Tag Archives: news

Interview Series: Wildlife Photographer Paul Burwell

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Paul Burwell is a wildlife photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta. He’s also a renown instructor and teaches a number of wildlife photography workshops in the controlled environment of the The Triple D Game Farm in Montana. It’s a very interesting setup, as participants work with captive animals to really boost their shooting skills, composition techniques, and possibly build a portfolio in a short time frame.

Paul hit the mainstream last year with his snowflake imagery. It’s popularity soared after a spot on CTV’s Canada AM. When the show ended, his phone started ringing. It’s also one of his favorite image series because he managed to make something simple into a beautiful artistic collection.

He was enthusiastic about participating in this interview series and really belongs on the list along side the other Canadian-based outdoor photographers I have interviewed: Daryl Benson, Jordan Manley, and Darwin Wiggett. Here is what Paul had to say:

10 Questions with Wildlife Photographer Paul Burwell

1. I’d like to start out with that “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

I’ve been into cameras since I was five and my mom gave me her Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera.  When I was a teen I purchased my first SLR (a Pentax K-1000) and started photographing for the high school newspaper.  At the end of high school I had to decide whether to pursue a career in photography, or my other passion, computers.  Computers won out because I thought I could make more money at it; I was right.  By 2004 I was the President of an Internet Service Provider and we sold the company.  As often happens when a company changes hands, the boss gets the boot and that’s what happened to me.  I had to find something else to do with my life and started working on business plans to start a new Internet business.  However, I soon found I was spending more and more time outside photographing and less and less time working on business plans.  It occurred to me that it might be possible to make a living as a nature/wildlife/outdoor photographer so I contacted a bunch of pros who were very quick to assure me that it was impossible, the market was saturated and there was little chance to become a pro.  They advised me that my best bet was to remain an amateur.  Naturally I ignored their advice, jumped in with both feet and have never been happier.  I guess my “ah” moment was one morning at Elk Island National Park and I was the only human being around.  I suddenly noticed how I was enjoying the sound of silence and the wildlife all around.  That’s when it clicked (no pun intended).

2. You began with a career in computers before moving onto photography. What skills were you able to bring with you that help your current business plan?

I’d built a business from the ground up into a business genrating over $4,000,000 in sales a year.  All the skills that go into that sort of a venture along with my computer background have helped me execute my business plan. I run into students all the time who are struggling with digital photography because of the incredible learning curve for people who aren’t comfortable with computers.  I strongly encourage anyone serious about their photography to get a good handle on the computer skills they’ll require to really enjoy their photography.

3. What is the most difficult part of being a nature photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta?

I wouldn’t say there is anything difficult about being a nature photographer in Edmonton.  I used to think that winter was a problem, but if one sets their mind to it, it is all just opportunity.  We’re situated between the Great Plains to the south and east, the Boreal Forest to the north and the Rocky Mountains to the west.  What could be better?

4. Last winter, you were on Canada AM to show off your very popular snowflake images. How does that kind of publicity help your photography business?

It is very hard to buy that type of publicity.  My phone and email were literally ringing off the hook.  It helps in all sorts of aspects related to business and opportunity and it certainly gives a person some instant credibility.

5.Other than staring on national morning TV, what do you think is the best way for a new/young photographer to market their work to perspective wildlife photography buyers?

My advice to those starting out as a new aspiring pro is to realize that it is extremely unlikely that you’ll be able to make a living off of selling your photographs to magazines.  You need to learn to write.  You need to find a way to leverage your photography along with your other skills into some sort of marketable package.   Long gone are the days of living off one’s stock photography library.

6. What other business advice can you give to new/young photographers that you wish you’d learned earlier in your own career?

Stay close to home.  It’s cheaper and easier.  Chasing all over the world after wildlife images seems glamourous but it is extremely difficult to make it pay for itself.

7. As an instructor, you run many workshops out of The Triple D Game Farm in Montana. Why do you use a game farm instead of shooting wildlife in non-controlled environments? What is the biggest benefit? The biggest drawback?

The workshops at the Triple “D” Game Farm offer a tremendous way for photographers to build a portfolio of wildlife images that are simply impossible to get in the wild.  It is also an excellent envrironment to practice using the skills that one will require when they encounter wildlife “in the wild”.  With captive wildlife you might have an opportunity for a “redo” if you miss a shot; that rarely happens with wild animals.  I never hide the fact when an image was made of a captive animal and all such pictures on my site/blog are labelled as such with a “-CA” at the end of the caption to indicate the animals was a captive animal.  I think that photographing and teaching at Triple “D” has definitely helped my “wild” animal photography.

The biggest advantage of shooting under controlled conditions is that you know the wildlife is going to be there and you’re going to get to photograph them.  With wild animals being, well, wild, they are often a lot less predictable.  My Spirit Bear photography tour in 2010 only saw one white bear for a grand total of five minutes.  That’s the chance you take when you go to photograph in the wild.

8.  Do you have a single image or collection that stands out as a career highlight? What makes it more special than your other work?

I’m quite happy with my image of a Kermode “Spirit” Bear walking down a moss covered log in the Great Bear Rainforest on the west coast of Canada.  I’m also very happy with my collection of snowflake images.  The Kermode Bear image is special to me because it was extremely difficult to get and it was a shot I’d envisioned ahead of time.  I’m happy about my snowflake images because I’ve found a way to make them artful.

9.  What three photographers provide your greatest source of inspiration?

Snowflake Bentley; early pioneer of snowflake photography
David Middleton; an excellent nature photographer and teacher and is someone I try to model myself after
Wayne Lynch; what more needs to be said about Canada’s king of wildlife photography?

10.  It’s similar to the first question, but instead of the “ah moment”, can you tell me simply why? Why do you make photographs?

I find that photography is an excellent way for me to express my passion for the natural world and maybe try to influence a few people into having a bit more consideration for the wild and natural aspects of the world we live in.

Final Thoughts:

As always, I owe a huge thanks to Paul Burwell for taking the time to answer this interview. I appreciate the honesty and openness shared by each interviewee this year and you are certainly no exception. I do apologize for how long it took me to post this on the site!

For those who haven’t, please take the time to check out Paul’s website and blog.

* All Images in this post are protected by Paul Burwell’s copyright *

Interview Series: Mountain Bike Photographer Kristoffer H. Kippernes

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Kristoffer Kippernes is an adventure photographer from Trondheim, Norway. His portfolio shows off his specialty – mountain bike photography – well enough that Mattias Fredriksson recently invited Kristoffer to participate in the Scandinavian Photo Challenge. Although his team placed 5th, Kristoffer took home awards for Best Scenic Action, Best Close-up Action, and All Mountain. (check out the behind the scenes video here)

He’s also the third Scandinavian Photo Challenge photographer to answer my interview, joining Fredriksson and Grant Robinson, which simply proves how accessible today’s top shooters are to new photographers.

10 Questions with Adventure Photographer Kristoffer Kippernes

1. I’d like to start out with that “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

KK: Photography was always something I was very fond of during my childhood, but it took me a couple of years before I realized that this was something I wanted to do. After I finished high school, I was sick and tired of everything related to sitting on the bench learning stuff I had no interest of. So I took a year of, worked, and then went to “Folkehøgskole”(a slightly different type of school) for two years. There I had focus on just riding my bike and skiing, while making videos of it.

After some time I started using my still camera more and more, and I guess it was during that process I slowly realized that I wanted to pursue that dream.

So you can say that it all happened over time, nothing that struck down like lightning.

2. I notice your website biography is light on words, descriptions, and information. Do you feel like it’s more important to let your images speak for you?

KK: Both yes and no. I do feel that the main focus should be on images alone, but sometimes words make the images better and vice versa.

3. Your editorial portfolio is mostly full of biking images, with a few ski, skate, and running shots thrown in. How important is it for a young photographer to diversify their portfolio?

KK: Well that depends on what you are trying to accomplish, really. On one hand, you’d like to show that you are capable of doing different types of pictures, but on the other hand, it is smart to sit down and think through why you want people to hire you. If you like doing a lot of different stuff, then diversity is the key, if you want to specialize, then focus on that in your portfolio.

There is really no absolute correct answer to this question, but those are my thoughts.

4. Your client list is diverse and split between editorial and commercial clients. Can you break down your work for me:

a)What percentage of your time is spent on Shooting? Editing? Marketing?

KK: I would say perhaps 45%-45%-10%.

b)What percentage of your income comes from editorial clients? Commercial clients? Stock? Other Sources?

KK: I guess 80% editorial and 20% commercial

c)Which type of client gives you more freedom in terms of work style and vision?

KK: The magazine TERRENGSYKKEL. I’ve been working with them more or less regularly for the last three years, and they’ve been extremely important to me and my career in terms of progression and challenges.

5. This is a simple question, but I feel it is important for newer photographers. How long did it take you to get started, to begin earning a living from photography, and what did you learn in that process?

KK: phew….I don’t know exactly, but it took me at least the first two years to get started, and trying to earn a reputation and getting work. What I learned? That hard work is more important than anything. It’s a lot of trial and error, and constantly trying to get better.

6. Taking into account any adventure, contest wins, publications, images sold, is there a single moment or frame that stands out as a career highlight?

KK: That’s a tough one… I’m lucky enough to travel a lot, since I mainly shoot pictures of biking, and I’ve seen so many beautiful places and met so many fantastic people that it is hard to pinpoint anything, but attending the Scandinavian Photo Challenge in Åre this summer was really special. Just being invited to such an event was a huge honor to me, and I had an amazing week there. I got to shoot tons of pictures, met some amazing people and had great fun all week.  Big thanks to Mattias Fredriksson for inviting me!

7. Successful photographers often balance two roles: creative professional and businessman. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in both roles?

KK: When it comes to creativity, I think seeking inspiration is very important. If you do that, you eventually develop some sort of taste for what you like, and maybe that way you can get new ideas yourself.

Business: Never sell your copyright, unless that’s a part of an agreement, and don’t give away your images for free.

8. What’s the best advice you can offer to an aspiring photographer hoping for their first big opportunity or assignment?

KK: Don’t expect it to come out of nowhere; you have to earn it, either way. Practice a lot, and build up a portfolio that shows consistency and good work, and back it up with hard work ethics, and you’re on the right track!

9. What is your favorite new trend in action sports photography? Least favorite? Biggest change in the past 5 years?

KK: I don’t really have a good answer to that one…

10. What three people – be it friends, family, photographers, athletes or anyone else – provide your greatest source of inspiration?

KK: Phew…only three?? Chase Jarvis is a photographer I discovered early on as I started to get more into photography, and he has fascinated me ever since. Stunning images, super creative, and shares a lot of everything via his social media sites. Behind the scenes videos, conversations, how-to´s, you name it. He is an important photographer of our time, I think.

My brother is really important to me. He is pursuing his career and dream of being a professional mountain biker, and is working so hard to achieve his goals. Ever since I first took him out on a mountain bike, he has excelled and is now one of the best mountain bikers in Norway. Naturally, he has also appeared on a lot of my pictures, and stood up for me that way.

Øyvind (editor), and the magazine TERRENGSYKKEL as I mentioned earlier on, is very important to me. Always new challenges on the line, new places to go to, and pictures to be shot, I get inspired just by working with that!

Final Thoughts

As always, I need to throw a big thank you towards Kristoffer Kippernes. I always appreciate hearing different answers and seeing great photographs and Kristoffer has given us both. You should check out his website and blog to see more great images.

Interview Series: Mountain Bike Photographer Grant Robinson

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Grant Robinson is a mountain bike photographer based in England. He’s also Canadian and grew up like many of east-coast kids – dreaming of moving west to Banff, Alberta.

Being based in England does have its advantages – ie: RyanAir flights to Europe – but Robinson doesn’t always do things conventionally. Instead, he’ll travel to Scotland in hopes of rainy weather.

He also participated in Mattias Fredrikkson’s Scandinavian Photo Challenge in Are, Sweden, stood in the rain for the 4X British Championships and inexplicably drove 1853 miles around tiny Britain in 11 days (all this and more on his blog).

Somewhere in between all that, Grant managed to answer my interview. Here is what he had to say.

10 Questions with Mountain Bike Photographer Grant Robinson:

1. I’d like to start out with that “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

GR: I’m not sure there was an ‘ah’ moment to begin with, but my granddad bought me a camera when I was about 10 and with the first roll of film I put through it I won this little landscape competition and five bucks at the agricultural fall fair in my town. Liked the money and liked walking through the woods to find remote places to take pictures and spent the rest of that summer doing so. My granddad fell ill and died shortly after and with him my unlimited supply of film, processing and my interest in photography.

I guess I ‘rediscovered’ photography when I left home and moved to Banff. Started shooting my friends on our bikes and snowboards for a few years and my interest really kicked in when I moved to England. Moving over here is when I realized I could do it for a living and I had a couple really shitty jobs that made me think “don’t want to waste my life doing this kinda stuff forever”, so went and studied Photographic Communication at the Falmouth College of Arts in Cornwall. It was there I guess the eureka moment came and I realized with a camera you could tell a story. No words, just pictures and that is when I really fell in love with the whole idea of photography.

2. Judging by your logo, you’re Canadian but you’re located in the UK. What prompted the move?

GR: Yeah, born in Thunder Bay, Ont. and grew up in Dryden, Ont. It’s not a bad place but by the time I was 14 or so I struggled with being there and spent the next 4 years planning my escape. As I said above I went out west and ended up in Banff for a few years where I met an English girl on her holiday. I followed her back to England and ended up staying. That was 15 years ago, we are now married and have two kids and live in Haslemere, England. Everyone says they can’t believe I left Canada for here but it is such a diverse and exciting country, and with its proximity to Europe there is a lot of world on our doorstep. I’ll end up back in Canada at some point, but not just yet.

3. When I look through your cycling portfolio I notice a movement or speed theme throughout. Why is it important for you to capture this aspect of the sport?

GR: It’s important because for me a photography isn’t just a about perfect exposure or flash balance or anything technical for that matter. It’s about creating a feeling or a memory of a time, place and experience. I guess without going to deep into my personal history, bikes saved me from a life that wasn’t worth living and I am trying to encapsulate the childhood feeling of riding a bike within my images. To do that you have to have movement, speed and the ‘feel good’ factor ’cause that’s why we ride in the first place.

4. Your client list is diverse and split between editorial and commercial clients. Can you break down your work for me?

GR: I read an article years ago written by a snowboard photographer whose name I have forgotten but the general premise of the piece was that a camera is a passport to life. He was exactly right. Doing this job has taken me places I never would have had the opportunity to visit, all because I have a box with a hole in it. Surreal if you think about it really. I like to be able to go between commercial and editorial work as it keeps the variety of subject matter different and it is the reason I wanted to work in photography in the first place.

A. What percentage of your time is spent on Shooting? Editing? Marketing?

GR: Shooting takes up 40%, editing 50% and marketing 10%. In that editing percentage I’ve included all the time spent retouching, which I do myself, sending work to clients and pitching for jobs with images I have already produced. Marketing has in the last few months probably taking up more than 10% as I am trying to get more commercial clients in addition to the editorial clients I
work with at the moment.

B. What percentage of your income comes from editorial clients? Commercial clients? Stock? Other Sources?

GR: Editorial work accounts for about 70%, commercial for 20% and stock for 10%. I like editorial, as it is more about story telling and documentary, which I strongly believe to be where photography’s roots lay. Stock used to count for probably more like 20-30% but in the past 5-8 years has really dropped off, I guess since digital cameras became so accessible.

C. Which type of client gives you more freedom in terms of work style and vision?

GR: In terms of photographic freedom, I guess from an editorial perspective I am completely free in that I shoot stories that I like and then pitch them to different magazines. Whether they be mountain bike, road bike, motorbike or travel story, whatever. When it comes to commercial clients you are hired to fill a brief. How well you deliver that brief decides if you will be hired again or not so you do what they say and try to bring as much personal vision to the table as you
can. Sometimes it’s not very much because the brief is tight and the art director is even tighter…!

5. This is a simple question, but I feel it is important for newer photographers. How long did it take you to get started, to begin earning a living from photography, and what did you learn in that process?

GR: I earned a living straight out of university but not by taking my own pictures. For 3 years I worked as a full-time assistant to a number of photographers in London before I started getting my own work behind the camera. It was a good basis though and working with more established guys you learn all sorts of things that would take you years to learn on your own. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that you take pictures therefore you are a photographer and earn good money. I would have to honestly say that it’s still a monthly struggle financially, and that is possibly due to that fact that I mostly work in the editorial cycling world…hence more of my efforts and time as of late being put into acquiring more commercial work. From what I have learned so far and any advice I might give to a new photographer is you have to try and try again to get your work out there. Just because an editor or art director says ‘no’, it doesn’t mean they’ll say ‘no’ to the next thing you put in front of them. Don’t sell yourself to cheap either. Do it once and they will expect you to do it again, and you are only undermining
yourself and everyone else in the industry.

6. Taking into account any contest wins, publications, images sold, is there a single moment or frame that stands out as a career highlight?

GR: Yes. One frame and one moment stick out. I got the cover of the ’08 DIRT magazine photo annual and that was pretty special. Then last month I was invited to take part in the Scandinavian Photo Challenge in Are, Sweden. Organized by Mattias Fredrikkson who I’ve looked up to for years, it is an event where 5 photographers shoot for 3 days and then have 1 and 1/2 days to edit together a five-minute slideshow. Never worked so hard in my life but it was the most creative 3 days I’ve had with my camera.

7. Successful photographers often balance two roles: creative professional and businessman. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in both roles?

GR: I can be quite creative but I’m a shit businessman! It is very true that it is a delicate balance of the two; unfortunately I’m not very good at the business side of things. But that is changing. It has to. I have a family and a future to plan for.

8. What is your favorite new trend in action sports photography? Least favorite? Biggest change in the past 5 years?

GR: Not sure I follow trends but I have noticed a bunch of that HDR I think it’s called?? I don’t understand it or even know what it means but it looks like poo pants. Don’t like it. And there is too much flash lit stuff as well. I like straight up and strong images particularly those with a documentary influence. The biggest change would have to be digital cameras. When I started it was all on film and my mistakes cost a lot of money. Now any Muppet can work it out so long as they have the money for the camera and lens and a bit of sticking power. Doesn’t mean it’s creative though.

9. Are you happy with your current work – both its style and quality – and how do you see it evolving in the next 2-5 years?

GR: Lately I’ve had a proper mixed bag of emotions towards my work. Some of it I feel is my best work to date. Other stuff I don’t want to look at. It’s always evolving though. I feel over the past year or so I finally have found a style coming through…7 years later!!…that I like and want to continue with, especially with my bike and portraiture work. Unfortunately I can’t see myself ever retiring. Making pictures is the only thing that makes me feel OK about life so I hope I continue to evolve and develop for many more years.

10. What three people – be it friends, family, photographers, athletes or anyone else – provide your greatest source of inspiration?

GR: Three people are a short list! Sterling Lorence, the godfather of mountain bike photography. Johnny Birch, my best friend and another photographer, and I guess then the third one changes every day depending on what I’m reading or checking out at the time.

Final Thoughts:

I need to send a big thank you to Grant Robinson for helping my Photography Interviews continue. He also provided all the photography in this post, so another thanks is in order for making such great images.

* ALL IMAGES IN THIS POST ARE PROTECTED BY GRANT ROBINSON’S COPYRIGHT *

Interview Series: Sports Photographer/Editor Rich Clarkson

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Rich Clarkson is an icon in photography. He worked at National Geographic as director of photography before leaving to help manage the production of Brian Lanker’s I Dream a World project & book. Earlier in his career, he worked for Sports Illustrated, landing more than 30 cover images.

Today, he currently manages Rich Clarkson & Associates, a photography agency based in Colorado. Aside from handling the Colorado Rockies photography duties, the company also covers all 88 NCAA national championships.

Clarkson took time away from a busy schedule to talk about his projects-over-frames approach and how he analyzes an image and a portfolio.

Eight Questions with Photojournalist Rich Clarkson

1. You’ve undoubtedly flipped through thousands of portfolios during your time at National Geographic and at Rich Clarkson & Associates. What are the biggest errors you see photographers repeating?

RC: Portfolios that seem so tailored to the assumed tastes and priorities of the recipient that it is hard to tell who the photographer really is.   There was great, though temporary, disservice years ago when News Photographer magazine ran a story from ten newspaper photo directors asking what they wanted to see in a portfolio.  The answers were all over the place, but they evidenced more self-appointed bravado than intelligence.  Many of them sounded like categories in Pictures of the Year — three spot news, two features, two sports, one portrait-personality, one picture story . . . Then there was a limit to the number of pictures that some insisted upon.

Any good portfolio reviewer wants to see what the photographer chooses to show — and how they show it.  I do not dictate what the portfolio should look like.  That said, less is always more. . .

2.    When you look at an image critically, where do you begin?

RC: Technical competence, composition — and then if that is under control, the most important element: content.

3.    When you look at a portfolio critically, where do you begin?

RC: Obviously presentation.  That shows professionalism.  But I can’t really evaluate a portfolio without talking at some length to the photographer.  Looking at portfolios anonymously introduces almost no insight. You get something of the talent, but not the potential.

4. You encourage photographers to think in terms of projects, rather than individual frames. Can you go into greater detail about why this is important?

RC: The first thing I do is to encourage photographers to think of the final usage — what magazine, what newspaper page, how significant is the story visually — is it one picture or multiple.  Effectiveness on the staff of any publication is being attuned to the personality of the publication, the readers– and not unimportant, the editor.  Not just the picture editor/director of photographer — the top editor.  And if they don’t “get it,” then do two things: begin an educational campaign and secondly, take a step back and evaluate whether they may actually know what he/she is doing.  Because someone doesn’t run your picture the way that pleases you doesn’t mean they are out of tune with the readers . . .

Projects are something I encourage photographers working for regular publications (and others as well) enable you to work on another level — of your own choosing and with you as the boss/user.  Long term projects show how a photographer learns, advances and at the same time, has his/her ownership of something they deem important.   And just as important as having a project for personal growth — meeting and making friends with significant individuals outside the realm of photojournalism/journalism.  We are often meeting interesting and noteworthy people.  Use the introduction to keep in touch.  Look at some of the best photojournalists today and their friends include many in politics, music, business.  Use your entree to meet/work with people that enable you to expand your own intellect.

5.    Can you describe how you approach a new subject to capture a project? Is there a step-by-step process, a defined shots list, or simply a conscious mind frame to capture more?

RC: Projects should cut new ground.  I have seen thousands of project/picture stories dealing with someone dying of cancer or coping with wrenching poverty or . . .  Gene Smith, Eugene Richards, Dorthea Lange — they have already done those.  Take on something of significance, even though it may be subtle, and do something unique.  If you are going to invest a lot of time on your project, make sure it counts — both for the reader and you.

A good example of project ideas was Brian Lanker who came to me when I was at the Geographic with an idea for a project.  (Not just a book but a many-faceted project built around the pictures.)  Portraits in pictures and words of America’s great black women — those who forged themselves ahead as part of both the civil rights movement and the women’s movement.  It is what I call a “Oh Yeah!” idea for you get it right off.  I left my job at the Geographic to manage elements of that project because it was so right — and so right that I could generate the money to make it happen — which eventually topped $1million.  And the book part of the project, “I Dream A World,” still holds the record for the best selling trade coffeetable book in American publishing history.

6.    Does this “projects over frames” theory work for all photographers or merely for photojournalists?

RC: It can work on any level — but the project needs to be something that has depth and legs — not something that is just a limited topic.  One picture . . .

7.    In today’s marketplace, how important is video to tell a complete story?

RC: Video and still picture are two different things.  It is possible to combine them and there are some very effective multi-media presentations going these days.  Begin with those of Brian Storm who understood how these can work 20 years ago when he was graduating from college.  (I tried to hire him at the time.)  Single pictures are how we remember — for they encompass Cartier-Bresson moments that are memorable.  And they concisely summarize an often complex message.  Television at its best enables us to attend an event in real time — a Superbowl, a political convention, a breaking major news story.  The compelling still photograph is how history records it.  So it is possible to use still photographs and mixing with video at times in a new and good story-telling medium.  But it takes just as much expertise as when LIFE magazine was laying out picture stories on the page 50 years ago — and the readers reacted well to that new medium.  This is a new medium, that in my opinion, may be short-lived — with the exception of the thoughtful production of a MediaStorm where the medium is well-understood.  Video does some things well.  Still pictures do some things well. Combining them is a real trick — and when done well, is very effective.

8.    Any other comments you’d like to share on this theme?

RC: Everyone should be expanding their interests, contacts and experiences.  This is what drives the content that make one effective.  Not winning contests.

Three Bonus Questions for Sports Fans

1.    What is your favorite sports image of all time? What is your favorite sports image from within your own portfolio?

RC: There are so many great images that picking one is problematic.  But perhaps Neil Leifer’s picture of the Casius Clay-Sonny Liston knockdown.  For one of my pictures, the one that seems to resonate over the years was of Jim Ryun training for the Mexico City Olympics running through the sand dunes near Alamosa, Colorado done for LIFE magazine.  Jim is a small speck on the rolling sand dunes.

2.    As a sports fan, what is the most memorable event, moment, or play that you’ve captured on film?

RC: Covering the Munich Olympics as TIME magazine’s only photographer — with the many layers of events and personalities that took place.

3.    Do you ever catch yourself watching instead of shooting?

RC: Early on, I pinched myself and said you cannot let emotions take over in the place of professionalism. There were athletes, coaches and teams that I got close to but just have to put those feelings aside when the event is happening.  There is time later to get emotionally involved.  But this is no substitute for knowing your subject — often times personally and very well.  Thus, when you see it, you understand the significance of an event or something as simple as an expression when it is taking place.  Homework covering sports is not just knowing the game and the sport (although that is important) but knowing the participants very well.  In many of the early years working on Sports Illustrated stories, I would accompany the writer much of the time which often included having dinner with the athlete/coach the night before the competition — and knowing the significance of what I would then be witnessing.  Today, SI photographers rarely work with the writers and those moments are pretty much lost.  But then, this is an era of smash-bang action, principally of the NFL and NBA, where behind-the-scenes has no great importance to the perceived tastes of readers/sports fans.

Final Thoughts

I owe a big thank you to Rich Clarkson for taking time away from his busy schedule to satisfy my curiosity. It’s a pleasure to have access to such great photographic minds. Please take the time to check out his company’s work.

Interview Series: Editorial Photographer Andrew Querner

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Andrew Querner grew up in British Columbia before moving to Canmore, Alberta, to pursue his passion for climbing photography. While his home hasn’t changed, his work has and Andrew now focuses on social interest work. His new approach takes him around the world and his current portfolio includes a photo essay from Kosovo’s Stan Terg mine, Yellowknife, and the Athabasca glacier.

Fresh off a trip to Europe, Querner took the time to answer my weekly photography interview and sheds light on life behind the lens and the longer-than-anticipated transition process from part-time photographer to full-time shooter.

9 Questions with Editorial Photographer Andrew Querner

1. I’d like to start out with that “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

AQ: Since the end of high school I’ve played around with photography, never giving it much thought. It was not until I started rock climbing though, that I had a subject that compelled me to take it more seriously. At some point, the desire to make a good picture surpassed any athletic ambitions I had. I began to put my work out there and to my surprise, some of it was published. This was the beginning.

2. What was your last non-photography related job? How long did the transition take and what lessons did you learn during the process, and what finally made you quit?

AQ: To be clear, I have yet to make the transition to full time photographer. While not always the case, typically I’m holding down some other kind of job on the side. For several years now I’ve dabbled as an arborist. I used to be in quite a rush to adopt the “full time” label but I’ve realized that there are as many different paths to becoming a photographer, as there are photographers.

3. When you begin a personal project, do you already have a destination in mind for the final product or do you merely go to cover the story and worry about a sales point later?

AQ: With personal projects I’m rarely thinking about where it will eventually end up or how I’m going to cover my costs. If that happens, then great, it’s a bonus. But for me, the whole point of a personal project is to satisfy a curiosity, or to try to understand the experience of another through the process of making photographs. That is to say, it’s personal. I rarely have a concrete destination in mind, as I want to avoid any subconscious tailoring of the project to a particular publication or what have you. I’m aware this makes little to no business sense but this approach is really helping me to figure out what I’m trying to say with photography.

4. You live in Canmore but I do not see too much content from that area on your website. Why do you choose to live there and work elsewhere? Is there any benefit or issues from this type of arrangement?

AQ: You’ve touched on a sensitive topic, one that I debate back and forth in my head all the time. When I was pursuing climbing photography, the choice of Canmore made perfect sense. There’s a strong climbing community here and of course, the Rockies provided a playground. As I began to move towards subjects of more general social interest, I found that I had no choice but to travel to investigate the stories that mattered to me. Understandably, there is not much “news” coming out of this part of the world so I’m finding it difficult to procure more than the odd assignment now and then. In a lot of ways, it feels like I’m spinning my wheels here so the logical progression is to relocate to a larger metropolis or, for lack of a better expression, a more relevant part of the world. I don’t want to fall victim to the greener grass mentality because there are a lot of great lifestyle aspects about living in the mountains but in a professional sense, I feel isolated.

5. Some details:

a. Years as a shooter?

AQ: Tough to say but it started to feel serious about seven years ago. Prior to that I was more a photographer by measure of enthusiasm.

b. Current Location?

AQ: At home in Canmore, Alberta.

c. Breakdown of income: What percentage comes from editorial clients? From commercial clients? From other sources?

AQ: Photography-wise the majority comes from editorial. About half of my income comes from my day job.

d. Time breakdown – What percentage of time is spent shooting? Marketing? Editing? Personal Projects?

AQ: Shooting gets the least amount of respect, unfortunately. I spend the most amount of time by far, thinking about or doing some kind of marketing which includes a certain amount of social networking upkeep, entering contests, applying for grants, and of course devoting huge amounts of time to personal projects- all stuff I consider marketing. I dare say that there is also a fair amount of inefficiency on this front, as a lot of it seems experimental. I never really know what’s working and what’s not. This is the most challenging part of making a business in photography and I’m not very good at it.

6. If you could only give a single piece of advice to an aspiring photographer, aside from finding a more stable career, what would it be?

AQ: I still very much consider myself aspiring, but the best piece of non-abstract (don’t give up!) advice I can think of is to make personal projects. It’s an exercise in coming up with ideas and gives you a laboratory for experimentation. Almost all of my paying work has come as a result of personal projects. Perhaps more importantly it cultivates the habits of a healthy photography practice.

7. Was there ever a time when you questioned if photography was the right career choice? If you weren’t shooting, what would you be doing?

AQ: I often wonder if the questioning will ever go away. Mostly owing to the financial aspects, it can be a roller coaster ride. The rewards still seem to outweigh the difficulties and to be honest I can’t see what else I would be doing although I like to think that I would be involved in radio production.

8. What three people – be it friends, family, photographers, or anyone else – provide your greatest source of inspiration?

AQ: Lately, I’m drawing inspiration from (always evolving):

David Grossman (Israeli writer)
Ismail Kadare (Albanian writer)
Radiolab (radiolab.org <> )
Phoenix
Too many photographers to mention…

9. And finally, take this one and run with it: Why do you make photographs?

AQ: I spend hours upon hours looking at photographs and reading about the photographers that make them. I love the medium and for some reason it resonates. But I’ve come to realize that the picture (and I think I’m poorly paraphrasing someone else here) is simply the result of an actual real experience. While the formal objective is to make a lasting document, I take a lot of pleasure from the interactions that come before and after the photograph is made. Being somewhat reserved in nature I often seem to find myself in situations that, if it weren’t for the camera, I certainly would not be there. In that sense, I’ve become much more engaged with the world around me- both immediate and more distant. I never imagined that photography might do this and it has become one of the primary ways for me to learn and experience.

Final Thoughts

As always, I owe Andrew a big thank you for using his valuable time to share some thoughts, information, and samples from his budding photography career. It definitely helps to learn I’m not the only one taking my time transitioning to full-time photographer.

For anyone who hasn’t checked out Andrew’s work, please check out both his website and blog. I’m waiting he hear from a few more photographers, but hopefully I’ll have another photography interview ready for you next week.

* All images in this post are protected by Andrew Querner’s Copyright. *

Interview Series: Wildlife Photographer Suzi Eszterhas

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Suzi Eszterhas wanted to be a wildlife photographer when she was only eight years old. Unlike most kids, who dream of becoming astronauts or fireman only to land a government desk job, Eszterhas didn’t let anything derail her dream.

Today, the California-based wildlife photographer specializes in documenting family life and is known for her work with newborn animals. Her work has landed numerous awards, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and she is an International League of Conservation Photographers Fellow.

Although she spends nearly six months shooting wildlife on the road, she also leads a number of Wildlife Photography Workshops with exotic destinations and wildlife in mind: Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda, Wildlife of Borneo, Madagascar Lemurs and Reptiles, etc.

11 Questions with Wildlife Photographer Suzi Eszterhas

1. I’d like to start out with the same question I ask for each interview. Was there an “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

SE: As a young child I knew that I wanted to be a wildlife photographer. I don’t know why. No one in my family was interested in wildlife or nature at all. But for some reason it captivated me.

2. You’ve landed numerous covers, won awards, and become an ILCP fellow. Is there one moment that stands out in your memory as a career highlight?

SE: A career highlight would certainly be the TIME cover, which my agent sold for me. It was quite a thrill!

3. What percentage of your time is spent on Shooting? Editing? Marketing?

SE: shooting 50%, editing 25% and marketing 25%

4. Over the past few years, you’ve become known for capturing family life and newborn animals in Africa. That takes extreme patience and dedication. What’s been the most amazing moment you’ve witnessed?

SE: There have been so many amazing moments. One of the best was being able to photograph a cheetah mother with her 4-day-old cubs in the nest. Another was photographing a lion cub meeting his father for the first time.

5. How do you know if you are too close to an animal subject? What do you do to maintain a safe distance but be close enough to get the shot?

SE: This is a tricky one. This goes back to needing to research and study your subjects before you get out and shoot them. Every species is different. For example, lions yawn when they are happy and content. Grizzly bears yawn when they are stressed out. I research my subjects before the shoot, by going online to find scientific papers and also talking with experts. This keeps me safe and also prevents me from stressing the animal.

6. Do you have a favorite species or subject? What about a bucket list of species you’d like to capture?

SE: Apes and big cats have always been my longtime favorites. But lately I have fallen in love with sloths. My bucket list changes every day, we are so lucky to share the planet with so many different, amazing creatures.

7. Successful photographers often balance two roles: creative professional and businesswoman. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in both roles?

SE: Most important – don’t loose your passion but at some point you’ve got to balance this passion with making a living. This means you’ve got to spend time in the office in front of the computer!

8. You teach a handful of workshops every year, including some pretty remote ones in Rwanda, Borneo, and Madagascar. What have you learned either from students or simply through instructing others during these workshops that helps your photography?

SE: I always learn from my clients. Every person sees things in different ways. It is amazing how a group of people can all photograph the same moment in completely different ways. Also, lots of times my clients know more about the latest gadgets than I do, so I often learn about the just released gear through them.

9. What advice would you give an aspiring wildlife photographer who not only wants to capture stunning images but also wants to earn a living from the camera?

SE: Making a living in wildlife photography takes a lot of hard work, dedication and patience. It is a slow process. Don’t quit the day job and get out and shoot (a lot) on your off days!

10. With the trend towards dSLR video growing, how do you see your work evolving in the next 2-3 years?

SE: I am not yet shooting video, but a lot of my editors are asking me to consider shooting little snippets of video as promotion for the still photography story.

11. What three people – be it friends, family, photographers, athletes or anyone else – provide your greatest source of inspiration?

SE: My mom, Owen Newman & Amanda Barrett (BBC wildlife filmmakers) and Jane Goodall

Final Thoughts:

I owe a big thanks to Suzi for taking time out of her busy travel schedule to answer my interview. The supplied photos really help show off your work and add color to my website. I appreciated hearing from Suzi and featuring both the first ILCP fellow and first female photographer in this interview series. I hope she isn’t the last on either count.

Please take the time visit Suzi’s website to see the quality and diversity of her work. If you are an avid wildlife photographer, you might want to consider a workshop, too.

* ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS POST ARE PROTECTED BY SUZI ESZTERHAS’S COPYRIGHT. *

Interview Series: Adventure Photographer Jay Beyer

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Jay Beyer didn’t even intend to become a photographer. His wife bought their first SLR camera when they set out on a climbing-based road trip and he merely asked his dad, an avid shooter, for some technical tips. Soon, his wife’s camera had been confiscated and became his favorite toy. 

Seven years of hard work, a new home in Salt Lake City, and an undying love for skiing and climbing and Beyer is earning his income from behind the lens. When I first contacted him, he gave me a short but well intended response:

“I am an adventure photographer based in Northern British Columbia, Canada,” I wrote. “I’ve recently quit my day job and hope to make the transition to full-time photography in 2011.”

“Just so you know, what you are doing is super hard,” he replied. “I’d be happy to answer some questions.”

Not surprisingly, Beyer didn’t waste words in his responses either. He cut to the chase and delivered simple but straightforward comments to questions designed to keep people writing/talking. Surprisingly, many of the answers carry more impact for their brevity.

12 Questions with Adventure Photographer Jay Beyer

1. Your transition from carpenter to photographer didn’t happen overnight. At what moment did you know that you’d never turn back from a life behind the camera? Was there an “ah” moment when you realized you’d found your calling?

JB: I worked for 5 years shooting full time in the winter and working construction in the summer.  Last summer was the first summer I was able to focus only on photography.  I’ve always loved shooting photos but there still hasn’t been an ahh moment.  Making anything you love into work changes it.

2. What was your last non-photography related job? How long did the transition from amateur to pro shooter take and what lessons did you learn during the process? What lessons or skills did you bring from previous work experience that continues to help in photography?

JB: Everybody has a different perception of a pro photog.  Some people get one check from a mag and think they are pro.  I feel like I have just entered the world as a pro photog being that it is my only source of income.

3. How does your geographic location, living in Utah, help or hinder your business model?

JB: Utah does both.  It has great snow and trails and access to an international airport but that is the reason that there are hundreds of photogs here doing the same thing.

4. Do you travel with pre-determined assignments or do you go to capture images and sell them after the fact? Is there a balance between the two?

JB: Both.  Moving toward the former more and more…

5. Marketing and sales are not common skills among creative professionals, but as you mentioned, they are paramount skills. What different strategies do you use to maintain a solid audience and client list? Social media, blogs, phone calls, mailers, etc. What works for you and what doesn’t?

JB: Everything you can do works.

6. Some details:

Years as a shooter?

JB: 7

What’s your market niche and what sets you apart from others in this area?

JB: Backcountry skiing

Breakdown of income: What percentage comes from editorial clients? From commercial clients? From other sources?

JB: No Clue

Time breakdown – What percentage of time is spent shooting? Marketing? Editing?

JB: Changes every day.

7. If you could give only one piece of business advice to a young photographer, aside from finding a more lucrative career, what would it be?

JB: Be motivated by rejection.

8. What’s the harshest lesson you learned early in your photography career and how can others avoid falling into the same trap?

JB: Don’t take bad deals even if you need the money.  It never works out…

9. You started as a climber and skier before you became a photographer. How do you separate yourself from your subjects? How often do you wish you could be on the other side of the lens?

JB: I don’t feel I should separate from my subjects.  I want to feel what they are feeling and I believe it helps my imagery.  Never.

10. Many entrepreneurs find it difficult to separate their work from their lives. What do you do to maintain a work-life balance? How does time away from the camera affect your work?

JB: Time away from my camera is the most important time. By the end of winter I usually take 2 months away from my camera. By fall I can’t wait to shoot again…

11. What three people – be it friends, family, photographers, or anyone else – provide your greatest source of inspiration?

JB: My Wife, My son, My athletes

12. I’ve read it is important to have constant feedback and critiques of your work to keep growing. When you were starting, did you have a mentor or did you go it alone? Are there other photographers you speak with regularly to compare or critique work? Do you participate in any portfolio reviews or discussions about how you can improve?

JB: I asked every one I could questions and figured it out on my own.

Final Thoughts

As always, I would like to that Jay for taking time out of a busy winter schedule to answer my questions. For those who haven’t visited his website or blog yet, please do. Jay’s skiing and climbing (and fishing, mountain biking, and trail running) work is fantastic and worth more than a quick glance. You can hook up with him on Facebook, too.

I’m thankful to have reached interview number 15. I hope to keep this going throughout all of 2011 but I am working at the last minute these days. If you know any photographers – preferably based in the adventure photography or photojournalism genres – who would be willing to answer a few questions, please leave their name in the comments section.

Check back on Wednesday for 5 More Adventure Photography Tips.

Interview Series: Adventure Photographer Reuben Krabbe

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For all the interviews I’ve done this year, Reuben Krabbe is the first I’ve actually met. Just two years ago, we both graduated from Western Academy of Photography. Reuben studied professional photography, while I attended the written image program, but we still crossed paths a few times.

As is the case with many photo schools, not everyone has gone on to career success. Along with a handful of others, Reuben has been earning his income from behind a camera and he recently won both the Banff Photographer Shootout and Golden’s annual Wrangle the Shoot contests.

He might not match Christian Pondella yet, but he seems to be on his way within the world of adventure photography. If not, he’s earning a solid paycheck with is architecture shoots, too. Here is what he had to say:

Twelve Questions with Reuben Krabbe

1. I’ve started every interview with the same question. Was there an “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career?

RK: There wasn’t quite a moment, like the flick of a switch. However when I was in high school I kept getting the wonderful question ‘So what are you going to do after school?’. I kept throwing around generic answers for a while; college here, work for a year, travel… Looking at those options not much seemed appealing, and I had developed an aptitude and apatite for photography, so I thought I might as well go out and give it a try.

2. You attended WAP’s Pro Photo program in 2008-2009 but you’ve also self-taught many different techniques both before and after attending the school. How valuable was a year in a dedicated photography school and what advice would you give aspiring photographers thinking about signing up?

RK: A year dedicated to learning about, and playing with cameras was very valuable for me. I didn’t feel pressure to start making money, and the structure of the program made you try each type of photography, so I gained a lot of general knowledge of the whole industry and could pick what I did and didn’t like.

If you’re looking into a year of photography school, think long and hard about the investment you’re going to make, and what type of career would be the end result. You’ll spend a bunch of money to get out and work even harder, with expensive equipment, for low wages. Do you have the personality of an entrepreneur? Also, look into assisting other professional photographers, getting paid to learn might be another great option for you.

3. What lesson didn’t they teach at school that you wish you’d learned?

RK: Every photography student will gripe about insufficient business education, and I can attest to that. Since graduating, I have taken business courses to make up for what I missed out on.

Other big things students may not realize; you probably won’t learn much about developing a style, interacting with clients, social media, photographic ethics, analyzing industry opportunity etc. Photo schools will teach you cameras, composition, and light.

4. What did you learn in school that you continue to use every day?

RK: There are probably thousands of things, just one; going into photography school the evidence of me being a self taught photographer was very evident; I didn’t honestly know what ‘a stop of light’ meant, even though I was shooting with external flashes for over a year.

Also, and maybe more importantly, I learned what everyone else is learning. When you know what everyone has learned, you know what techniques or processes to get away from, to maintain a different approach to seeing the things you photograph.

5. A lot of people I’ve interviewed have been in the industry for more than a decade and haven’t been in the “struggling” financial state for a while. You’ve only been freelancing for two years now. Have you had to supplement your income with other non-photography work?

RK: After graduating I spend almost a year working at the high end retail store Holt Renfrew, a bum knee kept me from doing sports, and I needed to upgrade quite a bit of my equipment prior to opening shop. During the year I shot very little, and spent more time figuring out how to run the back end of things and just making money. Since leaving Holt Renfrew I’ve been working exclusively with cameras for pay cheques.

6. Your portfolio contains architecture, adventure sports, and music photography. How are you making your photography income?

RK: With the bum knee, and a year spent on Vancouver Island without a vehicle, and without riders, my action sport work was really lacking, so much so I felt I needed to work on building a portfolio prior marketing myself for sports. Architecture photography was one of the niches I had never tried prior to photo school, and found I really enjoyed. I’ve built that part of my photography business as my major financial stability, while I dedicate more time to shooting sports for lower rates, as I build a client list and reputation.

7. You’ve won a couple of competitions and had a double truck (I think) in Bike magazine’s photo annual. What’s been your career highlight so far?

RK: The double truck self portrait in Bike’s photo annual is defiantly a highlight, it was also my first published picture so getting message it was running defiantly got my heart beating quite fast. However, Winning the Banff Photographer Shootout was a lot bigger for me. A lot of friends and family made it out to watch the slideshows, and sharing the success was an incredible night.

8. You blogged about your photo bucketlist after landing a self-portrait in Bike’s photo annual. What other shots are on your bucketlist?

RK: I’m a bit secretive about my photo bucket list, most of the shots on the list are ideas I’ve been working on which haven’t been done by other photographers. I really enjoy working on images that haven’t been done by anyone, and ideas that are incredibly complicated or technical in nature. So sharing much of the list doesn’t really work.

Some more simple and somewhat generic shots/shoots: -Shooting from a Heli. Shooting sports on another continent. -Cover shot (within North America) etc

9. When you review your first two years as a working photographer, how do you rate your success? Are you happy with your progress so far and what has been the biggest frustration?

RK: Rating my success is something I’ve found difficult to gauge. Overall as a professional photographer I am successful; relying exclusively on photography work for income. However its much more difficult to look at the volume of published work and answer questions like; ‘is this enough?’ ‘will this much success now build towards a manageable work/life balance?’My biggest frustrations are in futile marketing efforts, or trying to qualify myself to potential clients. Maybe my I’ve still got too much of a baby face or something.

10. From the little time I’ve spent with you at WAP, I know you are driven as a photographer. What motivates you as a photographer or, better yet, why do you make pictures?

RK: I started to make pictures as a teenager because I wanted to share with others, what me and my friends do in the mountains, that drive still stays true with me. However its shifted from showing off cool jumps to my buddies to finding ways to explore, define and re-imaging the sports we do, and sharing that with the culture.

11. What three people – photographers, friends, family, artists, neighbor, whatever – inspire you the most?

RK: Tough question, here are three off the top of my head.

Sterling Lorence – The first photographer whose work I followed through magazines. Jordan Manley – Great kind guy willing to give of his time to share a bit about what he does, and in his time between that has been a game changer for the industry. All of my family has been quite supportive, and also very truthful; it helps to have someone tell you ‘that idea is really dumb’

12. Any comment or thought you would like to share?

RK: FAN ME ON FACEBO….

Hah!

On a more serious note, if you have any questions I’d love to hear them. Or if your a generally cool person get in touch with me, I’d love to chat over a beer some time.

Final Thoughts

Reuben, thanks for taking the time to share your answers. Keep up the great shooting and good luck taking the next step. If you haven’t already, check out Reuben’s website and blog.

New posts and more adventure photography coming soon. Enjoy life, go outside.

*All images in this article were provided by Reuben. Please respect his copyright! *

Interview Series: Editorial & Wedding Photographer Rick Collins

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Rick Collins is hard to read. He has 20+ years of editorial experience, shooting projects like Face to Face: The Afghan Children’s Relief fund which raised more than $90 000, but he also shoots destination and local weddings.

The Vancouver-based photographer somehow manages to balance the two fields by using the same approach for all projects.

“It’s all about story,” he says, “and having a unique voice and vision.”

Collins has collected hardware throughout his career, including three Western News Photographer of the Year Awards and two Canadian News Photographer of the Year Awards, but he’s more likely to sell you on his photographic passion than his accomplishments. This type of humble yet successful personality is admirable, so I decided to reach out to Collins for an interview.

9 Questions With Rick Collins:

1. I’d like to start out with that “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

RC: I went to SAIT in Calgary to train as a journalist – a writer. After my first photography class I had the immediate “ah” moment and knew. I had been an artist my whole life so it wasn’t a big stretch. I just didn’t know this career even existed. I guess I just wasn’t paying attention.

2. What was your last non-photography related job? How long did the transition take and what lessons did you learn during the process?

RC: I was a lifeguard at a few different pools while going to school. The transition was immediate and all consuming.

3. You do lots of weddings and destination weddings, but your background was in documentary photography. Why did you make the transition and what skills or style did you bring with you from journalism photography to the wedding scene?

RC: I’m still very much involved as a documentary photographer. It’s just a matter of finding the time to pursue the kinds of stories I want to tell. I’m concentrating on weddings and portraiture to build a business and make a living. I have a home, two children, a partner and you have to find a way to make it work. Very few pure documentary photographers are able to make a decent living.

There really is no transition for me moving into weddings. My wedding work is the same documentary work I have always practiced. It would be the same mindset for me if a major newspaper or magazine calls and wants a day’s work on a specific event or subject. It’s storytelling pure and simple. Subject matter is relative. My style relies on a talent for recognizing story and an ability to be in the right place at the right time and a lot of practice being invisible.

My best work always happens when my subjects are authentically themselves. In news photography this seems easy – a hockey player playing is simply that. A politician is a politician. A car accident victim… etc etc. However, most photojournalists at the newspaper level bring out the worst in their subjects, not the best. They do so by injecting themselves into the scene and onto the image. They show up loud and proudly as a PHOTOGRAPHER and subjects change in response to this. I have always preferred a quiet style.

4. Some details:

a. Years as a shooter?

RC: Professionally, since 1989.

b. What’s your market niche and what sets you apart from others in this area?

RC: Anyone and everyone is a photographer these days. A monkey can do most of the work being done today. What I hope sets me apart is my 20 years of experience. It’s a matter of trust. When you hire someone to do an important job for you no matter if it’s plumbing, heart surgery or photography it’s all about experience. Then it comes down to vision and style.

c. Breakdown of income: What percentage comes from editorial clients? From commercial clients? From other sources?

RC: 30% editorial, 20% commercial, 60% other

d. Time breakdown – What percentage of time is spent shooting? Marketing? Editing? Personal Projects?

RC: Marketing 20%, Editing 50%, personal 10%, shooting 20%

5. What single piece of business advice do you wish somebody would have told you before your first paid assignment?

RC: Take a business course or two. Like many artists I’m not in this for money.

6. What’s the harshest lesson you learned early in your photography career and how can others avoid falling into the same trap?

RC: Charge clients for everything. Value your work and time. Be up front about what you charge and why.

7. What three people – be it friends, family, photographers, or anyone else provide your greatest source of inspiration?

RC: Cheryl Claibourne  – life partner – film maker, Steve Simon – photographer & Brian Howell – photographer

8. Many entrepreneurs find it difficult to separate their work from their lives. What do you do to maintain a work-life balance? How does time away from the camera affect your work?

RC:I have a hard time being away from my work. It is all consuming. But we try to balance this by getting out as a family and doing things together.

9. I just read an interesting blog post that asked the question “Why do you make photographs?” and I’d love to hear your answer:

RC:I am fascinated with the world, the ever-changing landscape and especially people. I make photographs as my take on it all.

Final Thoughts

These interviews are now three months old and I’m pleased with all of the responses to date. I’d like to extend a big thanks to Rick Collins for taking time to answer my questions. Please take the time to check out Rick’s website and blog.

For my readers, these interviews are a regular series on my blog, so make sure to leave me a comment with the types of questions you want answered by today’s top pros and I’ll do my best to include them.  I’m also running short on upcoming interviews, so if you can suggest any photographers who you’d like to hear from, please let me know.

Interview Series: Nature and Outdoor Photographer Darwin Wiggett

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Darwin Wiggett is a Canadian-based nature and outdoor photographer. Getty Images, First Light, and All Canada Photos market Wiggett’s stock photography. He’s also authored eleven books, including Canadian bestsellers Dances With Light – The Canadian Rockies, Darwin Wiggett Photographs Canada, and How-to Photograph the Canadian Rockies and seen his work on 100’s of magazine covers. In 2008, Wiggett won the international Travel Photographer of the Year award. Outside of his regular photography work – all of which he shoots without assignments – Wiggett hosts a series of workshops, photo tours, and online courses.

To see more of Wiggett’s work, visit his websites:

www.darwinwiggett.com
www.howtophotographthecanadarockies.com
www.darwinwiggett.wordpress.com

I’ve seen Wiggett’s work in a variety of magazines, including his regular column and contributions to Outdoor Photography Canada. In January, Craft & Vision released his latest eBook, Winter in the Canadian Rockies – The Print and Process Series. The eBook became tremendous inspiration that encouraged me to get out and shoot more images in the cold Canadian North. Shortly afterwards, I contacted Wiggett for my weekly interview series. Here is what he had to say:

1. I begin all my interviews with the same question. Was there an “ah” moment when you realized your life would be tied to a camera instead of a more tangible career. How did it happen?

DW: Well it all started with my discovery in 1986 of a book by Freeman Patterson entitled Photography of Natural Things – that book keyed me into the fact that people actually make a living taking pictures.

2. How long did the transition from amateur to pro shooter take and what lessons did you learn during the process?

DW:The transition took about 7 years – have a big savings account before you go pro!

3. Some Details:

a) Years as a shooter?

DW: I first got serious about photography in 1986.  I got into stock photography in 1991. I went full time pro with out supplemental income (read starvation) in 1996.

b) What’s your market niche and what sets you apart from others in this area?

DW: Dramatic and stylistic landscape with a signature look. And sharing and teaching.

c) Breakdown of income: What percentage comes from editorial clients? From commercial clients? From other sources?

DW: 33% stock photography and assignments; 33% tours, seminars and workshops; 33% writing photo articles, and eBooks.

d) Time breakdown – What percentage of time is spent shooting? Marketing?  Editing?

DW: Not enough time spent shooting! Maybe it’s 25-30%; the rest of the time is spent marketing, editing and office stuff.

4. Do you travel with pre-determined assignments or do you go to capture images and sell them after the fact? Is there a balance between the two?

DW: I only shoot what I like and what moves me. I do not do assignments. I shoot for myself and hope to sell the results later.

5. Where do you live and why? How does your geographic location help or hinder your business model?

DW: I live in Cochrane Alberta due to circumstances and serendipity. Cochrane is a great place to live as a nature photographer (close to prairies and to mountains) and great light.

6. If you could give only one piece of business advice to a young photographer, aside from finding a more lucrative career, what would it be?

DW: Learn how to be a good businessperson and learn about software from web stuff, to video, to photo editing.

7. What’s the harshest lesson you learned early in your photography career and how can others avoid falling into the same trap?

DW: Balancing personal life with the passion of photography – don’t forget what is really important and that is not necessarily the photography

8. Nature and outdoor photography can be brutal. Early mornings, late evenings, encounters with wildlife, patience, crap weather.  What are the toughest and scariest moments to work through?

DW: Self-confidence and learning to shoot for yourself and not for others. Be true to your vision

9. Many entrepreneurs find it difficult to separate their work from their lives. What do you do to maintain a work-life balance? How does time away from the camera affect your work?

DW: The toughest part for me as a person passionate about photography is balancing personal life with my passion. It is an ongoing struggle. If I knew the answers I would let everyone know.  I don’t.

10. What three people – be it friends, family, photographers, or anyone else – provide your greatest source of inspiration?

DW: I am influenced all over the place from music to art to personal encounters. But if I had to name the three biggest influences it would be Samantha Chrysanthou, Daryl Benson and Freeman Patterson.

Final Thoughts

As always, I’d like to thank Darwin for his time and answers. I’m overwhelmed with the support and cooperation of every photographer I’ve interviewed and Darwin is no exception. Cheers.

These interviews are a regular series on my blog, so make sure to leave me a comment with the types of questions you want answered by today’s top pros and I’ll do my best to include them.  Check back every Monday for a new interview.