The Unexposed Magazine No.2

How did you first become interested in photography? How long have you been photographing for?

I'm not even really sure how I became interested in photography. I've always liked creating things, and my childhood was consumed with drawing and writing. I never thought of photography as an art form or a means of expression, and up until a certain point I hated cameras, mainly because I hated being in pictures. I think I was always drawn to visuals and images though, and something just made sense about pictures. I received a simple point and shoot camera after I graduated 8th grade, about six or seven years ago, and somehow I just never seemed to stop taking pictures since.

What is your current relationship with photography?

Right now it's just a hobby, as I'm currently studying graphic design and writing. But I feel weird calling it a hobby. Hobbies make me think of building toy trains and scrap booking. So maybe it's not a hobby, it's kind of just what I do, if that makes sense? I'm considering switching majors and inevitably schools, but I'm unsure of how things will end up with that right now. Regardless, I'm certain that photography will be a large part of the remainder of my life.

Who, or what is your biggest influence?

Anything and everything, really. I don't know if I have a biggest influence. I like looking at old family photos and movies. I'm a huge fan of Gregory Crewdson and Anna Gaskell, but I'm also really interested in Miranda July's films and overall work. I really enjoy a lot of underground and less established people found on flickr and art blogs like booooooom.com. I also tend to gain a lot of ideas from people who aren't artoriented, which is really refreshing and isn't something I was really conscious of until recently. I have a lot of friends who respect that I'm interested in art though they don't really enjoy it themselves, but they still have fascinating and quirky minds/personalities.

Tell us a little bit about these particular photographs.

I tend to gravitate towards taking photos in my bedroom and in my bathtub. They're such personal and intimate places, and the lighting tends to be so strangely and eerily beautiful, with a sense of calm teetering on the brink of uneasiness. Light has also been really intriguing to me, especially the relationship between isolated, glowing light and dreams/subconscious. I'm not quite sure what, but there's something really fantastic and ominous about it. These photos are trying to explore tha What are your other hobbies, besides photography?

Baking, collaging, crafting, writing, listening to music, going to Denny's at 2 am with my friends What are you plans for the future?

Hmm, what a broad question. The future. Well, I'm studying abroad in Italy from January until May, so roaming around Europe a bit, but past that, I'm not really sure!

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