P&P Blogger Profile: Jeff Revell
I am a photographer for Uncle Sam. Actually, I’m not even really a photographer anymore; I’m a Supervisory Photographer, which means I just tell other photographers what to take pictures of.
Why do you blog?
I started taking pictures again for myself about three years ago and was inspired to start blogging after my buddy Scott Kelby first put up his Photoshop Insider blog. I just thought it was a great way of sharing what I was up to and where I had been shooting.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which ones would they be?
Obviously Photoshop Insider is my main staple. www.scottkelby.com
Terry White’s Tech Blog always has great stuff. http://terrywhite.com/techblog/
Finally I guess it would be PhotographyBLOG. http://www.photographyblog.com/
How long have you been using Photoshop/been a photographer?
I have been shooting since I was in high school. That puts it at about 25 years now. Having been a Windows user from the beginning of my computing days, I didn’t jump on board with Photoshop until version 2.5. At the time I was wrestling between that and Aldus Photostyler. After Adobe purchased Photostyler, it was all Photoshop from there on out.
What type of camera(s) do you shoot with?
There are several that I like. I am a Nikon guy so I would have to say that I love the D80 but still have a warm fuzzy place for my D100. The D200 is also a very sweet rig.
Mac or PC?
I have been a PC guy for more years than I can count but I have recently started using Mac. I love both platforms and they each have their plusses and minuses. In fact I had to send my Powerbook back to Apple just two days after buying it because the motherboard fried. There is no such thing as a bulletproof system.
What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?
I would have to say it’s my Tamrac Adventure 9 photo backpack. I was always leaving my SLR behind on business trips because I couldn’t fit it in my computer backpack. Now I have the best of both worlds, It is a great system that let’s me take my laptop, a digital SLR, three to four lenses, and a bunch of accessories with me on the plane. The best part though is that it is slim enough that I can slide it under the seat in front of me so I can access the computer during flights.
What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have?
I would love, love, love to have an Epson 3800 printer.
What advice do you have for a novice creative professional/photographer?
Shoot for yourself, not for others. It is great when other people like what you have done but the bottom line is, if you don’t like it, why do it at all. Also, try to find yourself a good mentor who can offer advice when you need it.
What inspires you to create?
I started shooting in high school and fell in love with the black and white process. To stand in the darkroom and watch the image I shot appear on the paper as it soaked in the developer was almost magical (and I still love the smell of fixer). I just really enjoy looking for items to shoot in creative ways. If you look at my car shots, you’ll never see one of the whole car. Anyone can take a picture of the entire car but that’s all it is. To me, the parts are more interesting than the whole.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Do what you can do, in the time you have to do it. There’s only 24 hours in the day, no matter how hard you try to squeeze in a little more. Also, don’t be a hermit. It’s a big world out there and everyone should try to see as much of it as they can in their lifetime. You can learn a lot about yourself by exploring other cultures.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you live now)?
I could definitely live in Hawaii for a couple of years. Maybe not for the rest of my life but certainly until I had photographed every waterfall.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
What spare time? I love doing things with my kids, traveling overseas, fishing with my friends, spending time with my wife, all the things there’s never enough time to do enough of.
What talent would you most like to have?
I always thought it would be really cool to play an instrument. I was so jealous the first time I heard Scott Kelby play the keyboards. What a talented guy.
From Inside the Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word? Antidisestablishmentarianism (just because)
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? Planning a photo excursion. My trip to Cambodia last year was unbelievable.
What turns you off? People that whine
What sound or noise do you love? The sound of my children laughing
What sound or noise do you hate? My alarm clock in the morning (unless it’s waking me to go fish or shoot a sunrise)
What is your favorite curse word? Is my Mom going to read this? I do have a tendency to curse at work a lot but s**t would probably top the list.
What occupation other than your own would you like to attempt? I always thought that being a photojournalist would be the coolest job in the world, especially for National Geographic. Joe McNally comes to mind.
What occupation would you not want to participate in? Have you ever seen the show “Dirty Jobs”? Just about anything that Mike Rowe has done on there would be on the list.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “You’ve done good boy, we’ll just overlook that other stuff. Now go see your dogs, they’ve been waiting for you.”
*Note: If you there is someone you would like to see as a part of the P&P Blogger Profile series, please email Jason with their blog's URL. Also, be sure to check out the P&P Weekly every Monday for news about this site and a roundup of what other Photoshop & Photography Blogroll members are posting.
