LPB Spotlight: Ray Grasso
We do love our photobloggers, even the not so well known ;-). So the last of this year’s Spotlights is for Ray Grasso from A Strange Kind Of Madness.
Tell us a little about yourself
My name is Ray Grasso, I’m 29 and live in north east London. I’m from Australia and have lived in London for almost four years now. I write software for a crust. It was that or a life of rock n’ roll. So I took the career that had all the ladies.
When did you get interested in photography?
It was about three years ago. Not really sure what triggered it to be honest. I was in Prague and something just clicked. Once I got back I started poring over photos wherever I could find them. I bought myself a digital SLR and started taking photos like a maniac. I got sick of that digital feel and started digging on film. Cut to a montage of eBay auctions for second hand cameras, piles of empty film canisters, trips to Snappy Snaps, and here we are.
When and, more importantly, why did you start photoblogging?
The photoblog started its life midway through 2005. I had a hard drive packed with poorly exposed photos that I wanted to force upon my friends back home. So I registered myself a site and started posting. That was it. I’ve been posting on and off ever since. It can be weird looking back over a timeline of photos that you liked at some point. Especially as your tastes change over time. Some shots I still really enjoy. Some not so much. Future cyber-archaeologists will no doubt be fascinated by it all.
Can you describe the style of your photoblog?
Ah, the killer “what’s your style” question. Hard to answer. It’s something I’ve been spending the last three years trying to hone in on to be honest. At the moment it’s a bit of a mix. There is a fair amount of street/urban work in there. I have a fair amount of portraiture too. I love interesting portraits. It’s an area I definitely want to improve in. I’ve been fortunate enough to do a fair amount of travel the last few years so there tends to be a bunch of photos from places nowhere near London as well.
The fact that I can’t answer the style question bugs me. I want to develop a series of shots that are more cohesive thematically. It’s something that will no doubt make it on to my new years resolution list somewhere.
As for inspiration. There are so many sources online, in print, and elsewhere. The challenge I’ve found lately is pulling myself away from looking at the great work of others long enough to go outside and try making some decent work of my own.
I don’t have a regular posting schedule. I find that trying to stick to one doesn’t bring out the best in me. My OCD is bad enough as it is without having to come up with a photo I like enough to post every day.
What has your blog brought you so far?
A gallery in Barcelona put a few of my photos into a project they have exhibited which was quite cool. I’ve had a few random requests for my photos in various small projects people are doing. That’s about it. Magnum aren’t beating my door down just yet.
But generally I guess the site has brought exposure to my photos from people who otherwise wouldn’t have seen them. People in places like South America.
What camera(s) do you use?
I have a bunch of second hand cameras. Sometimes I wake up in one of those Tyler Durden moments to find a new camera on the floor and no memory of how it got there. It’s a sickness I tells ya! Like I said earlier I started out using digital but have got it bad for film nowadays. I love its aesthetic. So with that being the case I tend to use my Leica M7, Polaroid 690, Lomo LCA the most these days. I usually only have one with me at any time though.
Often I think just having one camera to choose from is the best way to go. No confusion. No clutter. Just pick up whatever camera you have and focus on making good photos with it.
Which tools do you use for post-processing, and do you use a lot of post-processing on your shots?
I’m a Photoshop monkey. I generally use it to adjust levels and remove dust etc… Sometimes I get adventurous and try to “rescue” a shot that didn’t come out like I intended but they almost always look pants and rarely make it to the site.
Do you ever have any lack of inspiration and, if so, what do you do about it?
Definitely. It’s easy to slide into the day-to-day grind and not take a photo in weeks. Especially when it’s cold outside. As a matter of fact I am in the middle of one of those funks right now!
As for beating it and finding creative inspiration, well I’m not sure I’ve found any wildly successful formulas. I just keep taking my camera out with me. Sometimes just going shooting on the weekend or taking some candids while lurking about with friends will yield a shot I like which hopefully gives a little momentum and forms a snow ball of motivation.
Would you like to share one or more other photoblogs with us which you personally like?
There is so much good work out on the web. I stopped trying to keep up with all of the photoblogs out there a long time ago. A few of the sites (not necessarily photoblogs) that I enjoy are: Chromogenic, The Narrative, Ambrel, Leveckis. For something British check out R and R Pictures. No big surprises in there for people I think. There is always Flickr too if you have a few hours to while away.
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