Dave Fitswell/Fishwick is a photographer from the Cincinnati Area. His pictures have appeared in many places including exhibits and publications like The Neus Subjex and CityBEAT Magazine. on Saturday, October 13th, see Dave's photographs as part of the Misfits With Cameras Exhibit at Arnolds (Flyer Below) Questions by ...THWART!, Answers by Dave Fitswell (thanks Dave)
What inspired you about photography ad an artistic medium?
The most inspiration comes from being at one place or event that I may never see again. So the answer is travel wether it be watching the sun set and the moon rise at the same time in the Arizona dessert...or just listening to some random stranger in Columbus Ohio talk about going home to dust off the woofers (AKA) Speakers and just rock out. People and places are very interesting and trying to understand someone’s different perspective on life always ends up with a good story or photo.
Do you consider yourself an artist?Do I consider myself a Artist? NO! I don't like the label of being called a Artist for myself. The meaning has lost touch with me...you can call me creative and leave it at that. Photography has never been about me expressing myself or trying for others approval. Some call composition a form of Art regardless of skill behind the camera. Well everyone has a camera w/ them at all times these days w/ modern cell phones, but there is no skill and no real editing after a photo has been taken. Instagram is cool and dig some of the photo's from it, but it's just not me. I choose skill over Art anyday, but that’s a debate within itself that many don't agree on.
Plus...with modern cameras there is always some kind of post editing. So maybe I'm not that skilled anyway.Anyway you look at it these are just tools in my hand. The Camera...then the software.
Do you believe every picture is worth a thousand words?
1000 words might be stretching it. Usually for me if I like someone else's photo I might give it a comment, but usually I think about it and try to figure out exactly how they did it so I can try it for myself. 1000 words usually ends up being (I really Dig it) or (Cool Shot).
Have you ever gotten in trouble taking pictures of people, place as or things? How important are others boundaries when it comes to you taking a picture or capturing a moment?
I really try not to push myself into getting into trouble, but I will go past some boundaries as long as I know I can get away with it and that it is approved by law so I don't end up in jail. If I ever end up in trouble for taking a photo...that photo would be a story worth 1000 words, but probably not a 1000 word photo.You have worked on a professional 'wedding level' as well as on the artistic side of the medium. If you could be successful at one or the other, which would you choose? How do you define success within photography?
Having the opportunity to even be asked to shoot a wedding is success in my eye's, but I don't really own the correct gear to do it on a daily basis and that becomes very stressful. I would not want to become a wedding photographer simply because without the proper gear you still only get one chance. From a artistic side...I can think about what I want to do way in advance and know how to execute the project before hand and I wont have to worry about only having that one chance. Trust me...I have gone back to projects more than once because I just wasn't happy with the results. To define success for me would be getting the shot the first time and being able to move on to the next project. I will probably never call myself a professional because I will always try to find a way to make it better. Once again I believe in skill and experience, but I will also always feel like I'm in my infancy with photography...and that keeps things more interesting.Where do you see yourself in the future of photography where you wanna ride this horse?
Really I would like to just travel more and capture the amazing places that I want to see...so it's kinda like a bucket list and I would ride that horse till it's dead.
All Photographs by Dave Fitswell
See Dave's Work as part of the Misfits With Cameras Exhibit
Various Works from Dave
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