Hello Lovelies, Im so sorry for my absence, my internship is coming to an end and I have projects to wrap up and a final presentation to prepare for. To say I've been busy is a big understatement.
This post is LONG overdue but I am sure all of you remember my posts featuring Ramzi's photography. I did a shoot with him back in March (read that post
HERE) and he did another with me for my blog (read it
HERE). He is a friend and an amazing person: talented, intelligent, super nice, ambitious and to top it off he has amazing style. I thought it would be really cool to not only feature him on my blog but interview him. Ramzi was "born in Ghana, raised in Germany, lives in Boston". He is a student in college with a passion for art. Photography is a hobby for him but quite an accomplished one - he has had two photographs published on the Vogue Italia website and has done a variety of shoots for fashion and art. The interview went well (I think) considering it was my first one. Here goes...
Me: When and why did you become interested in photography?
Ramzi: I became interested in photography last summer because it allowed me to show people how I saw the world.
Me: I’ve been keeping track of your growth as a photographer since the birth of mr.233gq on tumblr and then later as an independent site. I have noticed a lot of growth and maturity since the start and your photographs seem to have moved from purely hobbyist and “day-in-the-life-of “ photos to professional caliber fashion and art shoots. What inspired this?
Ramzi: I did feel the need to improve my skill level. The regular photos just did not satisfy me anymore. I needed something more. So basically just my urge to produce better work.
Me: Do you see yourself doing this full-time in the future?
Ramzi: No I don’t, it will remain a hobby.
Me: You have a lot of landscape work as well as fashion and portraiture, where do your interests mainly lie, specifically, in the future and now?
Ramzi: I just take photos, I won’t specialize today or tomorrow. I prefer dynamic photography, shooting the same things become boring after the first picture.
Me: What motivates you to keep doing what you are doing?
Ramzi: My passion for what I do, taking photos is an outlet for me.
Me: What do you enjoy most about photographing?
Ramzi: Capturing a timeless image.
Me: Does the price of the camera matter more than the eye of the photographer? Or say, the editing involved?
Ramzi: Photography is like cooking, you can’t have a great meal with just raw meat. You needed spices, fire etc. Can you have all the ingredients and have a good meal made by a bad cook? No. The same applies to photography, you can have the best camera in the world but if you don’t know the technical details, don’t have the eye for a good photo or don’t know the difference between an over exposed or under exposed photo, you are doing something wrong.
Me: In your opinion what make a good photograph good? and what makes a great photographer great?
Ramzi: There are no rules to what make a good photo a good photo, yes there are some basic things that can qualify a photo but to everyone and their own. It is an art not a math equation. The cliché line is just stand out, don’t do what someone else is doing or it is just boring.
Me: To all the budding photographers out there, do you have an advice?
Ramzi: Don’t follow the crowd. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a camera or go and sit in a class for a whole semester, I have never taken a photography class before but I still manage to learn from all the resources out there. Practice and practice some more, you cant attain great work with a lazy attitude. I shoot up to 8 hours sometimes just to get better, would Usain Bolt be who is he is now if he just sat on a couch and stretched his legs?
Me: I must say, you have an amazing sense of style and I’m sure many would agree with me. What item(s) would you any young man in college or out of should invest in?
Ramzi: There isn’t a particular item I would recommend for someone to invest in. Just be creative, don’t overdo it unless you are a runway model. Keep it simple and classy.
There you have it, Ramzi Yamusah, one of my favorite people :) You can check out his work on his website http://mr233gq.artspan.com/
I hope you enjoyed getting to know him....well, kind of lol. Please excuse my poor interviewing skills :)
Yours Truly
Marcie (and Ramzi)
xx
Ramzi is wearing -
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Sunglasses: Ray Bans
Belt: Michael Kors
Special Thanks to Ramzi for doing the interview
...Just a guy that takes pictures...
