August is winding down, but it’s still Photography Month here on the ADC blog. We are featuring a different photographer every day of the month. Some are seasoned professionals, some are young up and comers, and some are just amateur shutterbugs taking snapshots on the side. One thing they have in common: they are all ADC Members, part of our globe-spanning creative community. We hope that you enjoy their work as much as they love creating it!

PETER HOFFMAN
Brookfield, IL, USA
peterghoffman.com
630-730-2308
peter@peterghoffman.com

Follow @peterghoffman

How old were you when you took an interest in photography, and when did it become more than an interest?

My interest started as a skateboarder in high school, I became serious about practicing towards the end of my college years

What do you love most about photography as an artform?

The way that I practice it, it forces me to combat my natural tendency to be reserved and get out into the world and experience new people, places and things.

What is your favorite thing to shoot?

I’ll shoot anything! I’m more interested in the meaning behind it. Most of my work tends to be portraiture and landscape in some way. The common thread behind my work is a constant exploration of how people and the environment interact.

I think the way that we shape our surroundings and the way they shape us is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Personally, I can’t let a day go by without considering how I am living is impacting where I am living and vice versa. The search for a balance between people and place, finding a way for both to not just coexist but thrive is an endlessly fascinating topic to me.

“The search for a balance between people and place, finding a way for both to not just coexist but thrive is an endlessly fascinating topic to me.”

What is your favorite piece of equipment?

Right now, it’s a tie between my Fuji X-Pro 1 and my Pentax 645D, but I don’t get too attached to equipment. My last big project was shot 90% on 50 year old Rolleiflex cameras. I’d say good walking shoes are probably my most important piece of equipment.

Which person most inspires your photographic passion? Which professional photographers do you look up to?

Dave Jordano is probably one of the most inspiring people out there right now. He retired from his commercial career and since then has been making what I think is the best work of his life, and he’s making it at a breakneck pace. I’m amazed by his work ethic and passion in photographing Detroit currently. Saul Leiter is one of my favorite artist/photographers hands down. In the editorial world Ye Rin Mok, John Francis Peters and Ross Mantle are folks I love to keep up with who are doing great work.