Monday, June 13, 2011

Keith Aggett

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Keith Aggett
C A U T I O N by Keith Aggett
I love this shot, for me it holds mystery as the sign shows a winding road which dissapears into a spooky looking wooland. You can almost here the voices!

Black & Light by Keith Aggett
This woodland has an eerie feel, the mist really pulls me in and puts me on the edge of my chair. It was a quick shot and hardly any processing time put into it....but its my all time fav!

1: Tell us a little about yourself
. Aged 42 and born and living in Newton Abbot Devon UK, have a full time job and a big family to look after so don't have much time for photography, but make the most of the time I have.

2: How long have you been involved in photography?
Had my first camera at the aged of 14 which was a Pracktica MTL5, and moved onto digital early 2000's, probably over the past 5 years is when I've really got into the whole digital and processing game.

3: Equipment you use?
Nikon D300, Sigma 17-70 & 10-20 lens, I also use a manfrotto 190xprob tripod. Filters I use B&W ND110 & ND106 also cokin grads.This is the kit I use 95% of the time.

4 Who or what inspires you?
.Michael Kenna is my true inspiration but also I love some of Michael Levins work to.

5: Preferred subject matter?
.Long exposure seascapes, love all that misty water running over framework.


6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
I would love to capture some lightning, that is definitely at the top of my list.

7 If you weren’t a photographer would you have another artistic pursuit? If so what?
No

8: Do you have any advice for someone just starting their photography journey?
Take your camera everywhere you go because the best photos are taken when you least expect it.

9: Plans for the future?
No real plans for the future, but just want to keep improving on my photography and processing skills.

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Surreal

Monday, June 06, 2011

Usman Ali

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Usman Ali

Comforting by Usman Ali has red hands
When Jill gave me the option's to choose two of my favorite photo's this one won hands down. This is very special to me as it symbolizes the bond I have with my two boys. The hands in the shot are mine and my eldest son Saif. This photo opened new doors for me as a photographer. About 2 months ago I was enrolled as a Getty Images artist.
This was the shot that got me recognized and also gave me the belief I was heading in the right directio

Armageddon by Usman Ali has red hands
I have found digital art a way of expressing my inner self and creativity. I think this piece of work shows exactly that.

1: Tell us a little about yourself
I am a amateur photographer. Who is currently practicing the trade along side a full time public service job. I live in England with my lovely wife and two boys.
When I'm not taking photo's I spend most of my time on flickr. You can call me a flickr addict if that suits you.

2: How long have you been involved in photography?
In 2004 I purchased my first point and shoot 4 mega pixels Olympus digital camera. I use to love taking shot's on family occasions and trips. I started using basic editing softwares to to do the usual cropping, adjusting contrast and brightness etc. Soon after my work life took over and I remained a casual photographer. It was late 2009 when my wife went through my digital photo's on my laptop. She was pretty impressed and told me that I had an eye for photography. As I looked back at the photo's apart of me started to believe also what my wife was saying. From that day onwards I became interested in improving my photography skills. Very recently I bought my first Digital SLR. There is so much to learn and I am loving every moment!

3: Equipment you use?
Cannon 1000d /18-55 mm lens
Sony T9 Cybershot
Iphone 4


4 Who or what inspires you?
Pretty obvious for a flickr addict like me. Most of my inspiration has been from members of flickr. I had a lot of jaw opening experiences seeing some of the talent guys had to offer.

5: Preferred subject matter?
I like portraiture very much. Mostly photography with drama and mood. I will be spending most of this year learning about studio photography.

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
I have always found long exposure landscape sea photography to be amazing. That would be one for me to pursue!

7 If you weren’t a photographer would you have another artistic pursuit? If so what?
When I was in high school I finished school with a A* in Drama. I would have liked to act or direct. Or maybe to do a Mars bar ad or something.


8: Do you have any advice for someone just starting their photography journey?
From my personal experience I found online photography websites to be very helpful. Like many others I have a full time job so a photography course was not a option for me. I am a visual learner so online tutorial videos worked the best for me. But If you do have the time I would recommend you take a beginners course at your local colleges. It will help you meet and engage with others. Trust me you can go a long way knowing the right people.
If your into post-processing and not willing to pay a fortune for editing softwares such as Photoshop ; I would recommend Picnik which is a online editing software which is linked to flickr it's self. Most of my work so far has been processed through Picnik.

9: Plans for the future?
I am keen on producing more stock photography for Getty Images. Hopefully I could make some income to buy a Canon 5d III. This would really help me jump start my portrait photography. Portrait photography business is my long term goal. Art photography would be my ongoing hobby as it really helps me express myself.

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Diverse