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He was one of the first photographers Streetfashion MagZZine has featured in its beginning spring 2015. He is well known in the north east of UK connected with the name grime and glamour.
Chris, please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. (How old are you, Where were you born and where do you live now, What is your profession and do you have other besides photography? I am 56 years old and was born in East Yorkshire. In a typical English market town called Beverley, about 8 miles from Hull. I moved to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1983 and have lived here very happily since then. My main hobby is photography but I am also passionate about music. I worked in music for over 25 years, and really miss doing that. For a living, I work in a call centre. Not the best, but it pays the bills.
Have you been involved in the arts in some form other than photography? I have no real artistic talent beyond photography. I always wanted to be a rock star so of course tried every instrument going before realising I had zero musical ability! I occasionally do some acting and have featured in some very small budget mini films and also in a low budget full length horror film that should be out later this year.
What is your favorite lens? Can you tell us about your work flow from the point until you showcase the developed picture? The Fuji 35mm f1.4 has been my main (and sometimes, only) lens for all my model images. I love the results and it has always done everything I need from it. I got it at the same time as the XPRO1 but had been using it on the X-E2S for the last two years. That has now gone so it is back on the XPRO1, and that is still a brilliant combination. My processing is incredibly simple. I shoot jpeg as Fuji cameras do them so well. Images go into Lightroom and then I sort the ones I want to process. I make a lot of my own presets so use those. Then I play about with gradients, shadows and highlights and then they are ready. That's it
What would you say characterizes your work in comparison to other photographers? The biggest difference I guess is that I hate overuse of photoshop. I see it a lot and I can't stand it. I see great images, that in my opinion are ruined by awful 'plastic' skin and even peoples faces and body shapes changed. Not my thing at all. I like a very natural look, but I do see that is creeping in more and more in some of the online magazines I follow, which for me, is great and most welcome.
Tell us your funniest or most awkward photography story. There really hasn't been anything massively funny that I can think of but as for awkward, the amount of times the police have been called to my shoots is very annoying. Over the years the police have come out on seven different occasions, always caused by "a concerned member of the public". They are usually great and accept what we are doing and leave us to it. Last year my self and another photographer were shooting the same girl (Sophia, who you featured recently) and the police arrived. It always starts with "what are you doing"? I'm afraid I don't have patience with stupid questions so I always say "what does it look like", which doesn't usually get us off to a good start! Anyway to cut a long story short, these two 'clowns' kept us for over thirty mins why they asked questions and did checks on us all. I was furious as it's a stupid waste of police time and effort. No doubt it will happen again soon.
What would you tell a newcomer who asks for your advice on how to start? Shoot, shoot, shoot. I often get messages from people on facebook saying "I wish I could shoot models", and I always say, well you can. I always suggest asking partners, friends, work colleagues, basically anyone they know to pose for them. Practice and get confident and then join the model/photographer sites. Then you can approach random strangers on facebook,or instagram (where I get a lot of new shoots from these days) or even on the street. That always works better if you have a business card and are carrying a camera! I often advise on the way to treat models when shooting as well. In case you're represented, please provide also your web addresses in twitter and google+, so that we can link you to the article. Homepage, Facebook and Instagram I already have. Thanks Chris for giving us a glimpse into your world of photography. Video addicted visitors also have the chance to see some of your work at your Youtube channel.
Michel, please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. (How old are you, Where were you born and where do you live now, What is your profession and do you have other besides photography? I was born almost 50 years ago in Nieuwpoort at the Belgian coast. I joined the army at age 15 and have lived on different locations since. I even lived in Germany near the great city of Cologne for 4 years, back in the early nineties. Now I live in Zoutleeuw, a small village some 50km east of Brussels. I am still in the army, but I also started a photography business a couple of years ago and now I’m combining both jobs
Could you share with us how you first became interested in photography? I have always been interested in photography. When I was younger, I mostly took photos, on film of course, during trips and holidays. I wasn’t very interested in having people on the photos and I even avoided it if I could. The subjects then were landscapes, nature, architecture, special buildings, etc. Anything without people on it. From every trip, I chose an image which I would then print in a 20x30cm format and hang on this one wall at home, creating a kind of wall of memories. And then my cameras broke and I didn’t have a lot of time and slowly the passion for photography shrunk to a little flame… Some 5 or 6 years ago I bought a digital camera and started taking photo’s again. I joined a local photo club and discovered the joys of working with people as a subject. Since then, I have been on a steep learning curve and with every model I photographed, I learned something new that I had to try as soon as possible with yet another model.
Do you see a particular influence, be it a photographer or school on your work? I see myself influenced by many photographers. I try to keep an open mind for all kinds of people photography. It is amazing what you can learn from simply watching a photo. What colour combinations work, poses, shooting angles, choice of light and the feeling it creates… But if I have to mention some photographers by name, I would say Lindsay Adler had a big influence on me, but also Annie Leibovitz, Sean Archer, Emily Soto and so many more.  model: Evelien Baelus What would you say characterizes your work in comparison to other photographers? I try to use different styles, but in the end, I think my photos are mostly sensual and soft and in colour, although I do like some black and white from time to time.
What would you tell a newcomer who asks for your advice on how to start? To people that start out with photography, I would say that all photographers at one point started with a first camera and a first photo they took and had to learn from there. Nobody is born a legend. What I mean is, you don’t get anything for free. If you want to be a good photographer, you will have to put in a lot of time and effort as is the case with everything. Better, more expensive gear will not make you a better photographer. Learning from your mistakes and being passionate about photography will.
Robert, please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. (How old are you, Where were you born and where do you live now, What is your profession and do you have other besides photography? 57 years old. Funny thing is, I keep telling myself 27. Physically we all have to age but upstairs we all try and remain young. I was born in Brooklyn, NY. My parents moved us up to the Catskill Mountains when I was 10. Most of my life I lived in the mountains. The past 9 years now I have lived here in Florida. Yes, it is an extreme change in both environment and lifestyles. To compared it in the photographic world, it's the difference between film and digital. I am married now for almost 20 years. Life has thrown it's share of up's and down's to us. That is why as much as I love photography, raising children and life forced me to do other work besides photography, paying bills and food on the table is 1st  Have you been involved in the arts in some form other than photography? Yes, I was for a period of time back in the '90's working in the theater. Started out as a stage hand and with the help and guidance of a very close friend, eventually took out shows on the road as a production stage manager. Loved being on the road like that, different place every day. Great way to see the country.
What equipment are you using now and with what did you get started? Well due to limitations with my lifestyle, I work with modest equipment. My go to work horse is the Nikon D300. Picked it up around this time last year with only 8,000 actuations, practically brand new for this camera at a very affordable price. This camera is just that damn good. I also use almost always the 1.8 50mm. Recently added the full frame Nikon 24-85mm VR, exceptional lens. As for what I first started with, don't laugh, the Pentax K1000. That camera forced you to be on your game if you wanted a great shot. That was the day of film, you know, shoot today hold breathe for 2 weeks and open package with one eye, days. Eventually moving up to Nikons and dabbled a bit with Mamiya Medium format before digital came  What is your favorite lens? Can you tell us about your work flow from the point until you showcase the developed picture? My right arm is the 50mm. Grew up with it and I seem to always start off a shoot with it and then may move onto something else. Recently began to explore a hidden gem, the full frame Nikon 24-85mm VR on my DX D300. I am falling in love. My workflow consist of doing a meet and greet with every person I shoot or work for. Must begin to develop a understanding and possibly a friendship right from the start. Doing so makes for things come together easier the day of a shoot. After which, it's a review of the shots in Light room. With Lightroom a few minor tweaks, then into Photoshop for a couple more. I use PS primarily for cropping/resizing etc. and finishing touches back in LR utilizing it's sharpening, contrast etc.. There was a time we would have people over for final viewing but in this fast pace world they mostly all want it on Dropbox or some other online view service.
What would you tell a newcomer who asks for your advice on how to start? Light is without a doubt number one. From sunlight to flash. Light determines the overall look and feel of a picture. Learn all of it and understand it. Yes I mentioned the "evil" flash. Do not be afraid of it. Understand it's limitations, you will find down the road it will make or break a situation you may encounter. Shoot as often as you can. Use whatever tool you have no matter how good the camera/lens is. Learn the basics and fundamentals. Then go out and break them. In photography you are never that damn good. To be competitive and to remain working in this business you must continue to study and experiment, creating something new and exciting. Exploring all types of lights, cameras, modifiers, etc..
Alessandro, please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. (How old are you, Where were you born and where do you live now, What is your profession and do you have other besides photography? Hello everyone, my name is Alessandro Rossi, I’m 31 years old and I was born in Ortona, Italy. I live and work as a portrait and fashion photographer in Rome since 2015. Before that I was a full-time sales-associate in sport clothes and shoes.  Have you been involved in the arts in some form other than photography? Yes, before photography I was a musician (jazz/fusion drummer), I studied for several years at Saint Louis College of Music, in Rome. Seeing your remarkable work, I am curious where your creativity comes from? Photography has always generated great interest in me, from an early age, although I got approached mainly only in recent years.
I am a big fan of contrasts, lines and geometries, I always look at these! ;) I always try to study and learn from my mistakes to improve myself as a photographer. The planning, study and commitment behind one single click and the ability to create something that can convey what I see with my own eyes, describing the passion I have for this job and lead me to improve myself from time to time.  Could you share with us how you first became interested in photography? I always loved photography in general, but I got approached for the first time when I was in elementary school, having found an old Zenit camera film in my parents' room ... from there I started to look through the viewfinder..and listening the charging noise of the external flash … What equipment are you using now and with what did you get started? what is your favorite lens? I currently shoot with a Canon EOS 6D, with Canon Lens: 16-35 F/4 L IS; 24-70 f/2.8 L USM, 50 f/1.2 L USM; 70-200 f/2.8 L IS II. I also have a bunch of other equipment (Polarizer, ND Filters, various sizes of reflectors and light modifiers). For lighting, I use a Godox Winstro AD200 as a main flash, and two Canon Speedlite 430 EXII, all of that set off by the Godox X1C TTL Triggers. My favorite lens is the 70-200 2.8 L IS II, but I really love the 50 1.2. I started with a Canon Powershot SX40HS, then I moved to DSLR and i bought a Canon 600D with a Canon 15-85 USM, 50 f/1.8 and a Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6.
During the shoot, I communicate constantly with the subject for feedback and taking care about posing. Back home, I wait at least 24 hours before making a selection of the photos: this for seeing them with fresher eyes, unaffected by what has just been done, so you can better manage the selection. After the selection of the favored (always shooting in RAW), beginning the basic processing In Lightroom, then move on Photoshop for other corrections. Finally back in Lightroom and prepare photos for export. Do you see a particular influence, be it a photographer or school on your work? Any subject that attracts you? Yes, one of my favorite modern photographer is Karl Taylor, impressive teacher and photographer. From him I found a lot of inspiration and learned a lot, thanks to its tutorials, and he has the style similar to that one day I would love to have, but there are many photographers who appreciate and that I follow: Joe McNally, Steve McCurry, Joel Grimes, Andrè Brito, Giovanni Gastel, Sylvio Testa, my mentor and my best friend Alex Comaschi (he is one of my biggest inspirations) so.. the list is really really long! I am very attracted by representing the female beauty, in general are very attracted to the shapes and contrasts. I prefer to shoot on location rather than in a studio.
Tell us your funniest or most awkward photography story.
I was in the city-center for a shoot, had passed a police patrol, after asking me why I was taking at that point, and having shown them a few shots, a policeman has offered to help me with lightstand ..! (Just for a second course, then we had to go from there, but it was fun!) What would you tell a newcomer who asks for your advice on how to start? After having just purchased only the basic equipment to shoot: study, study, study; practice, practice, practice! The camera does not do the photo, but the photographer, the equipment is only a means that helps the expression of the vision of an image. Have a knowledge of light and extremely thorough in your equipment, so that you will soon forget the technique and just focus on what really matters most of all in photography: content and emotion. Do not feel never arrived, but accepts constructive advice, always with humility. Showing always open sharing the knowledge. Search for your style and always committed to the maximum to improve yourself as a photographer. |
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