Photographer on Wheels

October 18th, 2011

Most photography-themed sites highlight the best of the best in the photo industry. While that may be very inspirational for budding photographers, there are many who feel a bit intimidated by the laundry list of expensive equipment it takes to get those “perfect” shots. If you are like many people out there whose 9 to [...]

If you are like many people out there whose 9 to 5 isn’t in a photo studio, you simply work with what you have and try to find the time to perfect your craft.

I was fortunate enough to come across a photographer in my Flickr group who works as a truck driver and happens to be a pretty good photographer. I caught up with him recently so I could find out a little bit more about this diamond in the rough.

Besides having the opportunity to see some of your great photos in Flickr, what really caught my attention was the fact that you are a truck driver. Most people typically do not associate the two together. First, how long have you been driving a truck?

Since 1994 of and on I also drive a Taxi Cab when out of work driving a truck.

At what point in your life did you first become serious with your photography?

When I bought my first DSLR,and when I began to understand how the camera and the computer were important to processing the image.

In your bio you mentioned that you are currently in the Detroit area and many of your pictures reflect that fact. What picture(s) would you say is the closest to capturing the esscence of the city? Why?

Page 31 of my Flickr profile page and look for “Walking in the Fog”. I’m going to chose that photo.

Cass Technical High School is where that student is going. This student is walking to that school in this picture. The students who do not take the bus have to walk through “Skid Row”to get to one of the premier public high schools in the nation. That is one hell of a learning curve. This photograph captures what was is and will be.

Tell me about your phtography gear.

The first camera that I owned was a Kodak Instamatic I received as a gift. While in the US Navy, I bought a Olympus OM10. That is when I began to try to get a handle on photography. Due to some personal setbacks, I was out of photography for close to twenty years. Now I have the Nikon D-50, D200, and a fully manual Nikon FM-10 Film camera. For lenses I have the Nikkor 50mm 1.8, 18-55mm 3.5-5.6(Kit), and the Quantaray 70-300mm 3.5-5.6 Macro. I also have various filters that I use from time to time. For photography books, I have three that I have found to be very useful : “Lighting Photo Workshop” by Chris Bucher, “Composition Photo Workshop” by Blue Fier, and “Exposure Photo Workshop” by Jeff Wignall. I also have an assortment of other books and magazines that I use for instruction and inspiration.

I noticed that you also like to play around a little bit with tone mapping/HDR. How do you determine which pictures you are going to process with tone mapping/HDR?

Color. The more the better. Highlights and shadow.

Who are some of your influences?

Members of the Belle Isle Camera Club, and my Flickr contacts.

What would you say are some of most interesting places to take pictures in the city?

Where the Sun touches the City.

Sterling is part-time photographer and a full-time husband and father. As a photographer, he has learned a number of basic tips along the way that he enjoys sharing every chance he gets. His specialty is helping newbies become the best that they can be with what they currently have. He is not only the main contributor to our blog but part of the Zoner family. He is based in our office in Atlanta, Georgia.

Tags: city, color, Detroit, HDR, inner-city, Michigan, photography, tone map, truck driver

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