A Look Through My Lens, Part 3

I am really pleased with the consistently warm reception that A Look Through My Lens has been receiving. I want to extend my thanks once more to the 3 photographers I featured in A Look Through My Lens, Part 2: Rog Walker, King Texas, and Chris Charles. (And just a quick note to all the photographers who have contacted me, I am trying to do these features in order of when each of you contacted me so if your work has yet to be featured it is because there were some people who contacted me before you did.) I do plan on featuring everyone who contacted me so no worries! Today I have 3 immensely gifted photographers to present to you: Mambu Bayoh, Dana Shum & Brandon Hicks. As always, I have interviewed each photographer and their responses to the questions I asked accompany their photos. Enjoy!

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been a pretty visual person. So it’s only natural to think I’ve always somewhat been into photography. I really began appreciating it as an art at about 16 years old. It was in my first high school photo class, where I did a paper and presentation on a random photographer chosen out of a hat. I was in awe at his composition and the mood in his book “Into the West” and his fashion work was beyond beautiful. That photographer was Richard Avedon. I initially was drawn to the freezing of my memories or life events as evidence of existence. Time to me seemed of such essence that photography defied it. It defied time and death. People became immortalized in it.

I’m really not selective by genre or anything. I think a great photo is a great photo. You just know. It makes you stop or your eye stop. I remember the last time I was walking somewhere a few years ago and saw a painting in a window. It was like 3 am in the morning and I was just aimlessly walking. But I can tell you that I sat there and stared at the painting for over an hour amazed. Then I came back the next business day to feed that need. The painting was The Life of Marvin Gaye by Kadir Nelson. I’ve been hunting for a copy ever since. It was just good art like the way a good photo is. Freezing, emotional and draws you in.

My work is journalistic; I capture life as I know or see it. It is also laboring; it’s born out of love passion and inner struggle.

I love to capture people. The collective strength of humans is beyond amazing and the determination of an individual is prolific. I’ve been blessed to be on earth for a little amount of its history but I just want to document what I see and hear. To show the human strength, defeat, determination, culture, and resilience.

I use a working camera. If it can shoot I’ll take it. I’ll even use an oatmeal box to make a camera if I need to.  But I favor a more usable camera over a less efficient one.

The photographers I admire are Andrew Dosunmu, Boogie (amazing work), Chester Higgins, Annie Leibovitz & Gordon Parks.

www.staysuckafree.tumblr.com

I’ve been into photography for about two years. I've always loved photographs and art, so when I got a camera I thought I'd try my hand at it.

Since I still consider myself pretty new at this I would say that I haven't yet found my trademark style. Trying to find yourself in your art can be pretty tough sometimes, since you are still seeing different elements of yourself in everything around you and everything you shoot. I'm a people person so naturally I find myself focusing on people. But I take pictures of anything that catches my eye. The task is fine-tuning that eye.

Three words I would use to describe my photographic style are individuality, growth, beauty.

My favorite things to capture in photos are body, color, contour and always always always some love.

I use a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS. I'm actually looking to buy a new camera.  I love this camera though, it's not bulky or too heavy- so it is definitely something that I can take with me everywhere. As I continue to grow in this art and business I've found that it definitely does put a cap on my potential as a photographer. But the greatest thing about photography isn't the camera. A true photographer is able to make their audience see what they see with any camera really. It's more than just point and shoot and lights and gimmicks. This is truly the best part because it forces me to test my own creativity. It's almost reassuring in a way, because it makes me feel confident that I can make anything look like art.

The photographers that I look up to the most are Catherine Farquharson, Emmanuel Bobbie, Rodney Quarcoo, Steve Ababio, Teddy Dako, Thierry Le Goues, Andre Brito. I know this is a long list but I had to do it. Catherine Farquharson is a "documentographer". You should see the shots she gets. She does weddings, mostly. The idea of traveling the world and capturing the most precious and beautiful moments in people's lives is something I know I'm going to spend my life doing. Rodney Quarcoo, Steve Ababio and Teddy Dako are my mentors. Steve takes me on his shoots and I learn tons! Not just about photography, but also about the business aspect. Rodney and Teddy give me constructive criticism and teach me a lot about my camera and finding the art in my work. They are phenomenal photographers, so it is quite a blessing to have them coach me on. Immanuel Bobbie is crazy with his art. He is absolutely crazy. Have you seen his photos? I love the strength they convey. Thierry Le Goues is a fashion photographer, something that I can see myself doing and Andre Brito is a fine arts photographer. They capture a feeling, a sensuality in the simplest, most beautiful way. I look at their work and I say to myself, "I should be doing that...I should be doing more than that."

www.wix.com/dabagraphy

Photography was something I was always intrigued by. I started this out with just a hobby and things but didn't get real serious until maybe a couple years back.

I take ALL kinds of pictures. From everyday life to portraits, it's all love.

                        

Three words I would use to define my photographic style? Hmmm...I'm really sitting here and can't come up with nothing but..electric, brandon, dope. haha

 My favorite things to capture in photos are things that happen in life; random things that you can't make up. For example, how often do you see an elephant in the street? Things like that.

I use a Canon but I've used Nikon before. I like the way this one fits versus my old camera.

Right now I'd probably say my photog homies are the photographers I admire the most. All of our styles are different and it's always nice to see what they have new to show. shutterjunkies.blogspot.com! :)

www.blog.electricbrandon.com

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