Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Fischer.
Hi Jeffrey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was little, my dad would take me out with an empty camera and let me shoot alongside him. As I got older, around 14, we built a darkroom in our basement. Eventually my dad lost interest but I remained. I experimented with all sorts of films and printing. It was awesome! I also worked for my high school yearbook, newspaper, and also at a photo studio. This was around 1993-1995.
When I went to college I worked on my campus newspaper, which was my first introduction to digital. I would play around with the early versions of photoshop. I also was introduced to sports photography. I didn’t feel I was very good at shooting sports, but I definitely loved getting access to the court side and the sidelines.
I graduated with a degree in chemistry and started working fixing analytical instruments. Life happened, and my first wife and my kids took precedence. My cameras sat in boxes for the next 15 years.
In 2024 I had a heart attack and was off work for awhile. I’m not a person that can sit still, and I think I was driving my wife crazy. She pulled out my bin of old cameras and told me to tour around the state and take some photos. It was a life altering suggestion. From 2024 on I was hooked. I shot with film and my old Nikon D50, and I fell back in love with photography.
I love the way a camera feels in my hand. I love the view behind the lens. I love the shutter click. Mostly I love the anticipation I feel when I know I took a few good ones, and just had to process them.
I’m 48 now, and I’ve upgraded my gear a bit. That being said, I truly believe the best camera you own is the one in your hand. I love showing people that even old gear, even toy and disposable cameras, can take great photos. An artist isn’t their gear.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been mostly smooth, but I tend to be a person that suffers from gear addiction syndrome. This tends to take a big portion of my disposable income.
The one things that has been a challenge, and still is a challenge to advertise my services and sell my prints. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but that’s part of the process. Hopefully things will start looking up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I just learned there’s a name to the genre I mainly shoot in: Deadpan. It’s a genre that shows the beauty in the mundane. I also have been doing more portraits and action photos for practice.
My style is something that came through from shooting lots of photos. I tend to like taking basic scenes and flattening them to show the geometry inherent in the scenes. My ideal photo looks like a bunch of paper cutouts of squares and rectangles stacked on one another.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My father taught me most of what I know, and he set me on this path.
My wife is the best. She saw me light up when I talked about photography and she’s encouraged me ever since. Having her in my corner is essential for me to succeed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jwfischerphotography.client-gallery.com
- Instagram: @jeffreyfischer68
