My Interview with Professional Photographer Matthew David Parker

I love photography and as a blogger have to feature a lot of photos on my social media and in my blog posts.  When I was given the opportunity to ask five questions to professional photographer Matthew David Parker, I wanted to get inside his mindset and see how I can personally grow as a photographer.  I found the interview to be enlightening and very informative.  Here is my personal interview with Matthew David Parker.

(Photo source: Matthew David Parker; Twitter)

I. What Got You Interested In Photography? Photography to me merges two of my most ardent needs and passions. One is the desire to tell a story in a vivid way with as few words as possible or no words at all. The second passion is my desire to not only be factual but also artistic and creative in the way that I tell the stories. So, I would say that photography was something that appealed to my inmost desires and passions. My first encounter with photography was when I was 9 years old at an event in which a close relation was handling the photography. Since then I have built my craft through both training and experience.

II. What time of day do you find you get the best outdoor lighting for photographing? Different lighting requires different lenses. It also depends on the type of photography. The morning and evening are the moments when I get the best outdoor lighting for photographing. Even then there are many instances when I have to supplement the lighting especially if it is product photography. Lighting is one of the trickier aspects of photography because it has a great influence on clarity, depth, and contrast of items in the image. When it comes to natural lighting noon is the worst because of the shadows. Even then with the proper gear I can work at any time of day or night.

III. What Is Your Favorite Subject To Photograph? Most often as a photographer you’ll find yourself doubling up in a number of fields. For example, I started with portrait photography then moved on to wedding photography. Currently, I have a special focus on food photography. Food photography is more than just about food, it portrays the culinary diversity, creativity, and variety of different cultures around the world. Essentially food photography is taking a trip into different customs and regions through what they consider their dietary choices. We tend to consider foods for their dietary value but rarely do we view food in its capacity as art and as an insight into the cultural journey and choices of a region or community.

IV. Have You Ever Photographed Anyone Famous? One thing about being a photographer is that you get to access spaces where many people would otherwise be locked outside. In my foray into photography, I have been able to interact with lots of politicians, celebrities, athletes, musicians and talk show hosts. I can’t tell who I have specifically photographed out of client confidentiality especially since I have met most of them in exclusive events. One surprising thing about encountering famous people is the sense of contrast that sometimes meets you. There are people who are painted as controversial yet they are very friendly and affable in person. There are also those who know how to charm crowds but are very conceited and standoffish in person.

V. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in starting the hobby of photography? First, I would say learn all there is to learn. The photography field is wide but there are fundamentals that don’t change. After that go out and practice. Try and experiment with different kinds of photography to figure out which one will work best for you. While at it always seek feedback from other professional and amateur photographers. The best way to go about this is to join any photography association, events, competitions, galas around you. Peer feedback is the best and easiest way to improve your craft. Beyond all these I would say practice, practice, and practice. Nothing will take the place of consistent and continuous trial and error on different types and methods of photography.

You can learn more about Matthew David Parker,see some of his work and learn more about photography by visiting his website at:

http://www.matthewdparker.com/

 Follow Matthew David Parker on Twitter at:

https://twitter.com/mattdavidparker

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  Photo sources: Matthewdparker.com and Mattdavidparker twitter.