This month I’m proud to feature an amazing photographer and friend that I had the pleasure of meeting through Flickr... Jason Bouwmeester of pixelens photography! I am constantly inspired and in awe of his work. In fact, he’s the one that helped get me into macro photography, as well as hdr, tilt shift, self portraits… I could go on! He’s always coming up with new projects and techniques that keep your mind in astonishment. His creativity and approach to photography is so unique, you can’t help but just want to learn from him… which is another insight about Jason… he is incredibly helpful by coming up with tutorials, and sharing his knowledge and finds. Also, he’s even been known to share his processes from taking a photo to post-processing.
The Prize:
Any unframed print, 8x10 or 8x12 format from Jason’s site or his flickr stream
Giveaway Ends ~ 7/31/09 Winner will be announced 8/1/09
Short bio:
Photography. Where to start? I always remember having some sort of a camera or another. The first one I really remember was an old Kodak disc film based camera back in the day. Next up I remember making a pinhole camera out of cardboard in Jr. High School in shop class, was quite fun and I really enjoyed it. Had a Nikon film SLR for awhile, and then...
Then I moved on to digital point and shoots - Canon Powershot A20 and A70s. Being in computers, it made sense and the lure of digital photography was too much. Sometimes I think it was a mistake, I have some good shots composition wise, but through the ones I had, I never really used the cameras to the full capabilities - and I lost a lot of my knowledge I’d gained from using film.
Enter November 2007… my first digital SLR, the Canon Digital Rebel XTi (400D). I loved it. It opened up photography for me again in ways I couldn’t imagine and beyond…
I don’t really have a specific style… I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, I just like to try different things and experiment with my camera and Photoshop - see what I can do with the camera and with post-processing. That being said, I give my best effort to getting the composition, framing and lighting right in camera and most of my photos are post-processed for clarity and perhaps minor color and curves adjustments. However, certain photos I will post-process to the max with techniques like HDR (high dynamic range) Imaging and simulating cross-processing. I also like to expand my horizons by using techniques such as TtV (through the viewfinder) which requires using a newer camera and shooting through the viewfinder of an old camera like a Kodak Duaflex.
In December 2008 I upgraded to the new Canon 5D Mark II with a 24-105 f/4L lens. I must say, it's a huge leap up from the XTi. My current gear consists of the 24-105 f/4L, 50mm f/1.8, 75-300 f/4-56 USM, and recently the famed 70-200 f/2.8L.
I shoot weddings and engagement photos, and am branching out into sports photography with University/College sports and an MMA (mixed martial arts) fight booked for the fall. My dream? To be a concert photographer - I'd die to be able to shoot Trent Reznor as he performs live!
What inspires me?
I think what inspires me most is just my passion for photography. I love being able to capture the moment the way that I see it and share that moment in time with everyone else. That being said, I do enjoy the vast number of images and talent that can be found on Flickr and more often than not I find myself finding inspiration from some of the photography that I find there. As well, I always need to be learning new things and new techniques so I gather inspiration from branching out and experimenting with my photography.
Favorite subject to photograph?
Man, that's a tough one... I go through my phases of what I like to shoot and the style I like to shoot in. I've shot buildings, landscapes, textures, animals, people, done street photography... I've used TtV, HDR, (simulated) tilt-shift and most recently rented a fisheye lens. If pressed on the matter I'd have to say some of my favorite shooting sessions have been of bands or musicians as they perform - there's something about the energy and passion in the music that extends to you while you shoot and just makes it that much more enjoyable.
Story behind one of my favorite images?
That's a tough one as well - I have a few images that I could class as favorites. I suppose the one with the best story is the one I titled .attitude. Mike Schlosser and Curtis Santiago were performing at The Works Street Stage last summer (2008) and I managed to catch them on my lunch hour. I started snapping some shots and really got into it so switched over to my 50mm and walked right up to the stage. Mike noticed this and "posed" while I snapped off a few shots. I sent him this picture afterwards and he used it as his MySpace profile picture for awhile. One of the best feelings as a photographer is hearing how much people like a certain image, and it's even more satisfying when someone absolutely loves a shot you've taken of them.
Self-promotion?
LOL, that's a good one! I currently run most of my stuff through my website
