contest

Interview by Nicole Young

Rhonda Hocomb is a stay-at-home mom from Southeast Texas. She enjoys wildlife & nature photography and has been in pursuing her interest in photography for more than 20 years. Her photograph “Let’s Spend It Together” won her a seat to the workshop in Mt. Rainier this September.

Please tell us the story behind your winning photograph.

My husband and I love to camp so we went with friends to Martin Dies Jr. State Park in Jasper Texas. The sunsets and sunrises on the lake are spectacular, and it was our first camping trip with our canoe. We arose early in the morning to take pictures of the sunrise by canoe, however that morning it decided to mist and rain instead of shine (chuckle), so with his great paddling ability and the help of the steady tripod I was able to take the picture of the two trees on the bank from the canoe with my Panasonic Lumix. The rain actually was a good thing and I’m glad we didn’t call it quits and go back to shore.

What is it about photography that got you hooked? Was there something significant that happened in your life that makes you passionate about photography?

Actually I became interested in photography the day I photographed my three year old at Niagara Falls. The expression and body language coupled with the scene that I captured with my camera told a story without having to express it with a written caption.

What do you feel is one of the most important aspects of being a good photographer?

A good photographer is one who explores, takes risks and goes with the flow. They are able to create a dream for someone else to dive into.

What camera equipment will you be bringing with you to the workshop in Mt. Rainier?

Canon EOS DSLR XSI
100-300 Zoom Lens
Canon EOS DSLR 50d
Canon 100-400 Zoom IS, 50mm prime, 85mm prime, 28-135 IS, 18-55 IS
Tripod, flash, remote switch, diffuser and memory cards.

You can view more of Rhonda’s photography here.

Interview by Nicole Young

Bill Jeffries is a computer consultant living in Greensboro, NC. His beautiful image of geese flying across Oak hollow lake won him a seat at the upcoming workshop in Mt. Rainier. He has been serious about photography for the last two years and loves to photograph nature, wildlife, and people.

Please tell us the story behind your winning photograph.

My son and I went to Oak Hollow Lake before sunrise to shoot it, but the sun just came up, not very spectacular. I had been looking east at it and moved over to look west across the lake when I heard the Canada Geese start honking the way they do before they take off. I pointed my D300 at them and held focus on them and shot 30 or 40 frames as they took off and flew across the lake. Right in the middle of the series, the sun broke over the trees and washed the far shore with great red gold light and I had a feeling I’d gotten a good shot. This was one of my favorites from 2008. It was taken on December 13th, a great cold winter morning.

What do you feel is one of the most important aspects of being a good photographer?

Making photos that provoke an emotional response. It doesn’t have to leave them in tears, but just “wow, that’s so cool” or “that is really beautiful”. It can be funny, or shocking, or beautiful, or just cool, but it can’t just lay there. Also, I think you need to learn the gear, learn the rules, and then forget them as much as possible and just shoot. I would also say giving back what you can in whatever way you can.

Are there any other photographers who inspire you? Who and why?

Wow, tons. Martin Bailey, a great nature/wildlife shooter and great teacher. I love Pete Turner for his use of color. Joe McNally for just about everything and his willingness to teach. Cartier-Bresson for all those decisive moments. Don Hong-Oai is one I try to emulate; I love his landscapes. The list would go on and on. I love to look at photos.

What camera equipment will you be bringing with you to the workshop in Mt. Rainier?

I’m a Nikon guy. Bodies: D700, D300, and a Canon G9. Lenses: 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8, 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, and I always take a 50mm f/1.4; Manfroto Tripod with RRS ballhead, circular polarizer, cable release, lots of batteries and cards, maybe a 60mm f/2.8 micro & Tokina 12-24mm f/4, depending on space and weight. I’m not sure about bringing flashes … don’t want to overpack.

You can view more of Bill’s photography here.

Interview by Nicole Young

Julie Stainbrook currently lives in Midway, UT with her two small children. Her photograph “In the Fog” won her the chance to attend the workshop in Mt. Rainier.

What type of photography do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy photographing beauty! It can be in the form of a newborn baby, sunset, children playing, a couple in love, the age of human life … I guess I don’t have a preference. I love to take what is seemingly normal and find the emotion behind it and freeze it in time forever!

Please tell us the story behind your winning photograph.

A few years ago my Dad was driving and noticed the beautiful morning with the fog and the sun just coming up. He said at that moment he knew he needed to call me and get me out there. When he called he told me to go to a certain area of town and to bring my camera. As I was driving and looking for a spot I saw this line of trees on the side of the road, right next to a business. At that point in my life I had no idea what ISO, aperture, shutter speed, or white balance was. It caught me off guard. I had driven by that spot probably 100 times before and had never noticed it. I got out and paced around for a while and then found the spot. I laid on my tummy for about half and hour at the base of a tree trying to get the settings and my angle just right… which was a task in and of it self but I refused to shoot on auto. I didn’t leave until I got the image that I had seen in my mind.

What is it about photography that got you hooked? Was there something significant that happened in your life that makes you passionate about photography?

I love being able to show how I see things. Everyone has a different perspective and to be able to share mine is a great feeling. I love showing people how I see them. Capturing the beauty, emotion and individuality of a person and then sharing it with them has been such an amazing experience.

What camera equipment will you be bringing with you to the workshop in Mt. Rainier?

As of right now…. I have two Nikon D80’s, 18-135mm, 50mm, polarizing filter, speedlight, tripod, lots of batteries, memory cards and my MacBook.

You can view more of Julie’s photography here.

William Jeffries
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wjeffries/3633244614/in/pool-anpw

Rhonda Holcomb
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronidesigns/3707917947/

Julie Stainbrook
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38526250@N06/3542466758/in/pool-anpw

Jarek Szymanski
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alteryourreality/2754842545/in/pool-anpw

It’s been a fantastic year for the Aperture Nature Photography Workshops and I can’t believe it’s almost over.

The deadline is almost here for the fourth and final contest. End Date: July 15, at 2:00 PM PST. At that time entries into the contest will be permanently closed. We’ll select the four winners this week and begin preparation for the fourth and final workshop to take place near Mt. Rainier National Park in September.

I really appreciate the support of the staff and the winners we’ve had so far. It’s been a great group. I also want to thank Apple and our sponsors for helping to make the ANPW a reality.

If you’re a US resident and 18 years old or older you’re still eligible to win a free trip to the workshop. It’s going to be a blast. Be sure to get your entry in over at the Flickr forum.

Here’s where you enter. http://www.flickr.com/groups/anpw/

Good luck to all.

We’re proud to announce the dates for our fourth and final (in this series) Aperture Nature Photography Workshop. On September 9-12, four lucky winners will join four pros for the ANPW Mt. Rainier.

Our submission site for this contest is on Flickr, use this address. http://www.flickr.com/groups/anpw/

Each winner will win a cash travel allowance, hotel, food, ground transfers, as well as prizes from our sponsors. It’s free to enter. You get to keep all Copyrights to your images. There’s no catch. Please read the complete contest rules for more information

We’re also proud to announce that one of the pros joining our teaching faculty this year will be Rick Sammon. Rick is a prolific photographer, author and teacher. His latest book, Rick Sammon’s Digital Photography Secrets is brilliant and he’ll be a real asset to our team of pros.

Also joining Scott Bourne on the pro team will be The Palouse Guy – Gary Hamburgh, an inspiring scenic nature photographer who specializes in selling gallery prints of his amazing nature photos.

Our pro team will be rounded out by Juan Pons, a professional nature photographer and guide from North Carolina. His work is widely published and he has experience guiding nature photo trips

This post sponsored by Photofocus.

Congratulations on winning, Olga! You must be very excited. I appreciate you taking time to sit down with me.

Where are you from?

Home has been beautiful Tucson, AZ for the last 12-13 years. I was born and raised in Athens, Greece and moved to the US to attend college/graduate school, and I ended up staying and becoming a citizen. I have lived the nomadic life of an academic–in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Georgia before moving to Arizona.

What kind of photography do you specialize in?

I have a background in art (painting and sculptural ceramics) but I am fairly new to photography, so I am still evolving, still have a lot to learn. Right now I photograph anything and everything that strikes my fancy. I adore my dog Daphne who would make a wonderful photographic muse except for the fact that she is routinely annoyed by my camera and exhales with theatrical flair while walking away from me. Beyond that, I like to photograph food, landscapes, details, and anything that makes and ordinary moment stand out (in good ways or bad). In the end, I see photography not so much about specific subjects, but more about mood, or an unusual viewpoint, or a feeling.

How did you learn about the trip?

I am a regular follower of TWIP! I listen to the weekly podcast on my iPod (usually while driving) and I read the website pretty much everyday.

So you are a Twipper! The website is great and has so much information.

What do you hope to learn on the trip?

Mostly, I hope to learn by observing the pros and their techniques. I hope to learn how to look at light with a more discerning eye. And about landscapes-composing and timing.

Have you used Aperture before?

I have been using Aperture already. I love it. Like all things Apple, it makes everything natural and easy-it gets out of your way so you can concentrate on photography. However, I suspect that I have only scratched the surface of this wonderful program, so I look forward to learning more about it.

What gear are you bringing?

Nikon D700
Nikkor 16mm f 2.8 Fisheye
Nikkor 17-35 f 2.8
Lensbaby Composer
Nikon Speedlight SB-600
Tripod
MacBook

and since I don’t have any telephoto lenses, I am thinking of renting the Nikon 70-300 (or something along those lines.)

What challenges do you think photographers face today?

It depends on the photographer.

For budding photographers, today’s challenges are paradoxical. There are so many choices for lenses, cameras, gizmos, and gadgets, probably more than any other time in the history of photography. Each and everyone serves a purpose and many are wonderful. Technology is wonderful but it can be too much of a good thing. Additionally the internet is an amazing place to get information about photography, but once again, it can be too much, and there is also a lot of misinformation. THe challenge is to be able to ignore much of this and just photograph. In the end, I thin our photographs reflect our mind and our vision, not our equipment.

For professional photographers, today’s challenges come from the increasing competition in the field, since more and more people enter photography as a profession or as a commercial endeavor, often part-time. Additionally, there is a paradigm shift in the business models and distributions of commercial photography-e.g.,stock photography or citizen journalism. It will be interesting to see how this will evolve.

What is your “day job”?

I am a mathematician; I used to be in academia (my research area is in Logic/combinatorial set theory) and now I work in industry. I work with hardware architects on future designs 3-4 years before they get built: to asses tradeoffs by creating mathematical models that predict performance and reliability of enterprise-class storage systems (disk and tape).

Do you have a website or a blog that we can link to?

I just started a new blog intended to document the ANPW experience, in addition to other topics:
http://arizonaolga.wordpress.com/

My Flickr page is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/syzygy/

I also created and run the Tucson iPUG (iPhone and Palm Users Group); we cover all PDA topics, including photography among many others.

See more of Elyse’s work here.

Congraulations, Elyse! Your image was beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for our readers.

Where are you from?

I live in New York City

That is one of my favorite places in the world. What is your favorite place or subject to photograph in New York City?

I mostly enjoy walking through Central Park with my camera…grateful to have so much natural beauty right in the middle of a big city (a mini escape!)…many great water spots with their ever changing reflections right down to the puddles after a good rain…but the city streets certainly have much to offer up to the camera lens as well, such extremes! I feel lucky to have easy access to both.

You are lucky, Elyse. New York City and Central Park are wonderful places to shoot.

What kind of photography do you specialize in?

I prefer the natural world. Taking it in and appreciating all that is around me. Currently my enjoyment lies in attempting to venture beyond what and how my eye sees and trying to create something unique out of what’s in front of me. Playing with reflections, shadows, water movement, light, etc.

How did you learn about the trip?

I receive emails from “Apple Hot News” and that is where I read about the announcement. It totally caught my attention and sounded to me, like such and awesome experience and opportunity!

You are right on that one Elyse. It is an awesome experience and opportunity. And you were one of four winners out of over 2000 entries! What do you hope to learn on the trip?

I am so anxious to be side by side with the four professional photographers and I think just to be able to observe “what they do” and ask questions along the way will be such an invaluable and memorable learning experience. I am also looking forward to meeting Ara, Bryan and Olga. I think spending time alongside one another and sharing our experiences will be an added benefit to the trip.

What gear are you bringing?

Canon EOS 30D
Canon ef 70-200, f 2.8
Canon Macro 100mm, f 2.8
Canon ef-s 17-55mm, f 2.8

I am anxious to check out the Lensbaby. I am not familiar with it but it sounds like something to have fun with!

What challenges do you think photographers face today?

My first thought in answering this is the type of images that I am capturing now. The sometimes abstract or painterly look, are thought by some to have been manipulated after – aside from the typical adjustments to exposure, contrast, white balance, etc. I don’t actually know how to manipulate my images and right now am not really interested in doing so. I really want my images to represent what was recorded in the camera-the way I see them.

What is your “day job”?

By day and night I am a stay at home mom with three daughters.

That will keep you busy! How do you find time to shoot?

My girls are 11, 15 & 17 so they are not so dependent on me and it allows me more time to go out and “play”. But I also keep my camera ready to pick up and capture something.

Thank you, Elyse. We look forward to seeing your images from Yellowstone.

Interview by Cathy Chung

Congratulations, Ara! Your image was stunning. Thanks for sitting down with me so that our followers could learn about you.

Where are you from?

I grew up around Portland, Oregon and have also lived in San Francisco. I am living in Portland now.

Portland is a very pretty area. What is your favorite place/subject to photograph in Portland?

The waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. Mount Ranier National Park is another favorite.

You are lucky to have both of those places in your backyard. What inspiring places to photograph.

What kind of photography do you specialize in?

Landscapes and cityscapes. A lot of long exposures. I’ve started doing wedding photography and portraits.

How did you learn about the ANPW contest/trip?

I did a search for Lensbaby on Google

Well lucky for you, Ara-Lensbay is one of the prizes that you get.

What do you hope to learn on the trip?

Different perspectives! Every time I go out and shoot with other photographers, I learn so much. The ANPW instructors are selling professionals, and I want to absorb as much of that wisdom as possible.

The pros that are coming on this trip are amazing, Ara. You will be learning so much from them.

What gear are you bringing?

Cameras:
Canon 40D
Pentax MX
Holga
Lomo Fisheye

Lenses:
Canon 10-22mm
Canon 17-85mm IS
Canon 50mm 1.4
Canon 70-200mm f/4
Pentax 28-70mm f/2.8
Pentax 50mm f/1.8

Filters:
Hoya Moose Polarizer/Warming
Hoya ND400 9-Stop
B&W 6-Stop ND
Singh-Ray 3-Stop soft GND with Cokin 10x macro ring

Misc:
Bogen Tripod
Hot-shoe level
Gary Fong Lightsphere
Vivitar Flash
Velvia Film
Remote for Canon 40D

I’m really excited to try out the new Rotation 360° backpack from Think Tank. It is really sturdy and holds a lot of gear!

I am excited to hear that you are bringing film cameras. You will enjoy the Rotation 360° backpack. I used it on my trip and it worked perfectly!

What challenges do you think photographers face today?

There are a lot of talented photographers in the world and it’s a challenge to stand out and offer a unique outlook. It can be easy to rely on technology and the latest and greatest to make you a “better photographer”, instead of going back to your eye, imagination and individuality. I love the photographers who can shoot with a $10,000 SLR or a $20 plastic camera and come up with equally amazing photos. Marketing and finding outlets to sell photography are other challenges that I want to learn more about facing. Again, with so many talented artists out there, standing out from the crowd is tough.

What is your “day job”?

I am a Litigation Project Manager for a legal support company. I manage databases and electronic evidence for law firms and corporations.

Lastly, do you have a website or a blog that we can link to?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aralani

Thanks for you time, Ara and I look forward to meeting you face to face in Yellowstone.