Each Monday, we’ll highlight one indie photographer whose body of work deserves special recognition. Please enjoy their photography here, and make it a point to enjoy the rest of their work on their website.
This week’s Indie Spotlight shines on Andrew Dearling of London, England. Andrew says he does not have a style because he is not a photographer. He says his style could be perhaps classified as street photography. He simply likes to photograph something or someone he finds interesting.
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Kit:
Andrew has a compact, digital arsenal within his pockets: his iPhone 4S/5 and a Sony NEX5. They are always easily accessible for Andrew to capture his subjects of interest. His lens of choice is his E mount 16mm f/2.8 pancake lens, because it forces him to get up close and personal with his subjects.
Workflow:
When Andrew spots a subject of interest, he first decides on the best angle or position and light from which to photograph them. He says the NEX’s flip out screen makes it extremely versatile for photographing. He does not like to use the flash for two reasons: 1) He prefers natural light; 2) It is easier to achieve those sneaky street shots he loves when people do not have a bright light exploding in their face.
All post-production happens entirely on Andrew’s iPad within four apps. He uses NIK Software’s Snapseed for it’s basic editing features and a great selective adjust feature. Andrew loves the app TouchRetouch to remove any unwanted aspects in the photo. He also enjoys playing around with photos in it just for fun, for example creating the head in an iPad photo. Andrew says Big Lens is “pure unadulterated DOF cheating,” but he loves it. For example, in the Mary Poppins Olympics photo, he used it to blur everything but the Mary’s, adding to the illusion that they are flying. Lastly, he use SquareAdy Pro to frame photos and also give the illusion of them being lifted from the page.
Tips, Tricks and Techniques:
He knows London’s streets and architecture very well. Photographing the same locations within his hometown of London over and over again from different angles, in different light and during different seasons is a technique Andrew has been working on for some time. He hopes to one day complete a portfolio of the same location conveying different moods.
Lessons Learned:
For those of you who are Instagram users, Andrew tried splitting his photos in Instagram in a way that allowed them to be viewed as a full picture when viewed within the gallery. Then taking it a step further … He created an additional Instagram account called @MadeForInstagram. He took vertical panoramas or cropped long, narrow photos of London landmarks. He split those up in a fashion that as you scroll down the gallery, it builds a full picture. Those same photos worked brilliantly for Pinterest also, he says.
Inspiration:
Andrew finds inspiration in Trey Radcliffe’s travel photography. Andrew also loves Bruce Davidson and his series of candid photos from New York City’s subway during the 1980s.
What’s Next:
He would love to photograph street shots somewhere challenging and adventurous, some place that is a complete opposite of his life in London. The Brazilian favelas, which are areas of extreme poverty and dilapidating structures, is a place that came to Andrew’s mind to achieve this.
Links
You can find more of Andrew’s work on his website and on Instagram @RapidAndi.