Transcript of Featured Chat with Dave Nitsche by `Tachy-on on deviantART

The chat

diamond281: Hi Davenit, I'm a big fan of your photography. This is a completely photography geeky question. What's your favourite piece of equipment or prop that you use in your photography?

davenit: Wow... good one. Equipment I don't care about. I can make do with anything. As for props, it's all about the piece and what I need to convey the thought. The thought is all that matters and the props must fit it but I have a huge love for glass as I think it's so emotive :D

katerina423: I have it under good authority that you are a very talented musician as well as photographer. How do you think your creative forces influence each other?

davenit: It's all the same thing really - art is art. I came from a very musical family and started playing guitar when I was 12. The outlet I found in music carried over to photography, but music will always be my one true love - my best friend in the world. Photography is slowly gaining on it though.

kkart: Dave what drives you as a photographer? What keeps you shooting?

davenit: Oh I have to do this stuff. There's no way I couldn't. I have all this stuff built up in my brain and have to get it out. It's a need to share without using words. I'm not really good with words. I'm always guarded but with photography I don't have to be. I can just let my feeling flow. It keeps me sane :D

majcy92: Hi :) It's said that in the beginning of your career you'd spend 40-60 hours a week in your basement taking photos. What I'd like to know is, how did your family 'cope' with that?

davenit: I got divorced. LOL! It wasn't because of that of course, but I'm sure it had something to do with it. It was a complete obsession and it couldnt' be stopped. Sometimes things in life are bigger than you are, and you have to follow your heart. Art is in my heart and always has been. I know that probably sounds pretty selfish but I couldn't go off my path.

dancetoyoursong: Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question! I was wondering if there's ever been a time where you've had an idea that you didn't have the resources to carry out. If so, how did you deal with that?

davenit: OMG... when I first started I had all these ideas and didn't have the technical knowledge to shoot. I wrote them all down in a journal. I sketched them out. I did a series on censorship. I had to come back to it 2 years later to shoot it. At that point I had the understanding of light to make it happen. The best thing you can do is not rush it. Realize what you can and can't do and when the time is right... do it!!!! Yeah, it's all about passion. The want to do it to the best of your ability and not just saying "well it's ok". Yeah, I've kept journal since I was a kid. Not just day to day stuff but life altering stuff [and] I go back to them often for ideas. Most of my conceptual stuff is about my life... The struggles, the pain, the joy. It all comes from my experience. :D If you look at my gallery you're seeing my life. That's the great thing about art in general. You can get to know someone without really knowing them. It's a great thing!!!!

diamond281: If you could give one piece of advice to a new concept photographer - what would it be?

davenit: I get asked that a lot... I give seminars, guest shots at uni's and all sorts of interviews and my answer is always the same...be honest. Honesty shows through. If you want to be a conceptual artist you have to put your ass on the line. You have to show people parts of yourself that most wouldn't want to. The biggest issue I see with most conceptual people is that they go too deep. They try to define a pic to an N'th degree and most don't see it. You have to be more general. You have to give the people enough info to understand but leave enough wiggle room that they can put themselves in the frame. I have a pic called "cancer". It was all about my mother dying from it and my father having it. I could have made it something really refined and very topic specific to my family but I wanted to leave it open enough that anyone that has ever been touched by that crippling freaking disease could grab on to and feel.

katerina423: You have a very special gift for bringing emotions out of inanimate objects. I never thought I could feel the things I do looking at your glass, etc. What made you start shooting objects instead of people (which is where most people start... which may be the answer ;) )?

davenit: Honestly, and I know this might rub some the wrong way, but I find shooting people in conceptual pieces too easy. You want sad? Show someone crying. Happy? Show them smiling. I wanted to show emotion in something emotionless. It's so much harder. And I can't stand skin tones. ROFL. I've tried shooting them and they just piss me off. Now I don't want to take anything away from artists who shoot people. I can't do it. But I just wanted to express my self with things that are expressionless. I guess it's a way of constantly testing myself [and] imprint yourself a bit on them?

kkart: Most people don't know this but you are also a very accomplished nature photographer, which style do you personally prefer more? Conceptual photography or nature photography?

davenit: Wow... tough one. I've always looked at it this way... I shoot concepts to let people know how I feel and what I want them to know about me. I shoot nature for myself. I rarely show my nature stuff because it's kind of my 'get away from the business' stuff. I get to go out by myself and just enjoy the world around me. I love nature photography. It's a total passion of mine, but it's very personal to me. The light in a rain storm is usually incredible. Water brings out the best in light. Yeah, I removed a lot of my nature stuff from the inet. I've been pigeon holed as a conceptual guy and it was always being compared to my concept stuff and taken down a rung. So I decided to keep it personal and just shoot for my own enjoyment.

$majcy92: For me, beeing a conceptual photographer means you have to be very creative and innovative. Where do you come up with your ideas? Do they just pop-up or do you have to make researches before you start taking photos on a certain theme?

davenit: I find idea's everywhere. The news, my life, my friends lives. They are always thought out long in advance. Some come quicker than others. Some take years before I shoot them. It should never be rushed. If you get an idea today and it totally rocks you world then shoot it tomorrow; if not, sit on it. My images are in my brain to the smallest detail before I shoot them. Then it's just a matter of clicking the shutter.

timberclipse: First off, let me say thank you so much for being here today and talking with us. It really is an honor to speak with you, especially as a student only in High School. I have been doing photography and videography for a couple of years now, but I am just starting off my career as a photographer, and videographer. What suggestions do you have from your experiences for a new photographer? What is one thing you would suggest to never (or always) be sure of?

davenit: First off you've very welcome and it's my priviledge. And to your point...Give. Give until it hurts. Practice and understand how light works. I spent hours upon hours testing lighting and how a simple move can make a world of difference. Photography isn't easy. Light is impossible [and] to understand how it works you need to be always looking. How does nature light things? How a simple shadow changes a piece totally. I use to spend 40 hours a week just on test shots. I did that for years. You get out what you put in. It has to totally envelop you. [Someone asked when he started shooting] - I started shooting when I was 40. I'm an old guy. I've been shooting for 9 years. The first 3 years was spent shooting thousands of images but only showing a few. I think the total immersion into it helped me move along pretty quick. Most don't spend that much time banging away in a studio. Light is the key to everything in a studio.... well no that's wrong...light is the key to everything in photography.

diamond281: Personally, my favourite piece of art of yours is "Brainstorm." Do you mind chatting to us how you went around to actual create the photograph?

davenit: Brainstorm is probably my favorite piece. I have a huge print of it on my living room wall lol. Ok, here's the tale. I was talking with a neighbor one day in his yard, just chatting about stuff, typical Sunday afternoon in suburbia. His son was in the front yard just sitting there in the grass, acting sorta strange. I had just moved into the neighborhood and really didn't know anyone. The kid was sorta mumbling to himself. I asked him if his son was ok. He then told me he was autistic. I've never had any experience with an autistic child before this. We talked more about it and then the father said to me..."I feel so bad for him. There's a storm going on in his brain all the time but he can't let it out". That struck me so hard and to see the look on the dad's face. It was so much pain, sadness but yet hope. I shot this piece 3 days later and I've had so much response to it... mostly kids with Aspergers. It's made me feel so wonderful that so many can understand and connect with it. One of my proudest moments. I don't think I'll ever top that piece and I won't even try.

katerina423: Will you shoot with me if I promise to lay real still and pretend I'm an object? Just kidding.. you don't have to answer that.. unless you want to take up the offer! My real question: How do you think your process (technically, emotionally, etc) is different now than it was in the beginning?

davenit: ROFLMAO!!! I'll shoot you anytime doll! [To answer your real question], it's so much harder now. That's why I don't come out with much new stuff anymore. In the beginning it was easy, I had all these ideas. So many it was ridiculous and I've blown threw so many of them. Now, while technically easier to do, I keep trying to get deeper and deeper and that makes the process harder and harder. I find that I just can't shoot 'happy' anymore - there has to be more to it and that kind of soul searching is infinitely harder and more time consuming. Does that make sense? I've actually barely shot in the last year or year and a half. I take long breaks a lot. Recharge the batteries.

kkart: What is the scariest experience you have ever had while shooting?

davenit: LOL... I almost set my house on fire. God what picture was it...one sec...(this is the image. That's one of those big pots burners you deep fry turkeys in. I was smart enough to have a fire extinguishers handy. The roof still has burn marks in it. Really, really bad. In nature though...I have a shot called hidden falls, I think I still have it up here. I fell and broke my tail bone but continued shooting the whole day. The pain the next day was pretty frightening.

majcy92: When I first saw your work based on theme 7 Sins, specially Envy, I was jaw-dropping! I wonder why did you use glasses as your main material?

davenit: That was my first real series I shot. I wanted to do something off the wall. Everyone shoots the 7 sins. It's been shot a trillion times. I wanted to try and convey them in glass, comp and color. I love glass. I think it's so emotive, but you have to work to get it right. I guess I always try to push myself beyond my ability and that series definitely did. The lighting was something special I did and had never seen it done before so it sort of pumped me up. It was so much fun.

devioslittlemiss101: Hey and thanks. when did you first start taking pictures? And what or who was your biggest inspiration? What kind of lenses do you use when you take pictures?

davenit: I 'really' started taking pics 9 years ago. I dabbled in my early 20's but it was nothing really. My biggest inspiration on a pro level is Dali, Gordin, Rouse, Man Ray, but on a personal level is a guy named Mike Malloy (vipermike on dA I think). He became a friend quick and would tell me if something I was doing was good or garbage. Plus he's a brilliant artist. I use purely primes in the studio, 50 and 100, nothing else.

diamond281: What's your favourite piece of artwork that you've seen here on deviantART?

davenit: wow holy crap. There was this one guy. I think bittesweet something or another. It was a guy curled up on the fetal possition with a whole bunch of printout of hands pointing at him. God I wish I had a memory, but I remember seeing that shot and just saying 'holy shit that's powerful'. (Here is the photo). I love that picture. That kid really had it. I don't know if he shoots much anymore but damn he has a gift. That image is eveyrthing you can strive for in conceptual imagery: thought before clicking; feeling that can be translated; power of light - you name it, it's got it. Damn I wish I had shot that.

katerina423: Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were already pretty successful when you joined dA... what drove you to join this community and then participate as heavily as you have?

davenit: I've loved dA since I found it. I love great art and dA houses a TON of it. I love the sharing that goes on here and the ability to see what's new and on the horizon, and also, for me it's like a home of art. Being an older guy, it's nice to be around kids who have the energy that I think art needs. No passions run deeper than people in their teens and 20's. I feed off it.

kkart: What's in your camera bag? What items couldn't you shoot without?

davenit: I shoot almost religiously with my 1d mkIII. I have a 1ds mkII (the 21 mpx one) but like the 1d better for color and contrast. Indoors the 50 and 100 primes. Outdoors the 24-70, 70-200, 300 (f4 & 2.8), and 600. Depending on the day I'll decide if I want to lug the 2.8. And if I'm birding the 600 f4 comes out. I don't mess much with gels. I love stacking ND's. I think I have every piece of glass Canon makes, wish I had gone with Nikon though, I like their glass better. My camera bags are silly but I figure you gotta have all the tools you can. I'm a lucky guy. I've been blessed in so many ways. Being able to fund my gear psychoness by the stuff I create is really an amazing thing that I never take for granted.

majcy92: What is be the question that you'd never answer?

davenit: Wow. Hold on I gotta think about that one. On days that I'm in the dumps, when someone asked me how I am, it's always fine. I guess that's why I take pics because I can't talk about being down, and I guess that's why most of my pics are sort of dark.

milotic1406: Hey Dave! When you're faced with all the possible things to capture, how do you decide what you want to see in your work?

davenit: I work really strange... I create a picture in my mind. I wish I could tell you how that happens but I can't. It just sort of forms. I think about it for a long time. It morphs a bit so when it comes time to shoot I'm not trying to create something as much as recreate something. It's a really strange process. I've always said 'the shots done I just have to shoot it". It's just the way my brain works I guess.

diamond281: In photography on deviantART, there's always a debate on how much photoshop could/should be used before it becomes photo manipulation. What's your opinion?

davenit: OH powder keg, LOL, but a good question. I think photography is a proud and amazing medium and I'll be the first to admit I'm an old school kinda guy. I, personally, think that the camera should capture what you see and want to convey. If I need to alter something I reshoot. I think the real problem is that creative editors, photomanipulators, whatever, want to be called photographers. I don't undestand why they find 'digital artist' or whatever title to be a degrading remark. I love digital art. I tihnk it's amazing and I have tons of it on my walls, but photography to me is showing what the camera see's. The argument is always "well photoshop does what darkrooms do". If you could only see what Misha Gordin goes through or Jerry Uelsmann to get a print you'd change your mind quick. Misha has images that use 100 negatives. He uses 30x40 projectors and creates masks that size out of 2x4's, balsa wood and takes Months for one print. In the end though, art is art, and really who cares how it's created as long as it's good.

kkart: If you didn't do photography, do you think you would do another form of visual art such as painting or drawing?

davenit: One of the greatest sadnesses I have is that I can't draw for shit. I would give up everything I do in the art world to be able to draw. I think it's the greatest and most noble of the arts. You can totally create from your mind without any limitations. Total freedom. I can't draw a freaking stick figure.

majcy92: Have you ever felt like you'd been artistically blocked, meaning without inspiration?

davenit: Oh hell, all the time. I took 18 months off once, didn't even touch a camera. I had a block early and tried to shoot thru it and created garbage. I've learned to just let it happen. I don't let it bother me anymore. I find other things to do when it does happen (music, friends, looking at art as apposed to creating it) and when I feel like shooting again I do. Yeah, forcing art is the worst thing you can do. It creates more bad vibes. Just let it happen. When it's time to create again you'll know.

Silvanne: "How did you end up with your actual style? Do you take someone as a reference, someone you'd like to be like when taking pictues?"

davenit: No, actually. My style is my own I guess. I have no idea how it happened but it just did. I think having no formal training of any sort helped me generate my own vision. I know it sounds sorta arrogant but my stuff is my stuff. Most people can recognize it in an instant. For good or for bad I guess. LOL. I'm really proud of that. I had a write up in the NY Times and the reviewer said "no matter what you think of his art, it's unmistakeably his". It's been called surealistic pop - I guess that would be about the best. I don't really know how to categorize it. It's just me I guess.

diamond281: I love the idea of using coloured liquids in photography. What do you use to create that?

davenit: Oh it's just water and food coloring. When I do something with blood in it it's corn syrup and food coloring. Learning how to mix food coloring to get alternate colors is fun. It takes a lot of testing.

majcy92: Having the last question is an honour, so I'll try my best. Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?

davenit: Wow, I don't really know. Probably doing what I do. I know that the public will burn out on my stuff eventually if they haven't already. But I never really did this for anyone but me so I'll just keep doing what I do. Keep trying to grow but never lose sight of how much I love photography. How powerful a medium it is and how much fun I have doing it!!!!

tachy-on: Well, this has been awesome. Thanks so much Dave for your answers and your insight tonight! I know everyone has really appreciated this time with you, and I want to thank you personally for being here.

davenit: Thanks to everyone. I had so much fun. Thanks Peter.

Note: this transcript was edited for clarity.