Nick Fitzpatrick Interview

As promised, here is the full interview of our second edition photographer, the talented NICK FITZPATRICK. You should also know that Nick was a big help in the set up of Greta and without him you might not even be reading this blog, because it may not have exsisted! You can also find some of Nick's work at MYM magazine. Now, let's find out a bit more about him and his photography ...


Greta: How did you get into photography?
Nick: I took photography for the first time in 2008 as a class in high school. I had success with my first photos and that helped to motivate me with keeping it up.


Greta: Where did you learn photography?
Nick: I learnt the basics in school. I think that all one really needs to know are the basics; once you know how to make a picture, the rest comes from your own creativity.

Greta: Where does your inspiration come from?
Nick: Anywhere. People, places, films, music, art, other photography, almost anything can trigger some idea.

Greta: What camera do you use?
Nick: I currently use a Nikon D90. It's hardly anything special, but it services my needs at the moment.
Greta: What is your photography style?
Nick: Tough question. I shoot fashion, but I'm still experimenting with a really wide variety of styles at the moment. I think the best photographers are versatile, and not confined to a single style.

Greta: Favourite picture you've taken and the story behind it?
Nick: My favourite photograph changes all the time according to what sort of photos I feel like taking. Presently, it's a picture I took of a girl with about five tutus around her neck. We tried to photograph the tutus around her waist but it just looked very corny and plain. We put them around her neck and lit it fairly dramatically and the result was really pleasing.
Greta: Who is your favourite photographer?
Nick: I have a lot of favourites. I admire Steven Meisel and Annie Leibovitz, but I'm also a great fan of Ellen Von Unwerth, Ruven Afanador and Hedi Slimane.

Greta:
Do you have any mentors who've helped you develop as a photographer?
Nick: No, I've had no real mentors as a photographer. I've found that working on my own has afforded me great creative freedom and an ability to break the rules that seem to be adhered to by other photographers. The downside is that I'm unfamiliar in some regions of the science of photography.


Greta: Which is your favourite season for photo-taking?
Nick: Any season except for Summer. Summer doesn't really work with my aesthetic - s
ummer sheds a very harsh and defining light. I prefer to work with soft light at the moment.

Greta: In one sentence, what does photography mean to you?
Nick: Much more than can be expressed in one sentence.
Greta: What is your pet hate?
Nick: People who reduce art to science.
Greta: What superpower do you wish you had?
Nick: The ability to light people on fire with my eyes.
Greta: If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be?
Nick: One of the great artists, I think. Picasso and Dali have always seemed to be fascinating people to me, but the conversation would be horribly awkward, I'm sure.

Alex Bates Interview

I was looking over my work for the Greta Photo Book the other day and came across the interviews I did with each photographer we have showcased in our past three editions. For those of you who have had the pleasure of flicking through the online magazines, you'll know there is a little bit of information about the artist included in each publication. However, this is only a small snippet of what I able to discuss and learn from each of these upcoming photographers.

It really is a great opportunity to get into the mind of a young artist and upon realising you had only received these small snippets, it seemed far too rude to keep the whole interview to myself! So, in the next few blogs I will be uploading my entire interviews with our first three Greta featured photographers for your reading pleasure - starting with ALEX BATES. Enjoy!


Greta: How did you get into photography?
Alex: As long as I can remember I have always loved and been interested in photography but I suppose it would have been at school doing a photography class that was the initial push into the field.

Greta: Where did you learn photography?
Alex: Most is self taught, but I have studied Photomedia at ECU Mt Lawley for the last 3 years so I learnt about the theories and technical side of photography there.

Greta: Where does your inspiration for photos come from?
Alex: From life - other photos, art, fashion, friends, things I like, everything really.

Greta: What camera do you use?
Alex: Cannon SLR 400D is my main weapon of choice but I also have a little handheld that isn’t really worth mentioning, my camera phone and my partner’s iPhone (which has some really good photo apps on it!)

Greta: What's your photographic style/what sort of pictures do you take?
Alex: I would like to think I’m pretty good with street photography, I think that’s what I do best a photographer - just seeing something at the right time or having and eye for things that the ordinary person wouldn’t see. I also love fashion and glam shots. I’m not so sure what my style is just yet - I think I am still working on that.

Greta: Who is your favourite photographer and why?
Alex: Elliott Erwitt. He was the first photographer that really caught my eye with his photos. I find him fascinating and hilarious. I think his work is ingenious, the way he can capture the natural every day comedy of life, of people, that is all around us all the time. This is what I aim to achieve one day in my street photos. He is a man who really knows what interests him in life and has a great sense of humour.

Greta: Do you have any mentors who've helped you develop as a photographer?
Alex: Although I have had a few different tutors over my time at Uni there are a few who have stood out to me above the rest and who have truly inspired or helped me as a photographer, even without knowing it. They are; Emma-Kate Dowdell, Kevin Ballantine and one of the most amazing people I think I’ll ever meet - Max Pam.

Greta: What would you be doing if not photography?
Alex: Whether or not I am really good enough is another question but I would love to model so I’d like to think if I hadn’t found photography I would be doing that.

Greta: Which is your favourite season for photo taking?
Alex: Winter probably - my favourite time to shoot is when the sky is completely overcast and there is that almost surreal lighting effect.

Greta: In one sentence, what does photography mean to you?
Alex: Photography is personal and private, a way you can express yourself or say something greater than with words and not one person can take it away from you.

Greta: What superpower do you wish you had?
Alex: I’m not sure if it is a superpower, but a purse that never ran out of money - and if that doesn’t count I would like to be able to read minds and always know the truth.

Greta: If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be?
Alex: Audrey hepburn - I think she would have been the most amazing and intriguing person. Or perhaps my Grandad who died long before I was born, I have only ever heard that he was a great person with the kindest heart and I would have loved to have the opportunity to know him, RIP xx


... Stay tuned, Nick Fitzpatrick's interview will be up next!