Mobile Photography & Art – ‘Intimate Interview’ with David Hayes from Milford, Ohio, United States
Our thirty seventh interview in this new series of intimate interviews enables award winning mobile photographer, David Hayes from Milford, Ohio, United States to eloquently unfurl his thoughtful answers to our memorable questions, combinations with scatterings of beautiful images, leaving marks on our hearts. Enjoy.
To read the other published interviews in this series including artists, Adria Ellis, Rino Rossi, Mehmet Duyulmus, Alexis Rotella, Lou Ann Sanford Donahue, Irene Oleksiuk, Kerry Mitchell, Filiz Ak, Dale Botha, Lisa Mitchell, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Deborah McMillion, Rita Colantonio, Amy Ecenbarger, Jane Schultz, Anca Balaj, Joyce Harkin, Armineh Hovanesian, Kate Zari Roberts, Vicki Cooper, Peter Wilkin, Barbara Braman, Becky Menzies, Sukru Mehmet Omur, Sarah Bichachi, Michel Pretterklieber, Alon Goldsmith, Judy Lurie Whalberg, Andrea Bigiarni, Sean Hayes, Oola Cristina, Kathleen Magner-Rios, Linda Toki, Deb Fiel, Emilo Nadales, Lydia Cassatt and myself, go here.
All images ©David Hayes
What was your childhood or earliest ambition?
I wanted to become a superhero…Superman to be exact. It was his ability to fly that I liked the most…although his x-ray vision appealed to my 10 year old fantasies.
First Recognition?
I’m not so sure what you might call “recognition”. My third grade teacher was always on my case about one thing or another…was never sure why. On the other hand I had a high school Language Arts teacher who supported my writing abilities as the high school newspaper editor. My editorials almost got her fired but she stood by me…
First Job?
Newspaper delivery boy. Delivered my small town’s weekly newspaper. Taught me a lot about myself and lessons about life. Like don’t mess with someone’s newspaper. They can get real nasty about it!
Private or State School?
State school. Ohio University in Athens, OH. BSC in Communications. After that…private school. Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. MBA in Finance and MEd in Elementary Education. My life has taken many turns…
University or Work?
Work whilst in High School. University then Work. And then University then Work. Like I said, my life has taken many turns.
Who was or is still your mentor?
I’ve had many mentors. The head of corporate HRD when I was in banking, several of my immediate supervisors later in my banking career. My teammates when I was in teaching as well as my professors in MEd school. Now days I look to the works of the artists I admire. (And my 6 year old Brittany Spaniel is always teaching me new tricks!)
How physically fit are you?
For a gentleman of 66 years I’m in pretty good shape thank you very much! Years of Pilates and Yoga have made a difference! I don’t have the energy levels I had as a youth and have developed some “ticks”over the years…just life’s way of keeping things interesting.
Ambition or talent: What matters more to success?
Ambition. Talent is important but without ambition one will not achieve much. It’s ambition that helps you get over the walls that life puts in your way.
How politically committed are you?
Much more than I have been in the past. Current times demand it. The world is at a critical crossroad right now…everyone needs to be committed.
What would you like to own that you don’t currently possess?
A lake house. A better camera. A red Jeep Wrangler. My 18 year old body…and the confidence I had back then. Seriously…I possess everything I need. That’s enough.
What’s your biggest extravagance?
The 2008 Harley Heritage Softail motorcycle that’s sitting in my garage. Barely ridden. Collecting dust as a garage trophy. Can’t sell it…who knows…I might want to ride it tomorrow!
In what places are you happiest?
Next to water…an ocean or a lake. In a deep forest. Home.
What ambitions do you still have?
Ambitions? How about living the rest of my life to the fullest! I like that one.
What drives you on?
Life is too short to waste. There’s just way too much left to be discovered and experienced. Why quit now!!
What do you find most irritating in other people?
I don’t put up with fools. Period. I guess that’s why I’m irritated with many people…too many fools in the world now days.
If your 20 year old self could see you now, what would he think?
What the hell have you done with yourself?! Actually I would hope he’d see a wiser version of himself. But remembering my 20 year old self…probably not.
What object that you you’ve lost do you wish you still had?
I can’t really say that I have anything like that. Interesting question…I’ll have to give that one more thought…
What is the greatest challenge of our time?
Ourselves.
If you had to rate your satisfaction with your life so far, out of 10, what would you score?
With 10 being the highest…an 8. Most days at least.
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: [email protected]
