– How and when did you become interested in photography?
When I was younger we would go on family holidays to Scotland; I would take my parents camera and explore. I would take pictures of the sea, the hills and wildlife which was everywhere! Later on, (when I started working in IT) digital cameras were becoming a lot more mainstream and prices began to drop so I was able to afford one. I suppose it really snowballed from that point and it’s only within the last couple of years that I have become interested in black and white photography. I’m still experimenting and have a long way to go.
When not carrying my gear I love shooting with the iPhone 6 Plus much to the annoyance of friends and family!
– Is there any artist/photographer who inspired your art?
An obvious choice would be Joel Tjintjelaar for his creative vision and advanced post processing techniques. At the other end of the scale I really like Gregorio Campos and the way he shoots his models; simple, in natural light with no use of photoshop in post.
– Why do you work in black and white rather than colour?
I think mono works really well at giving a minimalist clean look to images. For landscapes; including water, throw in an ND filter and set for long exposure. With my automotive shots I tend to focus on details or the lines of a vehicle which black and white lends itself to beautifully.
– How much preparation do you put into taking a photograph/series of photographs?
I use Evernote on my iPhone to keep a list of ideas and locations. When I have time to spare and the weather is right I normally spend the evening before planning. This usually consists of plotting my journey with Google Maps which also gives a great satellite view of the location. Then, if I am shooting at the coast I plan my visit to coincide with the tides. If it’s a vehicle I’m shooting then obviously this is arranged with the client. On the day I like to arrive early and get set up, I take a selection of Fujinon lenses, a few spare batteries and my Lee ND filters are never far away.
In post processing I use Lightroom for minor tweaks and cropping if required. I also find Lightroom great for organizing my image collection. I try to stay away from heavily editing my images; so that usually means no Photoshop.
– Where is your photography going? What projects would you like to accomplish?
As mentioned earlier I do keep a list of ideas and locations which I’m slowly working through. Some of which are fairly straight forward and close to home, others are a lot more ambitious. I would like to push myself into trying different things, so portrait or fashion could be fun! I’m open to new ideas so feel free to get in touch via my website.
herdiephoto.com
flickr.com/photos/herdie
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
© John Herdman
