What’s the difference? Simon Pollock

08. Mar, 2010 0 Comments

I have been setting up a series of interviews with photographers from around the world who have (mostly) different passions and subject focus.

This will hopefully be an interesting experiment and throw up some intriguing comparisons of style and equipment.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM AND HOW DID YOU GET IN TO PHOTOGRAPHY?
Cobram, Victoria… Population 3600 at last count (When I was 13) My interest in preserving moments came from my mum not letting me use her camera, a Pentax SLR, and me waiting until she went into town one day and stealing said camera and emptying what was left of her film on photographs of farmy type things… the dogs, the cubby house, the peach tree I used to climb in… Mum developed the film and after me getting a smack and sent to my cubby house, she realised that maybe I had an eye “or something” for photography… A love was born

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED GENRE OF PHOTOGRAPHY? EG PORTRAITS, LANDSCAPE, SPORT ETC
Right now, Music… I love music, I’ve been a musician of sorts for ..well, since I was 6… and melting photography and music together makes me smile

WHAT IS YOUR WORKFLOW PROCESS FROM IDEAS TO EDITING?
Take the last shoot I did, for The Grand Majestic at a little underground club in London called “Underbelly” — I didn’t have a brief, I just wanted shots that said “energy” as is their music style, and I wanted edgy… So, after shooting (Almost always in Canon RAW) I import into Lightroom and tag on the way in, for ease of locating and also for web keyword stuff… I muck about with the sliders and export what best explains the feel of the gig to the viewer… Or, at least I try…

WHAT ARE YOUR TOOLS OF THE TRADE?
I’m all digital these days, though I’m looking around for a Nikon FM2 and a 50mm f/1.4 …I use a Canon 5D Mk2 and a Canon 30D with a 50mm f/1.4 lens and a 24-70 f/2.8 lens mostly… Sometimes if I’m a long way away I will drag out my 100-400 f/4.5-5.7… I have a battery grip on both bodies (LOVE them) I use Sandisk cards, thinkTANK camera bags and god given eyes.

DIGITAL OR FILM STOCK?
As above, Digital for now – Sandisk 600x cards right now, but looking into a bit of film so I can burn through a couple of rolls of Ilford XP2…

IF YOU COULD ONLY USE ONE LENS FOR THE REST OF YOU LIFE WHAT WOULD IT BE?
One lens…. Hmmm…. the 50, yeah, easily… I love that lens! No red ring, no fancy stabilisation… just a sweet, compact, fast fun lens!… f/1.4 is hard to use and hard to stop using!

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO GO WITH YOU PHOTOGRAPHY?
Not really anywhere, I’d like to be remembered for a shot or two from time to time, but as long as I’m happy whenever I get where I’m going, we’re good!

WHICH OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS DO YOU ADMIRE?
Most of them, really.

WHO HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST IN TERMS OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
A bloke named Richard, he was a friend of my mothers…

WHAT IS YOUR BEST TIP?
Slow down… think some more, then shoot…

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WORK AND WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WORK?
The biggest influence on my work is the sound I’m hearing when I release the shutter – Counting Crows, U2, Metallica, Linkin Park… They all get different photos because their music is all different and I love it in different ways. I continue to look for inspiration in the more unsigned acts we’re seeing, or sadly not seeing today… there are some amazingly talented people out their and shooting them, playing, is special.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURATE FILMS, BOOKS AND MUSICIANS?
My fave film would be “Singles” it’s a 90′s film about love, life and music… Books, well… I like a good adventure novel and I love a good inspiring photography book.. those big thick coffee table ones…

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?
I started music photography as a self challenge… I’ve photographed Alice in Chains, Metallica, U2, Counting Crows, Lenny Kravitz, Dave Matthews… the list goes on and on and I’m blessed by each artist I’ve shot! I see shooting each band as an achievement!