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 ……

Explain to us how you get doing photography and what makes you
interest on it?
In fact my first steps with photography took place during my childhood. My father
was really addicted with photography, and he guided me in my first approaches
and tentative. But in fact during all this period I knew I preferred drawing, so, after
my architecture studies I wanted to be an illustrator or a comics book author, and
that’s why I started to work as a professional illustrator both for press and publishing
houses. It was in the mid 1980’s.

In the early 1990’s I took an interest in computer graphics and 3D art, working for
several animated cartoons published on CD-Roms. I also designed websites. And
then, I later entered a major telecom group in France as a creation director, but,
finally, in 2005, I decided to pursue an artistic career once again. My goal was to
draw again, but curiously photography took place. In 2006 I bought a DSLR and
I found in photography, and especially in B&W, all I always wanted to tell. Today
photography has become my exclusive means of artistic expression.

You study architecture, is there
anything you have learn on
architecture
subject that helps you creating
a good picture? Please explain.

Of course everything you learn in your
life brings a lot and improve your art.
Architecture is a way to understand
spaces, geometry, rhythm and construction.
As an image creator architecture
is a great inspiration, and a great
subject to shoot, of course. Architecture
has inspired some of my series like
« Versailles » « Cities »or « Les Ravalet ».

A friend once said that if a photographer
can draw, it helps him
doing photography. What do
you think about that?
What’s in the drawing capability
that really helps a photographer
creating a photo.

I agree with your friend. That’s exactly
what I used to think.

You know, I drew comics for many
years, and I think it’s a major art. I really
learned a lot in this job. The way you
have to compose a picture to tell a
story, the scene cuts, the light work,
importance of black, use of shadows,
etc. When I look at some of my photos,

I recognize this influence in the means
I use to take and develop the photograph.
If you just look an illustration or
a comic, you can easily see the means
the author used to bring you in the
action. In my opinion, it ‘s definitely the
same process.

You don’t have a photography
education background. How do
you learn it and how to still get
improved time to time?

That’s right I never learn photography
at school, but my father taught me a lot

when I was a teenager.
But when I started, in 2006, I didn’t
really know what I would do with photography,

but when I realized my first
b&w photos, I did! It was a revelation..
I subscribed to some Art communities
on the internet in September 2006 and
began to show my work. Those communities
really helped me a lot to go
further in each new pic or series. And
it’s a fact that I have really learned a lot
showing my work to others, reading
critiques or single comments. Little by
little I improved the style, listening to
what people said on my photographs,
and finally I felt the direction I want to
take.

wait our next conversation with Bruno in the next posts.

What brought you to do photography?
Could you share with us
a little bit of your background
story?
My passion for the creative world started
when I was very young. Of course, at
that time, I didn’t know anything about
photography. Our family had one camera
and it was this beautiful vintage
Voightlander. At the age of about 4, I
broke that camera into small pieces.
Obviously after that I was grounded;
not allowed to touch another camera
(hahahaha), at least not until I was old
enough to learn.
I liked drawing a lot when I was
younger and in particular, drawing
female figure. I know most kids love to
draw, however I was much more obsessed
with it than the other kids were.
I hardly paid any attention in class; I
just drew and drew and drew. Which
obviously got me into trouble many
times with the teachers. (hahahaha).
So, suffice to say I have always loved
and admired the female figure since an
early age.
My dad started teaching me how
to use a camera correctly when I
was about ten. It was a 1978 Canon
Rangefinder. This time I didn’t break it
into pieces and I started learning what
aperture was and what shutter speed
was, etc. But unfortunately, the cost of
buying films and developing them was
too expensive and so I had to stop.
In 2003, I finally bought my first camera.

It was this plastic low-end 35mm
SLR but it was enough to make me
feel over-the-moon. I bought a bunch
of expired films and soon after that I
couldn’t stop snapping almost anything
and everything. But at that time
I didn’t know that it was a start of a
brand new exciting journey in my life.
How did you learn photography?
Did you have a formal education
in photography?
Yes, I decided to take the full plunge
into photography in 2006 and I completed
a ‘Bachelor of Art in Photography’
degree at RMIT University, Australia.
It was here that I went from being
a “weekend warrior” to a professional
photographer.

What is it about fashion photography
that fascinates you?
In one word, women.
As I’ve explained before, since I was
very young I have always been attracted
to women and admired their beauty
and complexity. So I guess I’m doing
fashion photography because it is what
my personality responds to.
Fashion photography is the closest
sibling to movie making. This is one
genre of photography where you can
go pretty crazy with your ideas. One
thing that fashion photography is not
about, is documenting reality. Fashion
photography is never about reality.
It is about fantasy and story telling.
Very much like building a script for a
fictional movie.
You build your concept, create the
characters and put them into a set, and
then you direct the shoot. So you are
creating images – not documenting
reality. And that’s what fashion photography
is all about.
And that is exactly why I love fashion
photography; the dynamic nature of
it. There is always something new for
every photo shoot. Developing new
concepts, going to new places, new
challenges and meeting new and
exciting people. I just can’t ask for any
better job.

Fashion photography seems to
be the choice of many young
photographers nowadays. Could
you share some thoughts on this?
There are many reasons for this I think.
There is a general perception that
fashion photography is the “coolest”
genre in photography. People think
that being a fashion photographer is
so glamorous and you get to hang out
with beautiful girls all the time.
When you tell people that you are a still
life photographer for example, they will
respond “ahhhh okay” (with a bland
looking expression) but if you say
that you are a fashion photographer,
suddenly people’s reactions change to
“wow”. I think this perception is really
distorted because I believe fashion
photography is no more or less difficult
compared to any other genre. But I will
let you have your own opinion on that.
The problem now is that there are so
many other “fashion photographers”
out there who are doing it for the
wrong reasons. What they are doing is
actually very degrading. They just want
to shoot partially or fully nude girls and
basically take advantage of them.

Like what I mentioned before,
there are a lot more fashion photographers
out there nowadays.
Do you think in general their
quality is growing as fast as their
number?
I don’t believe I am in a position to generalize
and judge the quality of other
young fashion photographers out
there. But just like anything else, there
is a hierarchy that goes like a pyramid.
The quality photographers become
fewer and fewer as it gets closer to the
top.

When you are shooting fashion,
what are your goals? What do
you want to achieve and why?
It depends on the project, I suppose.
But in general, a successful shoot for
me is when every component of the
shoot falls right into place. They have
to feel right and “believable”, not forced
nor over-the-top. It has to have this
feeling of elegance.
First the concept has to be striking, the
photography technique used has to
be appropriate for the concept (more
complicated doesn’t mean its going to
be better), the styling has to be great,
makeup has to be neat and flawless,
and the model has to make the audience
believe that she is the character
we are trying to portray.
After the shoot, my team and myself
will look closely at the images. If they
strike us, it means we have exceeded
our own expectation. And hence, it is
successful. So we use a lot of “feeling”
here. After all, it’s not something we
can measure.
And obviously, a successful shoot also
means it has to exceed the client’s
expectation.

Tell us what is the most difficult
part you normally encounter
when conducting a fashion shoot?
Being a fashion photographer is like
being a captain of a ship with a large
crew. It is a big responsibility to carry.
There are a lot of decisions to make
that will eventually determine the success
of the photo shoot.
I am faced with various options and I
have to make decisions all throughout
the process. Whether it is in the
pre-production stage, when shooting,
or when post-producing the images.
And when a huge amount of money is
at stake, making a wrong decision can
be disastrous. And fashion shoots are
almost always very expensive to run.
So failure is really not an option. The
pressure is high.
So I guess the most difficult part of
being a fashion photographer is to be
a Captain who can drive the team to
success every time under any circumstance;
even when things are going
against you. And have you heard the
saying “You are only as good as your
last job!”

Check out the next part of this discussion.