In conversation with... Sean T. McHugh (McQ)

[carregwen]

Here is the first 'conversation' as promised. If you have any questions that you wish to put to Sean, please post them below. Or perhaps you just want to make some comments?

Don't forget, if you want to be the subject of a conversation please PM me. I have about four lined up at present, but I want to include a broad range of CiC members, including people recently joined, and especially some ladies.

If you have any general comments about these threads (perhaps you want other questions asked?) please post them below.

[carregwen]

©Image, Steve (Wirefox)


In conversation with... Sean T. McHugh (AKA McQ)

Name: Sean T. McHugh
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Website: www.cambridgeincolour.com
Own work: www.pbase.com/compuminus

Sean is the founder and site-owner of the 'Cambridge in Colour' forum. Although most of you don't know much about him (soon to be rectified!) he actually does most of the tricky background work involved in running this great resource. In addition to reading what's below, I would urge you to check out Sean's Pbase account (listed above) - he has some great shots there.

I caught up with him the other day, and this is what he had to say.

Rob: Hi, Sean. Thanks very much for taking the time to talk to us today.

Sean: Hi Rob, thanks for putting this together.

Perhaps we can start by you telling us something about your general background. What about your work history – anything interesting?

My background is in Chemical Engineering and work experience is all over the map, really. That's probably what attracted me to the ChE specialty in the first place I guess. Areas have included environmental work, gas to liquids conversion for energy transport, biotech / drug discovery and fluids modelling. My graduate work focused on what happens when plumes are released into the atmosphere or from the deep ocean floor. Have your eyes glazed over yet?

No, not glazed over, but there are two things I never can understand. One is why my shots never come out as I intended. The other is chemistry.

I lived in Cambridge for 10 years, and it's a great place, but I'm curious why it's 'Cambridge in Colour'. What's the site history there, and how did it all get going?

Well, it was originally just a way to share my photos with others using a custom-designed layout (around 2005). Since this was a gallery of Cambridge, and since the vast majority of photos I’d seen of the place thus far had been in black and white, I decided to name the site “Cambridge in Colour.” The “Colour” part was also intended to describe the vivid sense of emotion that I strived for with the gallery. Not long after this gallery went public, visitors began sending emails with questions about photographic concepts and techniques, so I decided to add some tutorials to address the most frequently asked topics. As I did this, I began to realize that it was actually quite fun, and also improved my own understanding of these topics as well. Besides, even if I couldn’t practice photography due to uncooperative British weather (a rare occurrence - *sarcasm*), at least I could *write* about photography.

On a more personal level, if you were in tonight, what would you choose as one of your favourite books and/or films to keep you entertained, and what you be having as your favourite meal?

Let's start with the food (never a bad choice). I like a lot of dishes, as long as they don't have cauliflower, broccoli or brussel sprouts anywhere nearby. I guess my problem is that whenever I have a favourite dish I eat so much of it (and nothing else) that I quickly become sick of it. Right now I'd have to say that chicken fajitas are high on the list, then perhaps a good hamburger. Both have to come with guacamole though.

So...what were the other questions again? *stomach grumbles* Oh yes, books and films. An interesting book that I read this year was Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and movies that come to mind include Braveheart, The Thin Blue Line, The Princess Bride, Fog of War, The Shawshank Redemption, Man on Wire, and many others...

I watched "Man on Wire" recently, it's a very absorbing film. OK, if photography is a given, what about other hobbies or personal interests?

Hiking, exercise, snowboarding, web development, technology.

Well you live in the right place for all of those activities, Sean - and I'm sure everyone is quite envious. Let's get on to photography - how long have you been a photographer, and what got you interested in the first place?

Hmmm...there's no definite start date, but I'd say that I didn't really plunge into it until I had my first digital camera in 1999 (a lovely 2MP Epson PhotoPC 800). I think I was especially attracted by the instant feedback of digital, and the new types of low-light scenes that digital has made possible. I don't think I ever would've been attracted to photography in the same way if I had to deal with things like reciprocity failure, colour shift and development delays when it came to long exposure photographs.

What type of photography are you interested in, and why?

Low-light photography, in part because it's often technically challenging, but also because the pace is often slower. There's usually a lot of time to contemplate the next shot while you're waiting for the exposure on the last one to finish. For me, I end up spending more time just appreciating where I am as opposed to looking through the viewfinder.

You know what others think of CiC, but I'm sure folks would like to know what you think of CiC? Any way it could be improved? Where does it go from here?

I'm really excited about it. I think it's grown into a great community and has lots of promise ahead of it. There's still lots of things that need improving, and we're always looking for feedback...

Well, hopefully you'll get lots of feedback from this talk. Getting more personal if you don't mind...what keeps you awake at night, apart from Photoshop?

Hard drive failure, sensor scratches and dropped cameras.

I asked for that, didn't I? OK, as we are on technical matters, I have to ask this…. What photographic gear do you own, and what software do you use for editing?

Cameras include a Canon 5D MkII and PowerShot G9, current lenses include a Canon 24-105 f/4L IS, 70-200 f/4L IS, 17-40 f/4L, 50 f/1.4, 85 f/1.8, and 45 f/2.8 TS-E. Tripod is an old Gitzo 1228 mountaineer MkI. Editing software is primarily Photoshop CS5.

Good choices there! It’s a tough one to answer, but how would you rate your photographic skills and ability?

In the first 30-60mins of a shoot: often below average. Then near the middle and towards the end of the shoot things really kick in and I feel more in control. However, at the end I'm just plain tired and my ability drops back to where I started This all depends on the subject matter too though; I feel much more comfortable with landscapes/architecture over action/wedding photography.

What will the digital camera be like in 2020? And will you still own one?

Well, obviously we'll all just have everything we see in life automatically recorded at 4000P and stored in our augmented neural-electronic memory. Oh wait, that's more like 2025. I think in 10 years there'll be a lot of convergence between still and motion capture. This isn't to say that there won't be a market for dedicated still and motion cameras -- just that there'll be increasing overlap between the two. Just imagine if you could take 20MP motion images and then later decide to make large prints out of select screen shots. That'd be pretty neat, but it could also take away some of importance that's currently placed on planning and composition. All interesting to contemplate...

Do you help or encourage others in their photography?

I've done workshops one on one and in small groups, although by far the biggest effort has been with this website.

And it is a big effort, Sean, and I'm sure that everyone reading this will agree with that. Another tough one for you…do you consider photography to be art?

I think it's one of those unique disciplines where technical knowledge enhances one's artistic freedom, but at the end of the day it's the art that really distinguishes the photo. This is also why I find it such an interesting hobby.

How do you feel about having your own shot taken?

I like being behind the camera much more than in front of it.

It's funny how most photographers say that! What single piece of advice do you think is most useful to someone starting out with photography

Don't be afraid to take bad shots -- and lots of them -- as long as you're always looking back at these critically.

Finally, can you give us one interesting/weird/silly thing about you that we probably don’t know?

When I was little I tried to make a parachute out of a garbage bag, thread and scotch tape -- and was so confident in the prototype that I field-tested it from a tree myself. Apparently my mother actually heard/felt me hit the ground, as she came running outside. Fortunately nothing was seriously hurt, except perhaps my sense of adventure (but only for a while).

Well, it's a good thing you took up chemistry rather than physics! That's all we have time for, Sean, but I want to thank you for taking the time to talk to us. It’s been a real pleasure, and I'm sure others will enjoy it.

Thank you, I enjoyed it. Now it's someone else's turn...

[Donald]

Excellent. Good on you Sean .... and that other one who asked you the questions!

I'm not keen to start using this as a means of all of us then firing in to ask the subject (in this case, Sean) lots of additional individual questions. But if we do think another question would help us learn about the subject, then we should ask Rob to add to his list.

The one I would think about adding would be along the lines of, 'What do you want to achieve through your photography?'

[Wirefox]

Excellent first interview Sean (and Parky of course). I am glad you have linked to your pbase albums here. I am not sure how many people read the CiC 'about' page and it is certainly inspiring browsing your work.

Well Parky, if it's anything like last series we can expect Dame Edna next week, Billy Connelly the week after that and a grand finale with Robbie Williams and some Jazz dude that nobody has ever heard of. Personally though I can't wait to see how you handle Rod Hull and Emu

[McQ]

Thanks guys -- great to be able to share a little more. It was great of Rob to put this together. It will be really neat hearing more about all the really interesting people we have on here . . .

[carregwen]

Thanks guys -- great to be able to share a little more. It was great of Rob to put this together. It will be really neat hearing more about all the really interesting people we have on here . . .

Wait until you see the next one...

[Colin Southern]

Well Parky, if it's anything like last series we can expect Dame Edna next week, Billy Connelly the week after that

Hi Barry,

with love from Billy!

[carregwen]

The one I would think about adding would be along the lines of, 'What do you want to achieve through your photography?'

That's a good one. I'll work it in to future ones.

[dragonaxe]

Thanks guys! that was really interesting. For a newbie its very reassuring to be encouraged to take lots of shots and not be afraid of getting lots of things wrong (as long as we learn from the mistakes, obviously). One of my personal hurdles is to relax, and not worry so much about missing the perfect shot or just messing up generally. I read another interview (can't remember where) that if you're somewhere beautiful, even if you don't capture it with your camera, just enjoy the fact that you were there to see it with your own eyes!!

[marchaprl]

Nice to know that a fellow ChemE started this site! I guess ChemE's are just attracted to photography... nice to stretch the other side of our brains!

Have you ever tried to blend the two? I worked for a refinery for a while and always thought that they looked kind of pretty when the towers would reflect the sunrise in the morning, but that was (sadly) before my passion for photography began.

[Wirefox]

One of my personal hurdles is to relax

I am sure Rob and Aldo could rummage through their bathroom cabinets and find something to help with that. I know what you mean though part of my problem is the DSLR itself. I have difficulty remembering how to change channels with the TV remote so using the blessed thing winds me up to start with. The only way I have gotten around that is to become thoroughly familiar with the kit so I can concentrate on the subject matter. You also have a point in that observing without the camera is probably a really good way to let things take shape in your own mind. That way when you go back you have a good idea how you can tackle the scene creatively.

[Nass]

Hello,

What is attracting me to this site is that it's not full of gear heads or brand "fan boys", and that it is so spectacularly uncommercial (ie no ads, popups, sponsors, marketing newsfeeds and so on). It is about making photos rather than which lens you own... as it should be. Besides, on a flippant note, I went to school in Cambridge myself many many years ago =).

So first of all >> Sean, thank you very much, keep up the good work, it's a very smooth and well put together site (I'm a former web developer). But what are your plans say a couple of years down the line -- I'd definitely be fine paying a small sub, but being a marketing man myself I loathe sites with marketing in their various forms. What are your plans for making the site pay for itself in the future? Is there a particular direction that you are inclined towards?

Thank you for your time

[McQ]

One of my personal hurdles is to relax, and not worry so much about missing the perfect shot or just messing up generally.

Yes, same here. That's a good point. It's funny how the scenes which are most moving are often times the ones which we have the most difficulty capturing. There have been several times that I've gotten just the right light and couldn't think straight because it looked so amazing

[McQ]

Nice to know that a fellow ChemE started this site! I guess ChemE's are just attracted to photography... nice to stretch the other side of our brains!

Have you ever tried to blend the two? I worked for a refinery for a while and always thought that they looked kind of pretty when the towers would reflect the sunrise in the morning, but that was (sadly) before my passion for photography began.

No, never tried that. I guess I am indirectly though whenever I take a photo of a nice sunset that was enhanced by haze/smog

[Class A]

Thanks Rob, for the initiative and very nice to hear about Sean himself.

CiC is a fantastic resource. When I think of CiC the terms "intelligence" and "taste" spring to mind.

[mythlady]

Hi Sean -- just catching up on the list of previous interviews. It's good to meet you this way, and to have the opportunity to say thanks so much for creating such a wonderful site. I'm very glad I found it.

[Bannacht]

Thanks Sean, your photography is mesmerizing.

[Fit]

Hi Sean -- just catching up on the list of previous interviews. It's good to meet you this way, and to have the opportunity to say thanks so much for creating such a wonderful site. I'm very glad I found it.

Ditto- remarkable work, Sean.

-Chris