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Karen Stuebing – Interview With The Photographer
http://photographyforbeginners.wordpress.com
When did you first become interested in art, in general?
Reading Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. I loved the illustrations. I really can’t remember how old I was.
When did you first become interested in photography, specifically?
When my father got a Poloroid camera which I took over. I was about 10 at the time. Later in my teens I got my first film camera which was a Pentax and a friend had a darkroom and we shot black and white and developed the film.
In what other forms of art do you also work, if any?
I sketch in pencil but I wouldn’t call it art. 
I do it to keep my right brain active.
On which style(s) of photography do you specialize?
I have no particular genre. I shoot everything from street photography, people, abstracts, scenics and wildlife. Each has its own particular challenges. I have been called a photojournalist because many of my photos tell a story and I have had them published in newspapers and magazines. However, I don’t like being labelled as it is limiting.
Has your style changed from when you first began?
When I first started shooting with the Poloroid, the idea was to take photos of the family. However, I had different ideas and began to experiment. In a way, it was like digital because you saw the photo right away. I was always interested in abstract expression and lines and light. Later I focused more on scenic photos taken while traveling from the east coast to the west coast. At some point, I also began shooting street photography. People who looked down and out were interesting to me. Now, I am very eclectic. Living in southern West Virginia in the Applachian Highlands, you just can’t not shoot scenics or wlildlife. I love the mixture of old and new and am fascinated by rural decay as well.
- Untitled BW ©Karen Stuebing
What kind of equipment do you use?
I use a Pentax K10D. My main lens is the Pentax smc P-DA 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 . I also have an Olympus C5050Z and a Panasonic FZ5.
What made you choose that equipment?
The Olympus 5050 was my first digital camera. It allowed me to shoot in RAW, had a very fast lens for low light photos and manual controls. When I decided to get a DSLR, I chose Pentax for price, features and because my first film camera was a Pentax. I still use the Olympus as well.
How do you choose what you’re going to photograph?
I don’t always choose it. It usually chooses me. My camera is always with me and my eye is always searching. It might be a fallen leaf that catches my eye or the way light and shadow play on a particular scene. An old barn or a magnificent buck looking at me. I just never know.
- We all Scream for Ice Cream @Karen Stuebing
What kind of editing do you perform on your photographs, if any?
My workflow is usually simple. Levels or curves and sharpening. If the photo needs a lot of post editing then it wasn’t good enough to begin with. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with digital painting effects. Not heavily but with a soft touch. It works for some things but not all.
How much time (on average) does it take to complete a work?
I would say I can spend anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour developing and post processing a photograph in Photoshop.
- Milkweed @Karen Stuebing
How do you know when a piece is finished? Is it easy to walk away?
I am constantly redoing photos and trying out different things. I might have 10 versions of one photo. It’s very hard to decide sometimes.
What do you do to overcome a ‘block’?
I go macro. I don’t let myself shoot anything but close ups. It is almost always abstract and stimulates my creativity. I try to take at least one keeper a day.
How well do you take criticism and how do you make use of it?
I’d say I take it very well and always am open to advice and new techniques. I know I am not the best judge of what is appealing to others.
Who is your favourite photographer?
I have two. Edward Steichen and Annie Leibovitz.
Which one of your photographs is your favourite?
I haven’t taken it yet.
- Climate Control @Karen Stuebing
What are your plans for the future?
To keep shooting and learning and being inspired by all the fine photographers out there..
What advice do you have for budding photographers?
Learn the rules and then break them. Shoot whatever catches your fancy. Untrained photographers take some of the best photos I’ve ever seen.
Have you done any courses to help you?
I have taken courses in photography and Photoshop.
What do you do to market your work?
So far not much. People seem to find me on Pbase.com through Google and email me requests. I’ve sold one print on Fine Art America and I’m with a stock agency where I haven’t sold any. Pbase is my main source of sales.
Do you use social networking in your day to day life?
I’m not really into the whole social networking thing. It seems too time consuming to me and I really don’t care if Missy went to the grocery store and found a bargain on toilet paper. I do have a Facebook page though but I haven’t done much with it.
- Brushy Creek @Karen Stuebing
Are you available for work (commissions)?
Yes.
Have you got hobbies?
Extreme hiking.
Where are you based?
Southern West Virginia.
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