Montana - Florida
In the description of your work "Free Life"
you write that it is about living life "victoriously". What do you
mean by this?
Living
life victoriously means finding what you're looking for. It doesn't refer to
satisfaction exactly, but the knowledge that you're making progress - that
you're a step closer. In my case it means getting a glimpse of true freedom, which is the simplest term I
can use to describe what I am seeking in this world. It has a lot to do with
courage and adventure, but to me it’s even more than that. For me it's about finding
ways to be courageous and adventurous on an otherwise ordinary, daily level.
You chose to shoot most pictures of this series in
black/white. Is there a specific reason for this?
When I
began shooting this last summer, I was dead-set on concentrating on emotion in
my project. Although beauty and creativity are also vital, emotion was my main
focus: I wanted it to be something tangible within each photograph. I believe
that black and white is the best for this, because it takes away the
distraction of hues and saturation. Instead it brings out the play of light on
a subject, which has always elicited more of an intuitive reaction, at least in
my experience. But just to add, when I say ‘distraction’ I don't mean that in a derogatory way,
I am in love with colour! It just wasn’t part of how I laid out my photography
projects until now.
You're located in Florida. How does living there
inspire you for your photographic work?
That's
tough to answer, because I don't shoot in Florida very much. Mountains and
wilderness inspire me more than anything, and that makes it quite tough for me
to spend the majority of my year here in the South. I'm learning to make the
best of my situation. I'm learning that I have to find beauty no matter where I
am, even if it takes more work sometimes. I do love the salt marshes and marine
wildlife here, and I hope to explore around a lot more to get a taste of that.
I also love the Southern culture, and that is definitely one thing that
inspires my work, even if I haven't sufficiently captured it yet.
Do you intend to pursue or are you currently enrolled
in courses related to photography or visual arts in college as well?
I
would love to take classes in photography, especially because I have never had
the opportunity to work in a darkroom, which is my absolute dream. However, I
am still at a point where I am too chained by practicality to sign up for them,
but I hope to wriggle free a little bit in the future and to delve into at
least one or two classes, because I expect that to be an incredible experience.
What do you cherish most about shooting in nature?
The
thing I love most about the outdoors is watching other people enjoy it. I love
capturing others' experiences in nature because the art of appreciation is one
of those liberating aspects that I mean when I talk about freedom. I like to
shoot self-portraits in nature because that's where I feel most at home, and I
like to see that reflected in a solid image that will remind and comfort me
when I'm stuck in the city.
What are you working on currently?
I just
bought a Mamiya 645 1000S and I am working on breaking it in! I am psyched to
try out medium format, but I am a little intimidated because I am not sure
where I want to go with it. Besides that I am mustering up the courage to ask
my barely-familiar classmates and neighbours to let me photograph them, and I
am focusing on developing the self-discipline to shoot as much during the
school year as I did this summer. My work will definitely be different in this
extremely different environment.
What or who has been inspiring you most lately?
Over
the summer I found this book, Photo Trouvée (put out by Phaidon), at a library
bookstore, and became completely mesmerized by it. The
book features anonymous amateur 35mm film, which is absolutely
my favourite breed of photograph. That's definitely a constant
inspiration. Besides that I'm inspired to be around so many artists and
talented young people now that I am at college, it's very encouraging. Of
course I am always finding artists on tumblr and flickr who blow me away, the
most recent name that comes to mind is Lisa Smit: her work is beautiful.
Why did you choose to concentrate on analogue
photography?
To me,
there is nothing in the world that can match the beauty of analogue
photography; just the feel of it, the textures, grain and colours. I think that
film photographs are more authentic than any art form I've ever encountered.
Even the light leaks feel honest, even though, unlike many people, they usually
bother me. Besides the images themselves, the process of shooting analogue is a
thrill like no other. Film photography provides an opportunity to enjoy two
dimensions of photography: shooting and seeing. When you shoot a photograph
without seeing it instantaneously, it gives your imagination more room, to see
it in your head first and foremost. And that mental image is, at least to me in
a lot of ways, just as important as the real thing.
Do you have any set aims or guidelines for your work?
Consistency.
Shooting often and more creatively, but staying focused on using my photographs
to communicate, not just to please the eye. I should probably set loftier goals
than that, but right now I am just trying to get back into shooting regularly.
Also, collaborating is something I would like to try!
Summer's over, what do you think will you miss most?
Oh,
man, there is nothing I won't miss about summer: traveling, meeting people,
spending hours wandering around on my bike or in the woods. I had so much time
to think and write and photograph. But it was pretty lonely! The month I spent
on the Port Orchard peninsula near Seattle, WA, my parents were the only people
that I knew in the whole area. It was a really good opportunity to work on
self-portraits, and I produced a lot of work I am really proud of, but it was
pretty sad after it got dark every night and I would sit on my couch eating
corn chips and watching Frasier for hours in a practically empty house... And
of course, the other half of my summer I returned to my home in Montana, where
there are endless bonfires, folk music jammin', hiking, and just living the
dream. I can't wait to go back!
Allow me to say that sometimes, it's not about our collected achievements, but about what we're setting out to do. Take a look at her work!
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