Telzey

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: Telzey


-- from Telzey - (?)

The ducks and geese at the Los Angeles Arboretum are most co-operative models — especially if you happen to be carrying a piece of bread or raisins. As they crowded around for their "fair share," this gander made a grand entrance -- oozing over with that air of self-importance which geese do so well. Drawing upon the way romantic painters portrayed birds in flight, I tried to convey not only his grace, but the flurry of feathers and movement of water.


-- from Telzey - (?)

This shot of my first live orchid was taken right after Valentine's Day. The flowers — such an unusual color — evoked a tropical paradise with rich color and heavy shadows and the whirr of an old ceiling fan.

1: How long have you been involved in photography?
Right before my 5th birthday, my mom found me sitting on the floor "making pictures" with one of her cameras — probably a Rolleiflex. A few days later I received my first camera: a Kodak Brownie 127. It was an expensive gift for a 5 year old, but I loved it to death. Gee, I wish I still had some of those old cameras today!

2: Equipment you use?
In the past I was a strictly analog kinda gal with a Nikon, an Asahi Pentax, lots of lenses, and my own darkroom ... but after I developed an decided pallor and realized that my clothing smelled permanently of fixative, I decided to move to the digital world. Now, I use a Nikon D40x with two lenses: 18- 55mm and 55-200 mm. (I want more! o_O) It's my first DSLR and my third digital camera.

3: Mac or PC?
Mac all the way. I've been buying them since early 1985. Love my Cinema Display!

4: What inspires you?
Life. Music. Books. The Pre-Raphaelites, Joseph Cornell, Leo and Diane Dillon. Everything goes in, a type of synesthesia takes place, and my art is the result.

5: Preferred subject matter?
Anything that doesn't run away from me first. o_O I'm afraid I'm one of those photographers who refuses to be tied down. My subjects and artistic styles are as varied as my interests.

6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.
A portrait as deep and revealing as a Rembrandt.

7: When in doubt about your art, who do you confide in?
I'm heavily into self-editing and rarely feel the need to ask for advice, but when I do I go to my husband Art or my friend Ray (kunstkammer). Then I decide which parts, if any, of their critique(s) to address.

8: Qualifications/training in anything? ie: Photoshop
Well, I majored in photography — studying under Les Krims and Dick Link. Sounds great, but when I moved out to Los Angeles I was told by the studios that I'd have to work for 3-5 years before they broke me of all the bad habits I learned in college. So did I want a job pulling focus? I chose, instead, to become a bookseller which meant looking at other people's art for several decades.

I'm entirely self-taught in Photoshop, which I've been playing with since before it was Photoshop. To me, PS CS3 is the best toy, er tool, in the world. Most of my processing uses textures, layer adjustments and gaussian blurs. I avoid Actions and Filters which seem heavy-handed by comparison.

I've been working as a graphics designer for nearly 10 years. I do covers, book layouts and have opened my own small press. Creating art is, for me, a lifestyle. Doesn't always pay well, but it's immensely satisfying.

9: Plans for the future?
I don't ever want to stop exploring and learning. I'd like to sell enough of my work to justify the amount of time I spend on it. I'd like to have a book published that doesn't wind up in the remainder bins after 6 months.

10: In one word, describe your photography.
Ha! .. and you told me choosing two examples of my work would be the hard part! o_O
Eclectic.