The creative mind of Douglas Hayter

Once upon a time ago I met one of the most influential Art Directors/Artists I know named Douglas Hayter.  Doug and I worked at the same advertising agency.  He had a way of standing out with his colourful, creative style and big, expressive smiles.  However, his most memorable characteristics were his passion, motivation and energy to create.  Doug and I never worked together so our interactions were limited.  Most often I caught him in the studio reviewing proofs and other times working on campaigns in his office.  Our common ground for discussion began with illustration but most often morphed into discussions around our favourite graphic novel and illustrators.

Now, what always surprised me about my interactions with Doug and continues to surprise me to this day is how you feel when you leave.  After a 5-minute conversation with Doug you always find yourself ready to run off to build, create and motivate others.  He makes you embrace your errors and enjoy them for what they are.  In his words "how could I learn if I didn't make mistakes?"

I always felt that his talent and his inspiration should reach as many people as possible.  Not only to see the beauty of his work but to be inspired by his words.  Well, last month I asked Doug if he would be the subject of one of my photos shoots.  Upon agreeing to it I realized that this would be a great opportunity to interview him as well.  He happily agreed.

Since the New Year Doug has been on a creative streak having completed 101 trading cards followed by several pen and ink illustrations.  His style and technique are rather impactful.  Doug's images have a hint of Daliesque principle that leave the viewer asking questions about what they just saw and forcing them to revisit his images over and over again.

Below I have captured some of his illustrations but you can head to his site at www.makeworkthing.ca for a broader spectrum of his work.

Now, take a moment to step into Douglas Hayter's world to see what I mean.

Also, please share the interview with friends.  My hope is that his words inspire others like they have done so for me.

Oh, and a big special thanks to Mike Codner for helping me pull all this together!


Koray (Core-EYE) Salih

Head to www.koraysalih.com for more stuff!

Shine a little light on me… well, on my knowledge!

Lighting makes the difference between good photography and great photography.  It can have such a demanding impact on the viewer.  That is why I consider it to be one of the most important elements of photos and the reason I am spending far more time on it lately. 

Last week when reviewing my shots I realized I had some lighting knowledge gaps.  Instead of pushing it off until later I decided to do something about it ASAP.  So, in the period of 48 hours I found a class at Working Proof Studios, signed up and finished the course.  Luckily only two other students were signed up that night so I maximized on my time with the instructor Philip Maglieri and our model/dancer Jennifer Mote. 

After 4 hours of shooting and learning not only did I clear up many of my question I also walked away with a series of great shots.  Bonus!  In all fairness I thought it was of the utmost importance that I share these shots with you.  I mean, if I don’t share them… who would know they even exist?  Anyway, my point is... there is always a solution if you have a minute to look for it.

For all those interested, I highly recommend taking this course or one of the others at Working Proof Studios.  For those advanced students, take a look at what they offer!

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE MODEL JENNIFER MOTE!

Happy shooting!

Koray (Core-EYE) Salih

Head to www.koraysalih.com for more stuff!