Presenting... *digitalgrace -

" *digitalgrace has an entire gallery worthy of Daily Deviations. Many of his works remind me of the great American documentary photographers of the 1930s. Apart from his exceptional photographs, he also provides detailed information to accompany each piece." ~ testimony by =Eliza-mac





In January of 2007 he started a photography club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida called South Florida Camera Club. They hold meetings on the first and third Thursdays of the month, and have an art gallery party the second Friday of every month. They also do field trips, parties and other events. If you live in South Florida you should check them out and if you don’t, they highly recommend you join one in your area or create one yourself. You’re more than welcome to contact him to see how he did it, and you should also check out their website: [link]

So... what makes you, you…?

What makes me “me” is a pretty hard question to answer. I’m Danny Hammontree and I’ve had a pretty interesting life so far. I was born in Miami, Florida in 1970 with the normal mom and dad type scenario. Soon after my sister was born a year later my mother and father split up.
When I was four years of age my mother, sister and I moved to a hippy type commune tucked away in the mountains of North Carolina called “The Way, The Truth and The Life”, but we just called it “The Way”. In the four years we lived in the commune we grew our own food and kept animals like goats, sheep, pigs, chicken and even rabbits for the meat on our dinner table. The commune became very religious and we soon went from being Catholic to being born again Christians. We had to ask this Jesus guy into our hearts if we wanted to go have dinner with him in heaven, which could happen in the blink of an eye and when we least expected it. Ironically I don’t believe in any super natural beings today.
We moved to Dallas, Texas when I was eight, and then back to South Florida soon after when my mother was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. Because of my mother’s problems with her mental health we were always very poor financially. Many hardships followed in the years to come, and I believe these hardships are what shaped my view of the world. I also believe the time we lived up in the commune and my memories of those times have shaped my perspectives in a very deep way.
I’ve been a father for fifteen years, a firefighter for twelve years, and a married to my wife Shannon for eleven years. There are many stories I could tell about being a husband that have shaped who I am, and there are many stories I could tell about being a firefighter that have shaped who I am, but it is being a father that has had the most profound effect on me.

When was the first time you had a camera in your hands?

I was in high school when I first developed an interest in photography. My interest was inspired because a girl I was liked was taking a photography class. My mother couldn’t afford a camera so I didn’t take that class, but I would read magazines about photography in 7-Eleven.
Oddly enough I never had a real camera till a year after my son Aidan was born. While my wife Shannon was pregnant with him I went out and bought a video camera so I could record his birth. After he was born I started recording everything he did! I soon became overwhelmed with the amount of video I had and all the hours it took to edit it. I then started researching digital SLRs and fell in love with the Nikon D100. The first photo I took with it was of my daughter Sierra on October 1st 2002.
I’ve tried to understand why I love photography so much but it’s really hard to rationalize. I know I feel like a hunter when I go out shooting my Nikons. I love the the feedback I get from people that like my work, and I love looking through my images and seeing the moments I’ve captured that will never happen again.

What is Photojournalism to you?

I’ve called myself a photojournalist and I’ve called myself a documentary photographer. I’m not too sure what the difference is but I like the way documentary photographer rolls off the tongue. I believe I tell a story with my photos and hopefully inspire compassion for the people I photograph. I also try to get people thinking about things they may not otherwise think about. I love the way heated debate is inspired by these photos and perhaps a change in one’s heart.

When did you begin to pursue photojournalism and who inspired you to?

I first got into photojournalism because of my distaste of George W. Bush and my hatred for the war he started in Iraq. Many anti-war protests were popping up around South Florida and I thought it would be great to go photograph these events. The photographer I’m most inspired by is James Nachtwey whom I first learned of by watching a documentary called “War Photographer”.

What do you most like about photojournalism? Would you trade it for any other photographic genre or even for any other medium?

I guess the thing I love most about photojournalism is the capturing of events or persons that are historically important. I believe photojournalistic photos never grow old and should be cherished.
The other type photography I’m really into is portraiture and I incorporate it into my photojournalism often. I think people are fascinating!

Have you ever had your work published? How did it made you feel? Do you have some advice to who wants to start being published?

I’ve been published in many magazines, newspapers, photo books, university text books, posters, postcards and websites. It’s made me very happy to be published, especially if I feel the story behind the photo is being told properly. The only advice I can make is to not let these big publications take advantage of you by giving away your photos. The work you do is worth something and these people are going to make money off your work, so you should too!

What is your favorite photojournalism photo of yours?

This is the hardest question ever, but I’m going to have to go with because of the story behind the photo and the profound effect the gentleman in the photo has had on me. You can read all about him in the photos description.

Have you ever had any issues while (or due to) making photojournalism?

I was once attacked by a peace activist (ironically) and then accused of being an informant for the FBI after having her arrested for assaulting me. For quite a while all you’d find online if you googled my name was the story about how I’m an FBI informant trying to destroy the peace movement. I’ve never really been fearful of any situation I’ve been in while photographing. When I first started photographing events I was a bit uncomfortable shooting alone, so I would go out with other photographers I know. These days I’d rather do it alone.

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

The photojournalist I admire most is of course James Nachtwey, and unfortunately he’s not on dA. As far as dA goes it’s very difficult for me to choose just one person but I can name one country that I see some incredible photojournalism coming out of, and that would be Turkey.
Below are some of my favorite Turkish photographers.

*erdalkinaci
*oscarsnapshotter
~alienatedspacemonkey
~cerenceren
~muhabiri
~migrant

How did you find dA?

I found out about dA from my friend Crissy ~ghosts She started using dA in 2001 under another account name and I stared using dA in 2002 under another account name as well. dA was really the only good photography/art site going back then, and in my opinion it is still the best. I guess my favorite thing about dA is the community and the caliber of the artist here.

Who would you like to see interviewed next?

~migrant

Could you share your 10 best tips with the community?

1. Mix your passion of photography with the other passions in your life.
2. Join photography/camera clubs in your area.
3. If there is not a photography/camera club in your area, start one!
4. Learn about your subjects.
5. If you don’t know what kind of camera to get, get the kind your friends use.
6. Develop your eye by shooting often.
7. Develop your eye by looking at lots of photography.
8. Don’t give photos away to commercial publications.
9. Ignore people that tell you that your work is genius.
10. Have fun.

Thank you very much, Danny!

MORE Interviews:

• PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #1 [estudio]


• PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #2 [Ramibru]


• PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #3 [Obsidian-Fox]


• PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #4 [hersley]


• PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #5 [DrNoPlan]


• PhotoJournalism Interview(s) #6 [Marie-Aude]

A Chatroom for PJs is born...

Join us at the #Pub - we're still in construction, but you are welcome to join anytime!

Official PhotoJournalism CONTEST!!!

Theme: LIFE

Contest run: May 01, 2009 through August 31, 2009

Prizes
1st: 2yr sub + Fella plushie + Accessory Pack + 100 DevDollars
2nd: 1yr sub + Fella plushie + Accessory Pack + 50 DevDollars
3rd: 1yr sub + Fella plushie + Accessory Pack

All other 3 consolation finalists: 6mth sub.


Read all about it in: [link]


Stamp by =throughHislens aka sean wright !

Regular Journals

Papi Chulo: Pimp!
La Cucaracha:Feat
Featured Deviant
Community Choice
Our Community
PJsList

PHOTOJOURNALISM & RESOURCES:

[CR] Fear No More! #2
Photographers’ self-importance
Latest CR update for Photojournalism
2009's Pulitzer Prizes
Depth of Field: Official Honoree 2009 Webby Awards
[CR] Fear No More! #1
14 Rare Color Photos From the FSA-OWI
[CR] Great Photojournalism in dA: Vol.2
[PhotoJournalism] Community Choice #2
Photo Tips
[PhotoJournalism] Community Choice #1
Voices Around the World: Carnival / Mardi Gras
Presenting... Our Collection: Great Photojournalism in dA
Welcome to Photojournalism - resources & inspiration
9 Tips for Breaking into Photojournalism
World Press Photo 2008/09
PJ: Concerts & Musicians
How and why to charge : Musicians..
So You Think You're A Pro?
National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics
Photojournalism: An Ethical Approach
Photojournalism Best of 2008
World-Changing Photojournalism
PhotoJournalism for 2009
2008 In Photojournalism
DD-ing Photojournalism
Extreme Photojournalism [NC17]
Political Comments
Your Miscat Reports
Photojourna-WUT??
The ABCs of PHOTOJOURNALISM
The ABCs of DEVIANTART
The ABCs of STREET Photography
The ABCs of PORTRAIT Photography
Street and Photojournalism, a comprehensive guide.


Note: The ABC's are personal views so don't take it too seriously.




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