LInda Scannell

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Linda Scannell


This one's of my daughter - she has the most fantastically long eyelashes so while she was playing I took this one to emphasise them.


Our cat often keeps me company during late night photo editing sessions. I've often noticed her reflection when she's sitting at our glass dining table keeping an eye on me, but she's normally run off by the time I get my camera. This time I had the camera in my hand and here's the result. I have to give my husband Richard credit for the title - he's much better with words than me.

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
My dad lent me his camera when I was 10 years old and I've been hooked on photography ever since. In those days film was the only option and my creativity was limited by lack of access to a dark room. But when I got my first digital camera in 2000 (a chunky 1 Megapixel point and shoot) I could see the potential so switched to a digital SLR as soon as I could afford it.

2: Equipment you use?
I'm a Canon girl. I had a Canon film SLR so stuck with them when I switched to digital. I'm lucky enough to have a 5D Mark II and a 1D Mark IV (great for natural light photography on dark winter days), and a good selection of lenses. My favourite is my 50mm f/1.4 (I love the dreamy quality it gives when shooting at f/2.0 and below - the eyelash picture above was shot with that lens wide open.)

I probably ought to mention my iPhone too. I used to carry a point and shoot camera with me virtually everywhere, but since I've had my iPhone I've not felt the need to. I love creating "low fi" images with it, particularly via Hipstamatic, but probably my favourite camera app is TiltShiftGen - all that lovely blur.

3: Mac or PC?
Both. I spent many years supporting PCs so I know my way round Windows, but I've fallen in love with my Macbook so eventually I think I'll switch over entirely to Macs.

4: What inspires you?
All sorts of things. My family, my cat, my friends, the local landscape, the wonderful range of images you find on Flickr - the list could go on for pages.

5: Preferred subject matter?
I love shooting people and animal portraits, though you probably wouldn't guess that from my photostream as I keep most of my family and client images private.


6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
The Northern Lights. I've never seen them but taking a trip to the Arctic Circle to experience them is definitely on my To Do list.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
My husband, and one of my closest friends, who's also on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/annrob/

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
I studied photography with the Open College of Arts and got my licentiateship of the Royal Photographic Society as a result. I also have a licentiateship of the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers. I've been on various wedding and portrait courses, which have included bits of Photoshop and Lightroom training but I've learnt most of my editing techniques from the Internet and by experimenting.

9: Plans for the future?
Carrying on with my "photo a day" project, building up my photography business, and continuing to experiment. I had my first photography exhibition last year, and I'm planning another one this year. I've got several ideas for projects - I just need to make the time to do them.


10: In one word, describe your photography.
Expressive

Green Lover

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Green Lover

About this photo… It was cloudy, cold and rainy day and I even wouldn’t like to go outside, but I had to go to the shop. I went out and after some minutes I was walking by small bushes, where was a lot of spider’s web with many little drops of water. I always have a camera in my bag, so I just took it and started to take photos. For some time I forgot about my shopping and cold day, ‘cos these drops looked fantastic and even my mood was started to be better. I thought, that it’s good to have a camera, even in so gray day like that, ‘cos nature sometimes can to show us beautiful surprise.


I took this photo in the beginning of Autumn, just on the lawn at the front of the building, where I live. I was walking to home and I’ve seen this little red leaf between green. I thought, that Autumn is coming also to micro world, not only to trees and bushes and that it will be good to show it also to other people :)

1: How long have you been involved in photography?

It’s hard to say, ‘cos I think that it was all my life. My father loved to take photos too. He was an amateur, but he could take good shots and I always like to help him. Of course, he also gave me my first camera.

2: Equipment you use?

I’m amateur and I have nothing special. Maybe in the future I’ll buy any better camera, but in this moment I have only Canon PowerShot SX100 IS

3: Mac or PC?

PC

4: What inspires you?

Nature and everything that surround me (also all these photos which I can see on Flickr). On my photos I try to show the world, how I see it with my eyes.

5: Preferred subject matter?

Mostly nature – landscapes, animals, trees, flowers and everything in this theme. But I also like to take shots of beautiful architecture or any thing or place which catch my eye.

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

Bird in flight. I think, that it’s very difficult to take a good photo of flying bird.

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

My father, sometimes husband and friends, especially Flickr friends. I’m amateur, so from time to time I like to ask someone about something in my photos (for ex. what capture is better or about any technical things).

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop

I’ve never had any formal training, everything what I know I’ve learned by myself. I also don’t use Photoshop. I have some simple photo editing programs, but I don’t like to do many changes in photos. I like when they look naturally.

9: Plans for the future?

Taking shots is only my hobby, so I don’t have any plans with it. My plans rather concern now to my daughter (in 25 February will be her 2-nd birthday). But photography give me a lot of fun, so I’ll be surely go on with it.

10: In one word, describe your photography.

Well, it’s not easy… I don’t work with photography, I simply like to take shots, so maybe word “joy” will be good. I also thought about word “naturalness”, ‘cos I on my photos try to show the world how I see it.

Fiznatty

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Fiznatty

A lot of my favorite photo encounters seem to feature wild cats. They are obviously photogenic subjects and, in the case of most species in the western hemisphere, are extremely elusive. So this was something of dream encounter. On one of my autumn trips I set aside two days to sit in a tree up in Utah's Wasatch Mountains, hoping for some sort of wildlife to show up at the natural spring below. On the first evening this mountain lion appeared just after sundown and spent a couple minutes slaking its thirst.


Those familiar with my stream know I spend a lot of time in Yellowstone National Park. This remains my favorite Yellowstone moment. While a crowd of 200 wolf watchers were focusing on a black wolf way out in the valley, I had a quiet moment with the pack's alpha male, standing on the hillside directly above me. He howled and then headed down toward the road. The mob soon turned and spotted him, but I got my private moment.

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
About 13 years now. I've been artistic since childhood, but it wasn't until I reached the tail end of college that I had a chance to play in the darkroom and grow to love photography.

2: Equipment you use?
Canon prosumer bodies (7D and older), with lenses ranging from 10mm to 500mm.

3: Mac or PC?
Mac. I used both for several years, but eventually needed to streamline my software. Mac won out. I don't miss the blue screens.

4: What inspires you?
"Good art," which can really include anything from the Oscars to the work I've seen on Flickr. Also, wilderness survival shows. There's almost a childlike sense of adventure that they bring out in me... makes me want to grab my gear and head off into the jungle for a couple weeks. The opportunity to give people a glimpse of the wild world out there means a lot to me as well, and probably explains why I enjoy sharing so many photos--not just the "portfolio quality" stuff--on Flickr and my site.

5: Preferred subject matter?
Wildlife. There's something alluring about coming face to face with a wild animal out in the middle of nowhere. It's usually a quiet, private moment; a moment that can be shared and conveyed to others... if I don't blow the shot. ;)

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
Probably any rare wild cat would do, but a jaguar is at the top of the list (who's up for a trip to Brazil?). Lightning is up there too.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
My questions and self-doubt relate more to the technical side of photography than the artistic side. I have a good sense of what I want to capture and present, but often times the how is the problem. In those instances I usually lean on my peers for their insights and experience with equipment and technique.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
Self-taught. I actually consider post-processing to be one of my greatest weaknesses, so I'm always trying new techniques that I pick up here and there. At least there's one aspect of my photography that is evolving!

9: Plans for the future?
My career is at a bit of a crossroads at the moment. I've been debating whether to expand the business side of my photography. This includes potentially leading tours and workshops, an idea I find rather intimidating. I'm also working on a series of children's picture books (featuring wildlife of course) for iPad and iPhone, the first of which was just released.

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Adventure