merry christmas

photographer feature: laura makabresku

It's been quite a while since I've done a photographer feature so I'm excited to post this one.  I have loved Laura's work from afar for a while now so I was extremely thrilled when she agreed to answer my questions and allow me to feature her work on Penny Laine!  I feel a little bad because I have held on to this interview for a few weeks, but I have been a very bad blogger.  Thank you so much Laura for this interview, I love your work!


Name

Laura Makabresku

Blog | Flickr | Print Shop

Age

24

Location

Polska

What sparked your interest in photography?

I think that it is darkness in me, that needs to get out, needs to express - this darkness makes the pain which needs to be healed with art. it is a vicious circle. without beginning and ending.

Who are some of your favorite photographers?

Alison Scarpulla, Ellen Rogers, Aëla Labbé, Sofia Ajram, Hortense Lagrange, Margaret Durow, Heiner Luepke, Robin Mellway, and Robert Moses Joyce

Do you have any formal education in photography or are you self taught?

No, I've learnt everything by myself.

Is photography your career?

I don't know if it would be right to tell that it is my career. I treat it completely different. Though, I'm happy and proud for every distinction, publication, interview, many of my recent photos ends up not published anywhere, I don't show them to anyone, I even tend to avoid them.

Are you currently working on any photography projects?

I have lots of ideas, but recently there is lots of sadness and passivity in me that I can't break and which block me in realizing any of them. I try to make a video - I have a script, all I need is to get out of home to take first scenes, but... it can't be done. I can't. and it hurts most now.

What is your favorite thing to photograph and why?

every symptoms of sensitivity and darkness. aspecially, I like to take photos of silence hidden in dead animals - these which can be met in forests, on a snow, or stuffed. they hide many of untold tales, which I try to evoke, evolve and tell with my photos. I like to take pictures of my Lad with me - it helps to see yourself from a distance, cut off from a real world - make different, fairy world, only ours.

Where do you find and how do you instruct your models?

Usually it is me and my Lad. but there were few times when I took photos of some people - usually it was people who were close to me in some way, and who now about my "weird things" so they weren't suprised when I told them to make a wound on their body for me. I always tell them a fairy tale which I would like to express in photos. we often drink wine or somehting like that. it's easier this way. darkness and instincts must be set free.

Do you listen to music while you shoot? If so, what is on your photo shoot play list?

I sometimes listen to music when I'm take photos at home. it depends on the mood, but it is rather new wave music, sometimes progressive, psychedelic rock, sometimes jazz. I like music that I know really well, music which means something to me. Examples of more known artists: Doors, Joy Division, Cure, Stranglers, King Crimson, Out of Focus, Gaa, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Paul Desmond, Glenn Gould, and many, many more.

What is in your camera bag?

Lots of analog cameras - zenits, canons, kiev, etc.

What is your favorite lens and why?

I like prime lenses because they give best blurs and very good sharpness. I aspecially like helios lenses - these are fine piece of work which can be find on ebay at reasonable prices.

Where do you find inspiration?

my imagination sends me many of pictures which ispires me - when sleeping, when in mania time (which, in contrary to depression time, brings really amazing feelings and lets to create without end). beside that.. i'm of course inspired by other photographers and painters, and movie directors. i'm a visual kind of person, so visual things affects me strongest.

What are your future photography goals?

my goal is to make a short movie - photography started to be painful - in the same way as writing poems, that it started to limitate me. imagination is still evolving, wants more and stronger - this is why i seek for new tools. i hope that movie will be that tool.

Three interesting facts about yourself?

my private life is strongly controversial and i try not to talk about it "in public". and i usually say, that i don't have anything in common with me.

What, if anything, do you do to promote your photography?

i think that publishing photos on such websites like flickr, deviantart, tumblr, blogspot or facebook fan page gives a really good chance to promote your art. besides, there are always some kind people, like you, who draw up blogs with art of many people and it does promote.

christmas spirit, christmas wish list

a reminder to everyone... just breathe, try to stay sane during the holiday seasons xoxo

here's most of what is on my amazon.com wishlist right now:

i'm hesitant to even give the link out to family members because most of the stuff that i've had on there in the past has been my ultimate photo gear bookmark with ridiculously expensive items on it, but i have rounded out the list now that it's too close to christmas to ask for things haha.

oh yeah and the rest of my wishlist is for my entire house to be refurnished with ikea things... why can't we have one less than 4 hours away from my house?!  i drool [and cry a little] every time i get a catalog.

what did you ask santa for this year?

tilt | things i love thursday

• christmas things...  cookies, hot chocolate, snuggling under warm blankets with my baby, having amazing christmas photos taken by my good friend katie estes, time off from work, everything about christmas [other than the stress of trying to find perfect presents for everyone without spending my life savings]
• my good friend katie estes moving back to town so i finally have someone to make art and amazing photography with...  her stuff is in her new place, but she won't be living here for over a week and the anticipating is killing me.
• my photography being shown in places [floyd tattoo and arts gallery in my old hometown floyd, va and the photocopy club exhibit in brighton, uk] and a couple of my photos were featured in the recent food issue of apricot magazine [pg 46-49]
• the updated version of blogger.  i was using the old version forever and karly and i have a blog together called chaque-semaine and every time i touched it i ruined the whole thing, switched to new blogger and no more issues.

i've been focusing on trying to earn some income on photography lately so sorry i have been absent here..  i have been updating my photography blog but lately it's been mostly family holiday photos.  i'm going to try to be a better blogger i promise!  i have a really amazing photographer feature queued up for next wednesday [december 14].  and now that it's cold i don't want to go outside which means less pictures and more time in front of my computer screen.  christmasy posts coming up soon.

and yes, my boyfriend is more than a foot taller than me and my baby's hair is made out of cotton candy.

merry christmas card

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.



remember a couple months ago when i had the shutterfly holiday card giveaway?  well i finally placed my order and here's my christmas card for this year yay!  the photo was taken by my good friend katie estes who will be my photography business partner soon!

i went with the initial wreath card even though we don't have the same last name... oh the joys of being an unmarried happy little family at the holidays :)