Travel Photographer Interview: David Hobcote

Posted: 17 Oct 2013 04:02 PM PDT

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing David Hobcote, a professional photographer based in the U.K. who travels all over the globe capturing exquisite landscapes, wildlife scenes, portraits, and more.

“I watched the bee the bee watched me” Canon 1DS Mark III on the ground with 16mm -28mm lens set at 16mm f 20 1/200 sec 10 second shutter release. Low powered slave flash to light the reeds. (Click to Read More)

Last year, David had sales in over 20 countries across many major publications. He is one of the most searched members on the photographer social network.

How would you describe your photographic style?

Never really tried to develop a style or even thought about it. The first time someone said that they recognized my style I was quite surprised.

My philosophy is always try to get the best shot possible out in the field and then push it as far as I can in my post-processing work flow to squeeze every last drop of drama from each shot.

How did you first get into photography?

Graduated with Honors Degree in Art & Design. Started life as a Layout Artist working for an Ad Agency/ Printing Studio. Ended up as an Art Director with a team of photographers shooting all over the world and running one of the England’s largest photographic studios. Then I started my own studio.

Where do you get your creative inspiration from?

The things I see each and every day. I am lucky to have the opportunity to be a travel photographer finding inspiration in seeing light uniquely falling on landscapes, people, buildings and wildlife that I come across in my journey. I also look for opportunities in everyday situations at home and end up capturing great shots when I least expect it. Also I get inspiration from viewing the work of other photographers on sites such as PictureSocial.

Did you have any formal training in photography?

None whatsoever in photography (just art and design), even when I was running a large studio I only knew what I liked…just sort of picked things up as I went along.

“Looking down on the tallest building in the world” Shot from a Bell jet ranger Heli at 2500 feet. This set of pictures was my biggest seller of the year with sales to newspapers, magazines, and books in 23 countries and over a million viewings on websites around the world including PictureCorrect.

What is typically in your camera bag?

Digital SLR Bodies

Lenses

Filters

Lees holding system
Lees glass polarizer
Lees .3 soft grad ND Filter
Lees .6 soft grad ND Filter
Lees .9 soft grad ND Filter

And a Canon Shutter release.

What are you looking forward to purchasing next?

Recently I have become a lot more involved in wildlife photography and my next purchace will be the Canon 500mm 2.8 – a weighty lens but wow what clarity!

“Umbrian Hillside” captured by David Hobcote (Click Image to See More From David Hobcote)

Do you post-process your photos?

Almost always. I shoot in Raw with the camera set flat, tend to always shoot between 1/3 and one stop under reading to make sure I hold detail then add what I need through Photoshop. Maybe this is where my style developed by years of retouching and pushing images to the limit to get the most out of mail order products…

What tips or advice do you have for other aspiring photographers?

Not sure I am in a position to give advice, but all I can say is keep shooting. Look at things in different ways, angles, and perspectives. Ask yourself, “How can I get the most out of what I am photographing, what is it saying to me!? How can I make it different ….my own!? And after a shot is captured – how can I improve it and push it to show greater drama in with post-processing.”

“watching…” captured by David Hobcote (Click Image to See More From David Hobcote)

What has been your favorite photo location?

As I said, I have been very lucky and travel so much over the years …….my favorite places include:

Yellowstone USA
Kathmandu Napal
Torre del Pines Chile
South Island New Zealand
Havana Cuba
San Raffel Patagonia
Yorkshire Dales England
Machu Pichu Peru
Sand dunes Namibia
Salt flats Bolivia
Wildlife Malawi

“fly me past the moon” Well I missed the sunset but got this with the 200mm. You can see the red glow from the just missed sunset in the jet wake.

What lies ahead for you?

I was supposed to retire early, but I am still actively involved in creative projects – a few commercial fashion shoots and lots of traveling to capture landscapes. I try to shoot everyday and get the most out of what I see around me. Since my photoshoot in Malawi, which was to photograph Hippos and Elephants, I was moved by the great poverty I found there and have spent the last year raising funds through selling limited edition prints to fund the building of a school and fund a feeding station in a village located there. This is the work I intend to continue as long as I can.

To see more of David's work, visit his profile or photo gallery.

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Tips on Photographing Celebrities in the Studio (Video)

Posted: 17 Oct 2013 10:38 AM PDT

Taking portraits of any person can make you nervous, but taking photos of a celebrity? Now that’s nerve wracking. Celebrities often have little time to spare, so when you’re asked to photograph them, you have to make it quick and easy, yet at the same time be able to reach a comfort level with them that allows you to capture some great photos. In this video, professional photographer Hernan Rodriguez gives a few tips on shooting celebrities while photographing 5-time World Heavyweight Champion Boxer Evander Holyfield:

Rodriguez’s Tips for Shooting Celebrities:

Be Prepared – Celebrities have limited time in their schedule (as do you), so make sure you make all necessary preparations before they arrive. Have your lights, backgrounds, and camera set up and your scene metered and ready to take shots as soon as your subject arrives.

Be Versatile – This is not so much saying that you should try many different looks and styles. It’s quite possible that you know what style you want or you may find one that works right away. But always have the option to try different things. Have multiple lights, locations, and backgrounds prepared so that if your current look isn’t working you can easily try something else.

Modifiers – Light modifiers can help distinguish between your different styles of photos. Perhaps you want some business shots with a sharp, crisp light but also a few casual images with softer lighting.

Lenses – Different lenses can give you different levels of intimacy with your subject. A telephoto can help you get in close and personal, while a wide angle can give you a full view of your subject. In this shoot, Rodriguez used three lenses, a Tamron 24-70mm, Tamron 70-200mm, and Tamron 90mm.

To Flash or Not? – Both strobes and continuous lights have their place in the studio. They can be used together or separately, and each have their advantages.

High Key to Low Key – These two types of lighting schemes can have a dramatic effect on the mood and tone of your images. High key lighting involves several bright lights that give an even overall light with no shadows. Low key, on the other hand, is for more moody scenes as it includes many dark shadows and highlights.

Trust – Even with the best camera, lenses, and lighting equipment in the world, it’s hard to capture a good portrait when your subject isn’t comfortable. Most people don’t feel natural in front of a camera so it’s important as a photographer to gain the trust of your subject and make him/her feel comfortable. Chat with them, compliments them, and be friendly.

photographing celebrities celebrity studio lighting tips

Trust will allow for your subject to be comfortable and open to different ideas and poses

“I gotta be able to earn the trust of the subject. Once you do, everything else is just a formality.”

Go to full article: Tips on Photographing Celebrities in the Studio (Video)

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

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