This is a first in a series of interviews of Featured Artists on this site.
The decision to interview Ethangibbs as our first Featured Artist was unanimous. I jumped at the chance to interview him because from his very first images on the site, I just knew that he had that extra special something that would make him a superstar among artists.
Ethan's work is always very creative and fresh. He comes up with very imaginative ideas and is willing to do extravagant setups to bring an idea to fruition.
Without further ado, I bring you our very first Featured Artist of the Month: Ethan Gibbs!
Normally, I wouldn't say this is important, but in your case, I think it is, how old are you?
I'm 16 years old as of June 26th.
Where do you live?
Western North Carolina, about 30 minutes from Asheville in a little town
called Marion.
How long have you been taking pictures?
Since I was about 5 or 6. My dad always had a camera with him, no matter
where we were. It was nothing special, an old Canon Sure Shot which he gave
to me when I was about 8. He always had it on hand and just took pictures of
us doing everyday stuff; playing in the backyard, eating, and even getting
my hair cut when I was like 7.
I never really understood why he did this. To me he was always taking pictures of just random pointless things and i would ask him "Dad, im just getting my hair cut. Why do you want a picture of it?" He would always tell me, "So that ten years from now, you'll remember it". I would just agree for the sake of agreeing. But then, nine or ten years later
when I look back at those "pointless" pictures, I realize that I would have
never remembered that or thought about what it was like when I was little.
Is this your first camera, if yes, what is it? and if not, what did you
start with and what you are using now?
When I was about 5, my mom and dad bought me a little blue and red Fisher
Price camera. They gave it to me at my sister's birthday party and dad loaded
it with film and told me to go take pictures of everyone. I thought it was
the greatest thing ever, cause it had a flash. I still have that camera
sitting in my closet.
Then, when I was about 8 my dad gave me his old Canon
Sure Shot, because he bought himself a new camera with a zoom. So i was just
taking pictures of everything not caring if they were good or not. I had it
for a long time but then it just quit working. So I kinda stopped taking
pictures for a while, just occasionally with my dad's camera.
But then one faithful day my sister came home from her first day of a photography course in high school. She brought home this 35mm manual SLR and I thought that it was from the gods. I dont know why i was so fascinated by it; it was just so big and professional looking. Every time I pressed the shutter release button I quivered with delight. She finished the course and got her own SLR for her birthday. It was a Vivatar V3800N zoom.
Ahh it was so cool! So I just started to pick it up and mess around with it and I made her teach me how to use it. I loved it so much even though it wasn't mine. I felt so bad everytime I used it cause i felt like i was stealing it from her. So I started looking on the internet for my own camera... I had seen digital cameras so many times and I always tried to convince dad to buy one because they were so much more money efficient haha... I was like 13... so then like two years later, I get one for my birthday..Minolta Dimage z1... it was the best thing ever. In one year I took 5300 pictures. Yes that's 100 pictures a week. Well, I had used it so much in one year that I was beginning to outgrow it. I wanted more control. I w anted the control I had with the SLR and yet the digital advantages of my camera. My only logical answer was to buy a digital SLR... Oh i wanted one so bad!
I remember the D70 was my pick and I would just sit and read about it and learn how to use it even thought I didn't have one.
Ironic story: Dad took me up the road to take some pictures of a local waterfall (some of you may remember the picture-its black and white)and we were talkin' and he said: "If you could have any camera you wanted, what would it be?" of course I jumped all over the opportunity and rambled on and on about how great the Nikon D70 is. Then, as we were walking back down the trail, I see this man carrying a tripod and a few camera bags.
He was an older man with white hair. So we speak and start talkin' and he
asks my dad if he's a photographer. But dad tells him I am. And we talked a
little bit and then...he pulls out a Nikon D70 and I pull out my little
plastic thing. It was the first time I had ever seen it and I was just 15,
drooling over a camera. I went home and I literally swore to myself, that I
would have one of those cameras.
This was in early January. I started saving every penny that I would get. And then I waited until my birthday in June and kept all that money and my mom and dad took me to a camera store and let me pick out the camera I wanted to get. Dad got me a gift certificate to the camera store, and I got a job washing dishes at a restaurant to make money so I could buy the camera. Then on July 31st, I went and I bought the Nikon D70. It's sitting beside me right now! It's the best thing I've ever bought. Kind of a roundabout way of saying it eh?
I have seen pictures with a brother and sister in them, are you from a
big family?
I'm the youngest in a family of five. My brother, Ben, is 22 and my sister, Emily, is 21. Oh and don't forget precious, my cat and I have a dog named maggie. But we named her loooong before we knew the great maggie brouillette haha .(interviewer blushes here! ;-) ) We all live with my Mom and Dad... in a house... together... as a family
You are obviously very creative. Do you come from a very creative
family? What influence has your family had on your photography?
Thank you. Yes, I do come from a creative family. My mom has always
encouraged us to be creative and be who we really are. She's a potter. My dad is a writer, most gifted in poetry. My sister has a very creative mind, I know because of her abilities to be visually creative and my brother is a
born musician who could play any instrument you gave him if he wanted. He's a drummer and he's just 22 but can play drums as good as the pope can pray.
Do you find a lot of people your age involved with photography, or are
you kind of unique among your peers?
Not alot of people around here are into it as much as I am but I think maybe there might be a few out there... then again it could just be an affirmation for myself so I wont feel too alone. I don't really know yet. But mom and dad always told me I was different than everyone else. I guess they're kinda right... I feel like I'm outside looking in alot. But at the same time, everyone thinks I'm in there with them lookin around.
Ethan, that's the greatest thing they could tell you.. Anything wonderful
or new or exciting that was ever created was by someone who was different... who danced to his own drummer. You are an amazing young man and have quite a unique talent that comes shining through your images and shows us the wonderful way you see the world. You inspire us all.
You seem to be an independant thinker, what do your friends think about your passion for photography and the fabulous images you produce.
They think it's pretty cool I guess... actually a lot of my friends don't evenknow I take pictures... I've never really brought it up... the ones who haveasked are the ones who know haha... and besides, it's a somewhat indirect question, aimed more at my friends rather than me... hahaha :-)
I'm a person that loves people but I also really need time to myself to be alone... what are you like? Do you love to be surrounded by people...? is it a need...? or are you more of a loner?
I love people too... I like to be around people alot, just not every minute of everyday. I also need my space. But I do love people... I guess it goes like this, if I'm with a bunch of people, I'm happy, if I'm all alone, I'm happy too.
How do you come up with your ideas?
whew...well sometimes they just kinda pop outta no where and scream in my
face... sometimes I sit and take something and think about it and try to alter it to where it's not crazy but it's not quite normal. Most of the time I try to take anything that can't talk, and look at it and think, what would you say to me if you could talk?
You seem to put a lot of effort into a setups... You build what you need... talk to me about some of your elaborate setups?
Well, if you put no effort into the setup of an image, then there in no
effort in your images, and effortless images make me vomit uncontrollably.
First of all... my "studio" pictures are really just taken on white card
stock in the middle of my bedroom with like 4 or 5 60 watt lamps gathered
around. If i could ever have a photography studio, with all the lights and
the great big backgrounds and what not, then I think most of my photography
would be from the studio. I love doing it. I love the setup of it all, and
playing with the lights and exposure...
One example of make shift studio: The Balancing Chairs --- a miniature
antique table and chairs set I found in the dining room, all balanced on a
sheet of white paper, sitting on a box with 3, 40 watt lamps... one at the
top one on each side.
Same thing with the orange orange apple image.
(a frog just jumped on my window) Eurysidenote (I just love how that came out
of the blue :-) /sidenote.
The picture of me, inside my camera : I took a picture in the mirror then set my camera to timer and took about 20 pictures of myself pressing my face
against a piece of glass from a picture frame.
You use photoshop in many of your images... how important is this to
making your vision real?
Photoshop has really, really helped me alot. I dont think there is a single image of mine that hasn't gone through photoshop before being posted. I have had it for a little less than a year and I have taught myself how to use it with the addition of a few online tutorials on a couple of websites, but they always confuse me and take away from my own creative freedom, so I like to stick with teaching myself.
Talk to me about your personal favorite photographs that you have
taken... what do you like about them?
hmm... I don't really have one favorite in particular but I have a few I
like more than the others. I enjoy the one of the chair, in the green field.
I took that while I was sick. I had been in bed for a few days and I felt
really bad and I wanted to go outside really, really badly. It was like 5 in
the evening and mom and dad were outside cleaning off the front porch. I saw
that chair, sitting in the front yard and I just immediately got this picture of combining my two worlds at the time--feeling like crap, but wanting to be outside. So what you see in the picture is exactly how I saw it in my head. I was outside but I still felt like I wasn't really being able to enjoy it. So, when I went outside it was like I was sitting in that chair... I hope that makes sense, for me it's more a thought than something to be verbalized.
Also,
I like the orange orange apple picture. I was feeling really crazy that day.
I had lights and everything already set up from the day before and I just
grabbed some oranges and an apple and was just messing around, playing with
lighting. I was having a terrible time trying to get an apple to balance
on the oranges. And then i just started thinking, if these oranges could
speak, I bet they'd let me have it! So, I took the picture and then
thought, I'll put faces on them, to show what they are thinking rather than
what they are saying. I screamed for my sister to come into my bedroom and
I started telling her to make stupid crazy faces. I took pictures of her doing it and put them on the oranges and well, there you have it.
I also like the one with the chairs all standing on the table while the one sits in the corner. It took me forever to get those chairs to balance. Everytime someone came up the stairs they would fall. Then I got that shot and out of the hundred and some I took I liked it the best.
Do you do any other type of art and if yes, in what medium?
Yes... I love the piano...a lot... I play the piano by ear, I've been playing almost as long as I've been taking pictures. I also do pottery. Me and my mom both. She taught me how a few years ago and dad built us a studio in the garage. It's very relaxing. I was never really gifted in drawing or
painting but that's ok cause my sister can just do it for me haha :-D ... I also love to write. I don't think alot of people know that... including my family.
You obviously like music. Do you listen to music when you shoot? If yes... what kind?
Everytime I start to setup and start shooting I listen to music. I love
jazz, especially piano jazz. Favorite? Keith Jarret. He is the god of piano
jazz. I listen to a lot of stuff though, mainly things not from this era, Frank Sinatra is the greatest man ever... and I love The Doors, The Who,
Elvis, Gershwin, Gwen Stefani (I'm kidding people!! :-D )... I can't really name everyone but it's a wide variety... if it's not country or rap, then it's ok.
Do you want to become a photographer? As a full time career or profession?
I hear this question all the time. I've thought about it but I don't think I will make it a profession.
Is it because of the being obliged to take pictures instead of doing it when inspiration strikes?
hmmm... I think that may have something to do with it. I definately like
taking pictures when inspiration strikes... of course, I've never experienced it differently, but when you HAVE to do it, I think that the images will lose a bit of meaning... if I think of something, I do it because I think it's a good idea, and that it's good enough to show other people... not because I have to think of something before friday.
If you could make a living being an artistic photographer... just doing
whatever you liked and having shows at galleries etc., would you reconsider?
Well, I do plan on doing that someday anyways... like when I'm older, but Ido want to go to college and study some sort of psychology or something having to do with the mind. I think that's what I'm supposed to do; photography being more of a gift, rather than a mission.
Do you have any other creative hobbies or interests?
hmm... as I said, I love the mind, if that counts as an interest. I love to explore things that haven't really been explored yet, like different doors in the mind that haven't been opened. I am fascinated by the supernatural and all that... dreams, telekenisis, psychokineses, other worlds (ye, they are out there!) and my most recent discovery... astral projection. HAHA! :-D Alot of my friends think I'm crazy and stupid like that but hey I'm not hurting anyone... besides when they all find out I'm right, I'll call them crazy.
When did you become interested in the supernatural and why?
Well, I don't really know when I became interested in it... it's been a while back... we've always attracted the activity somehow and I've just always been really fascinated. I've had many, many experiences..but I've never really told anyone, simply for the reason of being thought crazy.
I have friends that have claimed they have astrally projected. Have you
succeeded in doing so yourself? What can you tell me about your experience.
Odd that you would mention this because two days ago was my first successful astral projection... of course, no one knows this yet but; mom, dad, I'm not crazy, really!...
I have always been able to lucid dream at will, and just a few years ago I
learned what it was. I never really knew it was anything like that, I just assumed everyone else could control their dreams too.
I did some reading and expanded my knowledge on the subject and then I just
wanted to find something that was a bit better. I came across astral
travel. I've heard about it a million times but never really took the time to read about it and all that. So I started reading about it, and other people's experiences and how to do it blah blah blah. I just decided I want to do that too. It took some time to even get to where I got and I guess I'm
happy about that. I'm still learning and I'm really just a first timer here.
I've read about it for a few weeks and I tried it out. I got into a deep
relaxation, nearly asleep but still awake. I can't really describe what I
did but I just imagined a door a the end of a hall and continuously
thrusted myself towards it. Then I just stopped and did this pulling
thing... that I really, really can't describe and everything was like in this golden light and I heard this really, really loud buzzing or humming and I rolled over really fast, like I was going to get up, so I could leave my body. When I did, I couldn't see anything so I thought it up and then I
could see the ceiling really, really close... then I did the worst thing
possible-- I got so excited that I had done it that I just kinda snapped
back. I plan on reading a lot more and really educating myself on the subject before I try again.
Are you inspired by any famous photographers?
Yes, Nick Vedros. I really like his style and the way he can go about things being somewhat comical but still be able to retain the meaning behind a photograph.
How did you first learn about Artalyst?
I learned about artalyst a while back, when I was about 14. I was on
worth1000.com in the photography section and saw a contest sponsored by
artalyst.com. I had never been before and I looked around for a while and
thought it was pretty cool. That was before I had my digital camera so I
thought, when I get a digital camera I'm going to join this site.
Do you have any favorite photographers on Artalyst?
Yes I do, Maggie Brouillette. Maggie when I first joined the site I wrote
you an e-mail telling you how I was inspired by your creativity and
imagination. I still feel the same way. I love how you go about making a
photograph and I was inspired by your abilities.
Eury(blushing, again!) I knew I really, really liked you ;-)
What is your personal philosophy on photography?
For me, photography is just a way to show how the world is in my eyes. How I see everyday things, and maybe to help somone see their own way. It shows a part of me that I cant draw, that I can't put into words, or in a song or sculpt. It is a real, visual perception of my world.
Do you have any advice to give to someone just starting in photography
or even more seasoned photographers?
For those of you just starting out; Photography can only be taught to a
certain extent, most of it is to be learned by you. Your pictures will not
be perfect, and probably will be terrible at first. But that is ok. That's
why we have a place like Artalyst, so we can help each other become better.
I have things on my computer that are absolutely pathetic. And if you are not passionate about photography then don't expect your eye to grow. It takes time and true passion to be a good photographer, and I'm not even half way there yet. And look at me like this, I'm not telling you this because I'm a "good photographer" I just happen to love taking pictures.
Is there anything you would have liked to talk about that I haven't asked
you?.
hmmmm.......*rubs chin, looks to the sky mumbling a few words reviewing the interview* i don't think so... I think that pretty much sums me up.....but then again....I could think of somthin in 6675.98 seconds...
Ethan, you are not only talented, you are adorable! Thank you so much for
taking the time to show us a little about the guy behind those fabulous pictures! I think you are very, very creative.. and have a different way of seeing things... you show us the world in a really fresh and exciting way. THank you for being you and for sharing your art.
