WEEKEND PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: Dana Lane

“A lot of my portrait work is done at very shallow depth of field, f1.4 to f2.8.”

PAST

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: In high school, were you involved in the yearbook ? What sparked your interest for photography? Do you recommend all the weekend photographers out there to initially stick with the subjects they know and build from there? Do you have any suggestions on how to build that progression? How did you progress to where you are today?

DANA LANE: For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been an avid picture taker. When I was a kid, I had polaroids, Kodak instamatics and whatever else I could find and happily snapped away. Then in my teens, I stopped taking pictures. I wouldn’t say I lost interest, because photography as an art for was still very appealing, but I just stopped doing it myself. Then in the post college years I rediscovered photography and started down the road again. I bought my first SLR (Minolta Maxxum) and was forever hooked again. I’d have to say I didn’t really progress as a photographer until I found the right subject, and for me that subject is people. Once I discovered the joys of photographing people, I was able to focus my attention and learn so much more.

As for a progression, I started with available light and, shudder, on camera flash. From there I progressed to off camera flash or just natural light with or without reflectors. From there is went to basic studio lighting, then to advanced studio lighting and then back outdoors to balance lights and natural light and then finally back to the basics of natural light. I find its important to continue to challenge yourself to do things you’ve never done before and learn from the mistakes and failures.


LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you still have photos taken from the early years when it all started? What were your subjects? Are the pictures online to share with everyone to compare with your work today?

DANA LANE: I have a couple old albums from when I was a kid packed away somewhere, but most of my early photography doesn’t exist anymore, that I know of. I do have a very large collection of prints, and later slides, from when I returned to photography. I’ve kept everything since then. None of my earlier work is online, and no one would want to see it anyway. I didn’t start an online presence until fairly recently actually, only within the last 2 years. But I think looking at my work from even 2 years ago to the work I’m doing now shows a noticeable difference in both style and technical content.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What books did you read when you first got into photography? Title of book, author and price of book please…just messing around, the title of the books should be fine thanks to google search. Do you recall any other resources that you referred to heavily to help you grow as an amateur photographer?

DANA LANE: The first books I read were really just collections of memorable photographs from my favorite photographers, like Annie Liebovitz, Herb Ritts, John Shaw. Once I started trying to emulate images I’d see that spoke to me, I started with a couple books by John Hedgecoe (New Introductory Photography Course) and Bryan Peterson (Understanding Exposure) and more recently books by Scott Kelby and Matt Klokowski on photoshop and camera RAW. Now I get most of my information from various online sites.

For portrait processing, the one book I’d have to say is a must have is the book “Skin” by Lee Varis. I’ve learned more techniques I use every day from that one book than from any other single resource.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  Have you made some money from your photography as an amateur? What was your first photo sale? How long was it after that first sale you sold your next photo? If you haven’t sold a photo, do you have any plans to do so?

DANA LANE: The first time I made any money from photography was my first wedding. A friend referred me based on my portrait portfolio and that landed me my first gig. Now, all of the money I’ve earned via photography is from model portfolios, weddings and family portraits. To date, I’ve not sold any fine art or stock photography, but I’m considering what I need to do to venture into those venues as well.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What tools do you recommend that are a must have that helped you get to where you are present day?

DANA LANE:  Tool number one is your brain. Take some time and think about what you want to achieve with a photograph, try and visualize the final product and that will direct you. Another great tool is the internet, there is more knowledge available at the click of a mouse button that you could ever go through. And don’t forget your camera’s owner’s manual. Seriously, you should know every single feature on your camera both backward and forward and be able to change settings on the fly. I’ve been able to salvage a fair number of shots by being able to adapt to changes in light, location and environment quickly and before the moment has passed.

PRESENT

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What is your present motivation to continue with your photography?

DANA LANE: For me the motivation is entirely selfish, I just love doing it. The joy I get out of producing an image that someone else gets something from is the best reward. I work a day job in the high tech field, and most of my day is spent in a much more objective environment and photography gives me a creative release and a chance to use my brain in a more subjective manner. Even the most stressful situation, like photographing a wedding, can be a relief after a hard day or week.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What are you doing now to set yourself apart from other photographers? What is your niche?

DANA LANE: A lot of my portrait work is done at very shallow depth of field, f1.4 to f2.8. While this results in a lot of my images “breaking the rules of portraiture”, I find that done right, it can lead to some stunning images.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  Do you have a studio? If so, why? What are the benefits of having a studio as a weekend photographer? What is currently in your photography bag? Please be as detailed as possible for those starting out photographers wanted to purchase more equipment. From your photography equipment arsenal, what do you bring most of the time for your photo shoots?

DANA LANE: I just recently, like in the last 4 months, built a small studio in my home. I have a space that’s about 10×20 that gets some great natural light that is now dedicated to my photographic pursuits. I find having a studio space lets me be more experimental with lighting and allows me more time when I can set something up and not have to break it back down again as soon as I’m finished. It allows me to come back to something the next day, or the next week, whenever best fits my schedule.

The contents of my camera bag can change from shoot to shoot, but what I pretty much always have with me is 2 camera bodies, 3 lenses (24-70 f2.8, 135 f2.8 and my 50 f1.4), a set of extension tubes, 3 pocket wizards, 2 small flashes (Vivitar 285s) and the cords needed to sync them, a circular polarizer filter, a set of snoots and light modifiers for my flashes, lens cleaning supplies (lens pen, wipes), ball bungee cords and a white balance card. I may add or remove items as required for special purposes, but for the most part that travels with me everywhere I go. I’d say I use the 24-70 more often than any of my other lenses, though I think the look I get with my 50 is my favorite.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  What photography resources do you consistently refer to date ? Can you name at least 5 websites you refer to religiously for your photography? Who are your inspirations in the photography world?

DANA LANE: I follow way too many photography blogs to mention, but if I had to pick 5 websites and only 5 it’d have to be the following, in no particular order.
HYPERLINK “http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/” http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/  – Probably the single best resource on lighting with small flashes.
HYPERLINK “http://www.flickr.com” http://www.flickr.com – If you ever want inspiration, search flickr. There are thousands of amazing photographers that you’d never have access to any other way
HYPERLINK “http://www.photoattorney.com/” http://www.photoattorney.com/ – Carolyn Wright offers up probably the best collection of legal advice for photographers on the web
HYPERLINK “http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/” http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/ – John Harrington offers up some great free business advice.
HYPERLINK “http://photography.alltop.com/” http://photography.alltop.com/ – The best collection of photography links on the web, that I’ve found at least.

In terms of inspiration, I’m a huge fan of Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, Yousef Karsh for classics, and there are quite a few up and coming photographers that I follow the work of closely.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Do you have any photography projects? If so, what is it and why? If not, why not?

DANA LANE: I’m currently working on a 365 project (one image every day for a full year,  HYPERLINK “http://danalanephoto365.blogspot.com” http://danalanephoto365.blogspot.com). Having a self assigned project has kept me motivated even when I’m tired after a long day in high tech.

FUTURE

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: What are your immediate goals as a photographer and artist?  Are you planning on releasing any how-to books? What are your recommendations to people thinking about starting a photography book as a weekend photographer/ part time photographer?

DANA LANE: Actually, my immediate goals are more business related than photography related. I’m trying to build up my portrait/wedding business and I’m trying to figure out marketing and sales for a part time business. The long term goal would be to retired from high tech and devote my time fully to photography. I have been toying with the idea of doing a coffee table type book as well, but feel I need to focus on the business for a bit.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Would you ever consider doing a workshop and share your knowledge on the weekends? If not, how do you plan to contribute to the photography community?

DANA LANE: I share my knowledge whenever possible. I critique images in online forums and I work with members of the various clubs and organizations I’m a member of. The area I live in, (about an hour outside of Boston) appears to be pretty short of workshops, and I’ve been considering how I could work with the photographic community in the area.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  I am sure you’ve read many articles discussing how in the future videography and photography will be one? What are your thoughts on that and how will you evolve to the new morphed medium?

DANA LANE: I’m not entirely convinced that there will be a morph of still and video. I know some of the newer DSLRs are including video capability, but I believe that they are very different mediums. I feel that a good still image provokes not only an emotion in the viewer, but imagination. Since there is no action or movement, the viewer has to apply his or her own action. I liken it to the difference between the written word and a movie and they haven’t merged yet.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM: Where do you plan to take your photography passion? Are you planning on going pro one day? If so, which area of photography are you planning on getting into professionally? If you don’t plan to go professional one day, what are you aspiring to as an amateur photographer?

DANA LANE: I plan to continue to grow my budding portrait/wedding/commercial photography business to the point where I can support my family and not rely on a day job. I don’t have a set timeframe, but that’s what I’m working towards. Ultimately, I’ve love to be doing magazine/fashion work and I’m trying to build my portfolio along those lines.

LAWRENCEATIENZA.COM:  Thank you again for your time and giving back to the photography community. What would you like to leave for us photographers to think about when moving forward with photography for the future? If you have any words of wisdom will be appreciated.

DANA LANE: You’re welcome, its been a pleasure answering your questions and if I can in any way give back to the community, I’m all for it.  Don’t be discouraged by your mistakes. Every failed attempt at something is nothing more than a learning experience that provides you with more information for the next attempt. The other big thing I’d say is to connect with your local photographic community. Join a club, attend a meetup, spend time with other photographers. You’ll be amazed at home much you can learn, as well as offer.