Interview with Imease

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Edgar Ortiz. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. From a young age I have loved being creative and enjoy every form of art, drawing, painting, music and now photography.

How did you get into photography?

When I was making my beat tapes I wanted a unique album cover. I figured creating my own by photography would work best for my ideas. I enjoyed taking photos of people and editing them on my cellphone, decided it was time to invest on a camera.

You have quite a unique photography/editing style, how did you find it?

When I began doing photography I had music in my mind. I visualize poster boards and album covers, I would go out to create photos for those visions. As far as my editing style goes, I was deep into black and white photography from the beginning. Since I am color blind I wanted to challenge myself and implemented color in my photos. Often my photos may look over saturated, but in my eyes it all looks good.

As far as I can tell you only do street photography, did you ever try something completely different like nature/landscape photography?

I have not had a chance to do nature photography, but is on my to-do list. Chicago having such a great skyline has given me the inspiration to create some landscape photos. I have done a few portraits sessions of close family and friends for special events.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue creating new and unique photographs?

I am inspired by the art that surrounds me. Always open to new ideas and try to learn new form of art within photography or outside of it.

Can you share a story about a particularly memorable shoot or a photo you took?

 A memorable shoot was one with my friend @ghosh_sid in Chinatown Chicago. It started pouring and I just fell in love with creating photos in those types of elements. We were drenched, it was a great time.

What gear do you use?

I use a Sony a7iii with a Sony 85 1.8, Sigma 35 1.4, Tamron 70-180mm 2.8, and a Rokinon 24mm 2.8

What is your favorite editing software and how much time do you spend time editing?

I use Lightroom and I am learning Photoshop. I spend about ten minutes in each photo.

What do you think makes a photograph successful, and how do you measure the success of your own work?

In my opinion photos succeed by having great detail, color, and contrast. The scenery in a photo and the subject help out a lot. I am a student to photography, I feel like I am barely starting and still have a lot to learn.

How do you use framing in your photos?

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