barbert:

Untitled (coyote), 2008       
www.tim-barber.com

cutthatcity:

The show last night was really great, everyone’s collections looked awesome and I was lucky enough to close the show… In other news bethan.cc is pretty much ready, my animated lookbook should be finished some time next week…

andrewurwin:

I’ve been away from Tumblr for a while but i’m back and will hopefully be blogging again more regularly. Here is Nina Poppe and some photo’s from her series Ama, I found her book in a bookshop in Stutgart weeks ago and it’s lovely. 

chloelelliott:

Exhibition coming soon with Map 6 collective

In October as part of the Brighton Photo Biennale I’m excited to say Map 6 will be exhibiting at The Brighton Media Centre Gallery. Map 6 was created last September with members Laurie Griffiths, Mitch Karunaratne, Heather Shuker, David Sterry and myself. Co ordinate our last exhibition at The Brick Lane Gallery for London Photomonth 2011 was a great success so looking forward to this. Details coming soon…..  

Do Lectures Spring 2012 photographs have hit the shelves.

Get yours here.

marksherratt:

India, January 2012.

Tom Price finally has a website.

Enjoy.

Last week I popped over to the Boat Magazine Launch Party for Issue #3 LONDON at The Hospital Club.

A few of the contributing artists put some work up. It was nice to be exhibiting with Laura Pannack, Andrew Urwin, Max Knight, Liz & Max Hamilton, Mark Sherratt and Simon Roberts amongst others.

Last weeks shoot in Falmouth.

thomasprior:

snoozing yesterday

jjcunliffe:

The Olympic Torch set off in Falmouth today! #dayone2012

goldenaged:

Moped Swag

Photo taken in Modena, Italy by Jonathan Cherry.

Shot some stuff for Bethan today.

Love it.

tonyluong:

I am excited to announce a small publication I have produced. In my mind, it is what halfway between a zine and a book would look like. I’ve deemed it to be a zook. Do share via REBLOG / RT and spread the word, details are below.

—

Two Roofs by Tony Luong

—

Published May, 2012
70 pages
Softcover, Perfect-bound
8.5 x 11”
Edition of 50, First Edition
Signed and Hand-numbered

—

First 25 to Pre-Order will receive an 8 x 10” print from the project!

SHIPS LATE MAY / EARLY JUNE

$26.00 / includes shipping (Please select INT if shipping internationally)

PRE-ORDER HERE

GET ON THIS

teaim:

In good company! (Taken with Instagram at Harrods, London)

quesofrito:

*** Clear your schedules for May 17th people.

RABBITHOLE GALLERY PRESENTS:

REAL VS. ROLE:

THREE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ EXPLORATIONS IN PORTRAITURE

CURATED BY CLAIRE J. DONOGHUE

FEATURING WORKS BY

EMILIANO GRANADO, ANOUK KRUITHOF, JULIETA SANS

OPENING RECEPTION WITH ARTISTS: MAY 17 
Exhibition on View: May 3 - May 30, 2012 

YES YES

Caroll Taveras has a Kickstarter project on the go …

I plan to bring my Photo Studio project to East London, Chatsworth Road store front for a month in late June. Turning the store front into a neighborhood Portrait Studio. Where sitters can have their portraits taken for only £10. The £10 fee is the exchange between Photographer and sitter emphasizing the labor of the work. I want the studio to be a popular weekend destination, also a place where the community can gather and talk, exchange ideas while they wait for their portrait. My goal is to document what the people living in East London look like right now at this point in time. I want to eventually gather enough cities and towns around the world and bring it all together in a future exhibition and book. I will use your generous support to pay for airfare to London, Materials such as, 4x5 film, 4x5 polaroid, processing of the film, making prints, backdrops, cost of the store front rental, a bench or stool for sitters and the cost of being in London for a month.

Sponsor her now.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

JAMES HOTHAM: My father gave me his old Russian Zenit film camera some years back, which first introduced me to photography and working with film. Soon after I saw a Larry Towell exhibition in London (The World From My Front Porch) and was fascinated by the intimacy and beauty of his photography. After moving to Asia in 2008 I began traveling in the region and taking more and more photographs, and shortly afterwards I partnered for the first time with an NGO (in Beijing) and began to focus more on human-interest stories.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

JH: Emerging in the sense that I was only introduced to these artists in recent years: Hannah Hoch’s collages, which I saw a few months back at the Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen, are wonderfully detailed and expressive; James Whotlow Delano’s nudes are magnificent; Moises Saman’s work for Magnum and TIME is a constant inspiration.

Magnum, VII, and Noor Images are all great reference points for photography!

JC: What’s your current project all about?

JH: I’m now working on a project about the asylum process in Denmark. They have an expression in Denmark for people who are “positive” and “negative” denoting those who have and those who have not yet received residency in Denmark, respectively. Through this project I’ll photograph the lives of people at different stages in the asylum process. My interest is very much on reportage human-interest stories. 

I’ve recently finished editing three stories from a trip to Varanasi, India earlier this year: one on the lives of people around the river Ganges, the second on a lower caste Dalit community, and the third on the Muslim community of Bazardeha living at the centre of Varanasi.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

JH: I’m currently living in Copenhagen, Denmark after having spent 3 and half years residing in Hong Kong. The most noticeable change is the slower pace of life, whilst the fresh air and number of public parks are a constant joy. I’ve also spent some time in the forests in southern Sweden and am beginning to think about photographing these areas more.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

JH: Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Try to find a style that you like working with and enjoy the intimacy afforded with your subjects through the means of photography.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

JH: I plan to move to India towards the end of this year. I want to live in one of the big northern cities, New Delhi or Kolkata, and am currently researching a few projects in the region – one on rural Dalit communities and another on Marxist groups in the northeast of India.

JC: Favourite tree?

JH: Redwoods. These are such beautiful trees. I visited the west coast of America last year with my Uncle and was astounded by how calming and peaceful it felt to be close to these magnificent giants.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

IAN BIRD: My body clock seems to wake me up pretty early regardless of the time I go to sleep, that and breakfast.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

IB: There are a lot of people who’s work interest and inspire me but Jeff Luker is somebody who’s work I find myself looking at regularly. I’d also like to take the chance to mention my friend Raj that recently started taking pictures.

JC: What is your current project all about?

IB: University wise I’m working on a portrait project but in terms of personal work I’ve been debating making a travel zine and/or a collection of my favourite photos from 2011.

JC: What has 2012 got in store for you?

IB: More travelling, more pictures and less sleep.

JC: What initially drew you to photography?

IB: I used to take a lot of instax pictures of friends and things for fun and then bought a Pentax SP500 and started taking pictures more and more.

JC: Favourite tree?

IB: My favourite trees are ones that are easy to climb.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

TOM PRICE: In all honesty, I’m not completely sure anymore. One day during an English Literature class in school, we were studying the romantics and the teacher  sent us out to go and take some pictures which we would later use to inspire us to write some poetry. These were the first digital cameras that I had ever seen, 1 megapixel and a floppy disk. Anyway, I remember being put in charge of the camera in my group and taking a picture of some moss in a drainpipe. I thought that that picture was incredible and felt like I had unearthed some special gift. All the other pictures that I took that day were fairly awful, but that one burned itself into my memory and made quite an impression on me. I think I fell in love with the medium that day. Since then, it’s been a bit of a struggle. 

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the mo?

TP: Having a background in languages (Spanish and Portuguese) and going on to study an MA in Transnational studies was really formative for me, but it meant that I felt pretty out of the photography loop, if there is one. I tend to read more books than look at photography, I’m sure I do all the wrong things. Initially though, it was the work of photographers like Sebastião Salgado, Cristina Garcia Rodero and Jean Mohr that got me excited, and later the portraiture of Martin Schoeller and social documentation of Pieter Hugo. He’s not really emerging at all, but I’m captivated by the work and personality of Peter Dench. Closer to home though, my friend James Hotham has just come back from a few years photographing in Asia and is now based in Denmark, he’s growing and doing things that stir me. And then there’s you JC, your work and the things you are involved with give me hope. 

JC: Whats your current project all about?

TP: Commercially I’ve been throwing ink into water for the last few weeks for a commission. Personally, one thing that I’m working on at the moment with my friend Duncan Howsley is a long-term project with the working title My Mother’s Dress. Without boring you, it’s basically a portraiture series featuring girls wearing their mother’s wedding dresses. It’s a tentative exploration of shifting fashions, body shapes, and oedipal relationships. Ha. 

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

TP: I currently live in Winchester, UK. I’m not exactly sure how it’s shaping me to be honest, the last few years I’ve lived in quite sleepy places and succumbed a bit to left-out syndrome. Despite not being particularly edgy, living here has put me in touch with some great people and I’ve joined the School for Social Entrepreneurs in Hampshire, which helps people grow and develop socially-centric businesses. That’s shaping me a lot, breaking a lot of prejudices I had about the business world. 

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

TP: Seeing as I didn’t graduate from photography myself, I feel like I’m the one who should be seeking advice. But, from my perspective, I would say that it’s crucial to surround yourself with people who can encourage you and who you trust to critique what you’re doing (not just in your photography). Learn to love emailing. Read books, take walks, finish stuff you start and don’t wait two years before you make a website. 

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

TP: I’m off to Belgium to be the official photographer at Tomorrowland Festival, which is going to be strange and interesting, I’ve never met David Guetta before. In November, my wife and I are heading out to New Zealand for six months and possibly going on to South Sudan for a few months afterwards. I’m getting a new camera and want to start making films. That’s the plan, but these things are a bit nebulous at the moment. 

JC: Favourite tree?

TP: The Magic Faraway Tree.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

EMLI BENDIXEN: Daylight and my dog

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

EB: I often visit Fiona Rogers’ Firecracker which features inspiring stories and projects told beautifully by a selection of female European photographers.Of the more established photographers, I love the work of Nick Ballon, Emma Hardy’s personal work and Spencer Murphy’s portraits. I’ve recently started looking a lot at work on Vimeo as well as the idea of moving image appeals to me more and more as a way to say something extra - for a little bit longer.

JC: What is your current project all about?

EB: I was adopted from South Korea to Denmark at an early age, and I’m curious about adoption and how being adopted affects your identity. I’m in the very early stages of doing a workshop with a charity that deals with young people who’ve been adopted.

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

EB: I’m interested in people. I enjoy getting to know something about someone in a small space of time - sometimes only minutes in a hotel or publishing house - my favourite part of any job without a doubt is that short amount of time. As such, I don’t direct my subjects much - I think conversation and interaction helps construct the mood and feel of an image before it’s captured.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

EB: The two often come together as I never fully stop working on personal ideas which in turn influences my editorial and commercial work. A lot of commercial work I get on the back of personal projects which means that these days my personal work although basically led by curiosity tend to bear some commercial awareness.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

EB: I studied journalism and it was during this time that I found myself wanting to condense every sentence so much that it really made more sense for me to produce images rather than copy. My approach was to assist until I felt confident and happy enough to go it on my own. My advice then would be to assist different types of photographers studio based product photography couldn’t be further from what I do now but I assisted in a food and still life studio for years and learned a lot about lighting which has come in useful on location based lifestyle jobs since.

JC: Favourite tree?

EB: Apple. When I was little I used to climb the trees in the apple orchard next door with the owner’s son. Nothing better than that.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

MICHAEL COOPER: Failure. I grew up dreaming of being a filmmaker; some sort of next-generation Steven Spielberg. I didn’t really know what famous directors did (“Don’t they just play with dinosaurs and sharks?”). I devoted much of my younger life trying to pursue that dream before I hit college and sort of got lost in the transition to adulthood. I had burned out my interest in film, but knew I had an eye for visual art and a gift for storytelling. I bought my first camera, a Nikon FM10, and a small assortment of old manual primes from eBay, and got to work six years ago figuring out what would come next. I wasn’t initially particularly passionate for photography, but the desire to tell stories through photographs and the fulfillment of the results helped me find my true ardor.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

MC: Between my hometown of Tulsa and my current homebase of New York, there’s quite a number of photographers that I look to for inspiration. One of the things about settling in New York that I am only now used to is what a small world this large world can be. For instance, I came to meet photog Geordie Wood by chance at a beer garden in Chelsea, and upon small talk we exchanged our business cards. When I got around to having a look at his site later on, I found an incredible inspirational young photographer with a voice. Relatedly, though not exactly emerging; guys like Jake Stangel show you that it’s cool to embrace your personality and not throw a filter over yourself - because your work is an extension of you. I also really like Elizabeth Weinberg the work of Rolling Stone photo editor Sacha Lecca. Finally, I have a lot of admiration for Oklahoma-based photogs back home like Jeremy Charles, Nathan Presley, and landscape photographer Matt Sawyer. The internet makes it harder to focus on one emerging artist, but obviously easier to find the work of many.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

MC: At any given moment, I am working on two or three personal projects and one professional assignment. I’ve grown pretty interested in food-related art projects this year, probably as a result of it being one of the areas I’m the weakest in. You can definitely expect to see some interesting and wacky things coming from that momentum.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

MC: I currently live in New York City… and holy shit! I came from a market where the most successful photographers are the ones who can act as a jack-of-all-trades, balancing commercial, editorial, and documentary work with ease. I came to New York with all of my lights, all of my cameras, and all of the tools I’m used to having in a studio. There was a lot of difficulty adjusting at first, but the city has allowed me to embrace what I think was my own unique style the whole time: a stripped-down, natural, and more organic study of what makes my subjects human. I’m able to part with my complicated lighting set-up’s - which I don’t think I ever rocked at, anyway - and bring the ceiling down to a more realistic and documentary-style level. New York is no fucking picnic, but it has helped me develop my skills more in one year than the past five living elsewhere.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

MC: Congratulations, you are now four years behind your contemporaries who didn’t go to school. Not only that, but they have invested in development and equipment as much money as you probably owe on student loans. Be ready to work your ass off. But also, having a day job is not a sign of failure. Most of us keep day jobs for years before we are able or have the capital to fully sustain ourselves from our photography businesses. There’s no shame in it. Photography is as challenging and sometimes fruitless a business as it has always been, with minimal rewards. I don’t know about you, but that last sentence is pretty inspiring to me.

JC: Big plans for 2012?

MC: I think every photog goes into a new year with the ambition and the energy to make it “their year”. I am no different. I continuing to grow in my city and market, and the stress produces great results. I’ll continue to focus on music photography, and embrace the purity and freshness of finding my own voice within this enormous community. 2012 is also about establishing my brand in what is perhaps the largest market for photographers in the world. I’m excited.

JC: Favourite tree?

MC: The tree of life.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

BHUMIKA BHATIA: I am an insomniac, so I barely sleep. But when I sleep it is really hard for someone to wake me up. If you want to put it in a simple way, I’d say the Sun and of course the urge to get up and check my email & edit photographs.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

BB: Emerging. Not really. Photographers like Tim Walker, Paolo Roversi, Sally Mann inspire me a lot.  I mostly try and take inspiration outside of photography. Tim Burton is and always will be my biggest inspiration.

JC: What is your current personal project all about?

BB: Apart from the usual editorials my current personal project is called Faceless Strangers because these people were faceless to me before I met them. maybe I’ll meet them again, maybe I wont? So I try and capture/preserve the memories in these photographs. More details here

JC: What initially drew you to photography?

BB: I was always interested in art and science but I never wanted to become a photographer. It just happened. I started clicking pictures 2 and a half years ago. Slowly and steadily my love for photography began to increase and all of a sudden I was hooked. Now, I can’t think of doing anything else.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

BB: Yes, always take criticism in a positive way. It’ll help you grow as an artist. There will be highs and lows, but you have to stay strong. Photography is a really tough business to be in. Be sure which type of photography you want to get into. And like I always say, If you are different, your work will get recognised.

JC: Other thoughts?

BB: Never give up, there will be people who’ll think what you’re doing is wrong. Don’t listen to anyone but your heart.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

TASHA VAN ZANDT: My father gave me a polaroid camera when I was a child. I remember the first time I used it, my family and I were at the local zoo watching polar bears and I took my first photograph. After that first photograph I remember blindly/rashly charging through film. I had developed an urge to document everything and anything around me. I found the smallest things fascinating and wanted to use my camera to zoom in on them and make them as big as I felt they were. Since that first photograph I have had a camera by my side nearly every day.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

TVZ: Sebastian Zeck.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

TVZ: Right now I’m working on a series titled Light Will Find Us which is a photographic portrayal of my thoughts on perception. Due to a chronic illness my perception of the world has changed and matured intensely - my goal is to create a body of work that depicts this change. Much of my recent work is of shadows and reflections to convey this idea that there are other worlds within our own. 

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you? 

TVZ: I am currently living in my home town of Minneapolis, Minnesota. As much as I move around it will always be home to me. I feel very connected to this city and anytime you can feel connected to a place its deeply inspiring. I’m just as inspired by this city as I am by nature which is incredibly accessible here. Anytime I feel like it (except for our winters) I can climb a tree or fish by the river and that ability to just hop on a bike and be surrounded by trees and water is beyond wonderful.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

TVZ: Stay genuine. 

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

TVZ: Oh, yes. I want to travel through the United States in a motorhome, camp on beaches, go fishing, swim in hot springs, play in the ocean, climb trees, sleep under stars, and take photographs as much as possible.

JC: Favourite tree?

TVZ: The giving tree & weeping willows.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography zines?

ESCAPE TO WHICH MOUNTAIN: We’re all photography degree students and have been exposed to zines for ages. A lot of people we know collectively or as individuals have been self publishing for a while. Both Leo and Sam who designed the first volume have made quite a few small publications for university and some have been featured online or sold.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

ETWM: Of course all of the photographers we feature are an inspiration. But publishers like Little Brown Mushroom and collectives like Hard Workers Club are doing some great things. The Photocopy Club have done a great job so far this year of drumming up some serious interest in physical submissions. Everything is online now which is great, but more people should use that to promote actually printing photography as opposed to replacing it. 

JC: What are you guys focussing on right now?

ETWM: At the moment we’re trying to get as many people submitting as possible, which of course means quite a bit of self promotion. That can start to feel a bit like banging your head against a brick wall after a while so we hope the process will be quite organic. We’d like to think we can do enough so that people find us themselves and want to contribute. We’d also like to put out some more writing and stimulate more discussion and debate. Our first volume contains a little bit of accompanying text but volume two will hopefully have some more articles and essays. Page after page of photography can quickly become quite stale, we’d like to become a more informative publication.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

ETWM: We’re based in Surrey primarily, with some major contributors living in Brighton. Our location is near enough to the countryside to nurture our love for the outdoors and allow us to legitimately write and blog about hiking, camping and nature, but it would be nice if the future saw us a little more spread out, living in some more authentically wild locations. Right now we’re outsourcing those experiences from others or travelling to find them. 

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

ETWM: Being about to graduate ourselves, we can’t really offer anything backed up by experience, but we’d advise you to send us your work! Also makes books and zines, who knows how long this print renaissance is going to last. 

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

ETWM: Volume 2 should be released by the Autumn. And without giving too much away ETWM will be expanding physically. 

JC: Favourite tree?

ETWM: It would have to be the grand old British Oak.

This May MULL IT OVER is super pleased to recommend Jamie Stoker for his killer work. Enjoy …

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

JAMIE STOKER: Usually heading straight to my gmail to keep on top of any new client developments or enquiries. Once that’s over on to Arseblog and Kotaku for any important developments in the worlds of Arsenal and video games.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

JS: I see they feature often in this question, but Jody Rogac (for her work which I think contains a certain classicism and slow, considered beauty) and Jake Stangel (for his charisma, enthusiasm and killer work) are two awesome photographers that I love to follow and watch their bright careers develop. Over here in the UK I think Luca Sage, Laura Pannack and Walter Hugo are all making really strong work.

JC: What is your current project all about?

JS: Recently I returned to a childhood fascination with cryptozoology (defined as the search for and study of animals whose existence has not yet been proven) and travelled to Loch Ness where I photographed a documentary project about the inhabitants and landscape that form the backdrop to the infamous monster legend. It really is a fascinating story and through the interviews and portraits I took of those tied to the monster I hope one can experience it a little. But the project is also a response to the wider natural majesty of the place and the idea that the world becomes a far more interesting place when there are mysterious question marks left in it.The project is now complete and supported by Small Batch Editions who are printing an edition from the work. I’m also speaking to publishers about the possibility of producing the book I made of the project for a wider audience in 2012 and the long term plan is to continue to explore the world of cyptids (bigfoot is next I think).

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

JS: To be honest as a recent graduate I’m trying to do and shoot as much as possible in order to successfully make the transition to working freelance and not just sit about reading the internet and playing xbox. What I’ve come to realise is that the busier you are, the more you pour yourself into your own identity and interests as a photographer, the more your personal and commercial work become something unique to yourself, and I think that’s when you really start getting interest and commissions because your craft and images start to stand out.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

JS: Be open minded with your influences and inspiration. There are so many great photographers making supurb work that it can be daunting to pick up your camera and find your own way. Instead let your work flow from all aspects of life,whether it’s an emotion you are feeling or a book you’ve read. I studied history of art before photography and that combined with a love of film has taught me so much about aesthetics, colour and narrative and really informed the look I try to achieve in the colour palette and composition of my own work. When making photographs before I press the shutter I always ask myself “would this work as a strong still from a movie?” and only take the picture if the answer is yes.

JC: Favourite tree?

JS: A lone Scots Pine somewhere on a crisp winters morning is usually pretty epic.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

DAYV MATTT: In High School, and with the help of my Uncle, I was able to setup a darkroom in my basement and slowly started to learn how to develop film and do prints. I shot standard issue boring shit. But then I started taking my camera with me to Jungle and Drum’n’Bass shows to document the crowd and the dj’s. In university I kept shooting the parties, but also got into some protest stuff and maintained my love of shooting the boring shit.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

DM: I am very much hoping that TEPSIC magazine is a complete and undeniable success. The idea is genius and it is something that has never been done before, which is awesome and inspiring.

JC: What’s your current project all about?

DM: My camera broke down so I decided to print a book to help pay for a new one. The book, HIGH STREET LOW STREET, is a collection of street photography taken in Seoul from 2008 – 2011. The book is 84 A3 size pages and includes, what I think, is a really great collection of my work. One of the coolest aspects about this project is that it was almost entirely funded by my small group of Tumblr followers. They’re awesome and I could not have done it without them. There are more than enough copies for anyone else interested in owning it. Each book will be signed and numbered (I printed 500). More info about the book can be found on my website, or on my tumblr.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

DM: I have been living in Seoul for the past ten years. I guess the biggest influence having lived here so long is my now very dedicated love of Korean food. I have no proof, but eating Korean food leaves me feeling healthier and happier.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

DM: Buy my book!

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

DM: Big plans in 2012 include selling all my books, buying a Nikon D3s, and then in September, following my wife to somewhere in Africa for a few years. This year is potentially very exciting!

JC: Favourite tree?

DM: Adansonia grandidieri are pretty cool.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

PAULA PIRE: I have always liked to take pictures even without having any idea on how to do it “correctly” but I got my own first camera really late. And when that happened I started to take pictures, then a friend of mine told me to made me a flickr account and that’s how all of this got started. Then from flickr I moved to see web pages of photographers, exhibitions.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

PP: I like Alison Scarpulla, Ellen Rogers, Yuli Sato, Aëla Labbé, Lina Scheynius, Katarina Smuraga, Olya Ivanova. Recently, I have been interested in photographers that do mostly medium format and interesting “social” projects with a classical taste in composition. Missy Prince makes you feel the beauty of Oregon. I have to mention some Spanish photographers work, because I think they have their own style, such as Salva López, Darío Martínez and Ana Cuba.

JC: What’s your current project all about?

PP: Right now I’m working on a project called Ud. no tiene la prioridad, it’s very personal. Maybe I just want to explain my relationship with my family through images. I’m working on this using medium format mostly (I’m new to this). And also I’m going to start something different from what I’m used to do, I usually take pictures of girls (my sister, my cousin, friends) because I like doing portraits in 35mm. But now I’m interested in doing something about landscape. We’ll see how it turns out

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

PP: I’m living in Oviedo (Asturias, in the north of Spain) where I also study. I guess it shapes me in the way I see how people live their lives, and if I have to be sincere, I don’t like how they do it. I like this place, it’s really beautiful, peaceful and all that stuff and lately there has been something of a increase in public interest in the arts, but it’s still relatively low.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

PP: As I’ve never offcially studied photography, it’s hard to say, but in my case I think seeing another photographers work has encouraged me in some ways, so that may be a good way to start. As in all disciplines, you hear a song and want to play it that well, you see a picture and want to draw it that well, and that spark of motivation to create is what gets you going. Then you start your first attempts and begin to find what you like to see and what you like to do: you have to enjoy what you´re doing, and try to do something which is important to you. To sum up, it’s a way to express yourself, that’s why you shouldn’t be influenced by trends or by the number of favourites a picture gets on flickr.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

PP: I’d like to grow up in some technical aspects, but at the same time, some “material” ones. That is to say, I want to do new projects. I expect by the end of this winter I’ll have  completed a new project about hospital. I want to do something related to what I study, I study Medicine and that makes me see things that other people who go to hospital may see differently, and I don’t yet know how, but want to transmit it.

JC: Favourite tree?

PP: Red Maple, a variety called ‘October Glory’

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

VALENTINA SARRITZU: Thoughts about what I am doing during the day.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

VS: Lots. To name a few, I recommend my friend Giulia Muraglia and also Daniel Griffin, Hannes Caspar & Grit Siwonia .

JC: What is your current project all about?

VS: I don’t know if it can be defined as a project but I’m trying to document my daily life compared to people and places that surround me. It’s a much more personal approach that allows me to capture moments and memories andfor doing this I use the analog photography. One of my resolutions for the new year is to photograph more and concentrate on the portrait, the thing I love most. In addition, I would like to improve my black and white to recognize in it.

JC: What initially drew you to photography?

VS: I always had a camera in hand to take souvenir photos or play, but I discovered its potential after meeting flickr.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

VS: It’s a really good question. I think it’s important to find a balance between your creativity and what the customer wants. I am not very good at compromising, but I think it might be a good exercise for the photographer to keep customers happy and at the same time to give a personal touch to the work required. 

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

VS: First of all trust yourself. Keep shooting, be patience and don’t give up.

JC: Favourite tree?

VS: The Cherry Tree

JONATHAN CHERRY:What got you started with photography?

QUENBY SHEREE: I was an illustration major and my boyfriend at the time had bought a very expensive digital camera that he wouldn’t let me play with. So I bought a film camera and enrolled in a photography 101 class on an angry whim.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

QS: I’m still in the academic environment working on my Bachelors in photography so I’m most often inspired by my classmates. Like my friends Luke Bhothipiti and Jennifer Kaczmarek. Luke’s lighting is in the back of my mind during a lot of my own shoots and anytime I find myself photographing children, Jennifer’s work is my creative template.But I also get inspiration from certain publications rather than specific photographers like the Croatian magazine Blur, which is flat out amazing. I think it’s the best photography magazine out there and it’s free. Also Shots Magazine, which inspires me to try things with film that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Both publications use emerging photographers rather than well-known pros. 

JC: Whats your current project all about? 

QS: No Shelter Here is about dogs housed in animal shelters. They have a bad rap for being there because they are seen as somehow being broken or damaged, but the truth is that there is nothing wrong with them. Each portrait has a quoted excuse from the owner for abandoning the dog and it’s anything from the family going on vacation to Rover not matching the furniture. The dogs are scared and confused. Sometimes the animal has spent it’s entire life with a family before they were dumped. These are the older dogs that have very little chance of finding a new home and they are in this cramped loud place waiting for their family to come back, because no one wanted to bother taking him along when they moved.I’ve volunteered at animal shelters on and off for years and in that situation I see the worst of people. 

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you? 

QS: I’m in Daytona Beach Florida. As a Navy brat, I’ve lived a lot of places and Daytona really has very little effect on me other than making me even more intolerant of any temperature below 60. 

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates? 

QS: I have this professor, Jason Burell, who gave me amazing advice when I told him I was considering American Sign Language Interpreting as a way to pay for my photography projects. He said: “Don’t ever let your Plan B get in the way of your Plan A.” It’s so easy for us to get stuck in a situation we consider just a stepping stone to what we really want to do. 

JC: Any big plans for 2012? 

QS: I have a few projects that have been bouncing around inside my skull, but for the most part I think No Shelter Here will still be taking up my time. I’m offering the project to a lot of groups, helping them educate the public that getting a pet is a lifelong responsibility, not something you keep until it’s inconvenient for you. 

JC: Favourite tree? 

QS: Weeping Willow. Because they look like a tree with long hair.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

ETHAN TATE: Intensely abrupt moments of dreamland.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

ET: I’m quite immersed in the online world of emerging photography. It’s a strange place. All I know of these people are the carefully chosen visuals they decide to share with the Internet. I love the work of Sumeja Tulic, Matt Casey, Olivia Bee, Lauren Poor, the guys from Blood of the Young, Megan Kathleen McIsaac, Jennilee Marigomen, Alba Yruela, David Brandon Geeting, Joe Skilton, and a special shout out to my one and only local photo friend, Meghan Colson.

JC: What is your current project all about?

ET: My main focus right now is putting out a photo/art zine entitled SMASH that will explore the Bertolt Brecht quote “art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” I don’t think I’m alone in seeing both mirrors and hammers amongst us. I’m also creating SMASH as an accesible outlet for artists in my local area. I live in a town full of creatives but we live largely invisibly. I hope the zine will act as a displayer for local talent as well as inspire more talents to come out of hiding.

JC: What has 2012 got in store for you?

ET: A large part of 2012 will be launching the aforementioned zine. Beyond that, I’m planning on instilling photography into every spare crack of my life.

JC: What initially drew you to photography?

ET: My history and upbringing. My dad photographed for the U.S. Navy and later worked with photography for a University. My mom has always painted. Art was destined to play a large role in my life from the start. That, coupled with my obsession for documenting and archiving, has brought photography to the forefront of my life.

JC: Favourite tree?

ET: Flowering Dogwood.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

TOM FALCONE: Wanted to become a musican. Then purchased a camera to do “band photos” for my friends and I. Ended up staying in ‘the scene’ and now I am a full time photographer.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

TF: Adam Elmakias, Gage Young & Joe Perri.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

TF: I shoot freelance. No projects at the moment.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

TF: Boston, MA. Have been living alone in Boston for the past year and a half. Studying more, concentrating on the future.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

TF: I am still a student.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

TF: A lot of traveling.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

OLIVER MINNETT: I was really lucky my grandfather was a fashion photographer (my grandmother was also a lingerie model and yes there is evidence of this), and my father in his youth apparently won a few awards himself. I grew up in my youth with a studio as kinda a daycare centre, but I never took it seriously, especially with my old man going “you can’t make a living from this, it’s not like it used to be” but I loved it anyway, and then I taught a friend how to shoot, and about things like aperture, and speeds and then he started shooting for some cool publications and taking beautiful shots, and I let go of the idea that I needed to make a living out of it, and started doing it more and more.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

OM: God that’s a hard one, I guess I draw inspiration from a lot of places, I really admire the work by Akila Berjaoui, Toby Burrows, Justin Jay, Mike Lerner, Gavin Rea, Roman Noven, and Lucia Pang, and the Hobogestapo boys, they’re our version of Last Nights Party, and damn are they hard to compete with!

JC: Whats your current project all about?

OM: I have two right now I guess, I’m working with an initiative in Australia, campaigning against the high suicide rates of men, and I’m documenting there work over the coming months, I’m super passionate about this, as I think there’s a lot to be done here, men aren’t ones to own up to there own problems, I know I don’t, so the project itself is called “soften the fuck up” which I really dig. The other is training homeless people in photography in Sydney so that they can document there lives, and show a larger audience what there lives are like. The idea is to create a forum for them so that they’re not viewed as “lazy” or “pathetic” or any such nonsense. I’d love to see people understand them better which is basically what the project is about.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

OM: I’m at home with my folks. There’s ups and downs for that, and I spend a lot of time at the misses, but it allows me to do a lot of things and not worry about money too much, I don’t think I’d be able to do a lot of the work I do if it weren’t for the support and a stable place to live. My girlfriend loves what I do, my mother doesn’t care, my father though has an interest and it’s always interesting to see what he says. Despite the fact he picks up a camera maybe once every few years he’s still a better photographer than me.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

OM: 2012 for me is about building a better portfolio and just shooting stuff I love. This year was about experimentation and finding my feet. Next year will be bigger projects, I guess, I mainly have been photographing various areas of Sydney’s music scene, and that’s been really cool, and I’ll continue to do it, but I want my photography to really speak to people who wouldn’t otherwise care. So I’m looking more at finding projects like the homelessness one, and building on that. Photography for me isn’t about the money or the cred it’s about doing something interesting, something I enjoy and also I’d like to make a difference doing something I really enjoy.

JC: Favourite tree?

OM: Hahaha, I’ve been thinking about this, I love bushes, and natural environments, I love textures, it’s a really toss up, because I love cactuses but I’m going to pick something Aussie because I’m feeling patriotic and say gum trees, those leaves smell good and they are such an interesting looking tree as well, they’re really hard to work with or atleast that’s what I find, so when getting shots in that kind of environment you’ve really got to think about things like rule of thirds and “less is more.”

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

AIDEN MORSE: Probably not being able to paint or draw.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the mo?

AM: Lately, I’ve been looking at a lot of paintings and films. Edward Hopper and Caravaggio and ET and Close Encounters and stuff like that. It’s a bit eclectic, but think you can see the influence in my work, especially from the Spielberg films. As far as emerging artists go, I’m not too sure of any. When you’re on tumblr or flickr or whatever it’s so hard to pick whether the artist is a fully established zillionaire photographer or just starting out—and while that makes answering questions like this one hard, I find it very interesting.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

AM: Darkness, I suppose. I’m playing around with emulating the quality of moonlight, in a similar way to the films I mentioned earlier. I think it’s going well.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

AM: I currently live in Tasmania, Australia. I think it used to have a humongous influence on everything I’d do—I was trying to document Tasmanian culture, but first I had to figure out what that actually was and it all became a bit messy. That influence has waned a bit in my latest stuff, but I think it’ll always be there—it’s too big to go away entirely.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

AM: Now it’s time for a real degree? Nah, I don’t know really, I’m not really in a position to give advice. But I don’t think you can really go wrong as long as you keep having fun with whatever you’re doing.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

AM: I’m excited to get my end of year exhibition sorted for school. Getting into my university of choice would be great too, but I’d have to choose it first. Other than that, I think I just want to make photographs better than I ever have, so hopefully that will work out.

JC: Favourite tree?

AM: Anything deciduous, a bit of variety can be nice.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

JODY ROGAC: Going to Art School in Vancouver, where I discovered the magic.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

JR: I’m really into Andrea Lukic’s work. A great artist, inventor, and musician. 

JC: Whats your current project all about?

JR: I recently moved into a new studio, so I’m trying to break it in by inviting people I find inspiring to come by for portraits. 

JC: What draws you to portraiture?

JR: I love finding the magic in people and light.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

JR: I live in New York. It’s definitely shaping me into a more confident, strong willed photographer.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

JR: Dream big and work your ass off.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

JR: Make more personal work!

JC: Favourite tree?

JR: Let’s say Evergreens, for nostalgia sake - I grew up in a forest.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

EMMY LOU VIRGINIA: I have always had an instinctive awareness of the beauty that exists in the world.  As a child, I picked huge bouquets of flowers, leaves, grass, and brought them home to sit in a jar on my bedroom dresser - but always, they drooped and died, and I looked for another way to share this exquisite loveliness I saw around me.  Then I discovered my dad’s camera. I used it so often that he bought himself a new one and gave me the old one. Since then, I have never been without a camera, and photography has become my passion - my way of sharing beauty with others.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

ELV: So many; Anastasia Volkova, Tim Walker, Elisabeth (Weepy Hollow), and my boyfriend, Jorge R. Canedo Estrada, are a few. One of my favourite things to do is spending hours, going from artist to artist, soaking in their work. Generally, this makes me feel absolutely inferior and like I am no good and can never accomplish anything in the world of art - but after all, that feeling is often necessary to spur one onwards to creating better and bigger things!

JC: Whats your current project all about?

ELV: I had a very happy childhood, and that is a memory I find my mind going back to over and over again - that nostalgia and simple joy of being a kid stuck in an eternity of blue sky. Sometimes it hits me that I am now grown-up, that time has been passing while I was busy living and all the things that seemed forever distant are now approaching rapidly. And how did I lose so much in such a short time, and gain so much in such a short time - and how exactly are you supposed to grow up? That is what my current project is about: How Did We Grow Up? It is a conceptual depiction of people who are reluctant to let go of their childhood, who still hold onto the simplicity of that lifestyle.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

ELV: I am currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. I love this city and this country; I grew up here, in this environment of such natural beauty, and it has definitely shaped the way I view the world. One of the slogans for British Columbia is “Super, natural B.C.”, and I know that being surrounded by such a natural environment has influenced my perception of beauty. I create my photography in as natural a way as possible, using the great outdoors as the backdrop for most of my work, and without much aid of photoshop and only basic colour correction.

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

ELV: Create work that satisfies you; if you are working to impress someone else, or with someone else’s style, you will often end up creating something empty that is a copy of a million other photographs.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

ELV: I want to sail in a sailboat, get lost in the woods, camp on a beach, pick handfulls and handfulls of apple blossoms and put them in an old milk carton and watch the petals as they slowly fall, smile more than ever before, jump on a trampoline, and lie down on a sidewalk with my boyfriend and count the stars. Oh, and take many fantastical photos!

JC: Favourite tree?

ELV: The white birch tree.