5 Questions for Nathan Pask Photographer
Today we bring you an interview with photographer Nathan Pask. I’ve known Nathan for a year or so now and met him through his flickr stream where he is more widely known as bigcrustyape. Nathan is a UK based photographer (although originally from Oz) with a history in the graphic design industry, he now works as a freelance photographer whilst completing a post graduate course in Photography.
He is an uber talent and also a bloody nice chap to boot. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this little delve into his head in what will be the first of a series of interviews with awesome photographers who possibly should be world famous!! If you are looking to hire this awesome talent or just want to check out more of his work then I suggest you start over at his website and follow it up with a visit to his flickr stream. Seriously this guys worth keepin’ an eye on.
Helena (by Nathan Pask)
photographywired (PW): When did you start taking photographs and what made you want to keep taking them?
Nathan Pask (NP): I’ve been shooting pretty much for as long as I can remember. I got my first camera given to me by my folks when I was about 7 years old. It was a Kodak Instamatic pocket 60. It was one of those flat looking rectangle cameras that you put the disposable flash cubes on the top. I’m pretty sure my mum picked it up from a second hand charity shop. I loved it! It went everywhere with me. The excitement I had as a kid sending my carefully finished film off to be processed. I would be sleepless till it arrived back a few days later. The rush of opening that pack and staring at the stack of slightly curved glossy prints, the sweet smell of developer and fixer creeping from the envelope. It was a joy! That rush and excitement still hasn’t left me even after 27 years. Even with things gone all digital now, I still get as much joy downloading and flicking through my shots in Adobe Lightroom as I did back then. I guess I started taking my photography more seriously when I was about 18 and I started getting paid for shooting about 5 or 6 years ago.
PW: What do you enjoy shooting most (and why)?
NP: I think most photographers go through stages of what they enjoy shooting most. Currently I am loving working with people. Been doing a bit of portraiture, but predominantly beauty and fashion. I come from a Graphic Design background and producing a piece of design is a real team sport. It goes through a lot of hands before it gets anywhere near the public and all the cogs along the way are essential to it’s success. With most photography, you fly solo but with fashion its given me the buzz of having to work with a crew of assistants, make-up artists, hair stylists, wardrobe, models and the client or fashion designer. Every shot is a collaborative effort and when it gels (or doesn’t), it really shows in the results. There is a huge element of surrealism when shooting fashion too which is great fun. It’s only limited by your imagination and of course your budget. But mainly, I think it’s just getting back to having human contact again, being part of a team and all creating something special together.
PW: Show us an image you’ve shot that you are proud of (and tell us why)?
NP: Very difficult to pinpoint one image, but it would have to be this one (below). I wouldn’t say it’s the best shot I have ever taken, but it was a turning point for me photographically. I remember driving through the mountains of Morocco just outside a little town called Skoura. An area filled with ancient casbahs within a massive palm grove in the shadow of the mighty Atlas Mountains. We were just about to come into the town and I saw this little abandoned building off in the desert. I stopped the car, grabbed my camera and ran out there for a closer inspection. I couldn’t believe my luck. I snapped away and was so excited looking on the tiny screen on the back of my digital SLR. It was when I looked at these properly on my laptop in the casbah that we eventually stopped in that I distinctly remember thinking to myself, I really should have a go at this whole pro photographer lark. I didn’t know in what form at that stage, I just knew of the pleasure shooting gave me and thought I could take a half decent shot. So pretty much from that point, I slowly sloooowly pointed myself into making a career out of shooting.
absent (by Nathan Pask)
PW: Who is your photography Hero (and why)?
NP: Wow again, very difficult to name just one. I could reel off a list right off the top of my head, guys like Irving Penn, David Bailey, Mario Testino, Guy Bourdin, Bruce Gilden, Herb Ritts, Annie Leibovitz (just to name a few) have all had an impact on my photography and I draw huge inspiration from. But the grand daddy for me has to be Richard Avedon. His fashion and particularly his portraiture is incredibly inspiring to me. The connection he managed to get with subjects was unparalleled. It wasn’t just his portraits of the famous and powerful either. The series he did in the late 70’s and early 80’s called ‘In the American West’ was a stunning collection of portraits of people who were neither famous or powerful. They were coal miners, bee keepers, drifters, snake skinners and oil rig workers. Set up with make-shift backdrops on the back of a building or strapped to the side of a truck. The results were better than even he I expect could have imagined they would turn out to be. A true and honest documentation of the people who inhabited that region at that time. I read some commentary about this series from a documentary maker who followed Avedon around during this time and she said Avedon would almost be jumping out of his skin to see the results and frequently would express courier his precious large format negatives back to New York to get some urgent test prints sent back to where he was so he could see them. He would lay them all out in a car park or field and admire them for long periods of time. This pleased me greatly to hear that such a successful photographer still got that same buzz I was talking about earlier. Even after decades of shooting professionally.
PW: Goals…what next for Nathan Pask?
NP: After 18 years in graphic design and advertising, I decided to go back to Uni and I am nearing the completion of my course in post graduate study in photography. So the world is my oyster! Little early to say what will happen when I finish, but obviously plan on pursuing a long and healthy career in this fine art we are all into. I think initially I’ll certainly pursue the fashion avenue and see where that takes me. I think the key to success in being a pro photographer from what I have seen is constantly adapting to your surroundings and keeping up with what’s happening at that moment. I guess you could say that about most things, music is a perfect example. What works one year and is a huge hit, is tired and done to death the next. So my aim is to never stop learning. Never stop being inspired by other photographers and by the world around me. And most of all, to keep smiling.
BIG HUGE THANKS to Nathan for taking time out to answer our questions and look out for more interviews coming soon!
I’ve picked some more shots from Nathan’s work below but seriously go and check it out for yourself! this is tip of the iceberg stuff! http://www.nathanpask.com
Battersea Power Station II (by bigcrustyape)
365 – THE FINALÉ (by Nathan Pask)
Untitled (by bigcrustyape)
Weymouth (by Nathan Pask)
Isobel (by Nathan Pask)
absolutely amazing, inspiring photography! And it was great to read a little bit of your background, I love the “light bulb” moment
and so happy for you to be living the dream!
This dude is a pretty special photographer. And living the dream! Jammy sod
The only question is: when’s he coming back to Weymouth? He’s that good he makes our cheesy seaside town look like a nice place to live!
Nice one boys at PW. You are too kind! Thanks again…
Man, You are a really talented bugger and a complete inspiration to me. When I ask you for critique on an image, it really does mean a lot when you give it – thanks.
Now, can I please be your assistant when we’re older (As long as I’m finished doing portraits of Dave Matthews, right… )
Sime
[...] him out, he’s got some crazy good photography skills. In fact it’s also worth reading this interview with him on photographywired which was posted a little while back. I’m lucky enough to know Nathan [...]