Happy Friday! We are back at it this week with a very exciting feature. This week's photographer is someone we know well and admire greatly. He is an amazing photographer, videographer, and media professional. He is an inspiration to many, including all of us here at pictureline. This week we are giving you an inside peak into the life of James Cawley!
What camera do you shoot with?
"Recently on the photography end of things I have really been loving the Sony A6300, It's such a powerful camera in a small package. I also shoot a lot on my Canon 5DMKIII, it's a powerhouse and staple for my time lapse projects. On the video end my company Centerstar specializes in outdoor and recreational work so I have been shooting primarily with the Sony A7sii for B-roll/gimbal shots and FS7 for setup interviews."
What are your top three go-to lenses for photography and why?
"My top 3 go-to lenses are all Zeiss;
1. Zeiss 18mm f/2.8 Milvus ZE Lens (similar here) is my choice ultra-wide angle lens. This lens is perfect for photo and video crossover as well being a stellar landscape lens and great on a gimbal.
2. Zeiss 85mm CP2/T2.1 Cinema Lens is my go-to for portrait photos, interview shots and allot of my photography work. It's not a traditional photography lens, but I love the photos it helps to create.
3. Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1.3 ZE Lens is another Milvus series lens that is a super-sharp work horse. I love the Milvus line all around because of the sharpness and again the ability to work with high-end video cameras for a cinematic look."
You can see some of James' work with Zeiss and these lenses via these links:
Midnight Sun (Milvus Series): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6z9JrVYfDU
City in Motion: (Milvus Time Lapses): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6a8oGgwkLM&t=12s
"Tetons" Project Testing Pre-release Milvus Series: https://lenspire.zeiss.com/en/the-tetons/
What made you decide to become a photographer/videographer?
"I remember standing on a bridge in Yellowstone with a cardboard disposable camera at about 8 years old waiting patiently for a fish to jump out of the water so I could take a glorious shot of it in mid-air....I was a bit disappointed after waiting a few weeks to get those photos developed. From a young age I knew I wanted to be involved with cameras and took every opportunity available to get my hands on one. There has always been something powerful that has called out to me about conveying an idea or emotion via imagery."
What advice do you have for fellow photographers trying to build their brand?
"My biggest word of advice would be; just go out and create what you love, regardless of if your getting paid or not. Don't do it for money, don't do it for notoriety....do it because you truly love creating something and a career will follow."
Where do you see your photography taking you in 5 years?
"I would love to do a lot more photography as I have been so focused on video these last few years. In 5 years I would love to be doing more travel-based photography content and ultimately my "NBA Dream" would be to work in some aspect with National Geographic. That would be a dream come true."
