Website:
https://flickr.com/photos/coollessons2004/
Country: United States
Photography Genres: Conceptual Photography
Fave Camera Brand: Canon
Socials:
Flickr
What’s in your camera bag?
- Body: Canon EOS Rebel T3i
- Lenses: Canon EFS 18-55mm, Canon 50 mm, Canon Zoom Lens Ef-S 55-250mm
- Small tripod
- Umbrella
- Assorted lens filters,
- Extra camera batteries
Are there any specific equipment or gear innovations that you believe will have a significant impact on the industry in 2024?
The digital phone will continue to make a tremendous impact on photojournalism. Everyone can capture anything for good or bad.
Where do you get the latest news on new gear? Where do You usually buy new gear?
I don’t. Gear isn’t the most important thing for me.
How is photography making the world a better place in 2024?
It is making those in power accountable. Cover-ups are difficult when there are so many images showing otherwise.
What emerging photography trends do you foresee gaining popularity in 2024?
More drone photography.
If you could pick a photography mentor in 2024, who would you pick? Why?
There are two:
1. Heather~. No other photographer I know speaks volumes as much with Heather’s visual poetry.
2. Enrique Salvo. No one captures the concept of the “Family of Man” better than Enrique.
The unavoidable question: How do you see the use of artificial intelligence or machine learning impacting photography in 2024?
AI produces amazing art. Yet it is the machine producing it, but humans are claiming credit for the images just because they paid a computer to search the Internet, melding images that others have taken and yet all these people did was give AI a few instructions. AI images will replace the human photographer’s images, forcing humans to lose commissions and possibly careers.
What is your favorite photography-related book or resource that will continue to have a significant impact on your career in 2024? Why?
Flickr is an image-posting site. It brings me joy to discover new visual poets.
What is your go-to method for overcoming creative block and finding inspiration in 2024?
Time. It’s amazing what creative ideas can bubble up from one’s subconscious if one allows it to do so.
If you could give one piece of advice to a beginner in photography, what would it be?
Shoot, shoot and shoot. Then, compare the images and upload only the best. One’s artistic sense/feeling, for want of a better description, can improve this way. One can also begin to realize what genre is preferred.
What is your biggest strength and your biggest weakness as a photographer in 2024?
My biggest strength is recognizing and describing visual poetry when I see it, though some would consider it to be very subjective.
My biggest weakness is that my hand shakes too much.
It’s amazing what creative ideas can bubble up from one’s subconscious if one allows it to do so.
Richard Levine
NFT and photography? Any thoughts?
Anything that resists plagiarism is fine with me.
Can you share a specific tool, technology, or software that has revolutionized your workflow and significantly enhanced your creative process as a photographer?
Photoshop.
What is the biggest challenge in your photography genre in 2024? What are the solutions?
People claiming credits for using AI to make visual poetry. I wish that sites such as Flickr would relegate such images to a separate site. If an image does not show in the EXIF information it was taken with a camera, it is banned.
What is the most important factor to consider when choosing a photography niche or specialization in 2024?
Your own heart. Go with the things you love.
Is there anything else you would like to add or any final thoughts you would like to share about your artistic journey, inspirations, or the impact you hope to make through your photography?
My photography has always been about joy, passion, and visual poetry. I hope my association with photography will continue, and I wish the same for every photographer.
I created a Flick group, the Little Select Gallery of Eclectic Visual Poetry, to allow others to showcase their visual poetry. I am very proud to be able to do so.
- Favourite photography digital tool in 2024
— Photoshop - Which social media platform do you use the most as a photographer?
— Flickr - Will you use or experiment with NFT in 2024?
— No - Do you think the always-improving cameras on smartphones will result in less work for professional photographers in 2024?
— Yes - Favourite Photographer in 2024
— I mentioned heather~ and Enrique Salvo (both found on Flickr) previously. - Which photography trend will dominate the industry in 2024?
— Sad to say, AI
- Name one unconventional source of inspiration that photographers should explore for fresh ideas in 2024.
— Richard Levine - Three must-have photography gadgets or tools for aspiring photographers?
— Actually, the tools are secondary. Use your eyes, imagination, and feelings. - What is the most innovative use of technology you’ve seen in photography recently?
— Drones - One underrated photography technique that can instantly enhance a photographer’s portfolio.
— Try different framing. Create a bit of mystery to involve the viewer in the image.
- Which photography conference, workshop, event, exhibition, etc., would you recommend to photographers in 2024?
— Little Select Gallery of Eclectic Visual Poetry, a group found on Flickr. - Who to follow on social media or take inspiration from in 2024?
— These people on Flickr to start with: R J Poole, heather~, Enrique Salvo, Mimo Khair, Gorecka, Ales Dusa, Thalia Katsiveli, Three Little Birds, Diane Sebo Powers, Taya Iv, Bettina Dupont, Jennifer Rhoades, Sparrek, Touched By Light, Pål M. Smørvik, Olga Fler, Patty
