Blog on Photoblogs

I recently discovered Amanda’s work and spent quite a bit of time exploring her photo blog entitled Monmarte and her Flickr feed, both of which contain some really inspiring work.

I think what drew me to her work in the first place was the the emotion her imagery was able to conjure up, it just made me feel happy! :)  The soft tones and the desaturation just seem to work and really help to set a mood in her work.

Her simple photo blog layout is refeshing and really draws your eye directly to the photography rather than the surrounding site design - more folks should build their photoblogs in this manner.

Amanda recently took some time to answer some questions for me.  I hope that you enjoy the interview and I strongly suggest that you check out her work on Monmarte, and her great Flickr feed!

BOPB: When did you first discover photography and at what point did it become more serious?
Amanda: Oh I’ve loved it since I was a little girl and always wanted to be on the newspaper team in high school. I noticed senior girls with SLRs walking around my school campus and wanted to be like them when I grew up. I got serious about it when I got my first film SLR in my early 20s.

What was your first camera, and what do you currently shoot with?
My first camera was a long, skinny Kodak point and shoot when I was about 9. It was hot pink and I loved it!
I currently shoot with a Canon 40D, Nikon FM3A, Yashica Mat 124 and a Polaroid SX 70.

What’s the one piece of equipment that you could not live without?
Polaroid film. Unfortunately I am going to have to very soon.

(BOPB: Although I have almost entirely switched to digital, the day this happens will really be a shame.  I still feel guilty waking by my Mamiya RB67!)

What made you decide to start a photo blog in the first place?
Oh it was many years ago now. I think I discovered photoblogs like Chicago Uncommon and wanted to share my work in the same way.  I wanted it to help me develop as a photographer and it truly did.

What platform does your blog currently run on and why did you choose that platform over others?
I have finally moved it over to Wordpress. I originally used Moveable Type, then migrated to Pixelpost but have recently changed it over. I have had a wordpress blog for many years and just much prefer the ease of posting with that software.  The only reason I didn’t use Wordpress long ago was because the templates were never designed for photoblogs. That has all changed now and I’m very happy!

If you were able to give one single piece of advice to a photographer who was considering starting their own blog what would it be?
Shoot when you want to and shoot for meaning. I started out as a daily blog and it became a chore. Its great to shoot as often as you can but once you put limits and deadlines on your art, it becomes tiresome.
Photography should never be like that.

I noticed that you recently purchased a Yashica Mat 124, what lured you back to film?
Oh I never swayed away from it. I started out with film long ago and have never given it away. I do love the ease of digital and I think I have become a much better photographer through playing around with digital however to me, film is what its all about. I love the imperfection, the light that is captured, the tones and saturations.  A lot of people say you can create the look of film in photoshop. I don’t really agree yet. Believe me, I try.  It may be a little more costly, but to me there is something magical about film, about waiting to see what you captured on a roll and most importantly, we take more care with film.
I don’t want it to ever die but I’m very scared it will.

Why a Flickr account as well as your blog?
I debated this myself for a long time when I started a Flickr account.  Flickr is far more community oriented than a blog. I put my favourite work on my blog and use it to showcase my ‘best’, I guess. Flickr is fun, addictive and I have access to lots of photographs and people. Its a community of like minded people. I love that.

What has been your most effective method of attracting new visitors to your blog?
I honestly don’t try too much but I do get a lot of people coming to my site through photoblogs.org. I made it into their Hall of Fame, so that sends a fair bit of traffic my way.  If you actively want to seek out visitors, it pays to comment on other people’s work and get your site listed in photoblog directories like VFXY and Cool Photoblogs.

Do you mind sharing some tips on your digital workflow with us?
I am a fan of low saturated tones and subtle colours. I play around a lot with the saturation and curves tools.
I really do like to create a film look to my shots but they often don’t come out that way.  Having sharp photos is your biggest help. I use the smart sharpen tool in photoshop as it is quite subtle. I have a few bought actions that I play with but no photograph is ever the same. If I use actions, I will run them and then tweak them to my own liking. I never use them as they were supposed to be used.  It all takes practice and playing around with a style that you like. I actually need some lessons as I’m hitting a wall with my skills!

Where do you see your photoblog in say 3-5 years from now?
Oh goodness, hopefully evolved in some way. I’ve had it for probably 5 yrs now and it has gone through so many changes already. I don’t see the photoblog itself taking on any new direction, but I would hope that my photography has. I want to do a lot more portrait work in the coming couple of years.  I get a lot of people asking me to shoot their weddings through them finding my photoblog. It was a music blog there for a while, so I’m constantly changing. I hope it will just show a photographer who has grown and experienced new things. That’s what photography is all about to me.

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