Paul Zika discusses his stunning self-portraits on 500px #celebratephotography
500px recently published this insightful interview with Paul Zika.
We recently got a chance to catch up with Paul and ask him about his self-portraits—they probably make up the most recognizable portion of his incredible portfolio—and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.
Originally we were just going to use the answers for a basic feature… until we realized that it would be a shame not to publish these thoughtful answers in full. We think you’ll agree with us…
500px: What attracts you to taking these natural self-portraits? How did this trend start for you?
Paul Zizka: The trend started rather haphazardly. I liked the idea of including a human in the frame to give a sense of perspective and reinforce our connection with the landscape as humans. Often I was out shooting alone, so the human in the frame would be me. Of course, it would be easier to shoot a model instead of going back and forth to the camera to change settings and fix any compositional issues. But, eventually, the self-portrait aspect became a part of the photographic journey, and I enjoy the challenges it brings.
We #celebratephotography here at Adafruit every Saturday. From photographers of all levels to projects you have made or those that inspire you to make, we’re on it! Got a tip? Well, send it in!
If you’re interested in making your own project and need some gear, we’ve got you covered. Be sure to check out our Raspberry Pi accessories and our DIY cameras.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
