|
From this lofty vantage point, McGowan conveys the action and
excitement of a sailboat race.
|
|
SAIL magazine sponsored a photo
contest in Fall, 1993. "I wound up winning the grand prize," McGowan
beams. "I thought, `wow, I guess I can actually do this.'"
This initial success inspired him to go to the Key West Sailing Regatta in January,
'94. "I took lots of pictures and got soaking wet," he laughs.
This excursion resulted in his first magazine cover for SAIL in June '94.
Bolstered with confidence, McGowan began getting photo assignments from SAIL
and Sailing World. "To get more experience, I heard that it's best
to get images published editorially," he explains. He went to lots of
sailing events and regattas, some of which were "on spec." He also
garnered assignments from other nautical magazines. Eventually, he broke into
the well-paying world of advertising photography. A resident of Rhode Island
today, he travels the world to get many of his exciting nautical images, and
still enjoys participating in a variety of outdoor sports.
|
A
woman takes in the view near a Nantucket lighthouse.
|
|
Maritime Clientele McGowan's
images appear in SAIL, Sailing World, Sailing, Yachting, Outside, Condé
Nast Sports, Wooden Boat, USA Today, The New York Times, New York Daily News,
Windsurfing, Soundings, Cruising World, Seahorse, Australian Sailing, and "most
marine magazines." Among his corporate accounts are United Airlines'
in-flight publications, Patagonia, Oakley Sunglasses, Accenture, West Marine,
and Southwestern Bell. In 1996 and '97, he won first prize in a photo
contest as a "quasi-pro" at Sail Expo in Atlantic City (he won 2nd
place in 1995).
He continues to shoot and sell work "to whoever I can," although
he shoots on spec less often than he used to. These days, he says, some photographers
are hired to shoot royalty-free images at water events. McGowan typically shoots
on assignment these days, although getting work is tougher than it used to be.
"The marine industry is a luxury business," he points out; one that's
been hard-hit by the economy. Nonetheless, he says optimistically, he's
confident that the industry will bounce back. In the future, he hopes to branch
out into doing more corporate photography.
|
McGowan
says that he likes to avoid the typical eye-level shot, such as
with this image, where diagonal lines create tension.
|
|
Shooting Digitally and With Film
In terms of photo gear, McGowan is a Canon shooter. His staples are the EOS-1v,
the EOS A2e (which he uses with Stromm waterproof housing), and the EOS 10D
digital SLR, which he applauds as "a great camera." He uses a 300mm,
f/2.8 Image Stabilizing (IS), 70--200mm f/2.8 IS, 17--35mm f/2.8,
a fisheye 15mm f/2.8, and 28--80mm f/2.8 lenses. He offers up this advice:
"If you have extra money, put it in a good lens--it's all in
the optics." McGowan also uses a Canon 1.4X tele-extender, and from time
to time, he'll use a remote-control device (the type found on model airplanes)
on top of a boat's mast.
|
A
sailboat navigates its way through the fog.
|
|
.jpg)
Article Contents
