Name: Joe Philipson
Location: Ewa Beach, HI (Island of Oahu)
Occupation:
Where did you grow up?

I grew up in southern california more specifically in the Antelope Valley, Palmdale, Lancaster area

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to be a
photographer?

I didn’t really realize I wanted to be a photographer until I was 23 years old… about a year ago.

Tell us about your childhood:

Well, thats difficult to write really quickly… My parents are divorced and both my parents are remarried. I was an overachieving perfectionist kid. I was the one my parents never really worried about… I got straight A’s and didn’t do anything wrong. I grew up, My relationship with my family was some what distant. I love them but they just didn’t get me, still don’t but no worries.

How do you stay motivated and inspired?

Oh that’s easy… when people admire my work. The look they get on their faces… sometimes their eyes light up and they’re filled with emotions or memories. That point when someone looks at your photo and slightly gasps in amazement. That’s what I love.
Appreciation. Being appreciated as an artist.
Learning. New techniques, styles, post processing, etc.
Traveling. Going around to different places. If you’re a photographer you get a little more freedom to do things.
Relationships. I have met some of the nicest people and have built the best relationships through photography. Whether with other photographers or with clients or friends.

Favorite famous photographer:
I don’t really have a “favorite” but one that impacted me the most was Mike Colon (I probably spelled it wrong) he’s a wedding photographer out of southern california… He really helped shape my style and look of my photography and let me really really know that it’s ok to break the rules and to stop being so anal about colors and exposures and everything technical but to make sure that I caught the moment, even if it’s a little blurry and the ISO made it grainy. The important thing is, Did I catch the moment?

Equipment you can’t live without?

My camera :-p
My macbook pro
10-20 sigma
50mm 1.8

Design item you can’t live without?

a what?

Something you’ve always dreamt of doing:.

Backpack the world with my cameras, sponsored of course.

Favorite reading:

Blogs, RSS, twitter, JPG magazine, books? Not as much as I’d like to but I read more now then ever before…

Share a secret with us:

In order to take great photos surround yourself with them, I spend time every day going through amazing shots and looking at them and dissecting them. Why does this photo catch my eye? What’s so great about it? How did he do it?

Ask questions, If I want to know how a photographer did something I read his exif data, if that doesn’t help I message him. Don’t be shy! People LOVE to share their techniques. One of the reasons I love twitter is the atmosphere of help and cooperation.”