John Harrison Interviewed by Liana Lehua
Photo credit for John Harrison’s portrait: Michael Soo of Soo Photography
Your location: I live in Sunnyvale, California in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Website: www.jharrisonphoto.com
Main camera body and equipment used:
Nikon D300 (I REALLY would like a Nikon D700!)
Nikon 18-200VR lens
Sigma 10-20mm lens
Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 lens
Gitzo GT2541 Tripod
Singh-Ray graduated ND Filters
Your dream photography trip (location)
My dream photography trip would be shoot on the Fiji Islands and to look for incredible waterfalls. The fun part of shooting on islands in Fiji would be to go shoot sunset on one side of an island and then shoot sunset on the other.
What are you passionate about shooting?
I’m a landscape guy. I love capturing vibrant colors in sunrises and sunsets, textures in nature, the moon, flowing water and waterfalls. I try to capture the mood of the scene and love how the light interacts with the scene. My “Nature’s Firefall” image I submitted for the ANPW contest ties all of these together – a dramatic waterfall at sunset that looks like molten lava surrounded by the incredible rock textures of El Capitan in Yosemite. Water, rocks, tree bark, leaves….all things in nature have a texture to me. When I’m at a location, my challenge is capturing how the scene in front of me looks, feels, sounds or smells. Even with today’s equipment, it’s a challenge to recreate what your eyes see. If I’m successful, the photograph will remind me of that place I want to be on a Friday afternoon.
What is one tip you would like to share with photographers?
The one tip I would share with aspiring landscape photographers is to use a tripod! A tripod helps you get more depth of field and sharper images. The caveat with that is to move it around as well as raise and lower it – don’t just leave it fully extended. A tripod also gets you to slow down and think about your shot.
What do you do for a living?
I am a product manager at high-tech company in Silicon Valley working with computer security products. I just started showing and selling my landscape photographs last year and recently announced a yearlong solo exhibit with two new series of images.
How do you make the time for your photography?
It is challenging to find time for photography; often I am heading out at sunrise and sunset while on family vacations. I try to be smart about when and where to shoot. I study maps, tide tables, moon and sun rise/set tables so I can make the most of my time shooting.
I work on my images, read and learn about new techniques during late nights after the kids get to bed. The MOST important part in making time for my photography is having a supportive wife and kids!
Stay tuned for more on the winners – this week here at ANPW.
