Mr. Sean Mitchell-Henry is based in Barcelona.
How did you get in touch with photography?
As a wedding present my father-in-law gave us a compact digital camera and it provoked a lot of interest in me. Not long later I bought a reflex and became immersed in the world of long late night exposures.I discovered photoshop and then one thing led to another and I realized how little I enjoyed my day job. Despite having no training nor experience, shortly after I resigned to dedicate myself to photography.
How would you characterize your photographic work? Please name four Adjectives.
Spontaneous, Symmetric, Bright, Unassuming
Does analogical photography play an important role in your photographic world?
Not at all apart from being an inspiration. I entered into photography directly in the digital age and so while I aspire to shoot analogical as well in the future I don’t seem to find the time at the moment. This is one of my major regrets – that I entered into photography directly as a job and not a long standing passion over the years. This has meant that I have no choice normally but to shoot to pay the bills and not enough shooting for my creative development and personal projects.
Which characteristics of your own camera are indispensable for you?
I use a Nikon D3 so directly I would have to say that its high ISO capability is fundamental ( it really sets it apart from the rest). Apart from that the key is to use top quality lenses. It makes all the difference.
Imagine you would have an unlimited amount of money. Which equipment you would buy definitively? A top of the range Hasselblad with all the accesories… not to mention a whole bunch of Profoto lighting. Its a difficult question because in reality with unlimited funding I would buy so much that it would just become stupid. I would love an analogical Leica as well… and…etc etc…
Is your work guided by other influences like important photographer or are you shooting without any references?
In general I would say I shoot without references but thats not really possible unless you live in a bubble. At the end of the day I’m influenced by what I see, my colleagues in the studio, the typical great photographers etc etc. Sometimes I find myself standing in front of the advertising at a bus stop for ages just trying to “reverse engineer” the photos – where and what was the light source, if the retouching is badly done…asking myself these questions often reflects later in my work.
An outstanding photo: Coincidence or full intention?
There are pure examples of both in every facet of photography but its normally a nice mix of the two. No matter how much planning I do there is always something which is different from my original idea in the final product. If I’m shooting a person, for example, I generally try to focus on getting them comfortable more than anything else and then letting the postures etc happen naturally. Also I think you have to be flexible sometimes… if you find yourself deviating from the original idea because you’ve felt inspired by a certain look or light… thats perfect!!
What are your next projects?
I’m becoming more and more interested in Product photography and soon I’ll have developed enough material to include it in my WEB page. Its not something that I would have imagined enjoying but I am, so I’ll I’ll definitely explore it. I’m still developing and maturing with the camera ( I hope that it lasts forever) so my projects are normally quite generic while I refine and define my taste. I’m currently working on a food blog as well with my wife – we love to cook and I love to shoot food.
I would also love to shoot for animal rights- I’m crazy about domestic animals like dogs and cats and quite concerned by the amount of them being abandoned. In the future I’m sure I’ll lend a hand with my camera.
10. Leisure time. Camara is at home. Has photography change the point of view of your environment?
Yes and no. I find myself always imagining a picture but ironically I see more pictures when I don’t have the camera at hand. BUT I have found with time that its very useful to leave photography behind and do other things in leisure time. Just as in music the spaces between notes are as important as the notes themselves – in photography time away from the camera is essential to develop as a photographer.
SPOT says: Thank you. For further information please visit web pages:
1. www.seanmitchellhenry.com 2. www.seanfotos.com/bodas/
