Nicole: I wanted to interview you because we had a conversation once about being self sufficient. You were heading out to start your own business because of layoffs you had seen in your family and town. Tell me about this, why you wanted to start your own business, and how it's going so far.
Anna: Well to begin with, I think having your own business is extremely challenging on a person. It requires a certain dicipline and patience that can sometimes be really draining. On the other hand, it is rewarding when you see progress, and you know that you made it happen, it sort is dreamlike. I grew up in Galesburg Il, about 3.5 hours outside of Chicago. A generous portion of the population was employed by the factories, and within the last ten years most of the factories have shut their doors escalting the unemployment and poverty rate in the city dramatically.
I really was not the best student by a long shot, and not so many talents either. I just knew I needed an education, and that would be my ticket out of there. I finally found a school in Lincoln Il that would take me. Thats when I found photography, I just told myself that I would be a photographer. Since then, I just stuck with it. I was never the best in school, but I am persistent. I will just keep going, and it will work out. I was so worried to rely on someone else to make sure that I was going to have a job. Seeing the town diminish little by little, hearing the stories, and just really seeing how little hope people had in the community really affected me.
I also knew that in order to keep myself interested, I needed a career that would always challenge me. One piece of advice I would give anyone is to take business classes, take it as a minor, suck up as much business information as you can. In fact just become a business nerd, nerd it up. It has been a complete uphill battle for me trying to learn about all the business side of photography as I go. I just thought I would be sending some bills out, and shooting some jobs, and the rest would somehow just work itself out. It's hard to keep the balance, knowing that you just want to focus on the images, but at the end of the day there is a lot of paperwork.
Nicole: Did you assist at all? Did you find a photographer to work for who helped you learn these things? I feel that photographers should treat assisting like an apprenticeship, rather than just hired day labor.
Anna: One of the best things I did was work for people from out of town, the LA or New York Photographers. I would learn more on a two day shoot with them than I would working a month in a studio. They just brought all the gear, and had the huge productions, and of course the really amazing assistants that would be enthusiastic about teaching you things. I do feel like being a good assistant takes time and you actually have to want to be a assistant. Not just be waiting, wishing you were the shooter. Try to enjoy the act of learning, it is really important. It was good for me to be in a studio where I would see a job from the start to the end where I would cut the film. I may not have been always setting up the lights and such, but I spent a good amount of time asking questions and paying attention to what all the other assistants where doing. I think it is very important to not get too comfortable with one photographer, to move around, see how others work, and just enjoy the experience, it is really mind blowing that you are being involved with something that you are really interested in. If you are just fed up and hate it, go find another job, and shoot on the side, don't just assist and hate it. I quit one day out of the blue, just said I had it and never returned, and all of a sudden it just started working out, slowly, but it started.
Nicole: So let's talk a little about your work. You have this great sense of light, it is so bright and sunny. How do you achieve this look? Have a favorite modifier or piece of gear you love most?
Anna: Well I have always been attracted to bright advertisements, things that make you smile, and feel happy. I always want to feel like my photo is touchable, My favorite pictures are usually outdoors and involve a mixture of ambient and strobe. I use a lot of just reflectors, no umbrellas, and ring flash. Sometimes I will add in an on camera flash for a little more pop. I try to keep it simple enough, so that I do not get all exhausted on the set up, usually no more than 4 lights.
Nicole: Your work has a lot of humor to it. How do you pull those expressions out of people?
Anna: I'm awkward, and sometimes just crazy, I make fun of myself, or I'll dance or sing. Just whatever it takes, usually people like it. It makes them feel less stressed.
Nicole: Yeah, what DO you do when a person says "I really hate being photographed"?
Anna: Inside, I think ugggg, here we go, then I get over it, and just say ohhhhhhh, now everyone says that, but you have never had ME take your picture! I am soooo damn good, you are going to just love yourself after I am done with you. Something along those lines, something to just make fun of the situation and just try to have a good time with the person. I do hate it when they say that, I have no idea why everyone says the same thing, it's sort of strange. But Im pretty used to it now.
Nicole: That's great! Any projects you are working on now that you're particularly stoked about?
Anna: Right now I am actually really enjoying shooting the stills. I like working on projects that require me to tell a bit of a story, and that happens more with the food, or product pictures lately than the portraits. Im pretty happy with everything Im working on, I would like to set a little more time aside for personal projects, hopefully that will happen soon!
