Interview: Olivia Bryce Yates

Name? Olivia Bryce Yates

Age?
23 years so all I have to look forward to is dirty thirty

Where are you from?
Newcastle Australia, A nice town two hours north of Sydney

Tools of the trade?
Yashica Medium format, Ricoh 35mm and about 15 different kinds of Polaroid camera

Artistic influences and how much does it influence your work?:
I paint nearly everyday and have more of an arts background than I do of photography so I guess it factors in pretty significantly.

Why do you like photography/art and what do you get out of it?:
Its fills my O.C.D requirements

What motivates and inspires you?(films/music/people ect):
John Jacob Niles, No Country for Old Men, Handsome Furs are nice to listen to while doing activities and obviously my friends are the most significant factor as they make up the majority of my photography

Where do you see yourself in the future?:
Still in the same place

Where did you learn how to edit and do you have any tips?:
I try not to edit
Who/what/where are important parts of your photographic process?:
Shoot, shoot, shoot some more. Sometimes your best work will be your mistakes.

Film or digital?:
Film, though there are some people out there now who are doing amazing things with digital photography.

Anything else you'd like to share? (favourite bands/movies ect.)?
Maybe musically look at the Drones? And film wise Kenneth Anger, Scorpio Rising being a good place to start.

Links:
www.cookies-and-cream its a site I have created to showcase varying works from a whole host of contributors. My personal website is also updated daily, www.Bryceyates.blogspot.com with random moments from my life.

Interview: Tanya Prilukova

Name: Tanya Prilukova

Age: 21

Where are you from: I live in Novosibirsk it's in Siberia, Russia. it's a lovely city but i am going to move when graduate from university.

Tools of the trade: Actually i don't understand this question (my English isn't perfect) if you mean what i do for living - I'm a student. i study advertising.

Artisitic influences and how much does it influence your work?:
Oh it's a very hard to answer! there were and is sooo many talented artist. just to name some of them: Van Gogh, Annette Pehrsson, Lauren Nassef, Brandi Strickland, The Beatles, Salinger and so on, i could name forever

Why do you like photography/art and what do you get out of it?:
Just love art/photography. it's something you can create by yourself. it's like a million of lifes i will never live.

What motivates and inspires you?(films/music/people ect):
Everything inspires me as a person. and you know thre is like a "separate channel" for art and my photos/ideas for them in my head. so when i see/hear/feel something that touches me, i just make a "note" in my head. and it could be a film or story i've herad or photos and illustrations or ..
Where do you see yourself in the future?:
Aah are you serious?) oh i hope i will live and do something good

Where did you learn how to edit and do you have any tips?:
I am a self-tought and thanks to my friends - i got a really nice tips from them.

Who/what/where are important parts of your photographic process?:
I think all these are about a light.

Film or digital?:
Both. but i love film more) sometimes it's just reliable to use digital.

Anything else you'd like to share? (favorite bands/movies ect.):
You can find it in links
Links: www.flickr.com/photos/greenlook/
www.iliveinoctober.etsy.com/
www.lastfm.ru/user/iliveinoctober/

and
www.flickr.com/photos/greenlook/favorites/

Kareena Zerefos

Kareena Zerefos is an artist from Sydney, Australia.

"With a background in design, graduating from College of Fine Arts in 2005, Kareena works using a variety of media, including pencil, gouache, tea and ink, and often combines traditional drawing with contemporary digital graphic techniques."

Kareena has exhibited in solo shows in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as in numerous group shows across Australia. She also works on commercial illustration projects for the music, fashion and advertising industries.

I emailed Kareena a few questions on her work, luckily for me she took the time to answer them:

What tools/materials do you use? Do you use the same materials each time?
Pencils/graphite, gouache and ink on paper, I’ve recently been playing with copic markers too which is a lot of fun.
The materials I use kind of evolves and changes every now and again, when I started out I would just draw with whatever I had lying about, biros and old scraps of paper.
I've been working on pine plywood boxes quite a bit too, and have been experimenting with watercolour canvas too,

Three words that describes your style?

1. Nostalgic, 2. delicate, 3. bittersweet

Do you have any artistic influences?

I take inspiration from so many things like my collection of old super-8 footage from my dad’s childhood in rural NSW, travel, vintage postcards and photos, children’s books…
Egon Schiele has been a major influence I saw his figurative sketches and watercolours on a little trip to Vienna back in 2006 and that’s when I really felt inspired to draw.

Why do you like what you do and how did you first get into it?

I've always liked to draw, for as long as I remember, I don't really know why I like it - it's kind of just something I have to do compulsively!
I studied design at the College of Fine Arts, but I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember - it all started out like everyone does, sticking macaroni to paper plates and painting with my fingers!
I worked as a graphic designer for a while and it wasn’t really until about two years ago that I took the plunge to do art and illustration full time.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

Hopefully exhibiting in places like the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.

Who/what/where are important parts of your process?
Before I start drawing I make collages from photocopied bits and pieces to plan out the composition and to find all of the right elements to bring into the work (I’m completely a Virgo).

Then I use my collage as my reference to draw from. I always work with a really light and loose outline layer in pencil, work up a couple of layers by spilling and dripping ink, gouache and tea and then work over it all with the detailed pencil lines.

What music are you into now?

Ah, at the moment when I'm working, Iron & Wine, The Stone Roses, Animal Collective, The Sisters of Mercy, Doves, Kings of Convenience, The Church, Siouxsie & The Banshees...

Interview: Monika S

Name: Monika S. (sorry, i don't want to release my last name on the internet, i hope you'll understand)
Age: 14

Where are you from? Massachusetts

Tools of the trade: nikon d70 & remote

Artistic influences: Everyone on flickr/Tumblr

Why do you like photography/art?
I just love being able to escape and think about what i want to portray in a photo.

Where do you see yourself in the future?
Definitely europe, studying abroad
Where did you learn how to edit and do you have any tips: i just started messing around with photoshop. it took me quite a long time to understand, the first time i used it i was very confused. i still have a lot to learn about it, however. i'm slowly getting better each day. as for tips, don't over-do it. when using natural lighting, i try not to change the colors too much, because then it won't look real.

Who/what/where are important parts of you photographic process:
Before beginning, i visualize what i want a picture to look like, such as the composition, angle, etc. then i try and get as close as possible to that.

Film or digital?
Hmm, that's a difficult choice. i think i'd rather film, because there's no feeling like waiting to get your own pictures in your hands. looking through them for the first time and seeing how they came out is really awesome. with film, when you make a mistake, you learn to not make it again.

Anything else?:
My favorite band is passion pit, i went to their concert recently. it was amazing.
Links:

• Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/signed_monika/
• Tumblr: www.rustednails.tumblr.com

Interview: Taylor James

Name: Taylor James
Age: 22

Where are you from?: From Vancouver, but now living in Toronto.

Tools of the trade: I shoot 35mm with a vintage Minolta camera.

Artisitic influences: I think my biggest influence is fashion and the girls (and boys) I shoot.

Why do you like photography/art?: Im obsessed with beautiful things and making beautiful things.

Where do you see yourself in the future?: Ideally I want to be shooting for major fashion magazines and campaigns. I really enjoy the whole world of fashion and photography, so I want to go as far as I can with it. In the near-future I would like to be assisting an established photographer who I admire to learn from.

Where did you learn how to edit and do you have any tips?: I taught myself by trial and error... I dont really make a lot of major edits because Im not really a pro with PS.
Who/what/where are important parts of your photographic process?: Im a really intuitive photographer, and often will walk around, scout locations, and create the story while Im with my team and model, and its really important that the people I work with are comfortable with that!

Film or digital?: Film

Links: http://taylorjamesphoto.com, http://taylorjamesphoto.blogspot.com

Photos:

Interview: Ella Bailey

Name: Ella Bailey

Age:15

Where are you from?: England originally but i now live in France

Tools of the trade:
My DSLR, my analog SLR, my very heavy tripod, then all my filters and my remote and things .

Artisitic influences and how much does it influence your work?:
Other photographers are the biggest influence to my work. Of course, i must say Tim Walker , and then Saga Sig, Rachel Louise Brown, Ellen Rogers, Elena Kholkina, and David Hamilton are also big inspirations for me. There are also all my friends on flickr and tumblr (i will not list names or we shall be here all night !), who provide endless beautiful photographs to inspire me.

Why do you like photography/art and what do you get out of it?:
Photography is my way of making myself believe that magic is possible, and that my world really could exist. It is my way of getting all the strange thoughts out of my brain, and at the same time occupying my thoughts so i don’t go crazy !

What motivates and inspires you?(films/music/people ect):
I don’t want to sound like i’m accepting an oscar or something, but my mother is my ultimate inspiration, and her and my dad have been so supportive of me, especially when i go to them with odd questions and strange requests (like asking if i can take furniture outside and where one could hire a deer). Music is a very big inspiration too, many a time a song line has led to a photo idea. Books also inspire me, always, the power of words never ceases to amaze me.
Where did you learn how to edit and do you have any tips?: My editing is self taught, and it’s still not very good, i have a tendancy to go over the top. My biggest tip, however, would be to never dismiss an idea that you want to aquire through editing. The sky really is the limit.

Who/what/where are important parts of your photographic process?:
Hmm. The place that most of my photography ideas find me, so i suppose it is the most important place of my photographic process, is my bed. Many a night i have woken up to find illegible scribbles written on my arms or on post it notes stuck to my headboard. I really should get into the habit of keeping a notebook by my bed ! Also all the people who i know on tumblr and flickr play a very important part in the process, by encouraging me and critiquing my photos, and boosting my confidence. I would never be where i am now without them.

Film or digital?: Both ! Film has my heart, but digital is so practical, and it’s good for me since i am very impatient.

Anything else you'd like to share? (favorite bands/movies ect.):
My favourite band is Florence and the Machine, listening to her lyrics is like listening to my thoughts put to music. I could never tell anyone my favourite book, it changes all the time, depending on my mood, but just right now i could say my favourites are " We have always lived in the castle" by Shirley Jackson and "The Lollipop Shoes" (it also goes by the title of "The Girl with No Shadow" ) by Joanne Harris. As for favourite films....i’m rather fond of "I Capture the Castle" (which is also a lovely book) and "Amelie", as well as "Marie Antoinette".

Links:

• Tumblr : www.frogsandcrowns.tumblr.com
• Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/tiptoethroughthesunbeams/

(i also have a portfolio which is currently unavailable, but the link will be on my flickr profile soonish)

Photos:

Interview: Tess Mayer

Name: Tess Mayer
Age: 15

Where are you from?:
I currently live in a really, really, small town. But I hope to go to college in a huge city.

Tools of the trade:
As of right now, I only use my Canon XSi. For my self portraits I use a tripod and sometimes a 3ft remote.

Artistic influences:
Countless photographers inspire me. Sally Mann, Tim Walker, Ryan Mcginley, Nirrimi, and Irving Penn, are some of my biggest inspirations. Many people on flickr inspire me, but there's too many to name. My family inspires me. Both of my parents are creative and both have masters in some sort of art degree. I love looking at their paintings. My grandfather was a really great artist too, so was my great uncle. No one in my family has ever been interested in photography though. My little sister is very creative as well, some of my pictures are based on her drawings, she also models in a lot of my photos.
Nature, music, and beautiful things in general inspire me too.

Why do you like photography/art?:
Honestly, I like it because I never get sick of it. Photography is different to me than anything else. I eventually quit or got tired of all of my other hobbies, but I can always take photos.
I also love how in photography, you're capturing an exact moment in time, you can look back at a photo and remember everything about that moment.

Where do you see yourself in the future?:
I want to be a famous photographer. But if that doesn't work out for some reason I would like to be a psychologist.

Where did you learn how to edit and do you have any tips?:
I've never had any photoshop classes, I've just been messing around with photoshop until I find something that looks good. Most of the time I use curves for color photos. Sometimes I use layers, but not usually. As for tips, I would just suggest to mess around with photoshop a ton until you find something that works, and maybe watch a tutorial or two.

Who/what/where are important parts of your photographic process?:
My shoots are pretty spontaneous. Sometimes I'm at a friends house and just quickly take 2-3 pictures. Those tend to actually come out better than the planned photo shoots because they have real emotion. Other times I have a whole idea planned out and I'll take 300 pictures.

Film or Digital?:
I take strictly digital photos. But I desperately want to start shooting film. I love the way film looks. I found a old polaroid camera in my basement, and my mom gave me her old film camera. Now all I need is film. There are one or two film shots in my stream, those were taken with a Fuji Film disposable.

Anything else you'd like to share? (favorite bands/movies ect.):
Favorite music: Bon Iver, Vashti Bunyan, Regina Spektor, Arcade Fire, Frightened Rabbit, Wolf Parade, Ingrid Michaelson, The Cinematic Orchestra, Rosie Thomas, Sigur Ros, Bright Eyes, Vampire Weekend, Azure Ray, The Moldy Peaches, Kimya Dawson, Mumford & Sons.

I deeply love all the Harry Potter books and Movies.

My favorite subject is science.

I like making collages.

I take 6 hours of ballet class a week, not including rehearsals on the weekend.




Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/photography-by-tess/
Tumblr: goldensilence.tumblr.com/

Interview: Aaron Feaver

Name: Aaron Feaver

Age: 31

Where are you from?: I've been in Los Angeles for the last few years.

Tools of the Trade: Lately I've been into my Polaroid SLR 680SE, a Salyut-C 6x6, a Fuji Instax 500AF, an Olympus OM-1n and my Canon digital SLR.

Artistic influences?:
Ooh, too many influences to list. I guess that's why I keep a blog. As for how much they influence me, it's a lot. Especially when I'm trying something new, I almost always have a reference in mind; a photo or a mood created by someone else that I try to mimic.

Why do you like photography?:
I think in the simplest terms, I enjoy making something pretty. I also like trying things that are hard or don't come naturally to me. Lately I've been taking a lot of pictures of people, which are hard for me, and the challenge has been really rewarding.

Where do you see yourself in the future?:
Hopefully just taking more and more photos.

Where did you learn how to edit:
When I see a photo I really like, I try to figure out how the photographer took it, and then I try to recreate it. Not literally, usually, but I try to capture the same mood.

Who/what/where are important parts of your process:
I just moved into an apartment with a room I use as a photo studio, and that's made a huge difference. Just being able to have people come over and have everything I need in one place has been really liberating. Also having friends who are always happy to model for me, as well as some great models I've met through Model Mayhem.

Film or digital:
Both!

Links:
http://feaverishphotography.com/
http://feaverishphotography.com/blog/
http://flickr.com/photos/feaverish
http://facebook.com/pages/Feaverish-Photography/480104885113

Photos: