Catching Up with the Photography Life Team

One of the nicest things about Photography Life is that it is both owned and run by real photographers. I’ve had a great time writing and editing here, so I thought I’d sit down virtually with some of my team members and talk to them a bit about their own photographic journey.

Nasim Mansurov

I think most regular readers know Nasim, who founded Photography Life long before I even started reading it. One of the first things I noticed about Nasim’s photography is its breadth, from wedding photography to landscapes. Regarding this, he told me, “I like to try out many things to see what interests me long-term. I also like to learn, which is the reason why I did a lot of different genres over the years.”

“Human interaction is something I have done all my life in the corporate world, so I naturally started photographing people. Among all genres that involve people, I probably enjoy travel photography the most.”

But what about his favorite genre? “If it came down to one genre to pick, it would probably be landscape photography,” Nasim said. And seeing his great landscape photos, I am not surprised! Although I personally don’t get to take landscapes as often as I like, when I do, I find the process very calming.

Nasim told me that, “landscapes never tire me out, and I feel like a little kid when working with a great location, subject, light and composition. It is also a good excuse to get out and experience the world. I enjoy those in-between moments of traveling from one location to another in the company of like-minded people.”

Spencer Cox

Spencer Cox owns Photography Life with Nasim, and I’ve also been reading his articles since I started with photography almost seven years ago. He has an extensive, award-winning landscape portfolio and a deep knowledge of photography.

I was eager to ask about his next big challenge or goal. He said, “You may have guessed that it’s about film! I don’t write about large format film very much on Photography Life because it’s a personal project, but that’s where my heart is right now. I want to get to the point where any landscape photo in my head, I can take on film, so that it’s not a limited medium for me compared to digital.”

A lot of readers might know about Spencer’s love for large-format film, but if you don’t, then I suggest checking out his article, Why Shoot Large Format Film in a Digital World? where you can see some of his amazing large format images.

Film is such a different world than digital, but no less interesting. What could the challenges be with such a format? Spencer said, “A big part of this is getting better at my timing skills. Sometimes the light is only in the perfect spot for a few seconds, and even my smallest 4×5 camera takes 3-4 minutes to set up. So, I need to predict what will happen a few minutes into the future and prepare for it. Or I need to scout my composition on previous days to know how the landscape will be changing, down to the second.”

Having worked with Spencer for more than a year now, I can say that he’s very attentive to details, and it certainly shows in the deliberateness of his photography and in his writing as well. In fact, after reading some of his articles, I have been inspired myself to be more deliberate as well.

As for his overall feeling about large format film, Spencer told me, “This probably sounds silly, but when I take a large format photo, I try to think of it more like an oil painting than photography. I only take one or two large format photos per day, so every detail has to be exactly right. It’s time-consuming but very meditative. And I do it partly for the challenge, partly for the results, and partly because I love the process.”

Libor Vaicenbacher

Libor is another full-time writer at Photography Life, and he and I have one big thing in common: birds. We both love to photograph and study birds. No doubt that you’ve already seen some of his amazing photography. He’s been all over the world and captured some truly amazing species.

It was pretty easy to find something to ask Libor. Given that he’s seen and photographed so many species of birds, I wondered if there was one species that he would want to photograph more than any other!

“That’s a pretty tough question, Jason. Of course there are species I would like to photograph more and species that don’t excite me as much,” he replied. “My answer has to have at least two levels. The first will be purely biological and the second will focus on the photographic side.”

I had a feeling he would give me a bit of a complex answer, because Libor is not only an excellent photographer, he also has a passion for biology and conservation.

He continued, “On the photographic side, it doesn’t really matter what animal you photograph. What matters is your authorial contribution. It may be the most most common species in the world, but if you manage to capture it in an unusual, innovative way, it can be a winning image. It could be a House Sparrow, a Common Starling, or a Red-billed Quelea. All of these super common birds have the potential for a great photo.”

I absolutely agree! Some of my best shots were of very common species, and even with the common stuff, it’s not easy to get a truly interesting pose.

But what about biology? “My biological heart yearns for species that are unusual and special in some way. Either because of their interesting biology or simply because they are endangered. It would make me happy, for example, if I could photograph an Ivory-billed or Imperial Woodpecker or Turquoise-throated Puffleg and provide proof of their mere existence. Of course, the holy grail would be to combine the two levels. To photograph an endangered species in an interesting way, and to help bring it to public awareness and conservation. I consider that the pinnacle.”

Nicholas Hess

Nicholas is another wildlife photographer on the team, with a current specialty in reptiles and amphibians, often captured in fascinating ways with wide-angle lenses. I’ve been around quite a few snakes and amphibians myself, and they’re certainly not always easy to get close to. In fact, one of the very first things that Nicholas told me was, “Many species will flee most of the time. Because of their secretive nature, they are simply not in a photographable position to begin with. They like to hide under rocks, in cracks, deep in bushes, and other recesses where they are hidden.”

I thought this was a great chance to get some tips on how not to scare away these subjects, so I could try it myself!

He told me, “Of course because they are such masters at hiding it can be nearly impossible to share their beauty and majestic-ness in a photo without bringing them into the open where they can be photographed in a controlled and safe setting. Luckily with reptiles and amphibians, this can be done safely for both the animals and people.

“When the right protocols and methods are used, reptiles and amphibians can safely be handled for a brief photoshoot without harming them. So long as the photoshoot is kept short and the animal is kept as calm as possible with proper handling techniques, and as long as they are released in the same place in a timely manner, a photoshoot can be a safe practice that yields photos that may make the general public see beauty where they did not before.”

I think this is an important thing to emphasize because animals like snakes and lizards don’t get much attention in conservation, especially when compared with mammals and birds. Thus, photographs like Nicholas’s are important for showing the world just how beautiful these animals are!

Even so, it was clear that Nicholas is very careful when he told me, “When taking in-situ photographs of reptiles and amphibians, I always recommend moving extremely slowly, keeping a low profile. Either by crouching, crawling, or moving little-by-little while approaching. I like to observe my subject’s behavior. Small head movements may indicate they are getting uneasy, at which point I slow down my approach. I may stop for 30 seconds to a minute to get the animal to become more comfortable with my presence before continuing to get closer. Keeping movements to a minimum is what’s most important.”

“I learned from experts in the field, and strive to teach people who want to do this type of photography the right ways to do it. There can be a fine line before herp photography becomes too stressful for the animal. I am always open and honest about my photography and want to teach people what I have learned about what is good for the animals and what is bad for the animals, so that we can share their under-recognized beauty with the world in a way that does not harm anyone.”

Alex Coleman

When Alex first joined Photography Life, I immediately noticed a distinct, clean style in his photography of real estate, landscapes, and cityscapes. He told me, “I’ve been fortunate to build my business around subjects that I’d like to photograph anyways. I’ve tried a number of different genres over the years, including portraits and weddings, and found that I enjoyed myself the most when working with things like commercial clients, real estate, and product photography.”

Since he does commercial work and teaching, I wondered how he keeps his passion while having to deal with the business aspects of photography as well. “Before photography, I worked in finance, and so managing the nitty-gritty aspects of a business didn’t pose a big problem. For all photographers, I’d suggest focusing on what you like to shoot. I’ve also taken every opportunity to expand my business: for instance, expanding my work with drones and video provides new skillsets to learn, and helps keep things fresh.”

As for combining business with your passion, Alex advises that “while some genres are inherently more ‘business-ready’ than others, there’s no sense ruining your enjoyment of photography in general, just to make it commercially viable. Some of the most successful creators I’ve worked with are operating in very particular niches that they’re passionate about.”

Jason Polak

Since I have the slightly unusual task of asking myself a question, I’ll just go with the basic one and tell you how I’d like to improve my own photography.

The answer is editing! Although I feel very comfortable in editing and I love editing, I would like to become even more careful and attentive with it. I’ve recently gone back through my own Raw catalog and I’ve found many things I could do to improve my original attempt. I always feel like I’m learning something, or making the camera’s starting point even better, and I’ve love to further develop my process this year.

Of course, my close second goal is getting out a bit more. A big part of wildlife photography is just spending time in solitude, waiting for something to happen. Not only do I love taking pictures of birds, I also love the peace that comes when I have a good composition in my viewfinder and I know I have the shot.

I’ve been a bit occupied with a few other things this year, which included quitting my job as a programmer and even moving countries, but now it’s time to get back out there and photograph some birds!

Our Freelance Writing Team

Beyond the people I interviewed today, Photography Life also works with a large network of freelance writers and photographers to help produce our extensive content! Not to mention the previous writers for the site who are less active at the moment, but are still members of the Photography Life team.

I’d like to give a shoutout to Meg Faehl, Madhu Manickam, Elaine Lansdown, Elizabeth Gray, John Bosley, Iliah Borg, John Sherman, and others with whom we frequently consult for advice and who periodically write articles for the site. It takes a lot of people to keep up a website like Photography Life! I’d like to do an extended Q&A with these folks, and others, if that’s something that interests our readers.

In any case, like me, I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know some of the writers and photographers of Photography Life a little better. I and many others have learned a lot from reading their articles and viewing their photography, so stay tuned, because there is much more on the way.