We sat down with good friend Glenn Guy, the Travel Photography Guru and asked him a few questions.

Where are you based?

I live and work in Clifton Hill, Melbourne. I was born in Hamilton in Western Victoria and, though I’ve lived in Melbourne since 1986, I still consider myself to be a country boy.

What sort of photography do you specialize in?

I brand myself as a travel photographer. That’s because I travel to make photographs. The images I create would fall into the landscape, portrait and urban photography genres.

What or who got you interested in photography?

I left school at the end of year 11. At that time I had no interest in going to university, which was very much the focus of year 12 at the school I attended.

A retired photographer, Ernest C. Cameron, had told one of the schools Discipline Masters, affectionally known as Scunger or Cyclops, that he was looking to employ a young lad in a camera store he was managing at the time. I got the job, a few days after my seventeenth birthday, and have worked in the photography industry ever since.

How long have you been a photographer?

February 2018 will mark 39 years in the photography industry. During that time I’ve worked in retail, wedding/portrait, newspaper, manufacturing, technical support, product management, film stills, education and publishing.

How would you describe your style?

The word style is often used to describe a look associated with the work of a particular photographer or an era of photography. I’m much more interested in motivations than in categorizing appearances. Of the three fundamental questions what, how and why I’m of the opinion that why is the one that matters most.

I’m all about showcasing the beauty of our world and its people. I believe that photography has the capacity to help us heal our world, one photo at a time. It follows then that my style is inclusive, compassionate and empathetic. That’s much more important, and more accessible to the public, than our industries need to deconstruct the look of an image, particularly when the discussion revolves around surface beauty.

Words are important. Words have power. I abhor the words shoot, capture and take when it comes to photography. I have no desire to shoot or capture anything and I think it’s unfortunate, in the extreme, that those words have became so commonly used in the photographic vernacular. Likewise I do not take photos, I make photos.

What do you shoot with?

I’ve had around thirty cameras and buckets full of lenses over the years. I’m currently enjoying a Sony A7Rii mirrorless system. I only own two lenses (i.e, Sony/Zeiss 16-35mm f4 and a Sony/Zeiss 24-70mm f4), though I have access to a few others if the need arises.

What is your favorite photography accessory other than a camera?

My 27" iMac computer. If it ain’t Apple I ain’t interested.

How important is photoshop to your final image?

My post processing is based around Lightroom and Photoshop, with most of the work being done in Photoshop. I use plugins but, for the most part, only dip into that particular cookie jar when I have an image that would benefit from some wackiness.

What inspires you to create such great imagery?

I believe in and am consumed by the transforming, transitory and transcendental nature of light. For me photography exists, in a very short period of time, from just before until just after the camera’s shutter has been released. It’s within that most intimate of spaces that I believe I can sense something of the sublime and, through the art of photography, I become an essential element in the universe’s continual act of creation.

Do you have a favourite image?

No! But for the sake of this interview I’II put forward this black and white image of an elderly man in Chennai as I believe it encapsulates my own, unique approach to photography and my fascination with the Human Condition.

Where can we find you on the net?

Thanks for asking. Photography is my life. I run an education based website and blog at www.travelphotographyguru.com I usually blog three or four times a week. I’II also be launching a Photography Podcast before the end of this year. All the details will be on the website, when the time comes.

All images Glenn Guy, Travel Photography Guru.

travelphotographyguru.com

GLENN GUY