The Sunday interview: 5 questions for Jason Kravitz

Today I will present Jason Kravitz, the author of Aminus3 Essence of Photography. Jason is a photographer, teacher and the creator of Aminus3.com photo community.

1.     Why photography?

I've been around photography my whole life. My Dad always had his camera at the ready throughout my childhood. He built a darkroom in our basement. Still, it didn't quite catch for me until years later with digital. I think what first drew me in was when I saw how the camera can produce something different than what I could see with my eyes. Some early long exposure experiments blew my mind, and I began playing with different effects by freezing action or slowing it down. I think this idea of "Magic in the Ordinary" has always been a theme for me. 

You can see one of my early creations in this long exposure from a guy juggling fire on a beach in Florida. I was amazed to see how the fire takes on a human form, like a figure, arms raised, stepping from the flames. Around the same time I was getting into photography, one of my friends had just moved across the ocean to Paris from Atlanta where we were both living. We created the original Aminus3.com website as a way for us to share images from across the world. The name itself, "A minus 3", comes from a dream I had about what the letter "A" minus the number 3 equals. 

Consider that this was in the early 2000's before social media was a thing, and the choices of where to share your photography online were a lot more limited. At the time, "Photoblogs" were a new concept with the idea of sharing just one photo a day. That became a key element of Aminus3, that you can only post one image per calendar day. 

Friends and family soon joined in with sharing photos, and not long after that we opened up the community to anyone who wanted to join. In the years since, that same spirit of sharing photography from around the globe has been at the heart of Aminus3. 

I think this is what I love most about photography. It is a way to share experiences from across the world that breaks down the barriers between different cultures to allow us to see something from someone else's perspective. 

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

I started off using Canon EOS and still have several bodies and lenses, but these days I mainly use micro four thirds cameras. 

My main walk around camera is a Panasonic G9, most always with a 50-200mm Leica / Panasonic lens. This is the 35mm equivalent of 100-400mm. For me, there is something about shooting at a longer focal length that is more enjoyable than a wider angle.

3.     What are your favourite subjects to photograph?

Generally speaking, my favorite subjects are the things I find around me that catch my attention. I generally photograph in the style of where I'm at such as landscape and nature near home outside Brussels, and street and travel when I find myself in those places. My three dogs are all of course excellent models and are featured in many of my photos. 

Some of my best photography outings have come from visiting a place and immersing myself there as life unfolds around me. This photo was from a trip to Prague where I spent a a few hours hanging out on a little island in the Vltava river. It was a sunny summer day and people were just coming around having a nice day out. I find this can be a very zen like experience where you are in the moment and the images flow.

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

My photography experience is perhaps a little different in that I didn't go down the path of studying the photography greats or seeking to emulate their creations. Most of the photographers I have admired are lesser known everyday people, some serious amateurs, some professionals, and all sharing unique techniques or photos which have inspired me. 

One of the benefits of running a photography community has been exposure to thousands of photographers from over a hundred countries. I have been hand curating "featured" photography on Aminus3 for nearly 20 years. You can find many of those inspirational images by going to the "random" view of the featured photos (refreshing the page brings up new photos). 

https://www.aminus3.com/featured/?sort=random&layout=grid

If I were to mention few photographers in particular,  I would say : 

Sriram Guruswamy has some incredible images from India and beyond, and is a pretty great portrait photographer as well.

https://thetraces.aminus3.com/portfolio/

Helen Warnod is a travel photographer who truly connects with her subjects wherever she goes.

https://helen.aminus3.com/portfolio/

Don Smith and Gary Hart are two professional landscape photographers who never cease to leave me in awe at the beauty of our planet. 

https://donsmithphotography.aminus3.com/portfolio/

https://garyhart.aminus3.com/portfolio/

In a similar vein, a master of dreamy long exposure landscapes is "Dark Elf" from Australia 

https://darkelf.aminus3.com/portfolio/

Anna Cherer creates sublime imagery carved of light and shadow. Her photos from her home in La Rochelle, France and other places she has traveled are always inspiring to me. 

https://april.aminus3.com/portfolio/

Ehsan Hemmati is an Iranian street photographer who captures surreal and magical moments out of ordinary scenes, often using his phone camera. 

https://www.aminus3.com/threads/ehsan-hemmati-street-photos/

Chetan Verma (who has been featured on the Story Drops substack) has been a part of the Aminus3 community for more than a decade. Similar to Ehsan, he portrays magical moments from in the streets of India. 

https://itsmielife.aminus3.com/portfolio/

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

I've been working on some photography techniques and projects that focus on better understanding yourself through the photos you create which I call IndividUography. One of the more interesting photography projects is derived from the world of tarot cards. 

In parallel to weekly photography prompts, I'd like to start sharing some of these projects for people to try out for themselves. I have also been working on a comprehensive photography educational platform with an interactive learning app called Zoom In Reach Out. Some of the lessons and ideas from that effort will find their way into my Aminus3 substack this year.