Hayley Slater Photographer [contact with industry]

For my contact with a professional in the creative industry, I was put in touch with a photographer. Photography has been a passion of mine for many years but only recently have i had the urge to pick it up again. Photography has been really a useful tool with helping me to develop my work and ideas. Being able to ask another professional photographer questions has given me confidence to carry on with this hobby.

Q1. What do you find interesting as a photographic subject?

Hayley explained that she likes to have an artistic quality to her work. She is interested in many artists such as Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth. She finds that thinking of her images as paintings and not just quick snaps that helped her to find a style that is quite different. Her images and kept raw and organic and any visual manipulation is done with camera techniques rather than postproduction,this is referred to as 'in camera'.

Q2. When composing an image what do you look for?

Hayley describes her work as a visceral response to her subjects. She takes an image that is interesting to her and she states that using her gut helps her to not over analyse an image. Hayley strongly reiterates the importance of seeing and not just looking when photographing your subjects. When looking at her her work it is clear to see that she has good compositional skills and the capability to capture a subject we might find ourselves normally unaware of. Her collection is made up of solitary buildings, architecture and unusual landscapes. Some images captured are of a time of day interesting to most, but this has given a beautiful, surreal effect to her images that encompasses an ageless, unclutted look to her work.

Q3. Who do you look to for inspiration?

Sally Mann another photographer, is a favorite of Hayley's. What she really likes is painted imagery and likes to try and achieve this effect within her work. She is also very interested in experimenting with her photography and wet plate photography is a new passion for her. Pushing boundaries with her work is what keeps her work interesting.

Q4.What advice can you give me to help me produce more interesting images?

To keep practicing with the basics. To buy an old film camera as you need to have truly mastered that first. This will then enable the photographer to understand how a camera really works. You need to know how everything is attached and what job each component does in order for it to function. She states that so many people take many images because they shoot from a digital base instead of using the skills to take a few good shots. Understanding lighting, shutter speeds and aperture openings help make a more exciting, controlled image and a knowledge of composition.