"Moniaive Comics Festival is coming up - it would be an ideal time to try out the Manga photo shoot," said Ralph, hairdresser and owner of Dumfries salon, Basement 20. It was an idea we'd discussed a while back - creating hairstyles and characters based on Japanese Manga - a very recognisable comic-book style of drawing and animation.
In a break with tradition, rather than keeping the behind-the-scenes video until the end of the post, I'll put it here near the top. Have a look, then scroll down for rest of the story.
Although this post is following the one about the Comlongon Castle photo shoot, the event took place about a a few weeks earlier, so this was the 2nd time I'd worked with Ralph, and the first time I'd worked with makeup artist, Jade Jamieson.
Our wonderful models with amazing hair and makeup
While there were no owls at this shoot, there were a lot more people involved.
Tim from the Craigendarroch Hotel provided us with a venue, and a steady supply of coffee and nibbles. Our 4 models were Katarina (who you might remember from the Photo Shoot at the Rural Mural), Jacob, Amy and Hayley, and each was given a different persona and style. Jody (also from the Rural Mural shoot) and James were also brought in to style hair, while Olly was on hand to assist as required.
Katarina
The entire operation was open to the public who would stumble across us while wandering between other festival events. Although I tried to remain completely focused on my camera settings, the models and the lighting, every now and again I would become aware of small crowds building up, watching what was going on.
Amy
Moniaive Comic Festival organiser, Sue, also roped in 3 internationally renowned cartoonists - Jim Stewart, Robert Thomson and Stref (2 of whom also sketched the backdrops onto the reverse of a couple of rolls of wallpaper), who started sketching the models while I was photographing them.
Hayley interpreted by 3 different cartoonists
Samuel from Maklab in Dumfries was also invited along to scan the heads of the models and turn them into small busts using a 3D printer, adding an entirely different interpretation to them.
Amy - printed in 3D
Once the day was over and I was back at my computer going through all the photos, I had to decide how to process the images. The point you click the shutter on the camera is only one stage on the journey to the final image. The raw file is the equivalent to a first draft - now comes the editing, refining and honing it to fit the vision you have.
Jacob
In the end I opted for 2 very different styles of post-processing. For the close up headshots I decided to emphasise the colours, making the most of the coloured gels I had used in the original lighting set up. But for the body shots I went instead for blue-sepia tones, which gave them a much more illustrated feel.
Hayley
Photo shoots like this are not that common, and I wanted some kind of record of the event. So I dragged my friend, fellow photographer Allan Wright along to film the whole thing. But I was also rewarded with the lovely bonus that Katarina brought her camera along and set up some time lapse sequences, which I was then able to incorporate into the video.
I wanted a rocking soundtrack to go along with the video, and initially I thought I would use another track from my band, The Cracked Man. However, when I talked to Marcus, he'd just been doing a recording session with a talented young lass who performs under the name KLEO, and played me her track, "Anger Within Me". It seemed to work perfectly. I spoke to KLEO and in exchange for a photo shoot she was more than happy for me to use her music on the video.
Hayley
Looking at the photos, the cartoons and the 3D busts, Ralph and I felt it would be a shame for it to just end there, so the idea came up to have an exhibition. We went out to see Matt Baker at The Stove in Dumfries to discuss the idea, and he loved the whole collaboration aspect of the project and was happy for us to exhibit there.
Katarina
Last night we had the preview evening, and the exhibition runs for the next two weeks, until 1st September - do pop along if you can and let me know what you think.
I am aware that many readers of this blog live just a bit too far away to make it along - several have an ocean or two in the way - so if you'd like to see the complete collection of photos, please click through to this album on my Facebook page:
Comlongon Castle is an original 15th Century Scottish Keep, with a Baronial hotel attached to it.
Primarily used as a wedding venue (it's the nearest Castle wedding venue to Gretna), the owner, Phill Ptolomy, was telling me he wanted to promote the romantic getaway side of it too, so we started bouncing ideas about.
It should probably be in the Great Hall, which has a huge stone fireplace. Perhaps if we had a woman in a red dress - Scottish looking - red hair, pale skin etc - standing in front. Oh, and candles - there are these large candle stands available. We could probably have a sword in the background too - the place is full of suits of armour. What about an owl? An owl? Yes, the Cumberland Bird of Prey Centre have a trained owl that can swoop down the aisle and deliver the rings to the best man. Wow, OK, let's get an owl then. Who can we find to be our model? I know the perfect person - I've photographed her before...
And so last month I found myself in a castle photographing singer Robyn Stapleton wearing a red satin dress with an owl on her arm in front of a large stone fireplace.
When I did the shoot for Morag Macpherson Textiles a couple of months back (see Photo Shoot at the Rural Mural) I worked with Ralph from Basement 20 Hair Salon in Dumfries. He and his team did an amazing job, and we got on really well, so he was my first port of call for this shoot. We also managed to secure the services of the wonderful Jade Jamieson as our make up artist.
With such a great combination of location and people I wanted it recorded, so I dragged out my friend, the poet David Mark Williams with me, thrust my other camera in his hand, and asked him if he could video it for me.
I was delighted with some of the footage he managed to capture, and then it occurred to me it would look pretty cool if I had an aerial drone shot of the outside of the castle as an intro and a possibly title sequence to bookend the video. I knew just the man to ask - Andy Jardine of Digital Services Pro, who I knew had created exactly that kind of shot before. When I asked him he said he'd recently bought a new drone which was a much better, and he insisted on shooting some fresh footage for me to use.
All I needed was a soundtrack, and Robyn was happy for me to use "The Lads That Were Reared Amang Heather" - the last song on her debut album, Fickle Fortune.
I hope you enjoy this wee behind-the-scenes video - I think it gives a good flavour of what it was like at the photo shoot.
Manga, Owls, and attempted product placement by a hairdresser...
Things have been busy of late, and I'm aware the blog is in danger of being frequented less often. A few times blog posts have slipped from being weekly to fortnightly, and if I'm not careful might end up monthly.
This week, then, I thought I'd do a teaser post - as taste of things to come. There have been a couple of wonderful projects I've been invovled in, but won't be see seeing the light of day for a few more weeks.
First of all - Moniaive Manga
Collaborating with Ralph Yates-Lee of Basement 20 Hair Salon, and makeup artist, Jade Jamieson, early last month I was involved in shoot inspired by Japanese Manga/anime with models being made up into characters. This all took place at Moniaive Comic Festival. So not only was I creating photos, but 3 cartoonists were also sketching them, and 3D prints were being made of their heads.
An exhibition of the photos, sketches and 3D busts will be on display at The Stove in Dumfries during the 2nd half of August, with a preview on Thursday 18th. You are, of course, very welcome to attend - it would be lovely to see you.
Having fun creating a poster that looks like a comic cover
This time we were in a 14th century keep, with a large fire, lots of candles and an owl.
"Willow" is from the Cumberland Bird of Prey Centre. You can also hire her to swoop down the aisle and deliver the rings to the best man
My friend Mark was shooting some footage for me, so I'm hoping in the next few weeks to be able to show you a little behind-the-scenes video.
Ralph recently got on board with Unite hair products, which he now uses in the salon. On a couple of occasions I saw him surreptitiously trying to ensure they could be seen in the video and photos...
Simeon Rosset is a freelance butler - the real kind, not the strippergram, although he says he periodically gets enquiries about it. He served his time as head butler at Leeds Castle and now hires out his services for events such as exclusive gatherings, weddings, and shooting parties, and can be found butlering anywhere from Scottish castles to European palaces to Super yachts.
Our paths crossed when he was looking for a photographer for a particular event, and although I was unable to help him on that occasion, we subsequently met up for morning coffee, which merged into lunch. What was going to be a general introduction to each other turned into a few hours of questions, storytelling and idea swapping. It wasn't long before we started talking about creating a butler-in-action shot.
And so a couple of months later I found myself out at Craufurdland Castle near Kilmarnock.
Although this castle was built in the 18th century, the land has been in the family for nearly 800 years. The current descendants/owners/custodians are Simon and Adity Houison Craufurd and their two daughters, Indra and Manisha.
We decided to do the shoot in the library, as a wall full of books would make a timeless backdrop. Many of those tomes dated back hundreds of years.
Simeon also runs a Butler School service, training potential butlers to the high standards required. On this day he was completing the training of Alistair, which gave us a 2nd butler to include in the shots.
The shoot went well. Everyone adopted their roles and got into the part, and it wasn't long before I managed to get a couple of photos I was really pleased with.
And what better way to end the day than butler-served tea on the lawn?
This is going to be great. I'm going to learn a whole new raft of skills and gain a whole new set of experiences.
A little later...
What the hell am I doing here? I can't do this. I'm way out of my depth. What a stupid bloody decision to come along!
A little later...
This is so cool! Look at what I can do with this tool. Look how it cuts and shapes and moulds!
A little later...
I'm useless! I'll never get the hang of this! I'm the only one who hasn't done this before. Everyone else knows what they're doing. All I'm doing is embarrassing myself and everyone else!
A little later...
I am amazing! Look at this - behold my mighty creation! If I carry on like this I could become a world class sculptor with adoring fans throwing themselves and their money at me!
A little later...
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.... Run away! Run away! Run away!
And so it went on. For 4 days my emotions were up and down and all over the place as I tried to get to grips with working in 3 dimensions on a clay sculpture workshop with artist, Lucianne Lassalle.
3 years ago I joined a life drawing class - not because I wanted to become a pencil artist - but to see if it would influence my photography. Every time the model would emerge, I would know exactly what I would do with the camera and lighting, but I couldn't do it. Instead, I had to find a way to translate what I was looking at through my hand and a pencil and onto a sheet of paper.
It was exasperating, frustrating, challenging, terrifying and amazing. There hasn't been a single class I've ever been to where at some point I haven't wanted to run screaming from the room and never pick up a pencil again. And yet I stuck with it.
Over time I became aware it was subtly changing the way I looked things - at line, form and the body - and this in turn fed into my photography.
Creativity doesn't happen in the status quo - it happens when our brains think in different ways - and putting ourselves out of our comfort zones, and learning new things, helps with creating new pathways in the brain.
2 years ago I did some product photography for Lucianne - photographing several of her brilliant sculptures for her. Rather than ask for cash, I requested a space on one of her workshops.
It's taken this long to coincide with time and place, but this weekend past I finally got to play with clay and begin to learn how to create in 3 dimensions.
I'm now quite adept at working in 2D - this is what photography (and life drawing ) is. You look to create the illusion of depth, but the image only has to work from one side.
By contrast, I discovered in 3D it can look fantastic from 3 sides and seriously naff from the 4th. But when you change the 4th side it can throw out or even completely destroy the carefully crafted lines that look so good from the other sides.
My brain has been twisted into meltdown several times.
However, I am delighted with my final creation. It is way beyond anything I could have hoped for, and could never have achieved without such a wonderful teacher and superb model.
Here are a few pics of the progress...
Day one, we created maquettes - small (about 5 or 6 inches long), very quickly made clay "sketches" - done in about 10 or 15 minutes, just to get an idea of the shape.
As we started into day 2, I began working out how to create the basic structure - still in maquette mode - using cone shapes for the thighs/buttocks and upper arms/shoulders.
The rest of the limbs and a tubular torso were played with as I thought about the abstract-ish design I wanted to pursue
By the start of day 3 I had my basic sculpture created (it's probably around 16 inches-ish long), but still hadn't worked out what I was going to do with the head, which seemed to break the flow. The hips weren't the way I wanted them either
Lucianne took this photo of me as I was finishing off on Day 4. It now as the curves and flow I was seeking. In the background another student is going for a different interpretation. I loved the fact everyone in the room created something in a completely different style, even though we'd all been working from the same model.
Another shot from the bottom end
Now all I have to do is allow it to dry out over the next couple of months, and if it survives that process I can get it fired in September.
Music Festivals come in all shapes and sizes - from the megaliths such as T in the Park, where more than a quarter of a million people gather in front of stadium-sized stages, down to local pubs putting on a few bands and maybe a couple of extra flavours of beer.
This corner of Scotland has many music festivals of one kind and another across the summer, although not those which are the size of a small city.
Two of my favourites were this month - Eden Festival, which completely sold out its 8,000 tickets this year for the first time in it's short history, and Gatehouse Midsummer Music Festival, which has attendance numbers in the hundreds, but is nonetheless passionately organised by local musicians and is spread across the pubs and community spaces throughout the wee town.
Although very different in size and feel to each other, one thing they did have in common was my band, The Cracked Man, performed in both. At Eden we played late on the Friday afternoon in the beer tent, Rabbie's Tavern, and a week later, at Gatehouse, we were playing in the Masonic Arms on the Saturday afternoon.
The Cracked Man at Eden Festival Photo courtesy of Pete Robinson of PR Imaging
When you're a local band without a huge following, payment tends to come in the form of a free ticket to the event. In exchange for anything from 20 minutes to an hour's performance, you get to spend the rest of the weekend watching other bands play and, in my case, wander around with the camera.
For a photographer, one of the great aspects of Eden Festival is upwards of 40% of people will dress up to varying degrees - from a bit face paint and glitter, through to unicorn onesies. At Gatehouse there's a casual intimacy where you can't walk more than 5 yards without bumping into someone you know.
Unlike the giant festivals - run and sponsored by huge corporations, which see them as a money-making machine - local music festivals only survive by the passion and support of music lovers and the local community. Everyone is volunteering and any money made is plowed back into next year's, with the hope they can afford a bigger band to headline it.
Live music is an entirely different beast to listening to CDs or downloads on your iPhone. The connection between the performer and the audience takes the experience to a whole new level.
Make sure you go along and support your local music festivals, and if there aren't any in your area, then come to Dumfries and Galloway in Summer and you'll be spoilt for choice.
NSFW - please be warned, nipples make an appearance in some of the photos on this page. If the sight of nipples offend you, or if you might get into trouble at work because nipples have appeared on the screen, or if a glimpse of a nipple is likely to send you into an uncontrolable frenzy where you become a danger to yourself or the public at large, then you are advised to quickly hit the "back" button on your browser.
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When I first came across Daria Endresen's work, I was captivated. Dark, moody, and other-worldly.
Wounds, piercings and body mortification, Photoshopped and layered with textures. It was photography, but not as I knew it.
At that time all her pictures were based on self portraits which, as a photographer, you realise also adds a whole new layer of difficulty in creating them.
For some people, photography begins and ends in the camera, although since its inception, most photographers have edited their images - from physically painting on the glass or negatives to manipulating exposures in the darkroom - but usually with the emphasis on it not looking like it was edited.
But for Daria, photography was clearly just one step along the way to creating fantastical images - scenes that didn't try to echo reality, but tapped into the unsettling depths of our subconscious.
I was hooked.
And now I'm delighted Daria has agreed to take part in my photographer interview series, Chasing Shadows.
Kim: Thank you so much for taking part in these interviews, Daria. My first question has to be... did you start out photographing kittens and pretty flowers and get drawn into the darker side, or has your photography always explored the more disturbing aspects of the human psyche?
Daria: I started with landscapes - when living in Norway that’s the most natural thing to do. But I have been drawn to the darker side of things as long as I remember.
As my favourite singer Chelsea Wolfe’s album title goes - "Pain is Beauty".
Kim: I can understand beginning with landscapes - especially living in the dramatic scenery of Norway. So what was the first image where you decided to feature yourself rather than the landscape and what were your thoughts about it?
If I am not mistaken, the first self-portrait was the one called "Pagan poetry".
I was very much into Bjork back then and I listened to her “Vespertine” album non-stop. The video for "Pagan poetry" is quite explicit, showing Bjork in an in-body-pierced wedding dress and in the end there is a shot of corset piercing.
I was so inspired by it, and by the song as well, that I got an idea to make my own version of it. It showed me from the back, so I didn’t really feel exposed, but I have to confess it was quite frightening to release it in public.
I did a remake of this image later on - and I like the concept up to this day.
Kim: I see from your opening portrait you have your nose and your lip pierced. Have you gone as far as the skin piercing in the Pagan Poetry photos, or other body modifications, or has that exploration been limited to Photoshop?
Daria: I do have only my lip pierced - the ring in the nose on the picture with the raven is a fake one.
I guess I like the general concept of piercing but I am not sure I'd want to have more of those on me - feeling a tad too old for that :)
Kim: Here's a quick camera question: what camera and lens(es) do you use most often, or are your favourite, and why?
Daria: I shoot with Canon EOS 5dm2 and 50 mm 1.4 + 80 mm 1.8
I am definitely not one of those fierce Canon vs Nikon warriors, it just happened historically that my first camera was Canon EOS 20d and I stuck to Canon since then.
Kim: I know what you mean - I've never seen the point in the rivalry between brand ownership. These days the technology in pretty much all cameras is amazing. Of course the biggest expense with DSLRs is the lenses, so once you buy into a system, you generally have to stick with it.
Daria: I don’t have a huge array of lenses - 50 mm is my preferred one, it’s sharp and fast and works great for the type of photography that I do. I like to use 80 mm for the outside shoots and nice DOF, also for portraits.
Novembre
Kim: Are you a full time photographer?
Daria: No, photography has never been my job. I currently work part-time as a bartender, have been doing this for several years now and feeling pretty comfortable with it.
Kim: Is your ambition to become a professional photographer and derive your main income from it?
Daria: No, I don’t thrive under pressure or instability, and in my eyes being a freelance entices exactly that. I am happy to have a boring job on the side and keep my art as a passionate hobby.
But I suppose it would be nice to make a living from selling art prints. It was my goal before but lately I’ve come to the conclusion that only a few people can achieve that, and most likely I won’t be one of them, so it’s time to move on to something else.
Kim: As you were growing and developing your photography, was there are particular image where you felt you crossed a line and made a significant move forward - in your sense of what you were able to create with the camera?
Daria: I don’t think I can single out one - can’t say that there’s been a significant step forward at any time of my artistic development - instead it went slowly and steady.
Frida
Kim: What about an image which you feel propelled you into a much wider audience and recognition?
Daria: I think it was "Darkwood" - it is by far my most popular most bought work, it beat all the records on social platforms and it has also opened a new chapter in my artistic direction.
Darkwood
Kim: There's no doubt it's an amazing image, with a real sense of tapping into dark mythology. But what counts as a successful image to you? Is it Facebook likes, sales of prints, or something else?
Daria: A successful image is the one that I enjoy throughout time. I stop liking most of my work and feel ashamed of some images in particular. Some of them are still my favourites though - and these I consider successful.
It’s also nice to receive public appreciation but then very often my opinion and the opinion of my followers don’t coincide.
Kim: I think the difference between how we view our work and how others do is an age old problem for photographers. Can you give me an example of one of your images where your opinion differed from the public reaction?
Daria: One of my latest images called "The Rite" got some controversial opinions - I personally like it quite a lot, it turned exactly how I imagined and planned, and I think I managed to capture the atmosphere I was after. A lot of people were appalled at the concept, blaming me for promoting violence and mistreatment of women - something that I obviously didn’t have in mind in the slightest.
The Rite
Another recurring topic is anorexia - every time my models show protruding ribs, there is always someone advising them to eat a sandwich and bashing me for corrupting young minds and giving awful example of how a woman should look like.
Nowena 1
When I released my black and white series "Nowena", I received a lot of negative remarks, which were directed towards model’s thinness and my supposedly open glorification of it. I get immensely annoyed when I hear things like this, and I am tired of explaining that none of my models are anorexic, it’s not anorexia I am trying to push forward, and it’s incredibly rude to discuss the model’s appearance in public.
Nowena 2
Kim: The first images I saw of yours were pretty much all based on self portraits. Many of them are nude or semi-nude, which suggests a strong body-confidence, but there is often body mortification and mutilation happening too. How complex is your relationship with your own body?
Daria: It’s interesting that you mention confidence - I am probably the most insecure person out there. And my relationship with my body has always been complicated. I was plump as a child and ever since I hit puberty, I fought a constant battle with my curves - I loved food and I yearned to be thin at the same time - that is an awful combination. This battle is still ongoing and I still haven’t learnt to properly love and accept myself.
My images are a perfected version of me - and they are both pleasant and painful to look at.
Zu Warten
Regarding nudity, I somehow never perceived myself as naked - it was always some sort of an abstract distant feeling, that the model is me and yet it is not me at all.
I stopped shooting self-portraits a couple years ago and I don’t think I will be coming back to it anytime soon.
Kim: In my previous interview with King Douglas, the notion of the influence of Religion came up. Some of your work seems to have religious overtones, and some has more of a mythological feel to it. In what way does the metaphysical influence in your work?
Daria: I used to be largely inspired by the Old Flemish Masters, Hans Memling in particular - one of my favourite books is the detailed analysis of his “Last Judgement”. So I wouldn’t say it’s religion per se but rather one of the visual sides of it.
My latest series is focused on the mysticism of a ritual, particularly one of sacrifice - and here I find my inspiration in Scandinavian mythology - going back to my roots.
Distant Shore
Kim: How strong is the relationship between the dark mood of your images and your outlook on life? For example, would you say you are melancholic by nature, or is the creation of your images cathartic?
Daria: I think it is very strong. I am probably going to sound overly goth here but I have been melancholic since I was a child (well, at least that’s what my mother tells me). I am not sure if there is a specific reason for it or if I was just "born this way".
Sometimes I hit especially difficult states but I’ve learned to manage and live with them and in some cases even overcome them. I wouldn’t call myself depressed (it’s not wise to drop this word lightly) but I can’t claim that I am a perfectly happy person.
Kim: How does your relationship with Nihil affect your (and his) work? I'm not sure how long the two of you have been together, but I see he also creates dark, complex and disturbing imagery - often using you as a model. Did you develop your work together, or did you create it separately and then discover each other later on?
Daria: We have been together for over 5 years now :)
And I think our relationship has been very rewarding - first and foremost, we perfectly understand and are able to support each other when artistic crisis strikes, and that is really important. We also exchange techniques and new finds - very often we work in two different ways, so it’s very enriching and helpful to share.
Protection
As for the influence, he had his own developed style before he met me - and I think maybe that’s why our collaborations have been successful : our universes intertwine in many ways.
Kim: How much planning goes into your photos beforehand?
Daria: There is a lot of planning involved. I have to scout for the location, make the props, wait for the suitable weather and think carefully about the poses - very often my models work in awfully uncomfortable conditions, so I have to be quick and don’t really have time to improvise.
Preparation for Distant Shore
Kim: Do you do rough sketches?
Daria: I do sketches beforehand - they look pretty horrid but it helps to visualise the final result and build up the composition.
Kim: How much variation is there between the original concept/sketch and the final image?
Daria: Depends. Some ideas just don’t work and then I have either to abandon them completely or to try something else on the spot. Other times it can be some small adjustments, but all in all I’d say the original idea and the final result are quite close.
Kim: As well as the adjustments done to bodies in Photoshop, many of your images are layered with different textures. Do you have any favourite editing techniques?
Daria: I don’t have specific techniques that I favour in particular. But from the whole editing process I adore the tedious retouch - removing all imperfections and making my characters flawless. I can spend hours fixing the skin for example! After that I think most of my tricks are pretty standard - healing and cloning brushes, frequency separation etc.
Kim: I think it was Leonardo da Vinci who said, "art is never finished, only abandoned". When you are editing, how do you know when it's finished?
Daria: When I just can’t stand looking at it anymore *laughing*
I am a perfectionist and I am almost never satisfied with final results, but at some point you simply realize that it’s done and there is nothing else you can do - you basically can’t go any further.
On rare occasions I actually like what I see, and then I feel like I can release it in public.
Kim: I'm guessing you are probably looking more at stories, film and art than other photographers, but what would you say most influences your ideas and style?
Daria: It’s actually a wild mix, mostly visual one. Lately I’ve been very attentive to movies - sometimes I may hate the movie, the story and the characters, but I love the visual part of it - how it’s shot, the compositions and tones - and it can be very inspiring!
Thrjar
If you take my earlier works, I looked up to Frida Kahlo and Karina Marandjian. Right now I am mostly after the general ambiance - a good example would be "Valhalla Rising", "Antichrist" or "The Witch".
Trailer for Valhalla Rising
Kim: Have you ever had to worry about people stealing your work, or passing it off as their own?
Daria: No, not really. I mean as soon as you publish your work online, it’s practically inevitable - someone will repost it without giving credits or will attempt to print it. And if you have the wide audience, you can’t really control that. I don’t get mad when it happens and I accidentally find out - I just accept it as a given.
Kim: Still, it must be frustrating. Do you ever try and do something about it?
Daria: Asking the people to give me credit or take it down - sometimes it works :)
Kim: It seems as though you are constantly striving to capture a particular mood or feeling. What drives you? What are you chasing?
Daria: Erhm, totally stuck here :D
Kim: I guess what I'm looking for here is insights into why you are drawn to creating images in the style that you do. Some people prefer to capture gritty realism, or wild landscapes, or lines in architecture, or even abstract shapes and colours. Some people are seeking adoration, while others feel driven to create as though it is outside their control, and for some it is cathartic - a way of trying to heal deep wounds. There are so many different reasons photographers (indeed any artists) keep at their work, even though it takes up a lot of their time, often for very little financial reward.
Daria: I think in the beginning it was more of attention seeking. I remember feeling stressed because I told myself I have to release an image per week, to keep the interest, otherwise I will be forgotten.
After certain events in my life, a couple of years later, it became much more deep and personal - I shared my stories, and it definitely was some sort of therapy for me - most of my self-portraits represent to me exactly that.
Melancholia
When my life got stable again, I realized I don’t have that much to say anymore because I am calm and happy, hence I don’t need the therapy. I was stuck for over a year in an artistic limbo until inspiration got back to me, and this time it was more remote and abstract, not as personal. Perhaps because of that I started working with other models - and thus my Scandinavian-inspired ritual series was born. That I guess is more of a study, it’s still sharing but it’s not personal anymore.
I think others’ feedback continues to play an important part in my artistic life - insecure as I am, I need a constant confirmation of my worth.
And there is definitely some universal, somewhat subconscious, need to create in general - I can’t not, and I’m having hard times imagining myself not taking pictures at all, I am quite sure this is something that will always stay with me.
Kim: I appreciate the honesty of your response and can identify with much of what you say. What direction do you see your photography moving in next?
Daria: I honestly don’t know.
At this point I feel that I have had enough exhibitions and after my two upcoming solo shows this June in Belgium and Finland I plan to take a long break. I will definitely continue working but perhaps this time it will be more private, for myself, rather than for exposing it.
My focus has been shifted to other projects, namely my own jewelry brand, and I guess for now I will shoot mostly in context with it.
Kim: This sounds like an interesting development - tell me more about your jewellery - what drew you to the idea of creating it?
Daria: Thrjar (from Icelandic pl. f. of “three”) is my side project that was born in November 2015. It’s my own jewelry line, made of oxidized silver and heavily inspired by runes and nature. I think I wanted to try something more tangible than moving around pixels, and I felt greatly motivated by the idea of designing my own adornments.
The site www.thrjar.com was officially launched a few weeks ago and I am overwhelmed by the positive response I got so far - I suppose people can see that it was made with love and inspiration.
Kim: Do you see connection between your style of jewellery and your style of photography?
Daria: There is definitely a link between my images and visual representation of the brand - and that was actually the point : I didn’t want to drop photography for good and instead planned to intertwine the two and work on them simultaneously.
Kim: Norway is definitely on my list of must-visit places - do you have any plans to visit Scotland?
Daria: Oh yes, absolutely! It’s pretty much in my top 3 to-visit countries, together with Iceland and Japan - I sincerely hope I will have the opportunity to do it sometime soon :)
Kim: If you make it over here, let me know so I can take you to one of the best places for hot chocolate in the area. Many thanks for your time and sharing your insights into your amazing photography. I wish you every success with your exhibitions and jewellery.
Daria: Ah, I will never say no to chocolate in any form! Thank you very much for having me here and for this interesting dialogue - its been a real pleasure. I hope our paths will cross either on Scottish or Norwegian soil :)
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If this has whetted your appetite for more of Daria's work, then you can discover much more on her website and social media sites here:
