I had the distinct pleasure of talking shop over dinner and a few glasses of Liberty School cabernet sav with photo legend, Joe McNally. We hit up Chill Winston's in historic Gastown and talked about the state of the industry and what it takes to make it these days. Joe's got a wealth of experience and though we didn't discuss anything too technical it was great to hear his philosophies on life and photography.
We both agreed, being people shooters, that the essence of a good photograph rests not so much in anything overtly technical but rather in finding and maintaining an emotional connection with our subjects. I love to photograph people and I have found that by far, my best work has come when I've made an emotional connection with my subject; whether it be through humor, reminiscing about past experiences, fantasizing about the future or silent present moment awareness.
You have to be in love with your subject I think, in some way. You have to love who they are, what they've done and most importantly you have to search for yourself in that person. You can never be detached.
Thanks for a great one on one Joe, it was indeed a pleasure!
4 comments:
Um. uh...blink...and you, ahem, didn't invite ME?
sigh...
:-)
Hi Martin, Susan Jones here, Melissa Tremblay (melissatremblay.com) is my cousin, she pointed me to your web, blog & facebook. A desire for photography is in our family DNA...Melissa is the only good one tho! Your work is amazing! If I lived in Van I would be bugging the hell outta you to let me apprentice.
Consider yourself lucky and off-the-hook!
Cheers,
Susan Jones
susanjonesoutonthecoast.blogspot.com
That must have been such a pleasure to spend time with such a legend.
Love your work Martin, very inspirational for me over here in the UK. I found you via strobist, I swear that's just an online photography dictionary.
Have a great Christmas and new year.
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