What made you start photography?
How long have you worked as a professional photographer?
Who have been your influences, photographically?
Did you have any interest in photography in school?
What medium to you prefer to use?
What is your opinion of manual single-lens-reflex cameras?
What equipment do you use?
Do you shoot RAW or JPEG?
What is your workflow?
What are the main type of photo shoots you do?
Which shoots are your favourite?
Have you ever had a major problem in a shoot?
How has being a photographer changed your life?
Have you had any great successes?
Do you have any advice to people who are thinking about a career in photography?
Can I use one of your pictures for critical analysis?
Who owns the copyright in your images?
Are images used again for stock or other clients?

Background / Vision / Philosophy

What made you start photography?

Ever since I was I kid I enjoyed taking photographs and even just looking through camera viewfinders. Even now, it's difficult to put the appeal of it into words - although if you're reading this, you probably share it!

In high school I had the opportunity study photography as a subject and that really cemented my love of the medium.

When I was about twenty-four, I'd been working in 'odd jobs' for about six or seven years, and decided I should have a 'career'. My parents are classical musicians, so that was one option. Photography was the other. Photography won!

People seem to have different ways of perceiving the world. For some people, feelings or action are dominant; for others it's sounds, music or words; and for others it's visual. The visual and also auditory senses are dominant for me. I can't help noticing the way things look. I guess this is true of most (if not all!) photographers.

How long have you worked as a professional photographer?

I started my photographic career in 1995, assisting other photographers in London. In 1996 I started to build my own client base.

At the end of 1998, I handed back my leased photography equipment and moved back to Melbourne, where I worked in other fields for a couple of years while I saved up for new gear.

My current business has operated since late 2000.

Who have been your influences, photographically?

It's really hard to say! Early influences, when I was first learning about photography, were probably Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson to name a couple.

These days I am a frequent visitor to flickr and jpg magazine for inspiration.

A few other local photographers whose work I admire are Simon Schluter, Simon O'Dwyer, Angela Wylie, Eamon Gallagher and Urs Buhlman.

I also very much like the compositions and subject matter of the painter Jeffrey Smart.

And of course I was also influenced by photographers I have worked for as an assistant, in particular Lizzie Orme in London, with whom I did my longest tenure.

Did you have any interest in photography in school?

Yes, one time when I was about seven or eight I borrowed my Mum's little 110 Instamatic camera and shot a roll of abstract art pieces which I treasured for a long time.

Later, when I got the chance to look through an SLR, I was really hooked. In high school (especially year 11 and 12) I then had the opportunity to experiment much more extensively, develop my own film, and muck around in the darkroom.

Technical

What medium to you prefer to use?

Now that the quality of digital has surpassed film, it's all I use - and has been for a couple of years.

I find film kind of interesting and would like to experiment with various techniques but don't take much time to do this at the moment because I'm pretty busy with commercial work and running the business.

I shoot 99% of my work on Canon DSLRs. On rare occasions where the application demands it, I hire medium or large format digital equipment. An example would be an extremely large, detailed reproduction; or where lens movements are required.

Apart from image quality, the other reasons for choosing digital capture over film are probably pretty obvious by now. But for what it's worth:

• Instant feedback available while shooting. On location this means everyone saves time and money because we know when we've got the shot right. It also helps to eliminate errors because you know immediately if something hasn't worked out as intended.
• The ability to maintain the entire workflow in-house, which gives us more control over the final product we hand over to clients
• Much higher tolerance for low lighting, or lighting of mixed or unpredictable colours
• The ability to experiment freely with minimal additional expense to the client or myself.

What is your opinion of manual single-lens-reflex cameras?

Ultimately a camera is just a tool. It is essential to have the right tools for the job but being too fixated on the equipment is detrimental to producing interesting images.

Much more important is where you point the camera, and when you choose to press the button.

SLR cameras are what I use most of the time because (a) they're extremely flexible and suited to a wide variety of work types, (b) they're widely available and widely supported, and (c) I'm used to it, so I can concentrate on the image making, instead of the technical details.

Of course, for some types of work, view cameras, rangefinders, pinhole cameras, or plastic/toy cameras can create images that would be difficult or impossible to reproduce with SLR equipment.

''Horses for courses', as they say!

What equipment do you use?

Anything that does the job effectively, quickly, and cost-efficiently for me and the client.

More specifically:

Cameras

Most of the time I use a Canon EOS 20D. It (well, actually the D30 and 10D I owned before it) has revolutionised the way I work and I am pretty happy with it. It is a good compromise of cost, features, quality, and weight.
Where extra resolution is required (for example if the photographs are to be reproduced at huge sizes with fine detail) I have used cameras like the EOS 1Ds Mk II or the Mamiya 645 with a Leaf digital back.

Lenses

My main lenses are the Canon 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L, and Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6

Lighting

For lighting, I use available light probably 70 percent of the time. I have four monobloc flash heads (Bowens and Courtenay) with a radio trigger and various light shapers (softbox etc) for studio-type work. For more complex jobs (such as studio photography of cars or room sets) I hire lighting as required.

Computer

I use a laptop PC running Windows. Yes, Windows, for real.

Software

My main tools are Adobe Bridge and Photoshop CS2.

Do you shoot RAW or JPEG?

I don't usually have any reason to shoot JPEG. The only exception is if I am covering an event and the client requires the images immediately, in which case I would consider shooting RAW+JPEG.

For more information, see Understanding Raw Files at Luminous Landscape.

What is your workflow?

What happens after the image is taken? (processing, filing, manipulation etc.)
How are the images selected? (by the client or yourself?)
At what stage of the process do you work on the images?
Are your images captioned?
When does the client see them?
Are the images archived and if so what system is used?
Is colour management used?

My work usually starts well before the button is pressed, and finishes long after.

The first job is to understand the clients needs and expectations, and to refine the concept. It's essential that we're on the same page about what the final outcome is to be. As working relationships evolve, a higher level of trust develops - and the clients who I have worked with the longest often give me only a minimal brief, because we both know what is expected.

The next job before the actual shoot is planning, organising and scheduling everything that is required to make it happen. I guess this is where fancy advertising photographers often call in a producer... but most of the shoots I do are simple enough for me to manage this phase myself.

Finally it's time to take the pictures. Styling the scene and setting up lighting are very much part of creating the images. Often I have a good idea in my mind of what the lighting setup is going to be, but other times it's necessary to think 'on the fly' to deal with changing conditions - or just a different angle that I've thought of.

Sometimes the client is on the shoot with me. Depending on the nature of the shoot, they might see some images on the back of the camera as the shoot progresses, or even see them full size on the computer. Other times the client won't see the images until they get the files are delivered.

Unless I'm shooting with the camera tethered to the laptop, the first job after the shoot is of course to upload the photographs onto the computer.

I then view the images in Adobe Bridge and this is where the editing takes place. Images that are totally unusable (for whatever reason - out of focus, eyes closed, etc) are deleted, and everything else is given a star rating. Sometimes this is as simple as rating images three stars for 'keep' or zero stars for 'cutting room floor'. If there are lot of similar images this may be more involved - comparing similar images and choosing the best.

I almost always select the images myself. After all, I'm the freakin' expert, right? There are a few exceptions, though. For example, if I'm doing corporate portraits, I usually shoot with the camera tethered to the laptop, and the subjects can approve their photographs, which can help them to feel more comfortable.

It depends on the job, but usually captioning not required. For corporate portraits at a large organisation (where I might be photographing 20 or 30 people in a sitting, and the designers in the communications department might not recognise them) they are captioned.

Once I have identified the 'selects', the RAW image files are processed. This includes setting the levels and making colour adjustments if needed.

Sometimes manipulation is included, other times none is needed. It's always best to get the image as close as possible to the final product 'in camera'. It's amazing what's possible in Photoshop, but it usually takes two to ten times as long as just getting it right in the first place!

Finally the images are delivered to the client. This is usually on CD and/or over the internet.

Usually I use the most basic form of colour management, which is to monitor the colour temperature settings and use a consistent, standard colour profile, which stays with the image from start to finish. Because I know the colour of my lights, and how my camera responds to most light sources, this gives highly predictable and pleasing results.

Where colour accuracy is even more critical (high-end product catalogues, etc), the system may be fully calibrated, but this is rarely necessary for our kind of work.

After the job is sent to the client it is archived. I do this primary for internal purposes - clients are not charged for the creation and maintenance of the archives, therefore I don't guarantee the availability of their old work.

The archiving method I use at present is to burn to good quality (brand-name) DVD on two copies, one of which is kept off-site. This protects against fire, flood, theft, etc, but not DVD impermanence. The archiving software I use creates an index, so it's not too hard to find any material I need. It's not a perfect solution, and I am always looking at alternatives, but it is satisfactory for the most part.

For a more detailed discussion of digital workflow, including colour management, see the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines (UPDIG).

Other stuff

What are the main type of photo shoots you do?
Which shoots are your favourite?

Most of my work at the moment is working directly for organisations, photographing people. This includes 'head shots', corporate portraiture, and publicity shots for organisations as diverse as local councils, investment banks, electricity companies and unions.

I also do some editorial work for magazines. My favourite is probably Australian Anthill Magazine, because they give me a lot of freedom to experiment and shoot things in fun ways. They are very open to my creative input - which benefits both of us!

My two main passions apart from photography are aviation and music, so in future I'd like to take more photographs of aeroplanes and musicians.

Have you ever had a major problem in a shoot?

Yes. You can read about it here.

How has being a photographer changed your life?

Do you people have to ask such hard questions?

Being self-employed has taught me so much about myself, about dealing with others and about being in business. Taking pictures is only one part of what I do.

I enjoy the freedom of not working nine to five, and I've also enjoyed the challenge of being disciplined enough to build a business the way I want. Obviously it's not for everyone, and it's certainly not easy. In fact I don't usually recommend photography as a career for people who are interested in photography. Better to make a lot of money doing something else so that you can then buy all the camera equipment you want and shoot what you want, when you want (rather than what other people want you to shoot!)

Best of all is the continuous learning and improvement, and working towards personal goals.

Have you had any great successes?

Before I decided on photography as a career, I worked in a car wash, a convenience store, a birdcage factory, and drove taxis, among other things. While all of those jobs were interesting, educational, and even had perks, I now make a living doing something I really enjoy. Every day is a success!

When a picture works out just how I visualised it (or better), I consider that a success.

And of course it's always rewarding when other people get enjoyment or inspiration from my pictures.

Do you have any advice to people who are thinking about a career in photography?

Yes - become a lawyer instead (see above)!

But if that doesn't put you off, my advice would be:

1. Study the work of as many photographers as possible; but take the time to develop your own style - don't try to imitate someone else's.
2. Take the time to thoroughly understand the technical side of photography; but don't get fixated by and obsessed with equipment. Photography is part art, part science. You need to become competent at the scientific aspect so that it doesn't impede your self-expression
3. Unless you are looking for a photography job with a newspaper or big commercial studio, learn about running a business. A small business course would be a great introduction.

Can I use one of your pictures for critical analysis?

Yes, on the condition that you tell me which picture you used and send me a copy of the analysis.

Who owns the copyright in your images?
Are images used again for stock or other clients?

My company retains copyright in the images. This is the default under Australian copyright law, but it is also specified in our contract.

The client is issued with a licence to use the photographs that covers their needs. This must carefully agreed in advance so that the client does indeed have the right to use the images for everything they need them for. The last thing I want to do is surprise clients with an unexpected bill for usage!

The licence can be as narrow as a non-exclusive, single use in a single country for a short time period; or as broad as an exclusive worldwide, all media, perpetual licence - or anywhere in between.

Sometimes images can be used for stock or other clients, but this is an area that needs to be managed carefully. Essentially it depends on whether the original licence was exclusive to the client or not. Often there is an exclusivity period (which could be a few months or a few years), after which I may re-use the images.

Even if the licence is non-exclusive and I have the right to re-use the images, I need to make a judgement call about whether there is a conflict. For example, imagine if a client commissioned me to shoot some images and they then found those image being used to advertise a competitor. On the other hand, if the new usage is totally unrelated, it's unlikely to be a problem.

Copyright can be a complicated area, but if it is properly understood by creators and their clients, it can work out fairly for everyone. For more information about copyright, see the Copyright for Clients and the Australian Copyright Council.