August 23, 2004 - This week, we interview Nick Feder from Ferocious Cheese:

Please tell us a little about yourself:
I am 15 years old and live in Chicago. I am currently a student and am hopeful to remain one for the next few years. I live with my mom, dad and dog. I have two brothers: one in college and one living in New York City.

First time you grabbed a camera?
I first grabbed a camera about 3 years ago, which I bought with the money I received for my Bar Mitzvah. You're supposed to, like, save it for college or something, but I had some other plans. Obviously.

Considering you had never even grabbed one, what made you buy a camera? Why not a videogame, skateboard, or something else a 12 year-old gets?
I've always been fascinated with the things a camera can do and being brought up in a family that didn't structure me whatsoever, helped me to gain the interests that I have. I do play videogames but I suck at them and also, by the time I was 5 I knew all the words to the musical "Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat." So, hopefully that put a little more perspective on the situation.

What about photography fascinates you so much?
I enjoy photography for the purpose of showing the world how I view it. I don't know if that's a cliché or not, but that is what draws me to it. Photography is my musical instrument. My brother plays the cello, I play the camera.

You must be one of, if not the youngest photoblogger on the web. Do you feel your age limits your abilities in both photography and photoblogging?
I'm kind of a moron. I'm always asking for help with design issues. Sometimes, I figure things out and I'm happy and sometimes I don't. I tend to always ask for help. Also, I think that skills are gained because you don't necessarily always see a 3-year-old producing Picasso-like artwork. I think my artistic range is still limited in some ways because I haven't fully developed as a person or as an artist. I never will, though, but I believe that there will be a pivotal point in which I feel that my style has come into full form.

Other hobbies other than photography? Do they mix with it?
I'm in the Chicago Children's Choir. I've gone to Boston with them and taken some of my favourite photographs while I was there. We went to Canada this July for a week and got some wonderful shots while I was there. I'm also in theatre at school, but it doesn't really mix.

Your most memorable photographic experience?
Going to Santa Fe (New Mexico, USA) for a week to learn how to develop black and white prints. It was so interesting to see how the process works and I'm really glad I chose to do it. I also got to meet other kids my age who were interested in it as well; however, my photoblog, being strictly digital, seemed to have no benefit. But when I came back to Chicago, I was able (to see) more contrasts in colours and in light and dark, which is what they told us to look for black and white purposes. That made a huge impact on my eye, I think.

A dorky question: From previous emails with you and your last response, any specific reason you spell colour and favourite differently than American spellings? Have you lived in Europe at all?
No reason. It's just more fun. Teachers get mad at you say, "Where are you from?" or tell me that I'm not consistent (even though I am, mostly). I've never been to Europe, though. Soon, I hope.

Back to experiences: your most negative?
I swear that I will never have one because I'm always very polite about how I take my pictures. I try not to take photos without people noticing and if I don't want a person to notice I stick a friend or an object in the way then move the camera at the last moment to get the shot. I sometimes think that I could be bold or daring with my photography, but I choose not to be. I like being scared.

So in three years of shooting, you've never been 'caught' or had any encounters?
Um, yeah. I was on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and a man yelled at me. I didn't know. A lot of places in New York City I was yelled at or told not to take pictures and still have taken pictures. There are rules for reason and sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Do you think you have a shooting style?
I'm not sure I have a "shooting style". I'm not developed as a photographer I don't think, and I think if photography is something I want to go into professionally, then maybe I could begin to develop it. But I have a few years. I don't really have preferences for shooting. My favourite things to shoot are clouds.

Why clouds?
If you were to see me walking down the street, I'd probably be looking up at the sky. It's sort of a weird obsession I've gained over the past few years of having a camera, but I love being able to take pictures of clouds. A lot of my friends don't like hanging out with me outside because I look like a tourist with my camera and my head in the clouds. I just love taking pictures of clouds, it makes for a better day, I guess.

Film or digital?
Both. I have no preference, I just like digital more because it's right there and will be there until you delete it, I guess.

Do you feel film is still important to use? Most young photographers are now starting digital and NEVER touch film. What are your thoughts?
Film is still very important to me. I use it. I've been using it since my digital camera is being repaired. I tend to forget, I've only got 27 photos to a roll, don't take 6 rolls in one day. You have to be sparing. With digital it's just snappy-snap-snap. Digital can't achieve the same quality that film can. So the young photographers have other, if not new, things to worry about.

What's been your favorite camera?
My Lomo LC-A is my baby. It actually disappeared at the company HQ in Brooklyn. I went to New York and gave it to them to get fixed in December and I'm still awaiting its warm return in my life.

Good luck with that. Onto to your photoblog. Why did you start Ferocious Cheese?
Because I had a lot of time on my hands and because it was something I thought I would enjoy doing. I tried the whole 'blogging' thing and then I got (my) camera and thought, "My, what an interesting mixture."

So you started your photoblog without ever seeing one before?
I started off with writing and photos in at the same time. But then I slowly took out all the writing and was left with just photos and changed my design so that the photography took precedent.

By the way, why the name 'Ferocious Cheese'?
It used to be my e-mail address. I think it was that I was eating cheese pizza and read the word ferocious in the newspaper. I don't remember. People don't understand it so I usually don't explain it. I'm weird like that.

What have been the biggest joys in running a photoblog?
I have no clue. My parents look at it and say, "When and where did you take this?" I'm in the weirdest places at the weirdest times and I think that it's nice showing people that. My friends are always like, "Oooh! I was with you when you took that." It's nice knowing that people are always looking and that there's really no pressure to always be changing and being different with the look of your blog. It's the matter of being different with your photography, I guess.

The biggest strains?
Updating. I'm a lazy person. I sometimes sit in front of the computer for hours at a time, and then realize I should update, but I just don't have to the brain cells – at the moment – to do it.

How has photography and photoblogging affected your life?
I can say that it keeps my life busy and I like that. But I cannot say that it has turned my life upside down. I just go with the flow.

What is your ultimate goal for Ferocious Cheese?
I don't know if I have a goal. It's just to let people see the world the way I see it. It sounds sappy but it's true. I love photography and this is a neat way to keep myself busy and also to let other people see what I'm interested in doing. I'm not trying to achieve world peace or anything.

Your inspirations? Both in photography and photoblogs?
I do love Heather Champ's work, along with Marc North, Justin Ouellette, Rachel James, Dawn Milkuch keeps me loving Chicago, and Davin Risk. I love all photoblogs, really. But I don't like putting links on my website because I feel like it's too selective at times. So I do like to take a look at Photoblogs.org and search around. As for regular old photographers, I love Sugimoto, Hedrick, and some others.

The best photograph you've ever seen?
I've seen amazing photographs everywhere, but I've never been able to choose. Everyone's got something amazing in my mind.

What can make photoblogs better?
I dunno. I don't think my photoblog is particularly good. I think Fredrik Olsson said it the best.

And what did Fredrik Olsson say?
"Larger photos, more interaction and feedback, more self-critique on the behalf of the blogger..."

Are you involved in anything else photography-wise other than your photoblog?
I am some-what part of PhotoFriday; time constraints made me unable to help Marc update, but other than that, nothing. I'm a lazy person who likes taking photographs. Kind of an oxymoron, eh?

Ah yes, PhotoFriday. What's the story behind Marc and yourself starting this fantastic resource?
I thought what Heather Champ was doing with The Mirror Project was fantastic and I told him I thought I wanted to do something similar in the sense that it gave people a way to express themselves through photography. I guess he and I came up with original concept but he does the dirty work that has made it what it is. He should get an award or something.

Hey, before we finish... Cubs or White Sox, and why?
Cubs. Mainly because I live three blocks from Wrigley Field. Other than that, I could care less.

As always, we thank you for both this interview, and for your wonderful photoblog...