Introduced to photography at an early age, photographer Cam Attree has indeed come a long way. If you are someone looking for inspiration when it comes to capturing artistic and expressive images, Cam Attree offers plenty of creative insight.
Cam started his journey with landscape and wildlife photography, aiming to work for National Geographic. After a few shooting expeditions, he realized that it was not his calling, and today he is an inspirational photographer capturing the beauty of the human form and sharing his creative vision with others.
Read ahead to learn how he developed his photographic style and discover his tips for budding photographers looking to grow their skills and find their creative direction.
Q1. How did your journey into photography start?
A. My father was a very keen amateur photographer, so I grew up looking at his photos. When I was 16, he gave me my first manual film SLR, a Praktica MTL-5. I fell in love with photography and went on to study at art college after finishing high school.
Cam Attree’s early interest in landscape photography also shaped his creative journey. For more inspiration, explore these famous landscape photographers who have influenced the genre.
Q2. How would you describe your style of photography?
A. I always find it difficult to answer this question because I love experimenting with so many different styles, and I try to be as diverse as I can with my work. Whatever I shoot, though, I do try to find a good balance between sound technique and creativity.
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Q3. What inspired you to get into fine art photography?
A. When I first started photography, I was mainly interested in landscape and wildlife photography. However, I was introduced to fine art photography at art college, where it was part of our assessment. It wasn’t until about six years later that I started shooting model portfolios and was eventually asked to create fine art images. I was drawn to the simplicity of using the human form, light, and shadow to create timeless images without unnecessary distractions.
Q4. What do you think are the challenges in fine art photography?
A. Definitely dealing with some people’s perceptions of fine art photography and their difficulty distinguishing it from other forms of imagery. This leads directly into the challenges of sharing and promoting artistic work on social media platforms, which is becoming increasingly difficult every year.
Q5. What would be your 5 tips for someone just starting out in fine art photography?
A. Number one would be to learn your craft before attempting a fine art shoot. Learning your camera controls, lighting, and composition will give you the confidence to get started with fine art portrait photography.
Hire a professional art model! If your model is experienced in posing and feels comfortable during the shoot, this will free you up to concentrate on the technical aspects.
Be respectful! Treat it like any normal portrait shoot. Keep your distance, don’t touch the model, and use respectful language. Your model must feel safe; otherwise, you won’t get good images.
If you are shooting indoors or in the studio, play some music that the model likes. This can help them feel comfortable and can often help with their posing.
Keep the shoots relatively short. One to two hours is generally enough. You may not get tired, but posing for fine art images is hard work, and your model is likely to fade well before you do.
Q6. Which photographer’s work do you look up to the most?
A. One of the first fine art photographers I admired was Craig Blacklock. His book A Voice Within – The Lake Superior Nudes introduced me to the concept of combining the human form with the natural landscape. That book directly inspired my passion for combining fine art portrait photography with landscape settings and creating images in many different natural environments.
Q7. Tell us about your favorite shoot you ever did. Why is it your favorite?
A. There have been many, but probably one of my favorites was when I was running an art photography workshop in the South Island of New Zealand in 2016. We hired some helicopters and flew up to an isolated glacier high in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere. It was a very surreal experience, and despite the cold, we captured some stunning images.
Q8. What can we find in your camera bag for a regular photoshoot?
A. These days, it’s my Fuji X-H2 body. The image quality from the 40MP sensor is outstanding, and it can handle any kind of subject matter I attempt to shoot.
Q9. How do you select your models?
A. When I first started, I hired professional models so I could concentrate on technique and learn from their posing what looked good. Eventually, I started working with less experienced or new models so I could practice giving posing direction myself.
My advice is to always select a model suitable for your theme or location. If you are planning a landscape shoot, make sure the model is comfortable working outdoors and isn’t overly scared of creepy crawlies like spiders and insects.
Certain body types and shapes also suit different themes and locations, so that can also play a part in model selection.
Q10. If you could choose another profession, what would it be?
A. I can’t really imagine doing anything else, but I am an avid moviegoer and home theater enthusiast, so perhaps something in that industry.
Q11. What are your plans for the next few years? Is anything exciting coming up?
A. At this stage, I don’t actually have too much planned. Running a photography business full-time is quite challenging in today’s economy, so I’m mainly concentrating on that at the moment. I do have plans to finish a new eBook and video tutorial series on Cam Attree’s approach to fine art photography, though, so it will be pretty exciting to get that finished.
Q12. What do you consider your biggest achievement so far?
A. Honestly, I would have to say that being able to turn my love and passion for photography into a career is a big achievement. Being able to spend my days doing something I love and still pay the bills, while not always easy, is a great way to live.
Cam Attree’s work is truly remarkable and a source of inspiration for aspiring and professional photographers around the world. Cam loves what he does, and it shows in his work.
If you are as passionate as Cam Attree about fine art portrait photography, this interview must have inspired you to pursue your creative vision, overcome challenges, and follow your dreams.
You can also view more of Cam Attree’s photography on his official website.
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