Shelley Jones – Interview With The Photographer

www.sjonesfloralphotography.com
http://fineartamerica.com/customshop/shelley-jones.html

When did you first become interested in art, in general?

Generally speaking, my daughter promoted this whole venue. She would ask me to draw pictures of castles and cartoon characters. This prompted me to take the steps forward, started a new world for me.

When did you first become interested in photography, specifically?

Well I originally started out drawing and painting which led to buying a camera to post works on various sites. Then more or less fell in love with the beauty a camera captured, a beauty that I could not painting.

In what other forms of art do you also work, if any?

(Laughs) I have tinkered with many, digital art, sculpture, mixed media, hence I consider myself an “expressionist”. I express with many mediums and I am a master at none.

On which style(s) of photography do you specialize?

Mainly nature, although I do come out of the box every once in awhile with the use of computer manipulation, flip what would be just the norm into something what I consider unique.

Has your style changed from when you first began?

Yes and no, I still love to capture nature as is, but as I said before I love “tweaking”……..sometimes tweaking to the point that no one else understands it but me.

What kind of equipment do you use?

I have three cameras, all Sony’s, all digital. Have a few lenses…….examples would be macro, uv filter. I work from a desktop pc and a few programs to tinker with, Picasa, Sketchbook pro, Adobe Photo Elements, and a Wacom pen and tablet. . I usually don’t use a tripod, I trained myself to hold the camera a certain way, works most of the time.

What made you choose that equipment?

Well………I had help on that. It was one of those this is what I want to do, give me the best options.

How do you choose what you’re going to photograph?

I don’t. I set out to take a picture and nature presents itself to me.

What kind of editing do you perform on your photographs?

If it’s what I consider a pretty good shot, not much. I may crop a little to bring the main subject up closer. If it’s not so good then I start tinkering, using bits or pieces in digital art form.

How much time (on average) does it take to complete a work?

With photography it’s hard to say, at least it is for me. I could sit for hours waiting for something to present itself, a bird or butterfly, then other times it sneaks up and miss it totally. Those little buggers are sometimes very unpredictable.

How do you know when a piece is finished? Is it easy to walk away?

No jitters or jumps, no hands or feet in the picture, clear, colors pop it easy to walk away. If I have to squint or get out the magnifying glass to see the subject I will do some cropping.

What do you do to overcome a ‘block’?

I just walk away, nature has a way to present itself most of the time willingly. To sit with camera in hand waiting for that perfect picture to jump out………to me, isn’t waste of precious time, it’s relaxing, plus it gives me reason to be doing nothing…. like laundry. HA!

How well do you take criticism and how do you make use of it?

I don’t think anyone can criticize me more than myself. I am my own worse nightmare.

Who is your favourite photographer?

The brilliancy of Ansel Adam’s nature black and whites. Honestly, I have more favorite painters, Picasso, Monet, O’Keeffe, and Matisse to name a few.

Which one of your photographs is your favourite?

I am going to cheat and say two, Hangin On and Nature’s Prayer. Love those little feet wrapped around the stem of the flower and Natures prayer was a answered prayer, to me was a very unique shot.

Have you exhibited any of your work in galleries?

Only one so far, right now I am just online, the world wide spider web.

Will your work be included at any upcoming contests or galleries?

Hope so, but nothing in the near future.

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to keep growing as an “artist”, whether it be photography or a different medium in the future I don’t know. As I said I am “expressing” right now. Other priorities are in my main realm, they are first and foremost. I have two pots, one is my family, the other is art. Family is always on full boil. Art is on simmer sometimes.

What advice do you have for budding photographers?

Plan on taking lots and lots of pictures, then plan on deleting lots and lots. Don’t get discouraged if you spend a day taking 100’s of pictures only to keep just one.

Have you done any courses to help you?

I have taken a few classes mainly painting classes, but mainly self-taught. I have numerous books, practically have my own art library.

What do you do to market your work?

So far word of mouth and just online. I need to work on that!

Do you use social networking in your day to day life?

I am on facebook and wacom community, that’s about it so far. Shelley Jones

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Are you available for work (commissions)?

Right now no, maybe someday, but……….for now no.

Have you got hobbies?

Ummm, other than playing with different mediums of art and reading, nope!

Where are you based?

At home, ha ha! Good Ole Kentucky and yes I wear shoes.

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Tags: Adobe Photo, Art Sculpture, Cartoon Characters, Computer Manipulation, Desktop Pc, digital art, Expressionist, Laughs, Mediums, Norm, Paint, painting, photographer, Pictures Of Castles, Shelley Jones, Sketchbook, Tweaking, Uv Filter, Venue, Wacom Pen

This entry was posted on Monday, September 7th, 2009 at 00:03 and is filed under Art Room, INTERVIEWS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.