This is an interview between Linda Lewis (LWL), owner/artist of
Creative Artworks,
and Dave Collins (DC), a wonderful photographer who specializes in sunrises, sunsets, land and seascapes, flowers and birds.
LWL: What drew you to photography, Dave?
DC:
I have always been interested in photography. Not always very seriously. I have always wanted to be able to visually express what I was seeing in a scene. Long ago I realized that I have no talent at all for drawing or painting an image. Photography allows me to express my creative feelings in a way I could never do as any other type of artist.
LWL: How did you get started in photography?
DC:
When I was a young teenager, I had a Brownie Box Camera. I loved to try to take "creative" photographs and even had one or two come out fairly nicely. While I was in college, my brother (who had been taking pictures as a hobby for a while) was trading up in cameras and asked if I wanted his old 35mm. It was basically a very early point and shoot, in that it had a fixed lens and a built in light meter. I used it for couple of years and got into doing my own developing and printing of black and white photographs. Then I traded up as well to my first 35mm SLR camera. I took mostly photographs of my wife and children, but also did some scenic photographs in the mountains of Maryland and Pennsylvania and at the shore. Then, with the family and a growing career, I found I no longer had any time for photography. Other than occasional snapshots, I didn't take any photographs for years. When I retired and thought about what I wanted to do, photography was a natural for me. At that point, I took a refresher course in photography to relearn the basic technical skills, and I have been doing it ever since.
LWL: How do you choose a subject?
DC:
The general answer to this question is that I like to take photographs of specific types of subjects, i.e., sunrises and sunsets, landscapes, seascapes, flowers and birds. Many of my photographs include water. But, a specific subject within that general framework is simply one that catches my eye at the time I am out shooting and I think it'll make a good photograph.
LWL:
What makes a "good" photograph?
DC:
To begin with, there are the technical aspects of the photograph. Proper focus, proper exposure, and some composition are important aspects of a good photograph. More importantly, a good photograph captures the feeling the photographer had at the time the photo was taken. They say, "A picture is worth a thousand words." A good photograph captures that thought and expresses the photographer's feelings about the subject.
LWL: When and how did you start photography as a business?
DC:
As I mentioned, when I retired I was looking for something that I could do to fill my time. Photography was a natural choice. I started trying to get into the stock photography market - publishing - and I had some small success with getting my photographs published. But it was very time-consuming and the return was small by comparison to the time spent. So, I decided to try doing art/craft shows. As it turned out, that was very successful for me. As a result of doing shows, I have several people who owned gift shops ask me about wholesaling my cards. So, I started to sell the note cards to stores. There are now 7 stores that carry my note cards and one store that carries my matted photographs. I have been expanding my business regularly trying different marketing approaches. I rented gallery space for a while but found that sales barely covered rent. Then I tried online marketing. Although it has taken about 2 years to get there, the online business is now making a profit. I have been selling online from my own site as well as a couple of consignment arrangements, such as at Creative Artworks.
LWL: What do you hope to bring to buyers of your photos?
DC:
Most of my photos can be called peaceful or serene. Interestingly enough, when I am taking photographs I find I am very relaxed and really enjoy what I am doing. This is the feeling I hope to capture in my photographs for the people who look at them. This sense of peace and relaxation. In addition, I want to give my buyers something that is very decorative when they hang it on the wall of their home or office.
LWL: What types of cameras do you use?
DC:
I shoot all 35mm. My two primary cameras are Minoltas. I have a Minolta Maxxum 450Si, a beginner-level camera that can accept a full range of lenses and the Minolta Maxxum 9, which is the Minolta professional camera. In addition, I have a Sears Brand camera which I bought in the early 70's. At the time it was a very expensive camera and it still takes outstanding photographs even though none of the metering or auto features work now.
LWL: What do you think of digital cameras?
DC:
I think that digital cameras are great for family snapshots and for professional commercial and publication photography. I personally like film photography for reproduction of prints for sale.
LWL: Are there any cameras you would recommend?
DC:
It depends on what type of photography someone is looking to do. If someone is looking for a camera they use to take family photos and share with friends and family, a digital camera is the way to go. If they are looking to do work like I do, a film camera may be better. I don't know enough about digital cameras to make any recommendations at all. For film cameras, I always suggest that people shop around and compare features and prices. Decide whether you want 35mm, medium format or large format. All of the major camera makers make good cameras. Then buy the camera that gives you the most features that you feel you need for the money you have to spend.
LWL: If a person can only afford a couple of lenses, which do you recommend and why?
DC:
To some extent, this will depend on the subjects they plan to shoot. For 35mm photography in general, however, a wide range zoom lens such as a 28-105mm lens is good for a several types of shooting requirements going from a wide angle to a moderate telephoto including the best focal ranges for portraiture. It can handle many types of photographs. Add to that a 75-300mm or a 100-400mm zoom lens and you can cover the focal range from 28mm - 400mm with only 2 lenses. Again, I would think about the type of shooting I plan to do, then shop around for lenses that will give me the best quality lens(es) that meets my shooting needs for the money I have available to spend.
LWL: What is your ultimate goal in photography?
DC:
I can't really say I have an ultimate goal in photography. Obviously, I would love to have the business grow, but I want to continue to take photographs that I like. I hope others will like them as well but I don't want the business of photography to become more important than the photography itself.
LWL: What advice do you have for people who want to get into photography?
DC:
For people just starting out, I would offer several suggestions:1. Don't worry about the equipment you have. The camera is a tool. Learn to use it to create photographs that you like.2. Shoot lots of film. Practice is important in developing any skill. Take pictures of a variety of subjects until you find the particular things that you feel the best about photographing. Then concentrate on those types of subjects.3. Master the technical aspects of shooting and your camera. These things should become second nature to you. I always suggest that people just starting out keep notes about every shot they take. Record the film, including the ISO rating, the subject, the type of lighting, time of day (if outside) camera settings, and other useful information. Compare the information in the log with the actual photographs and see what worked and what didn't. What changes do you see with changes in camera settings? Analyze each picture in relation to the information you recorded in the log. Incorporate what you learn from analyzing each roll into your future shooting. Continuous improvement. After a while, the technical aspects of a photograph and setting your camera become second nature to you.4. After you master your camera and the technical aspects of a shot, you will find you can concentrate more on the creative aspects of getting the subject you are photographing.
LWL:Thanks very much, Dave!
