Induro Blog

I have a little chat with Vincent Versace to share today. He tells us about his recent exploits, why his tripods need to be “Vinnie proof”, and about his many years of experience shooting digital.

Without further ado:

You have images from all over the world, but I’m not sure I would consider you a travel photographer- your practice is very varied. How would you define your approach to photography, and what do you like to shoot best?

I am a photographer. I like to travel. I try as often as possible to be taken by pictures and not “take pictures.” I work this way to shoot my portraits like landscapes and my landscapes like portraits. As to what I like to shoot best? Stuff, things, people, places. I just want to be taken by the image and go for that ride.

How do you balance personal and commercial work?

I don’t see a separation between the two. They are the same thing. My work is always personal. I try to create images that make the viewer feel as if they were standing in the same place I was when I clicked the shutter. How can that not be a personal experience? To separate them would make photography impersonal, sorta like a job, a 9 to 5 thing. Which I guess would be ok. Making it more impersonal would certainly be less hours than I put in now, which is 24/7 365 and Sundays too.

How do you choose your gear- how have your choices changed since the rise of digital?

I have been shooting digital so long that my first camera was wood burning. I was Nikon’s very first outside digital photographic beta tester. That happened right after Al Gore and I invented the internet….. Seriously the same way I always have. What’s the best tool for the job? Not the cheapest tool that I can get by with. You are only as good as your weakest link.

What features are most important to you in a tripod? (do you have particular needs for something great for long exposures, or that can flip upside down for macro shots)- which Induro tripod do you like most?

Strength. Light weight. Indestructibility. They need to be more than unbreakable. They need to be “Vinnie Proof” . I was in South East Asia and I actually snapped a leg on my carbon fiber tripod. I was at the Photo East Photography Convention, flew in from the gig to NYC. I walked by the Induro booth. I told the sales guy what happened he then said “watch this”– he extended the c-314 set of sticks, grabbed onto it and while hanging onto the tripod, proceeded to swing back and forth. I now have three Induro tripods.

What projects are you currently working on? Can you show us any sneak peeks?

I am writing two books which should be out Summer of 2010: “Welcome to Oz 2.0″ and “Return to Oz”. I have several tutorial DVDs coming out. I’m planning on going back to India, Burma and Papa New Guinea in the next several months to shoot. In addition, my images have been selected as the art for the Restaurant Dovetail in New York City. Chef/owner is John Fraser, formally the Sous Chef of the French Laundry.

Do you have a trick for processes digital imagery to keep the tonality rich and film-like? I notice many of your digital images could easily pass for film. Tips are always appreciated!

Well, digital actually has better dynamic range, sharpness, color and less noise at higher ISOs than film. The best advice is simple. Photoshop is not a verb. It’s a noun. Get it right at the point of capture. You can’t fix something in Photoshop; you can at best save it. The less you do to a file the better it looks.

Check out Vincent’s many images, books and educational materials, here.

Africa

Andy Katz has got travel photography down; his images are beautiful baubles of light and shadow. You can tell how much he enjoys what he does. I went hunting on his website and found this little bio:

The images in Katz’s books, A Portrait of Napa and Sonoma; Concannon: The First One Hundred and Twenty-Five Years; New Zealand: Sea, Earth, Sky; Private Reserve; Robert Mondavi Winery; The Heart of Burgundy; Tuscany and Its Wines; and Vineyard have been described by vintners, photographers, critics and other readers as breathtaking. His evocative work is featured in museums and galleries worldwide including his own in Boulder, Colorado and Healdsburg, California.

Katz discovered his love for photography at a young age. Admittedly, he had been chasing his classmates around the playground with his camera since as early as the third grade. But when he was 11, his father brought home a book of black and white portraits by the legendary Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh. ‘It was as if a flash bulb went off in my soul. I was amazed. Karsh’s work was all large-format and his prints were so vivid you felt you could actually touch the persons skin. The tonality, the technique, it was all truly exquisite.’

Mr. Katz is a busy man; I was able to track him down while on assignment in Korea, and he graciously answered a few of my questions. I think we shall be hearing more from him when he’s back stateside. But for now, let’s take a look at some of his work and hear what he has to say.

How did you first begin to combine travel and photography, and where were your first trips? Which are the places you continue to go back to?

My first trips were with my parents when I was ten years old. I pretty much knew that this is what I wanted to do and never wavered from photography. My folks would take an international trip once a year and once in a while I was lucky enough to join them. They were wonderful travelers, intermingling with the people. I learned a lot from them on that aspect as well.

I remember traveling to Guatemala and really liked the photos I came up with. Even today I think they are pretty good. I returned to Guatemala four years ago. Today I either pick places to travel to or get hired to do so. I am writing this from Korea, a trip I am getting paid for. I just finished a book on India that I paid for.

I often return to Tuscany, which I love and produced a book on. The world is so large and has so many places to visit that usually when I finish a project I don’t return I am on to my next project. I would love to return to all the places I have ever visited, with the exception of Nigeria.

How do you choose your gear- how have your choices changed since the rise of digital?

I try to travel as light as possible, which isn’t too light. I don’t bring many clothes, but I bring a lot of hard drives. I always travel with my Induro tripod. I have always found that the tripod is one of if not the most important piece of equipment you can have. When you have a great one, it is flawless and a pleasure to use. A bad one is a nightmare and ends up not being used– you can take photos with a tripod that you just can’t otherwise, no matter what kind of gear you have.

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take a look:

India

New Zealand

South America

South America

New Zealand

Tuscany

Burgundy

Burgundy

delicious.

See more of Andy Katz’s work, here.