Meet The Photographers Who Write For Digital Photography School ~ Pye Jirsa

1. How long have you been shooting?

I feel like I wasn’t serious about photography until around mid 2008. Before that, it was just dinking around on a point and shoot, which really doesn’t count in my book. We can all say “I have been shooting all my life” but in reality, I wasn’t serious about learning until I decided I wanted to do it professionally in early 2008.

2. Do you have a full time job or are you a full time photographer?

I am a full time photographer, it is my job. I am one of the owners of Lin and Jirsa Photography out of Orange County, California.

3. If you had to limit yourself to one genre of photography, what would it be and why?

Wedding photography. I know it probably isn’t what most photographers “aspire” to, but personally I love it. I have tried virtually every type of photography, from landscapes, to runway, editorial, fashion, band, headshots, product, etc. I find that I get bored very quickly with these other types of shoots. It lacks the variety that my ADD personality needs, haha! Weddings have always kept me interested and on my toes because within a single day, I get to wear many “photographic hats” if you will. I get to shoot product shots in the details, portraits, candids, landscapes, editorials with the bridal party, and so forth. I am writing this the day after my last wedding for 2012. It was an extremely technical wedding. Over the course of the day, we counted 19 different lighting setups were used! It’s that variety that keeps me always interested. But, I think best of all, weddings are very uplifting. Being able to document people on such a happy and joyous occasion is something that makes me happy in-turn. After a wedding, I am sort-of on an emotional high which I have never gotten from shooting products, fashion, headshots or any other type of photography.

4. When did you start writing for dPS and why?

I think my first article went onto DPS a year or two ago. When we first got into the industry, we had wonderful mentors. They inspired me to want to teach as well, which is why we created SLR Lounge and is why I enjoy writing for other great sites as well, such as DPS.

5. What do you shoot with and what’s your favorite lens?

I shoot with a lot of cameras/lenses. If you were to ask what my all-out favorite camera is at the moment, I would say a Nikon D800. But, out of habit, I am usually shooting on my canon 5D Mark 3. I typically only use my D800 for my personal editorial/landscape work because I find the 5D Mark 3 fits better in our production workflow. My go-to lenses for my 5D Mark 3 are my 50mm 1.2 and my 70-200 F2.8 Mark II. I probably shoot 80-90 percent of my images on those two lenses.

6. What would be your number one tip to any new photographer?

Try out everything before deciding. From types of photography to styles of lighting. Don’t just settle on something because it is “comfortable” or familiar to you. Always push yourself to try new things and develop your own style/look over time, rather than attempting to define it right when you jump in. The biggest mistake I see new photographers making is in trying to define what type of photographer they are, or even what type of lighting they specialize in before having tried anything else. It places an immediate limitation on their technical growth and their development of a unique style.

7. What’s your next big project?

We completed our Lightroom 4 Workshop Collection mid-way through 2012, and we are just finishing up our 3 Part HDR Photography Workshop on DVD which should be out before the end of the 2012. To be honest, I am not sure what project I want to move on to next. There are so many subjects I enjoy and would like to teach, at the moment, I am just enjoying this short break with family before we decide and kick into the next project in 2013.

8. Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?