For fine art photographerMitch Dobrowner, nature is the ultimate muse.
Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
You’ve mentioned before that Ansel Adams was a big inspiration.
What lessons of his do you give a shot to instill in your own work?
The first time I picked up a camera I was 17; I quickly became addicted.
They were the ones that inspired me in my late teens.
I had never been exposed to photographic images such as theirs before then.
It may sound a bit cliche, but the images left a major mark on my life.
Their work was mind-boggling to me.
Ansels booksThe Camera,The Print, andThe Negativebecame my bibles.
Minor White’s images were all about using light and shadow in compositions.
There will never be another Ansel Adams.
There will never be another Minor White.
Their dedication, determination, craftsmanship, and vision still inspire me.
Though I have never met them, they helped me determine the course my life would take.
It’s pretty simpleblack and white interprets reality in a way that I see as a photographer.
My wife, who is a designer and painter, always teases me and says Im color blind.
But Im notI just know the names of all the colors.
How do you describe terracotta if you dont know the name of that color?
And the only time I see in color is when Im listening to music.
I see music/orchestrations in their various tones.
Not sure why…but it’s what I see.
Color work also seems too realistic and every day to me.
Its what I see every time I look around, so it’s boring to me.
Im pretty visual, so most of it just leads to sensory overload.
So I decided to leave color photography to the great color photographers out there.
I also see black and white prints as my final vision, the final product.
The JPGs on the internet are only a proxy of that final vision.
As an artist, I love the aesthetic and technical challenges of generating museum-quality black and white printing.
Many people have heard of storm chasing but aren’t really sure how it works.
What sort of research goes into finding these storms?
I imagine you have to be ready to pick up and go at a moment’s notice.
Most of the software uses NOAA/Doppler data as a means for tracking whats happening within a storm.
There are also weather forecasting models that can be accessed.
Sometimes nothing happens at all.
So I’ve learned that patience is truly a virtue.
As a photographer, what inspires you about photographing storms?
Its a surreal sight.
I experience a storm as a living, breathing entitymuch like a person.
It can become violent, as it matures it can take various forms.
It can become a supercell, become rain-wrapped, show a wall cloud, become a tornado, etc.
And, as it ages, it will eventually die.
No two storms are born in the same exact way and no two storms will ever lookor actthe same.
I’m trying to do the best I can.
Photographing storms has also made me a better photographer and person.
I’ve learned how to better quiet my mind and concentrate.
There are so many elements that can easily break your concentrationthe noise, wind, the people around you.
Over the years, I’ve learned how to get into a throw in of Zen state while photographing.
So seeing the country and meeting the people has also been an inspiration.
What’s the biggest challenge while storm chasing?
It’s about getting to that happy place and then exercising my focus.
It usually takes me a few days before I can even pick up my cameras.
I’d explain it like being outside in the bright sunlight and then walking into a dark room.
That ability to see is the most important aspect of photography to me, everything else is secondary.
You stopped taking photos after you got married and only later picked up the practice again in 2005.
What does it mean to you to see your work have such success now?
It also chokes me up most days as it’s like a dream come true.
I know that this is what Ansel and the others would want.
In regards to the now, yes… What advice would you give other people who are looking to reignite their passion for photography?
It has been a part of us since the beginning of mankind.
It’s important that art continues to evolve and inspire mankind, especially now.
