DJ, how did you first get into photography?

In middle school (a long, long time ago) we shot and processed black and white film for the yearbook and school paper. It’s funny to think back and remember of all the work that went into getting the final image, this caused us to need to really think about what we were doing and use the light meter in our manual SLR school camera and then wait until we develop the negatives and finally the prints. Now we can see the image instantly and process it with a mouse click. I don’t miss the darkroom but I am happy for the process that it taught me. To be honest, I had not thought that I would actually make a living at photography - I just enjoyed it.

What types of photography do you generally do?

I shoot images at 20 to 30 seminars about location lighting that I teach per year. I shoot fashion and lifestyle images mostly for models and actors to build their portfolios with. I also shoot personality portraits and events as well as an occasional commercial shoot. I work almost exclusively on location, either indoors or outside and at all hours. I usually create commercial style images for all of my clients as apposed to classic portraiture. That usually means more lighting effects rather than looking more natural and subdued. I do have a studio but I rarely use it.

What is your greatest strength as a photographer?

My understanding of light; natural, ambient or flash and how to blend them together in my camera to create an image that looks the way I forecast it in my mind. By using off camera lights, my images clearly look different than the correctly exposed images that all automatic cameras can get these days.

Biggest weakness?

I except that I have great salesman skills but horrible marketing practices and I need to address the new customers of today in new ways that I’m not yet capitalizing on to grow my businesses. As of today I still work strictly from word of mouth recommendations or past customers. For example I just was hired to shoot a wedding for a young woman for whom I shot her sweet sixteen images many years ago. Today’s customers need more eye candy to get their attention. They need to be able to clearly see why "Uncle Frank's" good pictures aren’t good enough or they will either use a friend with a camera or a cheap “professional” photographer.

You are boss man of Lumedyne. What does a portable flash system consist of and what makes it so unique and different from other portable flash systems.

The modular system includes a Pack, Head, Cable, Battery and Charger. Add to that a wide variety of brackets, light modifiers or additional accessories from there to further customize a system. It takes a bit more time to select the modules with all of the Lumedyne variety but then you can have a system that is really customized for your needs. Plus you can adapt the system as you evolve and change. No other system offers the versatility or guarantees of Lumedyne equipment.

Where can interested photographers go to learn more or even purchase a flash system?

I have some simple videos of lighting examples on the website, the Lumedyne Youtube.com channel or they can contact us directly at our Florida factory. I always recommend that photographers take advantage of our low cost Rental program and try a System for about $50 per week plus shipping. We are like the flash pushers, the first taste is cheap, until you get addicted. Then you contact an authorized Lumedyne Dealer to buy a System of your own.

I understand you have done a lot of seminars. How many?

I lost count after the first few years. I have been doing this for over 20 years now so I figure I have over 400 seminars behind me. It is actually the most enjoyable part of my job. When I teach a group of photographers, I know that only a very select few will buy my products, however they will all leave with valuable knowledge and usually great new images for their portfolios.

Do your seminars focus primarily on lighting techniques?

Yes, I teach about lighting. Very little attention is given to other aspects of photography because that is too vast. I don’t teach a method to shoot like I do. Rather, I teach about how to envision your style of image and then create it in your camera. That is always done with control of the light, natural or artificial. I teach how to build an image by first evaluating the ambient light and then modifying it to look better than reality. Once you create your style of image that is far more marketable than an average looking picture. In my opinion the knowledge of how to get your own style of results is the valuable thing while a flash or camera is just a tool.

What is your post-production process like? What programs do you primarily use? Do you spend much time on post-production?

To sort or preview images I use ACDsee but to edit images I use Adobe Bridge with Photoshop. I don’t do a lot of editing at all. Selecting the images takes most of the time. In my opinion, I prefer to shoot an image ready to print but I will use Photoshop to fix the reality of a blemish on the face or other issues that have to be faked away like wrinkles that most women don’t want to be reminded of. Once the file is created, it is great that Labs by Apollo offers so many ways to produce a fine quality print for a wide variety of various applications. I can trust that the results will be as good as I expect so that when I deliver a print, book or framed image I get to enjoy the customer’s “wow factor” which is the really gratifying part of the whole equation.

Finish the sentence. If I had to do it all over again I would…

Work harder on networking and marketing because a great artist can still be a starving artist and timid salesmen have skinny kids, however, a great marketing process can bring reasonable financial success for average results. But, combine the two factors of great results and great marketing and you have a powerhouse career in any industry.

I am most afraid of…

Myself, because my creativity keeps me so distracted that it is hard to focus on one thing until it is finished properly.

My rock star alter ego is…

Bono, because he is quite good at what he does (singing) for a living but on the flip side he’s often involved in projects that give back to those less fortunate or protecting the future of our planet.

My guilt pleasure is….

Being selfish, because I try to give more than I get, I feel that I have a right to spoil myself sometimes. Not with money but rather with what I consider quality of life issues like actually enjoying what I do for a living or on any given day, after all, I can’t take it back or re-do it.

First thought that comes to mind when I wake up is…

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough…

Thank you DJ! Anything last words?

I always encourage people to be themselves and to dare to be different. This automatically separates you from the masses. There are photographers who make a living at special styles of photography (like fetish for example) but they do it well because they have a passion for it. I think that it’s easier to be good at something that you enjoy. I believe that if you enjoy your life, you will be happier and healthier because of that alone. So, smile; it’s a start to something better than the alternative.