Insta Fav #71: Christopher Hainey

Follow: @chriscreature

Where are you from? How does that place influence the way you photograph?
I grew up in a few places around the American Midwest but I’ve been living in Chicago for the past ten or so years. Although the winters are unfairly harsh, I still love it here. I think living in the midwest certainly makes it more difficult to shoot some types of photos, landscapes and the like, so photographers here have to get a little creative and actively search new perspectives. When there are no hills or mountains to scale, sometimes you just have to find other ways of climbing.

What are your favorite environments to shoot in?
I love shooting in any environment really. I try to find something that stands out about a place or maybe a way to interact with it that may not be immediately apparent. I find myself revisiting places quite often, trying to better compliment an environment I’m trying to capture with a more focused vision and more often than not, an intentional wardrobe amendment.

What are the strengths of shooting primarily mobile? How does this affect your imagery?
I just love knowing that I have the ability to capture something with only a few seconds notice where ever I am. Having something that can produce pretty great images like the iPhone on you at all times can instill confidence into someone who is just getting into photography. I love shooting on other formats as well but rarely carry around other cameras with me on a day to day basis.

Who and what are the things that inspire you?
I draw inspiration from many places. My city, my family, and my friends inspire me every day. My girlfriend Leslie is a big inspiration for me, everything changes for me when she’s in front of my camera, she is a compliment to any frame. I’m also consistantly inspired by other photographers on Instagram. There’s a large community of people there pushing each other to create constant stunning imagery but in the most encouraging and positive way possible.

Favorite instagrammers?
I feel as though I’m finding amazing new photographers on a daily basis on Instagram. I’m blown away by how many phenomenally talented and friendly people there are out there. I could list an extraordinary number of individuals here, but a few whose photos never fail to brighten my day are: @perrycolante, @cschoonover, @jonschoonover, @cshimala, @marion_toy, @dantom, and @adamscarpenters.

Which Apps do you use to edit your pictures?
I primarily use VSCOcam and Snapseed to edit, but I’ll use Afterlight and Mextures every once in awhile as well. I also get a kick out of using FingerFocus to create the illusion of a greater focal length.

Tell us a little about your everyday.
I have a lot of interests that keep me pretty busy, but primarily I’ve been playing drums, writing, and recording music with my band Maps & Atlases for awhile now. We’ve been fortunate enough to frequent a great number of cities, states, and countries over the years and I doubt I’ll ever be able to shake the urge to travel that constantly pulls at me because of it. While it can be difficult to fall into a daily routine while being in a touring band, I try to always make some time to take photos where ever I am.

If you’d like to become a future Insta Fav, follow @ignant. We’ll look into it.