Some time ago I was interviewed by a very nice young photography student from Academy of Art University of San Francisco, USA for her final essay. She had some very good questions that may be useful for other aspiring photographers to consider as well.

• How did you become involved in your art?

I am absolutely useless with a pencil or paintbrush but have always have had so many creative ideas and images in my head. I simply had to find a way to express them. My father has always been an enthusiastic photographer so it kind of developed from there.

• What have been the trials and tribulations of your photography career?

The most challenging part for most people who wants to survive in a creative business is learning to cope with the business end of it all. Learning to think business as well as art is really hard. It came as quite a chock I tell you to learn just how expensive an exhibition really is.

• Where do you think you have succeeded or failed?

I am very pleased with having begun (you never finish this) in finding my own voice. I still struggle to limit myself and not try to cover quite so many topics at the same time.

• What or who are your influences and how has they/have that influenced you?

I get inspired by nature and gardens and very rough industrial environments. I enjoy looking at other photographers’ work but I rarely get my inspiration from them.

• What equipment and mode of printing do you use?

I usually shoot with a Canon DSLR and a 50 mm lens. I have other lenses to of course but I create approx. 80% of my work with the 50mm. Most is displayed digitally but when I print I use a PRO-lab, Crimson.

• How would you describe the current industry trends?

To many photographers (and critics alike) who are more interested in THE PROJECT than in the result. By this I mean that it might be fun for the photographer to create a project shooting say a 50 year old white male from every state in his kitchen. The photographer and the critics then focus on the project; how difficult was it to find all those men, were there any significant differences in the kitchen supplies etc. etc. The fact that it might be quite boring to look at more than 50 white men in kitchens doesn’t really count.

On the plus side, trend-wise, is that photography never has been as hot as it is now. Even the big auction houses have understood it, so from that perspective this is a great time to be a photographer.

• What advice would you have for emerging photographers?

Develop your style and THINK BUSINESS. If you don’t sell you’ll turn up as a waitress with photography as a hobby rather than a photographer. Approach potential buyers. Meet as many potential buyers as you possibly can. Be realistic and make a business plan.

• I am currently trying to work on finding my own sense of style and cohesiveness. What are some things that helped you find your style?

Thousands and thousands of photos. After some years I have learned what works for me and what doesn’t.

• In your website gallery for “country” there were a few photographs like the leaves and flowers that were out of focus but still very aesthetic. What kind of methods did you use for those photos?

Thank you! I prefer to make this kind of images on clear days in early fall. Where I live the light is spectacular at that time of the year. To create these images I usually shake the camera and use rather slow shutter speeds. I use the display to preview the images frequently. Often you need to shake the camera much less than you think at the beginning. The difficult part is to choose what images to save. The only method here is trusting the gut feeling.

• I am oftentimes photographing in familiar places because I am a little scared to venture into a different place. What kind of things motivates you to go out to take photographs?

I am quite the opposite in fact. When working on inspiration I find it easier to photograph non-familiar places. Simply because I have seen the familiar places so many times I tend to stop seeing them. But the trick is to ALWAYS carry the camera with you and if you don’t have the camera at least use your cellphone as a camera. And practice, practice, practice. If you end up with a bunch of crappy images at the end of the day, so what. Delete them and move on. There is now short cut. After some time it becomes a second nature to photograph wherever you are and you’ll discover you have moved outside of your comfort zone.