Jan Isachsen

I am a Norwegian freelance editorial photographer, doing mostly travel photography; a member of National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in London.

This fall (2009) I am moving back to Geneva, Switzerland after a three-year stay in North Africa.

Photography takes up most of my life; I am even dreaming about it at night. Photo has always been my dearest hobby, and I believe a person doesn’t have to be bored in life as long as the camera is coming along. You can dump me off in a desert and I’ll keep myself busy looking at and find something beautiful or interesting to snap pictures of.

For me the most important in photography isn’t the hardware (gear) but what goes on inside the brain of the person behind the camerar. To learn the art of SEEING is the most important skill in photography. The camera should be used so much that it becomes one with the shooter.

Personal work is important. It can be going out without any planned pictures in mind, or for example to follow shadows, backlight or other interesting ways of taking pictures. Another word ifor this s exercise.

Sports athletes and performing artists exercise/train daily or weekly to learn more and to stay sharp, so should photographers do (also including professional photographers to get up from deep ruts and bad old habits).

Going out one day with only a 28mm lens on the camera or a zoom set to the same focal length to shoot all pictures that day is an excellent way to train/exercise ones photographic skills. It forces us to move around, step to the side, up and down to find the best shooting angle. Standing at one point and zoom a lens in and out is not the smartest way to work.

I have also learned the hard way that a background can make or break a picture. Before even raising the camera, a proper background should be chosen or picture composed (by a rapidly mobile photographerr) so that the background plays with and not competes with the main subject that is photographed.

My photographic style is to try avoiding posed and staged photos; as for me the real world is dramatic enough. If shooting people I spend enough time around them to be able to raise my camera when the person is in the right mood or in position for me to take an interesting image. I see myself as an observer and don’t want to be the center of interest by for example giving directions.

That should sum up my take on the great art of taking pictures. I am looking forward to spend my time here at fotocommunity.com.