Photographer of the Month – Larry Louie

 

©Larry Louie

Darwin: Congratulations Larry on your prestigious win as Travel Photographer of the Year for 2010! What does winning the award mean to you and to the type of photography work you do? 

Larry: I am very honored to have won the TPOY award. It verifies that my work is recognized by prominent judges and peers. It also allows me to emphasize my goal in photography which is to increase awareness of SEVA whose mandate is to eradicate blindness in the third world. Being an optometrist, this is very important to me.

Darwin: When we were both in Images Alberta Camera Club in Edmonton way back in the Pleistocene I recall you did almost all your work in colour. Now you seem to work exclusively in black-n-white – why the change?

Larry: I feel the work that I do is more powerful in B&W. I have always loved B&W, especially ever since I saw an exhibition of Josef Koudelka in NYC. I still love color work though!

Darwin: I notice you seem to photograph project based work like “A Working Day in Dhaka” or “Factories”. Do you find giving yourself a project with a theme helps focus your work and return stronger results?

Larry: I do like to give myself a project so that I will focus. Since I only have a limited time, I want to make sure I spend the time wisely and not waste time. I do my homework before I travel to my destinations usually by the internet and arrange all necessary details such as hotels, local guides and transportation. The projects that I like tend to have a humanitarian cause or purpose, instead of just shooting pretty scenes.

Darwin: Your street photography of people looks so candid, like you are an unseen presence and yet a lot of the work looks to have a wide-angle point-of-view. How do you manage to get into the thick of the action and yet seem to not affect what the people are doing?

Larry: Thank you for your comment. It is very hard to get that in the photos. But the easiest way to obtain that is to make the subject feel relaxed, usually by spending some time with them. A smile goes a long way. Also, one cannot be shy and must push some buttons, but still respect the subject’s wants. 

Darwin: How many international travel trips do you go on per year and how long do you usually go for?

Larry: I usually take one week in the spring time, usually April, and a two-week trip in October. I have an optometric practice so I can’t go for too long so being organized is important. I still will keep my eyes open for any circumstances that may occur that will surprise me and may create a great photo opportunity.

Darwin: As a travel shooter I assume you keep gear to a minimum? What makes up your camera kit these days?

Larry: You are right. Sometimes I would need to hike a long distance, such as in Tibet or New Guinea. Other times the location is very crowded such as Dhaka, Bangladesh. Therefore, I travel very light in most people’s eyes. I have usually 1 Canon 5D mark 2 body and 2 prime lenses: 24mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.2. I also carry an Epson P7000 to download all my daily shots. Recently, I have also brought a backup camera body just in case. Luckily, I have never had to use it.

To see more of Larry Louie’s work, please visit his website.

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

©Larry Louie

Photographer of the Month – Mitch Dobrowner

©Mitch Dobrowner

Darwin: Mitch, the first time I became aware of your work was from the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of LensWork Magazine. You had a feature, Unworldly Landscapes and frankly I was blown away by the work.What struck me was that you captured a much photographed subject (the American Southwest) in a fresh and emotional way. I could see in your photos how you felt to be in these places. This is an extraordinary task. How do you think you were so successful at showing visually your emotional response the southwest?

Mitch: Thanks for the compliment; I truly appreciate that. The simple answer is maybe I’m just lucky that I’m able to produce images that emulate the way I see things. I’ve developed a work flow that is natural and allows me not to think a lot about all the technical aspects of photography. This gives me the freedom to concentrate on ‘seeing’ and producing imagery that is close to what I’m feeling in my heart at the time I click the shutter.

Also, before I head out I also spend a good amount of time doing research and visualizing, or pre-visualizing, what I’m after. I try hard to at least place myself in the right place, in the right lighting and weather conditions, at the right time- and just sit back and let nature do her thing. I approach my landscape photography just as I would if I was a portrait photographer. I spend time in the environment learning about it, seeing in in different light and weather conditions. I talk to it in my own way. They are ancient structures that have been here way before we were and will exist well beyond the time we are here. They have seen and witness much. I feel honored to be able to capture there images in a manner that I experience them. Once I feel “in touch” I just wait. Of course there a lot of pleasant surprises, but then there are those times when you’re rewarded and all the hard work pays off. Those are the times I’m blown away with how beautiful things… those times are what I live for. It’s also what makes this art so much fun and when you’re having fun doing something it usually shows.

Darwin: Why in a world so full of color do you choose to work in B+W?

Mitch: Color seems too realistic to me. Its just not for me. I’m too used to seeing it. Besides, I “see” in black and white. B&W allows me the freedom to expand/push my imagination. It may also be partially because of how I was initially trained when I was shooting with 4×5 view cameras with b&w film. In those days (and still today) I use a Zone System to visualize what I was shooting and how it would produce as a final print. The Ansel Adams Zone system is just a bit different then the digital zone system I use today, but has similar aspects.

Regarding color: I have experimented in color, but it was a long time ago. It wasn’t as natural to me – not jarring enough to get my attention. Besides, my wife things I’m color blind – but I’m not – I just don’t know the names of every color. There are just too many. Besides, what is terra-cotta anyway?

But there are certain color photographers in the past who have had a great influence on me: Pete Turner, Mitchell Funk, Ernst Haas are 3. But for me color what I see every day so instead I just sit back and enjoy the photographers who do shoot in color and who are great at it.

Darwin: Your latest project Storms is an ambitious undertaking where you partnered with a professional storm chaser and photographed amazing, dramatic and frankly some scary cloud formations across the US. What was the genesis of this project and how much time did you spend on the road to capture your portfolio that appeared in LensWork in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue? Are you still shooting new work for Storms, or have you moved onto a new project?

Mitch: I’ll still be shooting Storms. I don’t see myself getting bored with them anytime soon. And when I do I’ll stop or take a break. In 2011 I have 3x 10 day trips planned so far. The storms take on so many different aspects and faces that they are something I plan to keep shooting until the day I die. But I do plan on getting back to my Landscapes again in 2011. I miss the Southwest a lot, it’s a very spiritual place to me. I’m also looking to expand to other projects next years, including photographing volcanoes, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do…. so why not give it a try. But someday I hope I can make the Storm work bridge the Landscape work, but that will take a bit more time to develop in the work.

For the folio seen in LensWork #91, those trips were truly an adventure unto itself. I took 4 trips each traveling 5600, 4800, 6100 and 2500 miles (over 18,500+ miles in total) – seeing over 16 states. But one of the aspects that is so interesting to me is what it takes to actually acquire an image.. the planning, the capture, the processing, printing, showing it…. each image is a pretty amazing adventure to itself.

Darwin: Many photographers have a difficult time balancing their passion for photography with family life and work (assuming they still have a ‘real’ job). How do you balance between creativity and the practical aspects of life especially now that your photoraphy career has taken so much in the last few years?

Mitch: My life is not boring. And yes, I do have a ‘real job’. But its balanced because I have a wonderful, caring wife, 3 kids, a grand kid, a crazy cat and a very sensitive dog.  Our home is full of creativity, love, activity and adventure all by itself. My day job (at Sony in Technology) requires a 10 to 12 hour workday; and with my photography being such an important part of my life (and existence) I get very little sleep…. which is all fine by me. For me a day starts with  waking up at 4:30-5am, working the day job and getting back home around 7:30pm. Then dinner and photography until around midnight; 4/5 hours or sleep and back to it…. but I love it. Omega3, CQ10, CLA, ALA,  Carnitine and blueberries help too. 

My wife (Wendy) is an artist (painter, graphic and industrial designer), our youngest son Joshua is in Independent Studies (9th grade) with a focus on music (he’s a drummer), our older son Jason is a music  composer; he’s also always around as his sound/recording studio is at the house and our oldest daughter – besides being a wonderful mother – is a wonderful print/image designer. So when it’s all said and done, I’m happy and feel very fortunate.

Darwin: And finally, because photographers are such a techy bunch, I am sure many of us want to know your basic workflow from which cameras you use in the field to which software you use to finish your photos. And if you print all your own work for galleries or do you have it printed by a lab?

Mitch: Technically, I come from a film/wet darkroom background – but use a digital work flow today. My cameras (Canon 5D Mark II and Sony R1s) feel like an extension of my brain and hands when I’m out shooting. For me they both make for the perfect landscape cameras. I don’t want to be thinking about camera gear when I’m out, and just want to be tuning into the creative aspect of ‘seeing’ the world around me; and as I shoot in B&W, these cameras allow me to see in b&w by shooting in a monochrome mode… which is something I could never do with a film camera and ground glass. I treat the sensor just as I would film and filter for B&W just as I did for film. The Live View, histogram and feedback loop all cat as a digital zone system to me.. allowing me to acquire my images latent as RAW captures – just meaning I do no compositing or major manipulation to them during the printing process. It’s similar to the same grading I did in the wet darkroom (ie: contrast, brightness and selective dodging/burning). I want to keep it all as simple as possible, as I get sick of all the complexity in life and as photography is my art it’s just the way I want to do it. I also print my own images (Epson 3800 and 9800 printers) because I want to see the process through… from beginning to end.

To see more of Mitch Dobrowner’s work, please visit his website.

©Mitch Dobrowner

©Mitch Dobrowner

©Mitch Dobrowner

©Mitch Dobrowner

©Mitch Dobrowner

©Mitch Dobrowner

©Mitch Dobrowner

Photographer of the Month – Daryl Benson

When I first got started in photography back in 1986, I recall two major influences on my development as a photographer. The first was a book called Photography of Natural Things by Freeman Patterson which was essentially the kick start to my interest in photography. At the time I was doing my master’s thesis in zoology (on the behavioural ecology of Columbian ground squirrels) and I needed to learn how to make photos so that I could give slide shows to get grants to fund my research. Freeman’s book was not only my ‘how to’ guide to learn photography, but it also ended up being so much more. I saw that photography could be used for more than simple documentation; photography could be used for personal expression – very cool!

I was hooked on photography after reading Freeman’s book, so I decided to join a camera club to learn more. In September of 1986, I  joined Images Alberta Camera Club in Edmonton, Alberta. And this is where the second major influence on my photography entered my life. At the first meeting I saw a slide show by Daryl Benson. I was blown away! Not only did Daryl show amazing images but his work was so unique, expressive and refreshing – wow! I could barely sleep that night! Daryl’s images filled my head and my dreams. And so Daryl became my mentor, whether he liked it or not!

At the time Daryl was just freshly accepted into the stock agency, Masterfile, and was well on his way to becoming a full time photographer. For the next few years, Daryl and I went on numerous trips together and I learned from watching Daryl at work. At first I tried to emulate Daryl:  I tried to make images that were like Daryl’s. Of course I failed miserably. No one can be Daryl except Daryl himself. It was a hard lesson to learn. After some time I finally learned  that each photographer must find his or her own voice and be true to that voice by shooting for him or herself and not to shoot to please others or to emulate others.

I was recently reminded of Daryl’s amazing talent as a visual artist as I watched his recent presentations at FotoExpo in Moncton, New Brunswick. Daryl is and has always been the consummate artist who is driven by ‘voices in his head ‘and ‘tugs at his lapels’ that force him to create his unique imagery that is unlike anything that anyone else creates. In my opinion, Daryl is Canada’s most creative photographic visual artist. His ‘works’ always inspires, amazes and humbles me. For those who have not seen Daryl’s website, his books or attended his inspirational presentations, I highly recommend all of them, anytime. Period. Thanks, Daryl for all you have done to help grow the photographic community in Canada and beyond.  I would also like to thank you on a personal level:  I am indebted to you for your patience, sharing and mentorship. To learn more about Daryl see this interview.

 

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

 

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

©Daryl Benson

 

Photographer of the Month – Cole Thompson

I first became aware of Cole Thompson’s work from an image I saw published in Photo Life magazine in 2006 (the first image below). I was blown away by the creativity and mood in the photo. That image has stuck with my to this day. In the meantime I have seen Cole’s fine art B+W work in numerous publications including B+W magazine, American Photo and LensWork to name a few. I wanted to share with you Cole’s work just in case he is not known to you. I asked Cole a few questions about his work and here are his responses:

Darwin: Why do you think B+W captures “the feelings that lie beneath the surface” where colour photography can not?  Further to this why does fine art photography almost always take the form of B+W? Can colour photography ever seriously be considered art?

Cole: Why B&W? That’s a question I often ask myself and others. I think there a lot of “answers” but I only know what I “feel.”. Even as a boy, I would look at the b&w images of the great masters (Adams, Weston, Capinigro, Bullock, Cunningham and others) and I would experience a physical reaction. It’s something I don’t have the capability to put into words, but I’m not sure that’s important; I just love black and white.

I think that it’s simply a matter of preference with some appreciating black and white while others love color. Is color photography considered serious art? I would never judge what art is and what is not, I wouldn’t even try to define what art is!

Darwin: Can you talk about what project you are currently working on? Is it a portfolio with a theme? Do you enjoy working more as a grazer (your words) or under the constraints of producing themed work in a portfolio?

Cole: I’m currently working on two projects, Harbinger and The Fountainhead.

The Harbinger series was started by accident when I created Harbinger No. 1 in 2008. I had been photographing the hills in Utah and was heading back to the car when I saw this solitary cloud moving rapidly over the hills. I instantly knew that in a few seconds it was going to be perfectly placed over the hill I was just photographing. I ran back up the hill, quickly unpacked my gear and just barely had time to create this one perfect image. When I name a series the name is usually my instinctive first choice and for me this cloud was a harbinger.

Initially I never thought that I’d have much chance to find other Harbingers, but the more I became aware of them , the more I began to find. I have a small collection of them and am hoping to finish them in the short term.

I’m often asked what does Harbinger mean? I’m not one to tell others what my images mean and so simply give this definition:

Harbinger: \ˈhär-bən-jər\ noun

1. one that goes ahead and makes known the approach of another; herald.

2. anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign.

The other series I’m actively working on is The Fountainhead, the title inspired by the novel of the same name by Ayn Rand. It is the story of a rogue architect, an individualist named Howard Roarke who refuses to conform to the ideas of society. My favorite lines and currently my artist statement for the series is:

Ellsworth M. Tooey: My dear fellow, who will let you?

Howard Roarke: That’s not the point. The point is, who will stop me?

This series combines two of the loves in my life; architecture and photography. It is a modern and abstract interpretation of architecture with the affects created in-camera using “old school” techniques. For now my techniques are a closely guarded secret!

You asked if I still enjoyed “photographic grazing” which is the name I gave to my wanderings as I searched for “one-hit wonders.” No, I no longer create this way. Once I started working on portfolios or cohesive bodies of work, I find it difficult to work in any other manner. Portfolios give me purpose and focus.

I’ve also worked a great deal with long exposures, initially creating “fluid water” images and then moving onto people after seeing the work of Alexey Titarenko. His influence led me a once in a lifetime opportunity to photograph the death camps in a very different way that I had seen them portrayed before. The series “The Ghosts of Auschwitz and Birkenau” is perhaps the work I am most proud of.

Darwin: From a practical point-of view, how do you do your long exposures, with filters, waiting for dim light, a combination of both?

Cole: My long exposures are created using 13 stops of neutral density filters. I use a fixed 5 stop ND filter and then stack a second filter on that, a Singh-Ray Vari-ND variable filter which gives me up to an additional 8 stops of neutral density. Using these two filters I am able to obtain 30 second exposures in full daylight. Most all of my long exposures are created in daylight even though many have the appearance of being created at night.

I have used the long exposure most recently in my series “The Lone Man” which combines my love of water with people. It explores the contemplative nature that overcome people as they ponder the enormity of the sea and the smallness of self.

Darwin: Finally, do you shoot with a digital camera in colour and then change to B+W in post-production, or do you capture your images in monochrome in camera?

Cole: I create in digital using monochrome mode and in RAW. This does two things; first it displays the image on the preview screen in B&W and second it keeps the digital file in color so that I can convert it to B&W myself. I don’t want the camera converting the image for me and I use the Photoshop supplied B&W converter, often tweaking the color channels drastically.

My workflow is simple and my digital techniques often mimic my darkroom techniques, making extensive use of dodging and burning. My primary philosophy is to use simple procedures that do not distract from my primary purpose of creating a visual expression of my vision.

To see more of Cole Thompson’s work go to his website and also be sure to stop by his blog

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

©Cole Thompson

Photographer of the Month – July 2010

I am happy to announce this month I am featuring the amazing work of Wayne Simpson. I first found out about Wayne’s work though his postings on Nature Photographers. I was blown away by his work. He could photograph wildlife, grand scenics and intimate landscapes with equal fortitude. I think Wayne has an amazingly creative eye and his style is strong and personal. Only later after we met and shot together a few times did I find out about his wedding and portrait work. He applies his love of nature photography into his wedding photography and boy does it show! I am not very moved by most wedding photography but Wayne’s is evocative and stirring. Even though Wayne uses flash to give his environmental portraiture some ‘snap’, the flash never overpowers and only only accents the existing natural light. A lot of wedding photographers could really use a lesson from Wayne on the subtle use of flash. For anyone interested in learning how to use flash I highly recommend this e-Book. Maybe one day Wayne will offer up his own e-book on how he does his work!

It’s funny, the most talented photographers I know always seem so humble and they are never afraid to share ‘secrets’. Wayne is no exception, he believes in sharing and he is down-to-earth and modest. What a great guy, easy going, fun to hang with and sensitive and artistic. No wonder he does well with nervous wedding clients. I should point out that on weddings and portraits Wayne often works with his wife Candice and they are a dynamic duo coming up with fresh perspectives and helping each other with the politics of wedding photography (e.g. managing people and expectations). Wedding photography is stressful, personally I could not do it… yikes! But Wayne and Candice make magic happen even with hard to please people. That is why I hired Wayne to do our family portraits. If anyone can get the Wiggett family to look good it is either a plastic surgeon or Wayne Simpson. We chose the latter! Watch for Wayne to be featured in the next issue of Outdoor Photography Canada. Be sure to check out Wayne’s blog to see what he is up to both as a wedding and nature photographer

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

©Wayne Simpson

Photographer of the Month

This month I am proud to feature the work of Kah Kit Yoong and Winnie Ho of Magic Hour Travelscapes. Not only are Kah Kit and Winnie fantastic photographers with keen eyes for travel photography but they are great people. I had the pleasure of shooting with them several years ago and they impressed me with their photographic vision, charming personalities and their integrity and passion. If you ever want to do a workshop in Australia or New Zealand I highly recommend Kah Kit and Winnie. And keep an eye out for their work which constantly wins contests and gets published in venues around the world!

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

©Magic Hour Travelscapes

Photographer of the Month – April 2010

I get a lot of emails from photographers asking me to look at their websites. I look at every link I get. But I must admit that over 90% of the websites I see bore me after about the first 5 images. It’s the same old, same old and then more of the same. Sure the stuff is high quality and technically well shot but the photos are of the same iconic locations over and over again shot in the same way. It’s like there are thousands of photographer clones roaming around churning out millions of replica photos. When Mitch Diamond sent me his website,  I wasn’t expecting much but a quick look convinced me there was way more going on here. Mitch has a great eye and a distinct style – I was pulled into his images right away. I was refreshed and entertained. Thanks Mitch!

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

©Mitch Diamond

Photographer of the Month – Dave Brosha

I first met Dave Brosha when I went up to do a workshop in Yellowknife that was organized by Lee Sacrey. The first thing that struck me about Dave was how humble and approachable he was. Here is a guy with great talent that is not full of himself and that really loves photography and is willing to share and help out anyone interested in the craft. More and more the photographers that I see that are the most creative and successful are those who are not afraid to share. The givers always seem to receive in kind. Dave has been a full-time pro for just one year and he has really established himself not only in Yellowknife but across Canada as well. He has become the master of the environmental portrait – see the images below! 

It just goes to show that good energy, goodwill and hard work pay off. Thanks Dave for the inspiration! 

©Dave Brosha

 

©Dave Brosha

 

©Dave Brosha

 

©Dave Brosha

 

©Dave Brosha

Photographer of the Month – Scott Dimond

I have known Scott Dimond for a few years now and have had the pleasure of his company on several memorable trips. The thing that impresses me about Scott is his tenacity. When Scott gets an idea for a photo, he not only figures out how to make it happen technically, he actually follows through and makes the vision in his head a reality. A lot of photographers have great ideas but no follow through. Another thing I like about Scott is that he is willing to try anything and does not limit himself to one genre of photography. Personally, I think photographers grow best as artists when they are generalists, when they experiment and delve into all areas of photography. The photographers that I know that are super creative are the ones that dabbled and tinkered and played the most. Scott is a consumate dabbler and I have seen his work soar in creativity over the last few years. Thanks Scott for the constant inspiration!

©Scott Dimond

©Scott Dimond

©Scott Dimond

©Scott Dimond

©Scott Dimond

©Scott Dimond

Photographer of the Month – Michael Bednar

I have been lucky to meet some really amazing photographers on my photo tours. Often I am surprised that photographers of world class calibre sign up for my field sessions. I mean really…what can I offer them that they don’t already have? But then I realize the reason they sign up:  these photographers know that learning never stops and that we all have something to learn from each other. They are open and giving people who do as well as they do because they don’t let their egos trip them up. As photographers, we all grow by sharing. Photographers who ‘keep secrets’ are the ones I see wither up and get bitter. The photographers who share, who network, who give as much or more than they take are the ones that blossom. And best of all, the photographers who are genuine, who are decent souls and who care about other people are often the photographers who create work that matters.

I first met Michael Bednar from Vancouver on one of my tours, and I was struck not only by his amazing work but also by how wonderful he was as a human. If you do not know of Michael’s stellar photography, please check out his website. And also please check out his Real People, Real Lives project. Not only is Michael a photographer who matters, but his photo projects are stories that matter. Thanks Michael for the inspiration!

©Michael Bednar