Photography Business, Edinburgh Photographer, John Gilchrist

Photography Business Interview: This month we introduce Edinburgh Photographer, John Gilchrist

Q: Please tell us a bit about your education and background:

A: My background in photography and design goes back to the birth of my third child. I always used to photograph my elder kids and when my daughter came along I decided it was time to take my interest in photography to another level. A few years ago I knew I wanted to get into web stuff but didn’t know exactly how to do it or where to go. No schools in my local area offered anything like that. I decided to go it alone, fitting my growing knowledge base around work and family commitments.

Q: When did you first discover your ability to create photographic art?

A: I started producing my first basic material years ago, probably around the late 1990’s. I was never really good to start with and haven’t really improved much over the years. lol

Q: How did you find your way into design?

A: After high school I dabbled in MBASIC and making basic programmes. That along with my needs to use a pc for other work related stuff kind off exposed me to the world of on-line possibilities. It was a natural progression.

Q: What programs do you use?

A: Photoshop almost exclusively for anything graphical (web mock-ups, logos and illustrations) just great for any image manipulation. I love the simplicity behind Photoshop, Canon software "'Digital Photo Professional is software developed for the Digital EOS SLR Cameras to provide high speed RAW image processing and digital workflow solutions to support professional users." Because it’s so easy to use, it would be almost impossible for me to use anything else.

Q: Where do you find inspiration?

A: A lot of locations. All the time I like to peek at what others are doing. I draw a lot from all over. Websites, illustrations, logos. And I have a vast list of bookmarks to pull encouragement from if I’m stuck. I am also inspired by Flickr, rich in material and encouragement. Even just a simple composition can spark an idea, as it has on many an occasion.

Q: What are some of your favourite pieces you have created?

A: The last piece I do is always my favourite. The more I learn, the more I get to incorporate that into what I’m working on, so everything I do is usually my favourite at one time. But my current favourite pieces are, here here, and here. And of course my pet project johngilchrist.com

Q: What motivates you to create; to keep pushing forward?

A: Everything I do I always know I can improve with the next project I try and by keeping an eye on what other photographers do, it pushes me even more to try new approaches/techniques. Creativity isn’t just something you “learn” and then “do”. It continually develops and transforms. It’s like art, with that comes the fight to keep fresh and relevant.