Keith Terra | Interview
Intro by Barnhart | Questions by Ben Wentzel | All photos by Terra
If I looked in your camera bag what would I find?
if you looked in my camera bag you would find a giraffe. well..probably not, but you would find a shit load of camera equipment. i rotate cameras between bags depending on what i want to shoot. camera bodies i have are a Canon eos 1n 35mm film, Canon eos 1d and 5d 35mm digi, bronica sqa 6x6, and a mamya 645. 35mm lenses consist of canon 50mm, canon 15mm, canon 17-40mm, and a sigma 70-200mm. medium format lenses are a bronica and mamya 80mm and 30mm fish eye. 2 Sunpak 622 flashes with a Sunpak 120 JTTL flash. Also some pocket wizards, film, memory cards, flash filters, ect.
Name, Age, and Location where you are right now?
Keith Terra....30 (ahhhhh)....and i'm on Long Island, NY right now burried in snow.
Describe where you're from and how thats influenced your photography and lifestyle?
well...being from LI and growing up involved in bmx from the late 80's to the late 90's had a huge effect on my life. durring that time LI was considered a "hot spot" for bmx and trail riding. i grew up riding and racing with some great bmxer's that help me progress with my riding and with my life. some of those people have faded away, but some are very influentual in bmx today. and with the photography side of growing up here, i was around some of the great bmx photographers (like keith mulligan and ted nelson) on a daily basis. they would help push me in the right direction and have more influence then they could realize on how i shoot. they act as the backbone of my career(if you can call it that).
Marlon Europe, smith grind Little Rock, AR.
Are there any photographers you like to look to for motivation and ideas?
there are def a couple. to name a few would be glen e. friedman, keith carter, ted nelson, rob dolecki, atiba jefferson, keith mulligan, jeff z, ricky adams, and the list can go on for a while. so i'll stop now.
Citi.
I remember seeing Keith riding some, now legendary trail spots, on LI, back when videos were a big black rectangular object called a VHS. He had his own style and definitely had a few tricks up his sleeve. Although Keith still has the bike skills, these days his mark is made by the photos he shoots, documenting BMX with a unique style much like the one that set him apart on his bike years ago. His photos have been graced the pages of most of today's BMX publications, and for good reason. Continue on to get a little closer look at Keith and his work.
If I looked in your camera bag what would I find?
if you looked in my camera bag you would find a giraffe. well..probably not, but you would find a shit load of camera equipment. i rotate cameras between bags depending on what i want to shoot. camera bodies i have are a Canon eos 1n 35mm film, Canon eos 1d and 5d 35mm digi, bronica sqa 6x6, and a mamya 645. 35mm lenses consist of canon 50mm, canon 15mm, canon 17-40mm, and a sigma 70-200mm. medium format lenses are a bronica and mamya 80mm and 30mm fish eye. 2 Sunpak 622 flashes with a Sunpak 120 JTTL flash. Also some pocket wizards, film, memory cards, flash filters, ect.
Wiz, portrait.
If BMX and the business side of photography did not exist what would you take pictures of?
along with bmx right now i shoot weddings, so maybe i'd be doin that on the side as well. but i could see myself involved more into the music industry shooting photos. thats always been a passion of mine and still is. but sadly i have not shot many pics at shows as of late. but i might change that.
Doyle, 360 no-footed cancan.
along with bmx right now i shoot weddings, so maybe i'd be doin that on the side as well. but i could see myself involved more into the music industry shooting photos. thats always been a passion of mine and still is. but sadly i have not shot many pics at shows as of late. but i might change that.
Doyle, 360 no-footed cancan.
Do you still ride your bike often?
yea i do. i try to make as much effort as i can, but not as much as i did when i was younger. well trail season gets into effect, i'm riding a ton. but if i'm on a trip shootin, my bike is pretty much there to go from point A to point B.
Jeff Allen, fast plant.
yea i do. i try to make as much effort as i can, but not as much as i did when i was younger. well trail season gets into effect, i'm riding a ton. but if i'm on a trip shootin, my bike is pretty much there to go from point A to point B.
Jeff Allen, fast plant.
Name, Age, and Location where you are right now?
Keith Terra....30 (ahhhhh)....and i'm on Long Island, NY right now burried in snow.
Describe where you're from and how thats influenced your photography and lifestyle?
well...being from LI and growing up involved in bmx from the late 80's to the late 90's had a huge effect on my life. durring that time LI was considered a "hot spot" for bmx and trail riding. i grew up riding and racing with some great bmxer's that help me progress with my riding and with my life. some of those people have faded away, but some are very influentual in bmx today. and with the photography side of growing up here, i was around some of the great bmx photographers (like keith mulligan and ted nelson) on a daily basis. they would help push me in the right direction and have more influence then they could realize on how i shoot. they act as the backbone of my career(if you can call it that).
Marlon Europe, smith grind Little Rock, AR.
What would you suggest to young photographers out there trying to make a career out of this art form?
like the good old saying goes, "with practice makes perfect". i know its lame but its true. the more you shoot and study your artform, the greater you can perfect your own style and technique. to tell the truth the young shooters today have it much easier then must of us did years ago. with the birth of digital photographer, it makes critiquing your work to see what you've done wrong or right much easier, quicker, and cheaper. learn how to take critisism well with your work. sometimes and outside opinion can help more then you know. also, be prepared for many days of back and leg pains due to the 50+ pounds of camera equipment you will be carrying around.
RR sign.
like the good old saying goes, "with practice makes perfect". i know its lame but its true. the more you shoot and study your artform, the greater you can perfect your own style and technique. to tell the truth the young shooters today have it much easier then must of us did years ago. with the birth of digital photographer, it makes critiquing your work to see what you've done wrong or right much easier, quicker, and cheaper. learn how to take critisism well with your work. sometimes and outside opinion can help more then you know. also, be prepared for many days of back and leg pains due to the 50+ pounds of camera equipment you will be carrying around.
RR sign.
Do you have any other hobbies besides your camera and your bike?
yea..i do have a few. but as of late baseball seems to be a great passion of mine. i played for years when i was younger from t ball all the way through to varsity in high school. in fact if i never got into bmx, i probably wouldnt have gotten into photography and would be playing baseball somewhere. who knows..i could have been David Wright or Chase Utley...hahaha.
Garrett, red portrait.
yea..i do have a few. but as of late baseball seems to be a great passion of mine. i played for years when i was younger from t ball all the way through to varsity in high school. in fact if i never got into bmx, i probably wouldnt have gotten into photography and would be playing baseball somewhere. who knows..i could have been David Wright or Chase Utley...hahaha.
Garrett, red portrait.
How do you feel about digital photography's take over of the photographic world, and do you think film will continue to have a place in this profession or will it die off?
i feel that it was inevitable. with the constant progression of technology, it was something that couldn't be stopped. in a way its good cause it makes turn around time with gettin photos to place much faster and things can produced and ideas can be created at a quicker rate. but at the same time i have not seen a digi camera with a sensor that can capture the tone, the feel of a true fill shot. and they have not made a digi camera yet that provides everything an action photographer needs, which is high resolution, quick FPS, and a full frame sensor. i hope film will never die off. there are a ton of photographers that still shoot film to this day keeping it alive and well.
Sexton, barspin through tree.
Sexton, barspin through tree.
Are there any photographers you like to look to for motivation and ideas?
there are def a couple. to name a few would be glen e. friedman, keith carter, ted nelson, rob dolecki, atiba jefferson, keith mulligan, jeff z, ricky adams, and the list can go on for a while. so i'll stop now.
Citi.
Your favorite place to take pictures?
there are many, but if youre talking bmx related, it would def be at the trails. any set of trails.
How do you feel about desk jobs?
ahh...the worst. one of the reasons why i pursued photography is so i can be happy with my life and enjoy what i'm doin. working 9-5 in a cubical is not for me.
Vinnie, switch weasle grind.
there are many, but if youre talking bmx related, it would def be at the trails. any set of trails.
How do you feel about desk jobs?
ahh...the worst. one of the reasons why i pursued photography is so i can be happy with my life and enjoy what i'm doin. working 9-5 in a cubical is not for me.
Vinnie, switch weasle grind.
See more of Keith' work at http://36exposed.com/
The end.
posted by Brian Barnhart at
8:05 PM
