My friend Hana rules! She’s the one in the middle, then on the left, then on the right. She’s the one I dedicated the first two Booooooom mixes to (here and here).
She spent the last couple years traveling the world, shooting “switcheroos”, portraits of people swapping clothes. After she’d shot more than 200 of them, and had them appear on every blog imaginable, she decided to put together a book.
Well, she’s finally released her “Switcheroo Book”, and the best news for you guys is that I have a copy to give away! I’ve been sent hundreds of books since I started this site and I can honestly say this is one of my absolute favourites. She spared no expense producing this thing, and the final product is gorgeous.
If you’d like to snag the book, take a couple minutes to read my short interview with her below, and then leave her am encouraging message in the comments! I’ll pick a winner in two weeks (July 12th). This is open to everyone!
Read the Interview below!
Interview with photographer Hana Pesut
Jeff Hamada: When’s the last time you saw something, went for your camera, and then decided not to shoot it? (maybe in an effort to enjoy the moment or for completely different reasons)
Hana Pesut: I’ve been hiking a lot lately and I always bring my camera, but it rarely makes it out of my bag. A lot of times the things I see in nature are just not the same when captured on film. I think it’s better to just bring friends to the forest so they can see it themselves.
J: Tell me about Marf.
H: Haha, Marf is my cat but he’s just like a dog! He growls at people out the window, he plays fetch, he sleeps in the bed and needs lots of hugs. His real name is Matthew but we call him Marf. I got him at the SPCA about 5 years ago. He was really gross he had an eye infection, and kitty cold, and was so skinny and greasy, but he’s cool now.
J: I really want to move so that I can get a pet, I can’t have one in the apartment I live in now. I was thinking maybe a dog, but I like cats too. I’ve never really had a pet so I don’t know if I can just jump right into it or if I need some sort of transition pet. Like an easy one. Something small and quiet, like a fish.
H: Cats are pretty low maintenance, you just have to make sure you find a good one. But I think you should go for it and get a dog, I’ll dog sit!
J: Over time photographers develop a sort of trademark – it could be subject matter, style, method, do you have one? Do you think about this at all?
H: I guess my trademark is the switcheroo as that’s probably what I’m most know for, but my style is very natural. I don’t alter my images much, and I use mostly natural light, and I’m often shooting in nature.
J: Can you share your most memorable experience shooting photos for your Switcheroo series?
H: Each one that I’ve shot has been a really unique experience but definitely one of my favourites was with Erik and Jasmine. We went to Prospect Point in Stanley Park and they had decided to just change on the spot. As they were changing a bus of tourists showed up with their cameras ready, and Erik was running around in his underwear!
J: Outside of photography, what sorta things get you excited?
H: I really want to go fishing! Definitely traveling, whether it’s camping in Pemberton or flying somewhere far far away I love seeing new things. Also, going to my dad’s for dinner is pretty awesome.
J: I love Pemberton, we always used to camp at Birkenhead. Do you have a good fishing story? Like one of those ones where the fish was really big but got away?
H: I can’t really think of one awesome story. My dad used to take me fishing a lot as a kid, we had a place in Campbell River, and a boat there so we’d go there a lot during the summer. I remember going to Gold River once and my dad making me wake up at 3am to go fishing, and it was worth it because I caught a 33lb salmon, tyee! I also remember another time going in Ucluelet and eating lots of Werthers, and then being so sea sick that I can’t eat Werthers anymore.
J: Nooo, that’s the worst! I just bought a bag of those yummy granny candies, it would be hard to never eat them again.
J: Okay, imagine you are the star of a big Hollywood film, it is everything you’ve ever wanted in a movie! What is it called, who else is starring in it, and what’s the tagline?
H: Ooooh how about Space Jam 2? Bill Murray would probably have to be in it along with a bunch of my friends as the Looney Tunes guys, especially Chris Turner cause he was in Air Bud so he knows what’s up. The punch line would have to be a bad “jam” pun like “This is my jam” or something, I might need help with this.
J: Haha, this is my jam! I really want to see that movie.
H: I think you should probably be in it!
J: Is there something that makes you particularly anxious?
H: Waiting for 1000 copies of a self-published book eeeeeeeek.
J: Let’s end this with two final questions. First, what’s something you want to accomplish by the end of the year? And second, what’s something you want to accomplish in your lifetime?
H: By the end of the year I’d like to at least start a new photography project, and in my lifetime I’d like to hike a massive mountain (not sure which one yet), and I might not be ready for awhile.
Buy Hana’s book here (Dooo it).
