Colin Bates - Interview

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I follow a lot of photographers on popular photo sharing site Flickr. One that has always stood out to me is local photog Colin Bates. For me, its his minimalist B&W images that really stand out. They always look so effortless, so well-composed. Colin has a style you just recognise right away, a signature  if you will, but he’s not just limited to B&W, producing great work across a variety of genres. Here’s what he had to say.

1. What draws you to minimalist black and white photography?

Just the pure simplicity. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.

 

2. What are three photographic tips or tricks you wish you’d known about five years ago?

- Always make sure your horizon is straight.
- Knowing what ND grad filters are and how to use them.
- How to open Photoshop, let alone use it.

 

3. What photographers do you look up to?

That is a hard one, as there are so many talented photographers out there. You only have to look at Flickr or 500px. But I would say some stand-outs would be:
- Peter Eastway: His landscape work and post-processing really appeals to me, so much that I purchased his masterclass workshop. Money well spent.
- Christian Fletcher: An amazing landscape photographer, and his Photoshop skills are brilliant.
- Brent Pearson: His seascape work is fantastic which inspired me to contact him for a private lesson.
- Andy Brown: A master of the B&W long exposure. His minimalistic work is just breathtaking.
- Ian Bramham: Creates some amazing images in colour and B&W. A class act indeed.

 

4. Where are your favourite spots to shoot and why?

I absolutely love shooting the NSW south coast. This coastline and countryside holds a special place in my heart. I still remember my first sunrise shoot at the Glasshouse rocks in Narooma. It was just before first light when I walked onto Cemetery beach and saw these two huge rocks. I felt a real presence and it still sends a shiver down my spine. As the Blue Mountains is right on my doorstep, this is another place I enjoy taking the time to explore, discover and shoot. It just has so much to offer – from the windblown peaks to the gorgeous waterfalls, canyons and rainforests.

 

5. What can we expect from Colin Bates in 2013?

2013 is shaping up to be a good year with quite a few plans and ideas on the go. Some adventures planned so far are a two-week shooting fest in New Zealand’s South Island, Hill End in the Autumn, as well as a trip to Lightning Ridge and Tasmania.
I am also planning on advancing my skills in natural light portraiture as well as strobist work and upgrading to the Nikon D800E.

 

To see more of Colin’s work, visit his Flickr page here.

Dylan Fox - Interview

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Dylan Fox (http://dylanfox.com.au) is one of those local young guns that makes me want to cry. One of his recent images popped up in the Canon Australia FB feed and I was totally blown away. Further investigation showed me a varied and full portfolio, including some really unique comps I hadn’t seen before from popular Western Australian destinations. Check out what Dylan had to say in his own words below.

1) What’s a favourite image you’ve taken and why?

My answer will change on a fairly regular basis. Usually it’s one of my most recent photographs. As my style is tweaked and evolves my views on older photographs will have changed. As with most artists (or at least photographers), I am very fussy with my work and always evaluating pieces, which is I guess is why we progress.
Right now my favourite piece is ‘The Reward (see first image in slideshow above). I had previously captured a very similar composition to this photograph but under very different conditions, but when I arrived back at this beach I couldn’t resist setting up for this frame with the clouds looking like they would provide a colourful sunset and the tidal and swell conditions were right to shoot it again. The shoot was exciting to say the least. A number of times the water rushing through the channel was completely engulfing my tripod as it was set very low and only falling shot of reaching the camera by about 10cm! Not only that, but incoming waves were splashing at me so I had to keep an eye on them to ensure my gear didn’t cop any of them! Then to my surprise, as the colours were peaking lightning started striking regularly, landing right at the end of the channel! I was so stoked with the distant strikes, but when the bright one landed so much closer to shore than any of the others and I captured it, I was thrilled!
I wanted the photograph to be a fairly soft image with the lightning strike interrupting that calm feeling of the photograph. I love to photograph with a ‘no risk, no reward’ attitude, and this photograph in particular I considered a reward.
It was such an awesome night knowing I had captured lightning strikes in a colourful sunset! Lightning shots were something that had eluded me until recently.

 

2) If someone was visiting Western Australia for the first time, what spots would you consider photographic must-dos?
I would always suggest the south-west. You can look in any direction down there and find something amazing. I love visiting the Cape Naturaliste area. The coast is stunning with brilliant rock formations. I have so much shooting I still want to do down there. Every time I visit the area I go down with one particular shot in mind that I want to capture, so there will be many trips south in the future! You can also head further south and visit Esperance and other towns. I am yet to get there but cannot wait to make the drive down!

 

3) How does your post processing differ from other landscape photographers?
I really don’t know… I don’t really read or research all that much when it comes to post-processing techniques, so I don’t really know what a lot of other photographers do. If there is a certain look or feeling to a photograph that I want to achieve I will often just work out a way to do it on my own. There are so many different ways to go about creating similar effects. If there is a technique that I really want to know I am not afraid to ask a photographer who does it well, and more often than not they will tell you how they do it or point you in the right direction. I would simply suggest trial and error. If you know your way around Photoshop and know what you want to achieve, you will often be able to achieve that result with a bit of patience.

 

4) How successful have you been monetizing your photography, and what advice would you give to others looking to do the same?
I am quite proud to call myself a professional photographer now. It was a title I held off on. I am a full-time photographer keeping busy with shooting landscapes, continuing to build my print sale figures on a yearly basis, and picking up contract work. The dream is to one day not have to take on the contract work and only shoot what I love. I have a commerce degree with majors in marketing and advertising, so I am going about things in regard to my landscape work in a very strict manner, which I guess could hurt the pocket in the short-term, but I am making these decisions for long-term gain.

 

5) What can we expect from you in 2013?
I am excited about 2013. So far it has been a great year. I have a list of goals that I want to get through. I have a trip to the States in June/July and hope to get a number of trips in around Western Australia. I am wrapped with the direction my photography is taking and really can’t wait to get out in search of my next shot! If I can add 12 or more photographs to my collection that I am proud of I will be thrilled. I plan on doing a bit more night photography this year as well. I have a number of photographs in my head; just waiting on the right conditions for some of them. Some of them have to wait until I get to the US.

 

Be sure to check out more of Dylan’s extraordinary work via his website.