“Photography can be a very personal experience. The reality is that there are no “terrible” images – ever.” — Beaver Smith
On Saturday evening, the Urban Deli hosts Uptown Saint John Captured Through the Lens of Beaver Smith. He’s a good friend of the Deli as well as the talent behind bigdayfoto, wedding photographers.
Beaver is a man with a great eye for incredible shots so we decided to conduct an “email interview” with him to learn a bit more about photography and the photographer. We discussed quite a few things, specifically Saint John, the Uptown, and photos. When taking a picture, what does he look for? Beaver told us, “There is a lot of color, texture and character to Uptown Saint John.
“You can see it with your eye if you stop, look, and think about it – actually look at what you are seeing. The trick is to capture it in an image worthy of printing. In several of my images, the colors have been boosted or saturated. To me, that is what I see when I really look. Some have been turned black and white.”
That immediately had us thinking about technology and some of the tools photographers now use to create the photos the rest of us wish we could get.
“PS (Photoshop) and all the other tools are just that — tools! Like a chef in a kitchen full of “tools,” they may not use every tool in the kitchen to prepare a certain dish …
“Have you ever taken a picture of a beautiful sunset or a gorgeous panoramic view of some mountain valley only to be terribly disappointed in the out come? Well, it’s not you! It’s the limitations of the camera. Today’s photographers learn to work with the limitations. PS is one of many primary tools used.”
Saint John and finding the light
Here in Saint John, we’re partly known for our Fundy fog. Most of us, when we hear people talking about photography, find people talking about light. So how does a city like ours treat photographers as far as light goes? Beaver tells us, “For starters, as a photographer you have to understand/work with light (where it’s coming from and it’s “quality”).
“… Depending on what you are trying to achieve, Saint John fog can be a blessing. Too much contrast in an image [can be a problem] — think bright sunny day mid afternoon high sun and a bride in a beautiful pure white wedding gown.
“Most photographers in this situation are looking to get out of the sun (find a big old tree) and would welcome a little fog. In the same situation with fog, there is less contrast, the quality of the light is much more flattering to the subject. Can I take a nice picture of a bride in bright sun? You bet, but I would rather the fog!”
There is a great deal more to our back and forth with Beaver. For the full interview, visit this page.
What does the future hold for him and bigdayfoto? He tells us, “Now in our 6th year, I am looking to take my wedding photography business bigdayfoto to be the premier wedding photography studio in Atlantic Canada. With that lofty goal comes the requirement for a lot more personal development.”
We think he’ll reach his goal and likely a good deal more!
