Behind the Lens of: Scott Hargis

It's a very exciting day because I am launching a new segment entirely dedicated to Photography. Although I did not pursue a career in photography, I've always been an enthusiast and wish I'd been braver to have had explored more of it. Been planning to start this segment for a long time but there was one "weird" incident that finally made it all happen.

Today, I'm very happy to introduce you to the Photography of Scott Hargis. Scott is a freelance photographer, who is based in the San Francisco Bay area. He specializes in Interiors and Architecture and is a member of the International Association of Architectural Photographers. He also teaches workshops throughout the United States and his work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, This Old House, The East Bay Express, Bay Crossings Magazine, WEND Magazine, and Bay Nature.

Through this Q&A, let's meet the photographer behind the lens, discover his work and learn a little more about this wonderful passion.


shopbug: How did you get into the photography business?

Scott: I came to photography late, about age 35. I was actually a general manager for Kinko's for about 15 years before I switched careers. I had always been a hobbyist, but had never really gotten beyond vacation photos.

When I knew it was time to leave Kinko's, I started seeing a career counselor, who (in addition to helping me figure out my goals and aspirations) made me take a series of standardized tests. Towards the bottom of the tests they would funnel you into more and more specific careers, and the two that kept coming up over and over were Archaeology and Photography. I started obsessing over photography, and shortly after that I turned in my resignation and hung out my shingle.

shopbug: Did you take up a formal education in photography?

Scott: Nope. I immersed myself in books and of course the internet, but it's all been self-directed.

shopbug: In three to five words, how would you describe your work?

Scott: Clean, bright, crisp, balanced

shopbug: Which one is your most favorite or most memorable photo?

Scott: The one I took today! Seriously, it's hard to stay enamored with a photograph for long. I guess my favorite is THIS ONE, even though it's not the genre I make my living from.



shopbug: What type of photography do you like to do best?

Scott: Anything that involves creativity. Again, I'm torn in choosing any one subject, because I find interiors to be really compelling, and I'm only scratching the surface of what's possible there. But then I really love to shoot people in unusual ways, anything that gets me thinking out of the box really turns me on.

shopbug: What kind of equipment do you use?

Scott: I shoot with a Canon 5D, and my go-to lenses are the Canon 17-40 f/4.0, the 70-200 f/2.8, and the "nifty fifty" 50mm f/1.8. For residential interiors, I use Nikon SB-80 speedlights, which you have to buy used, but they're the best bang for the buck out there.

shopbug: What is your personal view on computer manipulation or digital enhancement?

Scott: I'm for it. Photo manipulation has been around as long as there have been cameras, and if the great masters had had Photoshop, they would have been experts at it. No question about it! The point is to make tangible the images you see in your head and then show them to people; how you do that is beside the point.



shopbug: What/who are your favorite subjects to photograph?

Scott: I love a really well-put-together house. When I'm doing my walk-throughs and scouting visits, I'm looking at the workmanship, trying to get some clues as to what the "story" of the place is. When I find myself in a place that's been really well-built, with no cut corners, no cheap materials, then it makes me want to photograph it. As for people, anytime you get someone in front of the camera who's relaxed and enjoying themselves, then you can create some magic. That's always fun.

shopbug: What are your least favorite subjects?

Scott: Landscapes. Just never meant anything to me.

shopbug: If you were not a photographer today, what career would you have pursued?

Scott: Archeaology! Let's be glad that didn't happen.

shopbug: Do you remember the first photo you sold? Was it hard for you to let it go?

Scott: I do, and it was easy to let go, because I was starving at the time and needed the paycheck. My first gig was from a Craigslist posting, and I shot it with the Fuji 3.2-megapixel point and shoot camera that Kinko's had given me for my 15-year anniversary with the company.

I was shooting photos of people at work, like shoe repairmen, grocery clerks, whatever, for a guy who was publishing a Korean-to-English ESL workbook. I got $300 for that job, and I thought I had really reached the big time!

shopbug: What is your dream photoshoot that you still have to do?

Scott: Can't tell you. There is one, and I'll get it.

shopbug: If you can travel anywhere for a photoshoot, where would it be?

Scott: I've always wanted to shoot in Dubai. Some of the greatest contemporary architecture is happening there.



shopbug: What do you enjoy most about being a photographer?

Scott: Being self-employed is a whole other existence, and I really love that. And I often find myself working in extremely cool places, with extremely cool people. Can't ask for much more than that.

shopbug: What do you dislike most about your job?

Scott: Bookkeeping! Blech.


shopbug: What is your idea of beauty?

Scott: I like simple things that are strongly evocative of foundations, or roots. Architecture that is connected and part of the natural landscape, art that reminds us of where we come from. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and try to get 4 or 5 wilderness trips in every year. I like to visit the California desert, and of course the Sierras.

shopbug: Who are your inspirations?

Scott: I have a long list of photographers that I study, and go back to regularly. Some are architectural guys, some aren't. Joe McNally, for instance, and George Lange. A guy I know in Seattle named Aaron Leitz who is probably the best interiors photographer you've never heard of. I have a few Julius Shulman books, and there's a bookstore in San Francisco called William Stroud that specializes in Architecture and Design. I can spend an entire day in there, browsing.



shopbug: Do you have any advice for other aspiring photographers?

Scott: Do it. Don't be paralyzed because you don't have the perfect gear, or the best subject matter, or the latest software. The photographs you make now aren't going to define your career, so don't be hung up on imperfections. You aren't going to get it right the first time anyway, so stop worrying about it! You get it right on the tenth try, maybe, or the twentieth.

If you're going to shoot at your potential, though, you are going to have to pretty much give yourself over to the craft. That means no day job, no collecting gear for the sake of collecting, no armchair photography. There's a theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master anything, which translates to about 5 to 7 years. If you had started 3 and a half years ago, you'd be halfway there now. Where do you want to be 3 and a half years from today?

~*~*~*~


photos from Scott's iPhone

I would like to thank Scott Hargis for accepting to do the Q&A. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for lending us some of the photos from your website.

The photos here are my personal faves but you can view his complete portfolio at scotthargisphoto.com. He also maintains a blog where he posts random shots from his iPod, two of which I borrowed here.