Kelli Nastasi

Kelli Nastasi

Baltimore, MD

flickr 

How often do you carry your camera with you?

I never leave my house without at least one camera.

Name one event or occasion you truly regret not having had your camera at hand.

My grandmothers fight with cancer in 2001. I wasn’t taking photos back then and I know she would have hated having her vulnerability and sickness documented, but there are so many things about her that have faded or distorted in my memory in the 10 years she’s been gone. Now I try not to miss anything.

Do you find it easier to take portraits of people you know than of strangers?

I actually find both remarkably difficult. Portraiture isn’t something I feel very confident in, so I’m always practicing. But I feel like I fail to accurately capture my friends and I’m often too shy to talk to strangers. I owe the portraits that have turned out well to good luck.

Do you ever get inspired by movies for certain picture settings?

All the time! Film is another love in my life and what I appreciate most in a director is one who allows the audience to travel with the characters. We not only follow them through the storyline or on an emotional journey, but we take a walk or ride a train with them. I love to explore even if it’s down the street or walking around my room, & my photos are a documentation of those everyday comings & goings.

And do you prefer to decide in advance or spontaneously about which movie you would like to see at the cinema?

I like to decide in advance.

What are your feelings on seemingly popular styles like "vintage" or "indie" photography?

I would say those styles are definitely popular and there are things I appreciate about that look, but I’m admittedly not very fond of those new iphone apps that do all the work for you. I’m happy if it’s making photography more accessible but I also worry that it makes people lazy.

And does it ever bother you if your work is being associated to such labels?

No. I’m usually just happy that people are even seeing my photos.

If you have such a definition: what do you consider a worthy subject or motive for a picture?

I don’t think there’s anything unworthy of a picture. I use film exclusively and on a pretty tight budget, so I try to really think about what is going on through my viewfinder. Any subject that I have a connection with is usually a good enough motive. I think a sincere interaction between photographer & subject is what shines through in a photo and I love when that can trump any imperfections in the photo.

The gift and the curse of photography sites and blogs?

Gift: Exposure for new talent. There are lots of great photographers I probably never would have discovered if not for websites like Flickr, Not Content, or your site. 

Curse: Overstimulation. There’s so much out there that sometimes I just stop thinking about what I’m looking at.

Fresh. Take a look at her work!

Giulia Fiorinelli

Giulia Fiorinelli

Bergamo, Italy

flickr blog

Which compliment for your work has flattered you the most until now?

I don't remember.I think the best compliment a photographer can receive isn't about how aesthetically or technically beautiful his or her work is, but how much it can say to the observer. Knowing how to revive memories and feelings in the observer is the most difficult and beautiful that you can do.

You write that you collect things that “you think you see“ on your blog. What do you mean by that?

I've always loved collecting anything that attracted me, that told me something, or reminded me of bad or good happenings. I have so many notebooks, boxes and drawers full of scrap papers, cinema tickets and other things ... everyone has a story. Photography allows me to collect significant moments of my life. I created "Random Stories" to order these events and to not forget anyone.

Do you ever find that you have a different perspective when “collecting” images with your camera yourself or when you’re looking at other people’s works?

In both cases I try to put myself in a critical and not superficial position, because I think that we can take inspiration from every aspect.

Would you accept the offer by an international furnishing store to buy a number of your pictures for their decoration section and merchandise it worldwide?

Definitely not.

Do you think that luck plays a big role in photography?

Not always, you can take interesting pictures in an empty room without people or objects.

And how much truth can a photograph possible carry?

A lot of truth. I don't like digitally manipulated photographs, this is one of the reasons why I shoot only in analogue.

Finally, what do you consider to be the biggest gamble in life?

Always be happy and with good intentions.

Well, photography is gamble. Take a look at her work!

Pascal Fellonneau

Pascal Fellonneau

Bordeaux, France

website 

The pictures shown here are from Pascal Fellonneau's series "Summertime", "The Farm", and "Around Iceland". His latest series "Cold Cold Ground" is currently being exhibited at La Fountaine Obscure in Bordeaux, France. For more information and to take a closer look at his work, visit his and and the gallery's website. 

Lydia Greenaway

Lydia Greenaway

Bristol, England

flickr blog

Portraiture takes up a large part of your photographic work. What is your interest herein?

Expression, thought. You can read things in a persons face when it's stop still.

Who are your models?

Family and friends; it's easiest to work with those I'm closest to. And that personal aspect of portraiture is important.

Would you say that a portrait can deceive the viewer about the person shown? Or is there always a "quantum of truth" to be found?

I think a photograph captures a moment where what is outside of the frame can't really be imagined, but I don't think you can properly stage emotions that aren't there. It's usually somewhere in the photo if you look close enough.

It seems to me, that the representation of individual beauty plays an important role within your portraiture. Is this something you strive for and if so, why?

You can create beauty just by limiting it to a single confined composition. I guess I like trying to capture youth and freedom, almost trying to forget time. So the attempt to depict youthful beauty comes naturally alongside. However, I try to use the composition or backdrop to create something a bit different, rather than the expected. Unforeseen beauty can be stronger.

Have you ever worked with music during photoshoots, and if not, would you like to try?

Sometimes, not in a planned situation, it would be nice to experiment more with music, but my photographs are often outside... and I enjoy the silence of wide open space, there's something about capturing silence.

Also it is striking, that, like you just mentioned, most of your pictures are taken outside and in connection with nature in some way or the other. What do you cherish about these settings?

I love that they give an unpredictable and uncontrolled backdrop to the photograph. And it's just less confined, if you want to show freedom you need freedom.

Often, you seem to use natural light to emphasize "an atmosphere" around the pictures. What other elements and factors are most important for you, despite light?

Colour. I like colour photography. Certain colours juxtaposed together give a new beauty to the image. And expression, that vacant expression, it emphasises the eyes. And sometimes loneliness. I find that, when looking at the photo, it encourages you to experience something you're unsure of, so that there is a kind of personal input to every photo.

What is your current goal within photography?

I'd like to experiment with some different portraiture. Particularly taking pictures of strangers, I tend to stick with friends because they're easier to work with. But then you don't get the spontaneity, it becomes quite predictable.

Reading through the questions here, it all appears to be a very serious endeavor artists are doing. But what are the fun parts for you?

Finding a composition that changes the way you look at something, just for a second. Capturing grace and beauty, but at the same time something fresh, unexpected. Developing the film.

In the eye of the photographer. Take a look at her work!

Young Year, Young Luck

After quite a long period of absence, milkwithtea is back on, and features will be online weekly, beginning today. 

Wishing you all the best for 2011! The year is young, and so are we.