I interviewed the photographer, Tony Kuyper. This is his first ever interview for this book and I’m honoured to be the one to host it.
C – Callista
TK – Tony Kuyper
About the Book
C: How did you come to be a part of Sand to Stone and Back Again? Who approached you?
TK: The book came about because Nancy and I were neighbors. I was familiar with her writing and we would often discuss our creative efforts. It was clear in looking at and reading Nancy’s books that she had a lot of talent for creating stories from where she happened to be living. Eventually I suggested that we might be able to do a book together. She quickly agreed. There were lots of drafts, always drawing from the images I had available at that time. The book just kept getting better with each draft. Looking back I’m really amazed at the story she put together from these pictures.
C: Who chose which of your photographs would be used?
TK: Nancy and I sat down together to select images that we felt would go with the words. We suggested these to the publisher (Fulcrum). The publisher then chose which ones they wanted. I sent them large versions of each image they requested. The designer, Ann Douden, then did the design/layout. Nancy and I were both surprised and pleased by what she did. As a photographer I was expecting a pictures style book, but Ann took it in an entirely different direction. I never imagined the images being used in this manner, but I certainly like the way it turned out.
C: Is this the only book your photos have been in? Would you like to work with another book in the future if you found a good match?
TK: Yes, this is my first book, but it certainly has me interested in doing another one, and with Nancy if possible. I have lots of new pictures since Sand to Stone was published, and they’re quite different in many ways from the ones in that book. I’ve spoken with Nancy about maybe trying something in electronic format in the future. That seems to be the way things are heading.
About the Photographer
C: How long have you been a photographer? Do you only photograph the Colorado Plateau?
TK: My photography started soon after I moved to Arizona in 1983. Coming from Iowa I was in absolute awe of all there was to see out here. Photography was a way of expressing my love for this new and wonderful place. While my photography has changed over the years, it has always largely been concentrated in the high desert regions of the Colorado Plateau. Sandstone truly is my passion with the camera. It’s endlessly beautiful to me and, even though I’ve been here for over 25 years now, I still see new places every year and find new and wonderful things to photograph. I’ve tried photographing mountains, and coastlines, and trees, and such, but I always come back to the desert.
C: Do most of your sales come from those in the Colorado area who want prints of their home or do you get most of your sales from people who don’t get to experience the beauty themselves?
TK: I work full-time as a pharmacist, so there isn’t a lot of time to market my images other than on my website. Sales come mainly from there, and I’ve not noticed any trends with regard to location of the buyers. Mostly buyers have visited this region and have an affinity for the desert that they can maybe see in the images.
C: Your website has tutorials on it. Could you please explain who might take interest in them and what they are for?
TK: One important aspect of photography for me is the ability to develop a personal style not only through the compositions I photograph, but also in how I develop the image after it is captured. Photography is undergoing a big revolution right now with the improvement in digital capture technology and the accessibility of digital imaging software, like Photoshop. The tutorials are my way of sharing my image processing techniques with a wider audience, mostly photographers looking for new techniques to develop their own style.
C: Are you a reader? What sorts of books do you read in your spare time?
TK: I used to read a lot more before the Internet came along and got me hooked on reading lots of short articles and human interest stories. Most recently I finished reading the Harry Potter series . . . and loved it. Stories of people finding who they are and than being able to share their special talents with others are probably my favorite type of story. That’s what life is about, and there are an infinite number of ways to tell that story.
C: Do you have any advice for aspiring photographers?
TK: Probably the most important thing is to take pictures of things that you personally like. Doing so makes it very easy to be out taking pictures, and simply being there somehow allows the light to find you. Most of my images are unplanned, but the light just happens to be there when I make the effort to show up. It feels almost magical how images seem to appear out of nowhere. That’s a really special feeling.
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Other Blogs Participating in this Tour:
SMS Book Reviews, Never Jam Today, SmallWorld Reads, Our Big Earth Media Co., Whispers of Dawn, Cafe of Dreams, The Hungry Readers, My Own Little Corner of the World, Dolce Bellezza, KidzBookBuzz.com
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About Kathleen
