10 Questions with...Jimmy McIntyre
A note from me:
Welcome to the blog today! If you were a reader last year, you may remember that I ran a few short interviews with other photographers whose work I admired. They are in a short, 10 question format and designed to get you familiar with other folks who do great work. You can find them all here:
http://www.nomadicpursuits.com/blog/category/10-questions-with
I did 3 last year, and sadly got away from it, so I am bringing it back. Today is the first one in many months, and I am sure you will enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!
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Jimmy McIntyre is a traveler, photographer, language learner and the founder/editor of HDR One, the internet’s first and best community magazine for HDR photography. I first met Jimmy online when I started contributing articles to HDR One, but since then have met with him on a London trip and had the pleasure of shooting with him there as well. He’s a great guy, and a friend, and I sure hope you enjoy this interview. He lives an interesting life. So, let’s get to know him a little, shall we?
You can follow Jimmy and his photo adventures on the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/JimmymcintyreHDR
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104107142603424951501
http://throughstrangelenses.com
1. How did you get started with the whole traveling/nomadic lifestyle?
It really just came down to the belief that my life was more than just the office that I worked in. I’d spend most of my time there and more often than not I found myself imagining being somewhere else, doing something more meaningful. In the end, my wife and I knew that it was our responsibility to take control of our future.
We both love being on the road and I’m a language nerd – travelling seemed to be a good prelude until we finally made a decision on our long-term future. It turned out that the prelude was more enjoyable than we’d expected. After 3 years we’re still on the road…
2. Where all have you been? Where are you headed next?
I spent two years in Korea as an English teacher, travelled all around Asia and South East Asia, lived in Indonesia for 6 months, lived in a tent in Australia for 3 months and have now spent the last 5 months travelling around France. Our next stop is a one-month stay in Paris. Then we’ll hopefully begin a six-month journey around Europe.
3. What’s on your travel location bucket list?
Wherever there’s a beautiful photo waiting to be taken, I’ll be happy to go.
4. What is your favorite travel experience so far?
We lived in Indonesia for 6 months, mainly to learn the language. We had a fantastic time, but one particular occasion was truly memorable. One midnight, as part of a group, we climbed mount Merapi, a very active volcano in Yogyakarta. During the 5 hour ascension we witnessed lightning flashing below us and intensely bright stars above us. It was surreal, and would only get better when we reached the top and witnessed a stunning sunrise from the peak. It was undoubtedly an experience I will never forget.
5. How have all of these experiences changed you as a person and as a photographer?
As a person and a photographer, they’ve made me more ambitious. It sounds over romantic but travelling does wonders for your confidence. It gives you a new lease of life and makes you realise that many of the things you once considered limits are actually just stretchable boundaries.
6. How would you define your photographic style?
I’m not really sure. I work mainly in HDR but how I process my images differs massively. I look to put a twist on reality rather than trying to actually portray the scene in front of me.
7. How did you get into HDR photography?
I wasn’t happy with what I was producing with my images. I used to surf the internet looking for inspiration and one day I came across the term HDR briefly mentioned in an article. I knew instantly by the writer’s reference that this was an interesting way of rendering images. I looked further into it and haven’t looked back since.
8. What sparked the idea behind HDR One?
I was in Seoul last January when it first came to me. I loved the idea of creating a publication that would bring together the biggest names in HDR to discuss processing techniques while at the same time creating a large collaborative community where ideas and images can be shared.
9. Where do you see HDR One being in 5 years?
That’s a difficult one. It all depends on the demand for HDR knowledge. If HDR continues to grow then hopefully so will the magazine. In the future, I’d love to have more interactive elements to the magazine, like regular hangouts, podcasts, and a big forum. Until then, we’ll continue to develop the wonderful HDR knowledge base that we already have.
10. What do you think your life will look like in 5 years?
You know what, the amount of unexpected changes to our journey so far has led me to believe that while I have some control over my future, I don’t want to plan too far in advance. Sometimes it’s best to live with a good amount of spontaneity. Whatever we do, I hope it involves learning new languages, taking a lot of pictures and meeting a lot of photographers.
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Well that's it, hope you enjoyed this and be sure to follow Jimmy on his adventures!
