What got you interested in photography? I got interested in photography by a guy named Pat Graham. He was from a suburb of Milwaukee, where I grew up. He shot a lot of stuff for Dischord, Simple Machines, etc. Seeing his shots made me realize that I could get a camera and have fun shooting the things/places I was seeing on tour. I still consider Pat as a great inspiration. What is your earliest memory of photography? I recall my dad using a Polaroid when I was about 4 or so, and thinking it was so neat to see it develop before your eyes. The over-saturated colors really stood out in my mind. Do you have any formal training in photography or are you self taught? I have no formal training whatsoever. I have lots of friends who are photographers, and who are blessed with a lot of patience. I ask tons of questions. I also read lots of books. Do you use film or digital? Why? I shoot digitally now. I occasionally pull out my 35mm camera for just walking around shots. My medium format camera broke, and I never got around to fixing it. I really like being able to see the shot right away. It's more cost effective when you're working a shoot with a very limited
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budget. I also think it's a great way to learn new tricks-by being able to see the shot immediately, you can try the same shot with different F-stops,shutter speed or lighting and figure out what works for you. I'm not saying I have a problem with film - I just prefer to work digitally. What is the secret to getting "the shot"? I don't think there's a secret, really. I shoot enough to cover my bases, and try to get into the moment with the subject, whether it's a studio set up, or portraits, or a live show setting. If you're paying attention, and have an idea of what you want in your head, you just need to wait for your moment, and hit it. Of course, there are a million times where something just happens right in front of you and you just get lucky. I guess it's just all about being as ready as possible. What is the hardest thing about being a photographer? I think the hardest thing about being a photographer is keeping up with the gear which can be super expensive, and also getting your name/work out there. It's a lot of work to set up the shoots, get into the shows or whatever, and to get the shots, process them, get them sent out. It takes a long time to even get to that point.