Interview with Photographer Ilan Bresler
TNTD : First Ilan, I must commend you on your photos specifically your cellphone photos. I'm just beginning to discover the wonders of cellphone photography.
Can you tell us more about your Sony Ericsson K800i and your experience with the camera? Any tricks, tips and suggestions for photographers who may want to experiment.
Ilan Bresler : I don’t have many cell phone photos on my blog, I think the only one is the one you are referring to “Together and Alone”. That photo was taken, as you mention, by Sony Ericsson K800i, and the frame was taken “almost” by mistake.
The K800i belongs to my girlfriend and while we were having our evening walk, I suddenly saw this ‘frame’ in front of my eyes. I’m pretty proud of that frame, because I knew exactly what I’m seeing it and how it will look when I’ll open the file in Photoshop. I was frantic to get the cell phone from my girlfriend’s bag (these bags are huge!) but as soon I got the K800i, I got my cool back and took the frame. Sounds dramatic, but I knew if I won’t have that frame, I’ll ‘eat’ myself for weeks after.
About tricks and suggestions – My first camera was Nikon 3100. A small (tiny!) 3.1megapixel ‘toy’. Sony Ericsson K800i, which is by far not the newest device out there, is 3.2 megapixel. It’s better than my old camera - As soon as I switch the camera function on, it’s no longer a cell phone – it’s a camera, and I treat it accordingly.
TNTD : Love that Edward Hopper inspired photo at McDonald's (shown below), one your website you explain more about flickr but I really want to know more about some other experiences you've had as a photographer using a cellphone.
Do you find it easier to take candid photos of strangers (because you don't seem paparazzi like) or do you find it more difficult?
Ilan Bresler : As I said before, I’m don’t usually use cell phone as a camera - only in cases when I forget my camera at home. However, that experience with the “Together and Alone” frame, surely made me buy myself a pocket camera, in those cases when DSLR is just too big to take along.
Most of my days I go around with a small, fully manual Ricoh GX200.
About candid photos – I think one of the most difficult types of photography, is ‘situational’ photography.
Which is mostly called Street photography.
Many, myself included, have a natural unease taking photos of people on the street, because we feel we are violating a personal space, we don’t want to feel like intruders and we surely don’t want to be “caught” (as if it’s something forbidden!).
I don’t have any solution for this feeling except – practice, practice, practice. 99.99% of the time I use the 17-50mm Tamron lens, which is pretty wide. I hold the camera on chest level, and the wide angle allows me to stand pretty close to my subjects and not appear as if the lens points directly at them.
TNTD : Do you encourage serious photographers to add a cellphone to their arsenal of equipment and if so investing in a 3 megapixel plus cellphone is a minimum?
Ilan Bresler : There is no minimum. Every object that can take a photo, is a tool. Even a paper made pinhole camera is a tool that photographer might use. I’m freak control and I need my fully manual features + RAW, but if those things doesn’t bother you, cell phone is a great way to take photos when the main camera is not around.
TNTD: Are you self-taught or more professionally trained? See a lot of your work to be very natural-looking and mostly you love taking "slices of life photos" which are really great.
Ilan Bresler : Thank you for the compliment :). If ‘self-taught’ means that I don’t have any official photo education, than I guess, I’m self taught. But, it won’t be completely true – I had wonderful teachers - I met many super talented photographers online, which in time, became my friends and ‘photo-mentors’.
I learned something different from each and every one of them. I’m only sorry that none of them has a website I can link to. They influenced me in many ways. One told me about composition, the other, the technical side of photography. One introduced me to Yasuhiro Ishimoto, the other to Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Over the years I bought many photography related books, mainly books of those considered to be “Masters of Photography.” Apart from those photographers I mentioned earlier, I find that in different parts of my life I was influenced by different Masters – Sebastian Salgado, Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Eugene Smith. Also, Israeli photographers like Alex Levac and Vardi Kahana. In-public.com is another great inspiration for me; I visit it almost on a daily basis, going through the photos over and over and over again (Nils Jorgensen is my favorite).
However, the biggest influence was a Russian/Israeli photographer I encountered almost by accident -- Julia Komissaroff.
Her use of a wide angle lens in street photography, the feeling that she is right in the middle of the situation, a part of it, left a very significant impact on me. She made me try and learn to overcome our natural fear of taking photos of people up close.
TNTD : What is your favorite photo? Can you share the circumstance of that photo?
Ilan Bresler : That’s a tough one. I’m not sure I have a favorite photo, because I can find flaw in every work I have till now. Favorite photos also change with time and experience. Frame I liked a year ago, might feel almost embarrassing today.
At the moment I think I enjoy looking at this frame
Taken during my trip to Barcelona few months ago. It includes all my favorite things – People, ‘street’ and humor :).
I was walking the ‘La Rambla’ street when I suddenly noticed this sweet red-headed florist lady who was really enjoying her ice-cream. I couldn’t resist and snapped a quick shot standing pretty close. The outcome made me laugh, with all this green/orange combined in a hilarious moment. TNTD : Best photographic tip for cellphone and camera photographers.
I don’t think there is a difference between cell phone and camera photography. Just be ready and fast to react when the moment is right :)
SHARE 3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHER ILAN BRESLER BUT WANT TO SHARE
a. I got only one lens. I used to own Nikon 18-200mm, Nikon 18-55mm, Nikon 70-210mm, Nikon 50mm f/1.8. Sold them all. I don’t need anything else than my 17-50mm f/2.8 Tamron.
b. Just participated for the first time in my life in international photo project. 6 photographers all around the world, black and white street photography. You can see it here - http://www.vimeo.com/5239642
c. My best photos are taken abroad. I feel more free taking pictures as a tourist.
Thanks Ilan, excellent insights!
Check out Ilan Bresler's work and blog at http://www.ilanbresler.com/
Can you tell us more about your Sony Ericsson K800i and your experience with the camera? Any tricks, tips and suggestions for photographers who may want to experiment.
Ilan Bresler : I don’t have many cell phone photos on my blog, I think the only one is the one you are referring to “Together and Alone”. That photo was taken, as you mention, by Sony Ericsson K800i, and the frame was taken “almost” by mistake.
The K800i belongs to my girlfriend and while we were having our evening walk, I suddenly saw this ‘frame’ in front of my eyes. I’m pretty proud of that frame, because I knew exactly what I’m seeing it and how it will look when I’ll open the file in Photoshop. I was frantic to get the cell phone from my girlfriend’s bag (these bags are huge!) but as soon I got the K800i, I got my cool back and took the frame. Sounds dramatic, but I knew if I won’t have that frame, I’ll ‘eat’ myself for weeks after.
About tricks and suggestions – My first camera was Nikon 3100. A small (tiny!) 3.1megapixel ‘toy’. Sony Ericsson K800i, which is by far not the newest device out there, is 3.2 megapixel. It’s better than my old camera - As soon as I switch the camera function on, it’s no longer a cell phone – it’s a camera, and I treat it accordingly.
TNTD : Love that Edward Hopper inspired photo at McDonald's (shown below), one your website you explain more about flickr but I really want to know more about some other experiences you've had as a photographer using a cellphone.
Do you find it easier to take candid photos of strangers (because you don't seem paparazzi like) or do you find it more difficult?
Ilan Bresler : As I said before, I’m don’t usually use cell phone as a camera - only in cases when I forget my camera at home. However, that experience with the “Together and Alone” frame, surely made me buy myself a pocket camera, in those cases when DSLR is just too big to take along.
Most of my days I go around with a small, fully manual Ricoh GX200.
About candid photos – I think one of the most difficult types of photography, is ‘situational’ photography.
Which is mostly called Street photography.
Many, myself included, have a natural unease taking photos of people on the street, because we feel we are violating a personal space, we don’t want to feel like intruders and we surely don’t want to be “caught” (as if it’s something forbidden!).
I don’t have any solution for this feeling except – practice, practice, practice. 99.99% of the time I use the 17-50mm Tamron lens, which is pretty wide. I hold the camera on chest level, and the wide angle allows me to stand pretty close to my subjects and not appear as if the lens points directly at them.
TNTD : Do you encourage serious photographers to add a cellphone to their arsenal of equipment and if so investing in a 3 megapixel plus cellphone is a minimum?
Ilan Bresler : There is no minimum. Every object that can take a photo, is a tool. Even a paper made pinhole camera is a tool that photographer might use. I’m freak control and I need my fully manual features + RAW, but if those things doesn’t bother you, cell phone is a great way to take photos when the main camera is not around.
TNTD: Are you self-taught or more professionally trained? See a lot of your work to be very natural-looking and mostly you love taking "slices of life photos" which are really great.
Ilan Bresler : Thank you for the compliment :). If ‘self-taught’ means that I don’t have any official photo education, than I guess, I’m self taught. But, it won’t be completely true – I had wonderful teachers - I met many super talented photographers online, which in time, became my friends and ‘photo-mentors’.
I learned something different from each and every one of them. I’m only sorry that none of them has a website I can link to. They influenced me in many ways. One told me about composition, the other, the technical side of photography. One introduced me to Yasuhiro Ishimoto, the other to Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Over the years I bought many photography related books, mainly books of those considered to be “Masters of Photography.” Apart from those photographers I mentioned earlier, I find that in different parts of my life I was influenced by different Masters – Sebastian Salgado, Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Eugene Smith. Also, Israeli photographers like Alex Levac and Vardi Kahana. In-public.com is another great inspiration for me; I visit it almost on a daily basis, going through the photos over and over and over again (Nils Jorgensen is my favorite).
However, the biggest influence was a Russian/Israeli photographer I encountered almost by accident -- Julia Komissaroff.
Her use of a wide angle lens in street photography, the feeling that she is right in the middle of the situation, a part of it, left a very significant impact on me. She made me try and learn to overcome our natural fear of taking photos of people up close.
TNTD : What is your favorite photo? Can you share the circumstance of that photo?
Ilan Bresler : That’s a tough one. I’m not sure I have a favorite photo, because I can find flaw in every work I have till now. Favorite photos also change with time and experience. Frame I liked a year ago, might feel almost embarrassing today.
At the moment I think I enjoy looking at this frame
Taken during my trip to Barcelona few months ago. It includes all my favorite things – People, ‘street’ and humor :).
I was walking the ‘La Rambla’ street when I suddenly noticed this sweet red-headed florist lady who was really enjoying her ice-cream. I couldn’t resist and snapped a quick shot standing pretty close. The outcome made me laugh, with all this green/orange combined in a hilarious moment. TNTD : Best photographic tip for cellphone and camera photographers.
I don’t think there is a difference between cell phone and camera photography. Just be ready and fast to react when the moment is right :)
SHARE 3 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHER ILAN BRESLER BUT WANT TO SHARE
a. I got only one lens. I used to own Nikon 18-200mm, Nikon 18-55mm, Nikon 70-210mm, Nikon 50mm f/1.8. Sold them all. I don’t need anything else than my 17-50mm f/2.8 Tamron.
b. Just participated for the first time in my life in international photo project. 6 photographers all around the world, black and white street photography. You can see it here - http://www.vimeo.com/5239642
c. My best photos are taken abroad. I feel more free taking pictures as a tourist.
Thanks Ilan, excellent insights!
Check out Ilan Bresler's work and blog at http://www.ilanbresler.com/
posted by TheresNoTylerDurden at 6:44 AM
3 Comments:
These are cool photos.
Ilan's work is really great. Excellent details, sometimes subtle but always interesting.
R(etc... )
Good points on cellphones as a back-up. I should get one myself.
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