Interview with Photographer Yasir Nisar - Max Loxton

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a photographer who love to capture the beauty of the world through the Lens; I began like a lot of others with a easy camera as a student with photos from class travels and holidays. I started delving into photography in my early teens and till then there is no stopping way. Although I've taken pictures and enjoyed it since I was a teenager, since sometime 2006, it has become something more than that.
Photography is a serious passion for me and I love traveling and am trying to capture the beauty of Pakistan and its culture through my lens eyes.


Did you join any particular school to study photography?

I never went to school to learn photography, but I experienced life and learnt from it. I shot tons of film and digital media and spent countless hours on the internet. I learned from books, people, the internet and foreign magazines. I've been influenced by all those amateurs who are working all over the world and doing some excellent work promoting their parts of the world. I am totally infatuated and impressed with their efforts and hence trying to do the same in Pakistan.






How long have you been a photographer?

Although I've taken pictures and enjoyed it since I was a teenager, it was in late 2005 when I stumbled upon the digital camera and started photography once again. I visited the northern areas and shot some photographs, and from then on my interest in photography started again. In 2006, I took up photography seriously and started working towards a cause, to negate the negative image of Pakistan in front of the whole world. Now, photography is a serious passion for me and I am doing so for an aim. I love traveling and have done a lot of trekking and traveling in pursuit of this aim.

Could you please describe your style of work?

I love to photograph sports, culture and landscapes and that is what my style of work is all about.

Can you share some of your recent work?

Sure, My recent work has been regularly been uploaded at my FB Page:

www.flickr.com/yasirnisar

https://www.facebook.com/yasirphotography

Which camera you prefer to shoot with?

I am mostly a Canon digital user and I am using Canon 5d Mark II, Canon 1d Mark III and Canon 7D these days.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?

I can't choose a single lens as it depends seriously on the type of photography that I am doing. But I love the Canon 17-40 f4 as it is a great lens for landscapes.

Which editing tool do you prefer?

Adobe Photoshop CS5

How important is Photoshop in your final image making?

Not much, I don't like to process my photos much. I just use it for basic adjustments like curves, levels, contrast and nothing more.

What was your most memorable and inspiring assignment for you and why?

I love each and every assignment that I do; because I try not to repeat myself. But I think camping in Deosai and waiting for brown bears in extreme cold weather is something that I always remember and cherish vividly.

What would be your dream position in photography?

I am already in my dream position, I shoot as it is a passion and not as I am forced into image making. I love to photograph and that is what am doing and will continue doing.

What is your favorite recent image you have shot recently? Can you describe its creation in regards to location, lighting, composition, camera settings etc., also your thoughts when creating the image and what it means to you?

I was just shooting in Neelum Valley last week and I always love the early morning clouds which come down after the late night rain and they make a stunning image. I loved shooting them in the early morning light.

What you desire to capture?

I wanna capture the Pushkar Camel festival in India one day. This has always been something that I want to shoot.

We know that each of us has someone or something, which inspires our life and work. Can you tell us what inspired you a lot?

I read a lot of biographies and take a lot of inspiration from the successful persons. And one thing is common in all the great people and that is complete dedication and hard work. Luck does matter but nothing can beat the constant hardwork and dedication. It is not possible to get success without all these factors.

Is there anything you would have done differently during your photographic career, And what was that?

I don't think so that I have done anything different in my career. I just set my goals and have followed them all those years without looking back.

Something special which you think you need to achieve?

Yes there are a lot of things but they are secret.

Where do you see yourself in next 5 years?

A better photographer than what I am today.

How can we find you on internet?

www.flickr.com/yasirnisar

https://www.facebook.com/yasirphotography

Interview with Graphic Designer Max Mitenkov

Could you please share your background, have you attended any design and art school or you a self learned designer?

I did not get any formal art education. Since my childhood I have been photographing. My father loved to take photographs.
So I had studied the technique of photography, and other basics of composition from my father. Later, I taught myself too. In addition, I’m also teaching Photoshop to as a subject. I can say that I am self-Lerner.

Most of your work is surreal, what is your source of inspiration?

The ideas usually come to me naturally. I do not know how to explain it. Suppose, if I imagine something in my mind, I can finish the entire work in my head. It’s just like music or movie or book. Sometimes it takes your breath away. Well, after that I use different tools for the final touches.

You are a digital artist, what kind of Software, equipment or plugin you use?

I usually draw sketch on a paper. Therefore, the main Software is a pencil and a tablet. I use Photoshop to edit pictures. Sometimes I combine 3dMax or all my above mentioned tools.

what is your core competency in digital art?

I like to manipulate Photos. But this is not just I do, nowadays I’m trying to improve my skills and work in Painting and Airbrushing. Topics likes - Surreal, Conceptual, Landscape ... Dreamscape. Besides, I like to design the logo. It's fun and profitable ... my designed logo can be found at Worth1000.

which sites or magazines you visited usually?

I usually do not surf Internet a lot. Sites which I visit are, DeviantArt, Worth1000, PSD.TUTS. I also read blogs of other artists just get acquainted with them.

Where do we find you over the internet?

You can find my work by visiting the following link: DeviantArt http://vimark.deviantart.com/
Worth1000 : http://corporate.worth1000.com/artists/vimark/stats

In other places more often clones ... So, look for me there.

Interview with Graphic Designer Claudia aka Phatpuppy

Could you please give us some background of your work? When did you start, and what inspired you in the beginning?

I'm a 45 year old wife and homeschooling mom to 4 great children.
After the birth of my 4th child at 37.. even though busy with being a wife and mom.... I wanted to do something to fulfill something inside of me personally -- and I literally fell into it, when having to help my daughter with something on one of her photographs used for her singing career.



What is the most important factor in digital art and how you evaluate its importance in comparison with traditional art?

For me my art is like keeping a journal - each art piece represents a time in my life, whether good or bad, and it's clearly reflected, for me anyways, in my work. :)
One of my favourite works is "Blind to Beauty". Because it represents a time in my life where I did feel hopeless..... and the miracle that came from it.... To sum it up - I had been suddenly struck blind - told I would not live by doctors, scheduled for a surgery to try to abate the progress of the disease -- and less than 8 hours before surgery had a bonafide miracle..... (that's the condensed version)

An important message to convey in my work -- Always hope -- I am a very strong faith - and even though I may at times do darker images - I always try to put the element of light to leave a glimmer of hope....for me, especially in today's times, this is sorely lacking. I find that so many young people seem to gravitate towards the dark, seemingly gloomy and hopeless images... although they may be emotional pieces I see out there - they still lack hope. :(

Fantasy art is just another type - and I usually, with the help of Danny Elfman music, I can get transported there mentally rather easily. lol It's different for me in that it's colder....... not necessarily what I prefer to do... but often what authors want when commissioning me for covers -- yet I still LOVE making them.









What is your core competency in digital art?

Most challenging is how to introduce new styles of art to my watcher base -- people have a harder time accepting a new style if they really like you for one type... But to be honest, the dark Gothic stuff is wildly popular, but also in my opinion, totally overdone.
The equipment I use -- I stay fairly up to date - but don't go too crazy. I have a mind blowing computer with 16 gigs of Ram and a monitor that is 22 inches that I actually paint directly on.... so my monitor is my canvas. I have an electric desk that goes up and down so I sit or stand while working....







Please share any recent project you have done?

I have been blessed in that I do work in film now -- doing storyboarding for films in production. I love the creative process. My daughter is now in film and television makeup so it's fun to work with her on projects.







How do we find you on Internet?

You can find me online at http://phatpuppyart.com

Interview with Digital Photographer and Graphic Designer Joel (Boy_Wonder)

Could you please share with us the background of your profession, and what inspired you in the beginning?

Well, I really consider Photography to be my hobby, it's something that I enjoy doing and that I feel adds a lot to my life. In my "real job", I work as a support for students with disabilities at a high school, I feel that my work life and my art life are different but can inspire each other and I love that i'm able to have those two distinct areas of my life. My inspiration to start photography was an ongoing one, I've always enjoyed creating and making art and it was a natural progression from drawing and working in different mediums to photography.




I can see that most of your work is in digital photography, which shows a particular mood or story. Your work no doubt possesses extra ordinary level of creativity, so is it difficult to remain creative all the time? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of digital work?

I feel that I enjoy the challenge of creating photographs each day although there are many days where inspiration doesn't strike or the timing is off which makes the the challenge a little more difficult. I do keep a journal of ideas for photos so that I can always fall back on something. I would say that the advantages of digital work are that you can really create anything you want, you can control absolutely everything from beginning to end whereas with traditional photography there is more skill and technique needed in certain areas.






What are the most important factors towards producing a good picture?

I would say that the most important factors are clarity, meaning that the subject or idea in the picture should be able to speak for itself without a caption. Another important area would be lighting, I find that lighting is sometimes the hardest thing to control (especially if you are a natural light photographer), but having the right light can really impact the final product.


How did you find that photography was a powerful source of expressing your talent?

Like I said earlier, I've always loved to create and I've have always enjoyed using different mediums and techniques to express myself artistically. While I enjoy drawing and painting, I never really felt that I was expressing myself in a way that I truly felt satisfied, when I started getting more and more interested in photography I learned that it was an excellent opportunity for me to express myself and at the same time continue to learn and try new things.







How has photography influenced your life and what really did you learn from it? Is it a different medium than other artistic mediums?

Photography has influenced my life in many ways, it allows me to spend some time each day to enjoy something that means a lot to me. In a way it is like meditation time, I'm usually alone and working on something that I enjoy which is calming and certainly has a positive effect on the other areas of my life. I've been fortunate to meet many amazing people from around the world through my photography and I'm humbled by the experiences that have happened in my life because of it. Through photography I've learned to see things in a different way, I tend to examine things in a new light and I try to experience as much as I can so that I can hopefully interpret what I see, touch, feel and think into my art.


How can we find you on Internet?

You can find me on flickr here: www.flickr.com/photos/joel_r/
Or on facebook here: www.facebook.com/#!/JoelRobisonPhotography
You can also purchase prints here: www.etsy.com/shop/boywonder