photographer spotlight: vivienne

happy monday everyone! today im very excited to share with you a photographer who is so full of life that it shines through each one of her photos!

let me introduce you to the lovely:

1.) what draws you to photography?
I fell in love with photography during a really hard time in my life, when I didn't feel like I had much to offer anyone else and was needing to be focused on finding happiness within myself. I found that it helped me to be present in the most simple beauty around me and to engage with that beauty. It allowed me to be fill my self up with creative love.

Also love that for the rest of my life, every single day, I have no doubt that I will do something or learn something about photography. That totally blows me away...the learning is endless.

2.) do you prefer digital or film? why?
When I first got into photography it was all digital. I think it was good to start that way as it allowed me the room to make lots of mistakes and learn from them. It didn't take me long to fall for film though. I'm head over heels about polaroids and 120 film in my holga, diana or lubitel. Its not unlikely to find me with 7 or 8 cameras in my bag!

3.) what is your favorite camera to shoot with?
I am so all about polaroid right now. I just got another pola camera that has a self-timer, which has me totally swooning and excited for the self-portrait potential ahead of me.

I also deeply love looking down the "contraption" from my digital camera through to my duaflex to do the ttv or through the viewfinder technique. Its a whole new perspective when you look through a vintage camera with your digital. Its total magic.

4.) can you share three favorite photos you took & why you picked them?

- This is my favourite self-portrait yet (and I take a lot of them). It was in my favourite photo spot in oakland, california in the hills above this beautiful cemetery. It was a time in my life that I felt so full of adventure and so free. Though it took me about 30 tries to get this, it was a whole lot of fun and feels like it really captured that time in my life.

- I love this shot, as it was such a dance between me and the performer. They were all dressed in white, walking barefoot through my favourite folk festival and when I approached her with my camera I realized I couldn't just snap away, but that I was becoming part of the performance. I so love when subjects engage like that.

- What i love most about this image is that it evokes stories for people, for me too. I can't help but make  up stories about what this woman has lived and where she's going...

5.) can you name a few photographers that have influenced your work?
You know, the photographers that influence my work the most are the ones that I see daily in flickr. So many people inspire me, but there are a few that stand out and never cease to inspire and influence me, such as the vibrancy of Andrea "hula" Jenkin's work, the romantic beauty of One Love Photo and am regularly inspired by Katrina Rodabaugh's self-portraits.

vivienne, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and sharing yourself with my readers! you can find more of vivienne's work on her website, flickr, and her blog. now i'll leave you with a few of my personal favorites. enjoy!

Comments

[silk]

I love your photographer spotlights, they're always very inspiring.
The dancer pic is gorgeous indeed! And it's so nice to learn about the little stories behind the photos :)

[Nicolle Null]

thank you! i really have fun doing them. :)