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Practical Photography Interviews Wedding and Landscape Photographer Pete Barnes

I submit a good amount of photos (usually landscapes) to the UK magazine, Practical Photography and they asked if I could do a bit for there 20 questions section. So this was from around the July/August 2011 issue I think. Text below if you cant read it above. Thanks for looking!

Pete Barnes Factfile
Age 30
Occupation Freelance Photographer
Experience 5 years
Website www.petebarnesphotography.co.uk

20 questions

Photographic history
First camera?
Canon Powershot A95 (PnS). Took it travelling round the world on the off chance I might take some photos, came back and became a photographer, eventually.
First photo? I remember an arty shot of a tree when I was in my teens, someone said I’d missed my calling, as I was going down a science route at school.
Best lesson? “Never Never go, Never Never know” A thai woman flogging me a bike tour said that and it stuck with me, try anything, especially if it scares you.
First copy of PP bought? Just looking at my back copies on the shelf I have May 2006 but sure I got them before then.
Famous disaster? More near misses than disasters, usually falling in water doing either weddings or landscapes. I have a friend who routinely drowns his camera on photo outings, his impromptu dives are always good value.

Photographic interests
Favourite subject? Landscapes, nothing like being in a beautiful location with no one about and perfect light, the photos seem to take themselves when it all just clicks
Favourite location? I love going to the Lake District whenever I get chance, anywhere with some mountains.
Favourite aperture? f/16 seems to be my go to aperture for landscapes, although I’m partial to f/1.2 at weddings!
Dream assignment? Probably something to do with capturing the Himalayas although I’d like to retrace my round the world trip again with all my gear!
Dream camera? I lust more for lenses to be honest, I wouldn’t say no if canon decided to send me their 1Ds MkIV whenever it comes along (possibly with some tickets to Katmandu!)

Features and accessories
Feature you couldn’t live without… Has to be LCD screens. The instantaneous nature of digital is awesome. I never really shot with film but can’t imagine waiting for prints would be my bag.
Most useless feature? I hate to say it but I don’t use the video function on my 5D MkII like I should, really need to get into it, especially after learning they shot the last episode of House with one!
Feature wishlist? (Features you’d like to see introduced…) As a Canon user I’d like to see a bit of catching up with Nikon in terms of off camera flash, it’s coming along with the 7D but a built in radio based system like the new TTL pocket wizards would be pretty sweet.
Accessory you couldn’t live without? My Lee filters, the grads are fantastic. I also love my IPhone (uncommon for IPhone owners I realise)
Most useless accessory… The lens hood on the 16-35 is pretty pointless

Influences and inspirations
Why photography? On a personal level, It’s about capturing a moment which you can be transported back to whenever you look at it and remember all the emotions and minute details you may forget if a photo wasn’t taken. Plus it’s always good to create something people enjoy, as is the case with any art.
Biggest photographic influence? Being self-taught I never really went into a great deal of depth about individual photographers as such. I have a range of influences, I am influenced by the massive amounts of inspirational photos on sites like flickr that come out daily. I check out flickriver every morning, I find this can provide plenty of influence and inspiration from a collective of photographers (amateurs and pros alike)
Biggest non-photographic influence? Parents, family, friends, very difficult to pick. If I turn out anything like my old man I’ll be pretty happy.
Photographer you most admire? I’d say Ansel Adams, his whole approach to photography and the environment was really quite special and his photos were stunning.
Favourite photo? Ansel Adams shot of The Tetons and the Snake River, first time I saw it I was just blown away, it’s good to have a standard to aspire to.

Photography by West Yorkshire Photographer Pete Barnes

Not much on at the moment, it's been raining on and off for most of the morning so I had an idea for a photo involving the old favourite Danbo. The whole thing was gonna be a bit of a forbidden love type thing between two different types of people.

The lighting wasn't actually as dynamic as I was hoping, largely due to them being outdoor and as I was lying in a puddle I was a bit distracted about how I wanted the image to turn out. Ideally I would have underexposed a little more and used the light coming from a softboxed speedlight (to camera right) to separate the couple out a bit, although the bokeh does a good enough job. Anyway I quite liked the reflection and the expressions of these two. As it was a little higher key than I was after it took on a bit of a warmer, happier tone in post whilst still keeping a bit of sad melancholic, walking-in-puddles type thing with the vintage overlays.

Anyway thanks for looking and have a great week

Wedding Photography from West Yorkshire Wedding Photographer Pete Barnes

This was from a recent wedding we did at Hazlewood castle near York. It was a lovely wedding with fantastic winter sunshine, although we were not outside for long as it was so cold! Thanks for looking, a few more from this wedding are on my blog - www.petebarnesphotography.co.uk/2011/12/23/hazlewood-cast...

In one of his most important duels with lord vader to date, old yoda had only gone and packed the wrong lightsaber, embarrassed he was.

This is from a star wars series of photos I keep doing now and then, the reason was my new computer case seems to have quite a few crazy lights on it and I liked the effect they had on the wall behind so I got a few lights off camera and burned in the ambient light coming from my spaceship/computer. Thanks for looking

My first solo landscape photography exhibition at the light in Leeds. A view from the north is an exhibition showcasing some of my landscape photos from around northern Britain. It is taking place on Friday 16th December 2011

Further info at www.petebarnesphotography.co.uk/2011/12/01/landscape-phot...