You live in Portland, does the city inspire your work?
Yes, the Pacific Northwest definitely inspires my photography. I have a passion for catching the beauty of Oregon and Washington, be it the Oregon coast, the never ending forest, or the wonderful quirky people of the Pacific Northwest.
What photographers inspire you?
As a child I fell in love with Ansel Adams. I loved the way he captured nature in black-and-white.
Recently I came across to Michal Chelbin. Her portraits are a constant source of inspiration to me. She did this series of prisoners in the Ukraine. She would sit and talk with them for hours, not asking what their crimes were, take their portrait, then after the photograph was taken she asked what they had been convicted of. I love the fact that she wanted to capture them, without the bias of knowing their crimes. Every little detail can affect how we see a subject. I hope one day to be able to capture the beauty of humanity in all it’s forms.
Describe your relationship with your work.
I came into photography and art in general a little late in life. I grew up in a large family. My father was musically gifted and my mother is an artist. I have four sisters and a brother and they all are artistic in one way or another. Then there was me, I couldn’t sing, draw, paint, or play an instrument. I had pretty much given up on art. Then about 2 1/2 years ago I downloaded this little app called Instagram and fell in love. I started seeing the world in a different way, and wanted to capture as much of it as I could.
When I first started shooting, I would mainly work and black-and-white. I was a little afraid to work in color. I think it’s important to constantly challenge yourself as an artist. It’s how we learn and develop. So one day I started working only with color and fell in love all over again.
You frequently illustrate private moment in your work. What draws you to these moments?
Finding the extraordinary in the everyday moments, whether it’s catching the sun on my daughter’s hair as she turns to answer a question, or sitting on the porch, with a cup of coffee watching the fog roll in. These private moments make up one’s life, and art in any form is about sharing your view of the world around you.
What are you interested in investigating through your work?
I want to be able to share the beauty of humanity. Most of my work to date has been landscapes and my environment. I want so much to be able to walk up to someone on the street, hear their story and capture their beauty. We as a species are beautiful because of our differences. We should celebrate these differences not tear each other down because of them.
No Comments