The Regulars: An Interview with Douglas MacRaePhotographer: Douglas MacRaeStudio / Company:  Do

The Regulars: An Interview with Douglas MacRae

Photographer:Douglas MacRae
Studio / Company:  Douglas MacRae Ltd.

Type of Photography: Travel, Motorcycle, Art

Tell us a bit about yourself…  

I graduated from OCAD in ‘89 from Communication and Design. While still in college, I hooked up with HMV records and wound up painting super-realist murals in their record stores around the world based on my photo shoots. This evolved into advertising photography and super realist illustration work including some award winning billboard campaigns for President’s Choice and editorial work in Esquire magazine etc.

I went through a brief oil painting phase, painting two 20 ft. wide Pre-Raphaelite style oil paintings for the Liberty Grand building in Toronto and a series of six murals in London, England.

I moved much more into pure photography after this, shooting on five trips to India, twice to Nepal, twice to Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Cambodia, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco etc. There are permanent installations of my photography at the Cibo and Spice Route restaurants, both on King West for those in in Toronto.

Being a motorcycle racer myself (I am a two time AMA Grand Vintage Racing Champion and won at Daytona, Mid-Ohio and Mosport), I fell into shooting bikes as well and just recently had a feature with all my photography in the April issue of Cycle World magazine. I still race and will be out there this summer despite having some bad crashes, three in 2009 including a 130 mph get off at Daytona; the worst crash was actually later that year racing in Alabama and I ended up having a new operation where they stripped ligaments off the hamstring in my leg and used it to rebuild my shoulder.   

What drew you into photography?  

I used to set up elaborate shoots for my painting and illustration reference, all shot on my Mamiya RZ67 format film camera. As the art waned the photography grew and I joined the digital onslaught.

What is your philosophy regarding photo taking?  Any personal rules you stick to?  

Must create depth.

Tell us about a photographic challenge you overcame?  

I seem to have some back luck with drivers on photo trips- in India I almost got decapitated in a car wreck coming back from shooting at the Taj Mahal when my driver drove under the back of a stopped 18 wheeler flatbed truck which came through the windshield.

I almost got lynched by an angry mob in rural Nepal when it seemed like my driver ran down an 8 year old boy who was bleeding from the head; the police saved us by ushering us into a fortified compound (turns out the police chief’s wife saw the incident and the kid fell in front of the car which did not touch him, nevertheless we drove him to hospital in Kathmandu and he was fine).

I was almost arrested by secret police in Tunisia during the Ben Ali dictatorship after trying to surreptitiously photograph one of his leather clad secret policemen.

In Italy I almost got sucked into the ocean after being dropped by boat on breakwater rocks in Cinque Terre where I waited until dark til I got the nice picture- then I had to climb back alone at night through the surf pounding on the huge rocks.

I almost slipped down a rock slope into a gorge shooting the Turquoise lake in Tibet and did fall down a rock slope shooting in Ladakh, NW India near the border with China while trying to take a picture of a Yow (half Yak half Cow)- I smashed my 70-200 lens against a rock as I half cartwheeled down the crazy steep slope- it didn’t zoom so good after that and later required a $900 repair.     

What is one thing you could not go into a shoot without?

My one thing is shooting with two bodies, I just couldn’t go back- I love being able to quickly pull out the short or long lens with a wide angle waiting in my bag. I also don’t go anywhere without my Kata bag and I can squeeze a crazy amount of gear in it. I like to watch the face of the person operating the x-ray machine at the airport as they sort of blink at the dense mass of lenses, flashes, Pocket Wizards and bodies jammed into my bag.

What gear do you prefer to shoot with?

I am a NIkon man and just love walking about with my D810 and my 70-200 f2.8, I love that lens and that body. I keep everything portable with six Speedlights on Pocket Wizards with a beauty dish or an octabox and a bounce.

When did you first come to Downtown Camera? Anyone in particular you remember?  

John Witcher always takes care of me and makes sure I don’t leave the store with something I don’t need.


Any advice to fresh photographers?  

Get up early. The good light is at dawn.