| November 11, 2013 |
SPOTLIGHT FOR INSPIRATION JAY CLAPP Our Weekly [fa] Photography Spotlight for Inspiration is all about talent, inspiration, success, camaraderie and collaboration. Artistic success and appreciation is built upon networks of like-minded people and our team of artists here will inspire you for days.
If you have not taken the time to peruse our membership list, I think you will be shocked to see who you are rubbing elbows with. Some of the most amazing up and coming artists in the industry and they are all a part of this team! Each week we sit down with one of them and find out about them, what they are doing, what keeps them motivated and pull from them inspiration for us all. We will be covering artists at every level and every style. There is no requirement for this spotlight except a passion for your craft. Read on‌ network, be inspired and shoot your dreams!
1 2
; Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Jay Clapp
Spring 2016
Fine Art Photographer & Educator
This week I got to chat with our Executive Board Member and curator of all things photography for thephotographyjunkie.com. I found out makes him a technical wiz and why he’s moving toward film based photography. Film? Yes. Film. Caroline: With most people I start with the same question but I am noticing a trend in your work lately so I am going to change it up a bit. Most of us would assume this answer but with you I am not sure we can... are you a film man or a digital man? Jay: Both. Largely digital though. Caroline: When most people are starting to
shy away from film, why are you seemingly moving toward it? Jay: I love the pure and simple the way it makes you slow down. The convenience of being able to rattle off a hundred shots on digital isn’t there. You actually have to think about things such as exposure and composition because every time you press the shutter it costs 2
4 3 5
; Lorem Ipsum Dolor
you money. Caroline: When did you start picking up a film camera again? What triggered the interest? Jay: Well, I don’t make a lot of money from my photography and I currently shoot on a crop factor camera. I couldn’t afford to justify a couple grand on a full frame body. So after giving the advice to other friends who asked my opinion, I decided to skip the full frame and go the next size up and be a hybrid photographer. The other reason I wanted to pick up the film camera is every man and his dog has a digital camera these days. Which is amazing for the art but bad news for professional photographers. I mean they can shoot and edit good pictures on their phone right? So why would they need to hire a photographer? I may sound bitter but I’m really not. I hope I don’t come across that way. I think the proliferation of digital
Spring 2016
cameras has brought the world leaps forwards its just there’s so many digital photos these days (it’s as if) they don’t mean anything to anyone anymore. So in comes film. It’s a tangible physical product. These days it is niche enough to be cool in the whole “Keeping up with the Jones’s” type thing…meaning from a business point of view. People accept that it takes skill to use one. It’s not all down to the camera. Again it’s the photographer doing his or her job. Caroline: That is an interesting point of view and I can definitely see how film these days would put you in a niche. So what IS your favorite camera and lens to use? Jay: What day is it today? Caroline: HA! I guess I should ask you? It changes that much huh? Ha! Jay: Depends on what I’m shooting. (different cameras) are the right tool for different jobs. If I know I’m going to be doing a lot of editing then I lean towards the digital. However, if its portraiture, which I love doing, then I lean towards one of my film cameras. Most of my
professional work is done on the digital for its convenience factor. (List of cameras: Samsung Galaxy s4 Zoom, Iphone 4 s, Sony A450, Sony A77, Minolta Dynax 35mm, Minolta SRT 201 35mm Camera, Bronica ETR 6x4.5 Medium Format Camera and Mamiya RB67 Medium Format Camera) Caroline: There is a very distinct feel between your film images and your digital images. It is palpable to the viewer and it almost feels they are from a more emotional place. Do you think that is the nature of film or does it really change how you shoot? Jay: I’ve never really thought of it like that. You are forced to slow down. When you take your time to get it right, you have a greater connection with your subject. It becomes far more intimate and I guess that comes across in the images. Caroline: So tell me about your wonderful blog, “The
3
6 7 8
; Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Photography Junkie”? How did that start? Jay: Well, the Photography Junkie is me. It is how I would describe myself and people who know me personally I’m sure will confirm with this. I consume a lot of content a week. I mean a LOT, with podcasts, Youtube.com stuff, blogs… I am probably talking 30 to 40 hours a week of putting stuff into my head. I created the photography junkie site as a way of collating all of the places that I read, so I only have to go to one place to find it. Slowly, it has been growing and I’ve started adding interviews and things. In 2014 you will see even more effort go into the site to make it grow. So from it’s humble beginnings as a way for me to organize my thoughts, people started to read it and I started to push it towards a one-stop shop for all photographers. So now, when photographers have a spare five minutes here and there, they can get on the site and there will always be something of interest on it. I want the site to cater for peoples needs just as it does for my own.
Spring 2016
(Therefore) I added a clothing designer so people could create custom clothing to boost their brands. I also began adding textures, Photoshop and Lightroom Preset Packs, etc…I want to teach people stuff. I love it and as you can probably
tell I’m pretty darned passionate about what I do. I want to help people. I see fellow photographers as a sort of extended family and you do what you can for your family. Of course I want the site to earn revenue at some point and I don’t think anyone could blame me for that. The only way photographers and artists in general seem to be successful these days is to have lots of little revenue streams coming in and I want this to be one of mine. Caroline: Where do you get your content for the blog, do you write it? How does that work? Jay: Well, this is where the clever bit comes in. The site is split into sections behind the
scenes. There is auto content, which is triggered from sources I read. When they post a blog, a latest bit of kit or a news update, then my site sees that and will get the feed from that site and post it automatically. Not in a copy and paste way. I’m not passing the work off as mine. If anything I’m driving more people to their sites and increasing their revenue as the content is still theirs. You go to their site to view, it its just indexed at mine. Then there is the shop side of things. Which is where I earn my money. This includes the clothing creator, the preset packs and texture packs etc. Then there is my bit, where my blogs go into the mix as well. Those are for people to read things that are written by me personally and never by a ghostwriter. Now recently there have been interviews by yourself going up as well, because its something that people find interesting. All in all it posts around 5 times daily. Caroline: That is an amazing and clever set up! Did you set all of this up yourself or did you hire someone to do the coding etc. to set your blog up to work this way? Jay: I do it myself. Having Asperger’s Syndrome has some advantages. Hahah! 4
91 0
; Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Caroline: Explain a little bit about that? What is Asperger’s Syndrome? Jay: Basically it’s a form of autism and it is measured on the autism scale. The downside to having it can be social exclusion, shyness, and repetitive actions, just the same as with autism. And as with autism, there are scales by which some people are affected more than others. On the plus side from a personal point of view rather than a stranger looking in point of view, you can be very focused on a subject that interests you to the point where blinkers go on and the world is shut out while you are in the zone. But it does mean that you have in effect increased learning capability for subjects that you are interested in, often being able to explain with intricate detail the subject. Though such as with me, I don’t have the social cues that other people have, that will tell you if someone is bored with what you are telling them. With Asperger’s, I’m incredibly shy. I couldn’t go into a bar, let alone walk up to someone. The camera has given me permission to do this. Now I’m now seen as important and any quirks are put down to my artistic side. Caroline: So that is why you are such a wiz at all things
Spring 2016
technical and a brilliant educator. Ha! Well it has not hindered you one bit. If anything it has been a driving force behind your artwork. I noticed a lot of your portfolio is editorial and fashion and very creative. Is your background in fashion and art?
chat with me today. Your work is very inspiring and your story just adds to that inspiration. We are excited to have you as an Executive Board Member and Educator on our [fa] Photography Team. If you were to give any advice to an aspiring fine art photographer what would it be?
Jay: Yes the technical thing goes hand in hand with the Aspies and as for the artistic stuff, when you spend your life asking questions like “Why don’t you like me when I’m trying so hard?” and not being able to socialize, then you tend to build up a massive imagination and often darkness, which my photography allows me to release. Fashion is what I do predominantly, as where I live there is a good amount of good models. I have always viewed my work as art, but its only really recently I’ve been going down the fine art route.
Jay: Once you know who you are as an artist stop asking for cc (constructive criticism) Just own what you do for good or bad and stand by it. It’s your baby and cc will only cloud your choice as to what words you want to use in your work. Until that point, get cc from sources you trust and that are in line with the directions you like and remember it is only an opinion of theirs based on how they would do it.
Caroline: What got you interested in the fine art side? Do you have any particular artists you follow?
Side Note: A lot of Jay’s images have hilarious backstories. I wish I had time to cover them here. If you seem him on the [fa] Photography Team Facebook page corner him… they are fun to hear.
Jay: I think everyone follows Brooke Shaden don’t they? Hahah! Probably, besides Brooke, my main inspirations are from the likes of Joey L, Lara Jade, Emily Soto, Miss Aniella… love their work. Though I try not to look too often as I am too easily influenced by other artists. I don’t work like they do though. Caroline: I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and
5
[fa] Photography Spotlight for Inspiration: Jay Clapp
November 11, 2013
A Gift of inspiration for you… With each F.A.P Spotlight look for a link to a tutorial, texture, preset, tip or stock image!
Jay’s gift, available through November and December, is ThePhotographyJunkie.com Lightroom Presets for Mono Conversions for Portraiture. For those who didn’t receive the beta give away it’s worth £10. Though if anyone wishes to purchase it they can through the photography junkie site. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/secegjnf13tfclh/ eo7wWKCeeo
Jay’s 411… Email: jay@jayclappphotography.co.uk Website: http://www.jayclappphtography.co.uk Twitter @JCPPhotos Flickr Feed: http://www.flickr.com/jayclappphotography Jay’s fashion portfolio: http://purpleport.com/portfolio/jayclappphotography/?referrer=jayclapp photography Jay’s Model Mayhem Page: http://www.modelmayhem.com/2364442 For all things photography: http://www.thephotographyjunkie.com Jay has been featured in Haunted After Dark, The Burlesque Bible, and Interesting Magazine, amongst others… and shoots for many independent clothing designers.