This is another one of the new ideas we had, to have spotlight a member from our club, *Acknowledge-Me, once a week. Spotlighted members are picked somewhat randomly, so please do NOT send us a note nominating someone to spotlight. Congrats to *confusedduh for being our first spotlighted member!

We thought that this was a good idea, and hope our members find it a good idea as well.

Interview Bit:

First name? Dan

Age? 21 last April

Describe yourself in three words: Smart, dorky, open-minded

Describe your photographs in one word or a few: Colorful/Contrastful

How did you become interested in photography? My friend Dan, froggynaan, handed me a spare camera and we went up to a butterfly farm--I haven't put down a camera since.

What are you most interested in as a subject for your photos? I tend for stationary objects--flowers, doors, bugs. I love angles and I love macro. For me, portraits must be candid--they give so much more emotion that way.

Do you have any other talents? If so, what are they? Is chemistry a talent? If not, I've been told I cook well (guess that goes back to my chemistry). But I've always been blessed with a good education and a good brain--something I'm always thankful for.

What do you do in your spare time besides photography? I'm in my senior year of college so I have my classes, I also tutor a lot and have a few jobs on campus. Other than that, I read, go out with friends, etc.

What is it about photography that you love? I'm horrible at creating with my hands--photography lets me express some of my ideas without having to be adept with hand-work. I also love how it captures a specific moment in time--something that can never be returned. As far as I'm concerned, it's the closest thing we have to a time machine.

Name a few of your deviations that are personal favorites. My portrait Wishing on a Star was a candid and the expression is so pure, I love it. I'm most proud of which was very tough to do and came out so well with perfect luck and a good shutter (on a point and shoot camera too!). Most of all though, I can't get over the uniqueness I captured in Sip whether or not it's technically perfect or not, I was so happy to capture something that a normal eye doesn't get to see.

Which photograph has the most meaning? Of the ones above? Flying to Seattle. For people who get so caught up in lenses and cameras, etc. etc.--it doesn't always take A-plus equipment to take a good photo or to capture a scene. Sometimes it really is the photographer, and I believe with a bit of experience everyone can take a picture they are proud of with the most basic equipment. So don't disparage if you don't have the latest and greatest lens--learn how to use what you have and how to use it well.

When are you the most inspired? At the most random times! There really is no logic to my inspiration. Sometimes ideas just pop into my head. Other times, I'll see something, get an idea, pull out of my camera, and that's that. There is no method to my madness.

If you could go anywhere in the world to take photographs, where would it be? The Old World... Italy. The colors, the foods, the culture--everything I could ever want to shoot is there. If I were to shoot there I'd do my best to produce photographs that people could almost smell, taste, hear, and touch.

Deviations by *confusedduh picked by himself (They definitely deserve more favorites!):



















Please remember that if you favorite a pic, I'm sure a comment would be appreciated as well.


Did you enjoy this article? Would you like your photos to be faved and commented on more? Then join our rapidly growing, friendly, and extremely active club, *Acknowledge-Me. It's a great way to learn new things, meet other great photgraphers, and keep your inspiration going with frequent contests, theme weeks and more. Want to join? All you have to do is click 'Watch this deviant' and bam! It's as easy as that."