Alex Greenshpun Photography

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www.alexgreenshpun.com

What kind of equipment (camera body, lens, filters, flash, tripod, cleaning equipment other) do you use?

The first images I created were taken with a borrowed Canon 1000D and an 18-55mm kit lens. Now I use a Canon 60D, mostly with SMC Takumar 50mm f/1.4; Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro; and Canon 17-55mm f/2.8.

What do you like and dislike about your equipment, specially your camera, and how would you improve it?

Can’t complain! I love my Canon 60D and the lenses are great. Sometime in the future I would like to get a tripod and upgrade to a full frame body with better ISO sensitivity, but that’s a luxury.  Better equipment doesn’t necessarily mean better photos. It’s you and your vision that create the photos, not the gear.

What is your favourite lens, and why?

That would certainly be the 50mm SMC Takumar. It’s a vintage manual lens with a great build and wonderful sharpness.  It is very light, and I often carry the camera with just this lens, since it’s enough for most of my photographic needs. Being a prime lens with manual focus it forces me to rely more on myself and participate more in the shot– choose where I stand more carefully, plan and think faster, etc.

When you travel, what is in your essential photographic kit bag?

It depends on the destination and on my mood, but in general the three lenses and the camera body mentioned above, in addition to some spare batteries and memory cards.

What kind of software/tools do you use for post-processing, if any?

The editing programs of choice are Lightroom 4 and Photoshop CS5. I also use a small Wacom Intuos 5 tablet.

How long have you been taking photographs? How do you find inspiration? How do you take your pictures?

I started out in 2012, about a year ago. Ever since early childhood, one of my favourite things to do was just observe – myself, nature, people and so on – I’ve always found it all fascinating. Of course, art, music and poetry have always been a part of my life, and during the recent years I have developed an interest in photography – never actually thinking of trying it myself – just enjoyed looking at beautiful works. Then came the iPhone with its camera, and I realized this was a wonderful way to capture the beauty around me, finally switching to a DSLR. Inspiration has always been and always is – everywhere, it’s not something one has to search for, it usually comes down to whether or not one is open to it.

As to the How: I try to ‘listen’ to the world around me, once I see something that speaks to me and feel a connection to it, I take a picture. Sometimes spending an hour or more with a small flower or a dry leaf, until I feel that what was captured in-camera reflects the ‘story’ of the subject;  at other times it happens very fast and a few moments are enough.

Which style of photography do you like the most, and why?

I enjoy looking at a wide range of works: from nature, travel and landscape to fashion, street and conceptual photography. I never really look at the style definitions, these are just technicalities. To me, photography is poetry; it’s a language that allows us to express silence.

What goal are you working towards within your photography and when will you know you have reached it?

It might sound like a cliché, but the journey is the destination. It truly is. I haven’t started this path with a goal in mind. It’s a meditation; it’s my connection with the essence of everything around me and within me.  I always seek that ‘spark of light’ in my subjects, be it a flower petal, a cat or a human being;  that connection is what in my opinion, creates a good work of art, and it applies to any type of art too – photography, poetry, music – it doesn’t matter. When it’s there – it’s there, on -the-spot, and I try to press the shutter only when it is. I guess you can call it a goal.

Looking at your own work, which piece is your favourite? Why? Please provide a link to the picture.

Really cannot say. I have a couple of favourites, and of course that selection constantly changes; it’s hard to choose only one.

Does your work fit into any one or more distinct genres (nature, landscape, long-exposure, black-and-white, infra-red, urban, artistic, macro, vintage, vernacular, social, street)? If other, please specify.

Most of my works can fit the following genres: nature, macro, portraiture, street, and documentary.

Are there any photography websites that you visit regularly?

DeviantArt.com and 500px.com. Particularly on DA, there are so many talented artists – not just photographers – it’s a very inspiring place.

What is the one most important lesson that you have learned since you started taking photographs?

Keep your heart open and keep going.

And finally, what other interesting photographers would you like to see in this blog?

Magdalena Wasiczek – http://www.magdawasiczek.pl

Nelleke – http://nelleke.deviantart.com/

Mandy Disher – http://www.mandydisherphotography.com