Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and your background, where you are from etc.I’m from Indiana but I’ve lived in Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and all over Germany. I spent 6.5 years in the Air Force as a JTAC and since then I’ve graduated from A.P.S.U. where I was the photo editor for the school newspaper, worked in sales, the oil industry and now business development while working as a professional photographer full time.
Q: What camera do you shoot with?
Nikon D500 and D7000 DSLR’s. Mavic Air for drone shots and a GoPro hero 3 for static
video/time lapse.
Q: What is your “go to” lens?
I shoot a huge variety of subjects, so I don’t really have a “go-to” because what
I’m shooting changes all the time. I use my 24-70mm 2.8 for cars, 70-200mm 2.8
for anything sports and also for portraits, my 50mm 1.4 for artsy stuff and a
16-105mm 2.8 for architecture or landscape.
Q: How and why did you get into photography?
I’ve been an artist all my life, but I really got into photography after high school
with a simple point and shoot camera. While in the Air Force I carried a small
slim camera just about everywhere I went. I really got into photography
seriously while in Afghanistan. Rough place but a beautiful country to
photograph.
Q: What places, states or countries have you gone shooting?
Coast to coast in the US, England, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Czech
Republic, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Mexico, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Canada, Iceland, Hungry, and Belize.
Q: How often do you shoot and what is your favorite genre?
I shoot every day. I love shooting cars, motor sports, aviation, sports, and portraits.
Q: What is your favorite photo that you have taken and why? Please explain how you
took it, was it all planned, if so, what was your planning process?
My favorite photo is of the Napoleon House in New Orleans. It was a simple shot taken in the right place at the right time. Perfect combination for street photography.
Q: What was the hardest thing you've learned in photography?
The photo I think is 100% the best in a series is almost never the one everyone
else thinks is the best. 95% of the time if I give a client 50 images in descending
order starting with the best they immediately are drawn to an image in the 10-20
range. I have found that it’s difficult to let go and let the client decide
what images to use and why.
Q: What do you hope to still learn/improve?
Everything. I’m constantly striving to improve and with photography there’s always
something new to learn and try, it’s one of the things I love most about the
art form. Plenty of ways to experiment and grow.
Q: What challenges you the most in photography?
I love to shoot what I love. I find it challenging sometimes to shoot things for
a client that interest me in no way whatsoever. But, when you’re a professional
you put aside what you want to shoot and shoot what assignment is given.
Q: What's one piece of advice you would give to someone starting out or early in
their photography journey?
Find someone who you feel is a good technical photographer and pick their brain as
often as possible. By technical I mean someone experienced enough to explain
everything from off camera lighting to multiple light setups to long exposures.
One really solid way to tell if someone understands the fundamentals is if they
enjoy shooting at night. Lots of photographers avoid low light as often as
possible but I love it. You really must know what you’re doing to shoot in less
than ideal conditions.
While I was photo editor at the paper in College I had a 1 question interview for
aspiring photojournalists: “what mode do you shoot in?”
9 times out of 10 I got the ‘deer in the headlights’ look but occasionally I’d
get “manual” or “Shutter” and that alone was an authenticator that this person
at least knew the basics.
That, and shoot something every day.
Q: Can you please share some of your favorite photos:
Feel free to contact Josh Vaughn on social media:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoshVaughnPhoto
Web-Site: https://www.joshvaughnphotography.com
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