Interview with Jon Davatz

Hi Jon! Tell us about yourself in two sentences - who are you?

I started taking photos a few years ago with my smartphone. Initially I just took a few occasional pictures. After reaching some limits with the mobile phone, I decided to buy a Nikon DSLR camera. That was the defining moment, when photography became a passionate mission to capture the 'joie de vivre' of Southern California's beach communities for me.

QWhat's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in while taking a photograph?

AIt was the day when I took images of a lifeguard tower. To get the POV I wanted, I had to lay down on the floor. A very nice elderly man and his wife stopped by and asked "young man, are you all right?!".... worrying about my well-being.

QWhat do you shoot on? What's your favourite set up?

AMy standard gear is my Nikon D5300, 18-55mm and 55-300mm kit lens. The lens I use the most is the 55-300mm as I love to capture wildlife and action photos of surfers. I am also known for my vintage car and (beach) street photography, for which I mostly use my 18-55mm lens.

QWhat's your number one tip for an aspiring photographer?

AMy number one tip is to experiment as much as you can and to not be discouraged. Share your images with peers on social sharing sites and learn from others. Remember Henri Cartier-Bresson's quotation: 'Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst'. Maybe try starting with a mobile device and gradually upgrading your gear and your post processing software, that's how I did it.