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Master Photographers Tell You How

Dennis O'Clair Interview by Erica Wright TakeGreatPictures.com contributor Erica Wright had the chance to catch up with Dennis O'Clair to discuss his unique story and to ask him his advice for the underwater photo enthusiast. Article rating: 9.40

Takegreatpictures.com (TGP): When and how did your interest in photography as a hobby begin?

Dennis O'Clair (DO): You know, I am not really sure what sparked my interest in photography. I always had a creative side; my mom is an amateur artist. She draws, sketches and does some oil painting. However, pursuing the arts was not really encouraged. My family was much too practical for that. I never took photography in high school; I concentrated mostly on business electives and studying to get good SAT scores.

So I’m not sure why, but when I was 18 or 19 I bought my first camera. It was a Pentax SLR with a 50mm lens. I quickly learned that a 50mm did not frame the world the way I envisioned it. I quickly added a 28mm and an 85mm f2 for portraits. I began reading all the photography books and magazines I could find, and I joined the local camera club where I started to get interested in black and white.  I’ve added many models of many cameras to my arsenal since then, including a recent Pentax Optio WP, which I bring with me to scout all my underwater work.

TGP: What made you decide to pursue photography professionally?

DO: After high school I really didn’t have any definitive plans. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had a decent job working as an auto mechanic; I specialized in imports, mostly German cars—Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, and VW. I went to college part-time, taking journalism, writing, and business classes. Then I quit the classes and the job, packed all of my stuff into a 1967 VW beetle and drove to Houston, TX to live near some friends who had moved there. I just needed to get away from home and the town where I grew up. I needed to discover myself, and that’s hard to do when all your friends and family have certain expectations of you.

In Houston I again worked as an auto mechanic and spent a lot of time just taking pictures. After 2 years, I moved back to Massapequa and was able to get my old job back. I started taking college classes again and began thinking about the future. I soon realized that I did not want to be a mechanic for the rest of my life. I hated getting so dirty and constantly having cuts and scrapes all over my hands. At the same time I realized that the only other interest I really had was photography.

I had no idea how a photographer might actually earn a living, but once I decided to go down that path, I threw myself into it completely.  I decided I would go to The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City because it was a SUNY school, and I could apply the modest SAT scholarship I had earned in high school. It was a 2-year program, which was all I figured I would need; now that I was determined to be a success in photography, 4 years seemed too long to waste in school.
 
However, getting into FIT was no slam-dunk.  At that time, FIT would get hundreds of applicants but only accept 40 students a year. The application process included a portfolio review, the completion of a photography assignment, and an in-person interview.

I didn’t have a portfolio or a darkroom at the time, and I had only about 6 months to prepare. I found a local wedding photography studio that offered basic black and white photo classes. The photographer took me under his wing, and I volunteered to work for him in exchange for guidance and the use of his studio, equipment, and darkroom facilities.

In just a few months I had a very nice portfolio of black and white fibre prints. I handled the FIT assignment very creatively and aced the interview. The FIT faculty congratulated me on the spot, and just like that, I was in.    

TGP: Did your time at FIT prepare you for both the craft and business sides of your field?

DO: You have to keep in mind that when I entered the photography program at FIT, I was 25 years old and highly motivated. Most of my classmates were 18 or 19, right out of high school. I had already read the required textbooks; I had my own darkroom at home in Long Island; and I supported myself by driving a taxi on weekends. I was going to learn the craft whether they taught me or not. However, it was a good program, and I did learn a lot about the craft of photography, and just being in New York City with all the galleries and museums was an education in itself. We were also required to take art history and advertising design, which helped round out our education. As far as preparation for the business of photography, it was pretty minimal, and I don’t recall ever learning anything about copyright. Hopefully that has changed. I graduated first in my class, Summa Cum Laude, and received the honors award at the gala graduation ceremony at Radio City Music Hall. The honors students in the Fashion Design programs received $5,000 grants from Calvin Klein or other famous designers. The photography program was not as well sponsored. I got the equivalent of Charlie Brown’s Halloween rock—a small brass medallion on a blue ribbon.

TGP: What advice would you offer aspiring photographers?
 
DO: The same advice I would offer anyone starting off on a new career or new life path.  Figure out what you love to do, and then pursue it with conviction. You also have to believe in yourself because the world is full of doubters and pessimists. When I decided to abandon an established career in auto repair to pursue photography, I had very few supporters. My parents questioned my sanity. However, they had no way of knowing the depth of my passion and determination. I always knew in my heart that I would succeed.

TGP: Who, if anyone, has influenced your work?

DO: I know this is a cliché, but the only one that really comes to mind is Ansel Adams. It was not his style of work that influenced me, rather his philosophy and work ethic. Ansel believed in quality not quantity. He would wait days for the right light or for that perfect “clearing winter storm.” He would return again and again to the same location until he got the light and the shot he envisioned. Then he would spend days perfecting just one print. That’s how I still work today. When I produce a stock shoot or an assignment, I don’t shoot dozens of different set-ups a day. I research, test, and shoot conceptual images that sometimes take weeks or even months to prepare and create. Having vision and taking the time and care to polish it to perfection is what I learned from Ansel Adams.

TGP: How did your pursuit of shots that capture motion begin? 

DO: Every aspiring photographer is told over and over “You have to be unique. You have to develop your own particular vision to stand out and be a success.” So I would spend a lot of time thinking about what my style might be. It occurred to me that it was going to be really difficult to be truly unique because there were so many good photographers, and we all create images of things that we see. So what if I shot things you couldn’t see? I began to mount cameras in places that a person or the human eye could never be—perched on a tennis racket in full swing, on the leading edge of a downhill skier’s ski, or above a convertible at 60mph. This is where I was able to utilize my mechanical and engineering skills because for many of these shots I had to design and build elaborate camera rigs. To these unique perspectives, I added motion by using slow shutter speeds.  Soon I had a whole new portfolio of unique images. One of my early images, from a bicyclist's point of view, caught the eye of Sarah Stone at Tony Stone Images, and I was offered a TSI contract. That was the beginning of a very successful relationship and the beginning of my career in stock photography. Later on, Photo District News featured my motion work and the cover title read, "Dennis O’Clair: The Genius of Blur."

TGP: And now you've become known for your innovative underwater work. What led to that career step? And how do you see it evolving?

DO: It was the same process that led me to start doing motion images. I was looking to do something new and unique that would also be highly saleable as stock photography. The summer Olympics were about 2 years away, and I started thinking about shooting competitive swimmers. I’d always loved the water, and I had access to a swimming pool, so I said “What about underwater photography of swimmers.” So again, I threw myself into it wholeheartedly. I took a class at a local dive shop and got scuba certified. I bought a used housing and started testing. Right away I felt very comfortable taking pictures underwater. I then cast some lifeguards and set up a “competitive” swimming shoot at the community pool. The results from that first shoot were outstanding, and I still use some of those images in my portfolio, and many continue to sell well as stock.

As I became known for underwater work I began to get assignments, including a run as a photographer for Fitness Swimmer, a now defunct Rodale publication. On one of my favorite assignments of all time, they sent me to Maui to shoot their swimsuit issue. On the plane to Hawaii, I kept pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming.

Evolving is what I am actively doing right now. The stock photography industry has changed so drastically that I feel it is important to diversify. I need to grow the assignment portion of my business so I am currently working with a consultant to re-brand myself with a new logo, website, and marketing campaign. There will continue to be a demand for high-quality underwater lifestyle images, especially in the fields of healthcare and fitness, and I want to own that photographic specialty. I should be unveiling my new look in about 6 months.

TGP: I know you recently made the switch to a digital camera. Are you satisfied with the available technology?

DO: Yes, absolutely. One of the reasons I have only recently (18 months ago) switched to digital capture was that I was not happy with the equipment available. However, with the introduction of 12 and 16mp cameras, a certain quality benchmark has been surpassed. There is always room for improvement but I am very happy with the tools now available. Shooting digital has so many advantages over film that I have not looked back once. For me the immediacy of digital enables me to shoot much quicker and with better results. For many of my motion images and certainly for the underwater work, there is no way to shoot Polaroid. Being able to view a histogram immediately to gauge your exposure is an incredible tool. I can experiment and push the envelope and see right away if something is working or not.

TGP: What products do you use?

DO: Currently, my primary camera is the Canon 1ds MkII.  I also have a lot of Nikon gear so I still use some of my favorite Nikon glass with an adapter for the Canon.  For underwater work the Canon goes in a SeaCam housing.  It is an incredible piece of Austrian engineering.  The viewfinder is incredible, even with a dive mask on you can see the entire image in the camera’s viewfinder.  I have both Lexar and Sandisk CF cards.  I prefer the 2 GB cards because you can get about 109 RAW only captures on a card.  That’s the same as 3 rolls of film and by then I am usually ready to try something different.  I use Gitzo tripods and lots of Bogen grip accessories.  I’m a PC user and currently use all high end Dell workstations and laptops.  For my portfolio prints I use Epson printers.  

TGP: Are there other niche markets you've considered working in? Or, what's next for you?

DO: I'm always considering other niche markets—as any good businessperson should. However, since my experience and skills lend themselves so readily to underwater image production, I've decided to focus on this niche for the foreseeable future. There are still so many other aspects of this market I want to dive into and explore. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun.)

While I always use the latest in digital imaging technology to create my images, what's "next" is that now I'm also going to be focusing on the latest technological advancements to market and deliver those images. Every day there seems to be yet another more effective and efficient way to serve my clients. Exploring these new developments is what I see as the evolution of my underwater business rather than moving into different markets.

>>Click here to read Dennis' Ten Tips on Underwater Photography...

>>Click here to read Dennis' Bio/Background...

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