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

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

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.

How did you know photography? Tell us from the beginning.
It started as a hobby, and from hobby it became a profession and later it became
a passion. Photography has become a big part of my life. I can only remember
shooting around with a compact camera when I was 13 years old. I took photography
seriously only while I was studying at graphic design school, and that was
14 years ago.

What interesting to you in photography?
I am more of an artist, a trained graphic designer. Photography to me is the fastest
way to create an art piece. My passion is to bring to people pictures of God’s
creation and pictures that touch lives.

You had a graphic design formal education background. Does it
help for your photography capability?
Definitely, we were trained to have eyes for colors, balance, line-arts and flexible
mind to create, etc. I often find myself out there try to create pictures instead of
taking good picture.

What’s the most difficult thing
shooting landscape?
I love the mother nature and the challenge
of the unpredictable weather. We
can have the best equipments in our
hands and as creative as we can be but
if the weather does not cooperate with
us, there’s nothing we can do. To me
that’s a great challenge.

We have seen so many landscape
picture. There are some
photographer that shoot the
same spot but get different
result. What should we pay attention
more to create a better
shot even in the same spot with
others?
Capture with your heart, it will be your
style. The idea is to be creative and not
to follow others. Remember, if the result
of what you are going to shoot will
be the same as others’, what’s so great
about your photographs then? What
impact can it make? A great photogra-
pher’s work will bring the audience to a
new level of visual experience.

Are you a kind of photographer
that tell a message on any of
your photos or a kind that only
pursuit a “good visual”? Please
explain why?
A good picture is when it tells a story.
Often what I capture does not have
the same impact. My job is to build the
stock photo library for the company I
work at, so I literally have to capture
almost everything.

What kind of photo satisfied you
most when creating it?
The kind of pictures that would make
me jump up and down when they were
captured and those that bring smiles to
people’s faces.
Whether it is a portrait, animal or
scenery….I love them all. Today, I enjoy
doing fine art photography and pictures
that leave strong impression to
the audiences.

Mention one word that describe
your photos.
Touching Lives

What is the most attractive spot/
location for you on shooting?
This is a tough question. Every place
I visited had its own beauty, it is the
question of how we appreciate it.

You said “photography is all
about opportunity. An artist
doesn’t make art – art happens.”
please explain.
As an artist, you may plan in mind the
kind of pictures you are going to shoot
but the results may not be what you
expect. You may agree with me that
sometimes the accidental shots are the
best ones.

What should a photographer
have in their mind when creating
a picture regarding that
statement.
Arts can happen anytime, anywhere.
It’s a challenge for a photographer to
always be ready and alert to capture
the moment

Please share us some tips to create
a good landscape photos.
Picture tells a story
Every picture tells a story. As an old
adage goes: “ a picture tells a thousand
words”, so the next time you take a
picture, ask yourself what story are you
going to tell. A good picture is the one
that speaks to you.
Foreground & Background
Photography is about composition. You
can go to a beach and take a picture,
but when you reach home and look
at the picture you took, what do you
see? You probably only see the sky and
the sea. The picture doesn’t look as
beautiful as the real thing. Why? That’s
because you don’t capture the atmosphere.
There are many things present
but you can’t capture them all into your
frame because it’s too big of an area.
That’s why the understanding of foreground
and background is important.
Try to bring a subject by the beach into
the foreground. It could be a flower, a
driftwood, a seashell, etc. This will give
depth to the image you are about to
take.

Colors
My pictures are often very colorful
because I know that colors attract
people’s attention. When I took a shot
of a bumblebee on a flower, I took time
to select the background. Remember,
whenever you take a picture you must
not only concentrate on the subject
matter but also to select a nice background.

Clean-cut
Focus on the subject that you want to
share with others, do not let unnecessary
objects distort your story. Many
times when you take a picture that
you think will be nice but turns out to
be not as nice as you thought it would
be. Why? There are many reasons, one
of them is because you have included
too many subjects in the same image.
Remember, when there are unnecessary
objects come into your frame, crop
it off. That is what I mean by Clean-cut.

Angle
It will be interesting if you can capture
your images from an angle that unpredictably
different from what others
would expect it to be/ from what others
would normally see . Capture your
images at a different angle and not at
eye level. It will give your pictures a
different feeling. If I shoot a picture from
the top of a tree, I’m also taking my
audiences up to the tree with me.

Warm Up
Most good pictures come unexpectedly.
Usually when I go on a photography
trip, I only shoot rubbish during
the first few days. You need to warm
up in order to get your system ready
to capture images. I remember on one
occasion I saw a man walking down the
road carrying two piles of wood one
on each side. Suddenly a gusty wind
blew his hat away up to the air. When I
finished focusing my lens, the hat had
already landed on the ground. A good
shot was missed! I said to myself if only
I had warmed up, I’m sure I would have
captured that moment.

Think Out of the Box
Do not think too technically because
it takes away your creativity. Get out
of the box! You will probably agree
with me that many experimental shots
turned out to be quite good. Allow
yourself the latitude to explore. Especially
with digital SLR camera today, no
film cost, so why wait?
In conclusion, photography is about
practice more than possessing a
creative eye, it is about making an
effort. You don’t wait for the picture
to come. You go for it. You must have
the attitude of mind that everything
has its own beauty and your role is to
bring out the beauty of each subject.
Remember you are the creator of the
image. You are the author of the story
that you are about to tell.