Interview with my Flickr friend Valerio (Valpopando)

1. How did you first get interested in photography? And are you self taught?

My passion for photography, and other forms of art, I owe to my father (in flickr, agedsenator) who practically locked me inside the dark room when I was barely 12 years old (seems like a horror film…hehehe). But while winding film in the old, classic Rodenstok spools, I also learned all secrets of Black & White printing! Then I worked for five years as an assistant photographer for the Superintendent of Art in Naples working with large format Hasselbads.

2. Do you have a favorite walk around lens? If so, what is it?

As you can tell from my photographs, I adore wide angle lenses. In fact, a Sigma 10-20 was the first lens I bought other than the classic Nikkor 18-70 that came with my Nikon D80. Now, however, I’m having a good time with an old Nikkor 55mm micro lens!

3. What equipment and software do you use?

At the moment I’m happy to own a Nikon D80 with a Nikkor 18-70, a Sigma 10-20, a Nikkor 55mm micro and an old Tamron 300mm. I also have an OlympusC8080WZ (my first love) that I have literally abandoned to the shelf. Most of my photos are done in HighDynamicRange (HDR) so I use PhotoMatrix to achieve single file HDR (obtaining three equal shots with exposure +/-2,0), then I finish the image in PhotoShop CS2! I’m discovering , however, the pleasure of utilizing RAW files. I also use Nikon Capture NX for normal shots (non HDR).

4. Which one item of equipment is the most important for you?

Besides the camera, naturally, my inseparable friend is a tripod that’s always in the trunk of my car. For HDR shots, it’s of vital importance as is a remote control.

5. How do you decide on locations and subjects?

When I decide to take a shot I don’t know any limits. However, there are several fundamentals which I follow: First, there must be clouds(better still clouds just after a storm)! Second, I prefer sunrise and sunset: and thirdly, I always try to discover an interesting object to insert in the frame. To achieve these conditions I’m prepared to wake up at 4 a.m. and/or remain waiting for a couple of hours like a fool for the sun to set (however, one makes many interesting acquaintances during these waits…photography is always fascinating to women ! :)))

6. What are your favorites subjects to photograph?

Clouds! And also objects that are particular or abandoned, panoramas…and even nude women! :))) hehehe!

7. What continues to inspire you as a photographic artist?

The desire to surprise, to astonish, to try to be ingenious…and maybe I succeed every now and then.

8. What is the one thing that you have not captured on camera you feel you need to express?

Probably proper portraits or self-portraits. I would like to be able to photograph people and obtain the same excellent results that I see so many others obtain on flickr… but maybe I don’t really love to photograph people…hehehe, that includes self portraits, aside from some recent ones that were dedicated to my LOVE! :)))

9. What other artists have influenced your work?

Well, for sure my father! Every now and then I feel some of my photos on flickr are similar to his, but my passion for HDR I owe to Stuck in Customs and Asmundur, two great HDR post-processing artists.

10. What other talents do you possess besides photography?

I’m also a musician(drummer) and for years played as a professional…maybe I would also like to be able to paint!

11. Have you met other flick rites in person? How was the experience?

Yes! I had the good fortune to meet Trey from Austin, Texas (Stuck in Customs) thanks to flickr and my passion for HDR. He visited Naples for a week and we had a great time. It’s an experience I recommend for everyone! Of course, we had a little language difficulty, but our passion for photography cancelled out this limiting factor. Then in April 2007 I met Dean Forbes in Rome and this was also a wonderful experience. I’m planning to visit JR in S. ! Hehehe…sooner of later I will. LOL

12. Any words of advice for those who would like to dig deeper into photography?

I’m not sure what to say! I’m not a great lover of tutorials and handbooks. I think it’s important to master the fundamentals, then you need to work hard experimenting and using your imagination like it was a game so that you don’t become tied to stereotypes and/or get overly influenced by others. The results could be surprising and absolutely unique and personal and it would be beautiful to read comments like: “This beautiful photograph reminds me of Volpopando’s style.”

13. Of all the photos you’ve taken, which is your favorite and why?

It’s a classic question that’s not easy to answer. A single favorite doesn’t exist, there are many. However, after seeing “me in my fingers” after nearly a year, I still love it dearly.

14. If you could change anything on flickr, what would it be?

I agree with jacq77 and I’m not happy with the level of security on flickr. Many of my photos have ended up in large format downloaded as wallpaper. Another two have been used by magazines without my consent and without credit. It would be enough for flickr to create a system that wouldn’t allow download access to individuals (even those on the flickr staff). I would also cancel Explore. It has unleashed competition among flickr users (me included) and has altered the function of leaving constructive comments on photos.

These are the three photos that Valpopando want to show us in this interview:

1) Valpoclassic

2) Valpilou (for my great friend Philippe)



3) Travel to Lupinanto



Thanks so much for the translation of this interview to Don (dgjean) and to Valerio (Valpopando) for his quick reply.

I propose Valerio as ambassador of Naples in the World!

angie_real aka Angela Lobefaro

p.s. Forza Napoli!!!

Before and after - Naval gun 17th century

This is the photo from which I have started the ps, it is from a ship named Eastindiaman Amsterdam located in the Naval Museum of Amsterdam.
I had this idea back in November 2006 when I shot this photo, but I did not know how to do it at that time.



This is the final result.

Steps

1) Qtpfsgui - I've used a free program called qtpfsgui to create two different version of the image (one with the fattal algorithm to enhance details and textures and one with the drago algorithm to enhance colors).
2) Gimp - I've used Gimp to blend the 2 images using 2 layers, the fattal one as background and the drago one in overlay mode at 50% of opacity.
3) Gimp - I've cut off the scene in the gun's windows
4) Gimp - I've created another layer with an image of the same ship taken from the pier.
5) Gimp - I've created another layer called explosion that contain only the explosion blast effect
6) Gimp - Aligning work with the three layers ( ship in the background,explosion,and gun in the foreground)
7) Gimp - motion blur to the entire scene to simulate the gun's recoil.
8) Gimp - fancy rounded corners decoration.


That's all Folks!

Gimp and Qtpfsgui are free softwares available on Windows, Linux platforms

Interview with my Flickr friend Jacqueline (Jacq77)

1) How did you first get interested in photography? and are you self taught?

I received my first camera as a birthday gift when I was 13. I have been taking photos ever since (am 29 now LOL). I can't even remember what type of camera it was LOL but I remember changing the film on it drove me crazy LOL. Since then I have come to own 7 different cameras. I have taught myself to take photos. I have bought many photography books and there have been many hours invested in trial and error...which for me has been the best learning tool.


2) Do you have a favorite walk around lens? If so, what is it?

When I go out to photograph, I never leave without all my lenses.... I find myself anxious if I do LOL....but if we're talking about walkaround...it would have to be my 18 - 55mm lens. It's a dynamic lens, that I have taken a lot of photos with.

3) What equipment and software do you use?

I have a 75 - 300mm lens for my Canon 400D. I also have a Canon S3IS which I use for optical shots as the optical zoom is fabulous. Other than that I have an "analog" Nikon, but I inly shoot film these days on special occasions... I reserve film now for these occasions because it is more expensive, but the majority of my early work on Flickr are scans from my "analog" SLR as I didn't have a DSLR at the time. I have some filters, a tripod, a studio that I made up for my indoor shots, with various lamps etc.

Software.... I use Photoshop CS2 and Photomatix for HDR editing and tone mapping.

4) Which one item of equipment is the most important for you?

My cameras LOL... I can't live without them...I have one with me at all times :o))). Other than that, my most important piece of equipment is my lighting... I find light of the most importance and my lamps are the most important thing to me in the studio LOL...I have stashes of spare bulbs in case one dies LOL...maybe to the point of obsession LOL


5) How do you decide on locations and subjects?

As I said, I carry my camera with me always...but when I want to decide on a particular location I asses the photographic value of the venue...is it going to be a place that I will go back and photograph regularly or will it be a one off shoot...if a place holds many photographic opportunities then I list it as a favorite and visit it regularly...perhaps it has a good mix of gardens, buildings, etc which can provide me with a lot of different images. With regards to subjects...a lot of my studio-art work is done by inspiration from things I like...like science, art, etc.

6) What are your favorite subjects to photograph?

My favorite subjects? I have many LOL.... however...pens and pencils... feathers and masks would have to stand out as my favorites.


7) What continues to inspire you as a photographic artist?

Everything and anything...I may walk past something and think...that would make a great shot...or I may see something and visualize in my head a photo manipulation.


8) What is the one thing that you have not captured on camera you feel you need to express?

Snow.... here in AUS we don't get much snow and in the winter I have to travel very far to where it snows, and that's one thing I would really love to capture.


9) What other artists have influenced your work?

I think I have my unique style of photography and I tend to influence myself...however, viewing different kinds of works everyday sometimes gives me some ideas. There are the works of Michael Yamashito and Elliot Erwitt that I find very inspirational and have learnt a lot from.


10) What other talents do you possess besides photography? And is there another area of talent you would like to explore?

I play the violin, dance and have a variety of other interests, which I find influence and inspire a lot of my work.


11) Have you met other flick rites in person, and how was the experience?

I haven't as yet met anyone from Flickr in person, as the majority of my contacts are overseas, but I am happy with the friendships I've made on Flickr, I feel some of these friendships are for life even if they virtual and hundreds of kilometers across the sea.


12) Any words of advice for those who would like to dig deeper into photography?

Keep taking photos, with time comes experience, refinement and mastership. Takes photos of anything, take photos of things that catch your attention. Never give up!


13) Of all the photos you've taken, what is your favorite and why?

So hard to choose which is my favorite because I have many, as some have been taken with different meanings and emotions attached to them, which I try and express through the photo...if I had to choose it would be:

www.flickr.com/photos/jacqrojo/264825120/in/set-72157594491380061/

The reason why...the title.. "Masquerade" - hide your face so the world will never find you.... this was inspired by The Phantom of the Opera and at the time I took the photo I felt that in Flickr we all hid our faces behind computer screens and the only way to get insight into the personality of a person was visually through their photos...and I have found this experience more fulfilling than any other, hence why I said earlier than I have made some lifelong friends.


14) If you could change anything on flickr, what would it be?

I would change security and try and increase photo security, although on the internet nothing is 100% secure anyway.

These are the photos that Jaqueline (jacq77) want to show us in this interview

1) Inner Peace



2) That You Have Slumbered Here While These Visions Did Appear



3)In the Arms of the Angels


Thanks Jacqueline for your quick response and dont stop to amaze us with your Fine Arts photography.

Angie_real aka Angela Lobefaro

Interview with my Flickr friend Toni (Don Gato)

1. How did you first get interested in photography? And are you self taught?

I did my first photographies in 1984, with a Konica of my father, but leave the photography because not have time. The photography return years later with one Canon Eos 650 analogical, though I not dedicate time either, it was not until the year 2004 that I enter into the photography with more interest, and last year when I buy my Canon 350D really I was interested so, and learning of self-taught form, with the former method of trying and failing.

2. Do you have a favorite walk around lens? If so, what is it?

Sincerely, not too much, I try to photograph everything what is called me the attention, flowers, landscapes, portraits and for comfort I use habitually my 18-55 mm that there allows me to realize the majority of my shots without too many problems

3. What equipment and software do you use?

Since I use equipment basically 18-55, though also I have 55-70mm and 100-300 mm that it them buys for my former analogical camera, also I have a professional directional flash, and a tripod, and some filters as the Raynox for the macros.

The Software that I use principally is Picasa, though in enough occasions, I am daring to use photoshop with more frequency, or Adobe lightroom for portraits.

4. Which one item of equipment is the most important for you?

I do not have a preference to any piece of my equipment especially, in these moments I have everything what I need, I am amateur, who enjoys the photography, and though in some moment I would to have some better lens, I feel satisfied what I have.

5. How do you decide on locations and subjects?

Always I take my camera with me everywhere, some times I see a landscape and stop my car to take a few photos, or go for the street and take my camera for the same thing, only when I had occasion to have someone as model, have thought more in them pose and in that photos to take, even like that, I leave a lot of freedom the person to move of natural form and to be herself, while I take my photographies

6. What are your favorite subjects to photograph?

In the last months, my favorite subject they are the flowers, I enjoy when I’m taking macros and exploring in his intimacy in search of forms and colors that call the attention

7. What continues to inspire you as a photographic artist?

The nature, it is what more me inspires, the plants, the forests, when I am in the middle of the nature, I want to photograph it, and also the city, am lucky to live in a small city, with a medieval wonderful neighborhood, and I much likes to walk with my camera along these streets taking photos.
By the way, when I see photographs of my friends on flickr, I’m inspired lots of times, and I learn so much of all of them.

8. What is the one thing that you have not captured on camera you feel you need to express?

A night storm, with lightnings and intense rain, I am really anxious, and also I want to be able to realize photographies of my city covered by the snow, this it seems will be complicated enough.

9. What other artists have influenced your work?
I love the photography and I enjoy contemplating the works of famous photographers, personally I Like Cappa's work, but who really have inspired me, they are all in flickr, and I am lucky to take them as friends, do not want to give names, because they are so many people that could forget me of anyone of them, but yes, lots of flickr friends are who really have inspired me

10. What other talents do you possess besides photography? And is there another area of talent you would like to explore?

Well, I'm a writer, I write poems, and erotic tales, I like a lot and I have a few blogs about poetry or tales. I'm happy when I Imagine a story or I'm inspired to write a poem, and photography are very near to poetry for me!!


11. Have you met other flick rites in person, and how was the experience?

I have known many persons in flickr, virtual friends, who finally have turned into real friends, and with that I feel happily and satisfied, all the experiences have been really incredible and wonderful, personally, I recommend to the whole world that should have meetings not only to interchange experiences but also to create a strong friendship


12. Any words of advice for those who would like to dig deeper into photography?

It is complicated to give advices but would dare to say that to be advancing in the photography, the best thing is to see many photographies, of all the styles and types, to be able to see the world with photographer's eyes. when we seeing the world across the eyes of other people, helps us to discover very much our own way of seeing the same world
13. Of all the photos you've taken, what is your favorite and why?

My favourite photo is one of my son called floating www.flickr.com/photos/quiero-un-pantano/290756192/in/set-72157600055797378/, the reason? Because I think this photo was a big step to a change on my photos, and too because this shot was my first #1 at Explore on Flickr

14. If you could change anything on flickr, what would it be?

This it is a difficult question, I believe that I only would change a thing, and i would be that the own photographers could moderate your images, and that the freedom of expression was total at the moment of showing photographies, but it is very complicated, because for many people, the freedom of expression is all, and really, it is not this way, in a public place, we must respect the others, and to have the enough aptitude to decide if an image coild to be offensive to other persons, and unfortunately not all the members of flickr thinking that.

These are the photos that Don Gato want to show us in this interview

1)Purple Light



2)Skate board uh ah ah



3)Cadena / Chain



Thanks to Toni for show us what tick inside the Gato's head ;-)

Angie_real aka Angela Lobefaro

Interview with my Flickr friend Don (dgjean)

First of all i want to Thank you to http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemperleconnie/ for the inspiration and the script of this interview and Don for be my first one interviewed.



Don (dgjean)

1. How did you first get interested in photography? And are you self taught?

I bought my first Nikon camera thirty years ago (a Nikkormat EL) and I’ve had many different Nikon models since then. However, I took only snapshots of family events and vacations shots, so I actually consider myself to be a beginner.

I’m definitely self taught and I learn something every time I take pictures, usually through a mistake I make.

2. Do you have a favorite walk around lens? If so, what is it?

Actually, I have two favorite lenses that I would be hard pressed to do without: the Noct-Nikkor 58/1.2 Ai-S and the Nikkor 28/1.4D. Neither of the two are made anymore, but without a doubt, they are the best night/low light lenses ever made for hand held photography, which is my photographic interest.

3. What equipment and software do you use?

As far as camera equipment goes, I’m a die hard Nikon user. I’ve got 32 Nikkor lenses and mount them on D200 and D50 Nikon DSLR bodies (I‘ve bought almost all of this equipment in the last year). The majority of my lenses are the old, classic manual focus Ai and Ai-s types. I also use a Gitzo 1325 tripod (with RRS BH-55 ballhead) for certain night shots and anytime when I want a really sharp shot.

I’m not much of a post-processor, but I bought PhotoShop CS3 a couple months ago. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do anything with it yet.

4. Which one item of equipment is the most important for you?

Without a doubt a good lens is the most important item for me, preferably a Nikkor with a f/1.2 aperture!

5. How do you decide on locations and subjects?

Fortunately, I live in northeastern Italy about thirty miles west of Venice. There’s so much natural and man-made beauty here, all I have to do is walk out the door.

6. What are your favorite subjects to photograph?

I love night photography (with people in it) and also classic architecture (especially arches).

7. What continues to inspire you as a photographic artist?

I see a lot of really wonderful night shots on flickr, and I’m just trying to keep up with every one else!

8. What is the one thing that you have not captured on camera you feel you need to express?

I think many people in modern society are loners and a little melancholy (I know I am) and I’m just trying to show this existential malaise through my photography. But I’ve only just scratched the surface.

9. What other artists have influenced your work?

I never really thought much about this until you asked, but I would have to say that I’ve been heavily influenced (albeit unconsciously) by the works of Brassai and his great photographs of 1930s Parisian night life. And, of course, I would throw in Edward Hopper for good measure too.

10. What other talents do you possess besides photography? And is there another area of talent you would like to explore?

I’m a freelance writer (travel, wine & food), but since I’ve been involved with flickr the last ten months I haven’t been able to write much! And I’m not interested in any other areas right now, writing and photography are enough.

11. Have you met other flick rites in person, and how was the experience?

I haven’t met any flickrites in person yet, but I would like to!

12. Any words of advice for those who would like to dig deeper into photography?

Photography is like anything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. So as a marathon runner has to run every day and a writer has to write every day, a photographer needs to take pictures every day.


13. Of all the photos you've taken, what is your favorite and why?


Contra' Piancoli, Vicenza (8 March 07) is my favorite photo because it's one that I did absolutely nothing to--it's exactly as it came out of the camera (except that I made it sepia). And I think it perfectly portrays the the "existential malaise" that I talked about above.


14. If you could change anything on flickr, what would it be?
If I could change anything on flickr, it would probably be the system of comments, faves & invitations. As it is now, flickr can be extremely time comsuming--afterall, if you want to receive comment, faves & invitations, you have to give them out as well. Not sure what the best system would be, but I already have a couple of contacts that don't allow comments (and therefore, inviatations) on their photos, you can only fave them. Maybe it should be something like this.

These are the three photos Don would like to appear with the interview:



Ponte San Michele, Vicenza (10 February 07)



Venezia (26 May 07)



La Festa del Redentore (22 Jul 07)





Thanks again Don and keep it up with your "Night missions" ;-)

Angela Lobefaro aka angie_real

Venezia

Venezia, originally uploaded by dgjean.

by my friend dgjean on Flickr

Castle of Valdengo

Castle of Valdengo, originally uploaded by angie_real.

The place where i live ( yes in this case i'm very fortunate)

Charleston

Charleston, originally uploaded by angie_real.

un posto dove Max ha molti ricordi belli della sua infanzia e di suo padre, fortunatamente è stato restaurato di recente dopo un lungo stato di abbandono.

Questa foto è andata su Explore in 4 ore ( solo per i Flickr iniziati ;-) )