Presenting… - ~DrNoPlan

~DrNoPlan has been in dA for only a year, but he is already very well known in the photojournalism gallery. His black and white works are very powerful and vibrating! Welcome to his realm...

What makes you, YOU?

My name is Holger and I live in a midsize town, in Southwestern Germany. I'm a digital imaging pro, graphic designer and secondary I drive a cab.

Since you drive a cab I imagine there must have been many odd situations and scenes that you had happening just in front of you (or behind). Do you think that being able to witness such human experiences and stories may have had a part - in some way – in building your photographic vision?

Oh yes, I have sometimes very crazy situations, especially in the nights. Most of them are very funny stories. This job has no real influence to my photographic vision, but sometimes I wish I could build in my cam on a tripod, for capturing nice scenes. But I can't do that. What I want to do is, to shoot a little story about the drivers. Three shots are already in my gallery.

Do you feel like an anthropologist?

Do you ask that in relation to my cab job? If yes, sometimes you are more than that. A cab driver is a priest; psychologist; mentor; the man from the forecast and so on. It's sometimes amazing what customers are telling and asking you. In any way, you have to be able to handle with all the people. If not, you're lost - therefore you are a little anthropologist too.

When did your interest with photography begun?

In 1980 I purchased my first SLR, a Pentax K 1000 but it burned with our house in a very cold November night to a crisp. The new one was a Pentax MV. This cam I own till today, but I don't capture anymore with it.

Lots of my friends began in the early 1980s with photography, so we can say it was a "must be". We also had a course in our school. Later I had my own cheap black and white lab. As I remember, I killed a lot of films, because the lab was too poor. Around 1984 I stopped for 16 years, because I hadn't the money for good equipment, by feeling to be not talented enough.

In the year 2000 I made a trip during Andalusia (Spain). For this journey I purchased a new cam. It was a Canon EOS 300 (Rebel). I don't remember how much color slides I made. But I have to admit the results have been more tourist photography than something else. One year later I made trip over 12,000 km (7,456 miles) during Southern Canada. I came back with over 1,700 color slides and much better results, because I purchased for this journey a Canon EOS 3 camera with better lenses and on the other side I improved my technique. Unfortunately in 2004 I had to sell my equipment, because I needed money - damn it. Two very long years I couldn't make any capture and I felt often very unhappy, when I have seen a nice theme.

Anyway, in 2006 I was able to purchase my first digital equipment. And the digital photography is really mine. The first captures were nature themes again. But I was quickly bored to cover nature, because the world is captured. So my work became more journalistic - and that is important, my work became black and white again. Just like my first experiences in the early 1980s. But there is no comparison with that, what I do today.

What is Photojournalism to you?

Difficult to give a good answer. Maybe to capture what not every photographer does. In every case, trying to freeze the perfect moment.

Who inspires you?

I'm surely inspired by my oldest friend Ralf, also here on dA aka *RaMiBru

What do you most like about photojournalism?

Clearly, to observe a scene.

Would you trade it for any other photographic genre or even for any other medium?

The simple answer is never.

Have you ever had your work published in a news journal/magazine, etc? How did it made you feel?

Yes, I had some work published in a local paper. But this paper is more minor, so I wasn't really proud.

What is your favourite photojournalism photo of yours?

Any question? "Showtime" of course!

Have you ever had any issues while making photojournalism? What was your biggest challenge towards photojournalism?

I never had big troubles, but one real challenge. Imagine, you have a big black cam and you look like a professional but you have no official accreditation to shoot. At my place we have an annual horseshow and in 2006 I had the idea to make some pics. I paid the normal fee. But is it possible to shoot on the show-jumping course? Yes! I walked simply on the course and did my work. Nobody, nor the chiefs, nor the Stuarts asked me for my permission. 2007 the same game. Last year I got an official accreditation with the advantage to get beer for free.

Is there any photojournalist you admire - in dA and/or in Real Life?

It is indeed my oldest friend Ralf; we shoot very often together the last three years. I think this is one of his very best captures:
It's scaring that he couldn't showcase his AIDS series here and in other communities anymore.

Why dA?

A friend told me about dA and once a day I joined. After three month’s membership: devrhapsouldize: discovered my work and I became a little bit more popular. My favorite part here on dA is photography - what else? And I would tell the world that dA is an amazing place, because we can showcase our work to the world. I have to tell offline people about dA, because here they can watch my main gallery.

Who would you like to see interviewed next?

~grebille

Could you share your 10 best tips with the community?

1. Observe the scene
2. Be patient
3. Look for a perspective
4. No telephoto lens if it's not necessary
5. Avoid mainstream shots
6. Pay attention to the light
7. In concerts, don't disturb
8. Sometime it's a good idea to ask for a photo
9. Do anything for good capture. E.g. to stay in a river
10. The most important thing are your eyes

Best regards - Holger

Thank you very much for everything, Holger!

More Interviews:

PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #1 [estudio]
PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #2 [Ramibru]
PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #3 [Obsidian-Fox]
PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #4 [hersley]

PHOTOJOURNALISM & RESOURCES:

Latest CR update for Photojournalism
[CR] Fear No More! #1
[PhotoJournalism] Community Choice #2
Presenting... Our Collection: Great Photojournalism in dA
Welcome to Photojournalism - resources & inspiration
Public photo critique - call for entries

+ more useful links in [CR] Fear No More! #1 (the second link of this section)



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