#SFGuide Featured Photographer: Brian Edmiston
Each week we select and profile a photographer from our #SFGuide community on Instagram. We believe these photographers capture the everlasting beauty of San Francisco and the Bay Area. For a chance to be featured on our Instagram feed, or here, on 49Miles.com, tag your photos with #SFGuide.
This week’s featured #SFGuide photographer is Brian Edmiston (@bdawg809), a student from the Philippines, currently living in the East Bay. Scroll down to view Brian’s amazing work, and learn more about what inspires him as a creative.
#SFGuide Featured Artist Profile
Name: Brian Edmiston
Age: 20
Profession: Student
Place of Birth: Philippines
Where do you currently reside: East Bay
Something you’d like viewers to know about you: I have a website! Stop
by and see if there is anything you like ? www.brianedmiston.com
What is your favorite spot to shoot in San Francisco,and why?
My favorite spot to go shoot has to be Sutro Baths. The mysteriousness of the bath ruins and the natural beauty of the coastline make for a incredible place to photograph. I always find new ways to photograph it every time I go.
When and why did you take up photography?
I have been into photography ever since I was a little kid. My dad was always carrying around his camera on family trips and I would always beg to use it. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. My dad got me my first camera when I was 14 and since then I have been hooked.
What do you love about photography?
I love photography because it is something that I can do any time, any place, and all I need is my camera. Photography can turn the most simple activities into adventures with endless possibilities.
How do you decide what to shoot?
I shoot whatever catches my eye. You never know what could turn out to be the next great shot.
What’s your favorite part about going out to shoot?
My favorite part about going out for a shoot is just disconnecting from life for awhile. Whether it’s a walk through San Francisco or a hike through Muir Woods, the feeling is the same. It’s just me and the camera. All of life’s problems are left at the door for those few hours.
Which location did you have the most difficulty getting to, and how did you do it?
Hardest location was hands down a rooftop shoot I did. Security is always tight in the Financial District. As to how I did it, a good magician never reveals his secrets.
What is your dream shot? (Where, what time of day, what’s in it / the subject?)
My dream place to shoot would have to be at either of my bucket list places to backpack during the golden hour at either the Patagonian Mountains or the Matterhorn.
What is your favorite app to use for photo editing on the go, and what are your top 3 favorite filters?
Lightroom Mobile for sure. I don’t really use any presets. I edit pictures to my liking depending on how the picture turns out.
How does Instagram and the #SFGuide community inspire you?
The online community has really inspired me to push myself creatively more than ever before. It forces you to have to think outside of the box and to try and present pictures in ways people haven’t seen or thought of before.
What are your favorite San Francisco-based Instagram accounts to follow?
@49milessf @nowrongwaysf @barce @wildbayarea
What type of camera do you use? And what is your dream camera?
My workhorse is a Nikon D90. It was the first dslr I’ve owned and It’s still the one I use today, It gets the job done and it does it well. Though the camera has been good to me I am looking to upgrade very soon, I have had my eyes on a Sony Alpha a7ii for awhile now.
What are your favorite settings in your idea shot?
On any typical street shoot I usually run this setup…
Lens: Sigma 35mm f/1.4
Aperture: 4.5
Shutter Speed: 1/250
ISO: 200
White Balance: Manual
Focus (Manual / Auto): Auto
Image Format (RAW / JPEG): RAW all day
What advice would you give to new or rising photographers that you wish you had received when you first started?
Just get out and shoot, don’t worry if you don’t have any sort of fancy equipment, one of the best cameras in world right now is in your pocket. It’s the eye that makes the shot not the camera. Go shoot and have fun!
What do you love about living in the San Francisco Bay Area?
That there is always something to do! in the bay area I can go mountain biking, snowboarding, and surfing in the same day if I wanted too! Where else can you do that?
