Photographer Roby Babcock – Hook & Nail Gallery Event

Roby Babcock is a Portland-based photographer who is participating in Livestock’s upcoming Hook & Nail gallery event. We sat down with Roby to discuss his photo blog and podcast called The Finer Photo, and what makes the Northwest such a great place to shoot.

1) What about the Pacific Northwest stands out to you most as a photographer?

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and the natural landscape has become a part of who I am.  I honestly had no idea how much I loved it until I moved away for 7 years.  In 2006, I moved to Tucson to pursue a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture.  While living in the desert, I missed hiking in Oregon and finally decided to move back a couple of years ago.  I find that this perspective has given me a great enthusiasm for the forests, waterways and the Ocean.  So, to answer the question, I love the huge diversity of landscapes.  I am particularly drawn to the hikes in the Columbia River Gorge and the rugged coastline.

2) You host a photography blog and podcast called The Finer Photo. What was the impetus to putting this together?

Thanks for asking about The Finer Photo.  I would like to start by saying that none of it would be possible without my good friend Roy Dufek. Roy taught me so much about photography and editing.  The Finer Photo is about teaching people photography skills and ultimately giving back to the community that has helped us so much. We also offer Tutorials, and we’ll be starting photography workshops soon.

3) How often do you host your podcast, and what types of things do you typically cover?

We offer a podcast that focuses on interviews with prominent Instagram photographers, photography news, advice from our experiences, and photography concepts. It has been a steep learning curve, but we are settling in and enjoying the process. We try to have at least 2 podcasts per week and release them on Thursday or Friday.

4) Serendipity or careful planning?

Honestly The Finer Photo is the result of a lot of planning and learning.  Putting this all together takes a lot of work and we really want to produce a quality product.  We want to keep evolving as we see what works and what doesn’t .  Another important goal for us is to get constructive criticism from our viewers/listeners as to what they want to learn more about.

5) What’s something new you’ve learned about photography this year?

This year has been a whirlwind.  I have learned so much about how to edit most of all.  I guess the most recent thing i have been learning about is how to use lighting properly.  Taking professional photos so often requires great lighting and I am beginning to learn how best to use it. We recently shot a wedding for example and I could not have captured what I wanted without using artificial light.

To learn more about Livestock’s Hook & Nail event, click here.