Have you met Graham?

[Dahlia Ambrose]

This time around we get to know a little more about Graham, @diripics

• Tell us a little about yourself and your photography journey

My name is Graham Hart and I am 64 years old and married to my wife Tiffany. A few years ago, I began taking pictures with my smart phone (who doesn’t?) and posting them on facebook. After quite a few unexpected  likes  and encouragement from friends and family, I started thinking “Wow, maybe I should follow this path for a while and see where it leads. Eventually my brother-in-law, who is a mad Pentax fan and collects anything to do with Pentax told me that I needed to get a real camera if I was serious about doing photography. While visiting him and my sister one day, he said  I have something for you  and then he gave me a Pentax K5 DSLR, a SIGMA EX ASPHERICAL IF 20-40MM LENS, a  SIGMA DG MACRO EX 105MM 1:2.8 LENS and a TAMRON AF LD28-200MM LENS! All second-hand from his collection of course but still, what a bloke! He has since given me more lenses to the point that now, along with tripods, filters, cleaning gear etc my backpack is getting too heavy to haul around. Needless to say, the bug bit me and bit me hard. My wife Tiffany now thinks I love photography more than her. I told her I’ll get back to her on that.

• Where do you live?

I live in Adelaide, South Australia.

• Hobbies & interests?


I love photography! I love fishing! I love Football (Australian Rules Football {AFL} of course – the greatest sporting code on the planet)!  I was a sound engineer for most of my working life and still have a keen interest in the recording of audio and I have recently begun dabbling with video editing as well.

• How long you have had an interest in photography?

I first dabbled in photography about 20 years ago when I bought a second-hand 35mm Nikon N6000 (the American version I believe). This opened up my eyes to the ‘Act of capturing images’ although at that stage I wasn’t terribly well versed in the Art. I merely looked for things which caught my eye and then tried to capture them in interesting ways through point-of-view more than through any camera adjustment manipulation. Eventually, life got in the way and I sold off my camera gear.

• What got you interested in photography?

The introduction of smart phones with cameras was an awakening for me. Suddenly my interest in the subject was re-ignited in a massive way. I think it may have been because the reward was instantaneous. I could see straight away what worked and what didn’t and that appealed strongly to my creative side.

• What is the best advice you have received so far regarding photography?

There is so much to learn and absorb in photography it’s hard to single out one bit of advice. One thing I have learned over time is that to get one good shot, you need to take a hundred but before you even press the shutter button, really look at what you’re seeing and decide how you want to capture it first. All the learning in the world will abandon you in the moment sometimes and you’ll wish you had chosen a different aperture or shutter speed or ISO or lens or point of view etc etc. COVER ALL BASES. I think it was Henri Cartier -Bresson who said  “The first 10,000 shots are your worst.” I’ve got a long way to go.

•  How do you maintain inspiration?

There’s inspiration all around. It’s a mindset of looking and seeing beyond the obvious. Negative space is a great example of this. I’m beginning to understand more and more that the underlying principle behind all photography is light. At first I was searching for my genre. Am I a landscape photographer, a street photographer, a macro photographer etc? It is now dawning on me that I am all of the above because for me it’s the light which is the magnet, not the subject. A face in the shadows is just as powerful as a mountain top peaking through some puffy clouds at sunset. There are probably hundreds of thousands if not millions of really nice images created every day but the ones that immediately grab my eye and make me look that little bit longer are usually the ones with great light play.

• What is your favourite subject to shoot & why? 

I don’t know if I have one yet. I suspect that as my abilities improve, I will spend more time on street photography. Street photography has been pulling at me for a while now not just for the people aspect but also for the environment. Cities have unique light due to the high-rise buildings and deep shadows found therein. I think there is also more interest to be found in the human experience, street photography is like a lens on humanity and capturing it is more challenging than say a landscape.

• Do you have a favourite type of photography?

Black and White is definitely one of my favourite genres. This is probably because of its ability to strip back an image into its skeleton of light. I think this is why the old B&W films of yesteryear still stand as strong today as when they were made before colour came in. I just can’t imagine watching some of the old B&W films in colour simply because when they were made, light and shadow were critical composition tools. I think that sometimes colour can be an unnecessary distraction. I took a photo of a row of empty café chairs during the recent Covid lockdowns here in Adelaide. Initially it was the colours that attracted me to the shot but after deciding to convert it to B&W, it suddenly became something more than just a row of chairs. It said something about abandoned streets and empty businesses. I think the B&W brought this out in a way that the colour version couldn’t. I didn’t think it was a particularly good shot technically either but it seemed to strike a chord with many viewers at the time.

• How would you describe your photographic journey to date?


One intense learning curve. As a relative newcomer to photography (digital at least), I started trying to learn how to use a DSLR and Photoshop both at the same time. Probably explains why I still can’t use my camera properly. I crave learning though and I have a keen armchair interest in physics and all things science. Photography combines science and art and I think that’s why I have become so engrossed in it. One thing I’m sure of is that with photography, I will never stop learning.

• Self taught?

Yes. I yearn for formal training. I would love to do a photography course but my time and work prevent me from doing it. I think that once I retire, it will be high on my list of things to do.

• Formal training?

None in regard to photography.

• Mentor?

Lightstalking is probably the nearest thing to a mentor I’ve ever had.

• Are you currently involved with any photography projects? If so, what?

None currently.

• If you could only use one camera/lens combination for a year, which would you choose?

I only have the one camera so it would be my Pentax K5. I would also probably choose my Pentax 17-70mm SDM lens for a little versatility.

• What is your favorite image right now?

o Yours?

My favourite image is usually the one I’ve just edited in Photoshop because it employs my latest Photoshop skills which I learn through  online courses.
Aralia In The Shadows is such an example. In this shot I used luminosity masks to bring out the wonderful dappled light playing on the subject.

o Someone else’s?

There is a local chap here in Adelaide who goes by the name of  John St  and  has taken the art of B&W street photography to another level and I love everything he does.


• What is your biggest challenge when it comes to photography?

By far my biggest challenge is using the camera properly. Having made it up as I went along, my learning has been a little ad-hoc and not structured in any way. I wish I had someone to be with me who can walk me through the process of a particular shot.


• Is there anything specific you intend to learn or improve in your photography?

I have yet to explore the world of portraiture with studio work and the associated lighting, dealing with models etc. I think I need to up my skills a fair bit before I tackle that genre.

• If people want to follow more of your work where should they go?


I have a profile on Flickr with quite a few images which can be viewed. It’s my intention to get onto Instagram someday but I want to gain a better understanding of it first.

• Provide links to 3 or 4 of your favourite images that can be displayed with the interview

Agave

Butterfly

Predator

Pt Noarlunga Sand Dunes

cc: @admin

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Here is a list of our members who were featured in the past if you would love to read. I have attached a link to their profile and their interview.

If you were featured before but not here in the list, please accept my apologies and leave a comment. I will look again, find the link and add it here! 🙂

Diane Wehr   @albirder : Introducing Diane Wehr

Tobie   @tobiepsg : Introducing Tobie

Rob Eyers  @reyers   : Introducing Rob Eyers

Duncan Stewart  @falxy : Introducing the Falx

John Thompson  @nikon-nut : Introducing Nikon nut 

Valery  @valeryp  : Introducing Valery

Tom Dinning  @tomdinning : Introducing Tom Dinning

Christina Brown  @Chrissiebee : Introducing Chrissie Bee

Bobbie  @bobbie : Introducing Bobbie

Gordon James  @gordonjames : Introducing Gordon James

Chris Pook  @chrispook  : Have you met Chris Pook?

Erik Fransman  @erik-fransman : Have you met Erik Fransman?

Gary Zerbst  @garyzerbst  : Have you met Gary Zerbst?

Allen Furst  @3pco : Have you met Allen Furst?

Jim  @Mistyisle : Have you met Jim?

Frogdaily  @frogdaily : Have you met Frogdaily?

Robert Apple  @robertapple : Have you met Robert Apple?

Steve Matten  @stevematten : Have you met Steve Matten?

Cornelia Acorn  @corneliaacorn : Have you met Cornelia Acorn?

Gray B  @grayb : Have you met Gray B?

Dahlia Ambrose  @dahliaambrose : Have you met Dahlia Ambrose?

Patrick @patrickw : Have you met Patrick?

Dave  @pentaxfan : Have you met Dave?

Peter  @peternowak : Have you met Peter?

Beaky @ozride : Have you met Beaky?

[Federico Alegria]

What a nice read this was, it is always a pleasure to get to know other fellow light stalkers a bit better! Thanks for sharing this with us @dahliaambrose, and cheers to @diripics

[Graham Hart]

Nice to read your kind words federico. Many thanks.

[Peter Nowak]

Great reading Graham. Thanks for sharing your journey. Your images at Flickr are outstanding.

[Graham Hart]

Thank you so much Peter. Too kind.

[JasenkaG]

Thanks a lot for doing these interviews Dahlia, I really enjoy getting to know our community better!

[Graham Hart]

I agree Jasenka. Feels like an extended family at times.

[Patrick]

As always thank so much for putting together all these great interviews Dahlia 🙂

Many thanks for another great read Graham , really nice to hear how you got going and you shared some lovely photos above much appreciate the share mate.

[Graham Hart]

Cheers Patrick. I agree these interviews are great reading but having done one myself now, there is a feeling of strengthening ties with the community.

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

This was great. Those pics!!! Wow.

[Graham Hart]

Well thank you so much Rob. Appreciate it.

[Dave Watkins]

Hey Graham. Enjoyed learning more about you and your photographic journey. Nice to have another Pentaxian at LS. We’re like the red-headed step children in the photography world. 🙂

[Rob Wood (Admin)]

I wasn’t gonna say anything so as to be polite, @pentaxfan 😉

[Dave Watkins]

😄

[Angie]

Love the Agave !

[Graham Hart]

Thank you Angie.

[Graham Hart]

Thanks Dave. I’m a Pentaxian by chance but from what I’ve learnt about Pentax along the journey, I’m glad I am 🙂

[ElinL]

Thank you Dahlia for yet another great interview. Nice to know more about you Graham. Love your images and presence here on LS. Certainly been interesting to follow you on your journey 🙂

[Graham Hart]

Thanks Elin. ‘Journey’ is the right word. LS is so much more than just photography. Friendship, discovery and learning to name a few things 🙂

[Beaky]

Nice to meet you Graham, seems you are only next door (so to speak) we may get to meet one day. 🙂

[Graham Hart]

I hope so mate. I have a close friend over in WA (Mandurah) and hope to get over there one day. If I do, I’ll be in touch first to see if we can meet up. Let me know if you’re ever in SA.

[LeanneC]

I am slowly catching up on Light Stalking posts…great to read about your photographic journey Graham. I enjoy your posts on LS.
And it can’t be said enough – thank you Dahlia, for taking the time to do this. It is wonderful to have these connections.

[Graham Hart]

Thanks Leanne and I second your motion in thanking Dahlia for doing these interviews.

[Dahlia Ambrose]

Thank you everyone and I love doing these interviews 🙂

[Author]

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