Richard Hope - Photographer

Here's a portrait I took of Richard, taking a picture of...well, Richard. Apparently his skating is just as good as his photos. The rest of the photos in this interview were shot by Richard.

-Name/Age/Type of Work/years practicing

Richard Hope/23/Action sports photography/6yrs


-How did you get started?


When I was in high school my best friend had received a film SLR from one of his neighbors. We both used it to photography each other skateboarding, and by the following Christmas I was asking my parents for my own camera. I got a Nikon film SLR and that was the beginning of it all.


-What draws you to the type of work you do?

I'm drawn to shooting action sports because of 2 things, the amount of talent this area of sports has, and the amount of work that goes into getting a single good shot. The feeling you get when you see someone spin and flip over top of a 60foot gap, or seeing them dance around on a tiny little rail is really profound and amazing just to watch and capture. To get that good shoot is usually more work then the general public would ever image. Sometimes its laying down cement or bondo to fix a crack before a rail, or chipping ice off the steps of a staircase. You get to see all the work you did to make the shot, something not to many other people will see in the photograph.

-If money was no object what kind of project would you like to get involved in?

If money were no longer an option, I'd really love to make my own skateboarding/snowboarding/skiing film. It takes years of filming and traveling around to produce a full video, and that drains on the bank a lot. Add in camera gear, and other serious equipment like generators and floodlights and the budget for a film continues to grow.

-Where do you find your inspiration?

Most of my inspiration comes from the environment I'm in. A lot of spots (the name for anything location to do tricks at) have their own unique story. Some extra challenge for the riders or myself and i like to show that in my photos. Maybe its grated metal stairs, or a 10foot drop to rocks. Outside inspiration comes from my friends, magazines and of course the internet.

-Have you ever collaborated with another artist in your work, if so where did you find this person and how was/is the experience?

I've worked some graphic designers, and as well other photographers and filmers when on locations. But for the most part I do all my work myself. I think its pretty hard to see an end result in my head for something and then have to work around it with someone. While two heads can be better then one, sometimes I only want to hear my own ideas so I can create my own work.

-Can you give us a brief rundown of the equipment you would bring to the average shoot?

I have two setups I'll take with me for a photo shoot;

The Big Bag
3 Nikon camera bodies (D200, D70s, F65)
5 Lenses (10.5mm Fisheye, 19-35mm, 50mm, Lensbaby 3G, 80-200mm)
4 Flashes (Sb-28, Sb-80dx, 2x Sunpaks)
4 Light stands (light weight aluminum) 
5 Pocket Wizards (3x Plus II, 2x Multimax)
Extra batteries (both camera and AA)
Cords and other miscellaneous gadgets including a right angle viewfinder 

The Small Bag
1 Nikon camera body (D200)
5 Lenses (10.5mm Fisheye, 19-35mm, 50mm, Lensbaby 3G, 80-200mm)
2 Flashes (sb-28, sb-80dx)
2 Light stands (light weight aluminum) 
3 Pocket Wizards (2x Plus II, Multimax)
Extra batteries (both camera and AA)
Cords and other miscellaneous gadgets including a right angle viewfinder

-With all the different styles of photography what made you decide to focus on skateboarding?

There is an unlimited amount of things to photograph in this world, and I wouldn't say i focused directly on skateboarding. It was just the thing i was always doing with my friends in high school, and after-wards. I like to think I'm more focused on being an 'Action Sports Photographer'. Doesn't really matter if its a winter board sport or summer, freestyle moto-x, or even MMA fighting. I like action, its pretty simple. The faster it is and more complicated to understand whats actually going on, is truly the best part and what keeps me shooting. Some people have no concept of what you can do with your body other then just running and catching stuff. I can truly appreciated the effort and commitment it takes to perform tricks and I love capturing that in a photograph.

-Was there any other types of photography that intrigued you like skate photography? If so, how would you compare the feeling you get when you produce a good skate photo versus something else?

 I love nature, its by far the coolest thing on this planet. If shooting actions sports doesn't work out then I'll start to focus on shooting wildlife and landscapes. I have a 12yr background in the Canadian Scouting program and earned the highest award in the program call the 'Chief Scout', so being outside is what I'm passionate about. I plan to work outside for as long as I possibly can, before green house effects ruin everything on Earth.

-Working outside the studio in an unpredictable enviroment, especially when the sport your photographing is illegal in some areas, means there has to be some crazy things you’ve experienced. Any story’s you’d like to share?

Stories, the BEST part of the subject matter I photograph is just that. I've collected a lot of those over the years, getting kicked out by the Police, RCMP, security is just a small part of the hassle we can get while trying to 'work'. I find other civilians and by-standers provide the best stories. Simply because they can either be completely amazing or completely pissed off, and I've met a lot of both those groups. I once got screamed at by some women claiming her blind husband fell down a set of stairs because we left a pile of snow at the top of the stairs last year. (we had never been to this place before..) The filmer was able to film the last few choice words she had for me before she stomped up the stairs and kicked out the jump we had made for the rail. And on the opposite side of that are the nice cops. We had built this quarter pipe against the support leg for an overpass bridge, which happened to be directly beside the local Police station. It was 2am, we had the generators blasting full power, all the lights, and my flashes going when these two young cops stumble down part of the snow covered hill. We all expected to get kicked out. But they explained how they thought we were tagging/painting on the cement. Once they saw what was going on they actually asked us if they could stay and watch for awhile, and that until someone actually complained they had no reason to make us stop.

-Scott

Andrew "DJ F.U.N.K." Ward

- Age/Type of Work/years practicing

30 / DJ-Producer / 10 yrs

-How did you get started?

I started producing music after hearing DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing." Years later I started DJing a radio show at CJLO Concordia Radio.

-What draws you to the type of work you do?

I love music.

-If money was no object what kind of project would you like to get involved in?

Probably some kind of large scale audio/visual production with burlesque dancers and ukuleles

-Where do you find your inspiration?

I try and find inspiration in everyday life.

-Have you ever collaborated with another artist in your work, if so where did you find this person and how was/is the experience?

I have collaborated with quite a few other artists both in music and other media like photography and film. Most of the time these projects get organized through networking, friend of friends, student projects, and occasionally more professional projects. EVery project varies depending on the people involved in the creative process and how well we all get along. I've seen some disastrous projects and some really inspiring stuff too. Collaborations are a great source of inspiration regardless of the outcome.

-How would you describe your style of mixing?

Under Construction

-How long did it take from when you started, to playing your first show in front of a crowd? What was that night like?

It was pretty quick for me. I had only been mixing for a few months before I was put up in front of an audience. It was nerve-wracking but I loved it.

Below is an advert for weekly event Andrew participates in called "Grilled Cheese Thursdays" It takes place at Blue Dog on St. Laurent and yes, like the name says you can expect a complimentary cheesy sandwich to accompany all those cheap drinks. So get down there asap and enjoy the end of your semester! Don't forget your dancing shoes.

-Scott

Sascha Tamsin Bravery - Painter

I first met Sascha in the summer and since then her and I have constantly been discussing projects, bouncing ideas off one another and enjoying a couple beers along the way. This energetic Aussie has a love of life that's obvious in the work she's done. I've always been curious to find out her secret to it all and in the interview below you will see how I started scratch that surface.

- Name/Age/Type of Work/years practicing

My name is Sascha Tamsin Bravery I am 24 years old. You will find me, predominantly, drawing pictures of strange things, something I have been doing ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

- How did you get started?

I grew up as an only child on a farm in a tiny, quiet rural beach side Australian town, so really all I could do was roam the country side, hang out with my grandma and use my imagination until my brain exploded. I was always encouraged to be creative as a kid and was always fascinated with my grandmas art books. I drew pictures to entertain myself and as I have grown up, instead of growing out of it, I believe I am most definitely growing further into it. 

- I’ve seen your drawings and I’ve heard your stories of photography, would you say you’re a multi-faceted artist or is there a medium you favor over of the others?

I enjoy playing with a lot of mediums to articulate my work. However I find more pleasure in drawing than in photography. Even if I cant realistically capture a subject like you can with photography, I still prefer the personal touch drawing allows me to have when creating something with my imagination from scratch. 

- In that case, what is it that draws you to painting in the first place?

An unfailing, unfathomable magnetism that I cannot explain nor escape. 

- If money was no object what kind of project would you like to get involved in?

When I don't have money, ideas of what I want and what a need speed through my mind relentlessly. But there has always been one thing that I would truly love to put money towards. I would love to own my own studio apartment above my own gallery. But something a little more realistic is just having enough money for more exhibitions and supplies. I have a really strong desire to create my own creative project in the near future that I wont disclose at this point as it is still really in the rough stages, and I have no idea where in the world I will be next so it will have to wait and grown quietly...

- I appreciate the disclosure, I know how satisfying it can be to unveil a project once its had time to develop. How about the ideas? Where do you find your inspiration?

I look mainly to books- art, illustration, poetry, biographies of famous and prolific figures in history and really anything with odd and interesting images or text. However most of what I draw (if not from imagination) comes from magazines and random free street press. I love National Geographic and an awesome magazine specifically filled with art called Empty magazine. I could also spend hours on the internet sifting through images on ffffound and art blogs such as Booooooom!, behance network, fecal face and supersonic electronic just to name a few. I also find inspiration in other artists and illustrators, signs on the street, writing in toilets and other everyday things.

- Have you ever collaborated with another artist in your work, if so where did you find this person and how was/is the experience?

My work has featured in a few collaborative exhibitions, ‘Extra Cheeese’ was one my favorites, it is an annual Australian, Sydney based exhibition run by a dear and very talented friend of mine called Daniel Dittmar. My work was chosen two years in a row to be a part of it. I felt really privileged and a little star struck by the talent my work was surrounded by. A lot of prolific Aussie artists were featured in those exhibitions. the best and most unique part of ‘Extra Cheeese’ was the fact that our medium was a pizza box, so everyone created these phenomenal paintings on used and greasy pizza boxes. It as held at a myriad of different and predominant galleries so that was pretty special for me. I also helped out with another friends dream called Junkyard, which was a huge success, hosting over 50 artists from all over Australia- we even had a guy from Montreal featured too! Junkyard was a concept exhibition, with live music performance art, fashion and of course collaborations of artists with completely different and astounding works. I have had so many special opportunities to work with some really amazing Australian and international artists whilst living in Sydney. Each and every one inspired me to continue what I do, work harder to develop my style and each has given me valuable experience and motivation. It is really eye opening to work with others who have completely different styles than your own.

-Scott