Today we’d like to introduce you to Russ Turner.
Russ, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I like to describe my entry to photography as “at the point of a sword”. I was a stage combat performer and choreographer for a number of years. I used to create choreography for theater and local films and like to work on local film productions when I could. I initially got interested in videography primarily to shoot and edit fight scenes and picked up a Canon T2i DSLR camera as they were a relatively cheap way to get HD video. After shooting a little with it I decided it might be fun to try out still photography and basically fell in love with it. I’ve been shooting stills for about 16 years and haven’t tired of learning new things. One of these days I might even get decent at it!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road but that’s how most things go, right? The biggest on-going challenge has been steady improvement. There have been times when I’ve been able to rapidly get better at lighting, editing and posing, but most of the time success comes in small little increments. There have also been times when I’ve struggled with burn-out. Doing the actual shoot was fun and interesting but getting to the actual edits and completing photo sets was a struggle. That still comes and goes but I think that’s normal for pretty much everyone.
When Covid landed, my photography ground to a halt for awhile. Since I also have a 9-5 most of my photography was studio based so I didn’t need to worry about sunlight. As we all recall, indoor events were a no-go for many months. After several months of not shooting I had decided I was going to try and arrange some out-door shoots to create some new work, and then I broke my ankle. I think the universe was telling me my break wasn’t over yet!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So, among other creative pursuits, I’ve been a photographer for about 16 years. I shoot primarily studio work. I like to joke I’m about as far from a natural light photographer you can get and still be on this planet. I like the control of studio photography and enjoy trying to push my understanding of light and shadow to create interesting images.
I specialize in fantasy photography. After a lifetime of reading fantasy and sci-fi, playing D&D, renaissance festivals, and stage combat, it was a natural area to slide into. I enjoy creating images that look like something out of a movie or from a book cover.
I’m lucky that I have a day-job that pays my bills so I don’t need to take on photography projects just to earn money. I don’t shoot weddings or family portraits. I will do the occasional senior portrait session, and I enjoy working with actors and performers to create promotional images and capture head-shots. I also like to work collaboratively. Both the photographer and subject go into a shoot with expectations and I like to make sure the people I work with have a full say in the direction of the shoot and the images we create.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think finding mentors or networking is fairly easy. There are resources pretty much anywhere if you look. I think being open to learn from everyone, and being willing to share what you know also helps.
When I started out and decided I wanted to work with people, there was a local photographer named David Birdsong who was offering classes on studio shooting, lighting and working with models. I signed up for one of his sessions and walked in with no idea how to get started with strobe lighting. At the end of that first class I had an idea of what equipment I needed, how to set it up, and how to get my camera to talk to the strobe. I also started getting used to working with people and relating to them on set to make shoots comfortable and fun.
I got my start in Photoshop from a digital photography class at Oakland Community College. That got me over the basic hurdle of where to start. Since then I’ve attended conferences like Shutterfest, ClickCon, and After Dark and gotten to learn from some very talented people. These events connected me with a wide array of photographers from around the country including some of the artists I followed.
So my advice is to look around for photoclubs and classes. Check out what your local community college has to offer and see if something there piques your interest. Conferences like I mentioned are also a great way to not only learn from some excellent instructors, but also meet and network with like-minded people and build your own community of support.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fantasyphotomi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RussTurnerPhoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RussTurnerPhoto
