BEHIND THE LENS
WITH
PETER REID
~~~
AMHERST, NOVA SCOTIA
PETER REID
~~~
AMHERST, NOVA SCOTIA
METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Peter. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions for Metal Pulp And Paper’s feature called Behind The Lens. We appreciate it.
Before we go any further, let’s first tell everyone what Behind The Lens is all about. This feature is about the person that’s behind the camera lens. All about that individual that captures that perfect fiery orange of the setting sun, finds a child jumping in a mud puddle in the pouring rain, or catches the moons glow in the water next to some snowcapped mountains. Or captures the rock guitarist jumping in the air during mid solo. It’s about finding that beauty in something that some might not take notice of in their everyday busy lifestyles. Behind The Lens will be a way to get to know a little more about the photographer and the work that they bring to everyone. A full 360 degrees around the camera.
So, let’s take off the lens cap, and go behind the click of the shutter and get to know more about you and your photography, shall we?
How long have you been a photographer and taking pictures?
PETER REID: I got my first camera about 10 years ago. I knew nothing about the technical aspects of photography at that time, just went out and started shooting. A good friend of mine was also interested in photography, he and I would go on many adventures together, both learning as we went. It started as just something to do, an interesting hobby. Eventually it grew to something bigger.
MPAP: What first drew you to it? Was there an inspiration for picking up the camera and beginning that journey into the art of photography?
PETER: I’ve always had a love for the visual arts, from a very young age. Film has been a huge passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I’m sure a lot of it started from that. I’ve always loved photography as well. As a child I was fascinated with National Geographic magazine. It was so intriguing to see all of the incredible photographs from around the world. Seeing and learning about people, places and things I had no idea about was very addicting.
MPAP: Now that you’ve been doing it for a while, what interests you the most about it? Is there a passion behind it for you at all?
PETER: Absolutely, having a creative outlet is very important to me. Being able to express myself without words, letting an image speak for me is wonderful. Also, it’s a lot of fun. I’m at my happiest when I’m out exploring, with my camera in my hand. It puts me very much at peace creating.
MPAP: Can you describe that moment, the experience, or even the emotion you felt when you knew that photography was something you just had to do?
PETER: When I first started out I was basically just pointing the camera and pressing the button, nothing more. The pictures I was taking were horrible. Nothing anyone would ever want to see. After a short amount of time things got better. As I started to learn about composition, and how to properly expose a shot it all changed. The first time I went out and took the time compose the shot properly, and how I wanted was a great feeling. I felt like I had created something. Something that only I, at that moment, that place, could have done. It was exhilarating to see the result, having something I created that I was actually proud of. From then on, all I wanted to do was go out and shoot.
MPAP: What do you like to photograph the most of? Do you have a favorite setting, scene, landscape, or any items that you like to capture? Or do you like to just take pictures of people, or perhaps a live music concerts now and then?
PETER: I guess my general go-to would be landscapes. Sunsets are always lots fun to shoot as well. Water has been my favorite thing as of late. It’s a lot fun to capture the movement in water. Capturing the moment, a wave breaks, or doing a longer exposure to see the flow and movement. There are a lot of abandoned houses and properties where I live, those are exciting to shoot as well. Bringing to light something that has been forgotten is very interesting to me.
MPAP: Is there anything out there that you try and avoid taking pictures of?
PETER: I never want to box myself in as far as what I can do. There is nothing I would consider being off limits as far as what I would shoot. Having said that portrait photography is what I do the least of. It’s not a big interest to me, and I also feel it’s not my strong point either. I don’t do much of it, but once in a while if family or friends want something done I’m happy to do it. Also, weddings, I have no desire to be a wedding photographer. All the power to those who do it, but it’s not something I have any interest in doing.
MPAP: When picking up the camera, it obviously took some time, along with some practice, to get the feel and hang of it of what you wanted to do or go with it? Maybe even a class or two was taken to learn more about it. Tell us what were some of the challenges you’ve encountered with taking pictures? What have been some of the difficulties you’ve experienced since you first began, and maybe still happens to this day?
PETER: It was definitely a challenge at the start, I knew nothing. Most of my learning has just been trial and error. The first few years was all just experimentation, trying anything and everything as seeing what works and trying to learn from my mistakes. I have had no official training or taken any courses, but I have spent and still do spend lots of time reading and trying to learn as much as I can as I go. I still feel I have lots to learn and a lot of room to grow. I don’t think that will ever change.
MPAP: On the other side of it having some difficulties, what are some of your favorite things about being a photographer you can tell us about? What have been some of your camera highlights so far that you can share with us also?
PETER: Being creative. Again, for me that’s a big part of why I do what I do. It’s what makes me truly happy, expressing something I feel in the way of an image and hoping that it resonates in some way to anyone else is always exciting to me. As far as highlights go, capturing the stars at night the first time was really exciting. Something I had always wanted to do and wasn’t sure if I was able to, but seeing the image I had created was exhilarating. The first time I sold a print of my work was a great feeling. Knowing that someone out there saw something, was moved by what I had created and was willing to spend their hard earned money on it was a great feeling of accomplishment.
MPAP: When someone sees the picture you’ve taken for the first time, whether it’s the new bride and groom, or a family member that just had a baby, what do you want someone to get out of it? Is there ever anything you’re trying to say within your pictures, a message deep in the pixels that makes it up?
PETER: I’ve always felt that with art of any kind, it’s all in the eye of the beholder. There is no right or wrong answer. What I take away from something is going to be completely different than what you, or someone else does based on who you are. All I have ever wanted was for someone to look at an image I’ve created and feel something. Happiness, sadness, joy, pain, whatever it may be. That to me is how I gauge success, it’s not about internet likes, money, or anything like that. Just knowing that something I created makes someone feel something.
MPAP: Is there an artist or another photographer out there that you admire and might have influenced you at all? What about their work do you love the most?
PETER: There are countless photographers, both locally and internationally that I do greatly admire. I’m sure I have taken influence from many, but I don’t every try and think about that when I’m shooting. I just go and do what I do, and whatever comes out in the end is always me. I will say that probably the person who has had the most influence on me has been Stanley Kubrick. From his photography work with LOOK magazine to his films, I don’t think any other artist had had a bigger impact on me. He was the first person to make me feel something just from an image, to evoke an emotion from a single frame. That’s all I can ever hope for with my work.
MPAP: Before we move on to talking about the pictures that you shared with us, are there any tips of advice that you would want to give yourself if you had to pick up the camera and start photography all over again?
PETER: I do wish I had discovered this passion of mine much earlier in life. Other than that, I have no regrets about anything.
MPAP: Now on to the pictures that you took and have shared with us here? Take us into each one of the pictures and tell us what they are about, and which one is your most favorite and why?
As I mentioned in the interview, I love taking pictures of abandoned places. This isn’t necessarily my favorite abandoned house picture, but I feel like it’s one of my best. The clouds in the sky were perfect
for setting a mood, and the low angle adds a nice perspective.
This is an old, unused and rundown church near where I live. The dark, overcast, gloomy winter day was the perfect setting for this shot. I played around with colour temperature a lot, and went through many edits to get what you see here. If I had to pick a favorite of all my work, this might be it.
This one is very recent. I just came across a small waterfall on my recent journeys, and couldn’t leave without grabbing a few long exposures of the water. As everything is still thawing out from the winter, I felt some colder tones would add to the already icy image.
This is one of the first shots I took after moving from a city to a small town. I had taken a break from photography prior to this, but after taking this shot it got me excited to shoot again. I’ve been going strong ever since.
One of my favorite sunset shots I’ve ever taken. The windmills in the town I live in are all around, and always make a great subject for a picture. The sky was absolutely perfect that night, it just all worked out.
MPAP: Everyone has a different style or taste, whether it’s street photography, modeling, black and white, or nature, from your point of view what do you think makes a good picture?
PETER: Again, I don’t think there is really a right or wrong answer to that. It’s all so subjective. What I like, someone else might hate and vice versa. Who is to say that this art is good and that is bad? In my opinion there is no good or bad art, it just is.
MPAP: After the camera is put down for the moment, for the day, or for the night, whether it’s for a day or week at a time, what else do you like to do in your free time?
PETER: As I mentioned before film is big with me, also music, video games, ect. Spending time with my wonderful wife and dog always takes up a lot of my time. Working on small projects around the house when I can. I do also suffer from some physical disabilities which takes up a great part of my life and can be very challenging on a daily basis. My health issues can be very encompassing and effect most aspects of my life so dealing with takes up a lot of time. With all that, anytime I can have my camera in my hand and go shoot, that’s what I want to be doing.
MPAP: Before we bring Behind the Lens to a close, just one last question and we’ll wrap things up and put the lens cap back on. What would you want to say to someone that’s interested in taking pictures for the very first time?
PETER: Do it. Don’t hesitate, grab a camera and go.
MPAP: On behalf of myself and Metal Pulp and Paper, I’d like to thank you, Peter, for being part of this Behind the Lens feature. It was great getting to know you and your photos. We look forward to seeing what you will capture in the future and beyond. Please tell us where we can find your work or your photo galleries on the internet, and any social media that the readers can follow you on?
PETER: Thank you very much for letting me be part of this. Sure, at the moment you find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/peterreidphotography or on Instagram, my user name is Keyshank.
Thanks so much for letting me do this, I really enjoyed taking a look at the things I do. Also thank you for including me, means a lot.
Thanks again, Peter Reid.
.png)
©metalpulpandpaper
Before we go any further, let’s first tell everyone what Behind The Lens is all about. This feature is about the person that’s behind the camera lens. All about that individual that captures that perfect fiery orange of the setting sun, finds a child jumping in a mud puddle in the pouring rain, or catches the moons glow in the water next to some snowcapped mountains. Or captures the rock guitarist jumping in the air during mid solo. It’s about finding that beauty in something that some might not take notice of in their everyday busy lifestyles. Behind The Lens will be a way to get to know a little more about the photographer and the work that they bring to everyone. A full 360 degrees around the camera.
So, let’s take off the lens cap, and go behind the click of the shutter and get to know more about you and your photography, shall we?
How long have you been a photographer and taking pictures?
PETER REID: I got my first camera about 10 years ago. I knew nothing about the technical aspects of photography at that time, just went out and started shooting. A good friend of mine was also interested in photography, he and I would go on many adventures together, both learning as we went. It started as just something to do, an interesting hobby. Eventually it grew to something bigger.
MPAP: What first drew you to it? Was there an inspiration for picking up the camera and beginning that journey into the art of photography?
PETER: I’ve always had a love for the visual arts, from a very young age. Film has been a huge passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I’m sure a lot of it started from that. I’ve always loved photography as well. As a child I was fascinated with National Geographic magazine. It was so intriguing to see all of the incredible photographs from around the world. Seeing and learning about people, places and things I had no idea about was very addicting.
MPAP: Now that you’ve been doing it for a while, what interests you the most about it? Is there a passion behind it for you at all?
PETER: Absolutely, having a creative outlet is very important to me. Being able to express myself without words, letting an image speak for me is wonderful. Also, it’s a lot of fun. I’m at my happiest when I’m out exploring, with my camera in my hand. It puts me very much at peace creating.
MPAP: Can you describe that moment, the experience, or even the emotion you felt when you knew that photography was something you just had to do?
PETER: When I first started out I was basically just pointing the camera and pressing the button, nothing more. The pictures I was taking were horrible. Nothing anyone would ever want to see. After a short amount of time things got better. As I started to learn about composition, and how to properly expose a shot it all changed. The first time I went out and took the time compose the shot properly, and how I wanted was a great feeling. I felt like I had created something. Something that only I, at that moment, that place, could have done. It was exhilarating to see the result, having something I created that I was actually proud of. From then on, all I wanted to do was go out and shoot.
MPAP: What do you like to photograph the most of? Do you have a favorite setting, scene, landscape, or any items that you like to capture? Or do you like to just take pictures of people, or perhaps a live music concerts now and then?
PETER: I guess my general go-to would be landscapes. Sunsets are always lots fun to shoot as well. Water has been my favorite thing as of late. It’s a lot fun to capture the movement in water. Capturing the moment, a wave breaks, or doing a longer exposure to see the flow and movement. There are a lot of abandoned houses and properties where I live, those are exciting to shoot as well. Bringing to light something that has been forgotten is very interesting to me.
MPAP: Is there anything out there that you try and avoid taking pictures of?
PETER: I never want to box myself in as far as what I can do. There is nothing I would consider being off limits as far as what I would shoot. Having said that portrait photography is what I do the least of. It’s not a big interest to me, and I also feel it’s not my strong point either. I don’t do much of it, but once in a while if family or friends want something done I’m happy to do it. Also, weddings, I have no desire to be a wedding photographer. All the power to those who do it, but it’s not something I have any interest in doing.
MPAP: When picking up the camera, it obviously took some time, along with some practice, to get the feel and hang of it of what you wanted to do or go with it? Maybe even a class or two was taken to learn more about it. Tell us what were some of the challenges you’ve encountered with taking pictures? What have been some of the difficulties you’ve experienced since you first began, and maybe still happens to this day?
PETER: It was definitely a challenge at the start, I knew nothing. Most of my learning has just been trial and error. The first few years was all just experimentation, trying anything and everything as seeing what works and trying to learn from my mistakes. I have had no official training or taken any courses, but I have spent and still do spend lots of time reading and trying to learn as much as I can as I go. I still feel I have lots to learn and a lot of room to grow. I don’t think that will ever change.
MPAP: On the other side of it having some difficulties, what are some of your favorite things about being a photographer you can tell us about? What have been some of your camera highlights so far that you can share with us also?
PETER: Being creative. Again, for me that’s a big part of why I do what I do. It’s what makes me truly happy, expressing something I feel in the way of an image and hoping that it resonates in some way to anyone else is always exciting to me. As far as highlights go, capturing the stars at night the first time was really exciting. Something I had always wanted to do and wasn’t sure if I was able to, but seeing the image I had created was exhilarating. The first time I sold a print of my work was a great feeling. Knowing that someone out there saw something, was moved by what I had created and was willing to spend their hard earned money on it was a great feeling of accomplishment.
MPAP: When someone sees the picture you’ve taken for the first time, whether it’s the new bride and groom, or a family member that just had a baby, what do you want someone to get out of it? Is there ever anything you’re trying to say within your pictures, a message deep in the pixels that makes it up?
PETER: I’ve always felt that with art of any kind, it’s all in the eye of the beholder. There is no right or wrong answer. What I take away from something is going to be completely different than what you, or someone else does based on who you are. All I have ever wanted was for someone to look at an image I’ve created and feel something. Happiness, sadness, joy, pain, whatever it may be. That to me is how I gauge success, it’s not about internet likes, money, or anything like that. Just knowing that something I created makes someone feel something.
MPAP: Is there an artist or another photographer out there that you admire and might have influenced you at all? What about their work do you love the most?
PETER: There are countless photographers, both locally and internationally that I do greatly admire. I’m sure I have taken influence from many, but I don’t every try and think about that when I’m shooting. I just go and do what I do, and whatever comes out in the end is always me. I will say that probably the person who has had the most influence on me has been Stanley Kubrick. From his photography work with LOOK magazine to his films, I don’t think any other artist had had a bigger impact on me. He was the first person to make me feel something just from an image, to evoke an emotion from a single frame. That’s all I can ever hope for with my work.
MPAP: Before we move on to talking about the pictures that you shared with us, are there any tips of advice that you would want to give yourself if you had to pick up the camera and start photography all over again?
PETER: I do wish I had discovered this passion of mine much earlier in life. Other than that, I have no regrets about anything.
MPAP: Now on to the pictures that you took and have shared with us here? Take us into each one of the pictures and tell us what they are about, and which one is your most favorite and why?
As I mentioned in the interview, I love taking pictures of abandoned places. This isn’t necessarily my favorite abandoned house picture, but I feel like it’s one of my best. The clouds in the sky were perfect for setting a mood, and the low angle adds a nice perspective.
This is an old, unused and rundown church near where I live. The dark, overcast, gloomy winter day was the perfect setting for this shot. I played around with colour temperature a lot, and went through many edits to get what you see here. If I had to pick a favorite of all my work, this might be it.
This one is very recent. I just came across a small waterfall on my recent journeys, and couldn’t leave without grabbing a few long exposures of the water. As everything is still thawing out from the winter, I felt some colder tones would add to the already icy image.
This is one of the first shots I took after moving from a city to a small town. I had taken a break from photography prior to this, but after taking this shot it got me excited to shoot again. I’ve been going strong ever since.
One of my favorite sunset shots I’ve ever taken. The windmills in the town I live in are all around, and always make a great subject for a picture. The sky was absolutely perfect that night, it just all worked out.
MPAP: Everyone has a different style or taste, whether it’s street photography, modeling, black and white, or nature, from your point of view what do you think makes a good picture?
PETER: Again, I don’t think there is really a right or wrong answer to that. It’s all so subjective. What I like, someone else might hate and vice versa. Who is to say that this art is good and that is bad? In my opinion there is no good or bad art, it just is.
MPAP: After the camera is put down for the moment, for the day, or for the night, whether it’s for a day or week at a time, what else do you like to do in your free time?
PETER: As I mentioned before film is big with me, also music, video games, ect. Spending time with my wonderful wife and dog always takes up a lot of my time. Working on small projects around the house when I can. I do also suffer from some physical disabilities which takes up a great part of my life and can be very challenging on a daily basis. My health issues can be very encompassing and effect most aspects of my life so dealing with takes up a lot of time. With all that, anytime I can have my camera in my hand and go shoot, that’s what I want to be doing.
MPAP: Before we bring Behind the Lens to a close, just one last question and we’ll wrap things up and put the lens cap back on. What would you want to say to someone that’s interested in taking pictures for the very first time?
PETER: Do it. Don’t hesitate, grab a camera and go.
MPAP: On behalf of myself and Metal Pulp and Paper, I’d like to thank you, Peter, for being part of this Behind the Lens feature. It was great getting to know you and your photos. We look forward to seeing what you will capture in the future and beyond. Please tell us where we can find your work or your photo galleries on the internet, and any social media that the readers can follow you on?
PETER: Thank you very much for letting me be part of this. Sure, at the moment you find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/peterreidphotography or on Instagram, my user name is Keyshank.
Thanks so much for letting me do this, I really enjoyed taking a look at the things I do. Also thank you for including me, means a lot.
Thanks again, Peter Reid.
©metalpulpandpaper