Pixel Bending
By Adam Hajnos
28 Jul 2007
1. I am a graphic designer. Currently attending school in Raleigh, NC. I market myself as a "pixel bender". I alter my photographs to make people question what is real and what is fake. The most satisfying feeling is having someone ask you if a photo is real or not.
2. I still consider myself a kid (I'm 20). But when I was very young I wanted to be a chef. That didn't really work out, now I'm spoiled on frosted flakes. For a while I was in school for film, which helped me with cinematography, which eventually led to photography.
3. Once I have an idea of what I want. I will take my own photos to use. I shoot with Photoshop in mind. i.e. how can i alter an image to make people look twice when they see it.
The key to any good photo is having a strong idea. Once you have the idea and know what you want, the photos will take themselves. It's always a good idea to build a large stock photography collection because you never know when you will need those extra pictures for another project. A lot of times when I get stuck, I'll cycle through my stock photos and ideas will start flowing.
4. The most challenging part about my work is knowing when you are done. When you have professionals look at your work and say..."How the heck did you do that?" Thats when you know it's done. Learning the programs can also be a hassle. But once you learn how all the tools work, you will start to be more proficient and things will come together.
5. I don't have any photography heros. Infact, I don't like to look at other peoples work for to long because I will start to subconciously emulate what they do. I want my work to be fresh. I try to keep a pad and pen with me at all times. That way, whenever I get inspiration, I can jot down the idea and come back to it later.
6.I use emotion for inspiration. Breakups, grief, overwhelming joy...I use it all when I'm creating my art. There is a certain satisfaction when a piece turns out the way you wanted. It's almost theraputic. The only problem is emotions change so fast, so you really have to act on your ideas quickly. I have loads of music to try and keep me in a certain mood while I work. It's all organized into genres and I can choose the right songs to fit my mood.
7. Take as many photos as you can. Generally I'll take about 300 photos every time I go out to a shoot. Only a handfull can be used but you've got to get the chiche shots out of the way first. I take photos until I can't stand to look at my subject anymore. And that's when I know I'm ready to start taking photos, because my mind is not concentrating on the subjuct, but rather the lighting, shapes, and moods of the overall phtoograph. You can see a drastic difference between the first photo you take, and the last one you take.
