LuckyPix

A transplant from Atlanta, photographer David Torrence enjoys the diverse architecture and “old soul” that St. Louis offers. Over 20 of his photographs were included in the recent book St. Louis Seen & Unseen. With an emphasis on editorial, advertising, and portraiture, his work has appeared in a wide variety of national magazines, such as AARP, Bloomberg, Discovery Channel, and ESPN. Advertising clients - Monsanto, Graybar and Book covers for Penguin Books. Torrence first became intrigued with taking photos during a trip to Africa when he was a teenager. The vintage camera that went to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro with him is part of his “ever growing” collection of antique and thrift store finds. His shots taken with a 1960’s toy camera were included in Toronto’s International Photography exhibit. More of his work can be viewed at www.davidtorrence.com

LP: Where do you find inspiration for your photography? 

DT: I'm inspired by everything - road trips,watching the light change, simplicity, mid-century design, music is a big part of it.

LP: What kind of photography are you drawn to the most? 

DT: For personal work I'm drawn to the American landscape, salt of the earth people, Influenced by William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Richard Renaldi, Alec Soth. In my commercial and stock photography I try to deliver images that provide a message, concept, mood and essentially images that expresses the needs of the client.

LP: Are you seeing any big changes in the business and or the art of photography today?

DT: Photography is in demand now more than ever. The key is to consistently deliver high quality images to cut above the clutter. 

LP: Favorite equipment? 

DT: My film cameras. Yes. I shoot film.

LP: Any advice for new photographers just starting out?

DT: Stay true to yourself. Don't give your work away, Keep shooting! 

 

James Godman is a prolific artist who makes paintings and photographs, and often blurs the lines between the two disciplines.  His paintings have been sought after by collectors around the United States, and his photographs have been published worldwide in a diverse array of major media and advertising campaigns.  We are proud to say that James has been a LuckyPix contributor from the beginning.

James lives and works in Chicago and New York City.  To view more of his work, visit http://jamesgodman.com (painting) and http://www.godman.com (photo).

 

LP: Where do you find inspiration for your photography?

JG: I'm inspired by music, my dreams, randomness, and self-assembly in nanotechnology.  Everything really.

 

LP: What kind of photography are you drawn to the most?

JG: I'm mostly drawn to emotive and mysterious images.  I love images that leave me wondering what happened next.

LP: How did you break into this business?

JG: I'm still breaking into it, but I went to school, had some awesome instructors, graduated, assisted some people, learned some things, decided to strike out on my own, and here I am.

LP: Are you seeing any big changes in the business and or the art of photography today?

JG: The biggest change is that now everyone with a cell phone is a photographer, and today many more people have access to very high quality cameras.  This means that for professional photographers, story telling ability and production value become even more important.  Images are being used now more than ever, and brands can target very specific audiences with a variety of custom projects.

LP: Favorite equipment?

JG: My brain, a somewhat sharpened pencil, a paintbrush, some paint, and a camera.

LP: Any advice for new photographers just starting out?

JG: Follow your instincts, be a good person, and show your work as much as possible.  Don't fall into the "I'm not ready to show my work" trap.  Try an old school approach to making images that is more considered and thoughtful.  What would you shoot if you could only make one last picture for the rest of the year?  Look at all sorts of imagery, and thoroughly understand why you like and dislike each image.  Figure out what locations you have access to that nobody else does and shoot there.   Make your own lights, lenses, and photo gear so that you aren't using the same stuff as everybody else.

Oh, and submit to LuckyPix twice a week.

More to come....