Bernskiold Learning » Interview

Tuesday Talkin’ with Glyn Dewis

Erik Bernskiold — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:00:19 +0000

Glyn Dewis

This week, I am sitting down with my good friend and talented photographer, residing in the UK, Glyn Dewis.

Erik: Glyn, thank you for taking the time to participate.

Hey no worries, thank you for asking me.

Erik: How did you get into Photography?

Well I actually became involved in the editing side of things before getting involved in photography.

A few years back now my Uncle who has always been the ‘family photographer’ showed me this piece of software he was using that could…wait for it…remove red eye! Man I was blown away…lol Now I’d always been in to computers and tinkering around so I decided to get hold of my own copy of this software and start learning more; needless to say I soon became hooked. Oh and if you’re wondering what the software was that I’m talking about it was Photoshop 7.

I developed this real urge to learn more and more about what could be done using Photoshop so I started buying books from Amazon and such places like it was going out of fashion, but then one evening I was surfing the net when I just happened to stumble across a company called the N.A.P.P. Now these guys seemed to know what they were talking about (understatement of the Century or what) so out of blind faith I immediately signed up as a member and began watching their tutorials and participating in the forums, which if I’m not mistaken Erik is where we first ‘met’.

Anyway, long story short with the help of the N.A.P.P. and it’s members my knowledge grew so I then, for no reason other than personal satisfaction, took the Adobe A.C.E. Exam in Photoshop and passed and shortly afterwards began getting paid work editing for Photographers.

Now I gotta admit I soon became quite bored editing other peoples work and was finding myself frequently thinking ‘I can do better than that’ so I had to prove it to and went out and brought my first digital camera, a Nikon D200 and enrolled on a few courses. I’ll never forget the first course I went on in the UK, down in Bournmouth. On the very first day of a 2 day course being all excited about what was in store I asked the Instructor ‘Do you still get that buzz when you turn out a great photograph and show the client?’ to which he replied in a tone that would have made ‘Droopy’ sound positively hyper active ‘No, not really’. So, not the best introduction to the world of Photography Workshops. Anyway, not one to be put off easily I went on another course out in the beautiful Cotswolds and this was alot better with an Instructor that clearly had a passion for what he did.

The turning point for me however was making the trip over to Las Vegas to attend the N.A.P.P. Conference and Expo; incidentally my first ever trip to the United States. It was just the most incredible 4 days and a time in my life that I’ll never forget for a whole host of reasons. Getting the opportunity to attend classes by Joe McNally, David Ziser and Scott Kelby to name but a few totally blew me away and confirmed more than ever that ‘Photography’ was where I wanted to be.

I made some incredible friendships out in Las Vegas; friendships that since that time have continued to grow so apart from the massive learning curve I’ve alot more to be thankful to the N.A.P.P. for. Geez, listening to myself Erik it sounds like I’m on commission to promote the N.A.P.P but you gotta understand that I really don’t think I’d be in the position I am now without them. Photoshop and Photography could have ended up being a passing ‘fad’ and I would have probably carried on Bodybuilding to the extent I was or maybe something else.

Do you ever get the feeling that this is something you’re meant to do? Well that’s exactly how I feel about Photography and Photoshop. I absolutely 100% believe I’m now doing what I was meant to do. Don’t get me wrong I’m not anywhere near the level I want to be, but I’m constantly open and looking to learn so who knows where this will take me. One thing I do know though is that I’m totally enjoying the journey.

Oh yeah, the Uncle I mentioned about earlier…hasn’t spoken to me since…families huh?

Erik: If you get to pick either on location or studio, which would you pick? Why?

I’d have to say on location and there’s a whole host of reason’s for that. First of all I just love the variety that the outdoors brings. It’s basically a free studio with unlimited props and set ups; all you have to do is scout out locations. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy photographing in a studio but it’s a totally different experience. You start with a completely blank canvas and build up from there which is great but for the majority of my work I do tend to be outdoors. Now there is one draw back with this and that’s the UK and it’s forever changing weather…rain one day, drizzle the next (lol)

I get a real kick out of scouting locations for a shoot and then taking the client there. Sometimes the looks I get from them are clearly questioning my sanity but when they see the final images I love it when I hear ‘I can’t believe that was taken there’; does wonders for the confidence I can tell you.

I think because I’ve always worked outdoors or on location that’s why I prefer it. I’m not one of those people who can stare at a blank canvas and create something from nothing. I have to be somewhere and then I start seeing in my minds eye what I want to do. I generally study the client I’m working with getting to know the kind of person they are, what looks they have, if they’re a musician/band what kind of music they play and then I scout out the location that’s going to fit the whole ‘feel’ of what I want to do. It’s this whole ‘location scouting’ part of the process that I love.

Another big plus for me with working out on location as opposed to in the studio is that I don’t own my own studio so when I am in one I’m renting the space out. Working out on location cuts out this cost and so reduces my business expenses.

Erik: Tell us a little bit about a really cool shoot you have done.

Cool you say? How about freezing? (lol) One that really sticks in my mind was from November last year when clients Michelle and Dave Caton-Richards specifically asked to be photographed in a river with Michelle wearing her Wedding dress. Now we’re not talking warm crystal clear water, beautiful white sandy beaches and blazing hot sun, oh no…we’re talking the River Thames, muddy river banks and temperatures not far above freezing.

Thankfully husband Dave (that’s him holding the lighting) was into all sorts of outdoor activities so came prepared with both wet & dry suits for him and Michelle. However despite this, there was no getting away from how devilishly cold it was. Michelle was only going to be able to withstand the freezing cold water for a couple of minutes at most so we rehearsed again and again on the river bank so we knew exactly where the lighting was going to be. Once we were 100% happy it was all systems go. Michelle made her way slowly into the water taking care not to trip on the dense weeds below the surface and we started shooting. Little over a minute later, Michelle was out of the water and the shot was ‘in the bag’.

This was without doubt a memorable photo shoot; great fun with a great clients who were willing to try anything to get photos that weren’t ‘run of the mill’.

Erik: You are working on your own workshop series, tell us a bit about it.

Yeah this is something I’ve been working on for quite some time now and have been running what I’ve been calling ‘tester’ workshops where I’ve been inviting people to come along for free and pay me in the form of brutal, honest feedback. There are so many photography workshops out there now so what I don’t want to do is a.) rush into it and b.) copy what someone else is doing. I think I’m now at the stage where people can recognise my work so what I want to do is to pass on the knowledge that I have and am continually looking to expand on.

I’m certainly under no illusion about being a great photographer; far from it but I really do get alot out of teaching. I guess I’ve always taught in one way or another; from my Bodybuilding days when I would teach people how to train with weights and how to diet, and up to more recent times when I would teach certain aspects of Photoshop. One of the biggest ‘payments’ I’ve ever received was at one of my recent ‘testers’ when one of the guys that came along, when we all having a debrief (aka a pint of the good stuff) said that he’d never dreamed he could take the kind of photos he had done on that day. Now, granted the images weren’t going to win any awards because we had been covering basic lighting using just the one light, but to him, armed with a little more knowledge he’d made the best photograph ever. The basic overview of the Workshop will be to cover from meeting the client and discussing the shoot through to editing the images ready for ‘delivery’.

One thing that I really want to stress in the Workshop is about developing your own style and that despite only using one light it doesn’t mean that everyone’s photos will be the same.

Ultimately I want to develop the kind of the workshop that I would want to go to. I’ve been to enough to know what doesn’t work and I’ve also been to some of the best (Zack Arias, Joe McNally) to know what does.

With regards to when I’m looking at ‘going live’ I would expect that to be later in the Summer this year, but I’ll keep you posted through the blog.

Erik: Finally, what do you see as a challenge going forward for a portrait photographer?

I think the main challenge for portrait photographers or any kind of photographer come to think of it is the same now as it’s always been and that’s about developing your own unique style.

I had a long chat recently with Photographer Tim Wallace of Ambient Life about this very same subject and he too is very much of the same opinion that the most important and hardest thing of all is to develop your own style.

What is it that separates you from every other photographer out there? I remember a short while back when I was having my new website designed by Livebooks the Project Leader asked me to pass on links to other sites that I liked the look of to glean an idea of what it was I was after. I looked through the website gallery of one particular web design company here in the UK that is used alot and was shocked by how many different looking websites there are out there but with the exact same style of images within them. It might just as well have been the same photographer with over 100 websites. That is what you need to avoid because if all you’re doing is the same as everyone else then the only reason a client is going to pick you is because you’re the cheapest; and for a photographer running a business that is not good.

Your style is something unique to you. It reflects who you are as a photographer, what you’re saying and how the subject you’re shooting makes you feel so with this in mind how on earth can we just ‘copy’ someone else’s style? Sure, we’re all influenced by those we look to, we’ll take certain ideas from them but from that point on we need to put our own personality and experiences into it.

This kind of leads me onto another point about your ‘style’ and that’s about identity. What kind of photographer are you? Portraits? Weddings? Commercial? Food? Landscape? Fashion? … what is your speciality? In the past I was guilty of saying I was ‘all of the above’ not realising that by doing so I was actually damaging my business.

A perfect example of this was a couple of years ago when another photographer was chosen for a commercial shoot over me. I was later told by an employee at the company concerned that the reason I wasn’t given the job wasn’t because the photographer they chose had a more appealing portfolio, but because the Marketing Team didn’t know what I was i.e. a Portrait Photographer, a Commercial Photographer, a Fashion Photographer or whatever.

Over the past couple of years I’ve grown into knowing what my area of photography is and since doing so have landed a new contract with that very same company…Air New Zealand working with them on a new Worldwide Marketing Project.

Erik: Thank you for taking the time! Do you have any closing thoughts to share?

Practice, practice, practice and try not to let a day go by when you don’t have your camera in your hand; even if it’s your iPhone. In the past I’ve been like I said earlier a bit of a ‘serial book purchaser’ but there’s nothing that beats getting out, camera in hand and pressing the shutter button. Only by getting out ‘in the field’ will you build up knowledge and experience of all things photography…light, composition and so on, and that’s the time when you’ll develop your own unique style.

Be humble. Accept that this is something you’re going to be constantly learning from and don’t put a price on education. Nobody knows it all. If there’s an opportunity to learn from the best then take it. I flew from the UK to Atlanta to attend a one day workshop … Zack Arias’ OneLight Workshop. Sure it was tiring but I can’t put a price on what I learned.

Finally, and this is something I feel strongly about…Don’t be average! Don’t settle for second best! and to take words from my friend Tim Wallace never say ‘That will do’!

Get out there and be the best ‘You’ that you can be. Sure you may never be the next Joe McNally but be the best ‘You’ that you can be otherwise what’s the point? Anyone can be an ‘Average Joe’.

Thanks Erik.

Tuesday Talkin’: Patrick LaMontagne

Erik Bernskiold — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:48:55 +0000

Patrik LaMontagne

Welcome to a brand new series of interviews, coming to you every Tuesday for many weeks now, dubbed “talkin’ tuesday”. For this weeks interview, I sat down with Patrick LaMontagne, an incredible cartoonist and illustrator.

Erik: Patrick, thank you for taking the time to participate.

Thanks for asking.

Erik: How did you get into drawing?

It really was a ‘right place, right time’ situation. I’d always drawn and doodled as a kid, but I wasn’t very good, so it was never more than a hobby. I’d never considered going to school for art.

I really had no direction when it came to any sort of career until I was in my 30’s. I had been in the military Reserves for 5 years, two of which were full-time, teaching basic training. I came very close to joining the Canadian Armed Forces, because I come from an extended military family and it was a great life growing up. I attended Red Deer College for Psychology for a couple of years and then changed my mind and became an EMT. Having met my wife in college in 1991, I ended up in Banff in 1994 because she was working at The Banff Springs Hotel and it had become difficult to maintain a two year long distance relationship.

While in Banff, I worked at a hotel for a number of years in a variety of positions. Tried to get work on an ambulance, but at that time, there were far more EMT’s in this area than were needed, many of whom had plenty of experience.

I was still sketching off and on for fun. But, in 1997, I saw an ad in The Banff Crag and Canyon newspaper for an editorial cartoonist. I figured I had nothing to lose by applying.

Billy Joel

The editor gave me the gig, but I knew this was simply because nobody else had applied. My drawings were not good. It was $30 a week to do one cartoon and I figured it would be fun. For three years I worked for them part-time until I joined The Rocky Mountain Outlook, another newspaper that started up in the Bow Valley, an area that encompasses the towns of Exshaw, Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta.

So in the summer of 2001, my wife and I moved from Banff to Canmore, where we bought our first home. The editor (and one of the owners) of The Outlook at the time, Carol Picard, had a long career in newspapers and asked me why I wasn’t syndicated. When I said that it was very difficult to get into a syndicate, she waved it off and said that I just had to do it myself. She gave me some pointers and all of a sudden I was a self-syndicated editorial cartoonist.

The next few years, I still had a full-time job to pay the mortgage. I worked at a sign shop for a couple of years and was the office admin for a physiotherapist. I drew cartoons early in the morning and late at night before and after going to work, drawing on weekends as well. I got better at it through practice and I learned as much as I could on my own. Eventually I was so busy that I was not going to go any further unless I quit my job. My wife and I decided about 5 years ago that it was time, and I’ve been a full-time cartoonist ever since. I’ve now got newspapers across Canada, in addition to illustrating for a wide variety of clients, and since every year gets better than the year before, I’ve never been happier.

Cartoon on a Raft Bus

Erik: Do you have a favorite cartoon or illustration of yours?

My favorite images usually have more to do with the stories that go with them. The Prime Minister of Canada at one time, Paul Martin, once ordered a print of a cartoon I’d done for Maclean’s magazine. That was a pretty good day.

Someone else once ordered a caricature print of the Premier of Alberta, Ralph Klein, and presented it to him at his retirement. A photo of him with the caricature appeared in a number of newspapers across Canada. Another pretty good day.

Controversial cartoons, regardless of what the drawings were, are always memorable as well. People can get very angry about some cartoons, and they’ll often send me amusing emails letting me know about it. While I’m not religious, my favorite one was an Easter cartoon I did regarding the contradiction of a holiday that celebrates the rebirth of Jesus with the delivery of chocolate eggs. Many of my editors told me they heard from their readers about that one. One email in particular made my day, as I was informed that even though I was going to hell, the woman would pray for my soul, anyway. So I wrote her back and said, “Thanks.”

Grizzly Bear

Erik: Being an illustrator, what is your view on photography?

If I take a good photo, it’s by accident, so I have a lot of respect for photographers as artists.

Illustrators and photographers both work with light, shadow, and texture. Additionally, composition is very important to both disciplines, so I’ve learned a lot from photographers over the years. I took some of the ‘making your photos better’ type classes at Photoshop World in Las Vegas last year because the techniques I learned applied directly to making my illustrations better. After all, pictures are pictures.

I can sympathize with what photographers go through when some people assume that a bad photo can be turned into a good one simply by pressing a few buttons in Photoshop. The same assumption is often made about digital illustration, that the computer is doing all the work. Without trying to be crass, I’ve often heard the phrase, “you can’t polish a turd,” in reference to that largely inaccurate assumption.

R.C Concepcion

Erik: How does a typical “Patrick”-day look like?

Typical is a good word for most of my days, because I am a creature of routine. I like to try new things with art, but when it comes to the rest of my life, I’m uncomfortable with change. Just ask my very patient wife.

When I worked full-time at a ‘real job,’ with my business on the side, I would get up very early to get a cartoon out before I went to work. I found that I really enjoyed early mornings, so when I became fully self-employed, I saw no reason to change that.

I get up at 5:00AM most days, go downstairs, feed the cats and get my coffee going. I have a shower, get dressed and am at my desk, listening to the radio with headphones on by 5:30. I’ve never been a ‘work in my pajamas’ type of person.

I’ll skim the news sites for fifteen minutes or so to see if anything grabs me and I’ll take some notes. I’ve usually got a cartoon sketched and scanned the night before, so I’ll ink and colour it (digitally, of course), put in the captions, upload it to my website and Facebook, and email it out across Canada. Usually I like to have that done by 8:00.

If I’ve got some immediate deadlines, I’ll turn on the TV in my office and have the news channel going in the background, and I’ll just start working on another job. If I can, however, I’ll grab my sketchbook and head to Beamer’s Coffee Bar here in town. A number of my buddies meet there for coffee most days before they go to work, as it’s owned by a good friend of ours, and I try to join them two or three days a week. While I love being self-employed and working from home, being confined to the house day in and day out can get a little unnerving, and I’m a very social person. A coffee shop is one of my favorite environments.

Game Cover Cartoon

Usually I’m home by 10:00AM, where I’ll have breakfast and then get back to work. By 1:00, I’m starting to lose focus and the best of my creative energy is pretty much gone for the day. This is when I’ll have some lunch, answer correspondence, follow up with clients, do my bookkeeping and any other administrative duties that come with being your own boss.

I also try to get out for an hour walk every day, although I usually only manage three or four days in a week. I find this helps me clear my head, mull over ideas, and get some exercise. It would be an incredible waste to live in the mountains and stay inside all the time.

In the evenings, my wife and I will watch a little TV if we don’t have plans. This is when I get a lot of my sketching done, either for the next morning’s cartoon, or for whatever commissions I’m working on.

While there are variations to my week when I speak to schools, meet with clients, or run any other number of errands, that’s a pretty typical day. Not very exciting, but I enjoy it. I also work on weekends, but I keep it very flexible so I can spend time with my wife and friends. I’ve found that the best part of being a freelancer is making your own schedule.

Indiana Jones

Erik: Is there any special drawing you would like to do?

There are MANY caricature portraits I’d like to paint. Close friends, those who’ve inspired me, or simply people I know that have interesting faces. Currently, I’m trying to find time to paint the face of a digital artist whose work has always been a great inspiration to me. As in all things, finding the time is the difficult part.

I’ve recently started a series of animal paintings which added many more subjects to the ‘want to draw’ list, because I enjoy these paintings so very much. At this point in my life, I feel this is my best work. I could spend the next year working on these paintings and nothing else, and I’d be completely happy.

If I were to have to pick one, however, the image that I’ve been obsessed with painting for a long time is a humpback whale. I’ve yet to find the right reference photos to work from or the time to give the project the attention it deserves but I think I’m finally a good enough painter to get it right.

Squirrel

Erik: Thank you for taking the time! Do you have any closing thoughts to share?

I would love to convince people that it’s worth trying as hard as you can to live up to your potential, whatever that may mean to you personally. I’m a firm believer that we are all connected, which makes sense since we’re all made up of the same stuff. I think that connection comes with a responsibility. If you try to be the best you can be, that will positively affect the people around you simply by virtue of your proximity.

If you need help to achieve your goals, ask for it. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today had a number of people not taken the time to help along the way. Some I asked, some just showed up when they were needed, but many have directly contributed to my doing what I love for a living. And when that happens, take the time to say thank you to them. Gratitude is incredibly important.

And of course, be willing to help others when it’s asked of you.

One of my favorite quotes is by Abraham Cowley who said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Talent will only get you so far, and I know of many very talented people who have never done anything with it, simply because they’re waiting to be discovered. There is no secret to success. You just have to be willing to keep working when everybody else is taking a break.

Guest on Learning Digital Photography Podcast

Erik Bernskiold — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:16:54 +0000

This week, I’m a guest on my buddy Jason Anderson’s podcast called Learning Digital Photography over at Personal Life Media. In the episode (ep #24) we talk about tips and tricks in nature photography (floral, landscapes and briefly touch on wildlife) as well as a bit about websites and how to market yourself nowadays. Jason also runs the Canonblogger website, where you can get the full shownotes.

He Said – She Said: Interview

Elizabeth Gast — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:30:03 +0000

As the first part of the series of He Said – She Said that me and Elizabeth Gast are doing, we thought it work be a good idea to answer some interview questions so you get to know us a little bit better. We gathered questions from our twitter followers and everyone who wanted was free to send in. On my blog today is going to be her answers to the questions, and if you want to read what I had to say, go and visit her blog here!

@JoeHendricks – How did you get started in graphic design? What motivated you?

I’ve loved art for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was little (we’re talking 4 years old) I knew it was the only thing I wanted to do. Then, at about age 12 something happened. Someone showed me a computer and my world was forever changed. I took 2 years of computer programming in High School along with 4 years of art, which then spiraled into tons and tons of similar college courses and two degrees. Graphic design became an adrenaline rush that I still get to this day. And knowing that I have the ability to bring ideas to the world via my two favorite things in the world – art and computers – well it just doesn’t get any better than that.

@egower – Will this lead to any collaboration of artwork with you two in the future? A round robin type of project between your two different styles would be fun.

You never know what the future may hold. Erik and I know that we enjoy working together. However, we also seem to be constantly swamped with new ideas, projects, and work needing to be done. This is the main reason why we decided to make this article only once a month. But, we are open to new ideas and right now – anything is possible.

@weewood – What does the "datchic" in "datchicfirgs" stand for?

I get this question constantly! So I’m glad this got asked. For those of you that are not on the NAPP Member Forums – my screen name there is "datchicfirgs". A name that I have often half-heartedly regretted choosing. I can’t tell you how many times people thought I was a guy and have called me "Datch". So for the record once and for all I’m going to spell this out – It is three words. Dat (a slang word for ‘that’) – Chic – Firgs. I hope that clears things up.

@shadowcall – Are you afraid of bees?

Erik and I actually liked this question. So the answer is – I’m not really afraid of bees but if they are around my mother I will freak out because she is allergic to them. And granted I’ll tend to quickly move out of their way to avoid getting stung myself.

@b_e_creative – What artists have influenced the most through your career?

This list on this is so long it would be a mile of paper if I ever printed it out. From the old school greats – Leonardo da Vinci, Jan Van Eyck, Dahli, Escher; to the current masters – Burt Monory, Deke McClelland, Joe McNally, Jill Greenburg; to the ones that are on their way – Lisa Sage, Will King, Michael Green, Justin Seeley, AJ Wood, and naturally, Erik also plays his part – the guy has amazing drive, talent, and skills, which is why I asked him to join me in this. Every day I am influenced by someone or some thing. It never stops – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

@b_e_creative – Where do you find inspiration when you hit a "wall" during a project?

Great question! Several places – I start with browsing the NAPP member portfolios, then move on to Google Image searches, and dafont.com, then I saunter over to Planet Photoshop to see what Corey Barker is up to, then I’ll talk it out with my friends and colleges, and when all else fails – I take a shower – a place where I do my best thinking and where I have come up with my best ideas. And if all that fails – I walk away!!! I have found that you can’t force yourself into the zone. It’s either there or it’s not – so if you’ve tried all your best "bust up the wall" tricks – then stop fighting it, go do something else, and let the zone find you.

@Squiretwizz – How do you cope with having a busy life and still find time to do tutorials, twitter and blog updates, and respond to all th emails you must get? must be very busy with no time to rest let alone breathe!

Weird as this may sound – I thrive if my life is slammed with things to do. If there is ever a lull in my life I go stir crazy and get really grumpy. I know that my "master of multitasking" life that I lead can sometimes get crazy to the point of me screaming my full head off – but I contue to do it, because I love it so much. But I am learning that I need to set limits on myself and others, because I do need time away to spend with those that I love. My family, boyfirend, and close friends bring about a calming feeling that helps me to stay grounded and focused for all those times when it does get to be too much. I couldn’t do what I do without those people in my life.

@CreativeWisdom – Would you consider yourself a SM expert – and do you plan on integrating SM into your design company

Me? A Social Media expert? Heck no! Nor would I want to be! I think once you become an expert on anything then you have no where else to go in life. The term "Social Media" is becoming the "it" buzzword of the new mellenium. And this idea strikes me as funny, because it’s not really a new concept. It’s been around forever. The term "It’s not what you know but who you know" was coined decades ago – so I’m a little surprized by all the SM hype that seems to be growing at an alarming rate. Don’t get me wrong though – I love talking to and meeting new people and making connections through Twitter and verious other social networks, and a small amount of SM is included in my design company. But I don’t think that I will become the Rambo of the social world pelting anything that moves with my own ideas, services, or words. It just seems to me that sometimes, less is actually a whole lot more productive.

@UseR2006 – How do you choose what gear you use for certain shoots?

This question is for Erik, he does amazing photography work where as I don’t own photography gear – but if I did, I know that I would be a Nikon girl. The D90 makes me drool.

@aj_wood – Do you Mac or PC? Why?

I was raised on Macs. My first computer was an Apple 2c with the 3×5 floppy disks and ran dos. All of my high school and college courses were done on Macs, and I have owned several. But somewhere along the way, I also picked up the Windows team and I currently work on a PC. So, I guess you could say (with a small amount of snickering) that I go both ways. If I had a choice though, I would go back to Macs and never leave them again. They just feel like home to me.

@aj_wood – Was Photoshop the first imaging tool you used, or did you use a lesser known product first?

Ok, I am totally going to date myself with this one – The first imaging software I ever used was a fractal design program called Turtle. It was a little arrow on a dark screen and you would type in the DOS code to tell it which direction to draw a line in, how long you wanted the line, and in what color. Then you would repeat this a few times and type "LOOP" and the little arrow would draw a bunch of amazing fractle images on your screen. I’ll never forget that program – I was hooked solid after that. Paint Shop Pro – (also known as the first Photoshop) soon followed and I’ve been with it ever since.

@mcgregorlink – What impact does the growth of Social Networking have on your approach to Web Design?

It has a huge impact. All the world is abuzz with Social Networking right now, and if you don’t at least attept to keep up with it, you will be left to dust. So knowing how to incorporate it into a client’s website is a MUST KNOW for any web designer right now. You need to be aware of what networks are winning in the popularity poll and what their rules and regulations are. Often they will determine for you how they want you to build them into the site you are designing. And if you don’t pay attention to this, you could have a huge mess on your hands later. Like I said before though, on my own site – less is more.

You still have a couple of days left to enter your questions!

Erik Bernskiold — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:59:08 +0000

I told you about this new feature column that me and Elizabeth Gast from Design by Firgs are going to be doing once every month on eachothers blogs. We are going to talk about one specific topic and on my blog here, you’ll be able to read her take on it and over on her blog you’ll be able to read my take on it. Anyway, we are doing a special introductary before this all gets going. We think it’s good that you get the chance to get to know us two a little better, so we are offering all of our Twitter Followers an opportunity to send us questions through a direct message through Twitter with any question you might have for us! If we pick your question, not only will you get it answered by us but you’ll also be featured on our sites! Isn’t that a cool thing?

The deadline for the interview questions is quickly approaching so make sure you send a direct message to either me @ErikBernskiold or @Frigs on Twitter now (and you must be following at least one of us for that). Oh, and make sure to note in some way that it is for the interview.

Quick Important Facts

Deadline: Sunday 11th January, 2009
How to Submit: Send a direct message on Twitter to either @ErikBernskiold or @Firgs with your question. Make sure we know it is for the interview.

Wednesday Artist Interview: Jason Anderson

Erik Bernskiold — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:00:24 +0000

The Wednesday Artist Interviews have been on a slight hold for a while. It’s just a bit hard to find new people for every week. This week we have Jason Anderson stopping by doing an interview and sharing some of his thoughts!

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Jason Anderson and I fairly recently rediscovered photography (about 4 years ago) after a brief stint in my youth. With a career in Information Technology, part of my evolving set of skills has begun to include web design and administration. After several years of this, I thought that it might be fun to return to photography and use the shots as graphics on web designs. After several trial versions with slow digital point-and-shoots, I ultimately ponied up and got into the SLR bracket. The rest, as they say, is history.

Do you have any formal training/what is your background in art?

No formal training in photography as an art. I did take a few art classes bu found I couldn’t draw a straight line with a ruler so switched to music for my earlier creative outlet. Singing and piano were the bulk of my artistic expression through high school and college.

What equipment do you use?

I started with a Vivitar 110 film camera back in the early 80’s. After that, my brothers Pentax K1000se held quite a bit of fascination for me with all it’s buttons, levers, and gadgetry. When I re-entered the field 4 years ago, the growth spurt of digital had just begun so P&S cameras weren’t up to the task yet and serious shutter lag persisted. Wnating a faster shutter response, I decided to go the SLR route and dove in with the Rebel XT. For 4 years that was my mainstay, and I invested in glass and accessories. A few months ago I realized that I was just bumping up against the limitations of the XT too much and ponied up to the 40D. My lens collection includes the kit 18-55, a 70-200L (f4), and a 70mm Sigma Macro (f2.8), and a 50mm 1.8 (the nifty fifty). Other accessories include the ST-E2, a 550EX, and usual other things like tripods, light stands, umbrellas, CF cards and such. A wide angle lens will likely be my next big purchase.

Who is your biggest influence? Why?

Joe McNally. Not only is he the consummate perfectionist, but you can tell he’s the real deal. He doesn’t dress things up and believes whoeheartedly in the "open book" mentality of photography as a discipline. After many encounters with some who attempt to "safeguard their secrets", and don’t tell you anything you can use (or make you sign NDA’s), I like the appeal he has in his instruction, imagery, and just the whay he comports himself. Plus, he really is a good guy. A great example of this is his work with fire departments post 9/11.

Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?

Study the mechanics. Often.
Take lots of pictures. Often.
Keep your mind… open.

Do you have anything else you want to say?

I’d like to thank Erik for taking the time to talk to me, and I hope I was able to share some useful information with the readership.

Wednesday Artist Interview: Phil Dawson

Erik Bernskiold — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:00:15 +0000

This week I have the fortune to be able to post the interview with the talented photographer Phil Dawson. Phil is a photographer with a base in shooting portraits, weddings and events and he does that really good as you see from the photos here It’s a really good interview so do continue to read it!

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

As a Photographer, my areas of commisioned work covers sports and anything with people, from Social Events to Weddings, I really have a strong passion for Wedding and Portraiture. My style is starting lean strongly towards contemporary wedding photography. Though nothing can be quite as relaxing as sitting waiting for the sun set/rise with a camera.

Do you have any formal training/what is your background in art?

I don’t have any formal qualifcations, and I would advise anybody wanting to work as a professional, that they study business and accounting, and study photography in your personal time. Photography is a skill that you show not through a certificate but through your portfolio. I started in photography assisting my brother shooting weddings and portraits, like many others, just carrying bags.

What equipment do you use?

I shoot totally with Nikon, I just love the menu systems and ergonomics. I shoot a D300 with a D40 backup, it was originally a D80 backup, but it just takes up to much room for a backup, the D40 may slow me down, but it sure is one of the best bodies that Nikon have made. As for glass I have all the focal ranges covered from 17 to 200, in either fast zoom, or prime. Including the good old 50mm 1.8, Nikkor 17-55 2.8

Who is your biggest influence? Why?

One of my biggest influences is Martin Prihoda, his lighting ability is absolutely stunning, everything is so well thought out, and his images just have a "feel" to them, that many other photographers miss. I try to bring elements of his work into mine.

Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?

I remember a quote from somewhere, though I can’t remember where but it went along these lines "If I like my photograph, that’s all that matters. If somebody else likes it, then that’s a bonus" Very true, but if you’re looking to go into business, then it’s 80% business 20% photography. If you don’t keep your eye on the market, you will be having your ass handed to you buy somebody that shoots auto, but knows how to run a business.

Do you have anything else you want to say?

A photographer is only ever as good as their last photo. Always strive to improve, experiment, and don’t be afraid to try new things, but never allow your standards to drop. As you will never be better than the last click of your shutter.

Artist Interview: Erik Ludloff

Erik Bernskiold — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:00:16 +0000

This week the interview is with a fellow Erik, Erik Ludloff. Erik’s a freelance designer and digital artist based out of California, USA. He’s got a strong portfolio and he’s a really good guy as well!

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Erik and I’ve been a freelance designer and digital artist for about 18 years. Music has always been a big artistic influence for me. I started off as a wanna-be graffiti artist, but had a much better feel for pencil and paper than a spray can. I didn’t make the transition to wall art very well. I have always been a computer geek so I bought a scanner and CorelDRAW for my computer. I’d scan in my sketches and print out multiple copies, then hand color them with my Prismacolors.

In college I studied page layout and typography and began designing flyers for my friends’ bands to promote their upcoming shows. Eventually I started charging them to design cassette sleeves, album covers, and other band merchandise including logos, t-shirts, etc. After about a year, word spread around the local music scene and my foot was firmly in the design door. I saved up my design money and bought Photoshop. (Not because I didn’t like Corel, but just because all the print shops I worked with at the time told me I needed to switch.) It was a love/hate relationship at first, but now Photoshop and I are good friends.

Playing in Photoshop is one of my favorite ways to spend my free time. I really enjoy photo collages, combining multiple images into a single piece of art. I’m not much of a photographer so I mainly use stock photos to play with. Occasionally I’ll incorporate one of my own photos and that’s always a big kick for me. I find myself taking photos of things just so I can use part of it in a collage later. Photoshop is such a powerful tool that I’m truly limited only by my imagination.

Do you have any formal training/what is your background in art?

My training has been mostly informal. I took a few college courses on advertising and design. It was great to get a solid foundation of the basics: color theory, typography, page layout, etc. I also read a lot of books, so I consider myself book-taught rather than self-taught. I’ve looked at tons of Photoshop tutorials online. It’s amazing the wealth of information available out there. NAPP has probably been the greatest learning tool for me recently.

The NAPP video tutorials are really well done, and the folks in the forums are incredible in that they are quick to offer help when needed. I’ve participated in a few head-to-head battles in the NAPP forums and it’s a great way to learn by looking at someone else’s layered PSD. There are so many ways to achieve the same result in Photoshop. I find that everything I learn helps me to build my personal toolkit and that keeps me wanting to learn more.

What equipment do you use?

Mainly Photoshop and Illustrator on the software side of things. For hardware I use a tablet, a mouse, a Spyder2Pro for color calibration, and pencil and paper of course. I highly recommend that artists sketch. It’s so quick and easy to do. I find that I can get a lot of ideas on paper in a short period of time if I just sketch them.

Who is your biggest influence? Why?

Probably my mom. She always encouraged me to pursue whatever art I was passionate about. As a kid it ranged from guitar to karate and even break dancing. Her enthusiasm followed me into adulthood. I try to be that supportive person to my friends and co-workers. My mother always appreciates my silliness too. So a lot of my artwork borders on the absurd.

Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?

Learn the fundamentals of design. Just like athletes pursuing the sport of their choice it all comes down to the fundamentals. Once you know the rules, then and only then, should you go out and break them.

Do you have anything else you want to say?

I read something recently that really rang true for me. I’m paraphrasing here because I don’t have the reference handy. It basically said that to get really creative, you should take your ideas way past where you think they should go then step back. That’s basically the gist of what was said. I hope I did it justice. It’s how I tend to work. Go completely wild then back it off to where it needs to be. Even a logo design for a conservative financial company will get a silly drawing on the sketch pad. It helps lighten the mood and often times that’s when the best ideas take shape.

I appreciate all that you do, Erik. Your informative blog is a wealth of resources and you are always eager to help others.
- Krazy E

Oh, and no interview would be complete without revealing the true meaning of life…

"Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations."
- Monty Python and the Meaning of Life

Wednesday Artist Interview with Will King

Erik Bernskiold — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:40:24 +0000

There was a while ago that I used to be running these artist interviews pretty often but it slowed down a bit a short while ago because it’s been hard finding people that want to be interviewed. Nominated however by a friend of mine, Elizabeth was this time around the great photographer, Will King (who by the way nominated another person you’ll perhaps see next week) who shoots some really great photography. Now, Will is one of these cool photographers that masters a lot of areas. He shoots very nice landscapes and yet he captures some truly great wildlife photos. Anyway, enough with the intro talk and let’s get right to it!

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a husband and a father of one boy. My daytime job is a Network Security Analyst. I’ve been an avid photographer for about three years and have been using Photoshop for about two years now. I love and respect all genres of photography. My favorite subjects to shoot are landscapes and seascapes with dramatic light.

Do you have any formal training/what is your background in art?

I have no formal training in photography or art. I study the works of others and ask a lot questions. I have read several photography and Photoshop books and of course I’m a NAPP member which has been extremely beneficial.

What equipment do you use?

I use all Canon equipment. I have 2 bodies: Canon 1Ds Mark III and a 1D Mark III. With several lenses ranging from 400mm to 15mm.

Who is your biggest influence? Why?

I have several influences. For landscape photography, Marc Adamus is someone I look up to and admire. He goes to great lengths in the field and the digital dark room to master his craft. For wildlife photography, I really admire Miguel Lasa. He captures wildlife at their best.

Do you have any advice to aspiring artists?

Study the greats. See what makes their work standout and without copying their style, try to make your work standout in your own way. Offer a different perspective. Shoot low, high, wide and long. Anything unique is good.

Do you have anything else you want to say?

Never be satisfied with your current work. Always demand better of yourself. Learn from others and yourself.

Thanks to Will for taking the time to answer the questions and make sure to catch more more of his beautiful photography at his portfolio.

The deal about Copyright, Model Releases and Public Shooting

Erik Bernskiold — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:04:02 +0000

There are a lot of discussions going on always about what you can do and can’t do when it comes to legal issues and photography. As Ed says in the interview, photographers have a trend to ask other photographers to get a simple solution to the problems. Well, most of them aren’t true and most times don’t apply to the situations as you think. Scott Kelby however took a little different approach and asked Intellectual Property Attorney, Ed Greenberg to come on as a call-in guest on Photoshop User TV which is airing next week. Scott posted the clips of the interview yesterday on his blog however. In the interview, Ed clears up the major things about Copyright, Model Releases and Public Shooting.

Listen to the Interview