Darwin Bell

Dreamcicle...

This one has a very special place in my heart, as it was chosen as TWTME icon of the day and it was the first time that any photo of mine of Flickr had garnered any attention and it made me consider taking photography more seriously. It also challenges me to step up my game to prove to myself that it wasn't a fluke.





It is really hard to choose two favorites but i think this shot pretty well encapsulates my love of shooting an image of the small details to show something that otherwise might go unseen




Interview With Darwin Bell!

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
I have been taking Polaroid’s for an art project called "Sign Language" for about 21/2 years. Then I received a digital camera and a Flickr pro account for my birthday, Dec 2005 and have been pretty much addicted to both since then


2: Equipment you use?
I am currently using a Casio EX-Z850 point and shoot and while I get a lot of "you use a point and shoot?" comments, it has done me very well so far and the fact that it is so easy to transport, makes it impossible for me not to take pictures. I am sure I will upgrade someday but for now I am loving this one


3: Mac or PC?
I use both but do most of the post production work on my pc.


4: What inspires you?
Everything around me, everywhere I go. I love taking the small detail of the large picture and amplifying it to make people see it in a different way or making something that may not be traditionally pretty to look at and making it into a compelling image. I guess my main goal is to have a unique viewpoint that at some point will become recognizable.


5: Preferred subject matter?
Well, if it's colorful, I will shoot it. I also like to take askew pictures of familiar objects. Oh and anything on a whiteground. And don't forget macros of locks and rust/decay.


6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
I would love to get a picture of a hummingbird in flight, possibly looking into the camera and very close range. Is that too much to ask?


7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
My friends Kate or Waleed outside of Flickr and on Flickr, Asta, Borealnz, Andreboxbox, on vinyl and StL Photographer's always are there with good advice. I find Flickr and TWTME group to be exceptionally inspiring. I can't imagine being so involved without them.


8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
Well, I read my manual pretty thoroughly and once I realized I had Office Picture Manager, I was able to teach myself how to adjust colors, saturations, brightness etc, as well as the all important cropping. I used to be against manipulating my images in any way until I realized I could and my older photostream pictures will sadly attest to this.


9: Plans for the future?
I am working on getting a gallery show where I have my Polaroid Art by sometime before June of this year, so we will see how that goes. But other than that, I just want to keep shooting, learning and improving every day.


10: In one word, describe your photography.
Darwinian

Christine Lebrasseur

Désert de solitude





I am a bird now




INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTINE LEBRASSEUR

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
I was really interested in photography two years ago only, to add "power" to my words (poetry) and following a hospitalization

2: Equipment you use?
Canon 350D + EFS 18-55 + EF 55-200
I play sometimes with 2 old cams, a Canon F1 and a Zenith, and I always have, not very far away, my small numerical HPR 707 :)

3: Mac or PC?

PC only

4: What inspires you?

Life, others and... my feeling

5: Preferred subject matter?

All that I have not photographed yet
.
6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.

A true tear

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?

My friend Alexandre (Talos.s here), the man I love Sébastien and... my Flickr contacts, logical :)

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop

I use only a small software who was delivered with my Canon (PhotoStudio) and I just begin to play with Photoshop.

9: Plans for the future?

More exhibitions, more shootings and, one day, a picture in a magazine... ?


10: In one word, describe your photography.

Eclectic

Linda's Manymuses

October- created 2006.
Autumn is my absolute favorite season and October is certainly my peak month for shooting on location. The colors of the foliage are an obvious draw early in the month, but I enjoy trees even after the leaves have fallen. There is something so sculptural about the stark shapes silhouetted against an evening sky. I drive around the countryside at dusk, eyes scanning the horizon for those black shapes on simple backgrounds, as sharply delineated to my eyes as primitive woodcuts.



Three Sisters- created just this week

Again, I guess I have a passion for simple silhouettes because I keep coming back to these images of blackbirds and crows. I started a series called "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" last year, fully intending to limit myself to that number, but I have easily done more than forty now. I live in a rural area after living in the city for many years, so I am re-discovering my more primitive connections to the natural world. Entire flocks of crows, hawks, vultures and other birds inhabit my everyday life as neighbors. When I lived in the city I shot urban architecture and people on the street and the grittier side of life. Now barns and rural folk and nature are in my viewfinder. You shoot what you see.




1: How long have you been involved in photography?

My grandfather gave me his old Brownie camera complete with blue flashbulbs when I was 8 or 9 years old and I've never NOT had a camera since then. I formally studied photography in art school as part of my major in painting and illustration and I now combine all of those elements in my layered photomontage pieces.

2: Equipment you use?

In daily life, my trusty Canon 350D and Nikon 8700 for quick "driveby shootings" of landscapes. I have all manner of film cameras too which are, admittedly, gathering a bit of dust these days.

3: Mac or PC?

PC at the moment, but I have known and loved both.

4: What inspires you?

Nature, emotion, simple yet impactful compositions, narrative content, negative space, chiaroscuro lighting, texture, history, mythology, literature, themes in my daily life...



5: Preferred subject matter?

Nature and landscapes though ironically, as a painter, I paint primarily people. I love to photograph people at events too, such as my rodeo and parade sets but that aspect of my work is often overlooked due to the sheer volume of landscape images.
.
6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.

The essence of my three year old son's radiant little persona. He's an epic character.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?

No one really. At this point I have learned to trust my own judgement. I just generally keep working through the problem in images until I get through those valleys and on to the next idea.


8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop

I have an MFA in illustration and studied with the good folks at Adobe for a year while perfecting my craft. So, while I still shoot "straight" photography nearly every day, my real pleasure lies in creating photo illustrations with layers of meaning to discover or not. I enjoy creating evocative images that seem to have a story to tell or a subtext of emotion or narrative content.

9: Plans for the future?

My immediate plans are to give birth to the daughter I am expecting in April and to try to continue to work after she is born. No small feat there! Anyone know a reliable babysitter?

Big opportunities- My work was just featured in the Design Sponge Shop www.designspongeshop.com and I am in talks to start selling prints of my work in some exclusive stores in New York and San Francisco so there are lots of things percolating behind the scenes.
I am also working with a talented jewelry designer who is featuring my work in her fine art jewelry pieces at www.Alisamichelle.com.

Life, above all, is good.


10: In one word, describe your photography.

Narrative.

We hope you enjoy Linda's wonderful photos. It would be great if you could leave a little congraulatory message here for her and I urge you to visit Linda's photostream HERE , you won't be disappointed.
Thank you for being our featured Photographer this week Linda!,and Congratulations!!!

AdeleS

I love to photograph gerberas... they are such beautiful flowers. This was originally a white gerbera photographed by candlelight. I subsequently altered the hue in photoshop to give it the blue tint.


I have come to love simple pictures and minimalism and I loved the way this one turned out after converting to black and white.... it is nice to photograph flowers but I also like to make them look a little "different";)

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
Up until June last year I was your normal every day family snap photographer. I had never put much thought into photography until I received a DSLR for my birthday and I discovered Flickr!!

2: Equipment you use?
My equipment consists of Canon 350D, 60mm macro lens, some extension tubes, 18-55mm kit lens and for Christmas this year I was given the 10-22 wide angle lens and the Canon 24-105mm L lens... Santa was good to me ;)

3: Mac or PC?
PC

4: What inspires you?
All my inspiration so far has come from the wonderful people on Flickr... I have learnt sooo much from them during the past 6 months... thank you to everyone!

5: Prefered subject matter?
Most definitely flowers!

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
I would love to be able to capture a bird in flight... probably a very simple thing to do but I haven't managed to do it yet ;)

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
I simply upload and let the Flickr community decide!

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
I am totally self-taught in photography and photoshop.

9: Plans for the future?
No particular plans... I am still very much a beginner and there is still lots more for me to learn so I hope I can continue to better myself in the future.

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Creative!!

We hope you enjoy AdeleS' wonderful photos. It would be great if you could leave a little congraulatory message here for her and I urge you to visit AdeleS' photostream HERE , you won't be disappointed.
Thank you for being our featured Photographer this week Adele!,and Congratulations!!!
*APPLAUSE*