Photographer Interview Series: J. Grant Brittain
Mar 3, 2010 Photographer Interview, Photography Discussion
Skateboarding, Art and Music are so intertwined. These disciplines were the staple of my youth and still the fabric of my life. If you’ve ever picked up a skateboard magazine there’s a good chance you have seen J. Grant Brittain’s work.
Grant’s photography always pushed the envelope. He has a style of capturing the moment but also a unique way of placing you on location. His skateboard photographs are more than skateboard pictures – they’re fine art. To say that I’m a fan of his work is an understatement.
I asked Grant if he could answer a couple of random questions for my Photographer Interview Series and he graciously accepted. This interview was done via email and re-posted without edits. We discuss his infamous Chris Miller polecam photo, digital photography and workflow plus where he finds inspiration.
How did you get the idea to use the polecam at Upland to shoot Chris Miller? (click here to see the photograph)
Miller told me not too long ago he thought of the pole cam idea, I thought
I did. A surf photog had used one in the water, that’s where the idea came from.
Can you describe the equipment set up? A Nikon FM2 with 16mm fisheye on an adjustable tripod head mounted on a monopod and a squeeze bulb shutter release coiling down the pole.
How do you feel about film vs. digital? That old argument is dead, it’s a non-issue in photography circles.
Was the transition to digital difficult? Switching was easy, it’s just another tool in the paint box. Photoshop is the digi darkroom. I love them both, however you can’t do a magazine in 2010 without digital, you’d go out of business both as a magazine and as a photog.
Can you describe your digital workflow? I just put everything in folders. I use Bridge a bit.
If you had to give a beginning photographer one tip to last his whole career - what would that be? Perseverance, just stick with it. If you love it, keep doing it. The money or fame will follow.
What photographers inspire you? The Masters, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Walker Evans, Ralph Gibson, Keith Carter, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, etc. The skatephotogs of the 70s that came before me, Warren Bolster, Glen Friedman, Jim Goodrich, Ted Terrebonne, Craig Stecyk and James Cassimus. I learned by looking at their photos in the mags. I also get inspired by my peers.
What projects are you currently working on? Just doing The Skateboard Mag with (Dave) Swift, Atiba (Jefferson) and the others, we’re working on our 75th issue. I am the Production Manager and Director of Photography and a co-owner, so I have my fingers in everything running a business. Personally, just shooting the skate photos I really want to, mellow shoots, no cops. I’m also working on a portrait project.
I want to thank Grant for taking the time to do this interview. It’s an honor to have someone that I look up to do the first interview for this series.
Do you have any favorite J. Grant Brittain photographs? Leave a comment with any thoughts about this interview or suggestions for interviews in the future…
(*please note all attached images are © J. Grant Brittain)
Tags: az photographer, az photography. upland skatepark, california, chris miller upland, j grant brittain, Photography Discussion, photography how to, pipeline skatepark, professional photographer, professional photography, skateboard photo, skateboard photography
Three Photography Tips For Beginners
Feb 28, 2010 Photography Discussion
If you asked me what are the three most important things a beginner photographer should know – I’d say “Know your equipment, know your settings & trust your instincts.”
Sounds simple enough, right? Let’s explore these three photo tips for beginners…
1. Know Your Equipment : When I say know your equipment I don’t necessarily mean spend hours reading the manual that came with your digital camera or with your latest lens. Reading the user manual is always a good start but sometimes I think it leads to more questions than answers. There are a lot of really good camera field guides published for whatever camera you own. (example of after market camera guide) So now that you are familiar with the basic operations of your camera and how it operates – it’s time to go and shoot photos and put your new knowledge into use. Figure out which of your lenses are better for the different photo subjects you are interested in and how they react in the different light situations. You know the stuff that NO book will ever be able to teach you. I am a big believer in going out into the field and learning by doing.
2. Know Your Settings: For every photo situation I embark on I have a mental log (started out on a notepad) of my baseline settings. These are my starting point for ISO, Aperture and Shutter speeds. With that being said they change from time to time depending on lighting conditions and other variables but I always start at my baseline. Experiment with different settings in various conditions, review the image (the most powerful part of digital photography in my opinion), make adjustments and do it all over again. As you become a more seasoned photographer you’ll develop your own preferences for settings and what enables you to make great photographs.
3. Trust Your Instincts: Sounds easy but this is where many beginner photographers stumble. Just because you read something in a field guide or in an article someone like Scott Bourne writes doesn’t mean it’s an absolute. If you develop a strong sense of the first two tips this one will eventually come naturally. If it’s a dark day out and you think ISO 200 will be better than ISO 400 – give it a shot. If you think 1/125 will get you a better photo than 1/60 – do it. Prove or disprove your own theories. There are times when I photograph concerts and I only have a split second to capture an image so I rely solely on my instincts. Trust me, as you develop into a photographer with your own style and sense of surroundings this will fee natural – but in the beginning it will be a struggle. John Coltrane had a saying about music theory that applies well to photography, “Know the theory, know the scales but when it comes time to play – just play!”
This is just the tip of the iceberg and the building blocks to developing into a photographer that makes great photos. If you had to give a beginning photographer a couple of tips what would they be? Post a comment below and share some of your knowledge…
Tags: az photography, beginner photo tips, beginning photography, developing as a photographer, photo discussion, photo how to, photography how to, professional photographer, professional photography
