Insta Fav #84: Julian Bialowas

Follow: @julianbialowas

Where are you from? How does that place influence the way you photograph?
I was born in Montréal, Quebec, however I did the majority of my growing up in Calgary, Alberta which is a mere 45 minute drive from the front range of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I believe my proximity to the mountains directly influenced how I shoot today as my passion for both the outdoors and photography were sparked at the same time. The first time I ever shot with a 35mm SLR camera was out hiking actually. I was learning to appreciate the serenity found in nature in parallel to learning how to operate a camera. So i’m not surprised when others use the words “quiet” and “still” to describe my work.

What are your favorite environments to shoot in?
As mentioned above, I have a deep appreciation for the outdoors, I love the solitude and serenity found only in the backcountry and love to attempt to capture it. I strongly believe you will find something greater in the woods. This quote sums it up best: “Forests and mountains will teach you that which you can never learn from any sermon or book.”

What are the strengths of shooting primarily mobile? How does this affect your imagery?
I see shooting mobile as more of a challenge than shooting with a traditional camera setup. You have very little control over how the light is captured. You can’t accurately tweak your shutter speeds, aperture, iso, or change out film. You have very little post processing control and you’re working with a tiny sensor. This leaves you with only the essentials: natural light, natural shadows, your subject and your eye—without any over the top gear to help you. It’s a great way to train your eye, learn how to compose a shot and work with natural light. This keeps you more in the moment and allows you to capture more raw, spontaneous shots by getting the “clutter” of traditional gear out of the way.

Who and what are the things that inspire you?
Midnight road trips and pre-sunrise hikes. Tent zippers and crackling wood. Good coffee. Subway maps and trail guides. Airports. Printed goods. Minimalism. The sound of rain on a window and the silence outside after a heavy snowfall. Things organized neatly. Familiar faces and new cities.

Favorite instagrammers?
So many to pick from, a couple of favourites are: @cdelehanty, @secretcities, @cloudsandcoffee and @rubenhughes

Tell us a little about your everyday.
My everyday consists of warm mugs of coffee and coffee gone cold at my desk. Blank photoshop canvases and canvases with so many layers you can get lost in them. Inbox zero and inbox overload. Quiet moments with a magazine outside and getting lost in the noise of texts, tweets and snaps. Photos snapped, photos processed and pixels pushed. Two golden hours, shared meals with friends and coffees with clients. A nightly run, more pixels pushed and rest to repeat it all again the next day.

Which Apps do you use to edit your pictures?
VSCO Cam

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