Interview With the One and Only DoobieDuck

Photo By: DoobieDuck

This month we feature California grower and photographer DoobieDuck.  We had a chance to chat with DoobieDuck to find out what inspires some of his most sought after photos.

VEGAS CANNABIS MAGAZINE: How long have you been photographing cannabis?

JEFF SCHEETZ: I have been serious about cannabis photography since the early 70’s when starting my first grows. At that time I joined cannabis web forums like marijuanagrowing.com and icmag.com which I found as special places where I could meet like-minded growers and share my art.

VCM: How long have you been growing cannabis?  

JEFF: I have been growing cannabis since the early 70’s too.  My favorite strains to grow are my own hybrids.  Early on, I created many crosses and bred with the intention of creating something unique to photograph. Now, preserving the old genetics I’ve acquired is my main focus for breeding.  My favorite strains to photograph are anything unique or out of the ordinary. I have worked with many of the world’s leading breeders for years, growing out their genetics to photograph and share with the world on the web. I’ve done some promotional work as well, such as Tom Hills seed pack design.

VCM: Do you only photograph your own plants?

JEFF: No, I take on special assignments for anyone that needs cannabis photography done but my disability issues are now hindering my traveling and undertaking of that type work. I will always consider projects.

VCM: Your male plant photos are truly one-of-a-kind, tell us what inspired them?

JEFF: Male plants, if undisturbed, out of any wind or air flow, will build up a large amount of pollen when ripening. When I walked past one I was saving in an isolated room for breeding one day just the vibration of my passing caused a cloud of pollen to drop. That immediately caught my eye, I envisioned this as an image that very moment. You don’t see male images often and I saw a need to share and show them to people who were not familiar with them just like I do with the females. My images have been great tools for growers and breeders to use as references. They have inspired hundreds of new photographers. I often hear from cannabis patients that my images make them smile when they see them. Something I cherish is hearing that and helping patients in any way possible. Even if it is something so little as a smile, I too am a suffering patient and understand.

VCM: You also do amazing diorama photos, what was your inspiration there?

JEFF: I really can’t say what inspired them other than my desire to capture something that would shake up the people on social media; they did just that, and have ever since! A little something interesting for those of you that like the diorama photos is that the greenhouse, the cabin, windmill, benches, some of the bushes and trees were all handcrafted by me.  They, along with my hummingbirds and cannabis photos are the reasons for my continued notoriety and ever growing popularity.

VCM:  And last, but certainly not least, give us some insight on your eye catching hummingbird photos.

JEFF: I have captured wildlife and hummingbird images for 40 years and have always had feeders around my home. For no special reason, other than to watch their beauty, I placed a feeder near my grow years back. With a dozen or so birds flying around the feeder competing for nectar I noticed some of the birds wandering off flying up to the cannabis colas in my grow. They often do this, flying up to anything tall near a feeder when they are frenzying around competing for food. They are just searching for the nectar they need to survive when flying up to cannabis. I’ve never seen them feed on, or even attempt to feed on cannabis. I’ve never seen them touch the colas or the plant. Somehow they can discern from looking there is no nectar there for them and they then fly off rapidly, which really makes capturing these type images even more difficult. It is only the placement of my camera and the lenses used that makes it appear as if they are feeding on the plant in my images; they do not feed on cannabis which I mention often on my site and the web as I do not want to deceive anyone. But, my images are inevitably shared often all across the net with misinformed headlines such as “hummingbirds feasting on cannabis.” That is something I try very hard to correct when I see it. My hummingbird images are not photoshopped, they are single frame digital photos captured in one moment in time, nothing added.

VCM:  Where can interested buyers find your photos?

JEFF:  My cannabis images and art are available as prints and enlargements on-line now in my Smugmug store via www.cannabiseyecandy.com.  I often take on special orders via the email listed on my site, doobieduck.com. I’m limited by my health nowadays and can no longer travel to do retail shows like the Emerald Cup, which I miss dearly.

VCM: Can we follow you on social media?

JEFF:  Yes of course. I have a large following on Facebook as Jeff Scheetz and several pages there that can be found by searching for @macroimagery or @doobiesgenetics.  I am also on Instagram as DoobieDuck, with a large and growing following there.  I truly appreciate my friends, fans, and followers and would like to say thank you to everyone on social media who follows, likes, and shares my art. It is their comments and likes that inspire me to continue what I do. I have been a member of just about all the leading cannabis growing web forums for many years as well.