Interview with Photographer Tim Rice
How long have you been doing photography?
My taking of photos has phases. My first phase would have been when I was a teenager and I did not have what I only knew to refer as “A Real Camera”. I had Polaroid, 110 and disc camera, I think I even got a cheap 35mm Minolta with a fixed lens but I knew I wanted more, they would not do what I wanted them to do. When I was 18 my (future) wife got me a Pentax K1000 and with that first roll everything changed. I was in control and could make the camera see what I saw.
Again, that was only the first phase; the next was when I owned a One Hour Film Lab. I took pictures all the time, it was easy since I had the means to print everything I shot, but I eventually sold my shop and went to work for Kodak when the world started to go digital. I was not ready to give up on film, but I really felt film had given up the fight against the new technology. Especially Kodak, they laid me off and that was the beginning of the end of a great company. That is about that time I put the camera down and did not take many photos (at the volume I was used to) for a couple years.
Now I am in my ‘daily pic’ phase, in the mid 2000’s I gradually got back into photography. I purchased a few Digital SLRs, started to play and learn how to make it see the way I wanted it to, in 2009 I sold most of my equipment and bought my first Nikon DSLR a D80. I discovered Adobe Light room software and I joined Facebook.
These things started the path I am on now. I saw people sharing photos online and became inspired again. My birthday is October 1, so I had decided I wanted to participate in the social sharing. So I started a project of taking a photo each day and posting it on Facebook starting on my Birthday. It helped shake off the rust, I learned the camera and I challenged myself to keep it interesting for those that followed it. 30 days was up and with the encouragement of friends and family I decided to go to the end of the year… it never stopped, it has now been over 1200 days. The photos have moved to my website where I share them to a fairly large audience on Facebook, Flickr, twitter, and other social sites.
Did you go to school for it or are you self-taught?
I took photography classes in college; black-and-white, color processing, composition, the standard classes. After graduation I actually returned to the school as an assistant instructor and taught Adult Ed courses for black and white at night. Since then, I honestly don’t know how many books I’ve read on the topic, countless blogs, different photography groups and just experimentation.
What type of photography interests you the most?
I would label myself as a generalist; I really will photograph anything. I get many requests for portraits of families, kids, and group shots. I shoot events, weddings, and bar mitzvahs; lately I’ve been shooting more and more product shots for business websites. As for the “daily pic”, well that can really be anything, landscapes, still life, I guess I would have to say macro photography especially with the toy shots has become something I’m known for.
Do you have any inspirations/influences?
Inspiration comes from everywhere. I see photos all the time. Taking a photo everyday I am continually looking for the next shot. I have a running list I keep on my phone of ideas and locations. As for influences, for the longest time I avoided looking at other people’s work. I did not want to copy or mimic anyone, eventually I got over that and really enjoy scanning Flickr and 500px for shots.
For famous photographers I would go with Vivian Maier, and Arthur Fellig better known as Weegee. They both were street photographers in their own way. Vivian is a classic American story that I recommend people check out and Weegee was both a photojournalistic genius that created stunning black and white images. He was also a crime scene photographer.
The first time I ever saw his work was on the cover of George Michael’s album, “Listen Without Prejudice”, just a sea of people standing on the beach at Coney Island. I could look at that photo for hours picking out different pieces. I am in awe of both their works considering the technical limitations of their times. We take for granted Photoshop and megapixels, when their images where taken with film and many times were the only shot they took.
Can you name your favorite photo of all time taken by someone else? How about your favorite one taken by you?
That’s really hard; I am a sucker for great black and white street scenes, like the Weegee beach scene. Really, anything that draws me in. I look at a lot of photos really fast. The photos that make me stop and back up are few and far between. Those are my favorites. Photos that make me think how did they take it? Or what were they trying to share?
As for mine, I do not think I have taken my favorite photo yet, but I practice everyday. The closest I have come is a Black and White I took of my wife while she was sitting in a car 20 years ago. I shot it in the mirror on the visor from the backseat and I am in the photo. It is not my best, but I love it one for the content and two it was a moment where I realized how to make the camera see what I saw.
Where can someone learn more about your work?
You can find me at timricephoto.com.
There you can see samples, services, and the sign up for the “daily pic” blog.
Tim’s twitter feed @timricephoto
Like Tim on Facebook
Follow Tim on Pinterest or on Flickr
