Old and New

I got an email a couple of weeks ago from Lumina Romanycia , a second year student from the Professional Photo imaging program at Langara college. She asked if I might be a subject for an industry profile assignment her class was doing. I am all about sharing my knowledge and passion for photography, and have done so through the years as a custom photo lab printer, a sales person of camera gear, through mentoring programs such as the one CAPIC runs, and with anybody who really wants some insight.  After Lumina and her friend Abbye Dahl did the interview with me, I thought it might be fun to turn the table on Lumina and ask her some questions too.


WD: I would assume you have been interested in photography for some time, what made you decide to go back to school and make it your career?

LR: I’ve always been a creative person, I first picked up a camera when I was ten, and had an on and off affair with photography (and creative writing) all my life.
I left my job as an Executive Assistant several years ago and took a leap into the unknown. I was good at it but the lack of creativity was killing me inside. During that time a friend asked me to shoot some publicity images for his local blues band. Immediately it felt right and a sense of “flow” clicked in the experience. I saw that photography as a career could bring together all the things I’d been working on separately – rapport with people, customer relationship management, good business practices, the high of technical skill, working under pressure and being quick, being organized, and finally the joy of creating and seeing. I freelanced for a year to make sure I was serious, then decided on Langara because the curriculum was commercially oriented and they had a reputation for being tough.


WD: You came to chat with me because you are leaning toward portraiture.. what is it about this type of photography that draws you to it?

LR: I knew from the beginning that I would do portraiture, just trying to find what specific varieties to pursue.
Working with people is unpredictable, evanescent, and in some cases intimate, I love that. If I can capture a spark of personality and soul, it’s an honor to offer its image back to the subject. Perhaps show them a side of themselves they didn’t realize, or honor their qualities and experiences – when photography can be personally trans-formative, that’s a real high for me. I resonated right away with your story of doing portraits for Kim Tempest. Although I know most of my work will be market-driven and under time pressure, that kind of session would be at the core of why this career is worthwhile. That’s why I came to chat with you, because I saw that intimate quality in your portraits.


WD: Who would be the one person you would really love to photograph and why?

LR: I would love to photograph a transgender woman or man who is pleased with their transformational journey, in a formal portrait style. I have some kinship with the topic and my kind of statement is to call it ordinary, real life, a non-statement, just beauty. I think the most powerful kind of portrait photography is where the photographer does not come in with a predetermined idea of how to present the subject. Instead there is some danger in confronting ourselves and becoming known to each other within the process. Occasionally I’ve had the luxury of shooting a session like this and the final images are way more authentic.


Here is the final assignment that Lumina created.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 25th, 2010 at 9:33 pm