Nick Fitzpatrick Interview

As promised, here is the full interview of our second edition photographer, the talented NICK FITZPATRICK. You should also know that Nick was a big help in the set up of Greta and without him you might not even be reading this blog, because it may not have exsisted! You can also find some of Nick's work at MYM magazine. Now, let's find out a bit more about him and his photography ...

Greta: How did you get into photography?
Nick: I took photography for the first time in 2008 as a class in high school. I had success with my first photos and that helped to motivate me with keeping it up.

Greta: Where did you learn photography?
Nick: I learnt the basics in school. I think that all one really needs to know are the basics; once you know how to make a picture, the rest comes from your own creativity.

Greta: Where does your inspiration come from?
Nick: Anywhere. People, places, films, music, art, other photography, almost anything can trigger some idea.

Greta: What camera do you use?
Nick: I currently use a Nikon D90. It's hardly anything special, but it services my needs at the moment.

Greta: What is your photography style?
Nick: Tough question. I shoot fashion, but I'm still experimenting with a really wide variety of styles at the moment. I think the best photographers are versatile, and not confined to a single style.

Greta: Favourite picture you've taken and the story behind it?
Nick: My favourite photograph changes all the time according to what sort of photos I feel like taking. Presently, it's a picture I took of a girl with about five tutus around her neck. We tried to photograph the tutus around her waist but it just looked very corny and plain. We put them around her neck and lit it fairly dramatically and the result was really pleasing.

Greta: Who is your favourite photographer?
Nick: I have a lot of favourites. I admire Steven Meisel and Annie Leibovitz, but I'm also a great fan of Ellen Von Unwerth, Ruven Afanador and Hedi Slimane.

Greta: Do you have any mentors who've helped you develop as a photographer?
Nick: No, I've had no real mentors as a photographer. I've found that working on my own has afforded me great creative freedom and an ability to break the rules that seem to be adhered to by other photographers. The downside is that I'm unfamiliar in some regions of the science of photography.

Greta: Which is your favourite season for photo-taking?
Nick: Any season except for Summer. Summer doesn't really work with my aesthetic - summer sheds a very harsh and defining light. I prefer to work with soft light at the moment.

Greta: In one sentence, what does photography mean to you?
Nick: Much more than can be expressed in one sentence.

Greta: What is your pet hate?
Nick: People who reduce art to science.

Greta: What superpower do you wish you had?
Nick: The ability to light people on fire with my eyes.

Greta: If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be?
Nick: One of the great artists, I think. Picasso and Dali have always seemed to be fascinating people to me, but the conversation would be horribly awkward, I'm sure.