During the Father's Day weekend of this year, I went to the desert to visit my dad and saw that I actually had some free time to shoot. I really wanted to get a new shoot up and running before the rest of the summer knowing I knowing I wasn't going to make it out for the rest of the summer.
I was able to contact Joe Stemmer on simi short notice and shot two ideas his way. With great luck, he was available and we booked a time and date and made it happen.
Again, my time with him was perfect. If there is any photographer (and there are many) who I enjoy working out in the desert (Palm Springs area) it's him. Although I had some tech difficulties, he still was ever so patient and prompt with getting the photos back to me in a super fast time frame!
I wanted to do something nice for him by showing his side of the story of what it's like from behind the lens of the camera. I interviewed him with a few questions based on his success, difficulties, and experience. Please take the time and read a little from his side! He is truly a talented photographer and his star should shine ever so bright!
1. History of J. Stemmer photography. When did you get the photo bug? I started taking photos early, I was about 18 years old. I enjoyed it, but it was expensive buying film, processing film, and making prints. So, I started taking jobs doing portraits for people. I started the portraits with a 2 1/4 Agfa folding camera, the larger negative would give me better prints than my 35mm I used for most things. That also got me started in the "larger negative" search. I've shot with 35mm to 11"x 14" cameras. Today, I'm digital, but still have (and use occasionally) a couple 4x5 cameras. I still love seeing the image upside down on the ground glass and the controls you have with view cameras.
2. What has been your biggest obstacle in becoming a successful photographer? Like many occupations, staying current in the techniques or styles the people want. Using the right equipment or the current processes to get the looks. Also running a business doing something you love, you need to be able to separate your work from fun. As examples, the digital process has made it easy (and cheap) to shoot anything without consideration of cost. With film, you really had to want the photo to hit the shutter, each time you did, it cost you money. To an extent, digital photography's a great thing. What it doesn't do is force people to learn their craft. I love film, but I have no desire to back to it in business.
3. What has helped you in your continued success? I'm always learning, staying current with the things needed to compete in a very tough business. Whether photo equipment, computer software, or technique, you have to stay ahead of the curve if you want to succeed.
4. What qualities and characteristics do you look for in a model? I look for their ability to act. Modeling is acting one frame at a time. You can usually look at a models portfolio and tell what they're capable of by looking at their face. It takes lots of practice and hard work to be good model. A lot of people what to be models but aren't prepared for the work, being a tall, thin, good looking person doesn't guaranty success in modeling. Models need to be able to "sell" the look and that hard.
5. Describe your experience with our last photo shoot (please be honest: good, bad, ugly): That's pretty easy. It was wonderful to shoot with you, you always give 110%. You arrived ready to go on time, knew what you wanted to shoot, and gave me the looks immediately. Even though it was very hot and muggy, you didn't slow down. Even with the concept I wanted to shoot, you gave more than I hoped for. You're one of my favorite models to shoot with because you work to get amazing results and we don't need all day to get them. We shoot a lot of looks in a short amount of time, that shows you're a true professional.
6. Most embarrassing photography story... :) Gosh, there are too many. Driving a couple of hours to a location and forgetting an important piece of gear (helps me be more creative), labs losing or ruining film that couldn't be shot again, going to a shoot a day early or week early, walking in on models "collaborating" on a personal level, hearing some of the information people share at shoots (about their body parts), or maybe the time I had a long day of shooting and only had time to grab a large burrito for late dinner and paid for it the second day of the shoot. I shot with long lenses that day. :)
I again hope that you find this short interview as informative as I did. If you want to further your research about Mr. Joe Stemmer please refer to his web site at www.JStemmerPhotography.com.
Hugs, Love, and Honesty,
Evina
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