Photographer, Taylor Davidson

this week i’m very excited to introduce you to taylor davidson – one of the most interesting photographers i know. taylor is a professional conference and event photographer, and when he’s not shooting, he’s a strategy consultant who focuses on financial and business strategies in technology and creative media. while events are his focus, taylor expertly shoots a wide range of images and brings a story telling aspect to all of his work. in my book i talk about what your camera captures, and what you, the person, bring to the image that no one else can. for a great example of this, look at taylor’s images below and you won’t just see the scene… you’ll get to know something personal about the person, the photographer. enjoy this interview and his amazing images. to see more of his work and connect with taylor, check out the following sites:

• website:  taylordavidson.com
• events: narratively.com
• portfolio: taylordavidson.com/portfolio.html
• projects: taylordavidson.com/projects.html
• twitter: @tdavidson

JC: Do you have a mission as a photographer? If yes, what is it?

TD: My mission is to love to shoot what I see.

Here’s what I mean: we’re all photographers, in a way.  We see photos everyday all around us, throughout media, hanging on walls, billboards, advertisements online and offline.  Some of them strike us, grab us and make us think about them, but most get a glance at best.  And with so many of us having cameras of one sort or another (camera, point-and-shoot, DSLR, etc.), everyday we take pictures of things that strike us, experiences and moments we want to remember and share.

I often pass someone taking a picture, thinking about what they are taking while I walk by.  I used to judge them.  And I’m sure many people look at me when I’m taking pictures in public, wondering what I’m taking a picture of, judging me.  Stop judging.  Stop worrying.  Enjoy taking pictures of what you like.  Enjoy taking and sharing your experiences through photos.  Everyone will tell you what to shoot, what to see and what to like, but photography is for you.  Shoot what you see.  And love doing it.

Image by Taylor Davidson

JC: Describe your photographic style or philosophy.

TD: I’m an observer.  I have a photojournalistic style, one of watching life as it goes by, looking at the stories, people, interactions and spaces, and looking for the ones that strike me.  I love taking cityscapes and landscapes because I like picking out moments, finding one small thing to remember out of everything that passes by, picking out the empty moments or the emptiness in the denseness of life. I tend to pay more attention to what has come and gone than what is there at the moment; that’s why most of my pictures are of spaces created, lived in and molded by us, but temporarily abandoned or forgotten. On the other hand, I like taking pictures at events because I like finding the moments that people will want to remember far after the event ends.  Same eye, put to use in different ways.

Image by Taylor Davidson

JC: What are you working on these days?  Where is your focus?

TD: A couple of things: I’m focused on business and event photography through my agency Narratively, and I’m working on structuring more of my landscapes and cityscape projects into a couple books to release in the next two years.  I’m also planning on sharing more of my knowledge through workshops and mentoring other photographers.

Image by Taylor Davidson

JC: What do you love most about today’s technology? How have or haven’t you taken advantage of it?

TD: I love that it’s so easy to take a picture, modify it, and share it.  Some will say that the increased availability of cameras and the increased easiness to modify and share photos with everyone, instantaneously, has cheapened photography.  While it’s definitely changed our perceptions of what a “good picture” is, it’s helped spread the joy of photography to millions more people.  Overall, that’s a good trade.

I grew up shooting film, and worked in darkrooms processing and printing images.  But the biggest change in how I took pictures came when I started shooting digitally.  Being able to take a picture and review it instantly allowed me to learn much faster than ever before.  The immediate feedback loop between what I thought I saw and how I was able to present it made me a better photographer.  And I’m continuing to learn everyday.

I love that the web has allowed me to see so much more images than ever possible, from so many different people, topics, styles.  And I love that social media has allowed me to connect with so many photographers.  It’s made my eye sharper, my technical skills better, my work better.  And I hope I’ve been able to do the same for others.

Image by Taylor Davidson

JC: Who are your inspirations (past/present)?

TD: My mother was a photographer. I remember her showing me her love for photography by doing it everyday. Taking an interest in photography was natural to me from the very beginning.

Once I started to develop that interest, the single biggest influence on my photographic eye has been the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, without a doubt.  And although I could never shoot what he sees, James Nachtwey has deeply influenced how I look at telling difficult stories.

In addition, I’m inspired by everyone: I love looking at Flickr everyday to see what’s new.

Image by Taylor Davidson

JC: Of all the gear you’ve ever used, what’s your favorite?

TD: I love my Canon 24-105 lens.  I’ve had four Canon DSLRs, but I’ve always used my 24-105 lens. And I love my Panasonic LX3; it’s a fantastic point-and-shoot, and since it’s always in my pocket, it’s what captures the great everyday moments of my life.

One word of advice I always give to novice photographers: digital cameras come and go, but lenses are forever.  Get a good camera, but get a great lens.

And I’ll pass on one more note, from David duChemin: “Gear is good.  Vision is better.”

Image by Taylor Davidson

JC: What are your aspirations? Are there things, with regard to photography, that you haven’t done yet that you’d like to?

TD: I constantly remind myself and others that the best images are the ones that offer new feelings and ideas to explore each time you view them, carrying an emotional depth far beyond the visual appeal.  Thus, my aspiration is to create images that are accessible, meaningful and enduring.

How? I want to use my photography to highlight world issues and tell important stories.  In my business and event work, I’d like to cover premier business and political events like TED, The World Economic Forum, the G20 and others, and combine that with my work with social enterprises and nonprofits to cover important social and economic issues. I’d like to share these stories with the broader world through exhibits, books and talks.

For example, in November of 2010 I went to Ghana with Sloane Berrent on a humanitarian trip to deliver malaria nets and visit companies and organizations working on economic and social development; this year we will complete a book, exhibit and talk based on that trip to highlight the issues and stories we found.

Image by Taylor Davidson

JC: Finally, why do you love photography?

TD: Oddly, this was the hardest question for me to answer.

I love that it’s accessible, both to create and enjoy. It’s easy to enjoy, but challenging to master. It’s still evolving, changing as a form of art and expression. It’s boundless, open to a variety of interpretations and creative eyes.  It has a set of rules, waiting to be broken.

But most importantly, photography is how I see, feel and think.  And it’s how I share myself with the world.

Image by Taylor Davidson

Image by Taylor Davidson

Thank you so much, Taylor!

by the way - i released my book! you can get it here now.

the lens:  a canon 17-40mm.  i still haven’t had my other lens fixed, so for the next few posts, you’ll be seeing more from this lens. my verdict? i love it. to fill my frame with a subject it forces me to get up close to the action. but now i can capture scenic landscapes better than ever. wider wider wider!

note… i’ll be emailing everyone soon about the release of my new book –  “Love Your Photos”, so if you haven’t already, sign up for my email list so you see all future interviews and announcements about the book.

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Erin Lassahn, photographer

when i decided to start this series, i asked some photographer friends for some recommendations on who to interview. when erin’s name came in, i looked her up and quickly knew i wanted to interview her. erin is an artist first and foremost and brings a fresh approach to an industry that is ultra competitive. she is a relatively new photographer, but personally, i think erin is off to an amazing start. so today i’m happy to introduce you to erin lassahn, a wedding and portrait photographer based in washington dc, whose romantic images celebrate love in a light, radiant and ethereal style. see more of erin’s work and connect with erin at:

• portfolio: portfolio.erinlassahn.com
• website: erinlassahn.com
• flickr: erin_lassahn
• twitter: erinlassahnfoto
• facebook: erinlassahnphotography

Do you have a mission as a photographer?
I’d say my main mission is to make my clients happy, and in doing so, capture the essence and dynamic of who my clients are as a couple. I love seeing the different ways that couples love each other, and if I can bring that out in my photos, well then mission accomplished.

Image by Erin Lassahn

Describe your photographic style or philosophy.
I think my philosophy is pretty much the same as my mission, so like the above answer, for me its really about bringing the best out in my clients, pulling out the reasons they love each other and showing that on camera. And well, of course hopefully doing all that in a creative and artistic way! For a wedding day, is also about telling the story of the whole day, not just the story of the isolated couple, but grabbing those moments of friends and family preparing, loving and celebrating alongside the couple. It’s about the happily ever after.

Image by Erin Lassahn

What are you working on these days?  Where is your focus?
I am still in the early stages of building my business, and so a lot of my effort is spent on just becoming visible to the right audience, and working on my skills in a general sense. (p.s. Know any fun, creative, do-it-yourself kind of couples looking for a photographer?) But I would say one thing I try to work on in each session, whether just 5 minutes or 2 hours of the session, is getting my couples to really engage with each other. To hopefully forget I am there, and focus on why they are there, how they got to this point. Whether it’s their engagement session, their wedding day, or 5 years into their marriage with 2 kids circling their feet.

While my photography could be considered staged in many cases, and it is sometimes, I try to stage couples in a way that creates a real moment, if that makes sense. For instance instead of just telling them to smile and laugh at me, I drop the camera to my side, walk over to the guy and whisper so the girl can’t hear ‘I want you to walk over, take her hand, and lean in and whisper something that will make her blush.’ What this does is elicit a real reaction of blushing and laughter, instead of a completely fake one. And who knows, maybe that moment of laughter and secret words will become a real moment on that couples list of memories, instead of, ‘oh yeah remember when we got our picture taken…’

Image by Erin Lassahn

What do you love most about today’s technology?
INSTANT GRATIFICATION. What else can I say? The sheer fact that we can snap a shot, look at it, say ‘yay’, or ‘oh crap!’ and make adjustments that very second is way cool. Social networking helps with the instant gratification too…there’s nothing cooler than posting images on my blog, or on my Facebook fan page, and within 5 minutes getting comments from the client, or other photographers, or the clients friends. I mean lets face it, us artist types love, scratch that, need validation to keep up moving forward!

Image by Erin Lassahn

What do you dislike most about today’s technology? Has it presented you with any challenges?
Hmm, well….its friggin’ expensive!!!! Other than that, I hate the constant fear of data failure, and the gazillion steps it takes to ensure that I have backed up the files, and then backed them up again, and now which drive was that wedding from 2 years ago on? Let me plug in all 85 to find out….

Image by Erin Lassahn

Who are your inspirations?
Ya know, while I really should and want to take inspiration from genres of photography outside the wedding photography industry, (I swear, its on my to-do list) I always seem to find myself perusing the latest post from my favorite wedding photographers, some of whom are: Jonas Peterson, Samm Blake, Jesh De Rox, Max Wanger & Sean Flanigan. Why? Because these are all photographers who have taken a new approach to wedding and portrait photography….it’s not the stale traditional photography of yesterday….its modern, fresh, artful, meaningful storytelling imagery.

Image by Erin Lassahn

Of all the gear you’ve ever used, what’s your favorite?
I am still acquiring gear, and upgrading whenever I am able. But to be honest, I am not much of a gear head. My second shooter (who happens to be my boyfriend Stefan) is like most guys…technology and the intricacy of electronics gets him all giddy. He’ll come rushing home and be all ‘I just heard that Nikon is rumored to be releasing a brand new blah blah blah [insert technical mumbo jumbo here]” to which I nod and am all ‘That’s great honey….you get it, figure it all out and report back on how it works.’ For me, the camera is just a means to an end! That said, I am actually very anxious to purchase a tilt shift lens, as I love what some of my favorite photographers are doing with it (it gives a very distinct look) and I want to see what I can do with it too! (But obviously Stefan will have to figure it out first)

Image by Erin Lassahn

What are your aspirations? Are there things, with regard to photography, that you haven’t done yet that you’d like to?
Absolutely!!! In fact as a relatively new photographer, don’t think I have even put a dent in the list of things I would like to accomplish! I had never left the country, or even been on a plane until I was 21 and begged my parents to send me to study abroad for a month in Paris during college. If only I knew how to use a camera then! But ever since, I have wanted to travel, travel and travel some more. I have had the good fortune to be able to do a few destination weddings, in fact my first wedding EVER was in Salzburg, Austria, followed a year later by a gorgeous tropical wedding off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. But trust me, there are still tons of destinations on the list I would love to go, and if I can do it with a camera in my hand, taking pictures of people in love then all the better! So marketing myself in a way to grab some destination weddings is definitely on the list of things to accomplish. But travelling isn’t the only thing, a general but huge goal would be to just continue to improve my photography skills, and dive deeper into developing my own style and identity as a photographer. I’d like to find even better ways of bringing couples closer through photography. And then there’s all the superfluous stuff, like having an awesome space to meet clients at and work in, the cash flow to buy every last piece of gear on my wish list, and to desire to just be generally awesome. (Definitely still working on that last one) All in all though….I just want to keep propelling further ahead, always improving along the way.

Image by Erin Lassahn

Finally, why do you love photography?
There’s a quote about photography that I just love:

“Photography gives you the chance to capture the moments that make you feel alive”

And really that sums it up. We live our lives with the expectation that we get to see tomorrow, that we will have one moment followed by another and then another. What we can’t do is go backward. So many of the best moments in life are fleeting, and once we pass one moment we are already planning for the next. I love that as a photographer I have the ability to help freeze some of those moments in time. Whether its holding my hand out in front of my boyfriend and I at a party so that next year we can remember the joke he told that made me cackle, or taking a picture of someone’s first kiss as a married couple so that they can show their children in 20 years the day their marriage began, I have been given the amazing ability to lock down some of the best moments in peoples lives, so that they can never forget.

thank you, erin. we wish you the best of luck with your photographic pursuits!

i’ll be emailing everyone soon about the release of my new book –  “Love Your Photos”, so if you haven’t already, sign up for my mail list so you see all future interviews and announcements about the book. don’t be scared – there will be no spam. i support infrequent emailing practices.

Jim Darling, photo courtesy of Jenn Wade

what a busy year it’s been. thank goodness that even though i haven’t spent much time with my camera, other people have been taking lots of great images. one of those active photographers is jim darling of washington, dc. jim has a knack for taking incredibly stunning and surprising portraits. if you’re in the dc area, check out jim’s work at the “iPhoneographers” show at fathom gallery (a cool “flexi-space” near logan circle) november 18, 19 and 21. the event will feature 10 of the area’s best iphone photographers each exhibiting 10 selected works from their collections. but today, just enjoy this interview with him! and make sure you follow jim in these places:

• flickr: jim_darling
• blog: jimdarling
• twitter: Mr_Darling

JC:  Do you have a mission as a photographer? If yes, what is it?
JD:  I never really thought about a personal mission. Creatively I guess I just want to create images that either produce an emotional response or tell a story. But in a broader sense, my mission is to spread the word of photographer’s rights and move past the idea that photography is a threat.

Aton by Jim Darling

JC: Describe your photographic style or philosophy.
JD:  My style might be considered street portraiture — which is different from ’street photography’. Wherein I’m engaging with my subject to create a photograph that is personal and specific. And most often, only moments after meeting them. I try and capture the personality or show that a relationship between subject and photographer can exist and it’s my job to show it.

If I’m not taking portraits I generally use photography as an extension of my interest in graphic design and fine art. I’m usually looking for great composition with texture, color and found typography.

Bryan and Ola by Jim Darling

JC: What are you working on these days?
JD:  I’m working on learning more about studio lighting and off-camera flash portraiture. After the past two years of shooting using natural light exclusively, I’m understanding the importance to grow as a photographer is to be well-versed with how to light professionally.

The other important area of focus, as I begin to shoot more for work, is to create a proper workflow for cataloging and editing my work. It’s the non-sexy side of photography for sure, but a system that must be in place.

Jacob by Jim Darling

JC:  What do you love most about today’s technology?
JD:  I have to admit I love the instant gratification of digital photography. I learned photography with film and spent lots of time in the darkroom so it’s not like I never got to experience that. I like to be able to review my shots at the scene, and know that I did or didn’t get a winner or two. No one can deny that the internet has become somewhat of a double-edge sword when it comes sharing your photos. The legal issues of copyright problems aside, the positive side of it, that I’ve taken full advantage of, is both the ability to get my work seen by a much larger audience; and discover other artists I might have never heard of.

San Francisco by Jim Darling

JC:  What do you dislike most about today’s technology? Has it presented you with any challenges?
JD:  As I just mentioned the above, the idea that if you put your images on the internet for public VIEWING, then they are free for anyone to use is a frustrating misconception.

JC:  Who are your inspirations?
JD:  I love the painter Edward Hopper and the way he paints people. There’s a loneliness to them, even within a group. I love that you can invent a story about his work beyond what you simply see before you. The first photographers I first remember being inspired by are Annie Liebowitz and Richard Avedon and their portraits. I probably had the most exposure to artists like them due to my interest in music and film and the people in those industries they shot.

Presently I really love Noah Kalina and the short films of Hillman Curtis. Locally, DC has no shortage of inspiring artists and photographers. Many of whom I’ve come to know well and call friends. Josh Yospyn’s fashion and street portraits (on film!) are exquisite.

JC:  Of all the gear you’ve ever used, what’s your favorite?
JD:  I’m really just getting started with digital photography and I’m a little short on gear. I recently upgrade my DSLR to a Canon 7D and I’m enjoying getting to know what it can do. But I’m going to go with the camera on my iPhone. I’ve been able to produce some of my favorite images with it and the use of a single app. I love the spontaneity of it and being able to create art on the fly.

Serafino by Jim Darling

JC:  What are your aspirations? Are there things, with regard to photography, that you haven’t done yet that you’d like to?
JD:  There are many many things I’ve yet to do in regard to photography. I’m accepting jobs now where I have to learn how to use equipment or a technique the night before the shoot. It keeps things exciting. And even though I’ve had some exposure in some local shows I’m sure someday having my own solo show somewhere is something I’d enjoy.

JC:  Why do you love photography?
JD:  I love photography because it’s personal, it’s interactive, and it communicates. also I’ve been a graphic designer for over 15 years and I’d like to say that slowly but sure I’m becoming a photographer as well. And in shooting portraits I get to interact with my subject, experience their personality, and share mine — all while creating art. In-house, corporate design is a lot lonelier.

Seersucker by Jim Darling

On a final note, the following is a scene from my favorite movie Annie Hall where they talk about photography but have lots of other things going on in their mind…

ALVY
(pointing toward the apartment after a short pause)
So, did you do shoot the photographs in there or what?

ANNIE
(Nodding, her hand on her hip)
Yeah, yeah, I sorta dabble around, you know.

Annie’s thoughts pop on the screen as she talks: I dabble? Listen to me-what a jerk!

ALVY
They’re … they’re… they’re wonderful, you know. They have … they have, uh … a … a quality.

As do Alvy’s: You are a great-looking girl

ANNIE
Well, I-I-I would-I would like to take a serious photography course soon.

Again, Annie’s thoughts pop on: He probably thinks I’m a yo-yo

ALVY
Photography’s interesting, ’cause, you know, it’s-it’s a new art form, and a, uh, a set of aesthetic criteria have not emerged yet.

And Alvy’s: I wonder what she looks like naked?

ANNIE
Aesthetic criteria? You mean, whether it’s, uh, good photo or not?

I’m not smart enough for him. Hang in there

ALVY
The-the medium enters in as a condition of the art form itself. That’s-

I don’t know what I’m saying-she senses I’m shallow

ANNIE
Well, well, I … to me-I … I mean, it’s-it’s-it’s all instinctive, you know. I mean, I just try to uh, feel it, you know? I try to get a sense of it and not think about it so much.

God, I hope he doesn’t turn out to be a shmuck like the others

ALVY
Still, still we- You need a set of aesthetic guide lines to put it in social perspective, I think.

Christ, I sound like FM radio. Relax

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and images with us, Jim!

Mary Kate McKenna by Jaime Windon

• web: mkmckenna.com
• blog: mksblog.com
• twitter: dcphotog

Image by Mary Kate McKenna Photography

Image by Mary Kate McKenna Photography

But more than my cameras or equipment, social media has changed my business.  95% of my clients who didn’t find me through word of mouth find me online.  I am an active blogger, Twitterer and Facebooker- those three things have grown my business exponentially.  I can post sneak peeks and let couples see some images before they even leave on their honeymoon.  I can send a tweet out for a 2nd shooter and get someone within an hour.  I get thousands of eyes peeking at my images on Facebook and get great feedback.

I have fully embraced the title of a social media junkie.  It’s been amazing way to grow my business with these tools, and the greatest part is the only thing they cost you is your time.  Investing some time in learning the ins and outs of social media is a fantastic way to take your business to the next level.

Image by Mary Kate McKenna Photography

As an artist and a business owner, I try to educate my clients on the do’s and don’ts, but there will always be people who don’t listen.

Image by Mary Kate McKenna Photography

JC:  Who are your inspirations?

MKM:  I am inspired by passion.  I love working with people who have a passion for something- their family, their work, their goals or hobbies.  Being around people who are passionate really revvs me up and makes me more creative.  I am inspired by kids and their happiness and willingness to forgive and move on.  I am inspired by friends and family who let go of desk jobs to do something they really love.  I really enjoy capturing passion in my images.

Image by Mary Kate McKenna Photography

JC:  Of all the gear you’ve ever used, what’s your favorite?

MKM:  I love traveling and photographing social issues.  While I’ve been able to do this a bit (Zambia’s AIDS plight, Brazil’s land reform, Thailand’s immigrants, and Burma’s democracy movement) I want to do more.  And I want to do more local things.  I get to do quite a bit of non-profit work, but I want to do more locally and take it further.

Burma by Mary Kate McKenna Photography

JC:  Finally, why do you love photography?

MKM:

I love that I can bring joy to people.
I love that I can help groups raise awareness and money for their causes.
I love that I can freeze a moment in time for a family that they can always look back on.
I love that it’s something I can do by myself or with others.
I love that photography has taken me across the world to see so many amazing things and meet incredible people.
I love that photography has let me live the life I love- a flexible schedule, where I can work from home or abroad, and share in the lives of others.

Image by Mary Kate McKenna Photography

Mary Kate’s work also appears in my upcoming book, “Love Your Photos” along with other inspiring photographers. Sign up for my mailing list so you see all future interviews and announcements about the book. Don’t be scared – there will be no spam – we’ll just have some fun!

Raoul and Ligia by Thomas Hawk

as i mentioned in my last post, i’m thrilled to kick off my interview series with photographer raoul pop. i think i first saw raoul’s work when he photographed a tech cocktail event in dc, and was quickly enamored with his style. raoul can turn a seemingly mundane scene into something completely eye-catching, romantic or exciting, which is why i’ve looked to his work for my own inspiration. his photos speak for themselves, but raoul was gracious enough to answer my questions with amazing energy and detail and provide some beautiful examples of his work. i hope you enjoy this interview and raoul’s gorgeous photos as much as i do.

thank you raoul!

JC: Do you have a mission as a photographer? If yes, what is it?

RP:  I love to photograph beautiful and uplifting scenes. There’s a lot of pain and nastiness everywhere, and I try not to focus on those things. We each have to bear our share, but why go through life always thinking about our troubles? That’s not to say I’ll point my camera away when I see something bad that needs to be pointed out, but generally speaking, I prefer to stick to the good stuff.

Extra special frosted somethings by Raoul Pop

JC: Describe your photographic style or philosophy

RP:  I strive for a dreamy or nostalgic element in my photographs. I want each of them to provoke a reaction in the viewer, and given what I’ve said above, I generally want it to be something warm and fuzzy. If you look at any of my photos, you’ll find at least one such element in each of them. Whether it’s a photo of a quiet nature scene, with rich green colors, or of a craggy river bed with vibrant beiges and silvers, or a castle in ruins, where you try to imagine how things used to look when it still stood proud, or something comical, like the photo of the cow with her tongue sticking out you liked so much, I want my photos to speak a little (or a lot) to someone who takes the time to look at them.

Cabin by the lake by Raoul Pop

JC: What are you working on these days (with regard to photography)? Where is your focus?

RP:  These days my wife and I are living in Romania (the country where we were born). In late 2008, we decided to take a sabbatical from our work in the States, to focus on my passion for photography. We had to make certain sacrifices. My wife sacrificed her small business in the US for my sake. She had a piano lessons studio which was going quite well.  I quit my lucrative IT job. I wanted to focus on photography and on writing for my website, and that’s what I do right now, including a few IT projects on the side. On New Year’s Eve, January 1st, 2009, we were on a plane bound for Romania, and we’ve since shared our time between Romania and the US, spending most of our time here.

I’m currently photographing the medieval churches and castles of Southern Transilvania. That’s one of my projects. I haven’t yet published many photos from this series, because I’m so backed up with my post-processing (I’m still trying to process photos from 2007), but I do publish as many photos as I can, when I can. Here’s one such example. It’s a castle found in Maramures, in northern Romania, so it’s out of my project’s self-designated area, but how could I resist photographing such a beautiful place?

Or how about these photos from an old Greek and Roman settlement called Histria? It’s on the shores of what used to be a gulf on the Black Sea. Over time, silt carried by the Danube River blocked the gulf’s entrance, forming a lake, and the city went into the decline, turning into a fishing outpost from one of the busiest ports of its time, and finally dying, as more and more people moved away from it.

My overarching project is to capture the beauty of Romania, because it is an incredibly beautiful country. To that end, I am visiting every one of its provinces and publishing photos from my travels. Here is what I’ve published so far:

• Transilvania
• Moldova
• Muntenia
• Maramures
• Dobrogea
• Bucovina

You can find all of my photos from Romania here . I still need to visit Oltenia, Crisana and Banat.

Walking out on hope by Raoul Pop

JC: What do you love most about today’s technology? How have or haven’t you taken advantage of it?

RP:  Oh, things are wonderful today! The technology has advanced to the point where you can get photos in situations that just didn’t work before unless you had highly specialized equipment (low light situations, high shutter speeds, image stabilization). Sure, there’s a price to pay for all these things — a good DSLR will likely cost you thousands of dollars, and the lenses plus additional equipment will cost a lot more — but it’s so much easier to get wonderful photographs and share them with the world. When I started to photograph, I shot on film and I still do at times, but I’m so glad to be free from the drudgery of scanning every negative, blowing off the dust and static, then doing a lot of image correct to get rid of more dust, etc. My DSLR gives me clean, crisp, beautiful images, and I can see how they look right away instead of waiting to develop the film. Sensor cleaning technologies also make it easier to get dust-free (relatively dust-free, anyway) images.

The software has also made remarkable advances. Just a few short years ago, we still had to work in Photoshop with every image, if we wanted to get it looking the way we wanted it. Now Lightroom and Aperture make it possible to work directly on RAW images, non-destructively, and get gorgeous results without needing to import the image into an external program. This makes for a faster workflow, and when you have to process tens of thousands of images, even a minute or two of time gained per image translates into huge savings overall.

Especially in Lightroom 3, I’m blown away by how far noise suppression technology has come. I can take a noisy image shot at high ISO that looks terrible as an undeveloped RAW file, and turn it into a smooth, gorgeously colored photograph. Every time I do this, it makes me giddy, because it means I can be more fearless when it comes to the scenes and light conditions I photograph.

I’ve tried to take advantage of every social media tool that came my way. I started using Flickr years ago. I started using Twitter as soon as I found out about it. I kept looking for a platform that would allow me to sell my images directly and automatically, making it super easy for someone to license them or purchase prints, and I found that with SmugMug. I’m using Facebook and FriendFeed and Google Buzz as well. You can find me and my photos on each of these sites.

What I haven’t done, and I readily admit to this, is that I haven’t tried to get myself in front of as many people as I should have, on
those social networks, and as a result, not many people know about my photography. It’s something that’s difficult for me to do — to make new contacts, to get to know new people — but it’s something I need to learn. I’ve already started to be more approachable on social media networks, and I think that over time, that’s going to work well.

The River Main by Raoul Pop

JC: What do you dislike most about today’s technology? Has it presented you with any challenges?

RP:  I do wish there was less fragmentation. It’s neat that there’s a social network for just about everyone and everything, but it’s also terrible. Everyone’s spread quite thin, trying to pay attention everywhere, and in the end, they don’t really participate anywhere. Everyone’s subscribed to a gazillion RSS feeds, but ends up reading very few of those feeds regularly. Online content has become a
self-serve, all-you-can-eat buffet for chronic ADD patients. We end up jumping around from food to food, tasting here and there, but never sit down to have a full meal.

That makes it difficult to get one’s message across, or to find a good audience. It’s easy to subscribe, but it’s also easy to unsubscribe. And it’s even easier to jump to another blog or another website without staying much. It’s very easy to be fickle and unsatisfied. I suppose that comes with having a lot of choice, but I think it’s also a matter of active vs. passive online behavior.

You can flit aimlessly from flower to flower like a butterfly, or you can sit down with yourself and make a list of what you want to read or learn online, then go down the list and accomplish each of those goals. It only takes 10-15 extra minutes per week, but it translates into a much more meaningful online experience.

JC: Who are your inspirations (past/present)?

RP:  Let me first say that I’m terrible with names. It’s easy for me to recall an image, or the way something made me feel, or the general atmosphere of a scene, but names take a while to register with me. I’ve seen a lot of images that have inspired me over the years, and although I’ve tried to remember the names of the photographers who took them, I can’t. Sure, I could appeal to the classics, like Adams, Lange, Hine, Bresson or Eggleston, but even though they’ve inspired me, I’ve been inspired just as much by more recent (or older) photographs taken by others whose names I can’t recall.

Want to know who inspires me right now? Have a look at my contact list on Flickr. I’m quite ruthless when it comes to my contacts there. I add those who inspire me, and remove them when they no longer do so. I’ve probably driven a few people away from me by doing that, but in order to keep growing as a photographer, I need constant inspiration. I need to be able to look at a photo and find something new to strive toward. If I can’t find something that will challenge me to do something new and interesting, then why keep looking at those photos?

The notable thing about this (re: my answer to the previous question) is there’s always been a group of photographers who’ve stayed on my contact list as long as I’ve been on Flickr. I’ve always been able to draw inspiration from their work.

Was there ever any doubt? by Raoul Pop

JC:  Of all the gear you’ve ever used, what’s your favorite?

RP:  I can’t pick any specific piece of equipment. I’ve always been able to find something interesting or useful in the gear I used.

I’d say my Minolta Hi-Matic 9 is a pretty interesting film camera, and I like the three-dimensional atmosphere I get when I shoot with it. When it comes to digital cameras, my Canon 5D, with its full-frame sensor and wonderful colors, is definitely my favorite. I’ve just purchased the Canon 7D, which has a smaller sensor but better low light performance and can shoot HD video, and I look forward to using it as well.

When it comes to lenses, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens is a dream. I plan to get the 2nd gen version of that lens in the near future.

When it comes to these new hybrid, mirrorless cameras, which are a cross between DSLRs and point-and-shoots, like the Olympus E-P2 or the Sony NEX-5, I’m intrigued by their capabilities. I’ve used the E-P2 for a month while I reviewed it, and I appreciated its DSLR-like picture quality, wrapped in a diminutive body that’s easy to carry just about everywhere. The Sony NEX-5 holds even more promise, because it has a bigger sensor and better low light performance. I haven’t used it yet, but would like to use it and perhaps review it at some point.

Meeting of the minds by Raoul Pop

JC: What are your aspirations? Are there things, with regard to photography, that you haven’t done yet that you’d like to?

RP:  I’d like to get better at portraiture. So far, I’ve focused on nature and architecture. I’ve done little people photography. Sure, I’ve photographed events, like Tech Cocktail DC, and I’ve done a few weddings, and I’ve taken plenty of photos of people, but I’ve always felt a bit uneasy. Perhaps that comes from my more reserved nature, who knows… I’m much more open here, in front of my computer, typing my answers to you, than sitting in front of you and answering your questions in person. But I do know that I want to improve and grow when it comes to photographing people, and I’m working on it.

I’ve also started to do studio work, and I’ve found out that I love it. I needed to get into food photography for a book of raw food recipes that my wife has written. She’s built up quite a following here in Romania by writing about raw food on her website. She’s appeared in newspapers, on radio and on television, and the book was a natural extension of all those activities.

The more I worked in the studio trying to light her recipes and photograph them, the more I loved what I did. So I plan to do a lot more studio work in the future, with people, too.

At the beach by Raoul Pop

JC: Please share any other thoughts, new projects, advice, people to watch, etc.

RP:  I’m starting to shoot videos as well, but I’m taking it slowly, as I already have my hands full with my photography. I know you liked this video of mine a while back. I want to make videos along the same vein, but in HD. And I’d also like to tell stories through my videos, perhaps of notable people or companies. There’s also a possibility I might shoot a cooking show with my wife and get it on TV here in Romania. We’ll see.

That’s why I’m excited about getting the Canon 7D. Until HD video became a feature on DSLRs, it meant I had to carry a separate video camera and its equipment with me, and when I already had to lug around 20-25 lbs. of photo equipment, that just wasn’t an option. I was stuck shooting video with my mobile phone or with a digicam. Now that I can record quality HD video with the same camera I use for photography, it opens up a world of possibilities for me.

JC: Finally, why do you love photography?

RP:  Great photos are time capsules. They preserve an instant of time in such a way that they move people decades or even centuries after they were taken. In that sense, they are timeless, immortal. They manage to do something none of us can do: to live forever, meaningfully. Even if we as people manage to leave a legacy that speaks of us after we’re gone, it’s usually tainted by our mistakes or the lies of others. A great photo stands on its own. No lies, no compromises, no gossip, no mistakes. It is perfection, preserved for eternity, ready to be tasted and felt by generations to come.

I’d like to leave a few great photos behind me as I pass through this woefully short life.  - Raoul Pop

Seeker of light by Raoul Pop

You can view more of Raoul’s work at:

• Blog: raoulpop.com
• Photo Catalog: raoulpopphotography.com
• Flickr: flickr.com/photos/raoulpop/

Raoul’s work also appears in my upcoming book, “Love Your Photos” along with other inspiring photographers. Sign up for my mailing list so you see all future interviews and announcements about the book. Don’t be scared – there will be no spam – we’ll just have some fun!

it IS summer though, so for fun i decided to do a post on the quickie photos i make with my iphone – which is typically what i take to the beach. these are all photos that have been taken with apps like hipstomatic or edited with camerabag (two of my favorite apps). remember, these were taken with an old-fashion iphone 3g – so no fantabulous resolution like the 4g. but they’re still fun and even a bit whimsical.

also, i want to update you all on a few exciting things…

1. although i have said it before, my book is ALMOST READY! my designer friends showed me the proof and it was delightful. i just loved it. we have some final edits to do and then it should be ready to go. happy happy.

2. i love other people’s photography and learning from them so much that it was a major part of the book. so i’ve decided to carry that spirit through to my blog and start a series of interviews with photographers who inspire me. you will see all types of photographers in this series – i know some of them will inspire you to try something new or impart some little nuggets of wisdom you can walk away with.

now onto some iphone pics!

learn about more photography apps for your iphone in my upcoming book! are you on my mailing list? if not, sign up today to receive additional tips and be the first to know when the book is ready.

lobsters delivered to our doorstep by shinymainelobster.com (shameless plug for my parent’s business!). they’ll send some to you too – order some soon.. there’s nothing better than making a lobster dinner for friends in the summer.