Pierre Wayser
Hell und vergänglich
Mario Pucic
Carlos Montero
XalkortA
Patrick Joust
I was born in northern California. I live in Baltimore now.
What is your background in Photography?
I have no formal background. I pretty much took it up as a hobby about 10 years ago and then really got into it about 4 or 5 years after that.
What equipment do you use? What are your feelings on Film vs Digital?
Probably about two thirds of what I shoot these days is on medium format film with most of the rest being 35mm. I also shoot a little bit of Polaroid pack film and some digital.
Obviously I love film, but I also really like digital. To me digital is just another format. The whole digital vs. film thing kind of misses the point to me. Everyone should use whatever format is appropriate for their needs. I tend to shoot more film because I like the actual rendering that I get from film and usually prefer that to digital. To me it’s worth the extra work involved in terms of waiting, developing, scanning, etc. I shoot film not because of some nostalgic attachment to an older medium but because it’s the only option for most of the pictures I want to take.
I enjoy the process of taking pictures more while using a TLR or a classic rangefinder or SLR. Most digital cameras come in a couple specific varieties and there is little variation. I think the way I take pictures has a big influence on the pictures themselves. I can do a lot of things with a 50 year old rangefinder or TLR that I just can’t do with any digital camera that I know of or can afford.
A while back I read about Gary Winogrand’s lost photos from the 1960 Democratic convention. At that one event he shot thousands of photographs and the vast majority of them were never seen by the public until recently. I know that Robert Frank shot something like 700+ rolls of film for The Americans. Needless to say, shooting that much film gets expensive, so it’s pretty amazing that any photographer can shoot thousands of pictures with a digital sensor without constantly draining funds after the initial investment of the camera and memory card. As much as I love film, I love the fact that digital has made photography more accessible for millions of people. While many have written and talked about how digital is killing film, I actually think, in a paradoxical sort of way, that digital has helped current and future film photographers, since shooting digital allows for experimentation and mistakes that can get very frustrating when all you are using is film. It’s awfully nice to get instant feedback from digital and be able to use that knowledge for less problem prone film frames. This is just one of many ways in which the two mediums complement each other.
What is your creative process? Are your shots planned or spontaneous?
Well my shots are not exactly planned in that I don’t really do studio work or do anything with lights, flashes, models, etc. Essentially when I go out at night and take pictures I have some things in mind but I often just see what happens. Sometimes I’ll notice something that could make a good photograph and in the process something else catches my eye that’s actually more interesting. When I walk around the street it is much the same way. The whole process of seeing in order to take a picture is really enjoyable for me. I feel like it’s made me more observant in general and I find myself looking for photographs even in situations where I’m not planning on taking any picture or don’t have a camera with me.
What drives you to keep taking photographs?
Essentially if I don’t take pictures I start to get a little depressed. Not morbidly depressed but I just feel compelled to do something creative after a week or two of not shooting. I’m not sure how I got this way and I wonder if it will “wear off” over time, but so far my desire to take pictures is stronger than ever.
I also enjoy sharing my photos and the whole social aspect of photography that exists today because of sites like flickr. I guess having an audience makes me want to perform and keep getting better. Of course I want to take pictures that interest me, but I think sharing with others makes me do more. It’s not a competition, but when I see other people take great photographs it just makes me want to go out and take some of my own.
When taking portraits how do people usually respond to you wanting to take their picture?
It runs the gamut. Sometimes people are surprised, concerned, irritated or pleased. Often I can tell that someone isn’t going to go for it but often enough people do, which is great. Most of the time it’s me that has to overcome my shyness, but sometimes I can get on a roll where I’m feeling bold enough to engage a lot of people.
Who or what gives you inspiration?
Baltimore in general has been a big inspiration for me. I’ve also made a lot of friends through photography and they’ve inspired me as well. I also don’t give my wife Amy enough credit for the inspiration she gives me. She’s very open and accommodating towards my photography and she has a general appreciation for creativity. She writes, draws comics and sometimes takes pictures, but is often engaged in some creative activity. It’s something I can take for granted but it’s a wonderful thing to live in an environment like that.
Are you working on a specific project at the moment? What are your plans for the future?
I’m mainly focused on improving my output and just enjoying myself through photography. While I’ve settled into some patterns in terms of how I take pictures and what I shoot, I don’t like to limit myself. I would like to think more seriously about creating a book of my photos. I created one a few years ago but I wasn’t very happy with the print quality and haven’t tried again since. That’s something I might try to change in the next few months, if I can get enough time and patience to do it right.
Flickr
Website
Anna Verlet Shelton
Where are you from/based now?
I was raised in Florida and Ohio. I've been living in Portland, Oregon for the last 11 years.
What is your background in photography? What got you started?
I have no formal background in photography. I've always taken photos, but didn't really have an aesthetic intent until about 5 or 6 years ago. I got a particularly good roll back from a hiking trip which kind of sparked my interest. There are so many magical places surrounding the area that I live; I feel like I've had plenty of material to work with in order to learn more about how to take better pictures.
Could you tell us a bit about your working process, your shot look very candid, do you ever plan things?
My process is basically to have a camera with me at all times. I'm always on the hunt for something to photograph. It kind of heightens the experience of where ever I am. If I've ever planned a shot, it rarely worked out. It's just not my thing. To be honest, I think I'm a better editor than a photographer. For every good photo, there seems to be about 20 bad ones. I shoot with film and just kind of snap away in the hopes one will turn out.
It seems like you travel a fair amount, is there anywhere you would particularly like to go?
The main pleasure with photography is that every place is interesting because you're about to be exposed to something new. You end up relishing the mundane as well as the majestic. I wanna go everywhere. I've been thinking about Costa Rica lately. I wanna hang out with some monkeys and sloths.
What drives you to keep taking pictures?
I'm driven simply because I feel like photography offers endless possibilities. I still get excited whenever I pick up a roll to see what developed. I've sustained this feeling long enough to sort of count on it. It's the same way I feel about music. It may sound simplistic, but photography and music are two things I know I can trust to make me happy. They draw me out into the world.
Who or what inspires you?
I could name photographers, musicians, filmmakers, writers, and friends who are inspiring for days, but instead I'll say I'm inspired by certain qualities that I imagine them all to possess; I'm attracted by a disciplined playfulness, a curiosity and compassion toward nature and our place in it.
Are you working on a project at the moment? Where do you want to go with your photography?
I don't know where I wanna go. I feel like so far I just keep doing what I'm doing and opportunities arise from it. I'm worried that if I start to think about it in a more formal or professional way, it'll become too fragile and the feelings I have about it will change.
Flickr
Stephen Harper
Where are you from/based now?
I'm based in Calgary Alberta Canada, I grew up here as well.
What is your background in Photography? What got you started?
I'm self taught and photography wasn't something i took very seriously until I was about 20. I started taking pictures on a DLSR but it wasn't until i started shooting film that I really became enamoured with photography. Not only do i prefer the tones and textures that film produces I find the process much more satisfying. There so much more that goes on between noticing a picture and clicking the shutter.
What equipment do you use?
I have used a variety of different camera's over the past few years but nowadays its either Mamiya RB67 for 120 stuff and a Contax G2 or Olympus Stylus Epic for 35mm.
What is your creative process? Are your shots planned?
Unless I am shooting a portrait assignment my work is never premeditated. My process is pretty simple, go somewhere new, shoot what I find interesting. My favourite photographs are never those of grandiose subjects or beautiful people but rather those that display a unique view of everyday life. I also think its far more challenging to make an interesting photograph under these circumstance.
What drives you to keep taking pictures?
Photography is so easily accessible and what i love to do, there has never been an instance where i thought to stop. I keep taking pictures because without it I think I would live a very unfulfilling life.
Who or what inspires you?
Everyday I'm on the internet looking at new and great work from a variety of different photographers. Going to a new place is also very inspiring for me. Not necessarily a new country or city but perhaps down a street you have never been down before or someones house your visiting for the first time. Being in a new place without a camera makes me uneasy.
What does the future hold for your photography, where do you want to go with it?
In the near future I want to get into making some of my own small publications and would really like to start doing some more collaborative projects with printed matter. Other then that just trying to keep making interesting work, meeting rad people and get out of town as much as possible. I've never really been one to make plans or be very structured, I live a pretty easygoing life.
Are you working on specific projects at the moment?
I've been trying to get out camping more and more this summer. I hope to put together a project documenting the small mountain towns of Alberta and British Columbia I encounter along the way. I have also been working, albeit slowly, on night photo series of Calgary with the RB67.
Website
Flickr
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