There are many questions that may not care or dare to ask but, I'm going to answer them anyway. In other words, it's an interview with myself.
Q: What is your real name?
A: My real name is Andrzej Kalinowski but here, in Canada, everybody knows me as Andrew Kalinowski. On all Internet forums I use user name "GPSMapNut"
Q: How old are you?
A: Born in 1956.
Q: Where are you?
A: I was born in Poland but immigrated to Canada in 1984. Now, I live in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Q: Why Canada?
A: The real answer has many levels and it's not at all simple. Not even to me. One thing for sure; it was not the money - as a small business owner, I was financially better off in my old country. Another thing for sure; it was for my kids. As a father of two boys, I wanted them to grew up in a place where they are free of shackles communism puts on people. It was also for me. For the chance of living in a place I read and dream about as a kid. For the wilderness, the woods and the lakes. Places previously untouched by human foot. To change my life into a lifetime of adventure yet been able to provide for the family. Well, I'm still working on the last two!
Q: What do you do for living?
A: My full time + job is: Vice President Operations of Lakefront Mfg. Inc. ( www.lakefrontmfg.com ) in Mississauga, Ontario. In my spare time, I sell maps and mapping software ( www.CanadianMaps.ca ) and photographs.
Q: What do you enjoy?
A: Canada, photography, outdoors, nature, solitude, being lost in the wilderness and being able to find myself with techno gadgets like GPS.
Q: How long have you been into photography?
A: Since high school. That makes it 30+ years of looking through the lens.
Q: Why photography?
A: It's much easier for me to express myself with photographs than with words. I wish I could paint.
Q: Are you a good photographer?
A: If by looking at my photographs you can see what I want to show you than my job as a photographer is done so, You tell me!
Q: Are you a professional photographer?
A: Well, a professional photographer is (to me) a photographer who makes most of his / her income from photography. I do make some money from photography but, my main source of income is my full time job so, in this sense I am not a professional.
Q: Do you wish to be a professional photographer?
A: I wish that photography was bringing me enough income that I could dedicate my days to it but; To make it happen, people like you need to purchase or license more of my photographs or photography services. So, why not become a part of it? If you like, why not buy it?!
Q: What type of equipment do you use?
A: The best I can afford and my wife allows me to acquire. I started with film cameras but now I use almost exclusively digital cameras. At heart, I'm still a "film shooter" and a purist so, I hardly ever do any digital manipulation of the images I capture. I try hard to stay within the techniques that were available to me at the time I was shooting on film. The exception to that are some of my infra red photographs for which I sometimes use "false colours". Oh well, infrared is something human eye can't see so who is to say how it really looks like.
Q: OK but, what is the camera brand that you use?
A: Nikon is my preferred one.
Q: Why Nikon? Is it "the best"?
A: There is no such thing as "the best" camera system. Good photographs are made or taken by photographers who use all sorts of camera makes. I use Nikon because... ever since I was a high school kid, I dreamed about owning a Nikon. Back than, it was not available to me - Nikon was not a brand sold in my old country. Now, I live in the country where every decent photo store sells Nikon Cameras so, this is what I use.
Q: Are you saying that you could take your photos with any capable camera?
A: Technically speaking; yes. Realistically speaking; no. Maybe most photographers could but, because Nikon is one of the dreams that came through for me, when I hold a Nikon Camera, I feel some unexplainable sort of calm and fulfilment that lets me concentrate on the scene in front of me and forget about all the techno mumbo behind it and I truly believe that it transpires in my photographs.
Q: So, you are not really a technical guy, are you?
A: Oh yes, I am. I am a physicist and mathematician and I can discuss ad nauseum things like the amp glow or the best metering system for capturing a black cat sleeping in a snow bank but, I do forget all these the moment I have the camera to my eye.
Q: What type of photography do you do?
A: Nature is what I like the most. Other than that, I do all kinds of shots.
Q: What do you sell?
A: Just about any photograph from my collection is available for sale or licensing. I can send prints in various sizes or electronic files. I also do product photography and events.
Q: What do you charge for the photographs and services?
A: I may be not as cheap as your ankle Bob but, my rates are VERY reasonable.
Q: What type of payments do you accept?
A: What do you have? Cash, cheque, money order or credit card via PayPal secure services.
Q: How can I purchase or license one of your photographs?
A: There will be a page dedicated to selling my photographs. For now, just email me at: Andrew@FotoCanada.ca
