[EV +/-] Exposure Compensation of photography and photographers

© Dustin Fenstermacher

Few weeks ago I disocovered the work of photographer Dustin Fenstermacher. His series portraying cat shows are excellent. His photographs have many qualities that I like. Besides having original compositions, what works extremely well is the storytelling, the sequence of the images. I can feel myself at the cat show, it is photography that has the quality to involve the viewer. But it is not only about cats … look at his portfolio and you will see quite interesting photography there.

His work picked my interest to run few questions and learn more about Dustin.

Could you tell me what drove you into photography? Why did you become a photographer?

Honestly, I really can’t quite recall what compelled me towards photography. Growing up I always enjoyed taking photos but thought it was a bit too difficult of an undertaking to learn the mechanics and intricacies of an SLR. And don’t even get me started on how expensive it was to develop all of that film.

During college I attempted to take a photo course, but the introductory class was available to art majors first and all other students - I was a communications major - had to get permission from the professor. Needless to say, the class was filled to capacity every time I made an attempt to join.

After college I made an impulse buy at a Kmart that was closing, picking up a two megapixel point and shoot made by Canon. Outside the occasional photograph taken at a show, the thing collected dust. Then, a little over three years ago, I found myself with a lot of free time after my band dissolved. I began documenting my walks around Carlisle, a town in central Pennsylvania. Friends of mine who went to school for photography gave me pointers and kept urging me to take photos. I guess I had some kind of unique vision that would come out at some point. I just took note of the world as I saw it.

So, one could say that I became a photographer because I was bored. But I felt like my entire life was preparing me for this endeavor, as I wouldn’t have the perspective I have now if I would have seriously gotten into photography even five years ago.

You describe yourself as a self-taught photographer, what were your influences for your work?

Because I learned photography through trial and error and picking up tips from my friends, I was initially influenced more by my friends and surroundings than famous photographers. I will be forever indebted to the likes of Clint Baclawski and Laura Kicey for their roles in shaping my photographic sensibilities. Filmmakers like the Coen Brothers and Wes Anderson emit a certain feeling that appeals to me; the Coens for the slices of Americana permeating in each of their films and Wes Anderson for the whimsical nature, color choices and his aesthetics.

Photographers that tickle my fancy nowadays include Martin Parr, Chris Buck, Jill Greenberg, Jan Von Holleben and a multitude of others. Or you can just disregard everything I’ve just said and believe me when I state that I’m solely influenced by the Nintendo-64 classic, Pokemon Snap.

© Dustin Fenstermacher

Tell me about the Cat show project? It looks like a photojournalist project … was it commissioned?

While I intended to do a series on cat shows, the project as you see it began as an entirely different animal. What I originally wanted to do was photograph owners and their show cats, so I attended cat shows with the intention of shooting cute cats and sending the images to the show owners. I figured that would be an excellent way to break the ice.

Unfortunately, of all of the cat breeders I messaged, only one got back in contact with me about getting their portrait taken. While I was disappointed by lack of a response, this turned out to be better in the long run, as I found the photos produced by going to the cat shows to be far more interesting to me than any portrait I had in mind. Thus, I kept going to the exhibitions, discovering new subtleties during each excursion.

My intent with the series was to go beyond just shooting photos of cats and the surroundings, which some people might think is ridiculous. No, I wanted to do photos that looked at the items and surroundings found at cat shows, twist them a little and create little stories or critiques out of them. Honestly, when I’m at these things it is as if I’m a child with a toybox the size of a football stadium.

Which type of commercial works are you trying to do? Do you also like to explore editorial work?

In a perfect would I would get commissioned to go to out of the way places and photograph what I find. I’ve been getting the opportunity to do just that as of late, covering the presidential primary campaign in Pennsylvania by meeting people on the street and exploring places that are somewhat removed by modern culture.

I really enjoy taking a wide variety of work, be it portraiture, reportage or shooting found objects. Inspiration can be found anywhere, and I just love being able to shoot and make a living doing it.

© Dustin Fenstermacher

I find very interesting how you juxtapose -different- images in the website, it works very effectively. Do you do the editing yourself? Which criteria do you use to select which images to show and how to juxtapose them?Well, the first edit is done all by my lonesome, but friends and fellow photographers provide input and are always invaluable with their ability to help me distil my work into something manageable.

During this process themes begin to emerge and visual puns become apparent. Some of my favorite pairs of photos happen via happy accident, other pairs were conceived after taking a photo at one place and thinking of something that would best match it at a later date. I’m fairly casual with my picture taking, noticing elements that connect disparate photos after the fact. The unintentional focus of my personal work is intentional, as it allows me to take photos of things I wouldn’t shoot had I possessed some sort of strict criteria for what I could take photos of.

The photos of the non-cat show variety are a mix of things I’ve done both for pleasure and editorial/commercial work. To be honest with you, I’m a bit slow in placing new commercial images on the site.

You are using Wonderful Machine to represent your work. Please tell me what is the key advantage you see of having someone representing your work and the caveats? Is this something you recommend to all artists seeking commercial work?

I don’t know if I have enough experience working without a rep to weigh in. My professional career is still in its nascent stages. I have gotten a bit of exposure and work through my association with Wonderful Machine, and would recommend representation for people who seek commercial work, but it definitely isn’t for everyone.

Thanks very much Dustin.

I found at PDN pulse a nice video interview with Dustin Fenstermacher about this projectthat adds more information about his work.

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