Artist Interview: Barry Greenland

Today’s article features an interview with a highly talented photographer I stumbled across on Deviant Art – Barry Greenland. Not only is Barry a talented artist, but he is also a very pleasant person as well as an avid supporter of artistic endeavours (he even offers photography related tutorials on his website in order to help other aspiring artists).

Why did you become an artist?

In 2004 I got my first small point and shoot digital camera as a Christmas gift and it all started there. I also taught myself how to manipulate images as I was now able to take my own stock images and use them for that purpose. In 2006 I joined Deviant Art and started sharing my work there – I was quite surprised with the positive response I got and I’ve been there ever since – even though my work presently focuses primarily on photography, but I still use manipulation skills during the editing process at times.

How long have you been a practicing artist?

I’ve always had a love of art and being creative, so when I started to get tools such as cameras, computers, graphic software and so on, I just got deeper into the whole process of creating. I have a need to discover how others have achieved certain ways of editing images or what settings were used on the camera to take a certain photograph. I love learning and there is always something new and exciting to discover when it comes to photography and editing.

Tell us more about your work?

My images are usually muted in tone. I prefer soft colours to bright – although if the image requires it, I’ll enhance the colours to make them ‘pop’. I’m an avid nature photographer: I love getting up close to plants and trying to capture their essence, as well as photographing landscapes and “skyscapes”.

I also love still-life photography which involves setting up a small scene such as a fruit basket or flowers and then photographing it. I tend to use texture overlays quite a bit as well. (What this does is give an image a vintage look, which is a style I’ve enjoyed for some time.) I adore old images and being able to create my own is quite a pleasure. Most of my images will involve editing as I try to create a piece of art with the photo rather than just having a simple snapshot.

What inspires you?

Inspiration comes from many things – movies, TV, books and other artists. There is so much beauty around us that it is hard not to find inspiration somewhere. I sometimes make little notes when I get an idea – this helps when I hit a blank wall because I can simply go to my notes and discover a few ideas that I had a while back. I also try to photograph and edit every day.

How do you stay motivated?

Motivation comes from discovering what I can do. I’ve often surprised myself by attempting something new and being successful. I also look through tutorials available on the Internet to see what others are doing and then try them out to see if I can achieve something similar. Practice is something I feel is always necessary, no matter how good you might be.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

Practice, practice and practice some more. Your heart needs to be in your work or you just won’t get anywhere. Don’t get disheartened when things don’t go as planned, keep at it and you will eventually achieve what you want. I never think that my work is perfect; I always feel that I can improve on something and this helps me with motivation...

For more information about Barry, his exquisite works, and the prints he offers for sale, visit http://bgphotography.za.net. You can also find him on Facebook and Deviant Art at: http://www.facebook.com/BarryGreenlandPhotography and http://bazzabent.deviantart.com

Blessings,

Mel

Artist Interview: Kyle Goulden

I’m not really an expert on photography but the work of Kyle Goulden caught my attention a while back and I was thrilled when he agreed to do an interview for the blog. He is a gifted South African photographer and I find his work absolutely exhilarating...

How long have you been a practicing artist?

I’ve been practicing photography for three years now although I only started taking it more seriously during the last two years. I initially experimented with Photoshop and similar mediums – vector art* kind of stuff – and progressed further with time. I have a career in graphic design and broadcast animation**, which means that I have to merge the two mediums a bit.

Why did you become an artist?

It was natural. There wasn't really a definitive moment. It started with taking a few photos and playing around with them using Photoshop.

How would you describe your work and style?

My work changes frequently – which can sometimes be a problem!

Generally my work’s influences range from expressionistic, conceptual, cinematic to fashion and art. A lot of the time I photograph fashion-centric subjects in order to improve my skills and earn an additional income but cinematic emotive*** subjects are my passion.

Tell us about the awards you received?
I received a Promax Silver Muse for Best Sponsored Spot in both 2009 and 2010 for two different promos, which is a big thing for me considering I had no previous training in this field.

Promax/BDA is an awards ceremony and conference held in South Africa every year. It’s kind of like the Louries, but not as focused on commercials, rather more focused on promos and ads – such as channel branding, best radio/broadcast/print campaign, and best typography usage.

What inspires you – as an artist and as a person?

I am primarily inspired by games and music – mainly the latter, but daily life and how humankind works, thinks and acts inspire me as well. A part of me wishes I became involved in music instead of photography, but there is no reason one can't love and work with both.

How do you stay motivated?

I stop trying so hard. Artists block is when you have nothing to say, so go out there and live. I firmly believe that as an artist you should love life more than your art – experiences are really what motivates a person.

Where would you like to go with your art - where do you see yourself in the future?

With my art, I'd love to get more involved with people and their stories. It may be a funny thing to say for a portrait photographer, but I love cinematic images which tell a story in one image. I'd love to do more collaborations and I'm busy planning an exhibition for sometime next year.

I'm also working on a few music videos for some international musicians and would love to continue with that. Career wise, I want to study some more – learn some 3D and Flash skills.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

Just keep going – keep living life and creating. Don't get caught up in what others do, follow your own style.

Visit www.kreation.co.za to find out more about Kyle, his work and the services he offers as a professional photographer. You can join his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kyle-Goulden-Creative/222044544487754?sk=info.

Blessings,

Mel

* Vector Art - For me it’s using a technical part of my mind in a creative way. I love playing with the Abstract, and Vector for Me allows me to create that in ways I can't in photography. Adobe Illustrator is my favourite friend in that.

** Broadcast Animation - Not so much of Disney animation but more advertising based. However that doesn't mean it’s not creative. I've animated a whole bunch of them and very rarely do two projects look the same. It gets tricky however to do fun stuff within a very specific look but it’s a great challenge.

*** Cinematic emotive - For me it’s a feeling you get when you look at an image and you see a greater story within it. It calls out to you and makes you feel something so real and makes you want to see more, see how the story plays out.