T
ana is an 18 year old girl from Michigan. She sees her life through the camera lens and wants to travel the world. Along with photography she enjoys reading, painting, and riding her bicycle.
WSI : Your work focuses a lot on portraits and fantasy as well as the body painting stuff, How did your journey into photography start? TOD : I have always loved taking pictures but I think it really clicked with me one day when I was taking pictures in my grandmas garden. I had taken a picture of a perfect red flower and was so excited about capturing such a beautiful image through my camera it inspired me to start taking pictures of anything I found interesting. Soon after I got my first DSLR camera and have taken it with me all through my travels ever since. Everyday I learn something new and get excited about photography all over again. I have also been privileged to have an amazing artist as my mother. She is currently the number one international body painter and has taken me along with her during her travels over the past years which has given me so many amazing opportunities for my photography. WSI : How long do you typically spend editing a photograph? TOD : It really depends on the pictures. I spend hours editing a photograph until it’s just right. I am a very indecisive person so I usually create about 5 different versions of the same picture and then take forever trying to choose which one I like best. I have found it best for me to leave the computer for awhile and come back later to decide. WSI : How long does each image take to make? From idea to shooting to editing? TOD : Well sometimes I write down my ideas and plan them out in my head or on paper. Then there are other times an idea pops up in my head and I just wing it. My images are often numerous pictures combined so I usually take ridiculously large amounts of pictures to be absolutely certain that I got the perfect shot I have visioned in my head. Once I am done shooting the editing process lasts for hours. WSI : What (if anything) have you learned about yourself through photography? TOD : Oh boy, I have learned so much! It has certainly taught me to be more confident with myself. I have learned to channel my emotions and put them into my art. Most importantly it has taught me to see the beauty in everything.