ROBERT DALL - FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

A web designer with a love for photography. Say hello to Robert Dall:



IN FIFTY WORDS OR LESS, TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
My name is Robert Dall. I am a web designer, coffee lover and photographer. I mainly shoot cityscapes that tell some type of story. After traveling around Canada with my camera for a living, I found a community and a home with East Vancouver and This is East Van project brought back my somewhat lost passion for photography. 


IF YOU COULD WORK WITH ANY PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE WORLD, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD IT BE?
I've had the great opportunity to work beside some amazing photographers in the news media, Andy Clark being at the top of that list. One person I have known much of my life, but never shot beside has been my second cousin and nature photographer Art Wolfe. He has an amazing patience and the ability to capture an entire story in a single image. He always gave me great inspiration and motivation to pursue my career. We just have never shot together. (Hope to remedy that this winter)


WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF CAMERA GEAR?
That is such a hard question to answer. It also depends on the situation. My first camera was a Pentax ME Super and it taught me a lot about shutter speed and exposure. It had a great green, yellow, red in camera light meter for indicating a proper exposure. I still have my old school Nikon FM2 silver in colour camera that doesn't require a battery to release the shutter. Something to be said for that. But since the iPhone resolution has improved, I have enjoyed using it as well. I just put a preorder on a Fuji X-10. I am really looking forward to using that camera. I will keep you posted. 


DOES YOUR CREATIVITY EXTEND BEYOND PHOTOGRAPHY?
I do web design and development for a living and I find my creative juices flowing with every design I create. It certainly is a different medium, but there is so much cross-over between web design and photography. I find I use a lot of the same skills, although web design has never gotten me soaking wet or freezing cold :-)


FAVORITE PHOTO YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN?
Without a doubt, it is my Arctic aurora image from one absolutely amazing display of the aurora borealis I have seen while living in Yellowknife. One day while reading my email at the newspaper office, one of the reporters had come in to say they were going out of town on a call. I decided to join her and took my tripod along with me just in case. Although the call ended up being nothing, we were witness to one of the most amazing shows of northern lights I have ever seen in the two years I had lived there. I ran to a near by teepee stand and set up my camera and exposure for twenty-five seconds. The Northern Lights looked amazing, as if they curled around the top of the frame. I had no way of knowing it was going to expose that way and I don't think it would been captured like that if I was shooting with digital. Developing that image and seeing that exposure on film was like Christmas morning.  

FORMAT NO AUTO - FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

Ashley Tanasiychuk shares his unique take on photography and how he earned his artist moniker, Format No Auto. 



IN FIFTY WORDS OR LESS, TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
My name is Ashley Tanasiychuk. I'm a creator and an explorer. I draw, shoot photos, write, and make pixels do nice things. Art and music are everything to me; music is my inspiration, art is my expression.


WHAT LANDED YOU IN THE PATH OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
I first learned how to shoot, develop, and process film in fine art college in Edmonton, where I was studying everything from drawing to painting to sculpture and performance. I bought a used Minolta at a pawn shop and took it everywhere with me. I loved shooting photos. I loved being able to capture how I see the world so i can share it with others. As a visual artist, every moment of every day, my eyes are noticing colour, shape, texture... photography gives me the opportunity to freeze what I see and share it with others. 


WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF EAST VAN DRAW YOUR ATTENTION?
Coming from Edmonton, which is largely devoid of distinct neighbourhoods, Vancouver has a wonderful array of neighbourhoods with unique residents. The first Vancouver neighbourhood I ever lived in was Mount Pleasant, and East Van has been home ever since. I have always been attracted to East Van's "hippie" vibe: the laid back attitude, the creativity of expression, the inclusive (spiritual, sexual, cultural) attitude of the residents - these are all amazing qualities of East Van.


WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD WHEN YOU'RE CAPTURING AN IMAGE? 
Nothing. Honestly, one of the benefits of photography for me is that it is meditation. My mind is clear, my mind (subconsciously?) interprets what my eyes are seeing, and my hands make the necessary adjustments on the camera to capture what I am seeing. 


WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH CALLING YOURSELF FORMAT NO AUTO?
Format No Auto is my artist moniker. Format No Auto was created as a resistance to our tendency to go into "auto format" mode; not just the auto formatting options in computer applications, but in anything that is done in a preplanned, predictable manner. Format No Auto is about resisting the prepaved pathways in life. Refuse to fall into auto format mode. Forge your own path, without fear. 

JOEY ARMSTRONG - FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

Quirky, cute, and talented. Joey Armstong gives us a glimpse into her creative vision and teases our appetite with oh so delicious food photography.



IN FIFTY WORDS OR LESS, TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
I am: Female. Loyal. Shy. Friendly. Cynical. Eclectic. Hospitable. Self-critical. Detail-oriented. 
I love: Food. Coffee. People. Sun. Occasional random conversations with random people. Sandwiches. Family. Imagery. Fairness. Baking pie. Adjectives. Eggs. Breakfast.

COULD YOU BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
I don't know what goes through my mind when I take photos or when I'm planning a shoot or an image I want. Sometimes the creativity just happens spur of the moment. No thought, no planning, just spontaneous photos. Those often turn out to be my favorite.


WHAT PIECE OF CAMERA GEAR IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?
It may be the cheapest lens Canon makes, but my 50mm 1.8 lens is pretty important. I shoot a lot with shallow depth of field (maybe sometimes too much), so I'm saving up for an f 1.2 or a 1.4.


WHAT INSPIRES YOU AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?
Color and contrast. White space. East Vancouver alleys. Old, deteriorating things. Simple, tasty food. JJ bean coffee. Food magazines. Beautiful cafe spaces (currently it's Revolver Brew Bar). Photography blogs.


WHAT'S YOUR PREFERRED SUBJECT TO SHOOT?
Portraits are great since everyone has unique characteristics and beauty, but I have to say I prefer shooting food and food related still life. Why? I love to eat food. I also can't stand cookbooks that have no photos, or worse, bad photos of the food. Photographing food brings out my "inner foodie", plus food doesn't blink or move :)

Come say hi at joeyarmstrong.ca/blog  

JANIS BRASS - FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

An avid photographer since childhood, Janis Brass gives us some insight on her creative path and artistic aspirations. 


IN FIFTY WORDS OR LESS, TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
I'm a woman who has always loved photography and meeting people. I started taking photos when I was about seven or eight years old and have continued throughout my life, however, I've never made my living from my camera.


IF YOU COULD SHOOT IN ANY LOCATION IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE?
India! I will get there one day; I love the colour, the people, the history, the culture, and can't wait to be snapping pictures! I find people endlessly fascinating, and I'm a curious person, so I love places where people live life in public and are not adverse to meeting strangers. I enjoy taking photos at public events such as the Vaisakhi parade and savour the spoken or silent communication between myself and a subject.


DO YOU HAVE A SOUNDTRACK THAT INSPIRES YOU WHILE YOUR SHOOTING OR EDITING IMAGES?
As much as music means to me, it doesn't play much of a role for me with photography. When I'm shooting on the street I like to engage people and have found headphones get in the way. Something slow and dreamy is good for editing, lately it's been the Cowboy Junkies.


WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY TO SHOOT? 
Oh, it's the golden hour with it's wonderful light and deep shadows. There is so much drama in such light, it reminds me of operatic lighting. It makes almost anything or place look more beautiful. I would like to shoot in dawn, but I'm not a morning person so that's out unless it's the middle of December!


HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?
Capturing unrehearsed moments. I like to wander the streets with my camera and capture scenes that appeal to me right then. I've found that when returning to re-shoot something I don't get the same feeling for the image. I like to strike up conversations with strangers and then ask them to pose for me, and by using the word pose, I mean that they are present and engaging with me and the camera. I do take some photos of people when they aren't aware of me doing so, but I prefer the person to be fully engaged in the process. I document my family and day to day life. My mom lives with me and I like to photograph her because what is personal to me is important enough to document. She is entertained when we meet someone who looks at my Flickr site and they tell her that they recognize her from the computer. I'm not very good at planning ahead and setting up a technical photo shoot. I like everything to be spontaneous. 

MICHAEL J.P. HALL - FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

Film buff turned photographer, Michael Hall's photos offer more than still imagery. Sit back and learn how this hybrid of film and photography came to be.



IN FIFTY WORDS OR LESS, TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
I am a human being, an adventurer, image maker and writer. I strive to see and photograph what's right in the world.


WHAT WAS THE INITIAL MOMENT THAT IGNITED YOUR PASSION TOWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY?
I was drawn into image-making through movies. Back in high-school I was watching a film or two a day and I'd spend friday and saturday nights at a local cable station learning how to edit. I examined a lot of frames throughout those years, and I fell in love with pictures. I loved the colours, the shapes, the stories, and tensions - these images contained an entire language! Sometimes, in great movies, a frozen film frame would contain everything the whole scene was attempting to say. I loved how much information was contained in one picture. I also discovered that I liked shooting images a lot better then sitting in dark rooms with hot machines and bad posture.


HOW IMPORTANT IS PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE TO YOU?
Post-processing is essential with digital. Shooting on film gives images flavour. Choosing to shoot on kodachrome, velvia, or negative film, then processing as reversal, pushing, pulling, dodging and burning produces a print with distinct characteristics. The image rhymes with reality, but it was altogether different at the same time; heightened and more significant. As a film shooter the flavour is built into the process, with the digital shooting I use software to create that flavour.


IF NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE?
If I couldn't be a photographer, I would like to be a well-funded adventurer.


WHAT PEICE OF ADVICE COULD YOU OFFER TO ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS?
I could only offer what I've noticed in my own work: that any good photo I've ever taken has been the result of being present.