A View Through The Lens of DTC Photography

I recently had the chance to interview the head of DTC Photography, David Crabtree. After years of admiring his work it was great to get a peak into what drives his photography and the thoughts that go into each captured moment.

NM:It seems that a lot of your photography captures the areas between the built and the natural landscapes, are these areas you seek out?
DC:Built and natural landscapes have sort of become my comfort zone shots. I seem to do a better job with these scenes and so I am often drawn to them. I also see the comfort zone as challenge in which I must break out of that zone and try new things that I am unfamiliar with. Lately I have been experimenting with HDR photography and also some photos with more live and movement in them. As an amateur photographer, this can be a real challenge sometimes but hopefully the saying is true: "Practice makes perfect".

Light in your photography, as with all photography, plays such a big role. Is there any particular lighting conditions that you seek out?
Lightning is a very difficult thing, especially for an amateur photographer. I don't know if I will ever truly figure it out. There is a lot of trial and error, but over time I have gotten better and it takes less time to set up my shots. Daylight with an overhead sun is probably the easiest overall lighting condition to work with. It allows me to take full advantage of bright lighting without the sun getting in my way.

On a similar note, skies and weather are featured prominently in your work. Would I be correct to assume that there is a fascination there?
Weather is and has always been a fascination for me. I love watching weather patterns and learning about weather in general and I am a trained weather spotter. Naturally when I started taking photos, I was drawn to the sky to see if I could capture some of the amazing things that it brings. Thunderstorms are the most rewarding photos though sometimes they can be difficult and dangerous to shoot, especially close lightning.

Do you feel bringing the camera along changes the way you interact with a place?
The camera seems to make me more aware of what is around me, and also helps me to appreciate things that I probably would not have appreciated before. Whenever I go somewhere and I have my camera one me, I am constantly scanning my surroundings in hopes of finding a "Kodak Moment".
How do you go about selecting which direction to take your work? Some are panoramas, broad landscapes, others more intimate or black and white, do you know going in to a location where you want to end up in terms of results?
Many times I go into a setting with a vague idea of what kind of photo I wish to come out with. However, I usually take a couple different types of shots and sometimes I end up liking the less likely shot more. I also try to keep in mind that other people often have different tastes in photographs than mine, and sometimes I try to go against my gut feeling. Changing things up can add variety and hopefully reaches a few more people.




What photographs have required the most persistence or effort to capture just the right moment?
Night photography is probably the most difficult thing that I experience. There are so many things that can go wrong and ruin a photo at night. However with patience and careful adjustments, it can turn out quite rewarding.
Are you ever surprised with what you have captured after returning from a session?
I would estimate that I am surprised by what I have captured about 75% of the time. The view screen really does not give you a realistic preview of the quality of a photo. Often it reduces the quality and I return to find out the shot is better than I had expected. However, surprises aren't always good. I also return to find out that some photos did not turn out well at all. Sometimes I will keep those photos and write down what settings I used so that I can learn from my mistakes.