We are excited to share the awesome news that ViewBug community member andrei_duman has a new photography gallery in Los Angeles, check it out and read our conversation with Andrei below. Enjoy...
What inspired you to be a photographer?
I never had dreams from a young age to be a photographer. I dedicated a great deal of my time when I was younger on becoming a professional tennis player. As I toured around the world I truly began to appreciate the notion of travel and how going outside of your comfort zone really taught a great deal about yourself. I am inspired by the unique beauty that is found around us and by the different cultures be it near or far.
What was your first camera and what do you shoot with today?
My first camera was an attachment on my Sony Ericsson phone. I recall it was a 0.8MP sensor and I thought it was the most amazing thing. The screen at the time had the best resolution and the images you could take were, at the time, incredible. Much has changed in the last few years. I now shoot with the Canon 5DSr with a 50.1MP sensor.
When someone looks at your photos, what do you want them to take away from it, what are you trying to communicate?
This is always a hard one to answer because I am a huge believer in the power or art, regardless of what it is and how it can mean a great of different things to different people. I donât think anyone can tell us what an image is or how it should make you feelâŚit should do that instinctively. In terms of my own work, I am trying to make someone see a location or event that they have rarely seen before and hopefully inspire them to travel more to the more remote parts of the planet. I am a huge believer that travel makes one wiser, sharpens their skills, forces them to be a bit more adventurous.
What is it that you love about photography?
I love the thrill of trying to find that elusive shot that gets your adrenaline pumping. Searching for that location, or being lucky to capture that event, thinking about how you will compose the shot, all is wrapped in what I would think someone falls in love with photography with. I love the travel aspect of it, learning about new places and cultures and I love the freedom that photography provides. I also love that you have different types of photography, each with their own skillset. You have the landscape sort whereby you have the time to set up the shot, focus on your equipment, wait for that right moment. Then there is the type like wildlife and aerial whereby everything is happening quickly and in some ways your shooting style is very reactive.
What has photography done for you?
Photography has allowed for me to push myself to travel to even more remote locations around the world. It has made me be more curious and not scared to explore. It has also given me the confidence I needed to open up my own photography gallery (a daunting task in itself) to try to share my adventures and images.
Do you try to be conceptual or do you prefer to show the feeling behind a photo?
I think that depends on a few things. The location you are in, the subject, your own perception of what you are trying to show. Trying to photograph a landscape or during an aerial shoot, it is hard to show the feeling behind it all. Certainly when doing aerial, for me it is very conceptual and I try to look for patterns that I think are unique and provide a fresh perspective on an already known subject such as a meandering river or a salt flat. Trying to capture the feeling in a human subject is really tough for me because I do not direct them as one would on a professional shoot. It is hard to do so with a remote tribe in Namibia, I prefer them to be in their element, relaxed and as if I am not there. I am simply there to capture whatever energy or interaction happens and many times it comes across in what I am feeling and seeing but not in a photograph. I feel that my shot of the San Tribe woman was an example where I was lucky enough to have caught the emotion in her eyes. It was a very captivating experience and it only lasted a few seconds that I will probably remember forever.
How do you describe your style?
That is a tough one because in some ways I am still trying to find my style. I am fascinated with capturing the beauty that I am fortunate enough to see before me throughout my travels. If that is a great sunset in Bora Bora, a stunning temple at Ankor Wat, an abstract composition from the helicopter or the Himba tribe in Namibia, then it is hard to place that in a particular style. If I had to describe my style, I would say it is sporadic, highly detailed and experimental.
If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?
I would have to say that it would be the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L II. It is very well built, not too heavy when handheld with great optics and focusing. Coupled with the Singh-Ray Polarizer and Mor-Slow filters, it is my go to lens for most occasions, be it portraiture or landscape.
What are your 3 tips for others who want to become better photographers?
1. Within reason, donât pay too much attention to others who criticize your work without providing solutions to make it better.
2. Do not delete your images, even the bad ones. I learn more from the bad images and mistakes in my images from 10, 5, and 2 years ago. I can follow my progress in my composition, timing of the shot and my constant knowledge improvement in my equipment.
3. Never stop shooting, especially the subjects that you love the most. Donât turn down the opportunity to go out to get a new angle on a scene, learn something new about your shooting style and home in on your photography skills.
Have you received negative feedback from your work? What did you do about it?
I would have had a harder time to answer this a year ago because only around 2 people have seen my entire collection from all my travels. I was scared to show anyone in case they laughed at itâŚthought it was not âgood enoughâ. It was around a year ago that I started working with the manager of one of my all time favorite photographers and she gave me a great deal of confidence that my work was good enough to take it to the next level, whatever that level was. Shortly thereafter, I was looking for spaces with a good photographer colleague (Wendy Hudnall) to open up my own gallery. It has now been open for over 2 months in the 3rd largest mall in the US (The Village at Topanga). When you have your own physical space and not just a website showcasing your work, you do get an interesting variety of people walking in and everyone has an opinion on the work, be it good or bad. A lot of photographers who ask very specific questions to non-photographers who are interested in how the shot was taken. You do also get some people who accuse you of photo shopping your work. Some even get a little angry with you and start to argue that these cannot be real. Then you have those who come in saying that they can take the same quality images with their iPhones and frankly there is not much you can say to someone like that. You smile and say thank you for their input.
Raw vs. jpg and why?
Always RAW because it allows you to make such better post work. RAW captures so much more information than JEPG, yes at the expense of file size, but it is worth the price. My files sizes with the new Canon 5DSr are around 50mb each and this only forces me to be more selective with the number of images I choose to shoot.
What do you carry in your camera bag?
This is my equipment:
Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II Bar (backpack)
Lowepro Pro Roller X200 AW (roller bag)
Canon 5DSr Camera
Canon 11-24mm f/4L
Canon TS-E17mm f/4L
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Canon 100mm f2/8L Macro IS USM
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Canon 300mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon 500mm f2.8L IS II USM
Canon Extender EF 1.4x III
Singh Ray 5, 10 Hard Stop and Polarizer filters
G-Drive ev ATC 1TB hard Drive
SanDisk 16GB, 32GB and 128GB CF Cards
What is the most common mistake you see people making when shooting these days?
It is hard to call it a mistake as it is so subjective, but I am seeing a great deal of HDR exaggeration in a few images online. I think people do it in the hope that it makes an image more impactful, however to me this is almost masking out the hidden potential in the image. I think an image needs to breathe and sometimes, less post work makes it more powerful. I am very conscious of this on all my post work and I try to scale back the âwowâ factor that can easily be achieved for a more âtrue to the imageâ depiction. I am also baffled by some very well established photographers who post images on their websites without scanning the shot for dust spots and feathers. It is a very easy fix in post to clean up the image and to me the negative impact of neglecting this is great.
What is your dream location to shoot?
I think my dream location is one that has not been visited very often, that is hard to reach, involves driving and hiking and sleeping overnight or more to reach it. I think when you really have to work for a shot; it forces you to work that much harder to get the shot right. It needs to have something unique and dramatic about it, something that will stop someone in their tracks, be it a landscape vantage point or a particular remote tribe.
How do you decide on where to shoot a photo? What is next for you? Any planned adventures with your camera?
There is a great deal of research that is involved to find that unique place. I do try to find inspiration from many different sources such as National Geographic, different travel blogs on the Internet and movie locations. It is hard to shoot a place that has never been shot before so even if I was to go to a remote location, there is a chance this is not going to be a shot that no one has ever seen. My goal is to try to do something different with it. Maybe a different perspective, a different lens to use or a different time of day. I think that is a challenge that faces every photographer. You are presented with the same viewpoint, what are you going to do differently with it? My next adventure actually starts in a few weeks. I am off to Burma or Myanmar, as it is now known. It is a place of great wonder and spiritual energy so I am hoping for some great photography.
What is your goal with your photography?
As I have stated in one of the previous questions, I have opened my own gallery in what is now the 3rd largest mall in the US (https://www.westfield.com/topanga/the-village/home). I am honored to be the first photographer that Westfield has ever had in any of their malls in their entire 55-year history. I had some specific wants for the look and feel of the gallery. I wanted it to be open, feel like someone is walking among the images and to not feel stuffy like a lot of galleries that I have visited. What my architects (Relativity Architects) came up with in my opinion is nothing short of awesome. They designed the trees that reach upwards and have the branches that grasp on to the ceiling and side of the walls. It is from these branches that the artwork hangs on acrylic pieces, not only doubling my available space to showcase the works but also allows for the gallery to not have any extra walls be put up which would have closed off the space. I am confident that there is no other gallery like it in the world and it is already in contention for 2 architectural awards. My goal for the gallery was not to become a millionaire, but to show people a different part of the world. I wanted all to see other less travelled and less seen photography and I made a conscious decision to show only 1 piece from LA (Manhattan Pier). Showing pieces from LA is too obvious and comfortable for people. I wanted to get more of a reaction from the pieces. I hope that people find inspiration and motivation to not be so scared to travel to more remote locations and experience new cultures. The motto that I have written on the gallery wall is: âTravel is the only thing you buy that makes you richerâ. I am a firm believer in that and I hope it becomes the motto for others.
