? I don’t know. One thing against it, is that there’s no 10 stop ND filter for the filter ring size. An alternative would be a Zeiss Distagon either 18 or 21mm. A 100mm Canon macro lens is on the cards as I want to explore some still life work and I really ought to get around to sourcing a new tripod ball-head.

I do a lot of square cropping so I’d love to be able to do that in-camera by having a button that changed the format from 3:2.

Every now and then I think about exploring large format.

PP: How would you describe your photography to someone who has never seen it?

DB: Coast hugging. My main photographic passions are sand, sea, stone and the odd cow. I saw a photograph by Guy Edwardes in Outdoor Photography magazine of Keyhaven beach and the sea looked fantastic drawn over the shingle beach. I tried it myself a week or so later and that was that, I was caught. It’s a fair comment that the majority of my work is a variation on a theme.

PP: What is your goal in photography?

DB: The wildlife photographer Andy Rouse once said that landscapers are those who try to get in focus two rocks that are seven miles apart. There’s a goal. Alternatively, it’s getting that ultimate coastal shot. The one that always eludes and you almost get it. It’ll never be caught as what then?

A year or so ago, I wanted to exhibit so I was fortunate to exhibit twice in the past year. I have just started a couple of photo projects – stone and wood – to motivate me. I wrote a guide to Westdale Bay in Pembrokeshire (http://freephotoguidesukwales.blogspot.com/2009/06/westdale-bay-pembrokeshire.html) last June so I would like to add more to the free photo guide project (http://www.freephotoguidesuk.blogspot.com/).

PP: Are there any special tricks you’ve picked up for photographing the coast?

DB: It may sound a cliché but getting to know ‘your’ part of the coast is invaluable in terms of assessing and recording the changeable nature of light, the tides and the way the coast evolves and changes the landscape. See it in the wonderful dawn light – it’s worth the early start! Other than that, get to know the tide tables, chase ‘bad’ weather so that you can shoot in the changeover from ‘bad’ to ‘good’, accept that you will get wet, even if the waves are counted, and buy a decent pair of wellies. Hopefully, it’ll all help to being a committed coast-hugger.

PP: What’s special about the “changeover from ‘bad’ to ‘good’”?

As an example, I followed a rain storm from Southampton to my local patch of coast at Keyhaven. The rain had cleared the air of dust so I shot in good light with all the drama ahead sweeping across the Solent providing rain clouds lit from underneath by a setting sun.

PP: How much do you shoot?

DB: I’ve stopped coming away from a coastal location with 300 shots of essentially the same scene. In terms of how many shots at a particular site, it’ll depend on what I’m trying to achieve. I’m getting more fussy in my old age about the available weather conditions (something which I’m trying to correct) principally due to being frustrated by the potential of a location if only the clouds were just so, or there were less people or if only the headland was over there. Dreadful. I should work at it. I really like being surprised by a location especially one that I know well, where I think I’ve seen all this before and then all of a sudden the elements come together. I think landscapers are eternal optimists and even though there might be moans and groans when the weather is poor, we’ll still make the trip out.

PP: What have you learned about photoblogging since starting your own?

DB: That the support, encouragement and inspiration of fellow photobloggers is immense.

PP: How many photographs do you have tucked away at this point?

DB: I’ve just sold my 5D which after three and half years use had a shutter count of 14,000. I’m a fairly ruthless editor. My back up folder is 273gb which includes RAW files, 16 bit TIFFs, jpegs, stock images – well, everything. I’m always chopping away at the images in periods of self doubt, deleting material left, right and centre.

PP: Have you tried your hand at HDR photography?

DB: I’ve blended two images from a RAW file – one for the sky and the other for the foreground. I’m not sure if that counts. The principle issue I have with ‘extreme’ HDR is that there’s often a strong light source but without the attendant shadows.

PP: Who are your favourite photographers?

DB: Joe Cornish, Charlie Waite and David Ward for landscapes, and Michael Kenna for mono and duotone work. I’m also a big fan of Fay Godwin. I’m fortunate in being able to have collected about 100 photo books, some second hand. The Michael Kenna books are beautifully produced. I have a regular sort out. I also follow a whole host of photobloggers who provide an enormous amount of inspiration and motivation.

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

DB: It’ll have to be my pal Gary or Tristan.

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

DB: Have fun, stay fluffy, and to paraphrase Andy – cheers for reading, and if you’re a follower of my photoblog then many thanks.

Laura Brunow Miner is the former editor-in-chief of JPG Magazine and founder of Pictory.

PetaPixel: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Laura Brunow Miner: I have a background as a print designer, but haven’t worked as one in a few years. I really enjoy deciding each morning whether I’m going to be an editor, designer, writer, entrepreneur, internet geek, or photography lover that day — or all of the above. I’m originally from a suburb outside Dallas, and spent seven years in the lovely college town of Lawrence, Kansas.

PP: How did you first get into photography?

LBM: I’ve got a long history with photography. I co-founded my high school photography club, and as a teenager I worked at both a one hour photo lab and a contemporary art museum. In college I did some event photography and took some classes while getting a degree in International Business with a concentration in art and design. After graduating I worked for an architecture firm in Lawrence, Kansas, as a graphic designer — though I often tagged along with the architectural photographers, and did some shooting myself.

Six months after moving to San Francisco I landed a job as a print designer for JPG Magazine, and over a few years there, worked my way up to editor in chief. During that period I realized how fulfilled I was by immersing myself in photography as an editor, particularly in a community setting where the results are always surprising.

PP: What was your first camera?

LBM: I learned on my dad’s fully manual Nikon F from the 60s — the original photojournalist camera.

PP: What equipment do you use now?

LBM: While I love taking photos, I don’t consider myself a photographer, and shoot pretty casually. I take a lot of iPhone photos, do some underwater point and shoot photography with a Canon Powershot D10, use a Canon Rebel dSLR, and just started playing around with a LOMO LC-A+.

PP: What is Pictory, and why did you start it?

LBM: Pictory is an online publication for big photos and small stories. I designed and founded it as a way to create my dream job for myself. I also felt there was a need for more online publications with the care and intention of print magazines, but also the practicality of the web.

PP: How many people are currently involved in Pictory at this point?

LBM: Just one, myself. Though I hired Jeff Croft of Seattle to build Pictory for me on a Django platform, and my husband, Wilson Miner, has been incredibly helpful with advice and ideas. I also plan to continue to work with a guest designer and guest copyeditor on each showcase.

PP: Why did you choose the name “Pictory”?

LBM: Besides the straightforward “picture + story” which helps explain that captioned photos are submitted, “pictory” is also a term used in other cultures for photo stories (try googling it!). Plus, I wanted a name that felt catchy enough for the Web, but didn’t immediately seem misspelled. (For example, I own piktory.com but opted for pictorymag.com instead.) I’m an editor after all — and particular about spelling and typos.

PP: How do you choose the photos that are included in the showcases? What are the things you look for?

LBM: Many factors go in to the selection. Is it an eye-catching photo, and does it look good at 1,000 pixels wide? Is there a unique perspective to the image or caption, or do I have a dozen other entries from the same viewpoint? Is it the best of those dozen? Does it work well in the flow of the showcase? (IE: too many vertical photos in a row can fatigue the eye, etc.)

PP: What has been the most challenging part of getting Pictory off the ground?

LBM: Putting one foot in front of the other during the months when my “to do” list seemed infinite. Design is fun for me, but writing specs or working on legal documents is not.

Another challenge was “keeping my eye on the north star.” One of the things that made the site successful was feedback from dozens of smart Web industry friends during development. The tricky part was staying focused on my own vision while processing smart advice that wasn’t always right for me.

The actual logistics of starting the online magazine was really fun — I wouldn’t call it a challenge. After a year or so of just doing editorial, it was thrilling to get back to design work — and a total luxury to have plenty of time to iterate and fine tune the design. Watching a capable developer think things through and ask the right questions during the code process was just as exciting. Pictory is sort of halfway between running JPG and a blog, so I felt pretty secure about how to execute it from the beginning. If I got stuck, I either went in favor of simple or waited until I had an instinctual feeling for what was right.

PP: What are some common mistakes photographers make in photos submitted to Pictory?

LBM: The number one mistake I’ve seen is people using the caption to describe things we can see in the photo. For example, if it’s a shot of a woman on a rooftop, they’ll describe her appearance and posture (which we can see) without explaining what they remember about the moment. It’s the equivalent of a stranger coming up to you at a party and telling you about his outfit, and you wanting to respond, “I can see your outfit, I want to hear about you!”

PP: What is the most important thing you’ve learned so far through Pictory?

LBM: I’ve learned how much faster I can learn and improve when running an online publication than I could when running a print publication. It’s like the difference of shooting with a digital camera or a film camera, in terms of the speed of feedback. I’ve also learned how completely fulfilling this work is to me!

PP: What’s Phoot Camp and why did you start it?

LBM: Phoot Camp is an invite-only camping trip for photographers that I founded last October, and which will continue annually. I started it because I love meaningful fun! I think I might be a “collaboration matchmaker” in my next life (or next career) and introducing 20 talented people to each other was well worth the hard work of organizing. I was thrilled with the photographs and videos that came out of it (displayed at http://phootcamp.com) and I’m really happy to see the friendships and working relationships that have thrived since.

PP: In your opinion, are there any “Silicon Valleys” of photography? If so, where?

LBM: LA and New York, because they are the two easiest places to make a career out of photography. I love visiting New York because it’s so easy to end up at dinner with a photo agent and drinks with a photojournalist and then brunch with a photo curator — and have great conversations along the way. San Francisco doesn’t have the same density of photo industry folks, but I pal around with new media innovators here and love it.

PP: Do you think we’ll see the end of print magazines as we know it? How is the landscape changing?

LBM: No, but I do think we’ll see an explosion of online magazines, as people are doing some really smart thinking on the topic already. Sports Illustrated and BERG are great examples.

I think there will absolutely be room for both in the market, though I’m going to compare print magazines to film again and suggest that they might be more of a purist offering. But I’m not sure if I even believe that, because who doesn’t love curling up in a recliner with a magazine?

PP: What are the main advantages and disadvantages of online magazines?

LBM: The feedback and metrics available for online media will turn good editors into great ones very quickly. Plus, there are so many possibilities for expanding on ideas, using infographics, quoting or referring to content, etc., online. I can’t wait to see the piggybacking and sharing of ideas that happens.

That said, online magazines don’t have the tactile appeal or portability of print publications — nor the mastery of the medium that has been achieved by some print offerings.

PP: Who are your favorite photographers?

LBM: My favorite “famous” photographer is Roger Ballen. Of the photographers I know, I could name dozens, but Bernie DeChant, Matt Nuzzaco, Paul Octavious Cribb, and Steph Goralnick are all consistently great.

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

LBM: If you’d like to be considered for Phoot Camp or have feedback on Pictory, feel free to contact me at support@pictorymag.com. Thanks for reading!

Image credits: Photographs by Laura Brunow Miner. Headshot taken by Wilson Miner

Aaron Johnson is the cartoonist behind What The Duck.

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

Aaron Johnson: I’m the creator of the syndicated comic strip, What the Duck.

PP: What is What The Duck?

AJ: What the Duck is a photo-centric comic that I started, on a whim, in July of 2006. It originated as a joke and was meant to be a “blog-filler” for my band’s web site, at the time. What began as a five day joke quickly evolved into something much bigger. Three plus years later, the strip is now featured in magazines and newspapers internationally.

PP: Do you ever feel constrained by the fact that your strip is “photo-centric”?

AJ: Although the strip is photo-centric in nature, the comic is really about the lives and trials of creative professionals. That provides a lot of shared experiences, and material, and represents a voice that isn’t always heard.

PP: How widely is your strip syndicated?

AJ: The strip is featured in newspapers throughout the United States, Canada, and Malaysia. For three years the comic has been a regular read in magazines in the UK, Canada, South Africa, and the States. Obviously, it largest and broadest audience is on the web.

PP: How many people are involved in producing What The Duck? Is it just you?

AJ: Just me.

PP: What is your own background in photography?

AJ: My interest in photography both started and ended at an early age. I saved a long time to buy my first 110 camera not realizing the money pit of film, processing, batteries, more film, that would follow. So I laid low for 18 years and got back in the game when digital was more standard and around the time my son was born.

I majored in motion picture film (concentration in animation) and I’ve had a career that works closely to commercial advertising, but I am by no means a photographer. There are only so many hours in the day.

PP: Do you work full-time on What The Duck?

AJ: The strip has become a second career. I love my “day job” and have no interest in giving that up.

PP: What do you do for a living?

AJ: By day I’m an animator and graphic artist.

PP: How often do you draw new strips? How much time does it take?

AJ: Being a daily strip, I try to keep it on a daily schedule. It’s hard to determine how much time any particular strip takes because the process is often drawn out and not all done in one sitting. Most of the time is spent whittling down an idea to its most concise and direct form.

PP: I noticed you sell What The Duck merchandise. What are your best selling items?

AJ: Plush toys, books, and shirts like “Photoshop: Helping the Ugly Since 1988″ are always popular.

PP: What is your favorite kind of photography?

AJ: I’m a sucker for really great photojournalism.

PP: What kind of camera do you shoot with?

AJ: I’ve acquired an arsenal of pro gear for the soul purpose of taking pictures of my kids. However I think I’m going to gaffer’s tape all the logos until I get my endorsement deal : )

PP: What are your favorite comic strips?

AJ: The one and only strip I read growing up was Bloom County. It had an huge impact on me. As a working cartoonist, there not enough time to follow a lot of strips and there’s always that risk of subconsciously ripping off someone else’s gag.

PP: What advice do you have for someone starting their own comic?

AJ: Make the kind of comic strip that YOU would like to read (and see). Make the kind of comic strip that if no one else read it, you’d still love to make it.

PP: Is there anything you wish you had done differently early on?

AJ: I should have made the WTD plush toys earlier. They look great and fans have really responded to them.

PP: How do you make What the Duck plush toys?

AJ: I worked closely with a plush toy manufacture on the initial design. At any given time, I usually have a few hundred plush ducks, in the house, ready to go.

PP: Do you animate and narrate the animated comic strips posted to your YouTube channel?

AJ: The animated strips are entirely a one man show. Animation was my first love so they’re fun to make, when time permits.

PP: Do you always carry around a notebook to write ideas that pop into your head?

AJ: I always carry a digital recorder with me. Sometimes I use it.

PP: At any given time, how many ideas do you have queued and ready to be drawn?

AJ: I’m usually two months ahead of schedule.

PP: What are the most and least enjoyable aspects of running What the Duck?

AJ: Most enjoyable: Hearing from fans.

Least enjoyable: Dealing with web site technical issues.

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

AJ: Thank you for supporting the strip and for taking the time to “listen” to me babble.

Anne Archambault is the photoblogger behind wideangle.ca.

PetaPixel: Could you tell me a little about yourself?

Anne Archambault: My name is Anne Archambault and I’m a French-speaking Québécoise. After living in most provinces in Canada, Indonesia, India and Belize, I now reside in Seattle, WA. I love the outdoors and mostly pursue my photography on climbing and backpacking escapades in the Cascade and Olympic ranges. When my limited vacation time allows for it, I also like to travel to more exotic and far flung venues. My last trip was to the Italian Dolomites and I’ll travel to Ecuador later this year.

I retouch all of my pictures – from mere cropping and tonal adjustments to more radical perspective shift or artifact removal. My goal is to create compelling images and I’m not attached to the ideal of accurate representation – at least not in my own work. I also like to dabble with infrared and panoramic photography. Next on my list is kite aerial photography!

PP: Why have you lived in so many different places around the world?

AA: I’ve always had a fascination for other cultures, places and languages. I discovered quickly that I much prefer to live in the same small community for months on end than to do a whirlwind tour of the tourist sights. I was lucky enough to be able to line up volunteer work overseas on a few different occasions. My projects ranged from planting trees in the Himalayas to setting up an environmental education program for a nature reserve in Belize. Living and working in a foreign country has afforded me access to unique situations and experiences — which I truly relished as a photographer.

PP: How did you first get into photography?

AA: I showed an interest for photography and started shooting at a young age. My father was a film director and we had a darkroom at home. I remember borrowing my mom’s Kodak instamatic camera in grade 1 on a school trip to the zoo!

But my passion for photography didn’t really take off until the digital era. In the mid-nineties, I worked for the Banff Centre for the Arts (http://www.banffcentre.ca) where I had access to a digital camera for the first time. The possibilities that having an instant preview opened up were instantly clear to me and sparked my renewed experimentations with photography.

Most recently, I worked for Microsoft’s Rich Media photography group where I had the privilege of working alongside world-renowned photographers Art Wolfe, Bambi Cantrell, John Shaw, Matthew Jordan Smith and many others. Their tremendous talent has been a great source of inspiration and motivation for me.

PP: What is your goal in photography?

AA: I shoot and process my photos for the sheer love of creating what I consider compelling images. The very act of framing an image forces you to look at your surroundings and to uncover a unique element or moment in what could otherwise be a very mundane situation. The most satisfying images are not the obvious sweeping views that anyone with a point and shoot could equally capture (who cannot make a half-decent shot of the Grand Canyon at sunrise?). Rather, they are the ones that even surprise you as the photographer as you release the shutter. As Ernst Haas said: “Don’t take pictures, be taken by pictures.”

PP: What was your first camera?

AA: I honestly cannot remember – it’s been too long!

PP: What equipment do you use now?

AA: I currently shoot with a Canon EOS 40D and an IR-converted Canon EOS Rebel XT. I also typically carry around a pocket Panasonic DMC-LX3 — which I love for its size, its wide and fast lens, and its ability to shoot RAW. It’s a great little camera for climbing and mountaineering trips where a DSLR would be too heavy or cumbersome. I also use a Gitzo 1540T Traveler tripod, a Canon Speedlite 580EX and an array of lenses (10-22mm, 18-200mm, 70-200mm, 50mm, 1.4 extender, LensBaby) and filters. I carry all this equipment in a LowePro Vertex 200AW backpack.

I import, tag and develop all my photos through Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0. I enjoy working in Lightroom so much that I now only use Adobe Photoshop CS4 when absolutely necessary! Finally, I print on an Epson Stylus Photo R2400 with Ilford Gallerie Gold Fibre Silk paper.

PP: Can you briefly explain what it means for a camera to be IR-converted?

AA: A camera that has been converted to infrared is sensitive to infrared light but blocks most of the visible light spectrum. In practice, this translates into dreamy images with very dark skies and bright foliage. You can get an overview of the process on Wikipedia. Several outfits can permanently convert digital camera sensors to only shoot infrared images. Based on conversations with Reed Hoffman at Blue Pixel, I chose to use LifePixel to convert my Canon Rebel XT and have been very happy with my choice. Although landscape photography lends itself particularly well to infrared photography, I have also found myself experimenting with portraiture and wedding photography.

PP: What’s on your wish list?

AA: A new Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been on my wish list since before it was even on the market – though the newly announced Canon EOS 7D sounds like a great option with its improved focus system, HD video, wireless flash system and electronic level. The extra reach that comes with the cropped sensor is also useful in many shooting situations (wildlife photography, sports photography, etc…). I’m still curious to see how it behaves at higher ISOs and might be willing to wait a bit longer before moving to a full frame sensor…

Some sharper and faster glass including the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II and the 24-70mm f/2.8L lenses are on my list – especially once I move to a full frame sensor. I also want some neutral density filters to slow down the shutter in bright conditions and the Singh Ray Vari-ND filter (http://www.singh-ray.com/varind.html) would be a sweet choice. Finally, I’m on an elusive quest for the perfect backcountry shooting bag. I had thought that the F-Stop Tilopa was going to be a great choice – but unfortunately, it doesn’t fit my smaller frame…

PP: How would you describe your photography to someone who has never seen it?

AA: My photography is a combination of nature, landscape and travel photography. I like to look for the incongruous and odd juxtapositions. And as my blog’s name suggest – I am partial to wide focal lengths!

PP: Do you have any personal tips or tricks for landscape photography?

AA: A lot has been said and written on this subject! At the risk of stating the obvious — be prepared and be patient! Do your research up front to understand when is the best time to shoot your subject and what kind of equipment you’ll be needing (lenses, tripod, filters, etc…). Scout ahead of time or at least arrive early enough to setup ahead of the best light, tide or feeding time. And then, just be ready to frame the shot and wait out the perfect moment: whether it’d be the human silhouette that crosses the frame and gives perspective to the surroundings, the sudden gust that creates a dreamy effect as flowers swirl in the wind, the spectacular colours and cloud formation, or the mountain goat that timidly approaches you.

PP: How long do you spent post-processing your photographs?

AA: That varies wildly from one image to the other. Adobe Lightroom, especially version 2.0 with its local adjustments, really has revolutionized the way I process my pictures. I now spend less time than ever on post-processing. I typically do a quick pass in Lightroom to scan the images from a shoot and delete any clear rejects. I batch meta-tag everything with copyright information, location and keywords. I then do a quick edit and rate my favourite images. I may tweak them in the Development module as I go as a way of assessing the potential of an image. For instance I may quickly convert an image to black and white or change the aspect ratio to 16:9. I tag blogging candidates and process them more thoroughly in the Development module before exporting them as JPG’s. I occasionally open up the image in Photoshop CS4 for some effects I can’t reproduce in Lightroom. My best images get posted on wideangle.ca and I tweet about new entries (@wide_angle). I typically only post a single image from a given shoot – it forces me to be highly selective and keeps the blog fresh.

PP: Who are your favorite photographers?

AA: Surprisingly, given my own photographic style and choice of subjects, my favourite photographers mostly fall within the photojournalist tradition. Folks who documented the events of their time like Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Frank, Sam Abell and Jay Maisel. Their ability to capture truly ephemeral and often poignant moments is captivating…

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

AA: I would love to see an interview with Jimmy Chin. He’s an extremely talented adventure photographer who has achieved recognition as both a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and a sponsored North Face athlete. His work combines my personal passions for travel, mountaineering and photography. It’d be fascinating to read more about the behind the scenes of his photo shoots…

Chase Jarvis would also offer an insightful perspective for Petapixel readers. He’s been a tremendous supporter of the Seattle amateur photographer community and is a pioneer in bringing together photography and social media. And of course he’s now the iPhone photography guru!

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

AA: Close the browser and go shooting! And thanks Michael for this great opportunity to share my work with the PetaPixel readers!

Alan Taylor is the creator and editor of Boston Globe’s The Big Picture.

PetaPixel: Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Alan Taylor: A little about myself: I’m a web developer primarily, grew up in Washington State, lived in Alaska for a few years, later moved to Boston. I’m not really a photographer (certainly not a good one). Probably my favorite former job was that of a tour guide in Alaska – I loved the storytelling and the environment.

PP: How did you first get the idea for The Big Picture?

AT: I first got the idea several months before launching – I had been collecting images into collages for friends for a while, and got fairly good at it – then one day, at their prodding, started looking at doing it with the existing photos that the Boston Globe (my employer) had access to.

PP: What was the process for getting it started?

AT: The process to start was fairly simple – I baked the idea out into a few static mockups in Photoshop, then went to visit anyone who might need to sign off and told them my plan, asking for advice and buyoff. Eventually I got enough of a green light, then went for it. I was fortunate to be an experience web developer, and so built my own template and set up my own blog. I did not need any other people or funds, just my own time and access to pre-existing Globe assets (blog platform, image licenses).

PP: How much work goes into The Big Picture?

AT: 3 times a week I run an entry, and spend from 9am to 1pm selecting, ordering, editing, cropping, publishing & tweaking an entry. I probably spend 1-2 hours a day moderating comments (yes, I moderate every single comment), and 1-2 hours browsing through images, preparing for future entries. I’m the only person involved in producing the blog.

PP: How do you go about looking for the next subject to feature?

AT: I see what I can find within available photos. If I try to search out a subject, I usually come up lacking. Sometimes there are great packages of photos almost pre-made, other times, I have to stretch a bit. I’m fortunate to have access to many photographers’ work.

PP: Where do you obtain the images for each post from?

AT: AP, Reuters, Getty and AFP are primary sources.

PP: How much money is spent on the images used in each post?

AT: I don’t know – it’s part of the Globe’s contract, we pay a flat fee for images we use in print and online, not per-use.

PP: Why do you choose to moderate every comment by hand rather than use an automated anti-spam system?

AT: Anti-spam systems can’t catch nuance or context. A comment like “This is awesome!” might seem banal and acceptable, unless the photos depict famine victims, you know. Plus some URLs are relevant, helpful and good, most are not – I haven’t seen a good automated system yet.

PP: How much spam do you get compared to real comments?

AT: Probably 10% to 15% spam. It comes in spurts, sometimes 30-50 in a day, other days it gets near 1,000.

PP: Did you make any effort to advertise the blog, or has it grown purely through word-of-mouth?

AT: No money has been spent to promote the site, word of mouth and the occasional link from the boston.com homepage is the only official promotional effort.

PP: What are your biggest sources of traffic?

AT: Google Reader (biggest source by far – nearly 300,000 subscribers), Digg, Reddit, Stumbleupon, Twitter, Meneame.net, and bookmarks.

PP: What have you learned during the course of running The Big Picture?

AT: Honestly, I learn something new every day. I just learned that there are dozens of Fashion Weeks held around the world, I now know about Pushkar Mela, the largest Camel fair in the world, and feel that I’ve come to understand many many people throughout the world better by seeing their images, learning their stories. It’s probably one of the best parts about running the site.

PP: What are some of your favorite photoblogs and photo related websites?

AT: To be honest, I don’t spend much time on other photoblogs, partly because I’m really busy, partly because I don’t want to be influenced by them – I think I’d be second-guessing my work if I did that, and want to leave that alone. That said, I think that Denver Post’s Captured and SacBee’s The Frame do great work (when I see it).

PP: What kinds of posts usually attract the most attention, and what kinds attract the least?

AT: Least attention tends to come to small traditional ceremonies or rituals, in general. Most attention comes to things that are grand in scale or political – just about anything to do with China lately counts as both grand and political, for example.

PP: What advice do you have for photographers who want to build a personal photoblog that’s similar to The Big Picture?

AT: Go for it! I’m finding that some photographers I meet are either a bit shy about their work (their own worst critics), or maybe are unsure of how best to display their images. The best advice I can give is to go with your gut – what feels and looks right to you. People respond to the image more than the image-viewing experience, so simple displays work well, overly complex (or clever) portfolio templates may get in the way of the stories you want to tell.

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

AT: Thanks to anyone who has dropped by the Big Picture, especially those who have given feedback, either in the comments or on their own Twitter/Blog/Facebook outlets. I follow as much of that as possible, and it’s really helpful for me to see what works and what doesn’t. Also – I always want to be sure that people know that I am incredibly thankful to all the photographers whose images I’ve displayed. They are doing the hardest, most artistic work here, and it’s deeply appreciated.

Image credit: All photographs by NASA.

Manuel Guerzoni is the photoblogger behind San Francisco Daily Photography.

PetaPixel: Could you tell me a little about yourself?

Manuel Guerzoni: I’m in my thirties, born and raised in France, currently residing in San Francisco. I have lived in Germany for a few years before moving to the US.

I have spent many years in University studying Science trying to satisfy my curiosity for all things.

PP: How did you first get into photography?

MG: I am a very curious person. I have a hard time dealing with the unknown: I must open the box and know what’s inside. As such, I have been observing people and things for a very long time. In 2001, a photographer friend put a camera in my hands and it’s only then that I realized that a camera could become a tool for me to record those things I was so curious about, so that

I could “study” them later inspecting their picture.

PP: What was your first camera?

MG: My very first camera was a Polaroid I was given in the late 70s. I didn’t use it much because I couldn’t afford the film.

PP: What gear do you use now?

MG: I use a Leica M8 with a 35mm lens. All my gear, including filters, a spare battery, cleaning tools and a tripod fit in a small camera bag that I have with me at all times. That’s luxury. Another set of eyes with better recording capability.

PP: What’s on your wishlist?

MG: I sometimes wish I had a wider angle lens which would suit street photography better. When I had reflex cameras, I would exclusively use ultra-wide angle lenses. But I’m very happy with my current gear, I really don’t need anything else right now.

PP: What do you do for a living?

MG: Photography is my only source of income right now.

PP: Tell me about photographing in San Francisco. How is it similar to or different from other places you’ve photographed?

MG: San Francisco is a complex blend of cultures. It is very different from other places to photograph because no single picture can accurately depict the city. People are typically very tolerant and open-minded here which, in my opinion, makes taking pictures of people easier here than in other cities. Also, because the city enjoys lots of visitors, it makes it harder to take unique pictures. Everyone seems to be walking around with a camera here. If you’re looking to do something unique, it’s not a bad idea to get “uninspired” using sites like flickr before going to shoot to see what other people are doing and try to do something different.

PP: How would you describe your photography for someone who has never seen it?

MG: Each photo I publish on my San Francisco photoblog is a piece of the complex San Francisco puzzle. I strive for the images to be narrative, and hard to be placed in time.

PP: How often and how much do you shoot?

MG: I use my camera pretty much every day, I shoot about 50 pictures a week in average.

Can you tell us very briefly how you make a living through photography? (is it through exhibitions? prints? commercial photography? editorial? etc…)

Unfortunately, I can’t say that I make a living with it, or maybe I should stay hopeful and say “not yet”. But I make money taking commercial assignments and selling prints.

PP: What are some questions you hear the most from your fans?

MG: Most questions I get are related to the equipment I use. With the introduction of “affordable” DSLRs, lots of folks have started buying new equipment or are considering it. There’s so much choice out there, that people will ask for advice. I tend to think that the equipment doesn’t make a big difference. If you’re a good photographer, you will be a good photographer with any camera in your hand. If you made an analogy to musical instruments, everyone would agree that Jimi Hendrix would have been an amazing guitarist even he had played a guitar other than a Fender Stratocaster. My advice would be to figure out which focal length you want based on what you want to photograph. Then, you can just let your budget dictate the rest.

I also often get the question “did your subjects know you were photographing them?”. My answer to that is that I don’t talk to my subjects prior to taking their picture in order to keep the scene candid and honest, but I often do talk to them afterwards. My experience is that folks usually know you’re there with your camera. But if you act in an honest way, without hiding or trying to be sneaky, they will act normally and will also respond better to your taking their picture.

PP: Do you have any formal training in photography, or are you entirely self-taught?

MG: I did read some books to understand the basic techniques, and learned a lot by doing things wrong. I found that if you spend as much time looking at your “bad” photos as you spend on your “good” ones, you learn quickly. I find that the hardest part is not learning the technique, it’s figuring out what you want to do especially if you’re trying to be relevant.

PP: Where do you get your film developed?

MG: I use digital exlusively now. I use Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop.

PP: Can you tell us about your workflow?

MG: I have to admit that there’s room for improvement in my workflow. I don’t keyword my images very consistently and I often go straight from raw to jpg, bypassing the tif format. I’m also horrible at doing backups… But my typical workflow consists of transfering my files to my computer, then keywording them, then going through a review assigning from 0 to 5 stars. When processing, I may make some light exposure adjustments in Camera Raw, and then will go to Photoshop for doing work like black&white conversion, resizing, noise reduction or perspective adjustments. I am lucky to own a camera whose exposure meter is very accurate and the dynamic range is great. So I don’t need to do much in post-processing. But in general, if the original image is less than 95% of what I want the final image to be, I don’t bother trying to salvage it. If I had more time or better photoshop skills, maybe I would. As far as copyright information, licensing information and other metadata, I only populate the file once I sell the image.

PP: Do you have any personal tricks for doing street photography?

MG: My trick is being as obvious as possible and making eye contact. The faster people acknowledge you, the faster they’ll forget you’re there and will go back to whatever they’re doing. Making eye contact also tells you whether the person is ok being photographed or not. Another trick is to make eye contact again, after taking the photo, and staying cool. That has proved to avoid some negative reactions. I try to always talk to people after I took their photo, to tell them what I’m doing and ask for a model release when needed.

PP: Do you have any memorable or awkward experiences from shooting on the street?

MG: I’ve had a number of unsuccessful attempts at explaining candid street photography to people I have photographed. I have perfected my pitch over time. I remember one interaction with a gentleman who asked me to delete his photo right on the spot. I didn’t mind doing it but as soon as I did, he started calling me names. I guess that for him, my deleting the photo was an acknowledgement that I should not have taken it without his prior consent. I won’t do that again.

PP: What are some common mistakes you think people make when doing street photography?

MG: It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking pictures from the distance with a long lens. It feels safe because you’re far away. But street photography is meant to be taken very close to the subject, with a wide-angle lens. A wide-angle lens mimics the angle of human eyesight. That’s the only way you can involve your viewer in the scene photographed.

PP: How should one go about talking to strangers after taking their photograph?

MG: I suggest to do it as honestly and directly as possible. Personally, I usually start with something along the lines of: “Hi, I just took your picture, hope that’s ok with you, I phototograph people in the street.” See how they respond and go from there. I usually also offer to send a copy of the photo by e-mail. On another note, an e-mail exchange seems to be a more effective way of obtaining a model release than trying to get one signed on location.

PP: Who are your favorite photographers, both historical and contemporary?

MG: My favorite photographers are Diane Arbus, Sally Mann, Nan Goldin, Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Roy DeCarava and James Nachtwey.

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

MG: I’d love to see an interview of Sally Mann on petapixel…

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

MG: A big thank you to all the folks that follow my photography online.

Manuel’s work will be on display in an exhibit titled “Caught in the Spotlight” at BridgeHead Studios in Alameda, California from October 9 through November 11, 2009.