Place you live? Dallas, Texas

Place your Instagrams were taken? Dallas

Can you sum up the place you live? It’s in the middle of a resurgence.

What is a perfect day in Dallas? Up at about 6 am, put the kettle on for coffee, grind the beans, pre-heat my mug and prepare for total coffee infusion. Chemex really is the best way to enjoy coffee in the morning. It’s been my morning tradition now for almost two years.

After coffee, or depending on when the little sleepy bug wakes up, I will look after my daughter in the morning for an hour or so while my wife catches up on sleep. We will sit outside or play on the floor in her room, depending on our mood that day. I love getting to work for myself and spend so much quality time with my daughter at this stage of her life. She’s only a baby once, and then she will grow up too fast.

This brings us to about 9 am at which point I will begin thinking about putting pants on and looking over what projects I have going on that day/week. Maybe stretch a little and get myself together. From here it is a mix of client meetings, emails, phone calls and drawing. Every day is something new, and that’s what I love most about what I do.

If Dallas was a person or character who would it be and why? Big Tex, of course. He actually burned down last year, but they’ve built him back bigger and stronger than ever. Just don’t mind him if he seems a little creepy.

How long have you been using Instagram? I first joined IG in 2011, so about three years.

Do you shoot with your phone or other cameras or both? All photos are shot using my iPhone.

What is your editing process? Currently, everything I post is edited using VSCO Cam. It captures the subtleties of film and is incredibly easy to use.

Do you create images outside of Instagram? I have a variety of other film cameras that I shoot with occasionally. I use Fuji Instax and more recently an old Nikon FG 35mm that I acquired from my uncle. I still really enjoy the thrill of shooting on film and not knowing what the outcome will be until you get your roll developed. Film is what I learned on and I still believe it’s much more of an art form than digital photography.

Has Instagram/phoneography affected how you shoot? Sure, who hasn’t it affected? The accessibility and ability to take a picture now is probably the biggest factor. If someone would have told me 10 years ago that I would have a camera that fit in my back pocket and could hold over 3,000 photos I would have laughed. I think shooting on my phone also helps me continue to focus on the two most important ingredients to a picture: composition and lighting. They are the backbone of any great photo. When you’re forced to work within the limits of what the iPhone can capture, you really have to look beyond the limitations and force yourself to imagine the possibilities of what the right angle and light can produce.

Can you give a couple tips to aspiring Instagram photographers? Put down your phone and pick up a real camera. Learn on something that weighs more than your grandpa’s pipe and doesn’t have a touch screen.

Who are your three favorite Instagrammers? Tough call. There are so many talented folks out there capturing beautiful images everyday. But based on my own personal tastes and admiration of the person behind the lens, here are three people I enjoy following on IG:

1. @pauloctavious – One of the most humble and lovable guys you’ll ever meet. Incredibly talented to boot. Paul and I actually met back in the days of Flickr, and then we ended up meeting in person while I was in Chicago for a week. I always enjoy his feed for his original artistic eye and ability to have fun with photography.

2. @createfolly – My best friend of almost half my life now, and I love watching him progress with photography. He was just featured by Levi’s and VSCO for the amazing photos he captured for the #commuter campaign. Plus, it’s just cool to keep up with him on IG since we live three states away.

3. @brenton_clark – Another personal friend, and favorite feed, of mine. He captures the outdoors in a truly iconic fashion. But I always love seeing his photos of friends and family more. His heart for people and his love of the Creator are always a joy to be witness to.

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