Q&A with Peter Truskinger

Self-taught photographer Peter Truskinger began taking photos in July in 2013. A native Australian, Peter's genres of choice are landscape and time lapse. He loves experimenting with new techniques in taking and processing photos.

How much weight does your histogram play - or is it mostly by feel?

Whilst the histogram is a very important tool in photography, I tend to shoot mostly by feel and then check the histogram to ensure I am getting the balance or bias that I desire for each photo. That is to say I use it as a back-up aid and am not staring at the LCD screen.

What are your top 3 favourite places you've shot?

My top 3 favourite locations I have shot are all in Europe.
3. Lake Bohinj in Triglav National Park Slovenia, it is a truly serene and majestic place.
2. Ljubljana, which is the capital city of Slovenia. There is so much to photograph: the classic architecture, the local markets and interesting people. Not to mention the city as a whole, from the always changing weather to the interesting statues and small features that make it such a lovely city.
1. My favourite place would have to be a tie between Mangart (a mountain range in Slovenia and its sister ranges that border the Austrian and Italian borders) and Pivka's forests and lakes, located in the Karst region of Slovenia, which are a pleasure to photograph due to the seasonal nature of the lakes and the wildlife.

What is your favourite piece of gear in your Tamrac Anvil 27 bag?

I don't have one piece of favourite gear in my bag as my favourite type of photography is anything nature related. I enjoy everything from Wildlife to Landscapes and Astrophotography. For wildlife photography, I would have to say my favourite piece of gear is my Canon 400mm f/5.6 L paired with the 7D2. My favourite tool for landscapes would have to be the B&H 10 stop ND Filter, as it has very little impact on image quality and allows for some awesome long exposures. Then for astrophotography, my favourite is my Sigma Art 18-35 f/1.8, which is an incredibly sharp and well built lens with phenomenal optics.

What's your favourite thing to photograph?

My favourite thing to photograph, in general, is nature. Regardless of whether it's a bird, a waterfall or a sunset, nature is always unique, always changing and always challenging. It's even better when you can go to the same location at different times of the year, only to be greeted with a frozen lake or a field full of flowers and metre high grass with farmers tending to the field.

What is/are your source(s) of photography inspiration?

I have many sources of photographic inspiration:
For wildlife, my main inspiration is split between Burrard-Lucas Photography (a U.K based photographer) and Scott Turner of Roar Photo (an Australian photographer and videographer) and Bruce Thomas (Australian based photographer).
Landscapes and astrophotography I draw my inspiration from nature itself and a few elite photographers (Jimmy McIntyre and Michael Shainblum).
Matt Granger and John Yau (Artifex photographic media) are both great inspirational photographers for portraiture work.

I also draw on my feelings and state of mind, to help me portray the scene, to get a sense of how it affects me and how I might see it in that instance.

Anything else you'd like to share?

What I'd like to say here is simply, do not be discouraged by those who seek to tear you down, or those who are simply jealous. As the age old adage goes: practice makes perfect; but so to does preparation. Know where you want to shoot, the times of the tide, of sunrise and position, know if you might be trespassing (as that's never a fun experience) and respect where you are shooting, whether it's a war memorial or out in nature shooting in a national park or wildlife, respect it. Also enjoy your photography.

To see the Anvil series photo backpack that Peter uses as he travels the world, click here

Want to see more from Peter?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruskieFoto/

Instagram: @truskiefoto

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/truskie/
500px: https://500px.com/truskiefoto

Redbubble: http://www.redbubble.com/people/truskiefoto/shop
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TruskieFoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu