Photographer Interviews

The best way to learn from great photographers is to hear them talk about their work in their own words. This section features conversations with working photographers, directors, and industry figures — going beyond surface-level Q&As to dig into how they think, how they've built their careers, and what they've figured out that they wish they'd known earlier.

The Color Connection – As Done by Dynamichrome

Before the invention of photography, historical events were depicted in elaborate paintings. Then in the early 19th century, photography came along. But it wasn’t until the 1930s when color photography was used. It’s amazing how good colorization work on a historical image can change your view of certain events.

Bazaar Magazine Fashion Editorial Shot Entirely On Film

These days it's hard to come by a fashion shoot that's not shot with a digital camera. That's why when Fstoppers discovered on a Facebook Film Shooters group that Indonesian based photographers Wirawan Sanjaya and partner Gaillard Mathieu had convinced the editors at Bazaar Magazine to allow him to shoot the entire editorial on film, we just had to r

BTS of Carnivora Gardinum by Chris Field

Chris Field shot this amazing time-lapse video, but that’s not all he did; he also generously shared with us the BTS video, which is a dream come true for anyone who wants to see how others do it. Chris spent three months of shooting and over 80GB of images and video. As you may realize, putting all that footage together is a process on its own.

Photographer Burns Couch, with a Bride on It, Bringing Attention to Divorce

New Zealand photographer Tom Hollow has an interesting photo series titled "Love Lost." Tom took an old couch, put a bride on it, set it on fire, and took pictures of the whole thing. Tom initially just thought it would be a fun idea for a shoot. It wasn't until after the session he realized he could do something more with the images. 

Michael Ray Gives Back with Flashes of Hope

As an art director, I get hundreds of emails per week from photographers offering their services. When I received an email from Michael Ray, I was truly touched by the images he shot for Flashes of Hope, an organization where photographers go in and do pro-bono shoots at the local Children's hospital. These shots are gifted to the children and their families.

Miss World Competition Offering Exposure as Payment to Make Up Artists

"Looking for professional makeup artists to work on set for ASOS. This is unpaid, but will create opportunities for exposure and portfolio development" - it took no more than two minutes to locate a commercial casting call for an unpaid makeup artist online. Money will be made from product sales, so why isn’t the team also being financially compensated?   

Best Practices for Getting the Gig as a Freelancer

As Director of Photography for Sports Illustrated, Brad Smith is witness to a lot of freelance photographers trying to get their foot in the door. Albert Ayzenberg of A.A. Productions sits down with Brad to talk about what freelancers should be doing to get noticed, and ultimately be hired, by photo editors.

A Day in the Life of Adventure Photographer Jimmy Chin

With one hundred and fifty pages brimming his passport book, adventure photographer and professional climber Jimmy Chin has traveled the world shooting for The North Face and National Geographic. As a man who radiates both inspiration and motivation, it’s worth taking a look at this day in the life of Jimmy. 

Is Photoshop Dead? An Interview with Dave Doeppel

I’m a big proponent of outsourcing editing in my wedding photography business. There’s probably nothing more painful to me than the thought of trudging through 800-1000 images from each wedding I photograph.

McCurry's Work Teaches a Portrait is All About The Connection

Steve McCurry is one of the most iconic portrait photographers of our time. His photo of the Afghan Girl one of the most recognized images in history. Now in Italy there is an exhibition of McCurry's work from over the last 40 years being featured at the Villa Reale di Monza.

5 Things We Can All Learn From The Best Reel On The Internet

Excuse me a moment while I try and reassemble my brain, it’s kind of just been blown by the video reel I’m about to talk about. While I collect my senses, feel free to join me as I showcase this piece of artistic genius and the talent of the young lady who put it together. This might just be the most insane, joyous 50 second video you’ve ever seen. 

Managing Fear: A Short Film on Conquering Your Demons

In the years I've been in this industry, one of the more pervasive problems I have seen talented people deal with is personal fear: Fear of failure, fear of uncertainty, even fear of success. I think a misconception is that successful people do not experience these fears.

A Photo Series 12 years in the Making: "Amelia & the Animals"

As a parent and photographer, there is nothing I would love to do more than collaborate on a photo series with my son. Growing closer through collaboration - and a mutual learning process from both ends of the lens - appeals to me the most about this idea. And naturally, the memories and images produced in the process.

Taking Your Video Viral: Podcast with Fstoppers' Jaron Schneider

Everyone gather around and learn how Lee Morris got our San Franciscan features editor, Jaron Schneider, fired from his previous job. In the latest installment of the TogTools Fstoppers series, Jess and Stephen have an engaging chat with Jaron where we learn the interesting tale of how he got started at Fstoppers.

PRO EDU Interview with Sandro Miller | Priceless Advice From A Photography Master

Sandro Miller was the first photographer to document the ENTIRE Cuban Olympic team since the mid twentieth century. Sandro was once kissed on the lips by Muhammad Ali. Sandro once made Michael Jordan cry. If you call yourself a photographer, you will not want to miss this rare video interview with Sandro from PRO EDU. 

Creating Photographic Art - Exclusive Interview With Gregory Crewdson

How do you make a photograph that sells for more than $100,000? Gregory Crewdson may not have the answer, and I suspect he probably doesn’t care, but that is what his prints will routinely fetch, if not more. What is it that allows him to create such staggeringly powerful works of art, and what are the struggles he endures through the creative process? 

Interview with Andy Adams on his FlakPhoto Midwest Print Show

In conjunction with The Bubbler and the Diane Endres Ballweg Gallery of the Madison Public Library, Andy Adams of FlakPhoto has produced a new photo exhibition called the Midwest Print Show. The show features 41 photographers living and working in the Midwestern United States, and includes a variety of subject matter from across the region.

Identifying with Your Niche Is More Important than Targeting a Niche - TogTools Podcast with Sarah Williams

Next up to bat on the Fstoppers TogTools podcast series is our very own Sarah Williams, half of the wedding photographer team at Val & Sarah. Jess and Stephen interview Sarah about the importance of identifying a niche and how she goes about booking the type of people she would want to hang out with, the ins and outs of partnerships and connecting emotionally to her work.

Building a Fashion/Editorial Photography Business: Podcast with Clay Cook

Next up on our Tog Tools Jess and Stephen interview our very own Clay Cook on how he got his start in photography and how he's built an incredible fashion/ editorial photography business. Having first seen Clay's work right here on Fstoppers I was astonished by his clean, sharp style using seemingly basic lighting setups.  Being self taught, its humbling to hear him speak about h

Dan Saelinger on the Importance and Rewards of Personal Projects

Dan Saelinger is a Portland, OR based conceptual photographer with a signature, meticulously clean and refined, style with a flare for simple, graphic-based images. Dan's work has appeared in Newsweek, IEEE, Popular Science, Field & Stream, and Reader's Digest, his advertising portfolio includes work for SKYY Vodka, Nike, and Google.

Jeremy Cowart on Why Your Story is More Important Than Your Pictures

Jeremy Cowart is obviously an incredibly talented photographer. But it's not his skill as a photographer, he says, that gets him the best work - it's his story. In this video from CreativeLive, Jeremy discusses a meeting with an art director at a huge ad agency.

Shooting Celebs - The Wonderful World of Celebrity Fashion With Emily Shur

How would it feel to photograph Will Ferrell or Seth Rogen? How would you ever get to be able to shoot clients like these? How do you marry technical capability and develop your own style to deliver something unique? What if you could learn from someone doing this sort of work day in day out? Well, now you can, in this exclusive interview with Emily Shur.

Anna Mia Davidson on Getting Published Through an Alternative Book Publishing Model

Anna Mia Davidson has been shooting and documenting sustainable farmers in the Pacific Northwest for the past seven years. The USA Television Network and Aperture collaborated for a campaign called, “The Character of America,” which commissioned nine photographers to document the positive aspects of America.

Extreme Cold Photography to The Max: Interview With Shmulik Goldberg

You've finally made it - You booked your flight, double checked your gear and... You're in the Arctic. It's your first night, and the northern lights begin to form up in the sky. The adrenaline starts to flow as you're gearing up and rushing outside to find the perfect location for your perfect shot.

Jerry Ghionis On Common Photographer Fears and Pitfalls

What do you get when you mix a little Australian photographer Jerry Ghionis with NJ Wedding Photographer Vanessa Joy? A conversation that talks about mastering the art of photography all in a half hour audio interview about common photographer fears and pitfalls.

The Future of Film: An Interview with CineStill

I’ve seen the future of film... and it is bright. In the next few weeks I will be interviewing companies that are pushing the film photography industry forward. As the large film companies cut film stocks from production, these people are pushing forward. Developing new films, cameras, products, and services. This week, I start with CineStill. 

 

How This Amazing Film Was Shot Entirely on an iPhone

The old photographers’ saying, “It’s not the camera, it’s the photographer” sounds like a self-serving flattery when it comes out of the mouth of a photographer, yet has never been more accurate than today. Its ironic how, as a professional photographer, I posses the knowledge of manipulating the most sophisticated gear and cameras available, yet when I shoot an image on the iPhone&nb

Top 5 Children Photographers and Their Secrets

What are certain photographers doing that make them popular? Surprisingly enough, things like gear, location, social media skills and post production have very little to do with it. Believe it or not, it's something far more important and it's not often discussed.  Here is the common secret all five photographers shared that makes their work stand out. 

 

Memories of Overdevelopment and 9/11

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, many NY based photographers and film makers found themselves documenting one of the most traumatic events in American history, the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers.

What Happens When a Viral Image Spreads Beyond Your Control

When you make a photograph as part of a personal project, the likelihood is that you'll want to share it with your peers. Often the concept is as important as the final image, so the title or description must sit alongside it for the picture to be taken in context.