Karl Ray on Fstoppers

Karl Ray Photography

My name is Karl Ray and I have been an active, professional photographer for a little over 15 years.

Photography is my craft. In the way a master chef that can make an excellent meal in most any kitchen, but what they are able to accomplish in the familiarity of their workspace is almost bliss, I am able to work with any camera, but the one I am the most familiar with will yield the best results.

My camera is so familiar to my hand that I don't think so much about the controls and setting as much as I know what they have to be based on any particular situation. This based on an intuition honed in years of practical application. My camera is a natural extension of my hand and my eyes. Preparation is a very important part of the process. When a great artist begins a work, he does so not by imagining what outcome he desires, but by having an intimate knowledge of the empty canvas before him. He chooses paints based on types, and textures as well as colors. Often beginning with simple pencil drawings in preparation for his art. I find that the more prepared I am for the expected, the better I am prepared for the unexpected.

In the same way, the more practiced I am in my art, the better able I am to see and follow opportunities for improvisation. I prepare myself by knowing the subject well before the photo, exploring the venue for the beauty it may yield. I consider textures, temperatures and lighting well before the camera even clicks.