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Health & Fitness

Ten Questions with Director and Photographer Dutch Doscher

Would you like to take better photographs with your camera phone? Learn mobile photography tips and some of the backstory from New Canaan's award-winning director and photographer Dutch Doscher.

1. Do you still have any of your first photographs?

My mom gave me my first camera and really inspired me.  I still have a photo book of pictures that I took in my teens. 

2. How has your style evolved over time?

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I see nature more than I did when I first started, but that just may be a by-product of growing older and appreciating the details in life.  My favorite pictures are the ones that evoke a mood, tell a story or remind you of an emotion.  I shot "No Trains Today" the day after the hurricane last fall.

People alone in crowded places against architecture really move me.  I spent forty-five minutes at Grand Central missing numerous trains to get one shot I saw in my head (see photograph entitled "A Rare Moment Alone in Grand Central"). 

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I guess you could say I have way more patience waiting for the moment.

3. What inspires you?

My kids (see photograph entitled "Daughter"), nature and music. 

4. Who is your favorite photographer (or filmographer) and why?  What is your favorite movie?  Or moment captured on film?

Diane Arbus, Henri Cartier Bresson and Annie Leibovitz. Filmmaker Mark Romanek was the first person I saw using an iPhone for more than just a snapshot. 

5. How do you take such amazing photos with your iPhone?  Can you provide some tips for novices (and the pros who want to make the most of their phone’s camera)?

Try one of the camera replacement applications like Camera+ or Pro Camera. Camera Awesome by smugmug has some decent filters built into it.  For advanced editing I like Filterstorm. It’s really powerful. Snapseed is great too and a little more user-friendly. Both take some getting used to. Photo FX has some great filters. It’s not unusual for me to put a single photo through four to six different apps to get it the way I want.  I used Fotomoto and Frame Destination on the Web to get this series done. They do the work quickly and the prints look great.

6. Do you need to know your subject to capture him/her on film?  

It helps to know the person. To me, the best photos are when you can gently nudge someone out of their comfort zone.  Get them to do something they wouldn’t normally do. Those are the images that last to me (see photograph entitled "Lydia").

It also helps to always have your camera ready. I almost always have my camera app open.  I just need to turn on my iPhone to grab a shot.  That’s how I got a shot of a lady trying to steal from a guy. I said something after I got the picture. 

7. What are some of your favorite moments that you have captured on film?

I have directed over 80 after school specials and a lot of commercials and there are little moments in all of them that are just right - they make you feel like you are there. There are also moments in all those projects that I should have handled better.

I am proudest of a black and white short film I made about a couple breaking up. People seem to think it feels real. That’s a compliment I’ll take anytime.

Last year, I went to SXSW and took a picture of Chris Cornell with my iPhone. It ended up being retweeted over 100 times. His management company asked me to shoot his shows in Bridgeport and New York.  I'm really proud of that picture (see photograph entitled "Chris Cornell").

8. Who takes your family photos?

Me. I’m not in many of them.

9. What technological advances are you most excited about?  What is preventing mobile technology from replacing cameras?

Nothing anymore. The iPhone has an 8megapixel camera, the new Nokia has a Zeiss lens and 41 Megapixels. The best camera to have is the one you have with you. These days it’s your mobile phone.

As photographer Gary Winogrand said, "I don’t care the kind of camera was used to take a shot, I don't ask a photograph questions, other than is it good or not."

I'm really excited that although cameras are lighter than ever the photographic image doesn't suffer.  I also love the tactile photo editing I can do on both my iPhone and iPad.  It's really amazing.

10. What do you love most about New Canaan?  What is your favorite spot to photograph?

On Saturday and Sunday morning, I try to get up before the sun rises, grab my dog and a soda from Bruegger’s.  I’ll just drive around.  I love Mead Pond, I feel like it’s always changing and looks different in every type of weather.  Then, I’ll pass through Waveny, under the train tracks and over to Irwin Park. Sometimes, depending on time, I’ll double back and see how the light has changed.  I’m still trying to capture the train going over Route 124.  I’ve snapped it a few times, but not the way I see it’s possible.  I'll get it though.

Dutch Doscher recently spoke at Apple, Google and Digitas on the emergence of mobile technology. His prints have been featured at Arthaus in San Francisco, OCCA in Orange County and the Digital Art Gallery in SoHo. Dutch was a finalist for both Project Greenlight and Fox’s On The Lot and had a movie that went to Cannes in 2010.

The Bank of New Canaan’s Elm Street branch will feature a selection from Dutch Doscher’s "365 Project" for viewing by the public from Monday, June 4th through the end of August during business hours.  The community is also invited to attend Mr. Doscher's opening reception on Tuesday, June 5th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. You can enjoy more of his work at www.dutchdoscher.com.  His new photo book of landscape images taken around New Canaan is available for purchase at the Bank of New Canaan and online at http://bit.ly/L8TZG2.

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