Sixty-Two Standout - almadr

We are so excited to share an interview with you by Anna (almadr). Her photos have such a soft, lovely quality about them. They are truly lovely and she is truly a talent. You can visit her website at Scrapownia and we think you should!! Also, you can view more of her work on her Flickr page. 

Thank you Anna for sharing with us!! We are so inspired by you.

Tell us how you felt in love with photography?
To tell the truth I don't remember - it was so long ago, when I was a teenager.  I just got interested in photography and joined a local teenage photo club. We learnt traditional (not digital) B&W photography. And I just got hooked onto this "magic".  I believe I love photography so much as it allows me to be an artist even though I can't paint properly.

Do you feel you have found your style? How would you describe it?
Don't think so. I'm still searching. But for sure one of my distinctive features is shallow depth of field and close-ups - I love those and use them a lot!

What is your favorite gear and why?
I use Canon 450d (I'd love to have a better model but can't afford it now) and I absolutely love my 50mm 1.8 Canon lenses, as it allows me to shoot with shallow DOF and in difficult light conditions. I shoot mostly with it. But I'd love to have some proper macro and telephoto lenses too to play more with close-up and portrait photography.

What is your favorite subject and why?
I love taking photos of everyday objects in natural lightening. I’m interested in food and object photography a lot and I’m always drawn to and inspired by beautifully arranged compositions. And I also like taking portraits, especially of my little niece and nephew. Kids are so cute and natural, so it’s fun (but also a challenge) to take photos of them.

What do you do when you feel less inspired?
I check flickr/pinterest or some other blogs and websites where I can find inspirational photos. I also love coming back to books on art and photography I have at home.

Thank you again Anna

XOXO,
Ana and Christian 

Sixty-Two Standout - Zena at Healing Moments

October's Sixty-Two Standout is the ever so lovely Zena. Her photos are so unique and inspirational. We're so happy to share her thoughts on her photography in the following interview. We know you'll love her photos and her words. You can visit her blog here at Healing Moments - Things That Matter. 

Thank you Zena for sharing with us at Sixty-Two!!

Tell us how you fell in love with photography?

After a long time having cameras without using them very much, one day I commented on a blog which I usually read and I won an on-line photography course about self-portraiture. I didn´t even know it till I visited the blog again and I found out this unexpected news. I took those classes and my mind changed completely. I realized not only that I could be good at taking photos, but also that photography was an amazing way to go into self-knowledge in depth and to appreciate reality, something that I was interested in before I started the course. I felt totally captivated by it. All this happened along the second trimester of 2011.

Do you feel you have found your style?

I am not sure, I am always trying to improve myself and I think I am now a better photographer than before. Even so, many persons who see my photos say that they have something that make them recognizable and I think it could be true.


How would you describe it?

It's something related to colors and composition. I´ve been making collages most of my life so this has influenced on what catches my eye and the way I capture things, but lately I have been paying more and more attention to light. Anyway, I think that my photos have several characteristics in common: everydayness, closeness, contrast, realism and message. I love to take photos that can convey how my inner world is. So, somewhat, they are also symbolic.

What is your favorite gear and why?

I only have two cameras, Panasonic DMC-FX12, and Canon EOS 1100D with two lens: EF-s 18-55 mm EF 75-300 mm. I am too new to photography to have explored any other option.

What is your favorite subject and why?

Daily life moments, I take tons of photos at home. Nature themes (mainly flowers and plants), self-portraits and lately I´ve been taking simple still lifes, not overly composed and architectural details. I don´t know exactly why I find those themes so appealing, maybe because I am a detail oriented person.

The biggest challenge?

I would love to learn more about photography from a technical point of view, about edition, layers, and also about historic issues: I would like to know better the work of great photographers. On the other hand, I would love to teach about the healing power of photography. It has helped me in my search for beauty in my own path and as a teacher (that is my profession and my vocation) I am sure I can do it, I just need the time...

What do you do when you feel less inspired?

If we talk about photography, I go for a walk to the park next to my house, this usually brings it back, or I try to capture little compositions at home. Most of time after a few photos I start to be fascinated by what I am seen through the viewfinder. Generally speaking, I meditate.

If you could, what advice would you give to yourself ten years ago?

Love what it is... and also, trust yourself more.

Sixty-Two Standout, Ali Deck

Meet Ali. She's wonderfully talented and her photography truly inspires. We're glad to have her as a part of our Sixty-Two Flickr Group. She is definitely a stand-out! It's evident in her words that photography means a lot to her and that she is a lovely person!  Read in her words here what photography means to her. Find more of her work in her Flickr stream. Learn more about her at Ali Deck Photography and on her Facebook page.

I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but my love/obsession with photography began when my first of three sons was born. They have always been my inspiration and have truly taken me to places I never thought I could go as a photographer. My passion and love for them is evident in my work. When I look back at photos when Kaiden was little, I have to admit, I cringe a little. I’ve realized in the past year that photography is all about growth and finding your own style. I used to look at other photographers’ work and wish my photos looked like theirs. I made the decision to stop wishing and just trust my eye.   

This year I finally took the time to teach myself the technical side of photography and it has totally opened the door to my style and creativity. I am a natural light photographer so my work always has a natural feel about it. I have been told that my style is dreamy and has an easy feel. Even though our days are not always easy and dreamy, I hope my boys remember it that way. One day they will travel their own paths and I hope my photos will trigger memories of how our life really was through my eyes.

My children are the center of my work, but photographing others is my second love. I prefer to photograph children and the people who love them. Children are messy, unpredictable, scunchy faced little people and that’s what I hope to capture. I hope to photograph their inner beauty as well as their outer beauty. This is a tough job to do in only an hour, but I try to capture how they are at that moment with each other. Real life is so beautiful.

These days I am rarely without my camera. When I don’t have it with me, I feel like I am missing an arm. I can be a pretty impulsive person, and one day I decided to sell all of my Canon gear and go Nikon. I switched from a Canon Rebel to my Nikon D7000. I am a prime lens girl. My lenses consist of my Nikkor 50mm 1.4 lens which rarely leaves my camera, my 35mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, and I have a fish eye for fun. I own a speed lite but have only used it once. I use two camera bags. My everyday bag is a grey Stella Epiphane and for sessions I use a Porteen Gear bag.  
I feel that the biggest challenge as a photographer is to balance being a full time art teacher, photographer, mama and wife. If I could have more of one thing, it would be time. It is tricky to balance it all and do the most important jobs for me, being a great wife and mama to my boys.

So far I haven’t hit a road block with inspiration. My boys are always nipping at my heels and doing something crazy to photograph. We are a nature lovin’ family, so we are always hiking, camping and doing some kind of traveling. There are so many wonderful things in this world to be inspired by, I hope I never lose the desire to chase it and capture it.

If I could have given myself advice ten years ago it would be practice, practice, practice, shoot in manual and learn your camera well. There is so much to learn. You need to educate yourself and then start building a strong portfolio, one that you’re proud to show anyone.

I have found the photography world can be a lonely one and you have to really want it, breathe it and feel it wholeheartedly.  

Thank you Ali for letting us peek into your life and your love of photography! You are truly inspirational and a great talent!

xoxo

Christian and Ana