2018 Spaces First Place Winner Profile – Brad Feinknopf

by | Jul 2, 2018 | Contests, Spaces 2018

Columbus, Ohio
https://feinknopf.com/
Image © Brad Feinknopf

“Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum”

First Place – Advertising

ASMP: What was your inspiration for taking this photo?

Brad Feinknopf: When shooting a building, I like to have around 3-4 days to totally see, explore, and come to understand a building. I kind of need to live in the building from dawn to dusk to fully experience the building. Much, after 30 years of shooting, is intuitive as well. Many shoot, including myself, from a relatively egocentric vantage point, at or close to the visual vantage point you see the world. It is important to break from that egocentric position and look high, low, up and down. I have found many great views by simply taking the time to look upwards and this was one of those cases. I looked up, saw the shot, and then went about executing it.

ASMP: What type of setting do you prefer?

BF: Academic setting. It seems that some of the more interesting architectural projects are being built on collegiate campuses these days. The added aspect of the students being present gives the projects a greater aspect of life than lets say a corporate based project.

ASMP: Is there anything unique about your style or approach?

BF: It is less style and approach than it is vision. My vision has been formed over 30+ years in the field and thousands of hours behind the camera. It is our eyes and how we see what we see that is unique. My style or approach is not unique but my vision is one of a kind, like all of our is. I grew up in a family of architects and have looked at architecture from birth. I am motivated by architecture and in particular dynamic architecture: work that pushes boundaries.

ASMP: What type of lighting did you use for this image or series?

BF: This was available light. When I started in the profession and we were all shooting film, everything was more heavily lit out of necessity and it looked lit. With the advent of digital, it has opened up all kind of windows to approach. It has allowed things to be more real, to incorporate people and not have things be lit. It doesn’t mean I never light shots but, I do also less and less and this shot was less about lighting than composition.

ASMP: How long have you been shooting this type of photography?

BF: Technically about 30 years. Earlier on I was not so focused on architecture but in the last 10-15 years it has become predominantly architecture.

ASMP: What other photographers’ or artists’ work inspires you?

BF: There are many: Iwan Baan gets to shoot some of the worlds best buildings, Fernando Guerra has a great beauty to his work, Peter Aaron has been killing it for years; I love the work of friend Nick Merrick and fellow award winner Alan Karchmer. They all do wonderful inspirational work and this is just scratching the surface. I am always looking to see, understand and make myself better and deriving inspiration from others is an on going journey.

ASMP: When did you join ASMP and what do you find most valuable about your membership?

BF: I believe I have been a member of ASMP since the 90’s. The most valuable thing about my membership? Community. Photography can be very insulating and if you spend to much time to yourself with no one with whom you can chat, get feedback from, it makes it hard to grow and evolve. I will say, most of my career I have had a studio with at least an assistant and at times a partner, associate and retoucher in house. There have typically been at least 2 people in addition to myself if not 4 or 5. To work together as a team, get feedback and bounce idea off one another is invaluable. ASMP provides the same thing on a much greater scale and it has been invaluable.

ASMP: What is the more important relationship you’ve formed through your ASMP membership?

BF: I have been able to connect, help and be helped by photographers nationally. I am a big believer in karma and putting good out there. It gives me great joy when a fellow ASMPer calls looking for advice and I can be helpful. When you learn to derive greater enjoyment from helping others than helping yourself, your life becomes much more joyful.

ASMP: What kind of gear do you use?

BF: For 17 years I shot with a Sinar 4”x5” and when digital came along, we drum scanned everything. Then we switched to a Phase One P+25 digital back (and then a PhaseOne IQ160 back) on a combo Wide DS and it was great for many years but despite it beautiful quality, it was frankly slow. Now I am primarily shooting with Canon 5D Mark IV. We can capture people, movement and work in a more intuitive fashion than I could with the medium format.

ASMP: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started your career as a photographer?

BF: To believe in one’s vision. When you start out, you work very hard trying to please and appease your clients, often to your own detriment. I am not saying that I don’t strive to have happy clients but often you know more about composition and photography than your clients do or they wouldn’t be hiring you. After you have built a reputation, there tends to be greater trust in your vision and less push back. Often a client shows me a shot and I show them another and then make a case why it is better and bring them around to my way of thinking. It is a dance and as you get older you simply get better at playing it.

ASMP: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your work? Go ahead, surprise us with something unique and unusual.

BF: I love love love what I do. Every aspect from the office work, to the marketing to especially the photography and cannot imagine doing anything else. That said, it is still a challenge each and every day. No one is bringing me work on a silver platter and I don’t just sit around and the work just walks in the door. I am constantly looking too improve, better myself both personally and professionally and recognize that it is a journey. I feel very privileged to be in this profession and glad I have been so fortunate along the way.

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