We recently caught up with outdoor lifestyle and environmental portrait photographer Dennis Welsh while he was on a brief break from shooting at his home in Maine. We asked him a few questions about his photography, his work and what led him to pursue this very demanding career.
ephotos: Hello Dennis. I'm sure our readers would love to know a bit more about you and your work so we'll start with the basics. Where are you based?
DW: I’m based in Yarmouth, Maine, a coastal town just north of Portland. I’ve been here since 1987.
ephotos: When did you realize that photography was your thing?
DW: When I was about to leave college with a combined degree in Economics and Writing, a photographer came to campus to give a lecture on his work, and by the end of his slide show, I was hooked.
ephotos: Outside of this experience, Were there other photographers that inspired or influenced you in your career?
DW: First and foremost, I have to credit John Kelly for inspiring me to become a photographer. As far as influences are concerned, there are too many to mention. Probably two of my favorite photographers are Richard Misrach and James Nachtwey, two very different photographers, neither of which I resemble, but I love the way they see their worlds.
ephotos: What type or style of photography do you shoot?
DW: I would have to say the majority of my work can be described as outdoor lifestyle and environmental portraiture. I also shoot kids too.
ephotos: What type of equipment do you use?
DW: I use nearly every type of equipment, from Canon EOS Digitals, to a Contax 645 with a P45+ back, to a Linhof 4x5, all the way down to Diana plastic cameras.
ephotos: Do you have a website? Is it flash or HTML?
DW: I do have a site. It’s www.denniswelsh.com and it’s flash.
ephotos: Do you have a rep or agent?
DW: I have an awesome rep that I love. Her name is Nadine Kalmes at NKReps.
ephotos: Are you represented by any stock agencies?
DW: I’m with Getty Images (in the film division), UpperCut Images, and Aurora Photo.
ephotos: Do you feel like you’re being treated fairly by your agency?
DW: The entire stock industry has changed so much in the last 3 years that it’s difficult to answer that question. I think the agencies are responding as best and as nimbly as they can to market pressures, so I think that’s not actually a fair question. There’s no doubt in my mind that the banner days of stock photography for individual photographers is over. There’s pressure to shoot RF, a number of agencies now have wholly-owned collections; it’s become difficult to shoot stock under the traditional model. Can it work? Yes. It’s just a different paradigm now.
ephotos: What do you see as the next big trend in the photo industry?
DW:Trends are a funny thing. If you’re chasing a trend, then you may click for a while, but if you’re not careful, you’ll get stuck or pigeonholed there. I think an area where photographers ought to consider focusing on is in multi-media. Think out of simply shooting stills.
ephotos: Where have you been recently?
DW: Over the last few months, I’ve been out in California a bunch shooting different projects, and I was just down in Mexico shooting another project as well.
ephotos: Do you ever just shoot for fun?
DW: I try to shoot for fun all the time. But I also try to keep in mind that there are times that you should put the camera down and have fun just for the sake of having fun. A couple of months ago, I was out in Tahoe shooting with a professional skier, and after we were done shooting, I packed up the photo gear, put it in the car, and went out for the afternoon skiing with her. It was probably the most fun I had had all winter!
ephotos: What's next for you Dennis?
DW: I’m doing some research on two personal projects later this summer. Hopefully, I’ll have photos to send when it’s all done.
ephotos: Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself or your work?
DW: I have fun doing what I do. I have an amazing group of people that I work with and I’ve never had anything short of a great time working with these folks. Come join us sometime and see.
ephotos: Thanks a lot Dennis and remember to keep the focus!