The Regulars: An Interview with Harvey SchipperPhotographer: Dr. Harvey SchipperType of Photos Taken
The Regulars: An Interview with Harvey SchipperPhotographer: Dr. Harvey SchipperType of Photos Taken: Product, Street, Events, etcBook: Of Light - An Invitation to Photographic Storytelling Tell us a bit about yourself…I’m both a physician and an engineer, and currently Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Along the way I’ve helped build institutions, create new areas and disciplines of medicine, and even helped build a medical information company. Most of all I’ve been a cancer doctor, at the bedside with patients. Photography has been a serious interest for a long time.Allow me to include an excerpt from my book, of LIGHT An introduction to photographic storytelling:“As this book about photography was going to press, I was immersed in writing a series of essays about the future of medicine…my other life. The juxtaposition has always been there, yet committing thought to print brought into focus how those two of my worlds deeply inform one another. Modern medicine is an art informed by highly disciplined science. It is, increasingly, a world governed by rules and structured observation. Photography on the other hand, for me, has been about unbounded observation and storytelling. It is about seeing something new in an old familiar circumstance, and conveying that sense of discovery. It is the antithesis of rules. The common thread, and source of energy is curiosity and the joy of discovery. It is about broadening one’s vision, exploring the less illuminated spaces in both our world and our minds. It is about being open to the unexpected, and resisting the temptation to explain it away, bound by conventional understandings. For me, my training as a scientist brings a discipline to my photography. In return, my photography refreshes my curiosity, and brings to my physician life opportunities to occasionally see things differently, and influence the course of medicine.”What drew you into photography?It was in high school, at Oakwood Collegiate in Toronto. They had a great photography club with an eccentric and engaging teacher advisor. I got so involved I nearly compromised my academics. Fortunately wiser people stepped in to help me along.What is your philosophy regarding photo taking? Any personal rules you stick to?I’m a storyteller. The book expresses my philosophy which, in a sentence, is concentrate on telling the story. Today’s cameras are so smart you mostly don’t need to be a buttons and knobs expert.Tell us about a photographic challenge you overcame?Being disciplined about shooting. When I was beginning we used film, and that cost roughly 50 cents a shot. I was a student. So I had to plan carefully, think about what I was trying to say, and pick my moment. As a result, I shoot less than many of my friends. I know why pros shoot as much as a thousand frames a day, and more, but even today, I don’t quite get it. I recall,at the other extreme a law professor friend who was an excellent photographer. He took three rolls (about 100 exposures) of film with him on a trip to Egypt, and managed to make a sell-out show from that! And his vision was failing at the time.What is one thing you could not go into a shoot without?Don’t laugh…my camera. One of my teachers, Jay Maisel, used to say that the best way to miss the photo was to forget your camera. He once even chastised me for meeting him for dinner and not having it with me. There is always something to see, to be curious about and explain in another way. So its balancing the rest of your life, and I suppose not being a geek.What gear do you prefer to shoot with?I keep it pretty simple for someone who is quite serious. I have two cameras, one a full frame 35 with four lenses; a wide zoom, a mid-zoom, a 7–300 telephoto and a 100mm macro. I supplement that with a good pocket size camera when I want to travel really light, or be particularly discreet. I started with Minolta, but switched to Canon some years ago.When did you first come to Downtown Camera? About 10 years ago. A friend brought me, and I quickly came to appreciate that the people at Downtown were as much interested in advancing photographers as selling gear. They have been trusted friends and advisors ever since.Any advice to fresh photographers?Get good advice about a camera that will suit your needs and grow with you. Then take pictures and share them with friends. You could even read my book -- source link
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