Marc Silber: We are here in San Francisco with our guest RJ Muna, widely recognized as an innovative, multi-faceted and creative photographer. Heís won over a hundred and fifty awards including the International Center Photography's Infinity award and the Lucie award for the best commercial photographer. RJ, thanks for inviting us to your studio.

RJ Muna: My pleasure

Marc: Okay, so can you tell us about your style of photography and the type of work you love to do?

RJ: Well, I've been shooting dance for the last fifteen years or so and, a lot of commercial works between cars and all kinds of different things so I would say that if there is a particular thread through all of it between cars and dance I try to add some sort of a conceptual underpinning to everything I do, come in with an idea rather than what-does-this-looks-like.

Marc: What would you say your biggest passion is in terms of photography?

RJ: Well, right now, these days, I'm in certainly, in the dance world, I've been doing that for so long and I'm getting quite used to it at this point, shooting some videos, as well as a lot of stills but you know, there is nothing more exciting than watching a human body in motion.

Marc: Now, can you tell us some of the key things that you use every time you pick up a camera or even before you pick up a camera going in to a shoot?

RJ: Well I would say quite a bit before I pick up a camera, I sit down and really think about what I'm trying to say so the equipment isn't as important to me as what it is I'm trying to say and that's what drives the equipment after that. The gear and the lighting and everything else has more to do with the shot and where I'm going to be and how I'm going to be shooting  it and why I'm going to be shooting it has a lot more to do than what I pick up.

Marc: And in terms of lighting, what are some tips for getting really natural lighting?

RJ: Well I mean there is nothing more natural than outdoor, but in the studio we really try pretty much not-for-natural lighting, it's not We're looking for something slightly, I wouldn't say surrealistic but, we want it to look a little fantastic I'd say. A little sparkly and something you couldnít see with your own eye for the most part

Marc: And how do you do that?

RJ: I always start with one light, one main light and decide where that main light is coming from, whether its overhead, or from the side or any of that and from that point on I fill in all the blanks with key lights and edge lights and things like that to decide if this contour isnít showing quite well, I'd put a light there but I always start with one main light and build from that light.

Marc: Composition, any tips for a great composition

RJ: You know, again that goes back to the basic concept, I mean if you're shooting something really dark and moody, it might have a different composition whereas if everything is wide open and white background and sort of a very open lighting. The composition is really determined by the concept that we start with.

Marc: Now, what would people be surprised to learn about you as a photographer?

RJ: I would say it's just a matter of how much I think about things before we start shooting, I think a lot of what I shoot may seem like it comes relatively, easily and relatively off the cuff, but I really do think about what I'm trying to do and how to light it, I ask a lot of questions.

Marc: Rj, tell me about shooting dance from a technical standpoint.

RJ: Well , clearly you need to stop motion. You need to get the movement of the dancer especially when they are leaping or doing quick sharp movements, you need to get them frozen in space and a strobe is the way to do that, there's also something about the dance shoot where you allow the dancers to come in dance as the people they have as their individual personalities and so when they start to move you pick up on what they are doing and you begin to see each dancersí way of moving and trying to get that specifically on film.

Marc: All right as far as what's under the hood and the digital camera, whatís the importance of your card?

RJ: Card, is like your film and you have to depend on it so if the film fails or the card fails, you're kind of out of luck all the way around so you have to be supremely confident that that card is capturing everything that you're getting on through the lens. We usually use sand diskettes, we've been using it ever since I started.

Marc: Any final advice for viewers who want to take better shots.

RJ: You know, just take as many as you can, take as many as you can, look at them hard, think about them, do your research and just shoot a lot, these days are digital, it allows you to shoot a lot, it allows you to try a lot of experimentation, set up your shoots and then leave a little room for flexibility, leave a little room for that magic to show up and be on that, just be aware, be there.

Marc: Speaking of magic, so what would you say gives that little magical element, what have you noticed on your own tries?

RJ: I always try to do something that has slightly off balance point of view with what you might expect. I try to change it just a little bit from what you might expect, I don't know quite how to define that because itís that little thing that happens or  you look at it, you say  thatís a little different, that's just off normal so that's generally what I try to pick up.

Marc: Rj thanks for joining us and for giving us an inside look into your world of photography

RJ:Sure, thank you

Marc: Subscribe to our blogs where we'll give you updates on the show, tips and other cool stuff. Also be sure to check out RJ's site for a closer look at his work. Tune in to our next show where we get a close look at another photographer's world until then, this is Mark Silber, reminding you to keep advancing your photography and get out and capture your own images of life.