Quintography
Hi, I'm Quinton! I am a Rochester based Commercial and Wedding photographer, as well as landscape and wildlife hobbyist! I have been practicing photography for 5 years now. I was born and raised in Rochester NY! I love it here and have traveled to all corners of the state to explore many of the wonderful things it has to offer.
What is your favorite place to visit in Upstate?
It is so hard to pick just one favorite location in Upstate NY. I spent the summers of my teenage years working at J Warren Cutler Scout Reservation, so a lot of the locations there are sentimental to me, in particular the overlook. Although the reservation is private, the (public) Finger Lakes Trail runs through part of the camp and overlaps the overlook trail! It is a gorgeous view and a fun yet challenging hike to get to. It is best accessed from the Jump Off Platform entrance to the Finger Lakes Trail. Some other top tier spots for me are the ADKs, Catskills, Letchworth, Finger Lakes region, and Montezuma Wildlife Refuge!
What is your absolute favorite food / bar / coffee spot in Upstate NY?
Many of my adventures start and end traveling through 104 to access the eastern part of the state, A favorite of mine is stopping at Orbaker's Drive In Restaurant on the way home from a day trip.
What inspired your interest in photography?
I have always loved the outdoors and the geographic diversity of Upstate NY. There is so much photographic history in Rochester, my father was a Kodak engineer for many years and my photography journey started with the point and shoot camera he would bring home for me to take on my adventures. I began taking it more seriously as a hobby in college when I had my own car and purchased my first DSLR. After college, it has become my full-time career!
What are your favorite elements of life to shoot?
My favorite part of life to capture are the adventures with my partner (@curiousandsweet) and our dogs! Part of my professional work is wedding photography, and I love capturing the love stories of other couples on their big day, especially weddings in some of the gorgeous locations Upstate NY has to offer.
What’s your favorite type of environment to shoot in?
As much as I love to bring my camera into the outdoors, my favorite place to shoot is actually in a studio. I love working with off camera flash and the incredible quality that can be achieved in an environment where you have complete control. It's where I have spent the most time shooting for the past 3 years working as a Staff Photographer.
What’s your favorite part of your job/hobby?
In the last year, I have been developing a hobby for wildlife photography! It gets me outdoors and I have found many new interesting places to explore through it. It also brings me back to a lot of my regular locations, rediscovering them with new goals. As a job, my favorite part is collaborating with other creatives and hearing the stories of all the interesting people I meet on shoots!
Do you draw any inspiration from pop culture that helps with creativity like a favorite book or movie?
Not really to be honest! My inspiration mainly comes from other photographers and artists. I find myself feeling most inspired after a trip to an art museum, paying attention to concepts like composition and lighting that I can apply to my own work.
If you could think of one song that encapsulates your style of photography what would it be?
Not sure if it encapsulates my style, but I basically have "Built To Roam" by Shakey Graves on repeat when I'm traveling to shoot.
What advice would you give anyone who is interested in getting into photography?
Just get out there and start shooting! Most modern smartphones will actually give you better technical image quality than most entry level cameras, if you do not have a camera yet your phone is a great way to start learning the basics. Learn what you like to photograph and set goals so that when it is time to get your first camera, you get something that suits your needs. Upstate NY is full of photographers at all different levels. Shoot for you, take the photos you like and don't get lost comparing yourself to others when you are just starting. It is a friendly community in my experience and those you look up to are usually more than willing to help you learn and improve!
Visit them online or follow them to see all their amazing work and to learn more:
Website: https://www.quintography.co/
Instagram: @quintonjmarchand
Facebook Page: @quintonjmarchand