The Photography of Mike Leblanc

All photos by Mike Leblanc

Editor's note: Wow! There are more photographers at hand in north Louisiana than I realized. But coming up in short order are hand made goodies that I can't wait to post about. Until then, here is the wonderful photography of graphic designer Mike Leblanc. He's the coolest.

What would you say your photographic style is?
Being that my main passion is graphic design, I find that design elements find their way in my photography. A designer's work usually adheres to a grid system or hierarchy. Those methods seem to creep their way into my work.

What kind of camera do you use?
My camera isn't all that flashy--no pun intended-- *warning bad joke area*... I use your run of the mill Canon Rebel 8MP SLR/18-55mm lens. I feel having great equipment is fine, but the most important attribute to posses for creating good photography is having a great eye for composition and color.

What is your art background? (formal training, years practicing)

Like I mentioned, I am at heart a graphic designer, but of course graphic design and photography go hand-in-hand. I graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2004 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in graphic design. Since then I have worked as a freelancer. I took a couple of photog classes as an undergrad and never thought that I would shoot more than what was necessary for my graphic work. Man, was I wrong. A quickly fell in love with the medium.

What music do you listen to when you work (on art)?
Currently I'm listening to Radiohead, As Tall as Lions, Iron & Wine, Bjork, Thievery Corporation, MIles Davis... anything mellow.

What inspires your art?
I find inspiration in multiple places. I like finding beauty in old decrepit buildings... the color that they leave behind after the structure starts to crumble. I also do a lot of Web surfing. The Internet is a vast source for information and inspiration. Some of my favorite artists sites are:
--James Jean (amazing illustrator)
-- Sampaints.com (Another great illustrator, his work is very haunting. It definitely stays with you)
--Jill Greenberg (A great commercial photographer. Chances are you've seen her work in magazines and other productions. She really knows how to use the power of Adobe Photoshop to achieve the final image she wants).
-- Aestheticapparatus.com. These guys epitomize the idea of doing what you love and loving what you do. They are a two man company that screen prints gig poster for bands. Their work is utterly amazing.

If you could work with/ study under any artist, who would it be?
Scott Hansen (iso50.com). His work is awe inspiring The colors that he uses in his prints coupled with his "vintage poster design" style make for really interesting compositions. On top of creating his work he also finds time to produce music (http://tychomusic.com/)