Today on 2 Cents we continue bringing you the bloggers behind the blogs.
With *this* profile, we bring you the photographer behind the photos.
I am very pleased to welcome John Gress to 2 Cents Worth Down Under.
I have been profiling his beautiful photography here all week.
So please..... enjoy our look at the man behind the camera - AND he is giving us an exclusive about his next project as well. How lucky and grateful are we :)
(2CW) Firstly, welcome to 2 Cents John and thank you so much for agreeing to this profile. How did you get started in photography? Was there a defining moment for you or is it an interest that has always been there?
JG I found my interest in photography when I went to summer camp and took my mothers camera… I was probably 13.
(2CW) You have a career that covers almost every forum of photography. What have been some of the highlights for you?
JG While I have covered a wide spectrum of topics from the Superbowl to the election of President Barack Obama, I am most proud of my next foray into this medium. I’m sending my first calendar to the printer Monday. The 2010 wall calendar will feature BW male photography with a sports theme.
(2CW) Now I have been profiling your photography all week on 2 Cents, and I have to say I am simply blown away by your ability to compose a shot. How do you design a shot? Does it take very long? Is it instinctual or do you have a process that you stick to when setting a shot?
JG When I start composing a shot I first think about the background and secondly I think about the light. Simple clean backgrounds and high contrast light are usually my standards. Then I think about the pose… sometimes on set it will just come to me, other times I can see it partially in my mind and I have to close my eyes and focus on what I am starting to see, then I can usually open my eyes and guide the model into my vision.
(2CW) One of the aspects of photography that gives me a tingle up my spine every time is when that one special moment is captured. Can you tell me some of those moments from your career that still stand out for you today?
JG Photographers miss moments all of the time, but when we hit them it’s a beautiful thing. Sometime special moments happen in front of you and sometimes you create them, but mostly it’s a matter of using all of your skills as a photographer to capture the moment in the right way at the right time. Sometimes it’s all about planning. Whether its setting up cameras in all the right places for the NBA All-Star game to capture the action from five angles or setting up three lights to capture a portrait of couple making out on a couch so you can get the perfect rim light on the male models lips.
(2CW) Your male portraits are beyond stunning. Yes, the guys are VERY good looking and I think we all drool over them. How do you shoot a person? How do you decide the mood or setting or even angle for that matter? As a total novice, I would not even know where to begin.
JG I have to admit I don’t do too much planning. I usually go into a shoot knowing from looking at their other pics, what I think will work for them. Some shoot I might have some preconceived concepts, others I might not. Ill usually focus on the style of clothing, direction of the pics, the location and let the specifics fall where they may.
(2CW) On your site, there is an environmental portrait of someone I don’t know in a cemetery - there are probably 4 head stones, one person, some grass and some leaves, but I simply can not stop looking at it. I see something different each and every time I look at it. How did that shoot happen?
JG The photo of the man in the cemetery was for a newspaper story about the subject. He is a cemetery developer who is accused of selling the same plots twice. I am surprised he consented to shooting the pics. Maybe he thought I would make some pics with a little more gloss and not pics inspired by the scene.
(2CW) When you are in the studio I imagine that you have complete control over the setting, but how difficult is it shooting outside? Does the environment / weather / light prove problematic or is it a boon?
JG I would rather shoot outside any day. I tend to hate shooting on drab backdrops. While at times the light can be challenging and the wind can be a factor, using a natural scene as a backdrop is a far better way for me to make stimulating photos. In addition, I have learned to consult the weather forecast and schedule shoots around when I think conditions will be favorable.
(2CW) Fashion models don’t have the best stereotype LOL, are they difficult to work with as a group? Easy? Depends on the individual?
JG The hardest thing about working with fashion models is getting them to show up. I would be scared to tally the number of hours I have wasted waiting on wanna be divas. As a result, I have adopted a policy – stand me up once and you will never shoot with me.
(2CW) Photojournalism to me would seem to be something that could be very confronting as a photographer. I imagine that there would be situations what would or could effect your greatly as a person. Is it hard to concentrate on the work when the subject is something that is pulling at your emotions? I look at the picture of the funeral for the service man and I simply could not do it. How do you do it?
JG When I first started out as a photojournalist I had this rather rough and disconnected point of view: i am here from the press to take your picture. With experience and maturity, I learned that if I let my self feel what my subjects are feeling then I would end up with better pictures and I would feel more wholesome in the end.
(2CW) Now I see in your bio that you have a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. Any desire to serve in the political arena?
JG I might be a politician some day if I get bored with photography. I highly doubt it though. But if I did run for elective office, I would know how to make a picture for the media.
(2CW) What do you think of President Obama's performance to date?
JG I think president Obama has had to focus on the economic situation. There are a number of issues he still needs to address. I hope he moves quickly to reform immigration, expand access to health care and end the practice of don’t ask don’t tell.
(2CW) Do you think that perhaps we are pinning too much too soon on President Obama? As if we expect him to fix all the ills in his first few months?
JG President Obama can only do so much on his own. If he fails it will be because of conservative democrats in the senate. Our country needs to modernize and expand opportunities to all Americans. Whether they are 24-year-old illegal aliens who have lived in the US for 18 years or the working poor that can’t afford to buy health insurance. President Obama was right thought when he mentioned the golden rule during his speech to the Muslim world. Now if conservatives in our own country could learn to act as the Christians they claim to be.
(2CW) Now........ the 2 Cents quickies :)..........
Favourite Drink... Scotch
Favourite Breakfast Dish... Omelettes
Red or White Wine... Red
Mayo or Mustard... Mustard isn’t it funny how the foods you hated as a kid you love as an adult….. i.e. blue cheese and mustard?
Favourite Television Show... CSI Miami
Classical or Modern and why... Classical.. I’m kind of conservative when it comes to the non political world…don’t tell anyone =)
Favourite Book... Engineering Principals of Economics
Recent Film you enjoyed... Angels and Demons
Favourite Sunday activity.... Watching ‘Meet the Press’
Favourite photograph.... Oh wow, do I have to pick one? Its not one of mine.
And yes 2 Cents Family, Mr Gress will be coming back for a Part 2 :) Shalom. Damien
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3 comments:
Awesome! Thank you!
*applauds!*
Interesting guy - amazing photography.
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