Featured Photographer - Jim Pollard

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

Well I have no idea. I recall always being surrounded by people doing it. I think I got my first camera around 10 and my first SLR for my 21st. Actually that poor SLR didn't end well. I was randomly hanging with an old Opium smuggler on the Burmese/Thai border in the middle of a jungle when I thought it would be a good idea to get a pic of the dude and me. I set it up on a tree stump with the shutter timer on. When this freaking monkey came down and swiped it away up into the trees. That was that I thought. But the old geezer thought otherwise and shot the damn monkey with his ancient gun into a cloud of fur, leaves and bits of Canon camera. Bummed.

Anyway, I digress. I got into professional photography when I was in a bit of a rut career wise. I did a 365 project on Facebook and people liked what they saw and started giving me money to take photos of them, their business and stuff. I hated the idea of being a cheesy old wedding photographer, but I did it reluctantly and turned out I liked being a cheesy old wedding photographer.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

Ahhhhhhhhh.

No idea. There's this perception that all I shoot is couples getting cuddly on top of a mountain, but the reality is I shoot the classic wedding images too. I guess if I have to pop it into a box and label it then it has to be Honest Photography. Every image has to make sense in my head, it has to have an authentic place in the context of the day. For example, a ring belongs on a finger. I'm not shooting a commercial for wedding rings, I'm shooting a real life capture of an historic occasion. So I'd rather take an image of a ring in the Best Man's palm or on the actual finger of the groom/bride. Same for the hero shots, I want them to be real and authentic. If they happen to be on a mountain top then I want the couple to have connection to the surroundings i.e. hair blowing around in the wind etc.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN AN IMAGE?

I'm drawn to 2 main things: framing and light. I love all light, super hard nuclear to cinematic twilight. I want to be able to make the most of it all. I'm also really particular about framing and lines. It needs to look intentional to me, not lucky.

WHAT INSPIRES OR MOTIVATES YOU?

Fundamentally, providing for my family both financially and emotionally. When we went full time photographers it was our only source of income. We had a fat mortgage, two hungry kids and an even hungrier Chocolate Lab, so it had to work - simple as that. But in order to provide I realised very early the only way to succeed is to have 100% ownership of what you do and how you do it. So I ensure every wedding I take on, the way I shoot and the shots I take have to be what I love and get.

WHAT CHALLENGES YOU?

About 10 minutes before the kids need to leave for the school bus and about 10 minutes before they go to bed.

From a photography point of view, staying fresh and excited. I live and work in one of the most stunning spots in the world, I just can't take that for granted. Every shot I take has to feel like it's new and original for the couple and for me.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT OF A WEDDING?

Ah really so many. I love the chillness of the Getting Ready portion with the opportunity to get to know everyone and take some lovely informal images. I dig the Hug Fest after the ceremony - super honest. I love the crazy wack stuff on the dance floor. I guess for me the really special, maybe even most spiritual, is the time when I get to escape with the couple. It's a time when they get to be husband and wife alone for the first time, somewhere really special and I get to capture that. I've had the most incredible intimate experiences with my couples during this time and I feel truly stoked to be able to do so for a living.

OF ALL YOUR IMAGES, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ONE?

Yeah tough question.

I honestly don't know. I suppose there's that one image which kinda propelled us (below). It's a goodun for sure. My favourite hmmm, I just don't know.

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT JIM AND VICKY?

Ah we're just a couple of old Snowboard Bums that are pretty stoked with life. We have 2 beautiful children, an awesome dog, a nice place to live and work and a job we never ever take for granted. I don't want to sound smug in any way, but I think we're pretty happy with our lot.

TELL US ABOUT DVLOP

Yeah good on you DVLOP. I'm always a bit suspicious when presets come out from various sources, but when Ol Gabe got me to try out his set I was pretty impressed. I personally don't believe that a preset out of the box is a one click boom, I think it should be used as solid starting point to build with and make into your own. Now that I have a few more sets from DVLOP to play with I've been able to create a few of my own mongrels made up and to be honest it makes my life a heck of a lot easier. I'm stoked with how well all the sets have been thought out and I dig all the little tools to get things happening. Fav sets would include Samm, Fer, Jonas and Gabe.

MY GEAR

Cameras:

• 2 x Canon 5D Mark IV

Lenses:

• Canon 35mm f/1.4L II
• Canon 85mm f/1.2L II
• Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
• Canon 135mm f/2L

Lighting:

• 3 x Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT

Other:

• Eurocopter AS350

DVLOP Presets:

• Samm Blake's Pale Blue Dot
• Fer Juaristi's Visbons
• Jonas Peterson's Destination
• Gabe McClintock's We Roam The Earth