Brian was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for us to enjoy.  Please feel free to check out some of his work below in the gallery and visit his links under the interview.

How did you get started with photography?  Was it something you always wanted to do?

I've always been interested in photography as a whole. Around 12 I got my first point and shoot and took it upon my self to take a whole lot of pictures of tree branches and rusty nails really close up... After I had that nailed down pat by 15 I decided I sorta liked it but wanted more options so I could controll how my close up of a rusty nail, rock, or leaf would come out so I got a Canon Rebel XT 8MP DSLR with a awesome 18-55 kit lens!!! From there I sort of just kep running around taking pictures of or with friends while we were out.

If you had to pick a specific style for your photography what would category would you fall into?

I would call my style very “run and gun” like the great Bill O'Reilly said "Fuck it, we'll do it live!" I come to each situation and try to take a new approach.

What is the most difficult part when working with a client, whether it is someone you are familiar with or have not yet worked with?  (ie. The business side, actually taking the photos, lighting setup?)

I have found the most difficult part would be getting your subjects to show up on time. People seem to be horrible at setting dates and keeping them. After that I would say the runner up for most troubling would be getting the person to come to terms with the fact they will feel rediculous but LOVE the results.

Where do you get your inspiration?  Do ideas just pop into your head, or do you have other artists you look to for that magical spark?   What sites do you frequent for inspiration?

My inspiration comes from my flickr contacts, magazines, and daily interations I have with friends. There is a photographer named Henrik Adamsen that constantly makes me feel worthless.

What is the one thing you most enjoy about photography?

I absolutly love being around people. Photography gives me an easy excuse to be out every night shaking hands and experiencing all sorts of fantastic events. I also like the feeling watching someone go through my camera after a shoot and seeing them excited and surprised at how well they performed. People just don't know how beautiful they are and I like being the one to prove it.

What type of hardware and software setup do you use for your work?  What kind of photography equipment do you shoot with?

I do my editing on a home made AMD based system running Windows 7. I do my photo management with Adobe Lightroom 3 beta 2 and all my editing with Photoshop CS5. I am currently shooting on a Canon T1i 15.1 MP DSLR and do my lighting with Alien Bees.

Share with us one of your favorite shots and give us a little background behind it.  Describe your lighting setup if you used any, and the technical aspects of creating the image.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestorey/3235419445/

I would have to say that one linked above. It was pretty much my first night with a studio light and maybe the third exposure in. When I snapped it I just loved the way the light fell and her expression. Melissa became a great friend of mine always lending her likeness to be my obliging muse. I love the girl to death for all the invaulable practice time she has given me. Not only did I take away an understanding on how to light a subject but I learned how to interact with a subject and that I feel is priceless.

Is there another other side to you that not a lot of people know about?  Do you have any hidden talents that are not showcased?

I am a very open person. I don't really have a problem with discussing or doing pretty much anything. People don't really think Im as accessable as I am. My “hidden talents” sort of shine through in my locations, I like exploring and often find my self on google maps looking for ruins in the woods or out driving around sketchy places lurking the scenery.

What advice or insight can you give other individuals wanting to achieve your level of work and status as a photographer?

Keep practicing. Find a muse and just fire away. Don't be afraid to use tinfoil and bed sheets in the beginning!! it's not what you use to obtain a shot it's the final image and that's that. If you come away from a session with dismall pictures don't get discurraged GET PHOTOSHOPPPING

What is your middle name?

Matthew, my fathers name.

You can find Brian’s flickr stream at the following link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thestorey/

Brian’s Portfolio.
http://www.bspixels.com

Brian’s Blog.
http://brianstorey.tumblr.com/

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©2010 Ryan O. Hicks. All Rights Reserved.

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Jason was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for us to enjoy.

Jason Morrison (dubtastic)

How did you get started with the type of career you are in now?  Was it something you always wanted to do?

Photography was not necessarily something that I had always wanted to do.  Something artistic was.  I have always been involved with art, as far back as I can remember.  I pursued it heavily in high school and even further in college.  The progression into photography for me has been gradual and began more so with graphic design, which I would say was the gateway to what I do now.

Describe for us what a usual workday would be like.

Right now, photography is a part-time venture.  During the day, I impersonate a graphic & web designer.  My daily routine, after coffee, consists of a variety of design and web maintenance. Since maintain a rather large site, the frequency of requests to the webmaster can be many throughout the day.  I also design printed collateral and logos for various initiatives. One great aspect to my job is that every day is different.  I can walk in the door expecting to work strictly on the web and end up working on a large printed piece.  So that part I enjoy.

What is the toughest project you have taken on?  What was your favorite one?  Any others that stick out in your mind that you liked more than others?

The toughest project was one recently where a client called and wanted a shoot in a studio.  It was a birthday party for her daughter and she was bringing several of her friends along for some studio fun.  I believe we had about ten 13 year old girls in the studio getting their pictures taken.  It was really tough for me and my business partner to keep the creative juices flowing but the challenge was actually a good one and kept us on our toes.

Where do you get your inspiration?  Do ideas just pop into your head, or do you have other artists you look to for that magical spark?   What sites do you frequent?

It really varies.  Some music does the trick.  There are times when ideas pop into my head and other times it takes combing the web looking at the work of others.  I have found it quite helpful to not look strictly at other photographers work, but all artists.  You never know where that spark might come from. I have learned to keep a small journal with me just in case something pops into my head that I want to keep for later.

As for websites, there are a ton: www.angryblue.com, www.damnengine.net, www.zarias.com, www.hydro74.com, www.fatoe.com, www.eyesuckink.com, www.scrapbookmanifesto.com, www.artcoup.com, www.deanzulich.com, www.digitalapocalypse.com, www.thefivemilegrace.com, and a slew of photographers on Flickr.  I am sure I am forgetting some.

What type of hardware and software setup do you use for work and home?  What kind of photography equipment do you shoot with?

I have a PC and a Mac setup in the mancave upstairs at the house.  Most of my graphic design work is done on the PC and all of the photography processing is done on the Mac.  The more I use the Mac the less I want to use the PC.  I use a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop for processing and organizing photos.

I shoot with a Nikon D700 and a variety of lenses. I have a Nikon D80 for a backup but it rarely comes out of the bag.  My business partner shoots with a Nikon D3 and similar lenses.  It is great for us on a shoot because we have a great collection of glass to select from.  When he is using one lens I dont have to worry about that shot, because he is getting it.  It frees me to think differently and work with another lens.

You seem to have a number of published works, articles, or photoshop resources in magazines.  Is there a secret to getting your name out to these magazines and getting one’s work published?

I think the two things that have helped me the most have been longevity and also putting free resources out there.  For my blog, dubtastic.com, I have had that site around for quite a while now.  I have always tried to put free Photoshop resources up there which helps drive traffic to the site.

What is the one thing you most enjoy about your career?

Photography for me is freeing.  I dictate whether I succeed or fail and make the decisions about the work.  I like talking with people during a shoot and knowing that my work is helping them pursue goals of their own as well.

Is there another side to you that not a lot of people know about?  Do you have any hidden talents that are not showcased?

I make the best breakfast.  Seriously.  Nobody even wants to test me on that for they will perish.  Aside from that, I actually enjoy writing but sadly I have done little to pursue that.  One of my goals before I die is to author my own book.

What advice and insight can you give other individuals wanting to achieve your level of work and status in the design community?

Be a nurse or doctor instead.

What is your middle name?

Frederick.  It was my grandfather’s name on mother’s side.  For the longest time I used to be embarrassed by it for some reason.  I guess it was not really common.  But I am proud of it.  My grandfather was a very kind and intelligent man.

What is the best way to survive a zombie attack?

Don’t get bit!  There is no one fool proof plan.  The best way to survive the coming tides of darkness is to continually run through scenarios.  If you are out to eat with your spouse or friends, think about what you would do if the zombies attacked.  How would you survive at work, at home, etc.?  Keep thinking through, stay armed, and stay alive.

If there is any more interesting details bout yourself you would like to share, please do.

For those looking to pursue this as a career, develop your own style.  Get comfortable in your own shoes.  Draw from inspirations that keep you going and keep you creative.  Do not be afraid of putting your work out there or getting negative feedback.  In the end, it is about what makes you happy and what makes your client happy.

You can find Jason’s flickr stream at the following link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soufwes/

Jason’s Blog.
http://blog.dubtastic.com/

JayMar Photography.
http://www.jaymarphotography.com

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©2010 Ryan O. Hicks. All Rights Reserved.

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Josh was kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for us to enjoy.

Have you always been interested in art or was there a transition at some point in your life that you said, this is going to be my future career?

Both of my parents are very creative and artistic people. I believe that I inherited those traits from them and I don’t think there has ever been a time in my life where that creativity was not being put to work in one way or another. There was not a moment when I decided that I was going to be a professional artist, in fact quite the contrary. When I graduated high school, I really wanted to pursue a career as a musical theatre actor, but I also knew that I had expensive tastes and didn’t want to be a starving artist, so I did the exact opposite and got a degree in Computer Science. I figured a solid career would provide me with the income I would require to do all of the fun and creative things I would invariably get myself into- such as photography.

Tell us a little about what exactly you do or whom you work for?  Do you mostly do freelance work, or do you work for a firm?

My main source of income is still my career as a software engineer. I work for a small firm in Northern California called Interbill where I develop software for the legal billing market. Outside of Interbill I work primarily as a freelance artist taking in projects as they become available and when I have time. However, for the last year I have been working with a boutique branding firm called Branditecture, on retainer for a single client. The work I do with Branditecture is all design, photography and illustration based creative work like packaging design, advertising photography, photo illustration, etc.

What is the toughest project you have taken on?  What was your favorite one?  Any others that stick out in your mind that you liked more than others?

They are one in the same. I did a 2 page photo illustration spread for the May 2009 issue of Playboy magazine. I had just 5 days to complete the illustration. It was really the first time that I worked under an art director and with a tight deadline for a major publication so that was a new and daunting experience. The first three versions of the illustration I came up with were partially rejected by the Art Director, something that was also new to me. Up to that point my art had always just been my art- I never had to go back to the drawing board to make sweeping changes. But because of this art direction, the final image was much better than any of the earlier versions. Of course the fact that I now get to say that my work has been published in Playboy contributes to making it my favorite project to date.

Where do you get your inspiration?  Do ideas just pop into your head, or do you have other artists you look to for that magical spark?   What sites do you frequent?

It comes from all over. Sometimes an idea just pops into my head. Sometimes I am inspired by the work of others. Sometimes a random doodle morphs into a creative concept. I find plenty of inspiring work on flickr, though I’ve been known to poke around DeviantArt as well. In general I don’t go looking for inspiration but I can’t help but be inspired by great work.

What type of hardware and software setup do you use for work and home?

I’ve got pretty similar setups at work and home. Windows Vista, 24” LCD monitor (dual at work), external RAID array for redundant data backup, Wacom Intuos3 tablet. Photoshop CS4 is the main program I use for photo manipulation/illustration work. Others include Illustrator, Photomatix, Hugin, PTGui, Artizen HDR and Flexify.

You seem to have a wide range of skills making you versatile for any employer.  If you had to choose one side of you that you favor the most what category would that be?

This is a difficult question because I don’t really see these things as different sides of myself. The thing about me is that when I do something, whatever it is, I put my all into it. This is often perceived by those on the outside as obsessive, and perhaps to some extent it is, but ultimately it is that to which I attribute all of the various successes I have had in my career and in my life. When I was a student, I gave it my all and was successful. When I am writing legal billing software, I give it my all and have found success there. When I got into photography, I once again was obsessed with it, and gave it my all, my whole world revolved around it. The same cycle has repeated many times in my life from job to job, hobby to hobby the obsessive drive to be as good as I can possibly be at whatever it is I am doing is the one thing that has remained constant. That being said, I also view this as one of my biggest weaknesses. For all of the various interests that I have focused so intently upon, there is not one that has raised to the top to be the one that I truly master. I consider myself a jack of many trades, but a master of none. At least not yet.

What is the one thing you most enjoy about your career?

Well, making a consistent living is certainly high on my list, but being able to earn an income doing something that I enjoy doing- which is the case for both art and software engineering, is the most enjoyable aspect of my career by far.

Is there another other side to you that not a lot of people know about?  Do you have any hidden talents that are not showcased?

It all depends upon the context of how you know me. Many people I work with in the software field have no idea that I am an artist. Most of my flickr fans have no idea that I am a software engineer. Most people from both camps have no idea that I am a classically trained vocalist and pianist. But most people in general don’t know that I am also an avid Texas Hold’em player and have a lifelong love affair with video games, from Super Mario Brothers to Call of Duty Modern Warfare.

What advice and insight can you give other individuals wanting to achieve your level of work and status in the design community?

Always believe in yourself and set high expectations of yourself. Always seek perfection in all that you do and success will find you. As cliché as it is, aim for the stars and you’ll reach the sky. I also think it is very important to remain humble, gracious and thankful when success does find you.

What is your middle name?

Paul

You can find Josh’s flickr stream at the following link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshsommers/

©2010 Ryan O. Hicks. All Rights Reserved.

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My name is Ryan O. Hicks and I am a creative graphic designer and photographer based out of West Lafayette, Indiana.

This blog will be a source of inspiration for some, a source of tutorials, a place for designers to gather and exchange information, and a place for photographers to explore different ideas and techniques. I will do my best to keep this blog updated as my time allows. If this expands beyond my control I will look to the community for support in putting a staff together to run the site for me when I can not be of service.

I'm currently still getting all my quirks worked out on this blog, so if something does not work or does not seem right do not fret I will get it fixed ASAP. However if you see something and I am not getting it fixed or it bugs you feel free to drop the admin an e-mail about the problem.

Please feel free to subscribe to our feed to stay updated about what is going on.

Thanks.

©2010 Ryan O. Hicks. All Rights Reserved.

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