This year for Contact we’ve amassed a collection of amazing talent and we’ve had a chance to talk to each of them. We met Stephen Caissie while shooting for a food inspired art exhibition and even had the pleasure of working on a shoot together. We love hearing about people who love taking chances and following dreams and we hope you’ll love his work too!
Hey Stephen! So, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a Toronto-based self-taught photographer, former advertising art director and ghost town hunter. I have just under 1 full year of experience at the professional level. My forte is portraiture, although I’ll shoot just about anything. I’m also a pretty darn good retoucher. I have 15 years’ experience using Photoshop, so I do my own retouching. I also teach Photoshop at any level from basic to extremely advanced. I just completed a part-time course in Fashion Photography under Guy McCrum at George Brown College, so as you can imagine, most of my recent work has a fashion slant to it.
How did you get into photography?
I got into photography when I was 15. My mother handed me her Polaroid 600 instant camera while we were on vacation in Nova Scotia, and I felt the magic. I’ve dabbled ever since, and when I started working in advertising ten years ago and got to watch how the pros did it, I took copious notes, never actually aspiring to be one of them, just to learn to be a better photographer. Fate, however, is messed up, and in January of 2010 I got laid off from my last agency job. I decided to take a blind leap and go pro. The jury’s still out on that decision.
That’s awesome! We love how people can self teach themselves things and take them to places they might not have expected. So what inspires you to take a photograph?
I get my inspiration from everywhere. One thing I was taught when I worked in advertising was to be a sponge. Absorb everything, they told me, because you never know where an idea is going to come from.
So very true! Okay, who is your favourite photographer?
My favourite photographer at the moment is Dan Winters, for his Friends and Neighbours series of moody, artistic portraits. I want to do that.
We can’t wait to see that! We also can’t wait to see what you’re going to do for Contact! What’s up your sleeve for May?
I have two ideas for my portion of the show. Idea one is an exploration of the semiotics of fashion imagery and what it means to be a model. Idea two looks at the aftermath of several arsonist-set fires in Toronto and questions whether art can be found in violence, and if so, what implications that has.
Very exciting. Second last question. If you were a camera, what would you be?
If I were a camera, I’d be either a Sinar 8x10 with a Rodenstock lens, or an H4D with a P65 back. Maybe both.
Any last words?
I didn’t vote for Rob Ford.
Haha! Love it! Okay guys, check out his portfolio!
www.stephencaissiephoto.com
Be on the look out for more interviews!
Cheers,
Hitoshi & Vince
This year for Contact we’ve amassed a collection of amazing talent and we’ve had a chance to talk to each of them. We met Stephen Caissie while shooting for a food inspired art exhibition and even had the pleasure of working on a shoot together. We love hearing about people who love taking chances and following dreams and we hope you’ll love his work too!
Hey Stephen! So, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a Toronto-based self-taught photographer, former advertising art director and ghost town hunter. I have just under 1 full year of experience at the professional level. My forte is portraiture, although I’ll shoot just about anything. I’m also a pretty darn good retoucher. I have 15 years’ experience using Photoshop, so I do my own retouching. I also teach Photoshop at any level from basic to extremely advanced. I just completed a part-time course in Fashion Photography under Guy McCrum at George Brown College, so as you can imagine, most of my recent work has a fashion slant to it.
How did you get into photography?
I got into photography when I was 15. My mother handed me her Polaroid 600 instant camera while we were on vacation in Nova Scotia, and I felt the magic. I’ve dabbled ever since, and when I started working in advertising ten years ago and got to watch how the pros did it, I took copious notes, never actually aspiring to be one of them, just to learn to be a better photographer. Fate, however, is messed up, and in January of 2010 I got laid off from my last agency job. I decided to take a blind leap and go pro. The jury’s still out on that decision.
That’s awesome! We love how people can self teach themselves things and take them to places they might not have expected. So what inspires you to take a photograph?
I get my inspiration from everywhere. One thing I was taught when I worked in advertising was to be a sponge. Absorb everything, they told me, because you never know where an idea is going to come from.
So very true! Okay, who is your favourite photographer?
My favourite photographer at the moment is Dan Winters, for his Friends and Neighbours series of moody, artistic portraits. I want to do that.
We can’t wait to see that! We also can’t wait to see what you’re going to do for Contact! What’s up your sleeve for May?
I have two ideas for my portion of the show. Idea one is an exploration of the semiotics of fashion imagery and what it means to be a model. Idea two looks at the aftermath of several arsonist-set fires in Toronto and questions whether art can be found in violence, and if so, what implications that has.
Very exciting. Second last question. If you were a camera, what would you be?
If I were a camera, I’d be either a Sinar 8x10 with a Rodenstock lens, or an H4D with a P65 back. Maybe both.
Any last words?
I didn’t vote for Rob Ford.
Haha! Love it! Okay guys, check out his portfolio!
www.stephencaissiephoto.com
Be on the look out for more interviews!
Cheers,
Hitoshi & Vince
Posted 1 year ago
