The Sunday interview: 5 questions for Ronald Nattress

Today I will present Ronald Nattress the author of Chasing Lights. Ronald is a photographer, writer and sometimes film maker.

1. Why photography?

I am not entirely sure why photography has become my calling. I always loved art in its many forms from painting, to dance, to music, and so on. I dabbled in many other forms of art over the course of my life but nothing has spoken to me as much as photography. One thing that comes to mind is that most art forms require great amounts of planning and preparation. There is much work and practice beforehand to ensure the final element is successful.

Looking back on my life, I think it was that structure that often made me walk away from creativity. I struggled with the preparation phases because of over-thinking. However with photography, and street photography specifically, I think it's the randomness and chaotic nature that this art form brings that I love so dearly. On any given day, I never know what to expect and can never prepare myself to create anything specific. It is 100 percent being in the moment and to make something special requires my willingness to just create with what I have. There is no practice session or choreography, it is just real life and any hesitation becomes a missed moment to create.

I love to capture the randomness of life. I look back on street photographers' work in the past 100 plus years, and there is a sense of timelessness with the work. As a viewer you not only get to see a documented view of life from the past, but in a way you can put yourself in that image and imagine life at a time unknown. As a street photographer, I think there is something special about having the privilege to be able to capture life around me that maybe helps someone 100 years from now see what life was like in a time we now live in.

2. What is your favourite gear? (camera, lens)

My favorite camera is the first "serious" camera I ever bought, the Canon EOS M50. Many might call it a beginner camera, but it does everything I need it to. It is small, lightweight, has amazing specs, so there is not much more I could ask for with it. I have a host of lenses I use which are mostly analog lenses from vintage film cameras. Right now though, I am really enjoying shooting at 40mm. I use a budget 25mm manual focus lens that equals 40mm with the crop sensor and I am having the best time shooting with this lens so it will probably remain on my camera for the rest of the year.

3. What are your favourite subjects to photograph?

I am a big fan of silhouettes or using reflections and layers to capture a sort of human element without the person being identifiable. Photography being a very personal thing for me, I think it identifies how I often see myself in the world. Kind of surrounded by chaos and elements but as the subject, hidden and barely noticeable. This has at least been my muse over the course of this year thus far. More specifically, when I go out I tend to always be on the lookout for things like broken windows, graffiti that I can use, or torn posters around town. I like the little element of distress that it adds.

4. Can you name a few of your favourite photographers?

There are many inspirations from the past that I think greatly influence my work. Most of all though would probably be Saul Leiter and Ernst Haas. I love the artistic and unique approaches they took to document life. Even today though there are a few artists I find really inspiring. One is Sarah Van Rij who adds a lot of herself in every image. Another is Alessio Trerotoli who has taken a unique approach to double exposures mixed with portraiture.

5. What can Substack community expect from you/your publication in the future?

The journey of a photographer is a very personal journey. My goal is to always provide a very upfront and honest approach to my personal creative process. There is always something I am trying to learn or improve upon within my work and I gladly share my lessons learned. I also want to delve deeper into the mental aspect of the creative process even if it is for myself personally. As an introvert and someone who tends to be very introspective, the aspects of life around me often influence the photos I take to great detail. Within my work as a photographer, it can be hard to find a consistent look or feel to the photos. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I create based on how I feel and I personally find it beneficial to share what moved me to create at that moment.

Every Monday I write a new newsletter and while I don't guarantee that you will like everything I have to share, I hope that every week I provide something of value to my readers.