When did you start doing street photography and why?

When I first started shooting photography, I had a difficult time figuring out what type of photography I enjoyed the most. I tried everything—landscape, wedding, portraiture, macro, you name it.

However my defining moment was a day in which I was waiting at a bus stop. I saw a young man with horn-rimmed glasses reading a book while leaning on a pole. I felt the moment was so pure and genuine, and I felt the urge to take his photograph. Then the questions came to mind—should I ask for permission and was this “right?” Regardless I went with my guts and attempted to take his photograph (without his permission). My heart was pumping and adrenaline flowing, and I brought up my camera to snap a photograph. The second my shutter was about to go off, he stared right at me and I took the photo. I have been hooked ever since.

What is it about street photography that appeals to you the most?

What I love most about street photography is that it is extremely challenging—both in creating an image that is visually appealing and emotionally appealing. I am also as interested in the approach of street photography. After all, who takes a photograph of a stranger without his/her permission? But it is through this candor that you can get a sense of who that person truly is and what is going on in their mind – without asking for permission.

What gear do you use and why?

I currently shoot with Leica cameras for my street photography, as I prefer the small body, how quiet it is, and unthreatening it looks. For my digital work, I shoot with a Leica M9—but recently I have been shooting quite a bit of film on my Leica M6.  However one thing I would like to urge to the readers of DPS is to not get too caught up in the gear. Although I do shoot with one of the most expensive cameras out there, there is no reason you can’t take a great image with what you have—and even an iPhone!  Having said that, generally the smaller your camera is, the less scary it is to the average person and more suitable for street photography.

How often do you get out and shoot?

I shoot everyday. When I am out traveling I probably shoot close to five hours a day. When I am back home and resting, probably less—around two hours a day or so. The most important thing is that I always have my camera with me, and try to make the time to shoot whenever possible.

What are your favorite subjects and locations?

When I was an undergraduate in my university, I studied sociology and I consider myself first a sociologist and second a photographer. Therefore, in my photography, I am particularly interested in capturing the beauty and ills of society through my lens. Some themes in particular which interest me are the role of the presentation of self, gluttony (not just food but general excess), and the negative effects of wealth and capitalism. Therefore the areas I like to shoot in are generally urban and highly-industrialized areas. Some of my favorite places to shoot include Downtown LA, Tokyo, and Seoul.

Which were your best moments and your scariest ones, if any?

Whenever I am out shooting, I always shoot with a smile on my face. The response I generally get from my subjects while shooting is positive. Although I don’t ask for permission when I’m out shooting, I generally chat with my subjects after taking photographs of them. I compliment them on what I find beautiful or interesting about them—whether it be their smile, their flamboyant hat, colorful outfit, or the way that they walk with authority. After taking people’s photographs, it always makes me happy when I hear people say to their friends: “Oh my god, he took a photograph of me—he must think I am someone famous!” The best, is just a simple smile back.

My style of photography is much more aggressive and in-your-face than other street photographers out there- so I have run into a few negative incidents. However they are still few.

In Downtown LA I had an incident in which someone threatened to break my camera, and tried to grab my camera by pulling at my camera strap. I apologized and chatted with him afterwards, which helped him calm down.

Another incident in Toronto, I took a photograph of what appeared to be a male aspiring Asian pop-star wearing nothing but skin-tight leather leggings and a leather vest. I took his photograph and kept on walking, and he turned around and asked me if I took his photograph. I told him I did, and he told me to delete the image. I looked at the image and thought it was quite interesting, so I refused. He then started getting violent and started shoving me in the chest, spitting while he was talking, and threatening to call the cops. I stood my ground and told him to go ahead and call the cops—as I was doing nothing wrong by shooting in public. He pretended to call the cops, and then stormed off afterwards.

The most physical incident I have gotten into involved when I was taking photographs in Tokyo. I saw a guy who was around 6 feet 3 inches (I am around 6 feet tall) who was wearing a face mask yet smoking a cigarette. He looked pretty sketchy (he wore a doo-rag, had a menacing face, and a patch on the right side of his face) but I decided to take a photograph anyway. I then kept on walking, and then he ran after me, kicked me in the back of my camera bag. I was holding my off-camera flash in my left hand, and the force sent the flash flying to a wall opposite of us. The flash hit the wall, broke into a thousand pieces—batteries flying everywhere. He then gazed at me with menacing eyes, and I quickly bowed and apologized—and walked off quickly.

I don’t want to scare anyone from shooting street photography from the negative experiences I had. I have probably taken at least 300,000 street photographs—and these were probably the 3 worst experiences I encountered. 3/300,000 is a .001% percent of a truly negative reaction. You are probably more likely to get into a car accident. Regardless, it is important to always be prepared – because you can never predict with 100% accuracy what can happen on the streets. This comes with experience—but know when it is the best to stick around with an upset person and explain why you are shooting street photography and how to apologize. In other cases when people might not react well to what you have to say, quickly apologize and just move on.

Have you learned something interesting about human behavior from your street photography?

The first thing that always concerns people is the risk of getting yelled at or beaten up for shooting street photography. As a sociologist, I am particularly interested in the approach of street photography—and how people truly react when you take their photograph (without their permission).

The common understanding is that people absolutely hate it when you take their photograph without permission and will become aggressive. However in my experience, 99% of the people you take photographs of generally don’t react much or don’t mind when you take their photograph. In today’s society, people are generally non-confrontational and won’t react very much when you take their photograph.

What tips would you give someone who is just starting to experiment with street photography?

I would say the most important thing is to carry your camera with you everywhere you go. The best shots are in the places you least likely expect, and as Wayne Gretsky said, “You miss a 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Secondly, don’t be sneaky when you shoot street photography. Don’t shoot with a 200mm lens and shoot from a block away. Rather, use a wide-angle prime lens (35mm or 28mm on a full-frame equivalent) and get close to your subjects. If you get close to your subjects when you are shooting, it makes the viewer feel like a participant (rather than a voyeur simply looking in). I also feel with physical proximity comes emotional proximity with the people you are taking photographs of.

Lastly, shoot with the heart. Street photography (like other forms of photography) should be well-composed and framed. However in the end, a great street photograph needs soul—it should say something about humanity or challenge the viewer to see his/her life in a different way.

Street Photographer Eric Kim

To connect with Eric on FB, Twitter, G+, etc. and learn about his upcoming projects and street photography workshops click here.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Focus on Street Photographer Eric Kim ~ In your face with a smile!

Below are 33 images that feature patterns of different kinds. Some are found in architecture and some in nature. Some of these patterns are exact geometric patterns, others are less so, but still feature repetition. Enjoy! (PS: click each image to be taken to the photographers flickr page where you can learn more about the image).

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

33 Inspirational Images that Feature Patterns and Repetition

Crossing ©Mattijn Franssen

Is your background in photography? No, my background is oil painting and drawing.

What made you decide to do photomontages? I started using the camera as a tool to help set up compositions for possible paintings. I liked the result so much that I haven’t painted much since then. A friend got me a digital camera and I started taking pictures of everything.

How do you work from concept to creation?   Sometimes I start working from an idea, I make a little sketch and then go out to find the necessary photos. Other times I take photos of an object, a tower for example, and then build a world around it.

Do you work with Photoshop exclusively? For the photomontages, yes.

Once you are in the digital darkroom, how long does it take to create the final image? It can take a few hours or a few days depending on the number of pictures and the complexity of the montage.

How did you learn the technique? I learned the technique on my own. I had worked with layers for animations I had made with Flash. I did a lot of experimenting and got better at it over the years.

You and your cat are the protagonists in most of your creations, what prompted you to do that? My cat and I are in all my personal work. It’s like a trademark. Also, I like the idea of being able to visit these worlds and experience these adventures myself. I often put my cat on a montage the way she is when I take the pictures unless I need something specific.

Who are the artists, visual or other, that inspire you the most? I’m inspired by movie makers like David lynch, Michel Gondry and Terry Gilliam painters like Breughel and Willink

Digital Photography School readers will want to know what photo gear you use. I shoot with an Olympus SP-800UZ

What is your next project? I’m showing my work in various galleries. I am also working on short photo animation projects, it’s basically animating photomontages and I’m learning how to create 3d animations

What do you see yourself doing in 5 or 10 years? I would like to do something with film or animation. I may still make photomontages once in a while.

Reflecting ©Mattijn Franssen

Discussing the Elephant ©Mattijn Franssen

Bullies ©Mattijn Franssen

Harmless Figments ©Mattijn Franssen

Horsing Around ©Mattijn Franssen

Sharing a Drink ©Mattijn Franssen

Theme Park Mountain ©Mattijn Franssen

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Focus on Mattijn Franssen ~ An Introduction to his Fictional Universe

These are all about highlighting some beautiful shots with the hope that they’ll inspire you to go shoot some of your own – enjoy!

• Dreamy Images of a Rainy Day
• 31 Beautiful Bokeh Christmas Images (and how to take them)
• 18 Stunning Self Portraits
• Road Trip! 19 Remarkable Road Images
• Natural Light Portrait Images
• 18 Surreal Images from Martin Stranka

10 More Image Collections from our Archives:

And if you’re looking for a little more inspiration – here’s some more image collections from our archives!

• 15 Stunning Examples of Long Exposure Photography
• 15 Electrifying Lightning Images
• 13 Great Examples of Slow Sync Flash Images
• 9 Crazy Cross Eye 3D Photography Images (and How to Make them)
• 17 Amazing Wide Angle Images
• 12 Stunning Silhouette Shots
• 10 Astounding Astrophotos by Phil Hart
• 13 Fabulous Photos of a Rainy Day
• 10 Camera Phone Photographs that Rock
• 20 Beautiful Examples of Urban Decay

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Get Inspired Here: Our Most Popular Image Collections of 2011

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… and in our forums I’ve noticed more and more great Christmas images being shared – some of which feature a technique that is always popular at this time of year – Bokeh Christmas lights shots.

The technique takes a bit of experimenting and practice but is relatively simple to do. You need some Christmas lights and a camera lens with a reasonably ‘fast’ aperture (or a large aperture).

The key is to shoot at the larger end of your available aperture – this throws the background (and foreground) of your shot out of focus and any Christmas lights in the foreground or background will become little balls of light.

As you’ll see in most of the images featured in this series – the technique is particularly good if you also have some element in your shot that is in focus. This ‘subject’ might be a person, a pet, a Christmas decoration or something else.

You can make the little balls of light bigger by increasing the distance between your in focus subject and the out of focus lights in the background.

While most of the images in this series have the Christmas lights in the background of the image (behind the subject) it is also possible to create the little bokeh balls of light by putting the lights in the foreground of your image (in front of your subject). You can see this in the image below. The impact is a little different as the bokeh balls will cover part of your subject.

Another popular technique is to create different shaped bokeh. You can make stars, hearts or even little snow flakes like the image below.

To get these different little bokeh shapes is pretty simple. You just need to make a little cutout ‘mask’ for your lens. Rather than go over how to do it here check out this video tutorial that will walk you through it here.

The other way to change the shape of your bokeh balls is to experiment with different apertures. You’ll find that in most cases the larger your aperture the rounder the ball – but go for a slightly smaller aperture you may find your bokeh becomes more hexagonal (or Heptagonal or Octagonal… the number of sides will depend upon how many blades your lens has).

The different ways of using this bokeh Christmas lights technique is only limited by your imagination. Here are some more examples to give you ideas. Enjoy!

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

How to Take Beautiful Bokeh Christmas Images [With 31 Stunning Examples]

- When and how did your passion for Africa and photography start? 

I’ve had a passion for Africa for as long as I can remember. In 2004 while going through a painful life experience, I decided to do the one thing I had dreamed of for a long time — take a trip to Africa. It was magical and I fell in love with the people, wildlife and continent from the first moment my feet touched down on its rich red soil. I actually signed up to go with the Sierra Club and not with photographers. Prior to that I had never really owned a camera other than a disposable one. I received a list of  recommendations on what to bring on this trip and the list included a 300 mm lens. I simply walked down to my local camera store and purchased the Canon 10D, one of the first digital cameras, and a 75-300 mm canon lens. With my first semi-professional camera in hand and only a few lessons on how to use it, I began to capture what I was experiencing. This was the calling to pursue one of the deepest passions I have ever felt. I returned to Los Angeles with a new perspective, a new passion and new possibilities. I returned to Africa two more times in the next five months and made the decision to purse photography and my dream to live part of my life in Africa.

- What is your favorite location?

I think it would be hard to narrow down my favorite place to just one location. My work is focused in Eastern Africa, which is my favorite area on this planet. The Masia Mara and Amboselli are my favorite reserves for photographing wildlife in Kenya. The Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia is my favorite place to photograph tribes and indigenous cultures.

- What is your favorite subject to shoot now?

The tribes of the Omo valley — they have captured my heart. Right now I am working on a long term project in the Omo Valley. A project that I hope will help bring awareness and support so the tribes can to continue to live freely on their land. Drastic change is coming to this region — dams, roads, bridges, sugar farms and factories, and cell towers are under construction. The largest change is the Gilbe III Dam which is due to be completed towards the end of  2013. This major construction project will forever change their ancient ways of life if the government is not successful in removing them from their land first.

- Many of our dPS readers will want to know what gear you use and what you pack for such an adventure.

I am a Canon shooter. When on Safari I shoot with my 1D Mark III and 7D bodies, 500 mm, 70-200 mm, and ¼ extension.  When I am photographing tribes and indigenous cultures, I mainly use my 5D Mark II because of its full frame sensor and also the 1D Mark III. For lenses I use the 16-35 mm, I  like to shoot with a wide angle, get up close to my subjects and include a dramatic background. I also use the 70-200 mm, two Canon speedlite 580EX, and pocket wizards.  The unbelievable thing is that it all fits in my Kiboko 30L bag by Gura Gear except for one of my flashes. I may not be able to travel light because I am usually photographing both wildlife and cultures on the same adventure, but I can be as compact and organized as possible. I also carry a Macbook pro and 2-3 LaCie Rugged T drives. I back up daily and keep the drives separately just like having off site back up at home. One stays in my bag or on me at all times. The other drive stays in a vehicle, with my guide, or where I am sleeping.

- What is the one item, not photo related, that you would never travel to Africa without?

A small medical pouch containing cold and flu medicine, cough drops, antibiotic ointment, hand sanitizer, aspirin, sleeping aid, antibiotics and antimalarial meds. There is nothing worse than being sick and tired on location, especially in a very remote area. This would apply anywhere I travel and not just Africa. I also never leave home without a couple of power bars with a plug in the electrical current of the countries where I will be traveling.

- Could you give 3 tips to someone wanting to experience remote parts of Africa on their own?

Do your research and find the right guide, get to know them by email first if possible. Once in the country meet for coffee, test their knowledge and experience. Have they worked with photographers before? How flexible are they and can they take you to where you want to go and get you there on time? Do you feel safe with this person, can you trust them with your life? Trust your gut. Take time to negotiate a price with them, in most cultures it is part of the relationship building process.

Learn about the local religious customs and beliefs and respect them. Leave your own beliefs at home where they were created – enrich your own life. Be curious, ask questions, show interest and participate with your subjects. Slow down to the rhythm of Africa, put down your camera, enjoy the experience and then photograph the experience.

Be prepared. Things can happen anywhere at any time but, when something goes wrong in a remote location it can be much more difficult to deal with. Have insurance for both you and your gear. MedJet Assist will send in a private jet and medical team and bring you all the way back home. Scan and email your passport and tickets to yourself. Put color copies of your passport in all bags. Email yourself your credit card and contact numbers.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I love what I do and I hope that I’ll be doing the exact same thing. Traveling to remote locations, photographing wildlife and indigenous cultures.  Using powerful images to help shape the view of the world. Images that play an important role in disseminating how cultures and wildlife are coping with the rapid changes happening in the developing world. I plan to continue my tours and share the experience of a lifetime with other photographers. I also want to keep shooting for Getty Images, show my work at exhibits and share my passion through speaking engagements and teaching.  I would like to be more involved in collaborating with NGOs working in the areas I am photographing.

Good luck Piper!

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Focus on Piper Mackay ~ Africa in her Heart

Image by Daniel Zedda

One of the most effective pieces of lighting gear ever invented is available to almost every photographer in the world… unless you’re living in a cave (and even then you might have one).

Image by Anna Gay

It’s the window.

Image by Eric Meuller

I hear many photographers asking about what lighting gear to purchase to light their portraits – but I’m a firm believer that the natural light provided by a window can often do the job as well – if not better – than any expensive gear that you might buy.

Image by Meredith Farmer

Here’s a collection of images that were all taken predominantly with natural light – in most cases at or near a window. Enjoy.

Image by Shandi-Lee

Image by Paul Goyette

Image by John Meuller

Image by Mr Story

Image by Beni Ishaque Luthor

Image by Gabriela Camerotti

Image by The Q

Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello

Image by Gabriela Camerotti

Image by Jay Ryness

Image by Raymond Larose

Image by gabriele fanelli

Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello

Image by Jay Ryness

Image by Drew Herron

Image by brice hardelin

Image by Lauren Nelson

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits

Thomas is also running a photography contest this Fall, more info here, good luck!

1. When did you start doing street photography and why?

It was in May 2009 when I ordered a new Nikon 85mm prime lens and decided to make only street photos with this lens and upload it to a new online profile called 85mm. This was the start of 85mm Street Photography. The lens changed to a wider one over time, but the name remained.

 2. What do you look for when you roam the streets?

There are a lot of things I’m looking for. I focus on Interesting characters, funny situations, graphical repetitions, matching colors and so on. I scan the streets all the time while I’m walking…

 3.  What drives you most, the actual shoot or the resulting images?

For me it’s the challenge to see interesting things, to capture life and to make an interesting shot of something ordinary. Sure the result makes you proud, especially when you know the story behind it and when it was a special situation to capture it.

 4.  If someone objects and asks you to delete in camera, what do you do?

Yes, I delete, when someone requests me to delete.

 5.  What gear do you use?

A Nikon D7000 with a 50mm prime lens for candid portraits. A Lumix GF1 with a 20mm pancake lens for full scenes. I’m in the process of using also the FujiFilm X100 which should replace the GF1, but I’m not sure yet. The GF1 is a great camera for the streets.

 6. Do you spend much time in the digital darkroom? What is your work flow?

No, just 1-2 minutes per photo. I try to limit the time spent in front of the computer to a minimum and the goal is to make the photo as perfect as possible within the camera. I don’t like to crop, often take the original cutout. Then I add some contrast, sharpening, vignette, B/W and that’s about it. I use a preset in Apple Aperture 3 which save some time. But post processing is not the important part of my photography.

 7.  You started using flash for your street photography, how did that change your approach?

I tried it out, but I didn’t really like it. It was just for fun and to see how it works. It didn’t really change my approach. I was just flashing those faces instead of taking a portrait. For me flash is not something that I will use for the future as it is not a way that will improve the content of a photo. You cannot really tell a story, flashing someone’s face.

 8. Do you have a favorite city?

Yes, the bigger and more versatile the better. I would not mention a name as there are so many of them.

 9. What was your most memorable moment as a street photographer?

There were a lot, but there was one moment when we spend a whole day with a farmer whose wife we met outside of Yerevan, Armenia. This day really changed my life as I could once more feel how people can be open to complete strangers and provide a way of hospitality I would not encounter in my country.

 10. What was you scariest moment?

There were no real scary moments. There were people approaching me asking questions, swearing and threatening me. But it was not scary.

11. Do you have a favorite image?

“Hitchcock” is my most favorite image I have done lately. But there are others which I like. It depends from which perspective you look at your photographs. There are many which I like because there is a big story behind it, which cannot be seen by the observer.

12. Who are the photographers who have inspired you the most?

I don’t know a lot of the famous photographers. There is one person’s eye I admire the most. His name is Siegfried Hansen and he is a street photographer from Hamburg, Germany. His work is different, but extremely outstanding.

13. If you could give 3 tips to someone who is going to try street photography for the first time, what would they be?

Have a plan/concept, what you want to shoot. You have to focus on something to get good results. It can be a color (Everything in Orange), an action (people reading newspaper), a body part (feet & shoes) or a light situation (Silhouette). This helps you a lot. Start small and don’t try to jump into everybody’s face at the beginning. Observe a lot and don’t shoot too much. Start scanning for forms, colors, interesting faces and so on.

Thomas Leuthard

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Focus on Thomas Leuthard – Street Photographer

Shaun’s Story

In June of 2009 I was involved in a serious traffic accident that left me in a coma for several weeks and unable to walk or use my left arm. The list of injuries I have are longer than I can include here and so the last 2 years of my life have largely been spent for me in hospital or rehabilitation centres.

Much of my past life is a distant memory – things I used to take for granted and do without thinking take hours of effort to achieve, friendships have changed as I’ve become reliant upon others to survive and for a long time I lived without much hope. Depression became a state I lived in 24/7.

Camera Therapy

Around 6 months ago, and as part of my rehabilitation, my therapist suggested that I try to introduce something creative into my life. I think he was just trying to get me to think of something outside of my situation. He suggested painting but also mentioned in passing another patient who had taken up photography.

Being a techy guy (in my past life) I liked the idea of getting a camera and after a lot of research purchased a small four thirds format camera (a Panasonic GF1). I wanted a DSLR but due to their size and my limited movement (I do everything with one hand) I went for a lighter and smaller camera.

I also spent a heap of time on your website since buying the camera. I’ve not taken photos before but dPS has taught me a lot!

Over the last 6 months my life has changed a lot. Physically I’m improving a little – although still live life in a wheelchair and am very restricted in my movement – but emotionally I’m a different guy and much of it is a result of photography.

My Photographic Challenges

Pictured: Photographer using the 'Mount Mover'

There are a lot of challenges to take a simple photo for me. For example:

• Getting to a location to photograph can be tough – I like street photography and landscapes and much of my life is confined to my small apartment or rehab centres.
• Keeping my camera still – I ended up getting a small Tripod attachment welded by a friend to my wheelchair which has helped me a lot. Now my camera is in front of me any time I’m in my chair. I’ve since found purpose made mounts for wheelchairs and have just ordered one (the Mount Mover) – this will also enable me to consider a DSLR.
• Just taking a shot – when I’m out with other photographers I notice that they are able to take a lot of shots from different angles and compositions that I’m not able to get.

How Photography Gives Me Hope

However despite the challenges photography has made me feel alive again. It has become a very therapeutic thing.

• It gives me something to think about that is not related to my pain or injuries.
• It gives me motivation to get well again.
• It takes me out of sitting alone in my apartment.
• It has given me dreams for the future.
• It has given me a social interaction with other photographers (online and in real life).

My photos are not as technically brilliant as many of your authors – but that’s not what photography is about for me. For me it is a part of getting well and celebrating life, something I never thought I’d do again.

A Tip for Able Bodied Photographers

One ‘tip’ that I’d like to give other photographers is to ‘SLOW DOWN’. One of the bonuses of living my life is that nothing happens fast. As a result I see a lot more than I think many other photographers do. I also am forced to consider every element of my shot – composition, light, settings etc.

I see a lot of photographers racing around to get their shots. Not considering what they’re seeing and just snapping off a heap of shots very quickly and racing on to their next location. I suspect a lot of photographers could learn a great deal by slowing down.

If you have a story (big or small) about how photography has given you hope we’d LOVE to hear it in comments below.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Camera Therapy: How Photography Gave Me Hope Again

Photographer Francis Cormon

Which started as a passion first, photography or flying?

 Photography has always been my first passion. When I leave in the morning with my paramotor attached to the back of my car, I’m not going flying, I’m going to make images from the air! My father was an avid photographer, he updated his gear often and I always ended up getting the old equipment. I love nature and I quickly started doing macro photography. When I picked up diving, the camera followed me, occasionally getting wet in the process. When I decided to start flying, I carefully picked the machine that would be best suited for photography.

Is photography from a paramotor popular in France and in the rest of the world?

When I started in 2000, it was very unusual.  There were about 3 or 4 published photographers in France who shot from a paramotor. Since then we’ve multiplied but the combination of being a pilot and a photographer sets some limits. In the rest of the world, as the practice of paramotoring expands, new talents are emerging. One also needs to live in a country where the landscape changes. I am quite spoiled here in France!

Do you need a special permit to fly?

I do, in certain areas. I try to avoid them, but I am planning to get an aviation radio to be able to contact control towers and get authorizations. In France you need a paramotor pilot certification, insurance and a knowledge of aviation rules. If you take off from a field, you need the authorization from the mayor and the property owner.

How many flights do you do in a year?

As many as possible! The weather greatly limits the photography flights. The pilot needs calm conditions with very little wind and the photographer needs sun light. I have made about 1000 flights since year 2000, with approximately 400 photography flights. This year I have made about 20 beautiful flights that yielded some nice images.

What photo gear do you use?

I fly with a Canon 5d MarkII, a 24-105mm IUSM and a 70-300 DO. I often change lenses during the flight. The large sensor allows for cropping and the possibility of using high ISO (often ISO 1600) without affecting the quality too much.

Do you shoot video?

No, not at all, although my camera would allow me to. I am too much of a perfectionist to add this to my skill set. My days are only 24 hours long!

What time of day do you fly and why?

The early morning light is the best for photography, in my opinion. It’s a good thing since it’s also the best time for a steady flight, before too much thermal activity comes to shake things up.

What is the main challenge about doing photography from a paramotor?

You have to make images while respecting the environment, being the least disruptive as possible and very respectful of the regulations. In a purely photographic standpoint, you are subject to vibrations and constant movement. You have to shoot on the fly and try to frame as accurately as possible.

What do you prefer to shoot?

I have a preference for graphic images, when colors and lines make a visually harmonious composition. The lucky shots are also a great satisfaction, an unexpected subject, a rare light combining with the ocean or a volcano. I like to be surprised. For fun I like chasing hares while flying 3 meters off the ground using my 70-300. Great chase, where the animal usually wins over the photographer.

Do you also do photography on the ground?

Yes, occasionally. I take family pictures, of course. I get requests for specific images and I enjoy doing macro photography. I try to limit myself as each image requires a lot of time in post-processing: sorting, editing, optimizing and sharing.

What is your next project?

Every year, for the past four years, I have been working on a book for each Normandy département (translator’s note: the region of Normandy is divided into 5 sections called départements). Each project includes a book with a collection of arial images, the publication of selected images in “Au Fil de la Normandie” magazine and an exhibit. This year will be the last of the series: “La Manche vue du ciel”. There are more projects to follow but I am planning to put less pressure on myself. I want to start flying for fun and when there is a good chance to bring back beautiful images.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start doing arial photography with a paramotor?

I would advise a new comer to choose the machine according to its capacity for slow flights, its good visual clearance for the photographer and one that fits in the budget. I would advise against making it a full-time profession. The helicopter is still a preferred method for arial photography.  Also, the choice of a good instructor is important. You have to master the flight before being able to use the camera. From a practical standpoint, on the first photographic flights, do not hesitate to push the ISO. It’s better to have a noisy picture than a blurry one!

You can see hundreds of amazing arial images by visiting Francis Cormon’s website.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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