DPReview: Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Roxy and Chili taking a break in the sun. Surrey BC, June 2007. Photo by Arek Halusko

For DPR reader Arek Halusko, photography is a form of stress relief. Based in BC, Canada, he runs his own business and finds himself drawn to photographing urban scenes, where there's always something to shoot around the corner. Take a look at some of his work.

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Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Staircase downtown Vancouver BC. May 2005. Photo by Arek Halusko

Where are you from, and how did you get into photography?

Originally I'm from Poland and my family emigrated to Canada in 1984. We ended up in Kamloops BC and then I moved to the Lower Main Land of BC in 1995. I took up photography in 2001 as a way to relieve stress while working at a very fast growing local ISP. After 15 years it's still the best way to clear my mind from stress, although this time it's from running my own business.

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Tin Solder New Westminster Quay, May 2005. Photo by Arek Halusko

What was your first camera?

I was given a camera when I was about 9 years old until I bent the shutter blades trying to see what was inside this mechanical wonder. It wasn't until about 20 years later when I got a Pentax Spotmatic, although don't remember which model/year.

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Little house on a foggy morning in Glen Valley BC. Jan 2010. Photo by Arek Halusko

What cameras and lenses do you use now?

99% of the time I use an Olympus E5 and once in a while Olympus E1. The E1 for me has the ultimate in ergonomics. Lens-wise I mostly use the Zuiko 12-60mm and own Zuiko 4:3 8mm FE, Zuiko 4:3 50-200mm. 

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

New Westminster BC parkade on Columbia St. Sept 2004 . Photo by Arek Halusko

Do you have a favorite focal length, or are there a few that you tend to prefer?

Wide-angle is my preference. I really got hooked on wide-angle when I got a Kiron 24mm for my Pentax MZ3 in the early 2000's and then the Zuiko 4:3 11-22mm for my Olympus E1.

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Fishing on a foggy morning in front of Pattullo Bridge in Surrey BC. Feb 2007. Photo by Arek Halusko

Most of your photos seem to be taken not too far from your home in BC. Do you ever travel to take photos or do you tend to stay close to home?

Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to travel outside of Canada so all of my images are either from BC or Alberta. I'm planning on taking cross Canada trips starting next year when me and my wife plan to drive from Vancouver area to Inuvik and if the Dempster highway extension is finished then on to Tuktoyaktuk. I always stick to urban/city scenes as I'm drawn to the structural patterns and cityscapes, and there's always something to shoot around the corner.

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Sky Strain bridge leading from New Westminster BC over the Fraser River To Surrey BC. Jan 2005. Photo by Arek Halusko

What are some of your favorite locations to shoot?

Vancouver city, and the interior of BC – especially the Cache Creek/Ashcroft/Fraser Canyon area. Last summer I did a lot of day/weekend trips to the interior of BC so have lots of locations marked to come back to and shoot this summer. For me this is a bit of a shooting style/subject change as I haven't had a chance to get out to downtown Vancouver much in the last few years.

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Golden Ears bridge in Surrey/Maple Ridge BC. Jan 2010. Photo by Arek Halusko

Do you set goals or create projects for yourself as a photographer, or is it more free-form?

It's 99% free-from although did a lot of experiments when I was still in the early stages of photography, from product shots to night club photography. The last project I did was to see what I could do in dreary/foggy weather since the West Coast of Canada is like that from October to May. It turned out better than I expected.

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Sky Strain and Pattullo Bridge in Surrey BC. Sept 2009. Photo by Arek Halusko

In your opinion, what’s been the most important technological advancement in photography since you started shooting?

Without a doubt, the introduction of the affordable Canon D30. For me, going from a film Pentax MZ3 to a D30 was a 180 degree change in what I could accomplish in one day of shooting. Also, the CPU race between AMD and Intel at around the same time, which brought huge computing power to allow cheap and powerful digital darkrooms for every photographer.

Readers' Showcase: Arek Halusko

Old car doors in Spences Bridge BC. July 2015. Photo by Arek Halusko

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a photographer?

When you are looking for/at the scene/subject visualize it like you would see it in the viewfinder, it takes some time but eventually it'll click in like your first balanced bike ride.

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