This is a caricature study of a good friend and fellow artist Ugo Cei. I met Ugo on Google+ in the beta testing days where he is very active with his photography work. Check out some samples of Ugo's work below as well as a short interview.
Firstly, can you tell me a bit about yourself. Why did you get into photography to begin with?
I am an amateur photographer from Italy. I consider myself lucky for having a day job that pays for my passion for photography, so I can shoot what I like, when I like and not feel the pressure to make money from it, but I would still like to do more photography and have it pay for all the gear I want to get or all the travel to get me to places to shoot.
I was almost always interested in photography, but it was the advent of digital that made me really dig into it. I am a computer expert and find digital infinitely more convenient than analog.
What style of photographs do you shoot?
I wish I could say I have a consistent style, but I am still struggling to define my personal one. I like vibrant colors and rich black and white, but I prefer a natural, not overdone look.
What type of photography do you enjoy shooting most?
I love nature and enjoy immensely shooting landscapes, but I am also interested in the people and the cultural aspects of the places I visit. There's a ton of genres I would like to explore: food, nighttime, studio portraits, just to name a few.
How did you come to find your own particular style?
What style? ;)
Photography is often considered separate from other forms of Art. Perhaps because we are often capturing or recording something that already exists. What are your thoughts? Would you consider yourself an artist?
I think the debate on whether photography should be considered an art has been settled in the positive long ago. I consider myself an aspiring artist, in that I struggle to create something that can transmit a feeling and an emotion and not just document reality. It's not easy and I am just at the beginning of my route, but I am trying.
What area of photography do you struggle with most?
Portraits are still hard for me, not for technical reasons, but because I have little experience in dealing with human subjects, to put them at ease, and to get the best out of them. I am hoping my Stranger A Day project will help me with that.
If you had €1000 to spend right now on something photography related, what do you think would be the best way to spend it to enable you to improve?
Education: books, courses, and workshops. Spending money on these things will give much better and lasting returns than gear.
BIO
Ugo Cei is a travel, landscape and fine art photographer from Italy.
A geek at heart, he loves the technical aspects of digital photography and understanding what goes inside the machine.
His clients include Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Traveler, and Alitalia.
LINKS
Website: http://www.ucphoto.me
Blog: http://blog.ucphoto.me
Google+: http://google.com/+UgoCei
Twitter: @ucphoto
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day and be inspired!
