interview

Interviewed: Sarah Chapin

What made you choose photography in general? Was it the technical side or the artistic side?

I ending up choosing photography because, honestly, it was the only artistic thing that I was ever good at. As much as I tried to draw or paint or do anything else, I never liked what I saw nor did I see it as anything good enough.

What are some of your influences? (artists, as well as subjects, spaces, etc.)

My biggest influence has been my Grandmother. She was a very talented painter and I was always interested to watch her work and create. I will always credit her as my main muse and the reason why I got into art. My other influences aren’t even visual artists. I get my ideas from the things I read (mostly Jane Austen novels) and even the music I listen to tends to implant these tiny visions that I want to foresee into future work.

What do you find the most difficult about photography?

Getting what I want the first time. Nothing works the first time you try it and it frustrates me when I have to shoot a photograph over 20 times just to get the perfect shot.

What do you like best about your works?

Probably my ability to capture moments from a different point of view. I try to use various angles to give the viewers of my work another perspective rather than something straightforward.

If you could photograph anything what would it be? (something you haven’t had a chance to do.. maybe a specific place, etc)

Actually, I can’t wait to be able to photograph my children and to document their lives. They’re probably going to hate me for it, but I don’t want to miss a thing.

What else in your life gives you a similar feeling to photography and why?

As silly as this might sound, I get the same feeling when I bake. Baking is another outlet for my creativity and when I make something really good, I feel like I’ve made edible art that people can enjoy in more ways than just visually.

What type of equipment do you use?

The basics: I have a Nikon D80 named Jasper (yeah, I named it) and my father’s old Minolta.

Do you like black and white or color better?

I’ve always had love for black and white. I have nothing against color, but I find that black and white seems to capture so much more feeling and adds this sense of drama to any scene. In its simplicity, I discover things so complex.

How long have you been doing photography (or has it just started at the beginning of college, etc)

When I was just a kid, I used to get my hands on a bunch of disposable cameras and go crazy taking pictures of friends, family, and even my pets. As I got older, I found that I was more into it, especially when I was in high school. I think I even started to become obsessed with it and started carrying a camera with me just in case anything happened that I wanted to remember. Before I got into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do as a future career. It wasn’t until when my Grandmother died that I realized that I wanted to carry on her vision.

Are there any artists you try to mimic in any way/look up to?

If I had to name anyone, I could say that I have a similar idea as Cindy Sherman. She’s been known to photograph mainly herself dressed up as different people and I tend to do the same. I’ve never done any of my projects on that idea, but I plan on it in the near future.

Are there any aspects you stay away from? (portraits, landscapes, etc)

I usually refrain from landscapes unless I hold a special memory with a specific place or if I’m trying to convey a specific feeling. I’m mainly a portrait artist and am able to discover more in a person than I ever would in shooting landscapes.

Do you enjoy candid or posed photography?

Both certainly have its appeal to me. But it definitely depends on the situation.

What are your plans for thesis if any?

I plan to go along with my love of portraiture. But my objective is to turn the camera on myself and add a little twist of something else that I find fascinating and that I am very interested in (I’d divulge, but I don’t want to give too much away at the present time).

How do you plan on executing it?

My idea requires for more than just good posing, so let’s hope that I can call upon some other talents of mine to achieve my ideal idea.

I enjoyed seeing another way of working and someone else's artistic outlet. I took a photography class so it was interesting to see especially because I could appreciate all the time and effort that goes into something due to first hand accounts. Really enjoyed Sarah's work