We are excited to share our conversation with our Instagram Photo Contest Winner Kevin Monahan, follow Kevin's profile to get inspired and share your support!
1. When someone looks at your photos, what do you want them to take away from it? What are you trying to communicate?
When someone sees my photos, I want them to immediately have a desire to get outside and explore what is around them. I'm trying to communicate a sense of excitement and joy that is in our backdoor.
2. What is it that you love about photography?
When it comes to photography, I love how it captures an experience and turns it into a tangible memory that you can look at as many times as you want. I also love looking at life through a lens sometimes and trying to see it in an abstract and unique way, different than what the normal person would see just passing by not paying very much attention.
3. What has photography done for you?
Photography has allowed me to inspire more of my close friends in getting outside and going on adventures by sharing my pictures with them. It also has allowed me to meet new like-minded individuals that love the outdoors and taking pictures, people I can get together with to go out on adventures and also learn new skills involving my photography.
4. Do you try to be conceptual or do you prefer to show the feeling behind a photo?
Usually I try to show the feeling behind a photo instead of being conceptual. Since most of my pictures are of nature and my adventures, I always try to portray a feeling of excitement and wonder of all that is around us and that is accessible if we give ourselves the time to explore.
5. What are your 3 tips for others who want to become more creative photographers?
My 3 tips for others who want to be more creative with their photography would be; try changing the genre of what you usually shoot, test out different editing programs for your pictures and play around with the different components of it, and try using different lenses for your camera.
6. Have you received negative feedback from your work? What did you do about it?
The biggest negative feedback was that I never took pictures of people which made it seem like I was always by myself or didn't care to get others involved with my photography. After I was told this, I started to incorporate my friends and family in most of my landscape pictures and now prefer to have someone in these photos so I add a sense of scale to our surroundings and have a more interesting focal point.
7. Where did you learn to take photos?
I never took any photography classes to really learn how everything in a camera works. I would always shoot with my phone and started getting compliments about the pictures so I eventually invested in a camera because I enjoyed it so much and wanted to improve more. As for my new camera, I have learned how to shoot better with it through online readings and advice from my friends.
8. If you could have the gift of a great photographer who would it be and why?
If I was able to take pictures like Galen Rowell did, I would be very happy. The way he captured the different contrasts and lighting in the mountains was incredible. Also, to be able to see the places he took pictures of would be a dream in itself.
9. What is next for you? Any planned adventures with your camera?
As for what is next with me, continue to succeed in college and make the time to go on more adventures to find myself and share my experiences. Next fall I'm planning on studying abroad in either; New Zealand, Scotland, Norway, or Tasmania so my camera will get a taste new breathtaking scenery across the world. Stay tuned!
