Interview with… Liam Dunaway

Photos by Liam Dunaway

Liam Dunaway is 19 years old and lives in Baltimore, USA. He is a student of design at the Maryland Institute College of Art, but sees photography as his passion. He loves shooting film and all the technical jargon that accompanies it. He would gladly geek out with you over the individual merits of Portra 400nc over vc any day.

1) When did you start to think about photography?
I remember carrying around a toy camera ever since I was very young, but in high school I began to seriously consider photography.

2) What does it mean photography for you?
I’m really into communication arts, and I go through cycles: photo, video, design. They all fit together really well, and demand similar artistic & technical prowess. Likewise, how I approach photography changes often. Lately I’ve been shooting a lot with my friend. If the light is good, we go shoot and bounce ideas off of each other. It’s incredible how much I’ve learned shooting in tandem.

3) Witch kind of photography do you like more?
I guess objectively it doesn’t really matter if an image was made with digital or film equipment, but for my own personal interaction with the medium, I find the ritual that surrounds film to be fascinating and ultimately the most rewarding experience. As photographers, we’re expected to develop the ability to “visualize” a final image. This means taking into account factors of composition and exposure. With film, there’s a precise methodology to it: selecting film type, processing, scanning, color correction, etc. Digi is too immediate. It just doesn’t seem right for most instances.

4) When you take a portrait, what is important for you?
My portraits are of my friends doing random shit in random places. I like the idea of environmental portraiture where a narrative or at least a sense of place is communicated by the model’s surroundings.

5) Do you think it’s important to follow a school to learn how to shoot?
I’ve always been self-taught when it comes to photo and it’s been more of a hobby to me than anything else. I know I have a lot to learn, but I figure I have plenty of time to master these skills. I’m currently studying Environmental Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art which should keep me occupied for at least the next few years.

6) What’s the photo you want to take and you never did?
As I learn more about photo, I’m able to look back at my old negatives and think, “Damn, I wish I had captured this this way,” or, “I wish I had this camera for that event.” It’s all immaterial though. I can only hope to continue to improve my abilities as a photographer and develop a portfolio that is indicative of my experience.

7) What’s your photo-mission?
Can’t say I have one. Photo is just something that goes really well with whatever else I’m doing. Awesome friends and experiences usually yield great photos, so I try to take a camera along with me as often as possible.