Photography Q&A

Hello All!

Many of you have been asking some amazing questions about my photography practice, so I wanted to create a blog post featuring the most common ones!

xo,

Kerstin

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

My father was an amateur hobbyist photographer for most of his adult life. There are currently still at least a dozen or more 72 -quart-bins full of his photographs from over the years featuring family, architecture, florals, cars, and anything else he encountered on his adventures in the Air Force. He taught me in elementary school how to pull focus and set up shots with his 35mm 1970s Canon. When he bought himself a digital camera, I inherited the Canon. ​I used my photography as reference or collage photos for my painting, drawing, and mixed media works for years. In AP Art in high school, I was introduced to photography as fine art and started viewing my photography as another branch of my artistic tree. ​

It's funny how synchronicity in life works; my older brother, for the past couple of years, has started to pursue landscape, nature, and underwater photography based on his travels in the army and life, parallel to almost the same age my father himself started photography. For some context regarding my brother's chosen subjects, he is a Master Scuba Diver, loves all sports, and continuously is camping, hiking, and rock climbing. It is sometimes hard to keep up with him. ​

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECTS TO CAPTURE? I prefer to take pictures of landscapes, horizons, flora, and architecture; however, I am open to anything that truly catches my eye regarding light, shadows, juxtaposing compositions, or slice-of-life moments. ​ WHAT CAMERA DO YOU USE FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY? I have been switching between a Sony a600 with a 16-50mm lens and a Canon D6300 since fall 2020.

WHAT CAMERA DID YOU START WITH? For most of my photography before summer 2011, I used small Sony digital cameras that I borrowed from my parents (I have no idea what models). Between 2010 and 2011, my photography was created using my father's 1970's Canon AE-1, using 35mm film with a 16-50mm, and 70-300mm Lens.

After I graduated high school, I was gifted a digital Nikon D300, which I still use intermittently today. I also have countless 18 and 35mm photo and film cameras that I have collected from thrift shops and resale stores that I use for specialty works. ​ WHAT PROGRAMS DO YOU USE TO EDIT YOUR PHOTOS? For my digital photography, I use photoshop to edit and enhance my works. I utilize multiple other programs for social media photography. ​ I do not edit my 35mm photography, though I sometimes alter it after printing with paints and collage.

WHERE DO YOU SELL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS?

I sell licenses for some of my 'stock' photography through Alamy and Shutterstock.

Select works I will shortly be selling as limited edition prints in my online store.

CAN I USE YOUR PHOTOS FOR MY SITE?

Thank you for asking, but no, all of my images are copyrighted.

​ WHERE CAN I GET 35mm FILM DEVELOPED? You can drop off your 35mm film or disposable cameras at most CVS locations. If nothing is local, you can ship it to The Dark Room, specializing in specialty film sizes and negatives. ​ You can probably find professional specialty dark rooms in larger metropolitan areas that will develop them in more extensive and higher quality sizes, or you can also go old school and develop them yourself in an at-home darkroom. ​ WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHERS? Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Margaret Bourke-White, Gordon Parks, and Berenice Abbott. ​ ​ ​