Mark Mullen – www.markmullenphotography.co.uk
Tell us a little bit about yourself and also how many years have you been ‘behind the lens’?
I’ve been back into photography for 3 or 4 years now, I started out when I was young but gave up when I got bored of waiting for film to be processed and had a long break.
What type of photography to you mainly shoot and why?
Landscapes are my thing. My main work is quite stressful and being out on my own, in the wild, out of mobile phone signal lets me really relax.
What camera gear do you use?
A combination, my main gear now is a Leaf Aptus medium format digital back, I use that in combination with a Mamiya 645 AFDii body which is just like using a large SLR. The same back also fits to a Linhof Technikardan 23 which is a modern take on the old fashioned view camera, bellows separating front and rear standards and focussing done on a ground glass, upside down, under a darkcloth. I’ve also got a Canon 5D3 which I use for quick jobs, long exposures and anything needing high ISO.
Three photographers that inspire you the most and why if possible – (Or just sources of inspiration)
Joe Cornish, Ansel Adams and Atif Saeed. My style is influenced by Joe’s work, I like a strong foreground. Ansel Adams use of light is second to none and I really appreciate Atif’s approach to the big vista.
What are the typical preparations that need to be made before a shoot/photowalk? (Both in terms of camera equipment and researching the location itself/weather etc.)
I use a combination, starting off with Google Earth and Streetview to recce a location, The Photographer’s Ephemeris to check the sun, Weather Pro and Meteo Earth on the iPhone to plan for weather, flickr to see how other photographers approached the location and finally tide and or snow reports if applicable.
Favourite post processing tool that you use eg Nik Software, Photomatix, PS, LR, Topax or any other program that you use.
I swear by Capture One Pro to do my raw processing, then into CS6 for heavy duty editing. I use the complete Nik range, mainly Color Efex for it’s Pro Contrast and Detail Extractor, Silver Efex for b&w conversions and dfine for noise reduction.
Are there any places that you would really like to visit to take photos?
Iceland is on the menu for 2014, I’d love to see New Zealand too.
Links to your own 3 favourite images from your own portfolio
Do you have a highlight or something that you are proud of in your photography that you would like to share?
Having an exhibition at Joe Cornish’s gallery in Northallerton last year was a highlight for me.
If you had one very important lesson that you think every photographer needs to learn from, what would it be?
Photography is all about light, that is what separates good and amazing photography.
Links to your websites/portfolios, provide as many as you would like
www.markmullenphotography.co.uk
Any other comments that you may wish to share are always welcome.
Love your underground work Aaron.
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