Flo Siemsen

Interview by Teresa B. Howell

Teresa B. Howell: Tell us a little bit about yourself?

Flo Siemsen: I was born and raised on Long Island, New York for 50 years, before moving to South Carolina 6 years ago. I’ve had 2 other major careers before doing what I was meant to do, photography! I worked with horses for 10 years before going back to college and receiving my Licensed for Massage Therapy, which I did for 22 years. In 2012 I was laid off from my job and my husband wanted to cheer me up and bought me a beautiful Nikon D3100 camera because he knew I loved photography. Well, that totally changed my life and I have been taking pictures ever since!

TBH: How long have you been an artist?

FS: From a very young age, I was always drawn to art and photography. At the age of 46, when I was gifted a new Nikon camera, I have been a professional photographer for almost 10 years now!

TBH: What made you decide to be serious about creating art? Who are your major influences?

FS: After about 3 years of getting really into photography, I started getting noticed. My photo’s have been featured in Galleries, TV, Major Newspaper and Magazines, which led me to be named one of the “Top 50 Females Photographers of Long Island” in 2015. That’s when I knew I should continue doing what I truly love! There are so many influencer’s but I remember when I was a kid, I always was drawn to Annie Leibovitz work. She does what I love to do with my photography, make it look like artwork. When I started taking photography seriously, I always loved the American Photographer Art Wolfe work. I even had the honor of Art Wolfe going to my photography page and telling me that my work was impressive!

TBH: What would you say is the #1 key to success with art creation?

FS: The key to success is to be your authentic self! For when someone looks at my work, I want them to be able to recognize my work immediately! Put your own signature style on your work!

TBH: What projects are you working on now?

FS: Well, the Fall season is upon us, so I have a lot of photo shoots lined up! Everyone loves colorful backgrounds. For myself, I will be going up to the Blue Ridge Mountains to capture the beautiful foliage…I have a lot of clients that love my personal collection.

TBH: Does your artistry come from a place of passion or a place of necessity?

FS: It has always been a place of passion! Since I was very young, I was always drawing and always admiring all the pictures in magazines! I saw myself taking pictures for the longest time and now I am doing it! Plus, I still draw and paint also! LOL

TBH: What advice can you give other individuals who want to follow in your footsteps?

FS: You are never too old to pursue your dreams! Never let anyone get in the way of your destiny!

TBH: How can others get involved or sponsor your business?

FS: Photography is a very expensive field, so supporting the love of photography is always greatly appreciated! Anyone can support my work by donating to Cash App $FloSiemsen. I am gearing up to take it to another level which require better technology. I just bought a beautiful new Nikon camera, now I just need to upgrade my computer! The goal is to do fantasy photography, like Annie Liebovitz! Letting others know about my work is the best way to help put it out there. Just tell them to go to www.facebook.com/FLOofPICTURES to see all my work. Sponsorship would boost my work so much! I love creating memories that will last a lifetime! My motto is “Every picture tells a story...Let me help tell your story!”.

TBH: Any upcoming events can you talk about?

FS: Nothing on the agenda right now. Will let you all know when everything is set in stone!

TBH: Gives us info about each painting or creation?

FS: The beautiful sunrise is from my home on Long Island. I was blessed to have this view for 50 years! I saturated it to bring out those beautiful, vibrant colors!

The black and white picture of the hands is actually my cousins. They are the 3rd and 4th generations in my family. The sunflower and butterfly were a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t there more than 5 minutes and this beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly flew right in front of me and landed on the sunflower and this was what I was able to capture!

TBH: How long does it normally take you to finish a project?

FS: Each project is different. I do family photo shoots, headshots, babies, pregnancies, entertainment, venue parties, engagement, etc. It can take me a week, or it can take me 2 weeks to edit pictures. If I have a lot of photo shoots in one week, obviously it will take longer than normal.

TBH: Do you have a studio location for photography?

FS: Right now, I go to different locations. I would like to own my own studio, in the near future. That is one of my goals with my photography!

TBH: How long have you been in the business?

FS: It will be 10 years in 4 months! I may be 56 years old, but I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! I have too much to create still!

TBH: What is your goal for your art?

FS: I would love to have my work in major magazines and galleries and to have people recognize my work, without looking for my logo!

TBH: Please list your website and/or your social media platforms.

http://www.facebook.com/FLOofPICTURES http://www.instagram.com/floofpictures http://www.redbubble.com/floofpictures