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Donny Tidmore

Image from the series In Memoriam #2 taken by US photographer Donny Tidmore photography
Donny Tidmore (USA) - Contemporary Photographer - www.donnytidmore.com

“I’m a rather late bloomer. I didn’t pick up the camera seriously until three years ago, I was 34. I had long had the desire, but not the self-confidence or drive, to create some form of art. All it took was for my girlfriend to tell me that I had a great eye for photography.”

Donny Tidmore

Donny Tidmore (born in 1975) is a contemporary photographer currently based in Austin, Texas. When it comes to photography he has no formal training and is mostly self-taught. For Donny Tidmore photography is a means to visually explore and reveal the subtle soul and essence of a subject. In another interview on this site, Donny Tidmore talks about his cemetery-series “In Memoriam #2”.

Artist statement

“Alfred Stieglitz said: ‘In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.’ For me, photography is the ongoing search to capture that subtly. To find what it is in a subject that will create that reality.”

“Artist Profile” – Donny Tidmore

Donny, why did you become a photographer? And what does photography mean to you?

I’m a rather late bloomer. I didn’t pick up the camera seriously until three years ago, I was 34. I had long had the desire, but not the self-confidence or drive, to create some form of art. All it took was for my girlfriend to tell me that I had a great eye for photography. I really haven’t looked back since.

How would you describe your photographic language and creative process? How do you plan and execute a project? Both technically and conceptually?

I’m not one to be very introspective about my own work, but I look to create images that are emotional in nature. As for the creative process and projects, I am absolutely scatterbrained. My ideas and concepts are typically just out of reach. I really have a hard time explaining them because I can’t really even work them out in my own head. I just do what comes naturally and hope for the best.

Which photographer has inspired you most?

I find myself being extremely drawn to photographers whose work is quite different from my own. Photojournalists, street photographers, conflict photographers. I love the work of Bruce Davidson. I’m in awe of those who have the special ability to create such strong images and tell a story at the same time. I’m gonna have to mention James Nachtwey as well. Haunting, absolutely haunting.

What’s your favorite inspirational quote about photography?

I’m going to have to go with the Stieglitz quote that I mentioned earlier:

“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”

What kind of camera and equipment do you use?

I primarily shoot with a Mamiya 645 Pro TL with a 80mm 1.9, and a Canon AE-1 Program with a 50mm 1.4. I also have a Holga and a couple of Polaroids that I use occasionally.

What’s your favorite website about photography?

I love the stuff featured on “Time Lightbox” and the “Lens Blog” from The New York Times.

What book about photography would you recommend?

I have to shamefully admit that, while I might browse at the bookstore, I don’t own any “traditional” photography books. I do own photo books that are more like glimpses into the past than photography books. There’s a book called “Picture Machine: The Rise of American Newspictures” that I enjoy.

Which advice would you give someone who wants to get started with photography?

Shoot often. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Experiment.

More about Donny Tidmore

Website

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