penny laine

photographer feature: julia trotti

2012-07-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited about today's photographer feature. I have been following Julia Trotti's work for a long time so I was thrilled when she agreed to answer these questions for me. If you are a photographer also, make sure you look at the Free Curve Friday section on Julia's blog, she has some AMAZING free Photoshop resources.

Name

Julia Trotti

Website | Blog | Tumblr | Facebook

Age
21

Location
Sydney, Australia.

Who or what sparked your interest in photography?
At a young age I started to learn how to use Photoshop and I was fascinated with creating photo manipulations with stock images from the Internet. One day I wanted to take more control over the images I created, so I started taking photos for myself. That's when my love of photography started growing.

Who are some of your favorite photographers?
Tim Walker.

Is photography your career?
Yes, photography is my livelihood and my reason for living.

How long did it take you to turn photography from a hobby into a career?
I started taking photos when I was sixteen years old for fun, and it wasn't about until two years ago where I started to be serious about it. So all up, it probably took about three years for it to transform into something more real.

Do you currently do portrait work (children, babies, weddings, etc) as part of your career or does your income primarily come from personal projects, print sales, and publications?
Fashion photography is my forte. I also shoot weddings and portraits on the side.

Do you have any tips for photographers who are trying to move from hobbyists to full time and earning a livable income?
Don't underestimate the amount of hard work it takes to be a photographer. If you're up for it though, and are passionate about taking photos you can do anything you set your mind to! You just need to go out there and live the things you've been dreaming about.

Are you currently working on any photography projects?
I'm aways working on something! There are always clothes to be shot or people to work with, so pretty much every week I am planing a new shoot idea.

If you won a $400 million lottery how would you use it?
I would travel around the world and document every little thing I see.

What is your favorite thing to photograph and why?
I love photographing the in-between moment during fashion shoots. I love that unaware, nostalgic feeling you get when you capture someone who isn't completely thinking about where every inch of their body is as they normally would in a photograph. For me, that's when fashion photography becomes more real and turns into something I can really be passionate about.

Where do you find and how do you instruct your models?
I used to just take self portraits and photos of my sister and friends to practice. Then I moved on to finding freelance models who were learning just as I was, so we can build on our portfolios together. Now I go through modeling agencies.

Do you listen to music while you shoot?
I don't listen to music while I shoot. Since I mostly shoot on location, I want the whole team to be absorbed in our surroundings

What kind of camera do you use?
My eyes are my camera.

What do you do when you are feeling uninspired?
I stop everything I'm doing and do something completely unrelated to what I'm feeling uninspired by! I'll either go out for a walk, have a coffee with Dan, watch a movie or go to sleep and hope the inspiration comes to me the next day after a little break.

Future photography goals?
For my photography to take me around the world. I want to be shooting every day of my life in amazing locations with talented people, being inspired by simply waking up in a different part of the globe every morning.

Describe a day in your life that includes photography:
Pretty much every single day of my life involves photography! So I'll go both ways: If I have a shoot that day, I will spend the morning/nigh before getting my camera batteries charged, making sure memory cards are empty, getting inspired by listening to music and talking about all the ideas I have for the shoot. Then I head over to the shoot, spend my day taking pictures and in the afternoon I will download all the photos and start going through them. If I don't have a shoot that day, I will spend the day replying to emails, checking my social media, retouching images, creating CDs for the shoots I've finished off and planning even more shoots!

What does your work flow consist of?

I find an idea that I want to create
Find a creative and talented team to work with
Scout out a location for the shoot (which involves lots of driving around and going for walks)
Plan a time and date to shoot
Shoot!
When I come home I download all the photos to my computer, then go through and pick my favourites
I edit my favourites then make CDs for the whole team involved and post it out to them
Blog all my new photos!

Three interesting facts about yourself?

I collect sugar packets and keep them in a jar for no particular reason.
I drink too much coffee
My most fearful thought would be for me to be stuck in the middle of the ocean.

What, if anything, do you do to promote your photography? Approximately how much time do you spend per day/week on promoting your photography online?
I don't think I so much 'promote' by photography, but I just love putting it online for everyone to see! At first it started off with Deviantart, when I was younger I would post my images on that website almost every second day asking for feedback and what I can improve on. Now sharing my photography has moved on to Flickr, my Blogspot, Tumblr and Facebook.

tat-tuesday... girls with sleeves

2012-07-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

tat-tuesday... french tattoo artist xoil

2012-07-17T11:34:00.002-07:00

i found french tattoo artist xoil through pinterest last week and immediately fell in love. gorgeous style of work. now i'm dying to get some new tattoos!

tat-tuesday

2012-06-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

Saldish by (clareta) on Flickr.
killing ants with a magnifying glass? classic!

things i love thursday

2012-06-21T08:01:00.001-07:00

this week i had not only my first one set, but two sets go up on zivity! here's my profile on there where you can find the two sets... they are NSFW and i happen to be at work right now so i can't post the direct links to them.

and the photo up top is not mine, just something that i love, click through for source as usual!

stay gold

2012-06-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

tat-tuesday | octopus tattoos aka for the love of octopi

2012-06-05T06:49:00.002-07:00

ginny's octopus by lou o'bedlam [the photo is by him, not the tattoo]

octopus elephant

i have wanted an octopus tattoo for ages now. naturally i was drawn to these and have had them bookmarked for a while so now i want to share them with you!

also, sorry for the lack of posts lately, i've been on vacation and wedding season just started so i'm keeping busy on the photo front!

photographer feature | sebastian guni

2012-05-31T08:30:00.002-07:00

Name
Sebastian Guni

Links
Flickr | Flickr Group | Cargo Collective

Age
18

Location
Germany, Bavaria, Kempten

Who or what sparked your interest in photography?
I made a practical training in a photo shop. At the end my boss gave me a analog SLR with a couple of films. So I started to take photos.

Who are some of your favorite photographers? (Please provide links to their website/Flickr/blog)
Jerry Hsu, Patrik Wallner, Dan Zvereff

Do you have any formal education in photography or are you self taught?
self-taught

Is photography your career? (If not, please skip the next 3 questions)
sadly not...

Are you currently working on any photography projects?
Actually I don't have any projects

If you won a $400 million lottery how would you use it?
buy some photo gear, move to scotland, donate $350 million and save the rest.

What is your favorite thing to photograph and why?
to see your developed photos the first time! Best feeling ever, if they turned out good :D

Where do you find and how do you instruct your models?
I just shot my friends.

Do you listen to music while you shoot? If so, what is on your photo shoot play list?
Yes I do. The Black Keys - Gold on the ceiling, Mumford and Sons - Awake my soul, Beirut - Elephant Gun, Arctic Monkeys - Brainstorm... just to name a few.

What kind of camera(s) do you use? What is your "go to" lens? Do you have a preferred brand/type of film?
I use 35mm SLR cameras, for example Canon AE-1. I mainly use Kodak iso400 films.

What do you do when you are feeling uninspired?
listen to music or read a book

Future photography goals?
better portrait skills

Describe a day in your life that includes photography:
waking up, take a shower, eat some cereals, take a walk into the forest, take some photos, get ready for meal, eat something, take the train to the town, meeting up with my mates to skate, get to a spot, take photos, more skateboarding, even more skateboarding, get something to eat, go home, take a shower, go clubbing, get drunk, go home and sleep.

What does your work flow consist of?
I don't have one, I just start to shot. :D

Three interesting facts about yourself?
don't know you should get to know me! :D

What, if anything, do you do to promote your photography? (how do you get it out there for others to see - Flickr groups, blog, etc) Approximately how much time do you spend per day/week on promoting your photography online?
I try to get some submissions, because it's good publicity, I have a cargo-acc, an a medium size flickr group. I think I spend 1h/week on promoting...

the art project | “ciencias naturales” series by juan gatti

2012-05-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

this series combines my favorite things... anatomy photos, collages, and flowers/botany. beautiful and a little bit weird. just my style.

Anatomic Collages from the “Ciencias Naturales” series by Juan Gatti. VISIT HIS WEBSITE.

flickr faves

2012-05-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

flickr faves

2012-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

heart glasses

2012-05-01T05:51:00.002-07:00

[via]

amanda by lou noble

[via]

(by ▲ lupe bracaccini)

132 (by your evil twin)

[via]

lolita glasses... must have summertime item. i especially love the metal ones with the cherubs in the last picture.

the art project | soey milk

2012-04-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

i have a weak spot for all things star and space related. these pieces by soey milk are too cute for words!

the burning house

2012-04-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Caroline Eden

Kristi Gutierrez

Sarah Katherine Davis

Melania Semerad-Meier

i've been following this tumblr blog called the burning house for ages now. here's the writeup from their page:

If your house was burning, what would you take with you? It's a conflict between what's practical, valuable and sentimental. What you would take reflects your interests, background and priorities. Think of it as an interview condensed into one question.

these are some of my favorite photos that have been posted on the burning house [the first one by caroline eden is my absolute favorite, i've had it bookmarked since it posted in november]. taking and submitting my own photo for this project has been on my "to do" list/bucket list for ages now, but i still haven't. it's even been turned into a book:

the art project | animal portraits by charlotte caron

2012-04-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

i'm so in love with this series called "animal portraits" by french artist charlotte caron. i've been trying to find someone to collaborate with for ages on something similar to this. i want to send out some portrait prints and have someone paint on them. she did a great job, these are absolutely amazing. you can see more from this series and others on her website.

tat-tuesday | black and white

2012-04-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

[via]

[ * ] (by Frank Neu)

flickr faves

2012-04-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

01770004 (by elifkahveci)

cinderella in the ashes. (by weepy hollow)

elizabeth. by patricklikeslight on Flickr

01750005 (by kathrynchavez)

. silent shattered memory . (by M.A.M08)

photographer feature: davis ayer

2012-04-18T06:11:00.001-07:00

i'm absolutely positively a davis ayer fan girl. i have been holding out on doing a photographer feature on him for quite some time in hopes that he would answer one of the many messages across many types of social media for an interview. while i did not ever hear back from him, he did "favorite" one of my photos on flickr [this one] which of course, just about made my month.

anyways... yes, davis ayer, amazing amazing amazing photography. more of his work around the web:

and i'm stealing his interview that he did with lomography:

Describe yourself in a couple words.
human, photographer, light chaser, Austinite, basketballer, master J roller

1. Tell us about yourself in three sentences maximum?
What? (haha) Breakfast is my favorite food…

2. Why do you still shoot analogue?
The photography and art that I’ve always been attracted to was analogue, even before I knew anything about photography. I think the idea that digital photography will over take film photography is wrong because they’re different things. I have no problems with chopping up pictures and manipulating digital images, but I have more respect for film.. Film just looks better to me. Film is so much more dynamic. I think that analogue makes you a better photographer. Shooting film forces you to be patient, and really learn what you want in the frame. Also, there’s something interesting about anticipation (waiting for film to be processed).

3. What photographic equipment (cameras, films, and accessories) do you usually have in your bag?
Medium format camera – Mamiya RZ67 ProIID (polaroid back), 35mm – Minolta SRT200, and digital camera – Canon 5D Mark II.

4. Share with us a killer trick of yours that will always result to a great photo.
There are things that I go to but they don’t necessarily guarantee a good photo because a shoot is always a collaboration. Having something out of focus in the foreground is always interesting, it’s more like the human eye. I try to make everything different in each photo. I like doing double exposures of an image inside of another image.

5. Which photographers influence your work?
Stephen Shore, Joel Sternfeld, Stanley Kubrick, Andreas Gursky, Ryan McGinley. I’m always trying to be original. I’m inspired by the recent past and nostalgia for the era before I was born, which is a world that doesn’t exist anymore.

tat-tuesday

2012-04-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

(by Laura Leal)

books [via cheeryfantasies]

bug (by Ien Levin)

Hattie Watson - L'ecole des Femmes - Spring 2012 (by matt fry | www.frybros.com)

flickr faves

2012-04-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

(by Mercedes Esquivel)

(by Maggie Lochtenberg)

(by takecareofme)

(by moonquartz)

Relax (by JOVI ^^)

(by Bluebirds And Barn Swallows)

things i love thursday

2012-04-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

watching snails drink water [via]

"it's spring... we're so excited we went our plants" - pretty much sums up the past few weeks for me. [via]

this quote: "don't judge me because i sin differently than you." - dieter f. uchtdorf

tat-tuesday

2012-04-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

[via]

"LOVE" [via spell and the gypsy collective: freedom in solitude - go see the whole blog post it is AMAZING]

heart with "what's mine is yours" banner, thigh tattoo - (by Poison Arms)

just a sexy tattooed guy with a beard smoking a cigarette, move along folks, nothing to see here... *dibs* anyone know who this is anyways? [via]

lady sleeves [via]

[via]

flickr faves

2012-04-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

OVATE (by yuli.bow)

(by artistƒriendship)

(by cept_id)

(by laura olivia baker)

Kathleen (by Maga Soto)

pink milk by H O K O

tat-tuesday

2012-04-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Michael J. Demeo

"let go"... it's just so beautiful and perfect placement. not sure if i would ever have the balls to get a tattoo on my wrist, i don't even like people to touch my wrists, it makes my skin crawl. [via]

i love how she pretty much has a chapter of a book written on her thighs... i always keep mine covered so it seems like a good place to have a tasteful tattoo [via]

[via]

matching avacado tattoos [via]

flickr faves

2012-03-31T08:23:00.000-07:00

(by Maya Felder)

Teen (by AllthewaytoOhio)

breathing soul (by weloveunicorns)

(by Tamara Lichtenstein)

(by JonnyFinch)

(by Nich Hance)

(by Lieke Romeijn)

flores de pequeña jaula (by gamero.)

013 (by Angela Grubich)