This week we are excited to tell you more about one of our favorite photographers - ADAM BARKER! Adam's work is so inspiring and he seemingly lives a "dream life", but we know Adam to be humble and an incredibly hard-worker and want to give you a little more insight into his life as a photographer. Adam has shot for some pretty impressive companies, such as Yeti Coolers, LifeStraw, and Subaru! Keep reading to discover a bit more about how Adam has created such success in his career.
What camera do you shoot with and what made you choose that camera?
"The camera I shoot with most often is the Canon 1DX Mark II. Yes, it is big, and expensive and heavy and can be somewhat intimidating to have that thing pointed at you, but it is an amazing camera for many reasons. The AF system is truly unparalleled and of course it is my go to body for anything that incorporates fast action. It’s tough to beat 14 FPS for sure. Finally, it has incredible high ISO quality as well. Much of the time I find myself shooting in low light situations and I’m never hesitant to crank the ISO in order to capture a sharp image."
What is your favorite place you have traveled to/photographed?
"Haha! That’s like asking me who my favorite child is…
I could name so many places, but at the very tip top of the list would have to be Antarctica. From the moment I became serious about photography, I always dreamed of visiting Antarctica. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled there twice, leading photography workshops each time. It is absolutely everything one would dream it to be: remote, cold, idyllic, stunningly beautiful, fickle-natured and teeming with wildlife. It is most definitely not the easiest place to travel to, but once there, it never fails to impress."
Tell us something most of your clients and followers don’t know about you?
"Most clients would never know that I come from a family of doctors. While my family is also very creatively inclined, it was never an obvious career choice for me growing up. My grandpa was a physician, my father is a physician, my uncle is a physician, and my older brother (just 14 mos. apart) is a physician as well. When I chose to pursue photography as a career, I was most definitely breaking the mold, so to speak. Kudos to my parents (and my wife!) for supporting me wholeheartedly along the way."
What is a piece of advice you’d give to photographers trying to get more commercial business?
I’d say one of the best things you can do for yourself if you hope to make a career in commercial photography is to seek out every opportunity to assist and/or get some mentoring from an established photographer. I didn’t necessarily know that I would be making my living in commercial photography when I started off, but I’ve thought so many times over the years how helpful it would have been to have learned "X" or been taught "Y" instead of having to spin my wheels and learn the hard way. Don’t get me wrong, there’s most definitely something to be said for carving your own path regardless of the obstacles, but having a mentor can have an immense impact both creatively and professionally.
If you could only own one lens, which lens would you choose?
Haha. Once again—like asking me to single out a favorite kiddo! If I had to choose just one, I think it would be a tough sell between my 70-200mm f/2.8 II and the 24mm f/1.4. See—I told you I couldn’t do it. I just love the compression of the 70-200 and it’s such a versatile lens. On the other hand, the smooth, buttery fall off (bokeh) on the 24 1.4 is nearly unbeatable…
We couldn't agree more with Adam's piece of advice that having a mentor can really help excel your career as a photographer. There is no better way to learn than to get out into the field with one of the pros and absorb every bit of information they throw your way. Pictureline is a big supporter of uplifting our community of photographers and constantly creating learning opportunities. In fact, we are sponsoring Wasatch Camera Club's PhotoOp17, where Adam will be teaching! Sign-ups are still going on now, so don't hesitate to register here and take this opportunity to learn from one of the pros!
See you next time!