ThePres6

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: thepres6


-- from thepres6 - (?)
When my imaging journey started so many years ago, in my wildest dreams I would have never thought I would capture something like this. From my backyard with my 15 year old Jack Russell we get to witness some of the creators magic every once in a while and sometimes I even catch a few with the camera!


-- from thepres6 - (?)
From a personal view the experience of this day I had shooting in Savannah, Georgia was truly an out of body one! It was so hot, so beautiful with powerful surges of torrential downpours in the middle of such a beautiful city – I feel this image conveys the sum of that feeling very well.

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
I picked up photography again in Nov 2006 after 26 years of only taking some family snapshots and digital photography has been a true revelation to me. I caught the imaging passion at the age of 13, taught myself how to process B&W, built my first enlarger and lovingly spent the next 8 years homemade darkrooms. After a couple of years working with hand processed 4x5 inch B&W films, shooting nature with an antique press camera, I put it down for several decades.

2: Equipment you use?
For support: A broken $18 tripod.

For challenge: My faithful Nikon Coolpix 7600

For inspiration: The magical Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50!!!! I did not have nay equipment when I upgraded. I wanted - 10MB, a flexible LCD and the best quality/range on fixed lens available. This machine does it all – the 35-420MM Leica super zoom is not of this world and the optical stabilization even allows you to shoot 420MM handhelds -;0)

3: Mac or PC?
PC. I would like to try a MAC sometime but I am consumed by PC’s even at work.


4: What inspires you?
Beautiful images! You have no idea what inspiration I get from the online photo communities I frequent; it has become such an amazing experience. This has truly been the catalyst for my growth as an amateur photographer.


5: Preferred subject matter?
Reflected southern clouds with a hint of blazing sun on still waters surrounded by nature are not only nirvana, but a large part of my rural world as I live in the rural south surrounded by hundreds of miles of muddy rivers and marshes. These moments are even more magical to shoot than to view!

In reality anything around me works fine!
.
6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
The mighty Osprey!!!!!!!!

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
My Flickr visitors are my confidants add to that usually being too confused, busy and backed up with images to work to get to doubt much of anything -;0)

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
Trial and error.

9: Plans for the future?
Shoot 200 cloud filled sunrises in 2008.

Join the local Art Association and get some of this stuff printed and hanging in the galleries throughout the SE coast. We do have some great stuff floating around the area – I do have an invite to meet the local group this week -;0)

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Visions

KristinHayes

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: KristinHayes


-- from KristinHayes - (?)
This little guy is the son of a good friend (my maid of honor). I just love taking newborn photos. They are so new and tiny and scrunchy. This was the first official shoot I did with my 5D and it was a joy. This shoot really represented an advancement in my photography - my equipment, my skill set and most importantly my eye.



I went to see an exhibit of Chihuly glass at the Franklin Park Conservatory last November with JohnnyPearl and his mother, mommePearl. It was an amazing experience, both meeting these two for the first time, and being able to photograph all the wonderful glass and flowers. I came out with so many photos that one contact said it was "an embarrassment of riches." I've been working on my raw processing through ACR lately and revisited that old folder. I found a bunch of photos that I never processed and I decided to see what 9 more months of experience would lend to the photos, and I was very happy with the results. I just love the colors, the lines and that amazing light!

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
My father is a retired wedding photographer so photography has always been part of my life in one way or another. Those annual school pictures weren't going to cut it so I think we would have photo shoots ever 6 months, so I had plenty of experience in front of the camera. But I remember the first time Dad let me take his Pentax SLR somewhere. It was for a 6th grade field trip to Mystic Aquarium (Connecticut) and I loved it. Over the next several years the camera became more mine than his. :-) I got my first DSLR in the fall of 2002 and loved it, and really put it to work when my son was born in 2004. And of course, when I found Flickr, and the people on it, I took it to another level.

2: Equipment you use?
Canon 5D, 24-70mm f/2.8L, 50mm f/1.8

3: Mac or PC?
I'm a PC girl. I'm a programmer by day and my husband is also a computer geek, which comes in very handy. We have more computers in our house than we have people. :-)

4: What inspires you?
Well, my son is my biggest inspiration, but every day I come across things inspire me. When it comes to portraits I love to capture emotions. Capturing a pretty picture of someone is nice, but capturing an emotion (pretty or not) is so much more powerful. The desire to capture a peek into someone's heart and mind inspire me. I'm also inspired by finding beauty in everyday things and in unexpected places.

5: Preferred subject matter?
A lot of people know me for my portraits, and I love to take newborn portraits. But I really love to shoot everything. I love flowers and oftentimes will shoot them for their beauty or for a study (including my latest project creating abstracts). But when taking pictures of beautiful things, it's less of a challenge to find the beauty in them. Finding the beauty in things that don't have obvious beauty is a greater, and more satisfying challenge to me. I love turning something rusty and crusty or a dirty old building into a beautiful piece of art.

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
I had a friend describe to me how he feels when he surfs. When he finished telling me, I said, "I want to capture that." I don't want to just take pictures of someone surfing. I want to capture those feelings and emotions he conveyed to me. It's been almost a year and I still get excited thinking about possibly capturing that. I hope that one day I will get the chance.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
I have some wonderful Flickr friends (ohsleepless1 and JWas) who I can always count on, but the person who I depend on the most is my friend John (JohnnyPearl). Other people in my life have been supportive and helped make me feel like a photographer. He was the first person who really made me feel like an artist.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
Last year I took a refresher course on my DSLR, when I was still shooting with my Canon Rebel (300D). Other than that (and a photography course in high school MANY years ago) I haven't taken any classes. It's trial & error, as well as some great information/advice from some great Flickr contacts.

9: Plans for the future?
I currently have a part time portrait photography business. I would love it if some day I could go full-time, specializing in black and white newborn sessions. I would also like to drum up some business selling prints of photos I take for pure enjoyment so maybe I could earn something to put in my 100mm macro lens fund. :-)

10: In one word, describe your photography.
emotional

Kentuckiana

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER:Kentuckiana


This shot was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I was on vacation with my sister last summer (Myrtle Beach). I woke her up one early morning, grabbed my Canon A70 and we walked to the beach and just stood there for about 2 hours and marveled at the beauty of sunrise. This image really speaks to me. It’s also my very first photo that was ranked No. 1 on Explore. So I’m pretty happy with how it turned out considering it was captured with a 3.2mp point and shoot camera with no editing done other than rotating the horizon level.


This has to be one of the photos that I’m quite proud of. That’s why I decided to use this as my buddy icon. I personally feel that I positioned myself perfectly right under the hot air balloon to get just the right angle. And I also love the color contrasts, red and blue always go together harmoniously.

1: How long have you been involved in photography?

In some ways, all my life, simply because I've always been fascinated with images . My uncle was my first influence. I would go crazy looking at his photo albums, he took some really amazing photos that I found so stunning and I was quite envious. But I never really gave photography a serious thought until my sister and her husband gave me a 1.3mp digital camera. I can’t remember the brand, but it was a good stepping stone into what was ahead of me. When she purchased a Canon A70, I decided to do the same. Read the reviews and found that it was one of the best selling point and shoot cameras at the time. It occurred to me that I wanted to do more than just document my family and friends, places we went on vacation, stuff like that. So I began to learn all I could about photography. Then one bleak December day (2004) I stumbled across Flickr, found the competitive nature of the site very much to my liking and got hooked immediately.

2: Equipment you use?

My earlier photos were shot using my Canon A70. Now my equipment includes an Olympus FE-230 given to me by my husband for our wedding anniversary and recently I have acquired my very first DSLR, a Canon Rebel XT, thanks to a Godsent angel who has answered my prayer. I’ve just started using Photoshop CS3 a few months ago, it was excruciating in the beginning, to get the right effect was tough but I’m starting to understand the steps and different ways of editing photos better.

3: Mac or PC?

Being employed at some major Computer corporations in the past, Mac was never an option. I have to show my loyalty to them, so PC would be my choice. An HP laptop to be specific.

4: What inspires you?

Definitely God’s perfect creation. Nature is perfect unaltered. I enjoy communicating what I experience and see. And nature allows me to do that; the ability to express myself. Flickr is a great place to learn as well. I get my inspiration and motivation mostly from the work of my fellow Flickr friends. They have an abundance of talent and creativity and I am regularly impressed by them. Some of their images remain etched in my mind. They are unforgettable.

5: Preferred subject matter?

I try not to be limited to a single subject. I want to be loose. How I capture an image is an opportunity for self-expression, it’s my creative outlet, and it’s a challenge & a way of life. So I take photos of anything that catches my attention including people, nature, landscape and still life. I focus more on portrait shots lately, capturing emotions provoking thought or feeling. But if I have to choose, it would be flowers and rural scene. Flower textures fascinate me. The simplicity of country life (barns, silos and farm animals) amazes me as well.

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.

I have always wanted to visit the holy and sacred Mecca and capture its beauty. I would also love to visit at least one of the Seven Wonders of the World and make a photo journal of the trip.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?

I always confide in my husband to get a second opinion. He calls a spade a spade, and he would tell me what looks good and what doesn’t.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop

I'm entirely self-taught, both photography and Photoshop. When it comes to photography, I capture what my heart tells me. As for Photoshop, I just learn the different techniques online with a bit of help from friends.

9: Plans for the future?

I've never felt so passionate about any other venture in my life. My long-term goal is to be a free-lance photojournalist. Or possibly be able to exhibit my work in the near future. In the meantime, I will continue to practice and keep shooting. Photography is something that takes a day to learn and a lifetime to master. And I have a long way to go, that’s for sure

10: In one word, describe your photography.

Aesthetic



Thank you so much Jill and the TWTME team for this wonderful opportunity

MatildeB

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: MatildeB


I love the light and composition on this one. The low point of view adds to the scene. It portraits spring. It's really a cheer up shot!


-- from Matilde B. - (?)
This is a shot of a very secluded but absolutely amazing beach, in Portugal! The light is very dramatic, there is feeling of empty space and loneliness conveyed by all elements. The reflections are really nice and the scale works really well, IMHO. :)

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
I have studied photography, for the first time, at Vista College, Berkeley, 1992. I have been in and out photography ever since. I have been really involved in the field for the last 2 years.

2: Equipment you use?
Nikon. My cameras are Nikon cameras so are my lenses. By the way, I am looking for a sponsor. Nikon? :-)

3: Mac or PC?
I used to be a MAC user although I have downgraded to a PC a couple years ago! :-)) ... Since I bought a MAC book for my daughter, last month, I am really considering going back!

4: What inspires you?
Light, nature, sounds and loooots of time. Of course many reference works by famous landscape photographers and others, not so famous but, very creative, also! Many of them have streams around Flickr.

5: Preferred subject matter?
I don’t think that I have a preferred subject matter. People often seem to connect me with landscapes, and I do enjoy those, but I also love to work on creative compositions made of light, color and shape.

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
It’s impossible to name one thing…everyday I find lots of things that have a particular beautiness that I am not able to capture or reproduce using my lenses and camera, it’s really frustrating. Photography is your capability and art to see but also your own interpretation of what you saw.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?

Everyday I have doubts about what I do. I talk with my close friends and relatives about that, all the time.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop

I am a senior webdesigner and photoshop is the only work tool that's opened 24 hours a day on my desktop!! :-))

9: Plans for the future?
I would love to be able to live from my photography but I guess you have to be outstanding to do so. I still have a long way to go!!

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Something where I spend lots of love and energy and I try to convey those feelings through my images.

Thanks all from the sunniest city in Europe (LISBON! :))