Ask A Photographer: Don Komarechka
Who or what influenced you to get into photography
My dad had an interest in photography when he was younger and it never once had an affect on me. A few years back when he was very ill, he gave me a gift of a thousand dollars to spend on anything I wanted – something of an inheritance that he wanted to see me enjoy while he was still around. I didn’t have to think about what to spend the money on – I bought a digital SLR and it brought the two of us closer than we had ever been. From this camera, and support and encouragement from my dad, I found my passion for photography. My dad has since passed on. I like to think that with one of his last gifts to me, he has changed my life.
Where do you get your creative inspiration from?
This one was really hard to answer – so many choices. Family and friends (and my wonderfully supportive fiancé), local photography clubs, even comments on my blog and Flickr give me the motivation to get out and take photos. Once I’m out taking photos, the inspiration finds me. Whether I’m seeking out a local waterfall or getting out in middle of a freezing cold night for some night shots – the inspiration comes after I convince myself to take off the lens cap.
What type of camera do you use most and do you prefer digital or film cameras?
Currently I use a Canon 5D Mark II, but that’s not the important part. The lenses are! My favorite walk-around lens is my 24-105L but I absolutely love my macro lenses and my fisheye lenses. Anything that lets me see the world in a way that I can’t see with my own eyes fascinates me.
I own both film and digital. I decided to purchase a Canon EOS-1N last year to play with film for the first time. It is a radically different experience and I have a lot of respect for it – but it will never be anything more than a novelty for me.
What is your next planned equipment purchase?
Ahh the dreams of a gear junkie! I’ve been contemplating a nice Gitzo columnless tripod, or an ultra-wide-angel prime lens (Canon 14mm F/2.8L II). I really like the look of ultra-wide-angle shots in certain places, and it is one of the things my camera bag is missing. Due to the price tag, it is just a dream for now. 
What do you see as the next evolution in digital photography in terms of trends and new products?
A few things. One of the biggest trends in the last few years is sharing your photos online, to that end I believe that automatically adding location information to photos is going to be mainstream within the next few years. Geotagging is something that can be done now but it is far to have it both convenient and affordable. I think this will change.
Video will keep getting better. So will low-light performance, new technology like quantum film may give some breakthroughs in this area. One often overlooked area that I would love to see an improvement is an increase in the dynamic range that sensors are capable of recording. I’d also like to see 16-bit RAW images trickle down from the realm of medium format.
So many possibilities, I’m sure that over the next few years as camera manufacturers struggle to find something to replace “more megapixels” with, we’ll see them all.
Could you share a favorite recent image you took and tell us a little about it?
Here’s a shot I took earlier this year. I was always fascinated by star trail photos and wanted to take my own. Its a tricky thing to do though, as I read up on the subject. No moon in the sky, clear night, and very long exposures so it can be painful if you get it wrong. This had deterred me from venturing out to try, but the perfect night came and I couldn’t pass it up. Forget about a good night of sleep – I went out after midnight to learn. This was the second shot I took. 37 minute exposure, underneath an old tree in a nearby farmer’s field. I used my fisheye lens to try and get as many stars in the frame as possible.
What are you favorite websites or blogs that you frequent?
I know I shouldn’t. I know that lusting over yet-to-be-announced products takes up way more time than it should. However, I often check out canonrumors.com , nikonrumors.com , and various other rumor sites on the ‘net. As most photographers do, I also respect everything posted at dpreview.com. I’ll also listen to photography podcasts during my commute, hearing other photographers chat about anything and everything helps me keep my mind on photography with so many distractions. A few are DP Experience, Photo Focus, This Week in Photography and Tips from the Top Floor. All great folks with great podcasts.
Any advice or tips for someone wanting to become a photographer or to improve their photography?
Take bad pictures. Lots of them.
Then, take even more.
I find that while I feel so very accomplished and excited when I take the perfect photo – I don’t learn a thing. I only learn from the bad pictures. The first time out with a new lens I’ll rarely get the great shots I’m after, but I end up with something far more valuable – experience.
Don’t be passionate about taking good pictures, be passionate about learning from the bad ones. The good shots will come as a result.
Don Komarechka is an award-winning nature and landscape photographer located in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. His blog: http://don.komarechka.com and his Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/donkom/
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