Focus On: Schugirl

Simplicity

Self-Discovery Through Photography.

Imagine the pathway you create as you live your life. It follows a straight course for awhile, and then you find it making switchbacks as you head up a hilly stretch before you head down a slope and make more zigzags to keep from descending too quickly. Now think about the pattern all our combined trails would make if we'd put them on some kind of a map!

Here's the story of Susan Schumann of Schugirl Photography. She's a new member of the POE and fairly new to Etsy. Sue's path is most definitely an interesting one --

Spirituality

Ann: Your Etsy shop profile tells us you went to Rhode Island School of Design (way cool!). Tell us your path to art and photography.

Sue: I'm pretty new to photography -- about 8 years, but I think I've photographed for my whole life, just without the equipment. I can remember sitting in the back seat on long rides and just watching as the composition outside my window changed as the car moved. I still do this today. I also remember watching the neighborhood change as the lighting changed. As a child, my favorite time of day was 7 p.m. in the summertime. The sun casts such beautiful shadows of the trees onto the streets where I played. I'm actually sort of glad I didn't have a camera back then. I think it helped to develop my eye before I could rely on the camera to frame shots.

Winter Sunset

I was always interested in art, too. After teaching four years of elementary education in southern California, I became disillusioned that my expectations for my career and success were drastically different from reality. So my husband, a graphic designer, and I decided to move back East to be closer to family. I took a job teaching 7th and 8th graders English as a second language in an urban setting. I enjoyed the older kids more, but something was still missing. My husband has always been supportive of my exploring the arts. So I enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design for advertising and print design, in an 18-class program I finished in three years. One of the classes was a black & white photography class with a darkroom lab. I was hooked. I especially loved the darkroom.

My friends and family started asking me to shoot special occasions, and I also began doing freelance graphic design. I like to shoot anything. I especially look for interesting patterns and textures, dramatic lighting situations and strange angles. I think my portraiture is my strongest subject, and you can see some of my portraits in my shop at 1000markets.

Red

A: What's it like to go out taking photographs with you?

S: When I shoot, I like to go to a location and explore. Sometimes I spend hours photographing the strangest things and people look at me weirdly, especially when I shoot macro. I haven't quite gotten over that. I do like to shoot with other photographers -- the energy is really great. There's something about having a few creatives in close proximity that makes for awesomeness (or at least a Zen-like experience when shooting)!

Real Time

A: Have you gone 100% digital in your photographic work, or do you still manage to get into the darkroom from time to time?

S: I have made the transition to all digital, but it took me awhile. I bought a digital camera in 2003 (I still use it and have only upgraded lenses). I shot with both my digital and film camera for several years. I felt my film camera was much more intuitive than the digital, and to some degree, I still feel that way. Eventually, I made the transfer for a few reasons. First, my film camera needed repair! And, second, I was always horrible about bringing film to be developed. It wasn't easy to set up a darkroom in my house and to properly dispose of the chemicals. [Digital] post production freed me up to shoot as much as I wanted without worrying about cost.

Bridge to Nowhere

A: When you describe how you take photographs, and when I see the product of your labors in your Etsy shop, I detect a sense of patience, especially with your beach images. What's that like for you?

S: Hmmm, patience is not really a strong quality of mine. I'm sometimes impetuous when shooting, and I have to stop and remind myself to think about what I'm doing. As far as the beach scenes, they have forced me to realize something: I have always hated winter. Since I've moved back from California, I've always cursed myself for leaving the amazing weather. Since I've started on Etsy, I've dragged myself out into the cold to shoot. One of the places I've ended up is the beach, and it's the most peaceful place on earth in the winter. That's saying something, since I'm not really a beach person. It was so great to get out in the cold and walk around feeling the sun on my face (and get a runny nose, too!). So, maybe that feeling I convey isn't necessarily patience but my reverence to Mother Nature!

Summertime

A: What post-editing programs to you use to edit your digital photography?

S: I mostly use Photoshop CS3, but because I view my older photographs on Picasa. Since shooting TTV, I've started to mess around with different applications on Picasa for the final product. I can do the same thing in Photoshop, but it's quicker in Picasa. No one needs five different ways to do the same thing, which is my biggest complaint with Photoshop.

Beach Fence of Yesterday

A: What are your photographic plans for the summer?

S: This summer, I plan to go to as many different places, and to revisit some of my favorite ones as the seasons change to shoot as much as possible. I hope to list photographs daily, to actually start that blog I've set up an account for and to take creative breaks with knitting to clear my head! I've been accepted at Trunkt, so I'm hoping to upgrade there and see where that takes me. I also plan to reach out to the community to do some marketing and nonprofit/fundraising events.

Girl in Blue

A: Your portraits of Peruvians are very beautiful and very intimate. What was it like taking their portraits? What's your back story?

S: I volunteered with a friend in 2005 through Cross Cultural Solutions. Since I have a teaching background, I spent most of my time in an orphanage. I also have an interest in medical care, so I went to a clinic one day and a nursing home on another day. When I went to the nursing home, I went with a girl who was studying reflexology. I had taken a class in reflexology, so I thought it would be a great experience. It was the best day of my two weeks. To hold someone's hand and touch someone is truly a magical connection you only get with someone you are intimate with already. These women were so beautiful, and even though they spoke only Quechua, we communicated through touch. It was awesome! I can't wait to go back. I love Peru, and I would have stayed if I could have.

The Gossips

Thanks, Sue, we'll be watching your shop fill up with images of summer. Check out her website to see some of her graphic design work, and some beautiful maternity and wedding portraits. You can also see more of Sue's portraits of Peru at her 1000markets shop.

---

A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website, and say hello to her on her blog too.

Focus On: AllieArt4Children

little red shoes

Our artistic lives follow no particular pattern or shape. It is this meandering pathway which becomes part of the beauty of our artistry. Meet Allie, of AllieArt4Children, who has made a long journey to becoming an artist. She has brought with her the roots of her artistry as learned from her mother, brother and grandmother, and she has made a commitment to pass her knowledge and talent to her children.

pink water lily

Like many of us, Allie's passion began when she was quite young with a Kodak 110 camera. She always loved nature, and photography was a natural fit with her family's interests. Her mom recognized Allie's love for photography was more than a "passing interest" and gave her a 35mm film camera. A few years ago, Allie made the digital switch, and she plans to invest in a digital SLR this summer. Allie obtained darkroom experience when she worked as a technician in a neurobiology lab and as an electron microscopy technician in an EM lab, where she used microscopic cameras. A practicing pediatrician for five years, Allie decided she was missing too much of her childrens' lives and became a stay-at-home mom. Since that time, her creativity has blossomed and her Etsy shop has taken off.

My Heart Is Light

No longer spending time in the lab implementing exacting procedures, Allie now takes her children to her local botanical gardens and learned some simple lessons herself. "After many trips at different times of day, I noticed the best lighting for portraits of the children and the flowers was either early in the morning or late in the afternoon -- when the sun is low in the sky. See -- not a very technical or conventional way to come to this conclusion, but accurate." Allie also sees Etsy and the POE as a way to learn: "When I opened my shop and joined the POE team, I started up a steep learning curve. Through the generous advice and comments from the very talented members -- several of whom have become my good friends -- I have learned tremendous amounts about post-processing, collages and layers and am now really enjoying the editing portion of working with my photographs."

Once Upon A Time

We talked more about her decision to become an artist:

I think my decision to try had something to do with being away from home -- outside the box, so to speak. Trying to be an artist seemed more possible, less like a pipe dream, than it seemed while I was living a more expected life. I felt freer to try this after moving away from home. I basically spent my life doing what was expected of me, and when we moved to California, it was one of the first times I did something that made my parents unhappy -- something unexpected. I had the feeling, while I was a pediatrician and living at home, that photography just had to be my hobby, and that I couldn't really try to be a photographer. It seemed impractical and impossible. When we moved I felt freer to try, and I thought, 'why not?' So see, I think this is important. It was truly one of the biggest factors in my decision to give it a try.

little bird no. 1

Ann: You say you have had a steep learning curve. Your "eye" would suggest otherwise. Your sense of composition and your botanical knowledge is apparent in your work. You also show a childlike innocence in your photos, and it's really refreshing. Would you say you maybe felt your technical skills with photography had to catch up with your artistic side?

Allie: I would agree with what you've said, based on my experience and on those early comments about my photos. I am always surprised when someone likes my work. I shoot what I like, and my work appeals to me. When someone else appreciates it, and to have one of my photos strike a chord in someone else, is such an honor and always catches me by surprise. As far as technical skill goes, I still have a long way to go, and I'm learning every day.

...hold me

Ann: You've got a diverse body of work for sale in your shop. Are you ever surprised by what your customers purchase?

Allie: Yes, I am. There've been several times I've decided to let a listing expire and then it sells. There are others I really love and think will sell, and they are never touched. One thing I've learned from the POE team is to shoot what I love and list it -- you never know what will catch someone's eye.

...let's pretend

Ann: How do your children influence your photography?

Allie: Wow, they influence almost all, if not all, of my work. My husband shares my love of nature, and fortunately, our children do, too. Seeing their joy in the discoveries they make, the little treasures they find and want to keep, reminds me of when I was little. There are also those fleeting moments of childhood innocence that are pretty universal -- a boquet of wildflowers, images of sharing and tenderness between a parent and child or between siblings -- that I want to try to capture. Since I've started on Etsy, my children have begun to point things out for me to photograph. They'll make little arrangements, spot a frog or bird, and think of titles for my photos. 'Oh mommy, look at that! Take a picture!' is not an uncommon phrase as we drive along.

Reaching

Ann: Can you tell us a layering or collaging technique you've mastered?

Allie: I'm happy to share what's worked for me with some of my collages. Again, I mainly use trial and error here. I have a set of textures, some I've made myself and some from the flickr free texture pool (an excellent resource introduced to me by ajawin). When I have a photo I feel would make a good collage, I make several of them, using various textures and cropping, until I see something I like. Sometimes I like it immediately. More often, I wait a few days, look at them again and see if something really stands out. I've used Photoshop and Gimp, but I mainly use Picasa3 right now.

on my way

Thank you Allie!

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website, and say hello to her on her blog too.

Focus On: LeSophie

Our journey in this life has twists and kinks and stops along the way. We are a product of the decisions we make; we are a product of the opportunities we encounter. Often, we need to make sure we see all the opportunities before us, and at the same time, we need to trust our innermost feelings -- our gut instincts. Leslie Sophia Lindell is one of those artists who grabs all that life has to offer and joyously gives back to the world what her eye sees. She's a professional photographer clearly NOT jaded by what she does for a living. Her use of color, light and composition shows an enthusiasm for all aspects of her life.

little me at seven

Ann: How did you find Etsy?

Leslie: I had been an Etsy shopper for quite awhile, and I'm just in love with the fact that, as artists and art/handcraft lovers, we can reach out to one another and support small business. Another bonus is the access to the most fantastic and unique handcrafted items of ALL kinds. When I did make the decision to offer some sort of my personal work for sale, it was a natural and easy choice for me to use Etsy as my venue.

untitled flowers

A: I see from one of your blog posts you've been taking pictures since you were a teenage. Has your photographic journey been a consistent one? Can you describe your life history as a photographer?

L: I did first get a glimmer of the photo bug when I was in a high school photography class but didn't receive much encouragement at the time. It was a few years later when I was working as an assistant in the art department of A&M Records that one of my lovely bosses opened the refrigerator one day to reveal stacks and stacks of film. He looked at me and said, "Go for it." This is where I really caught the bug. I only shot black & white, pushing the film as hard and grainy as I could and developing my own prints in the lab. I had incredible freedom and didn't mind too much how I might screw up or not. But at that time in my life I still had the "it's only a hobby" attitude toward photography. Not to mention, when I moved away from Los Angeles, I moved away from that refrigerator full of free film! It would be quite a few years before I picked up the camera again. This time it would be digital. The whole world of photography had completely changed, but I found a similar freedom in being able to just shoot like crazy. There was a hook to instantly be able to see what I was getting in that little viewfinder, and to be able to load them into the computer, and "develop" them further in a new version of the print lab -- Photoshop. I was blogging and getting some reaction to some of my shots, and I started to take this feedback more and more seriously. Then the most pivotal moment of my photographic career came: I have wonderful friends and family who think I'm a great photographer, and some of them happen to be graphic/creative/art directors. Their opinions held an exciting weight and the very real possibility of making this a career. I took the leap and never looked back. I have now shot everything from a pin-up style calendar to the harvesting of olives.

the ruby slippers

A: I love how you had such a great opportunity to get into photography. This is kind of a chicken-and-egg question: Do you think the support of your artistic friends helped build your confidence, or do you think your own sense of your ability and accomplishment made your friends sit up and notice what you were doing?

L: Well, of course the easy answer is both, but if you dig deeper you get more into my belief system and the way I have always chosen to live my life. I truly believe we --as artists, yes -- but even more as human beings need to learn to trust our inner voice. Call it gut feeling, instinct, essential self, sixth sense -- whatever works best for you -- and learn to listen to it. Then, stare at any fear you may have right in the eye and try not to think of things as black/white (pardon the pun) good/bad, success/failure as they play out. I really believe taking a leap of faith gets you closer to who and what you are meant to be in this life. When you have external support it become that much easier to go for it. For me it was the final tipping point. Photography has altered my path in such an exciting way, and I could never have pursued this path without a boisterous chorus of support -- from my people and from my own self.

mr. roboto number 01

A: Do you mostly do commercial photography, or do you do a lot of portraiture work?

L: I have shot a myriad of things since I formally began my photography career, and nearly all commercial. Professionally, I am focusing on food and travel because, well, I love to cook, eat and see the world! I do really love to shoot people but find my passion and forte often tug me right back to the former. Besides, cupcakes don't mind how they look in the final edit! And then, of course, my Etsy shop is filled with a selection of my personal work which holds its own kind of you and satisfaction.

the cupcakes

A: What advice would you give to an Etsy artist who must post great photographs of their work? Any good tricks and tips that haven't been discussed in the Etsy forums?

L: Gosh, this is the hardest question for me to answer so far! I am certain I cannot think of anything which hasn't already been addressed in the truly wonderful forums on Etsy. What I will say is that one should NEVER underestimate the huge importance of the quality of your photos in an online marketplace. In this case, the old idiom "pictures speak louder than words" is true a thousand times over. Pick your favorite shops, ask yourself how their shop set-up and approach to selling appeal to you. Ask someone whose eye you trust to help you select your photos. Pay attention to which items are selling the best to gauge the market. And, of course, trust your gut!

mr. roboto number 02

A: So you love food and travel. I think that's the perfect combination (along with a little wine for good measure). How do you make this happen? Can you describe a Leslie-food-and-travel shooting day?

L: Ah yes, of course the wine as well! I definitely agree! It certainly doesn't hurt to live right in the middle of one of the best areas for food in the world. Not to mention what an excellent travel destination it is. San Francisco is a stellar city; Mount Tamalpais/Muir Woods is a coveted hiking destination; the varied and stunning Northern California beaches, and let's not forget the Sonoma and Napa wine country. My clients, for the most part, live here, too. It's a natural fit! A typical shooting day can vary widely depending on the clients' needs, but what is nearly always the same is my approach. I shoot natural light almost exclusively. I pack as little as I can in my Crumpler bag, and I like to stay under the radar. No big lighting rigs and crews for me. You might find me tucked into the corner of a busy restaurant shooting away or perhaps leaning into a plate for tight, shallow depth-of-field shots in my very own kitchen. Perhaps I'm even shooting through a frosted margarita glass on the beaches of Mexico. Now I'm ready for some clients to fly me to The Maldives or Bulgaria or Argentina, yes? Got to put your dreams out there!

cookie love

A: I notice you've done some work in the Napa Valley. How wonderful is that? Please give us some details!

L: Yes, Napa is only 40 minutes north of San Francisco, but the wine country feels worlds away. My most recent shoot in the area was for an olive oil producer, Stone Edge. The best story about this shoot is: my client was to meet me at the property at a set time. I arrived early to see how things were going, and the foreman told me the last of the olives would be stripped from the trees within 30 minutes! I had been told I'd have hours to get the shots, and had I not turned up early, I would have missed the harvest altogether. I had a moment of panic, and then I just tossed all my things to the ground and started shooting like crazy. I climbed the ladders between the workers, jumped under the trees as the last of the olives were coming down just saying, "Excuse me," and "Don't mind me," and I ended up getting some of my best work! Perhaps the adrenaline rush had something to do with it! The client showed up as the last of the olives were being loaded and hauled away. He ended up very happy.

olive harvest

A: Describe how you see yourself in five years. What are your goals?

L: Wow! I guess at this point in my life I should never be surprised about synchronicity again, but sometimes I am still so surprised! This very morning I went for a hike with my friend, Sam, and we had a long discussion about this exact topic -- where things will be five years from now! Actually, rather than a specific set of goals I choose to envision a potential outcome so there is room for other possibilities which may be in store for me. So let's say in five years I'd love to own a sweet little dream home here in Mill Valley, California. My friends will always be welcome. They will know where the extra key is hidden, and the refrigerator will always be full. That little nest will be the perfect place for me to base myself while I travel and shoot all over the world for six months of the year. This sounds absolutely ideal to me. But who knows? Perhaps the Universe has something altogether more fabulous in store for me! We'll just have to wait and see...

cuidame (take care of me)

Thank you Leslie!

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website, and say hello to her on her blog too.

Focus On: elephantdreams

My name is Ruth, and I cannot remember when I wasn't an artist.

Great Wall of China

How 'bout a great story that involves a challenge, travel, intrigue, art, and a bit of danger*? Sounds like a James Bond film, perhaps, or The DaVinci Code? Even better: Ruth Radcliffe of elephantdreams has a fascinating story of how she picked up a camera along with her paintbrush and created a blueprint and a song of her life -- a life full of inspiration and motivation. Now here's someone to travel with... do read on. This story, though a combination of our conversation and words from her profile in her Etsy shop, is entirely in Ruth's voice.

Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

How It All Begins, or, Life On a Dare:

I first picked up a camera 32 years ago when some cocky Air Force flyboys said I'd never be able to use an SLR camera because I was a girl. Ah...fighting words. My first was a camera with one 50 mm lens, and with that in hand I spent the next ten years evolving into a professional photographer and darkroom instructor. After those cute flyboys (who incidentally couldn't handle (Thai hot sauce*, either) goaded me, I took over my husband's new Canon FTB and before long I knew more about it than he did. At the time, I was pregnant with my son, and travelled around Thailand quite a bit, with my new "best friend" by my side. My son always jokes that he had a "womb with a view," which was pretty accurate. Thailand took us to San Antonio where I registered for my first photography class, and I instantly fell in love. At the time I had both my Canon and a Yashica twin-lens reflex. This class was my first taste of darkroom work, and again I fell in love, so much so I bought an enlarger and set up a rudimentary darkroom in a back laundry room. It was nothing fancy, but it was a wonderful break from motherhood into creativity. I really loved the twin-lens reflex, and since I was processing all my film, it was a blast to have such a large negative.

saving face

The Next Step in the Creative Process:

Our next move was to Midland, Texas, and there I really became intimate with the camera and darkroom work at a local college. This led to a job as a darkoom technician and part-time jobs as a freelance photographer. I'll have to admit that most of my earnings went to pay for my oil paints and other art supplies. With my darkroom job I travelled with my classes all over Texas. I got into the habit of working with more than one camera at a time, and the process of making photos was sealed with a kiss and a click.

small offerings, Bali

How Photography, Painting and Other Medium Work To Define One Artist:

Photography is a big influence on my work as an artist. What I saw and painted was colored by the visions through the lens, and I used photography to set up still-lifes and to see the possibilities of the scene at hand. I think the influence worked the other way as well. I was lucky to be able to take classes in just about anything artistic available. And [I was] even luckier to have a fantastic darkroom to work in whenever I needed it. I still did freelance work, but it wasn't my favorite thing because I never found it to be creative enough. But the exploration of paper and film was. I do miss not having a darkroom.

stained a little bit

Living Abroad Enlarges The Vision:

I lived in Asia for about 4 years starting in 2000, and I was blessed to travel to so many countries... with three cameras clicking. My main problem there was the processing. I had no control of the final stage -- the printing process. I began to crop in the camera and have all my photos printed 8x12 inches. That made for an interesting experience. I long to travel back to Malaysia and Thailand, and I hopefully have a trip in the works for next year.

landsome, ACEO


Rice Fields, Bali

Transitioning from Film to Digital:

Since returning home I've been faced with the digital camera, and I admit I'm still working on it. The photographic scene had really changed by the time I returned home and film had been replaced by digital media, and darkooms became computers and software. I bought a DSLR camera, another Canon, so my lenses weren't redundant and began a very slow (and still slow) exploration of a totally new way of looking at photography. But I still had thousands of negatives. With film I knew what to expect, and with digital I'm still learning. And then there is the computer. My goals are to learn Photoshop and be able to be more creative, and with that creativity make my work translate into my vision. I'm not there yet. As for my day job, it's a combination of scanning and manipulating all my negatives and "processing them" in the computer. Between scanning I work with fiber, mosaic tile, beads and paint. I am fortunate to be able to play to my heart's content.

Clean Sweep

The Great Debate:

I have listened with great interest to debates in the Etsy forums about the validity of computer-generated images versus darkroom-generated images. A photograph always begins, no matter how it is taken, with the image. From there it begins a journey. Whether in film form or digital, it is manipulated. In the darkroom you use the enlarger, and you project it on different films or papers, use different techniques to manipulate the image, mess with chemicals, etc., you get the idea. With digital you basically do the same thing, except the palette is wider and the creativity expands into different areas. But at the end of the day, you have a manipulated image. And if you will, or want, you can describe your different processes, but in the long run it is all the same. Whether in the dark or light you have a photo from an image made with a camera.

red offering

Inspiration:

What excites me when I take photos is color, design, patterns and repetition. This flows over into both my paintings, drawings, and mono-prints. With jewelry all of the above count, but the colors tend to be more subdued but still utilize what excites me about taking photos. I think it shows that art is interrelated no matter how it is manifested. I once did an interview, and I said I've always looked at the world the way I look through the lens. I think this is true no matter which medium I'm working in.

tools of the trade, ACEO

Dealing with Three Shops on Etsy:

As far as more than one Etsy shop, that is more complex. As you know, promotion on Etsy is really important. At the moment I'm favoring elephantdreams, because as I scan more photos, I get more excited. I'm not spending as much time working on the 2-d work in Rhadcliffedesigns. The shop I've neglected the most is my newest shop, my jewelry shop. I have so many photos to take of jewelry that I've been procrastinating adding more. The beauty of Etsy is that you don't have to spend a lot of money in starting up a new adventure. It's just easier to portray photos and other 2-d work. Plus, the other problem I see in doing more than one shop is being in the right persona at the right time. I get a little schizoid at times!

cool & green

You can visit Ruth in many places: her 3 separate shops, featuring photographs, paintings/ACEOs/prints and jewelry; and, of course, her blog.

*Thai hot sauce is very, very dangerous.

Thank you Ruth!

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A world traveler and self-taught photographer, look for Ann wandering around city streets and tromping through woods and hiking trails with her camera. After owning an international transportation business for many years, Ann has found her creative spirit again through the lens. See more at Ann's shop and her website.