Presented as part of the Animals, Plants and Nature Week on deviantART

As part of the APN week on deviantART I have the pleasure in presenting an interview that =lowapproach kindly agreed to. =lowapproach is one of the best Landscape photographers on deviantART and is well worth devwatching. I have placed some of George's favorite images through the interview.

Again, the basics first

Name: George Saad
Location: Ohio
Occupation: Eastman Kodak

What photography education do you have and what equipment did you start with and when?

I think I am self motivated more than I am self taught however when I became interested in Photography approximately two years ago I purchased a few "how to" books and photography magazines, I analyzed a lot of work of Famous photographers as well as a few photographers here on deviantART, I also did a lot of shooting, experimented with various set ups, and reviewed my images many times over.

What camera equipment do you favour now?

My equipment have not changed that much since I started except for the addition of my Sigma 10-20mm last year, I own a Nikon D50 which I love however I do think that the camera doesn’t take the pictures, the photographer does. The vision is what creates the image, and that is what moves people. so I say it's the double lens camera built into my brains that is of most importance. here is a break down of the equipment I use:

Nikon D50
Nikkor 18-55mm
Tamron 70-300mm
Sigma 10-20mm
Tripod: Manfrotto 728B
Head: Manfrotto 390RC2

HOYA Circular Polarizing PL
Cokin Graduated Grey G1 light ND1
Cokin Graduated Grey G2 light ND2
Cokin Graduated Grey 121
Cokin Graduated Grey 120
Cokin Graduated Tobacco 124
Cokin Graduated Blue B1

by `gilad

What is your favorite style of photography and what made you specialise in it?

Nature/landscape. The sheer satisfaction I get from being surounded by total calmness in nature to me is such an unmatched feeling, so to capture an image of what I see and how I feel at the time brings me to a total emotional climax! and to be able to evoke emotions or feelings in someone and to move people and inspire them is my ultimate prize.

by *werol

How much preparation do you put into getting an image? Are they preplanned in terms of the best time of day or season and checking the location first? How often would you revisit a location to get the image that you are really satisfied with?

Oddly enough I do without any preparation, I go out on impulse, however, a cloudy "moody" sky almost always stirs my urges to go on shooting trips. I find photography to be a huge outlet to express my emotional state therefore my work is inspired by my mood and is created with my passion to the beauty of nature that is all around us.

by `foureyes

What post processing do you do to the raw images, what software do you use?

I shoot in RAW and I use Phase one C1 pRO to process my work then I switch to Photoshop which gives me total control over my images such as increasing/decreasing contrast and saturation and adjusting tonal values. The vibrancy of color and contrast in my shots is part due to working with 16-bit vs 8-bit digital files, and finally I switch to Photomatix (in some cases) to bring out the hidden details in the shadowed area of a frame.

What future plans do you have or projects you want to accomplish?

I am so passionate about photography and absolutely driven to capture the next rare moment, I want people to see, to remember and to change through my images so expect good thing form me in the near future.

by *robertmekis

What are your thoughts about deviantART?

Without deviantART I perhaps would have never pursued photography as much as I did, I must give DA full credit for my progression as a photographer.

Which deviantArt APN photographers stand out in your mind and which images do you consider their best work?

There are many talented photographers here on dA such as `foureyes, `gilad, *robertmekis, *angelreich, *werol and =Konijntje to name a few that have inspired me and still do.

by :angelreich:

What is your opinion on post-processing, especially enhancing pictures?

I think that Digital editing is necessary it's the modern darkroom, it's how you breathe life into a photo. Film and/or digital sensors don't nearly have the dynamic range of our eyes, so you need to bring that sense of reality back into the image using image editing tools to get a photo to render real life and I must add that it is totally up to the artist as of how much to do so.
by =Konijntje

If you were to mentor someone just beginning in photography what advice would you give them?

Be bold. Be original. Be different. Let your mind wonder free, share the beauty of this world and most of all see with your heart.

I finally asked George for his own personal favorite image from his gallery and he offered me this beautiful image



Many thanks for taking the time to respond to the interview George, it is very much appreciated.



This News article forms part of the Animals, Plants and Nature Week on deviantART

Please refer to the main APN Week Diary which will be updated all week to keep up with any changes.


We look forward to seeing you in the #WildnFree Animals, Plants and Nature chatroom.



best regards
^KevLewis
Gallery Director for
Animals, Plants and Nature