Photographer's Interview: Sheila Smart

Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:01 pm

Keithwms: I am very pleased to have this opportunity to interview Sheila Smart, who has contributed so many memorable photographs to our site. She has a beautiful and diverse personal gallery at the website http://www.pbase.com/sheila .

Sheila, it’s great to see you back again at PT!

Sheila Smart: Thanks, Keith. It's good to be back.

KW: It’s so nice of you to join me for tea and to bring your portfolio and 5D along.

Keith clumsily handles the 5D and notices a small deposit of vegemite on the shutter release.

SS: Sorry about that Keith!

KW: Are you an equipment monogamist now? Has the 5D become your favourite tool?

SS: Most certainly. Its my third digital SLR and possibly not my last. I am constantly amazed with the high resolution images coming out of this superb camera. I can crop to an inch of its life and still no degradation of the image. And I no longer have to sharpen which is also probably down to good glass.

KW: Now, you’ve come such a long way with your photography; how did it all start? And what’s in your future… would you care to divulge your loftiest ambitions?

SS: When I lived in Canada in the late sixties, I had a darkroom in the basement of my house in Toronto. Ah...those were the days .. smelly chemicals and fighting light coming through under the door. The closest I get to chemicals these days is the 220 preservative in my chardonnay (Aussie of course) on my computer desk.

KW: Well now, let's be clear, even digital users need a little sensor cleaner every now and then ;) anyway... sorry, continue!

SS: After a fair bit of travelling - overland on a back of a truck from Kathmandu to London and then around South America (again on a back of a truck), I eventually ended up in Sydney (also known as Godsown to us unassuming Aussies). Unfortunately I have absolutely no photographs of these trips as my ex-husband refused to send them to me. But no matter. I met my present husband in Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea - I can almost hear most folk reading this say where on earth is that? - well, if you head north from Australia and do a right before you get to Indonesia!

My husband, Fred, bless him, has always encouraged me in my photography and doesn't bat an eyelid when I decide to upgrade my camera bodies. My interest in digital really started with the little Canon Ixus. I then bought the Canon G2 which really inspired to go for the dSLR, the Canon D60. What is amazing is that I paid exactly the same for the D60 four years ago than I have recently paid for the 5D. Between these bodies, I bought the 20D. I do have good glass, all of them Ls with the exception of my newly purchased Canon 100 f/2.8 USM macro.

KW: Wow, so you have done quite a tour of equipment over the years! And it has affected your output?

SS: I do shudder sometimes when I look at my work taken only four years ago. While you do not really need good glass, I do think it helps. That said, one of my most favourite images is of an old homeless man sitting under a poster of two lovers. Technically the image is terrible - taken with my G2, it was not sharp but for me it was an emotive image - his reality of being on the street against the unreal world of advertising.

KW: That's a powerful image, almost like you captured two entirely separate worlds in one. It's also a lesson that a serious and meaningful composition can be achieved even with "non-pro" equipment. Now that you are established, how about your ambitions, where will you go next?

SS: Regarding my ambitions. Hmmm...I am about retirement age and will probably leave my day job within the next year or so. I have been toying with the idea of setting up a studio which I have never done before. Studio work that is. I feel that the writing is on the wall regarding selling images on line which is what I do now from my PBase gallery. The microstock libraries are a real threat to pro photographers and I am already seeing this as a member of a stock library (OzImages). I recently quoted a reasonable amount for an image and was knocked back by the prospective buyer because he bought another image much cheaper from one of these microstocks.

KW: Fear not, the cream does rise! Now that you have become so comfortable with your camera and your format, have you found yourself settling into a particular style or genre? I notice that your gallery (which is wonderful) is very diverse. But do you feel yourself gradually specializing?

SS: I do love candid photography and am somewhat obsessed! I take my camera wherever I go. Looking at my work, I would say that at least 60% was taken going to work, at lunchtime or on my way home. I am lucky to live in a tourist city where cameras are the norm. I have yet to be challenged by anyone. I guess Sydneysiders are a laid back bunch and it helps being a woman - I smile a lot! I catch the ferry to and from work (tough I know but someone has to do it!) and this is a great source of subjects.

KW: Aha! So women do get better reactions when they do candids... I knew it!

Note to self: next time wear a wig and remember to smile.

SS: I guess that's where we fare better than the males. Female guile they used to call it.

KW: Could you tell us about your award-winning shot? How did it happen?

SS: It was during my lunch hour that I took the Black and White Spider Award winning shot (in the People category) of Sea of Hats. I was walking through the Rocks area of Sydney and I spotted a large group of schoolgirls in their school hats. School children in Australia wear school uniforms - it's part of egalitarianism inherent in Australians. I just knew when I spotted the hats that there was a snap in the offing. They were walking two by two across the road towards me. I knew that they would have to walk up the footpath in front of me so I ran up a ramp to a store as I knew I had to be above them to get the shot that was already in my head! I think I took three shots before I got this one:

Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:44 pm

Shiela, I only recently "discovered" your work when you posted the shot of the old lady. From there I followed on to your web site and was just blown away by your work, in particular your black and whites, the portraits and candids.

As a huge fan of B&W people photography I'd love to be able to produce results like yours so consistently. Have you any tips for people interested in the same genre of photography? Do you care to share some secrets?

Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Sydney, Australia

You do have to have a degree of emphathy with your subjects, especially when shooting homeless folk. It also helps to smile a lot. Generally folk don't mind having their snap taken but most are unaware, especially if one uses a long lens such as the 300 f/4. My most used lens for people shots is the Canon 135 f/2. I can now use this (rather than the 300) because I invested in the equivalent of an angle finder. Its called Zigview (do a Google) and its certainly been a huge help to me. I just pop it on to my viewfinder and point in the general direction of the subject. It has an LCD screen and after awhile, you will get the hang of it.

For my mono work, I process the RAW image using ACR and then either use Fred Miranda's black and white filter or I use the Optikvervelabs filter - http://www.optikvervelabs.com which is a free filter for both mono and colour. I do like high contrast generally.

Cheers
Sheila

Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 10:05 pm

Great interview Keith,

I'll jump in for the second question.

It's rare to see somebody who can cover everything from landscape to candids as well as you can so thankyou for sharing your work with us on the forums.

From your interview it seems that. like most of us you came from humble beginnings in photography. Did you ever attend any kind of formal training or are you completely self taught?

[EDIT]
Well it's been a long time since I've really felt like shooting at all, but after looknig through your gallery I'm feeling pretty inspired to go out and shoot.
So thankyou :)

Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Sydney, Australia

No, I haven't had any kind of formal training. I'm not sure if you can teach anyone to take a good photograph. Of course, you can learn techniques, composition, lighting, the rule of thirds, and then learn how to break them etc. But to me the most important aspect of good photography is knowing what makes a good image at the exact moment when the opportunity occurs. As soon as I saw the hats, I just knew that there was a good opportunity at that very minute. Awhile back, I was walking towards the ferry and spotted this

I did get some very strange looks from the patrons of a nearby restaurant, especially when I moved the shopping cart away from a pole against which it was resting (knowing it would save me a lot of time in PS to clone it out) but I still wanted the shadow to remain.

Cheers
Sheila

Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 594 Location: Sydney

Hi Shiela,

I was wondering.... do you ever get (or have a need to get) a release for a photo? (either for a model or an inatimate object, especially relating to your candids)

Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Sydney, Australia

Hi Andrew

In Australia, you only need a model release for a human being if the image is going to be used purely for advertising purposes. There is one exception in that the image must not have contextual implications ie. if I had taken a photo of a young woman and the magazine placed it in an article on, say, prostitution, then a model release would be required. That's an extreme example but you get my drift. There is a current debate whether you can take a pic of a building such as the Opera House and sell it. I think I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

I do get model releases for my images of aboriginal buskers and they are happy to oblige. Its a quid pro quo in that I do their business cards gratis! I have yet to have someone refuse my request but that's possibly because Sydneysiders are generally laid back folk.

This is an interesting read for Aussies regarding the right to take photos
http://www.4020.net/unposed/photorights.shtml

Cheers
Sheila

Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 4:26 am

Hi Sheila, I am thrilled to see you are featured in an interview here. I've thoroughly enjoyed and have been hugely inspired by your work. Thank you!

My feeble question is: Would you be tempted to enter the world of celebrity portraiture and if so; who would you most like to capture and why? My assumption is that you are most inspired by candids of ‘ordinary’ people, but perhaps the celebrity world would embrace your style and reward you handsomely for your talent.

Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Sydney, Australia

That's an interesting question, James. I think that an excellent subject would be Nelson Mandela. He has always been somewhat of a hero of mine (even though my husband has a great deal of trouble understanding his accent!). I would love to open a studio for portraiture but not the normal portraiture. I am not into posed studies of humans and would probably go for the relaxed window light images such as this

Cheers
Sheila

Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 6:20 am

Thanks Sheila, it's funny I wondered if someone like Nelson Mandela would interest you. He would certainly be a very interesting character to capture, good choice. The photograph you selected as an example is one that I hold in my head when I think about your work and as I asked the question. I think it epitomises your style.

Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 9:22 am

Hi Shelia my name is Brian.

I was wondering when did first start doing photography on a steady basis?

And how long after that did you notice yours skills start being of great quality?

Your gallery is wonderfull as I have seen other photographers galleries on the net but sometimes I get depressed or frustrated with myself because I feel I don't know what the heck I'm doing behind the camera or in photoshop of course I have been only doing this steady since september of last year so I guess I shouldn't be frustrating myself like that but I guess it's part of the human nature on how people think sometimes.

Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Sydney, Australia

G'day Brian

While I have been interested in photography for more years than I care to remember, its only in the past four years that I can see a great improvement. That said, I am my harshest critic and I do dump a great deal into the Recycle bin that maybe others might have retained.
So do not despair. You have some nice work on your site - far better than mine was when I first returned to this passion of ours.

Cheers
Sheila

PS If I am tardy in responding to questions, its possibly that while you are tapping away in your lunch hour, I am in bed! The time difference is between 14 and 18 hours (USA) and 11 hours for Europe.

Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 9:09 pm

Thank You Shelia,

Yes the photographer is usually the harshest critic in there work and that would go for any other artist to.

Don't worry about the time difference I know all about that and the wonderful city you live in hope to be able to travel to places like Sydney someday.

Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Sydney, Australia

If you ever get to Sydney, give me an email.

Cheers
Sheila

Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 1:13 pm

Artistically you have fantastic work. Beautiful images that evoke a lot of emotion. Certainly top notch work that deserves more recognition than you're probably getting.

I hate to bring beauty down, lol, but how does it do financially? Are you able to make a living on the art? Seems most photographers shoot art for themselves and pay the bills with more commercial type work. What has your experience been?