Interview with photographer Natia Rekhviashvili

   About you:

I’m Natia Rekhviashvili freelance photographer based in Tbilisi, Georgia. From childhood I studied in college of fine arts, I had great teachers of history of art, music, drowing…who made me love art so much. continieud studying  in Tbilisi State University  faculty of Arts and Humanities. Also from childhood was interested in mathematics.
  After 2009 became interested in photography. Passed Workshops of  photography, led by Great photographers: Pok Chi Lau, Mimi Mollica, Kurt Tong, Wolfgagn Zurborn in Tbilisi. I mostly work in documentary photography and self-portraiture.



              What is it that attracts you the most of what you have around you?  

People around me, places where you can see history. Stories, old houses, ethno-culture of my country.

                Three adjectives to describe yourself.

kind, hard worker, creative



                A film, a book and a song

Book: Dostoevsky “ White Nights”, Film: “Beyond Clowds”, Song: Alanis Morisette “One”

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              What camera do you use?  lense?

digital: Nikon D90, film: Nikon N60, lense 50mm f1.8. also.18-105mm.


             Tell about exhibition if you‘ve had any.

Group Exhibitions: "best 100 photos of the year" curated by Tina Schelhorn Tbilisi Georgia." 30 under 30 women photographers of the year" 2013 curated by Metthew Hong Germany. Also festival NYPH NEW YORK.


            Do you sell prints? How do you make it and where can someone buy?

yes Saatchionline http://www.saatchionline.com/natiarekhviashvili    (original artworks, also prints from 40 $)

            What was your most big success? 

Love and kind words wich I get from people around me and from people far from me. Sometimes I meet people first time and they already know me because of my photos and get compliments I feel so happy.



           Favourite photographer.

I have many favorite photographers almost every day I discover so many good photographers and watch their portfolios it’s big pleasure for me. most favorite photographers are: Cindy Sherman, Franceska Woodman, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Steve McCurry, Lise Sarfati.



            Describe some of your projects

One project I have “ Soviet Cars” I shoot all old soviet cars wich I see, in Georgia, Armenia. With their owners or dead cars, I think it is as nostalgy. I also work on project “ grandmother’s house” make self portraits in that house where my grand mother lived and want to feel her feelings and remember her life, words, beauty.



      

          What is your occupation, job, interest besides photography.

I studied accounting in ACCA accounting, now study Business engeenering Auditing in University, and work as accountant in one company.


           
           Which advice would you give someone who wants to become a (professional) photographer?

Listen their own world mostly, study how to express their thoughts and true feelings; express ideas and show us the life  more deeply. Do everything with love.

          Do you work as photographer? 

Yes I have photo service: fashion editorial, portraits, commercial; also work  for magazines and various organizations. It gave me great pleasure.

                                               

            Your plans.

To continue everything what I began and what I’m doing  and share to the world.
http://www.natiarekhviashvili.com/
 http://natiar.blogspot.com/

Interview with photographer Leanne Surfleet

About you:
I'm a photographer based in the UK, I've just graduated university and now looking to work and collaborate with new and exciting people. For the past 5 or so years I mainly concentrated on self-portraiture, but right after finishing university I felt the need to slow down and look more outward, which is what I've been experimenting with for the last few months.



What is it that attracts you the most of what you have around you?
What I have around me is actually quite boring and dull but I've somehow managed to find a way of incorporating this in to my photographs and use the nothingness to my advantage. It helps put across my feelings of loneliness and sometimes anxiety.  


Tell us about your experience as  photographer what did it give you?
My experience as a photographer is unlike anything else I have ever experienced. I'm only just starting to work with other people on photoshoots and thats something new and exciting. But, working alone photographing myself gave me a sense of calm that I really have needed this past year. I find taking photographs very organic and therapeutic, it just comes natural to me.


Three adjectives to describe yourself.
Quiet, peculiar & gentle.


A film, a book and a song
Ghost World, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, Queen Bitch by David Bowie.
 


What camera do you use?  lense?
I use a few different format cameras, I mainly use a Zenit E, Polaroid SX-70 Sonar and Pentacon Six TL. I'm not very fussy or knowledgeable about lenses, I usually just use the one that was originally with the camera unless I need something wider.


Tell about exhibition if you ‘ve had any.
I've never had a solo exhibition but I've exhibited in groups in Milan, London, Austin TX and most recently in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.


Do you sell prints? How do you make it and where can someone buy?
Yes I do, I sell editioned originals and prints at Saatchi Online - www.saatchionline.com/leannesurfleet and I sell little print packs on Etsy -www.etsy.com/shop/leannesurfleet 



What was your most big success?
I find the most successful things are when people are genuinely moved by my photographs. Every now and then I get emails from people expressing how they connect with my photographs emotionally and I find this very inspiring. 



Favourite photographer.
I have to say Francesca Woodman, she's one of the only photographers that upon seeing her work in a show has almost moved me to tears.


Describe some of your projects.
An ongoing project of mine is the exploration of the self. I also love to look at light and find beautiful light to capture. I'm working on a couple of film swap collaborations too.


 
Your main concept.
I feel unsure as to what my main concept is anymore, it used to be self-portraiture but I think in general it's just to capture the little natural and quiet moments within people (and myself) and their surroundings.


What is your occupation, job, interest besides photography.
Other than photography I work on a blog, No Culture Icons, as a Photography Editor along with a lovely young man, Liam Henry. I also love hanging out with my cat, I've had him since I was 9 years old (I'm now 26!) and I can't imagine life without him.


           
Which advice would you give someone who wants to become a (professional) photographer?
Be persistent in keeping in contact with people, always stay true to your own work and your own style, accept criticism, and above all else have fun with it!


Do you work as photographer?
Not officially, I sell prints and exhibit my works mainly. I'm currently working with a couple of different people getting experience in shooting fashion editorials, which will hopefully one day lead to me working as a photographer. 


                                               
Your plans.
To carry on taking photographs and to put my work out into the world even more than I have been doing these past few years.

Interview with photographer Chiara Baragatti

About you:

I’m Chiara Baragatti, I’m 33 years old. I live in Follonica, Tuscany-Italy.

What is it that attracts you the most of what you have around you? 

Many things: the everyday life, silence, people, the sea….Everything that attracts me!I try to establish a contact with each thing around me.

                  

Tell us about your experience as  photographer what did it give you?

For me photography is a great way to express myself , I was lucky enough to have known photography in a dark room with some good friends, before university.

It was magic, a good sensation. I remember the dark, the red light, the rumor of the timer.

I didn’t think about the composition or a subject of a frame, but I was attracted by the method.

Then I decided to partecipate to a course of photography with Antonio Presta a great photographer.

I took part to a cultural association Fotoclub Follonica and now I have founded an other photographic association with my best friends that is Fonderie Fotografiche.

We organize workshops, exibitions, photographic travels with some important photographers and it represents for me a teaching and an inspiration. www.fonderiefotografiche.com

Three adjectives to describe yourself.

Sincere, lover, creative

A film, a book and a song

A Film:  Amores Perros by Alejandro González Iñárritu

A book: Christiane F. – We Children from Bahnhof Zoo

A song : Desafinado by Joao Gilberto

What camera do you use?  lense?

I use a digital reflex Nikon D200 and an analogic Nikkorex. My favourite lense is a 20mm.

Tell about exhibition if you ‘ve had any.

I have partecipated in several collective exibitions: in my city Follonica, in Cascina and Bibbiena (Tuscany) in Milan and in Rome.

Do you sell prints? How do you make it and where can someone buy?

I accept orders by e-mail: baragattichiara@yahoo.it

What was your most big success?

Practically, this is my first real project "In the bathroom" with which I won one first prize and admissions to photo contests and some publications in magazines, but what I consider my greatest success is to have a world around me of friends and people who love photography.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75768298@N03/sets/72157629149644794/

Favourite photographer.

It’s impossible to quote only one! My favourite photographers who inspire me are: Henry Cartier Bresson, Anna Di Prospero, Alexander Gronsky and Anni Leppälä and Gabriele Basilico.

Describe some of your projects

I wish always improve my sensibility for capture beautiful and particular moments of life around me.

For example my project “in the bathroom” began as autobiographical project that aims to describe one of the spheres of femininity.

They are self-portraits that clearly never reveal the identity of the subject.

This choice of non-identification allows each woman to identify with these images.

“Summer time” instead is the mirror of a summer lived during sunrise, at sunset, when everyone are still sleeping or are resting enjoying their holidays in peace.

And I look for my sea, my beach, places off the beaten track, timetables not noisy.

The lonely landscape is the protagonist, heated by beautiful lights.

Colorful and minimal instants, symbols of human presence: umbrellas, beach chairs.

“Bye Bye Summer” represents my city after the summer where entire neighborhoods are empty, the beach becomes deserted and autumn with its many colors and fragrances wipes out the noises and crowding, allowing it to restore calm and tranquility. Geometric rigor and seriality, a meeting with its own facilities, with core assets: form, space, line, surface to be an 'essential research.

Your main concept.

I don't really have a main concept, I try to create a contact with people, situations, sensations around me.

What is your occupation, job, interest besides photography.

I’m a Social Assistant and I like to travel, to listen to music and I love  so much being in the arms of my boyfriend.

Which advice would you give someone who wants to become a (professional) photographer?

I'm not a professional photographer, but I still believe that it is important to be yourself.

Your plans.

always be proud of me.

Chiara Baragatti

baragattichiara@yahoo.it