David Nevala Q&A
Travel and photography are two of your passions. What are some of your favorite locations to shoot and why?
Any location that is brand new to me is a favorite. I'm like the grandmother that proudly displays pictures of her newest grandchild and relegates not-so-new kid pictures to the bottom shelf. When everything is fresh and new, my curiosity tends to drive my photography. Recently, I returned from a month in Argentina, on a personal trip with my wife, backpacking in Patagonia's gorgeous parks. In research done prior to the trip, I had anticipated ferocious weather, but we ended up with mild winds and sunshine. Go figure. For assignments, I just finished a shoot for Harley Davidson in the deserts around Las Vegas and was astounded with the gorgeous natural areas that surround such a strange city.
What camera(s), lenses, film (or digital) equipment do you use?
Nikon gear, shooting a D2x, primarily. If a client will allow it, I love shooting 4x5 portraits.
How many pictures do you shoot a week? A month? A year?
Depends on client assignments. Probably 1,000 images a week. Using a calculator, I guess that figures to 4,000 a month and about 48,000 a year. That's a bit frightening in those terms.
What is the most challenging aspect of shooting stock?
My biggest challenge in shooting stock is not compromising my own vision to make "saleable" images. That filter can really dilute the creative process for me. I'm currently teaching a college photography class and love how they're motivated purely by creativity.
What's the best part of it?
Personally, the freedom to travel and shoot with a purpose. Pragmatically, getting a royalty check feels like free money and helps keep my travel write-offs legitimate.
Who/what inspires you?
Regular people's stories and their circumstances. I recently photographed a 75 year old woman who was undergoing chemotherapy. Instead of focusing on her cancer, she glowingly told me about her past. She taught baton twirling for 30 years, to women who lead parades. She also shared that her nurse had "cute little buns." Here's a woman who might die in a matter of weeks and is making fun observations about nice butts. She was a gem.
This entry was posted by Christoph, on
April 24, 2006.
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