Rusties had an interview with Eugene van Dien- Master Photographer. He’s a well known photographer in Rustenburg.
1. How do you get the person, place or thing that is in front of the camera onto the film, chip or paper in just the way you want?
Just the way I want it? Well, first I prefer people in front of my camera, someone I who can follow instructions on how to pose the way I want them to pose. From there I will manipulate the light where I can, reflect it, add light or create shadow. I also shoot in RAW format, which gives me much greater control over the content after it has been downloaded on my PC. From there I simply transfer it to the PC and use Photoshop to manipulate it until I have what I want.
2. Which photographers influenced you, and how did they influence your thinking, photographing, and career path?
Peter Coulson. Neil Snape. Jean Noir. A number of Photographers from the East Bloc Countries. They are different. It is so much more than just a photo. They create art. I am different. Please never expect anything “normal” from me.
3. Exactly what it is you want to say with your photographs, and how do you actually get your photographs to do that?
A photo must make you stop and look again. If it does not do it, you failed as a photographer. It must evoke some emotion from you, it must make you think. By that I don’t mean I want to “control” what you think or feel, what you think and feel must be up to you, but you must think and feel something.
4. What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring photographer to actually doing it full time, for a living?
Started doing photography when I was still in school. (More than 30 years now) I even painted the walls and windows of the one room in our house black and developed my own photos. Today everything is digital and it is changing a lot of things. It has become almost impossible to make a decent living from it. Sometimes it feels like every second person just buys a digital camera, go into the market for next to nothing and calls themselves photographers. Very few photographers makes a decent living from it. Most go into teaching. Everywhere you look you will see photographers offering training or open days with models just to pay the bills. If you think you are going to do it to make a decent living think again, almost all togs need to do something extra just to keep on paying the bills.
5. What technology/software/camera gear do you use to keep focused on what you do best, as you photograph?
I use a Nikon D800 (a Professional full frame camera) with a few different (very expensive) lenses, Speed lights, Studio gear, high quality monitors, colour calibration equipment and Photoshop.
6. How do you get paid to do what you want to do with your photography?
Far too little… Well, I keep on advertising, attending wedding expos, events, markets, posting on social media, run a web site – www.evandienphotography.co.za Google Add words and I keep on hoping.
7. What motivates you to continue taking pictures economically, politically, intellectually or emotionally?
a. Economically – Nothing.
b. Politically – Nothing.
c. Intellectually and emotionally, everything. I love what I do. I come alive then I am behind the camera. It gives me so much energy when I am taking photos I just can’t stop. I need to create something and I do it through my photography. Without it I don’t know what I will do…
Some of his work: