"Less is more" Featured Photographer of the week: Mark Keerd
WallMag: Introduce yourself
I was born and raised in Estonia. A small town named Padise. The town is in deep Estonian nature, near Baltic Sea. As a teenager I discovered my passion for nature. The sea was the most calling thing for me.
WallMag: Tell us where it all began. How did you become a photographer?
I got my first camera at 15. That was the point where my photographic hunger came alive. I started photographing everything.Flowers, birds, animals, sports events, you name it. Once I dropped my camera. That was the end of that. Some time later I bought a new camera. Started to shoot food. That's where I realized, that I need to go big, shoot what really triggers So I found my real niche. Water.
WallMag: How did you discover your style of photography? How would you describe your style?A style... well, I tried to shoot big landscapes and they looked boring and dull. There was no point of interest. I discovered my style at my grandparents house. We worked in the garden one day. At lunch time I sat by the table and noticed an old photo on the wall, that I hadn't given much attention before. It was black and white photo taken in forest. But it was taken low on the ground and it had a stump in a foreground as a point of interest. That's where I got my compsition side of the style. All in all I like moody, dramatic and colorful nature.
WallMag: Who and/or what influences your work and why?
My biggest influence comes from Nick Page, Thomas Heaton, Gavin Hardcastle and Adam Gibbs. I find myself in their shots. The way they compose them and the philosophy of ther work. Less is more, keep it simple and natural. And take your time.
WallMag: Is there a photographer or artist who you admire or think they are killing right now?
Nick Page, Thomas Heaton, Gavin Hardcastle and Adam Gibbs, they kill it all the time.
WallMag: Tell us through your photography process. How do you complete your work from start to finish?
Normally I go by the feeling. If I'm outside and it feels like I'd want to go and shoot, then I just think about a location and just go. Otherwise, when I don't feel like going out and shoot, I plan my shooting in advance. I usually don't look at the forecasts, because it's nature. You need to see it in it's good and bad conditions to be able to see things in different prospectives.
When I arrive at the location I don't really search for the composition. It just comes by itself. If you start searching, you will most likely miss the good stuff, because you think too much of ''I must get a shot'' or something. So when the composition finds me, I take a few test shots and work on angles. I mark it down and just wander around, till the light gets where I need it.
In that time some more possible compositions unfold. So I shoot few different to pick the best one. Mostly I edit my shots same day as shot, because the vision stays the same. If I do it later, the editing and the idea of the shot won't be as punchy as it was the day I shot it. I do most of my edits in Lightroom. Give the final touch in Photoshop.
WallMag: What you do when you are not photographing?
I drink alot of coffee and work as a chef.
Follow him now to stay updated with his work:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_keerd/