“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” -Ansel Adams
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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

December '11 Featured Photographer


Flickr member since September 2008

Visit Tims photostream: friday1970



1. Why do you take pictures?

Actually, I think it comes from my childhood. My parents had a subscription to National Geographic around the time I was 6 or 7 years old. From those magazines, I used to dream of becoming a photographer for NatGeo, with all the traveling and exploration that came with the job. Like many of my childhood dream careers, photography was nearly forgotten as life took me on far different paths.

Beauty Under the Water Grates

Fast forward 30 years, I started to hike up many of the Appalachian hills as a motivator to keep in shape. I wanted to start capturing some of the gorgeous views I was taking in. Around the same time, I started to notice the incredible HDR pictures that were appearing on many of the computer tech news sites I was reading.

So really, it was a period in my life where my my technical background and love for the outdoors had crossed paths, and photography was the product of that. It's also fulfilling that little childhood dream of mine.

2. Who inspires you?

I get inspired by many of the incredible local area photographers, such as Richard Thompson, Art Photon, Brian Callihan, Corinne Schwarz, and so many others. Not only do they inspire me to keep shooting, they also inspire me to travel to the many beautiful areas shown in their pictures. Other more well known photographers, such as Art Wolfe, Galen Rowell, and Chris Morrison keep this fire stoked. It's a joy to look at their photos and learn their techniques of light and composition.

3. What is your favorite thing to photograph?

My favorite things to photograph are landscape based subjects, mostly lakes and mountains. I also like to shoot architecture that is immersed with the nature around it.

Japanese Bridge at Cranbrook #24. What's your strength, in photography?

I think my best strength is that I am my worst own critic. I always look at my shots and think “If I had just shot this with an earlier light, or from this angle, or moved the camera to hide this background object....”.
I think it helps me to become a better photographer as I always strive to improve myself
Below the Treeline, in the Fog, at Mt Fuji


5. Which picture (of your own) do you like most?

Picking my favorite photo is like choosing my favorite child. It's the stories behind the photos that I remember the most.

In “Below the Treeline, in the Fog, at Mt Fuji”, it was the cold fog, and the long wait for for a clear shot with no one in the picture.
In “Beauty Under the Water Grates”, it was having to walk under the intimidating, loud, slippery tunnel.

And in what I would call my favorite picture “Fishing into the Morning Fog”, it was driving to Detroit to shoot the river, getting trapped on I-96, and taking the next off ramp to shoot anything, only to come into this beautiful morning fog with sunlight behind it

6. What is your biggest challenge in photography?

Fishing into the morning fog
Finding that special area no one else had yet to photograph and capturing it in the best possible way. And, of course, waking up early to get there.

7. What do you use for post processing, and why?

GIMP. It's free and easy to use. Most of my base colors are pulled from my film/slide scan software, and GIMP helps me to add contrast, saturation, and correct any noticeable hues.

8. What would be the ideal place to travel?
Byron Mills Pond's falls
The Altiplano of South America. A very large expanse of barren, mountainous land, beautiful sunsets, the largest salt flat in the world, and areas which look like no other on Earth.

9. If you could give aspiring photographers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Just one? Just keep shooting. You will get better with time and with each photograph.

10. What do you think the most difficult concept in photography is?

For me, it would be portrait photography. I have always been a little shy to ask someone to let me take their picture. And even more, I would be worried about getting their shot perfect.


Interviewers Note:
Friday1970 is a member of Southeast Michigan Digital Photography. Take a minute to check out his photostream on flickr.  Also, he was not strong armed (too badly) to include me as one of his "inspirations"! ;)

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