Interview With Microstock Photographer Kasper Nymann

Kasper Nymann takes some stunning images of landscapes at sunrise and dusk. His photos have a certain style about them that we find very appealing. Here, we find out more about him and why he loves photography. 

Image © Kasper Nymann

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into photography. 
My name is Kasper Nymann and I am a microstock photographer from Denmark. I have a graphic design degree and have been working within the design industry for the last 10 years. 

Photography has always been an interest of mine and in 2010, I decided to start working as a part-time microstock photographer. I have had some photography lessons through my graphic designer education, but I consider myself as a self-taught photographer which I also think gives me my own style.

Image © Kasper Nymann

What kit do you use and why do you like it?
When I started as a photographer, I bought the Sony A900 camera, which was Sony's flagship model at that time. I made sure to have lenses that would cover a variety of many different situations, including zooms, macro lenses, wide-angle lenses and portrait lenses.

I had been shooting pictures with the Sony A900 for some years and always thought my pictures looked a little smudged and not that sharp. A couple of months ago, I decided to buy the Sony A7r that has left out the optical low-pass filter to make pictures much sharper. The A7r is a mirrorless system camera that reminds me a bit of the Sony NEX collection, just much more high-end.

The A7r is definitely the sharpest camera I have used and it's excellent for landscape photography. The camera is pretty slow, so I always use a monopod when shooting and if I have to shoot some moving objects or use zoom, I tend to go back to use my old A900.

 Image © Kasper Nymann

What do you enjoy photographing most and why?
My favorite subject is landscape photography. I love nature and to be out in the field, searching for beautiful scenery to photograph. I especially enjoy being out very early in the morning, when the sun is about to rise. Everything is just so quiet at that time and you also get the best pictures, when the sun is low in the sky.
In future assignments, I would love to have some models in my landscape photos. It would add something extra to my pictures, so that's definitely something I'll be working on.

What exactly is a microstock photographer and is it a rewarding career?
Microstock is an online industry for selling photos, illustrations and footage at low prices and the material can be sold over and over again. At the moment, I’m contributing to over 25 microstock sites.  

If you want to make a living out of microstock, you would need a lot of pictures and I'm not quite there myself, so at the moment, microstock is just a part-time hobby deal for me.

Image © Kasper Nymann

Where do you get your inspiration for photos from?
I get my inspiration for my photos in many different ways. I always like to imagine how the picture would turn out in post processing and I also use my imagination a lot. Being a graphic designer also gives me a lot of input, so I would say that it gives me many visual ideas I can use in photography.

Trees and woodland seem to feature in your work a lot - what is special about these subjects for you?
I love the nature and I think trees look great in photography. I also have beautiful areas of nature close to where I live, so it's easy for me to get these shots. I live close to both the sea and forest, so it's very convenient for me. 

Image © Kasper Nymann

Do you do a lot of post processing on your images? Can you talk us through your workflow?

I always shoot in RAW format and run the files through Adobe Lightroom. I develop my own Lightroom Presets, so it perfectly fits my pictures. When I'm done with the Lightroom process I make the final adjustments in Adobe Photoshop, such as adjusting the colours a bit and removing dust and flares. I sell my Lightroom Presets on my web shop. 

If you could give 3 top tips to a budding landscape photographer what would they be?

1. Shoot your landscapes when the sun is low in the sky, at sunrise or dusk.
2. Find scenes where you have a subject in the foreground; this can be a tree, a fence or even a model.
3. Choose the right weather conditions; sun, frost and mist are some of my favorite weather conditions for landscape photography.