Simplicity Over Complexity
Artist Interview with Nic Muller
Nic Muller with Lensbaby Burnside 35
Q: When did you start taking photographs and why did you continue?
A: Been playing with cameras for as long as I can remember as my older brother worked in a Kodak lab but during secondary school studying it gave me a whole new level of appreciation on how capturing light works, had a break from it to focus on other expensive hobbies before linking them both together travelling and riding mountain bikes and shooting photos along the way which lured me back into shooting all the time.
Q: Which is your favorite Lensbaby lens and why?
Nic Muller with Lensbaby Velvet 56
Q: What tips do you have for beginners just learning how to use the Velvet 56?
A: Being manual lenses they can be tricky to dial in focus to begin with so focus bracketing shots so you can improve chances of having crisp photos when you review on your computer later or enabling focus peaking if your camera allows it, but mainly dont be afraid to try new things as nothings a failure if you learn from it.
Q: Do you have formal training as a photographer or are you self-taught? What was that journey like?
A: 2 years of basic secondary school education then from there its just been trial and error (a lot of error) but more so just a desire to understand how things work and learn it from experimentation and breaking it down then applying what I've learnt previous to make it my own.
Nic Muller with Lensbaby Sweet 35
Q: What is the most difficult part of being a photographer?
A: Personally one of the most difficult things is finding the line between being inspired and not reproducing whats been done before.
Q: What details do you believe make the best photographs? How do you go about focusing on them in your work?
A: Simplicity and not over complicating scenes, I try to keep to the basic fundamentals of photography leading lines, rule of thirds and mainly learning to control light they might seen like the basics your taught first but for me i always subconsciously find myself using them.
Nic Muller with Lensbaby Burnside 35
Q: What's your favorite quote?
A: Wayne Gretzky: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
Q: What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer?
A: When an idea you've had in your head comes to life, even more so with film when seeing the negatives you've just developed for the first time turn out.
Nic Muller with Lensbaby