Professional London Photographer Keith Grafton Interview
Q: What does photography mean to you?
A: It a way to express my creativity, I have a very visual way of thinking about things, and photography gives my a way to express this visual creativity.
Q: Do you like to talk about yourself or your pictures? If yes, about what aspects of photography? If no, why?
A: Yes: My preference is fashion, love the style, the imagination and the creativity that goes with it. My reality is business and portrait, but fashion is where I’m going, just need a good break.
Q: How would you describe your attention span?
A: Depends on the subject, if it interesting attention span is infinite, if it boring forget it attention span of a flee.
Q: When did you decide to become a photographer?
A: Year dot, but from a business perspective about 18 month ago.
Q: Can you recall the first photo you took that made you go WOW!?
A: As a kid with a Polaroid camera, taking a picture of the sun coming up and reflecting off a lake.
Q: Do you have any formal training regarding photography?
A: I did an intensive course in professional photography with the London Collage of communications
Q: How technical is your photography?
A: I can do the very technical stuff, from getting the lighting just right, through to all the crazy things you can do with photoshop. But some of the best photography is not technical its about people skills, and capturing the moment.
Q: How do you feel about cropping?
A: What the big deal, if the picture has something distraction or not relevant to main subject crop it out. The same goes for touching up the picture. It about getting the final result right.
Q: Where is your favorite place to live and work as a photographer in the World and why?
A: The beach, the atmosphere, the people, the life and of course the light.
Q: Define the word “beauty”!
A: Jaw dropping, elegant and stylish, excites the mind and stimulate the imagination.
Q: How does your personality change when you look through the camera?
A: I feel much more extrovert, and easier to get a conversion out of people. I think it’s a two way thing. You can ask people really outrageous questions when photographing them, and they don’t mind because they know there trying to get a reaction.
Q: How do you feel about missed shots which cannot be recreated?
A: It’s ok if I learnt something from it, so it does not happen again, otherwise its like money down the drain.
Q: Ever concerned about failure?
A: Yes, but that’s when you push your boundaries. If you don’t think from time to time your doing something where there is a risk of failure then your far to comfortable, and your not learning or progressing.
Q: Who are your influences?
A: The photography that actually gets published, that someone has actually paid for.
Q: Describe a day in your personal or professional life.
A: Phone rings, get to xxxxx and grab some shots, print run is tomorrow.
Q: What are the biggest personal or professional challenges you face on a daily basis?
A: Getting access to the people and places where it really counts, so I can grab the picture.
Q: What has been the single biggest obstacle against growing as a photographer in whole?
A: Chicken and egg, need to get the pictures that influence people so I can get the jobs where I can take the pictures that people want to be influenced by.
Q: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
A: Woman and beaches.
Q: Have you ever thought about or actually stopped doing photography? What were the circumstances?
A: Yeah, when the cash is running out, then it could be back to a hot sweaty office.
Q: Do you ever have photographer’s block and if yes how do you deal with it?
A: Yeah, then just go out and snap some shots of anything that is remotely connected to the block. Then something jumps out at me and I move forward.
Q: What types of assignments are you attracted most?
A: Fashion in unusual places or situations, where there is a visual contrast between the fashion and the surrounds. Like bikinis in a factory, suits on a yacht.
Q: Describe what black and white photography means to you?
A: Texture style, subtlety.
Q: Do you think of yourself as an artist and what do you think of the word artist?
A: Yeah, The camera is just a tool, like a paint brush. Anyone can pick up a paint brush and dab some paint, like anyone can pick up a camera. The art is to take that tool and create an picture that will wow.
Q: How do you describe your photographic style?
A: In a state of flux, something to be discovered and then refined, but never stationary.