Public Republic

Mariana Velichkova’s interview with the photographer Tomer Jacobson

When and how did you realize that you would like to make the photography a part of your life?

It all started a year ago when I was 36.
I was working for the High-Tech industry for 10 years before that as a marketing communication manager and I just bought my first Digital camera (Canon G9) without thinking it will change my life.

I started playing with it and felt I just can’t stop, I started shooting before work and then after work and then instead of work, I started reading related books, got hooked on the Strobist and started getting control of my pictures and also got good feedback from my friends, and other photographers as well. Then I decided to quit my day job and to dedicate my life to photography, feeling that this is my call.

If you can capture your own life in just one picture what it would look like?

A man climbs a mountain and he is a half way from the mountain top.

Your favorite places and subjects for taking photos of are…?

The Street is my thing. I like urban locations and trying to get studio like lighting with small flashes on the street. I don’t like boring studio backgrounds and can’t understand why people would shoot indoors with black or white backgrounds. I like old locations with street lamps, brick walls and sky scrapers! Other than people I’m really into dogs, I really love picturing them all the time.

Is there any fascinating story related to one or more of your pictures?

On my first try to shoot street photography I was wondering the streets looking for interesting moments and then I saw a sign on the wall saying ” New York, Los Angeles, Rome, Frankfurt, Paris…. and soon Tel Aviv” under it was a Homeless guy sleeping.

I took the picture and called it “Bright future” 2 months after that the economic crisis started and this picture was published on the cover of Israel’s biggest economic newspaper. This was my first published picture.

If you can take a picture of your soul what it would look like?

A bare Vivitar 285 blinking.

What triggers your creativity the most?

I look at many pictures a day both from old classics and new. I also look at many classic oil paintings from the great masters for portraits lighting, I look at movies that use great lights, I walk the street and look for unusual locations, sometimes I just “see” a picture in my head and then I try to produce it. Those usually turn up the best in my opinion

Would you like to share something essential to anyone who is interested in photography?

Try to find your special angle and ideas. Also use your lights in a creative way sometimes it’s more important then your composition in my opinion.

Flickr upload rate is 4000 photos a minute and you need to be special in order to pop out. Shoot every day at least 10 pictures and try to never use on camera flash 🙂

Do you think we can call the camera “the third eye”?

Yes, in the sense that it freezes time and let us review a moment over and over again.

You dream photo is…?

My unborn first child.

My description:

A freelance Photographer for Newspapers, Magazines & private customers.
I specialize in street photography, cityscape & people.
I also teach at Galitz Photography School and run a Photographer’s blog

My main website is on www.thetomer.com