By Sean Savage (UK), Interviewed by Shazeen (UK)
Hi Sean, thank you for speaking with us. Tell us a little about yourself?
I am 47 years old, and only started taking photographs a year ago. I joined a local photo club and learnt a lot from the other members by going on photo shoots. I have a good eye for photos, but I try think about the photo I want to take before I go out to take it.
Did you study photography in an institute or on your own?
I have taught myself by learning the rules of photography and then making up some of my own techniques. I like experimenting with my camera and it’s settings. A photographer sees the world through his or her own pair of lens, so after learning what I could I let my own experimentation lead the way.
Do you actually need professional taught courses to be a good photographer, or are there other ways of being good in this art?
I go to a camera club, which helps me so much with learning new techniques. We comment on each others’ photos to bring the best out in each other. I try to find an emotion or story rather than just take the obvious photograph. The best time of the day for me is early in the morning. When I wake up very early, I’m overwhelmed with inspiration and vision, which is when I take my photos.
Doing taught courses helps a great deal and I wouldn’t recommend discounting it. But there are other ways of becoming a good photographer. I have the willingness and desire to pick up my camera and take photos. I’m present with my camera and with my surroundings, and that’s where it all begins.
I just love taking photos. II like photos of just about anything. I try to work with what is already there. I take lots of photos, and I don’t be shy when it comes to getting the best spot to take a photograph. It take lots of photos to get to the right one. So it’s not always fun and games. Patience is required. For every fifty shots you take, one of them will be a keeper.
What is the inspiration behind these photos you had taken this morning?
I took the photos of the deer this morning at Studley Royal deer park near Ripon in Yorkshire. It has been an ambition of mine to capture the deer with the sunrise. I watched the weather to get the right conditions, and got up at 5:30am to get there in time. And everything dropped into place. There was a lot of luck on that very moment as if everything was precisely how I felt and want it. I got what I wanted. It was a beautiful, misty cold morning, and I felt part of the wildlife. I walked with the deer and tried to get them to move into the sunlight which they did. It was a great moment when you know everything falls into place, and all you have to do is hope you take the photos you want.
I know I had nailed the shots. I got exactly what I wanted. I felt as though lady luck was truly on my side.
Taking photos of nature is one of the most rewarding experiences of photography. You can feel the power and grace of these animals, and I hope that shows in my photos. The more you prepare for a photo, the more likely you are to get the shot you want.
Sean Savage, Photographer
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