compagnon of inspiration - Part 10: Ethan Lee

The compagnon Talents are professionals, semi-professionals or amateurs,
come from different corners of the world and work in yet others.
And they were available to answer questions for compagnon in a short interview. They all have two things in common: they have great talent and appreciate compagnon's companions.

Our guest today could hardly be more international
and versatile. Born in Taiwan,
currently lives and works in the UK. If you've ever marveled at
a shot of a breathtaking
luxury penthouse,
it was probably a work by our

"compagnon of inspiration" - Part 10

Short portrait

Ethan, born in Taiwan in 1985, works as an interior photographer in London. But even his shots outside this genre raise eyebrows, which has already earned him a win at the Nikon Photo Contest. When we ask Ethan where his love of photography comes from, he quotes the author Guy de Maupassant, who always saw the Eiffel Tower as an eyesore in his native Paris. Nevertheless, Guy ate at the restaurant in the tower every day. When asked why, he said it was the only place from which you didn't have to look at the structure. That's how Ethan feels about photography, he likes to be a part of it so he doesn't have to be a subject in it. compagnon: Ethan, it's great to have you with us. You caught our eye with a snapshot of your compagnon backpack in London. There was a DSLR in the frame of that picture. Can we assume that you only travel digitally?

Ethan Lee: Hi, nice to be here. Yeah, that's about it. The industry of real estate photography is very fast paced. We typically deliver our work to clients within 24 hours. For that reason alone, it would be almost impossible to use analog technology. What's more, today's cameras have a great dynamic range, which definitely helps with the work.
I still have two film cameras that I keep, but I only use them when I'm doing a "film exchange" project.

compagnon: Most of your real estate photography is done indoors. Is the time of day important for your work at all?

Ethan Lee: As an artist, the light conditions outside are important to me, I absolutely prefer foggy nights. I walk around and watch the light shape itself in a great way. The world looks so unreal. Only the cold air reminds me that everything in front of me is not a dream. Imagination flows through the air with the fog, so to speak. One of my favorite pictures was taken on just such a night.

compagnon: With that in mind, let's limit your artistic dreams. You are only allowed to take one camera and one lens on a short photo trip. What equipment do you choose?

Ethan Lee: Seriously, I'm pretty sure I'd grab my Leica M9p with the 50mm Summicron. I love street photography, taking photos on the streets of different countries has always been a lot of fun for me. With the Leica I can do that without attracting a lot of attention and you don't have to think much while using it. All you have to do is enjoy it.

compagnon: You own a compagnon backpack so you could take a lot more with you if you wanted to. When you travel with it, what do you have with you?

Ethan Lee: If it's a designated photo trip, I'll definitely have a DSLR with a Nikon 70-200mm. Also a 58mm f1.4 and a 35mm f2 fixed focal length. With these lenses, I can cover around 95% of my photographic topics. If the trip is more for work purposes, I have a 14-24mm zoom and a 24mm tilt-shift with me.

compagnon: Your work has received recognition in many areas of photography. You have proven that you can cope well with diverse conditions and genres. You learn a lot about yourself in these situations, is there any tip or advice you would like to share with others?

Ethan Lee: Always be curious. It's absolutely essential. Ideally, you should always have your camera with you. And never put the lens cap back on until you get home.

compagnon: That sounds quite feasible. Your quote from Maupassant showed us that you prefer to stand behind the camera rather than in front of it. But surely that's not the only motivation for your work in photography, is it?

Ethan Lee: I take photos when I'm sad or feeling lonely. Then photography feels like an emotional escape or outlet. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. It's addictive. And I'm very happy that it is.

compagnon: We don't want to wish you to be extra sad in the future so that things continue to go uphill with your photos. What plans do you have?

Ethan Lee: I think I would like to do some volunteer work for a non-governmental organization. To use my photos to show people what is happening on the other side of the world. Photos that can replace a thousand words. If your work makes a meaningful contribution it must be something special.

compagnon: Thanks for the great interview, Ethan. We'll keep an eye on where you go and what other work we can expect from you. All the best!

All photos in this article were provided to us by Ethan Lee and are subject to copyright. More from Ethan Lee on his website or on flickr