How did you know & learn
photography? Tell us from the
beginning.
My first camera I bought at a garage
sale when I was 8 years old. I was fascinated
with the camera and the photos
it would produce. I was only able to
photograph a few rolls of film with that
camera because my $2/week allowance
wouldn’t cover the costs. When I
was 14, I rediscovered photography. I
had a paper route so I could afford the
costs. I initially wanted to photograph
my friends doing skateboard stunts,
though after I built a darkroom when I
was 15 I really got into black and white
and began photographing the landscape
as well.

What makes you do photography?
What interesting about it?
Photography is a meditative ritual for
me. The consistent pace of life at home
can be somewhat overwhelming, so
going out to photograph is like a vacation.
I get in the car, drive somewhere,
then hike around to see if I can find
something interesting to photograph.
I have always been interested in the
landscape, as I like to travel. Be it
driving down the Pacific Coast Highway
to Big Sur, or traveling abroad, I
find it very enriching to see the world
and find unique perspectives of the
scenery.

You learn photography from
analog era. What is the different
between the analog photographer
era and photographers
who learn photography on
digital era?
I think working traditionally (analog)
requires much more patience. Nothing
is immediate when working traditionally.
With digital, one can see the
results on the screen of the camera
immediately, while working with film,
one must develop the film in the darkroom
(which my be half a world away if
traveling) What I can do in photoshop
in 5 minutes may take 5 or more hours
in the darkroom.

Which one do you like better,
digital photos or analog photos?
Tell us the reason
I prefer analog photography. The
power of a photograph is that it
represents reality. A certain reality. By
keeping with traditional methods, the
chain from the scene in front of the
camera to the film to the final print is
totally linked together. If I used digital
imaging in the process, the element of
reality is erased, discrediting the true
power of a photograph. This is because
once in the digital arena, one can
manipulate a scene so easily, like the
way Hollywood makes sci-fi or fantasy
movies using digital techniques.

You had assisted some commercial
photographer & fine art
photographer. What the different
between the two of them in
term of characteristic & mindset?
A commercial photographer is working
from without (take a photo of this
product for company), while a fine art
photographer is working from within
(I like this so I will photograph this).
Does that make sense to you?

Some people said that black
& white photo is easier to be
looked good compared to color
photo. Do you agree on this? Tell
us the reason.
I think either will look good if done correctly.
B&W is removed one level from
reality because of the monochrome
nature. Humans generally see in color,
so that may explain why a B&W print
may be more compelling to view.

Do a very good black & white
photography like Ansel Adams
did is very difficult. Only few
photographers can. What are
they missing that ansel adams
have done.
An 8×10 inch camera! (laughing)…
Ansel would find a scene he liked and
then wait for the conditions he felt
were right to make a photograph.
Sometimes he would wait days for the
correct clouds and light. Most people
don’t have the time or patience to wait
so long. Also, Ansel could really see
what he felt and express those feelings.
visually

Zone system is one of the best
techniques of producing photos.
Unfortunately only few that
knows the right definition of
it. Can you simplify what zone
system is, what is the advantage
of using it, and how it work.
The Zone System is a method of exposing
a piece film and developing that
film accordingly to achieve desired
effects. Basically, it is expose for the
shadows and develop the film for the
highlights. The advantage is that one
can produce a negative with consistency,
which will print well on a grade 2
black and white photo paper. It would
take a book to explain how it works,
which is why Ansel wrote The Negative!
Of course, the Zone System won’t work
with digital photography.

Explain what is your “tone system”
really are?
Since I use roll film, I do not have the
luxury of fine-tuning each individual
negative. Generally, I expose for the
highlight tones. I let my feelings of
the scene dictate what this might be,
sometimes an overexposed negative
is better, sometimes an underexposed
negative. I use a film developer called
pyrogallol, which is very forgiving. It
allows me to use this method.

When creating a picture, do you
got the idea first or do you get
to the location first then get triggered?
Both. I will go to a location with the
intent of making a photo because I
have been there many times in the past
and I think the light will be appropriate
for the subject. I do enjoy traveling, so
often I will get in the car and drive until
I see something, or go for a hike and
find something. I really like it when I
find something to photograph that is
unplanned. Even by going to a specific
place, I never really know what I will
photograph. Somehow, the elements
in a scene strike me in some way so
that I am compelled to photograph
them. That is usually what happens in
my work.

Mention one word that describe
your photos.
Timeless.

Speaking about fine art. Share us
some tips to improve our level
of art sense since fine art often
perceived as a “difficult to understand”
thing.
Create images from your heart. Photograph
what you are drawn to. Whatever
it is that excites you, that is what you
should do, because if you don’t, you
will never make that expressive photo.

Do you think a photographer
should learn about print making?
How important it is, and
what is the advantage of learning
that?
I think that all aspects of photography
is important. Composing the image,
exposing the negative, developing
the film and printing the image. The
print is probably the most important
though, because it is what we present
to the world. There are many good
photographers who cannot make a
good print. A good print is one that
has luminosity, almost a glow from
within the image itself. The balance of
tones, the relationship of shadows to
highlights are very important in black
and white photography. Not every
photo needs a deep black or a brilliant
white. It is in the knowing which
makes an expressive, fine print.

Share us some tips for beginner
to learn photography properly.
The best tip I can give is keep photographing.
Practice. I made many
thousands of negatives and prints
before I began to grasp what makes a
good final photograph. Take classes to
further your studies. Look at work by
photographers you admire and study
the images you like.

payday advance

Everybody shoot landscape. But
only selected create some good ones. What did they missed to make
it good?
Art, in all forms, is immensely subjective.
I don’t know if anybody can give
universal reasons why something
should be categorized as “good” or
“bad”. I certainly do not have that understanding.
Some photographs touch
us emotionally, more deeply than others.
There are many reasons why this
could be, including; choice of subject
matter, technical excellence, aesthetic
pleasure, personal resonance, intellectual
curiosity, etc.
You do very intense personal project
and also commercial project. What
interesting for us is both project
output have the same style and the
same character. While some photographer
do a very different style &
character of output when shooting
for personal & commercial project.
What do you think about this? Why
can’t they do the same?
I am very fortunate and due to the success of my landscape work, I have
been able to accept commercial work
which allows me to use my personal
style of photographing. There would
really be no reason for anybody to
commission me if they didn’t want the
resulting images to be in my style. I am
also not sure I could photograph very
well in any other way. Practically speaking,
most photographers are not in a
position to turn down work and it is
necessary for them to adapt their style
and technique to the client’s needs and
wishes. I would certainly do the same
if my fine art work did not give me any
income!
Mention one word that describe
your photos
Sorry, I cant : ) I will leave that answer
for somebody else



What kind of picture deserve labeled
as “the great one”?
I think a book could be written on
this subject! In fact, many have been.
I believe a “great” photograph is in
the mind, heart, soul and spirit of the
beholder. Some photographs may be
considered “great” by consensus, others
by single individuals. There are “great”
photographs by ordinary photographers,
and ordinary photographs by
“great” photographers. Ultimately,
“great” is a label, subjectively applied.
You regularly do exhibition. Do you
think all photographers should do
exhibitions regularly? How often?
And please explain the reasons.
I cannot speak for other photographers.
For myself, I think it is important
to share images, whether it is through
exhibitions, web sites, books, calendars,
posters, notecards, etc. I think one
of the prime reasons to be a photographer
is the willingness and even
necessity to exhibit what is created.
Being a photographer means that I
hunt for experiences. I am privileged to
witness amazing things. I try to record
and interpret them. I don’t believe I
should hoard the results. I like to think
that I am a medium for others to see
things they might not otherwise have
the opportunity to see. I think that I am
really a guide.

Practically, exhibitions give me deadlines
to finish prints. They help me to
survey a body of work objectively, and
I am always interested in the viewers
reactions and responses. Exhibitions
also enable to me to survive because
my livelihood is very much based in
print sales.
If there is some kind of checklist
to achieved before you press the
shutter release, what aspect/point
should be on the list?
I would suggest that there is some sort
of resonance, connection or personal
response with the subject matter. But it
is different for everybody. Sometimes,
it is a form of therapy just to wander
and photograph. The results may not
even matter. Sometimes it helps to
see, understand and connect us the
world. Sometimes, it does precisely the
opposite and rather than experience
the world itself we hide behind the
camera. I like to think that I am having
a conversation with whatever I photograph.
I try not to steal an image, but
rather acknowledge that a photograph
is being made.
I look for an interesting composition,
an arrangement of shapes and tonalities.
I am drawn to certain lighting conditions and atmospheres. But it is
all so personal. For example I’ve always
liked to photograph in “conditions”;
mist, rain, snow, etc., where distracting
backgrounds are eliminated or subdued.
Sunshine and blue sky has never
appealed to me. Too much light tends
to reveal all the details of a scene and
I am not interested in a perfect photocopy.
I prefer suggestion over description.
I like to use the analogy of haiku
poetry where just a few elements act as
catalysts for one’s imagination. Often
I make long time exposures so that
detailed water becomes floating mist,
clouds in the sky become blurred masses
of tonality and a populated scene
becomes empty. The world is pretty
chaotic, seemingly always speeding up
and getting louder and more visually
dense. I am interested in finding and/or
creating calm shelters from the storm,
places where quiet solitude is encouraged
and inner contemplation is possible.
I think we could all use a break
from time to time…

How did you know photography? Tell us from the beginning.
I was born in 1953 in Widnes, Lancashire, England, The youngest of six children
in a working class, Irish-Catholic family. There was certainly no tradition of art
among my family at the time. Growing up I was highly impressed by the Catholic
Church and just before I became 11 years old, I entered a seminary school to train
to become a priest. I left the school when I was 17. Art had been one of my strongest
subjects and I went on to study at the Banbury School of Art in Oxfordshire.
Photography was one of many art mediums that I was exposed to as part of the course-work. I made images of my surroundings.

It was very exciting. I think
I took pictures in my mind from when I
was a child, but my first serious efforts
were made at this time.
I later went onto the London College of
Printing, where I studied photography
for three years. Initially I studied more
commercial aspects of the medium;
fashion, advertising, sports, still lives,
photojournalism, etc., and did not
know about the rich tradition of landscape
photography. Later on, I saw the
works of such luminaries as Bill Brandt,
Josef Sudek, Eugene Atget, and Alfred
Steigliz. They were profoundly impressive
and influential. I had studied the
history of art in other courses and I was
particularly entranced by the painters
Casper David Friedrich, John Constable
and Joseph Turner. But who knows
where influences come from. I am
sure that there have been thousands
of painters, sculptors, photographers,
writers, musicians, poets, etc., who
have greatly influenced me. The list
would be very long.
After graduating, I did some assisting
and printing for an advertising photographer,
Anthony Blake. Landscape
photography became my hobby and passion which I did in the mornings,
evenings and on the weekend when
I wasn’t “working”. It was really only
when I went to the USA in the mid seventies
that I considered the possibility
of making a living in the fine arts. There
were photography galleries in New
York and there seemed to be a higher
acceptance of photography as an art
form. I decided to base myself in San
Francisco, and subsequently lived there
for many years, before moving North
to Portland, Oregon in 2004, and then
Seattle, Washington in 2007, where I
currently live.


What interest you on photography?
Imagine being out at night, alone,
under starry skies, listening to silence,
watching the world slowly move, all
senses alive, thinking, imagining, and
dreaming. The camera is recording,
creating, documenting, seeing what
the eye cannot see – cumulative time.
Or imagine the sensation of being in
a field as the snow falls on a single,
exquisite tree. White all around. Just
the sound of snow falling. Or again,
the crashing of angry waves, pre dawn,
against white sand, clouds in the sky,
a glow on the horizon from the slowly
wakening sun. Then call that “work”.
There are moments when the elements
of life come together magically; conditions,
places, subject matter, inner connections;
moments that are singular
and very special. It is a privilege to be
present at such times and to have the
possibility to integrate into the scene
and subjectively interpret. It is an experience
that defies description, at least
from me. These experiences drive my
photography. I think it is a wonderful
way to go through life. I love almost all
aspects of the photographic process;
planning, traveling, searching, image
making, seeing the first contact sheets,
printing, exhibiting, making books,
everything. I am a very lucky person to
have found this path and am extremely
content.
It seems that you love doing black &
white photography, Please explain
why.
I believe black and white is immediately
more mysterious because we
see in color all the time. It is also more
subjective. I think it is quieter and more
calm than color. I like to print all my
own work and I can interpret black and
white very subjectively in the darkroom.
It is a personal preference.

to be continued ……

You know, I don’t really think I’m a pure
landscape photographer even if, it’s a
fact, I often shot landscapes… I’m going
to try to explain..

Mainly, my photographs are my way to
show and express some of my feelings
and my personal perception of what
surrounds me. Photography, for me, is
not about reproducing the world. I’m
not really interested in making an accurate
copy of what I see out there. In
fact, I really prefer the power of suggestion
over description. What you can see
in my photographic work goes through
my own filters. OK… all the elements in
my photos exist, and everybody could
easily see them, but my goal is to offer
an artistic interpretation and above all
an emotion.

When everybody have a camera,
the first thing they shoot is landscape (beside people
around them). But not so many
people can shoot landscape on
a very good quality. What have
they missed on shooting landscape?
Why not so many people
can shoot good?

It’s really a very difficult question. I
don’t know. And I don’t know what is «
a good photo

I just could speak about what amazes
me, what touches me but certainly not
what is good or not. Creating image
isn’t easy. For me it’s just a need, a must
do, pics are a great part of my life, I love
doing that, and that’s what I do the
best in life.

You shoot landscape mostly (or
even all) in black & white. Why?
Don’t you like taking landscape
on color?

As I’ve already said, b&w was a revelation
for me, it’s the way I found to
express all of my feelings. I love the
colors of life, but my pics don’t speak
about reality, just about my emotions
and feelings. I can’t express my feelings
in colors.

What inspired you & triggered
you on taking photos?

More than landscapes which surrounds to do a good photograph
me, my goal in my photographic work
is just to share a poetic feeling in order
to emphasize imagination, a door
opened on the dream of the light. But
to answer more accurately, I would
say I just show the elements I see and
use those elements as catalysts for my
own imagination and hopefully for the
viewer’s imagination. I’m generally attracted
to places where stories can take
place, where imagination can be fired.

What kind of picture deserve
labeled as “the great one” on
your opinion?

One which could touch my heart.

Mention one word that describe
your photos.

Two words, please.. I would say light
and motion.

Share some tips for them who
want to learn photography appropriately.

I’m afraid I’ve no serious tips to share.
The best advice is to have fun, to open
your eyes to the world and let your
feelings going on… techniques is techniques
and it never speaks about how
More than landscapes which surrounds to do a good photograph

Here’s one my brother Markus prepared earlier (remember Markus, the allround
genius of my studio?).

This might not always work first time
round, but with a little bit of practise,
you’ll get there in the end. Finally, take
a picture of the best cardboard. It is not
necessary to have your best camera
for this (I normally use my little 200$
camera).
This shot looks like a dull black-andwhite
photo of a space explosion, but
it is a start.
Now turn it into a super cool spaceexplosion!
Use the “gradient curve” in
your image processing software like
Photoshop, ACDSee or whatever. Raise
the red and green curves on the right
side, and lower the blue curve on the
left. Play with this function and you
easily get a bright, glowing effect.
Pretty cool, isn’t it?

Now add a little “speed effect”. In
Photoshop there is a function called
“motion blur” in the Filter Menu (in
other software “pixel explosion” or
“speed effect”). This adds more power
to your photo, if you want to have an
“explosive” look.

This photo looks like a big explosion,
but if you use other colours, it looks
very much like “other galaxies”.

Here is a photo, that could be seen in
a huge microscope. The “baby powder
effect” is an interesting way of shooting
something never-seen-before.

Sometimes I do workshops. This photo was made within a day with my students.
Here in THELIGHT I show it a first time to a wider audience. Keep it as a secret…!

Let there be light!