Photographer Of The Month (September 2020): Thomas Sondermann and his Photography Journey.
Every month we nominate one photographer on Shuttout with the title of the Photographer Of The Month. Our goal is to show you the silhouettes of some great photographers, their photography journey, their photos, and hopefully some tips so you could learn from them too!
The reward for becoming the Photographer Of The Month is an interview like this one, exposure, and Prime Membership on Shuttout for a year. Our nominations are based on many factors and are totally subjective. We want to reward the most active users with great photos, but also our goal is to reward progress, consistency, and results.
So without further delay, please meet Thomas Sondermann. Thomas joined Shuttout on the 16th of January 2019, so it’s been a while. Since then he uploaded 126 photos and collected 6012 votes so far and is also an award-winning photographer.
Thomas takes a wide variety of pictures but what definitely brought our attention were the landscape photos that won him several contests and are often in the top 10. Now it’s time to hear his story and photography tips that might help you to get there and become nominated as the Photographer Of The Month in the future.
QUESTION 1: Every journey has the beginning. So how and when did you start your adventure with photography? What were your first steps?
I started photography already more than 45 years ago, when I was a child. My first camera was a simple Agfa cam. Just click and wait till the film was developed after one or two weeks :-).
Later on, I received my first Minolta XG9 and from that time on I was trying to take photographs a bit more seriously. That was great fun. I created e.g. some multiple-exposure captures at home (see below for an example).
In school, I was a participant in a photographer course and we were able to develop films in black and white and in color for ourselves. That was great fun too. Later on, I went on with several digital cameras. Today, I am working with Canon DSLR and DSLM cameras but I still consider myself as a hobby photographer.
QUESTION 2: Did you know from the moment you’ve taken your first picture what kind of photography you like best and is right for you? What do you like to capture the most and why? What inspires you the most?
All my life I’ve loved to take photos, whether of nature, technology, or daily life, as long as it is something different or exciting. This is my personal rule.
I know professional photographers do have their special kind of photography. But I am not fixed in a specific genre. I often take my camera with me and see what interesting shots I can get.
I like black and white pictures as well. Later on, I tried to improve them with some editing software. In the early beginning, I started of course with the typical nice family pictures and sunsets ;-)
QUESTION 3: What’s your most memorable and the most exciting experience related to photography that helped you in understanding what photography is to you?
It was at that time where I received my first analog Minolta DSLR + lenses. At that time I saw the possibilities in photography and the quality that was available (playing with landscape pics, macro pics, bokeh, and so on).
The next important step for me was switching from analog photography to digital one. At that moment it was easily possible to see results at once.
On the other hand, I was never a friend of automatic scenery camera programs.
I always liked to play with aperture and other adjustments for myself. That makes the difference.
This is also the reason why I like to work with DSLR/DSLM and not with small cameras. Furthermore, I also tried to adapt old lenses on my Canon and play a little bit with several old brands here.
Very nice old lenses are still available. For my further hobby, I try to clean and repair such old lenses today too. Doing that way I received some really good stuff by just spending 5€ on it. I like the special behavior and image those lenses can offer too.
QUESTION 4: Can you remember any moment or moments when you noticed the biggest change/improvement in your photos? What helped you with that?
It was at the time when I worked with my first digital full-frame DSLR Canon EOS 5D Mark I, with all its advantages. Huge, massive but great in picture quality.
Also at the beginning after reading several photography books (e.g. from Scott Kelby) I learned a lot of new things that helped with my progress and improvement. Secondly, I tried to improve it by myself by editing with software like Adobe Lightroom, DxO Nik Collection, Luminar, and Affinity Photo.
All of them have their special advantages. As well as online platforms like Shuttout with its tips and pictures there.
QUESTION 5: Is there any advice or maybe a tool or technique that worked for you that helped you to track your progress and to keep on going forward in your photography journey?
Take an old DSLR, a suitable adapter, and an old manual lens. Then try to take your first pictures completely manually.
This way you’ll learn how to use it and see immediately how your adjustments work. It needs some time to understand it but then it is only fun. I recommend doing it in that way.
Then just upload your pics on Shuttout/Pixabay and see what people think about it. Compare your picture style with others and learn from it. That is how I did it and how I would recommend doing it for newcomers.
QUESTION 6: They say that you can’t grow without being challenged or without challenging yourself. So what is the most challenging part of photography for you? How do you challenge yourself?
Trying to become better from picture to picture either by using new perspectives or motifs.
I upload my pictures in comparison and see what people think about them or how they vote on them.
But sometimes it is strange: If I have the feeling the picture is not my best suddenly people vote on it the most. Sometimes it is the other way round. In that case, I analyze the picture again and try to find out what might be the reason for it.
BONUS QUESTION: If you had to say one thing, one tip for other aspiring photographers that could help them grow — what would it be?
It is not your equipment what counts — but your eye and your fun which supports you to take a good photo.
Try to improve yourself step by step and do not hesitate if it doesn't work well after the first time.
Now it’s definitely the time to check other photos taken by Thomas and let him know by voting on them which ones do you like the most. If you want to do this and follow him on Shuttout, just go here.
And don’t forget to join with your photos and upload as many as possible — this way you’ll see how your progress is going on a monthly basis when it comes to votes and places in rankings. See all open contests and rankings here.
