JPG: Stories: Feature Story: Paul is a Photographer.

Feature Story

Paul is a Photographer.

By Paul Octavious

8 Aug 2007

1. What kind of designer are you?

I am a Graphic Designer

2. What did you want to do for a living when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a Doctor. My parents got be a t-shirt from Yale which was just down the street. I thought only doctors go there. I made myself think that this was my calling. Until in the 5th grade I met my first mac .. that had a paint program on it , it was a done deal.

3. What is it about your design work that makes your photography better? And vice versa? Where do you see parallels between the two?

Design taught me colors, layout, and angles. Color is everything in a design whether its a poster or logo and also in a photograph. It explains the story more.. gives off an emotion. I remember having one of my design professors, Professor Jane telling my class to take a photo of an insect, preferably a butterfly, then go into photoshop with the eye dropper tool and pick colors from around wings. There you have yourself a color palette. I'm always playing with different colors and tones in my photography. Even black in white, I treat the different tones in any black and white shot as if it were color.

At the start of my first design class my professor gave us four basic squares that varied in size and said," show me loneliness. Now show me conflict, Now honor" It amazed me how you could really show these emotions with a turn of a angle or having the three big squares set far apart from the small one. I use this method in my photography all the time and it helps alot.

4. What do you find most challenging about your work?

I guess I would have to say getting my work out there and classifying "what kind of photographer" am I. Granted places like flickr and JPG are kinda making it easier for me to showcase different people which is very nice.

5. Do you have design heroes? Photography heroes?

I like certain photographers and designer. I typically look to these people get inspired, but never really considered them a hero.

6. Name some unexpected sources of inspiration you've had.

Flickr and my Grandpa Jud.

Flickr, just for the fact that I've been a member of that community for over a year and the peoples work on the site amaze me and inspires me. I mean from looking at how others are perfecting a certain post process or lighting technique you get ideas. Getting comments on photos and even a fav here and there gives you a kinda boost to produce more work for people to see.

My Grandpa Jud is my silent muse. I've taken so many photos of him and with his Alzheimer's I don't think he knows I even took any. He lives with my family, and is a quite 83 year old man. He doesn't realize how much he has helped me out. He always has the right light on him , his facial features are amazing to photograph. I don't know what it is, he is just amazing person. Taking photos of him wishes I could have done the same thing for my grandma before she passed, she was a great lady.

7. Do you have any regular habits/exercises that make you a better designer? Photographer?

Bring your camera everywhere!!! you get the best shots.. the ones that aren't planned.

The photographers that don't bring their camera everywhere wants the shot that the photographer that brings their camera get.

I think someone famous said that, but its the truth.