Artist's Eye

Zionshore of Etsy put together this beautiful treasury and included my "They Don't Make Buildings Like Me Anymore" photograph. If you like what you see, please visit the treasury, click and comment.

Artist's Eye

FINE Art Photography by Maleah Matthews

I always knew there were many GREAT photographers on Etsy and I have featured some in the past but Facebook fan pages has introduced me to several more, including Maleah Matthews of Urban Design Photography. Each of Maleah's photographs captures a deep emotion and the result is a shop full of stunning fine art photography, ... and her photo blocks are so original and make me want to stack them in my living room. As manu of you know, when I find a shop I REALLY like, I ask the artist some questions. Below are Maleah's answers.

NM: How would you describe your photography?
MM: Oh this is something I really struggle with. It's a fusion of texture meets grunge, meets airy nature, meets vintage photography all rolled up into one.

NM: How long have you been doing photography for?
MM: I've always had a camera around but I got serious about photography in April of '08. So just over a year.

NM: How did you get into this line of work/hobby?
MM: This is where it gets weird, lol! I actually started out on Etsy last year selling jewelry. My photos were bad, bad, bad, so I set about trying to make them pretty. Through that process, purchased a new camera and gradually found I liked taking pictures better than I liked making jewelry. I haven't made jewelry since!
NM: That is a great story! Your work really shows you love it.

NM: Do you do this full time?
MM: No this is a hobby for me. I would love to have it grow into more in the future though.

NM: What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?
MM: Right now it is my newest my photo, New Beginnings. I like it because it has some of my favorite colors and a certain airy feel to it, ... and I had fun creating it!

NM: What are some of your favorite handmade shops or items online?
MM: Oh, wow! Choosing is hard! I have sooo many faves, but here we go: ImeonDesign, 3squares, SaidInStone and TickledPinkKnits

NM: How do you attract people to your shop? Where/how do you promote your shop?
MM: I have been lucky to have some great blogs do features on my work. I have found that seems to generate lots of traffic. The only advertising I have done is on Facebook and I have purchased some Etsy showcases.
NM: Well, you ae doing something right! You currently have 131 sales on Etsy.

NM: What advice can you offer other handmade sellers to boost their sales?
MM: Learn as much as you can about your target market. I've done lots of reading in the Etsy storque articles and the forums, where I've learned tons from other sellers. I think focusing on a few things for promoting yourself and do them well. I'm still working on this!

NM: Are your items available anywhere other than Etsy?
MM: Yes, they are available in a couple stores in Oregon.

NM: Do you have a blog? If so, please tell us a little bit about it.
MM: Yes, it is mostly about my photography but is sometimes sprinkled with other bits of randomness.

NM: Tell us something interesting about yourself.
MM: I love to be outdoors with my kids. No better way to spend a day!


Business Information

Name: Maleah Matthews

Business/Shop Name: Urban Design Photography

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Etsy URL: urbandesign.etsy.com

Blog URL: urbandj.blogspot.com

Twitter: twitter.com/urbandesign

FB Fan Page: facebook.com/pages/Urban-Design-Photography/86438245904

Weekly Giveaway - June 8-14, 2009 - Artgasm Design

Enter this week's giveaway for a chance to win an 8x10 print of your choice (valued at $20.00) from Artgasm Design
This giveaway is open to U.S. contestants only. Prize will not be shipped outside the U.S.

How it works:
Every Monday, Nature Manipulated hosts a giveaway from a fabulous Etsy or Artfire shop. For a chance to win the prize you must leave a comment on NM's blog (to this post) with the following items:

1) A link to your favorite item in the featured seller's shop
2) Your contact information (email, Etsy or Artfire shop URL)

If you do not include BOTH items in the comments your entry will not be included.

The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, June 14, 2009. The following Monday, I will pick the winners at random and contact the winners via email or Etsy/Artfire convo.

One entry per person.

Artgasm Design is run by a couple, local to Portland, Oregon, who loves to create. Artgasm's owners are writers, painters, sculpters... , artists in general. They feel that life is so much more fulfilling when you are able to let out the beauty you hold inside. They live what they believe to be the philosophy of "artgasm". "Artgasm" simply put means not limiting yourself as an artist. Using and playing with as many materials as possible. And that is what you will find in their shop.

Every November, Artgasm's owners participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved. It is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing where participants begin writing November 1 with the goal of completing a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

New buyers, while you are looking around Artgasm's shop, please take advantage of her great offer: 10% off your first purchase. Checkout as usual and the 10% difference will be refunded to you through Paypal. New buyer sale ends June 15th.

Post a link to your favorite item from Artgasm Design, along with your contact information (email, Etsy or Artfire URL or username) for a chance to win an 8x10 print of your choice.

artgasmdesign.etsy.com

Nature Manipulated is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged items. The prize will be shipped directly from the featured seller and Nature Manipulated is not responsible if the seller does not produce the item or do so in a timely fashion. Once the winner is selected, Nature Manipulated will notify the winner and provide the winner's shipping information to the featured seller. From that point on, all questions or concerns regarding the prize should be addressed to the featured seller. By entering the requested information in the comments, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this giveaway.

Good luck and hope to see you again next Monday for another great giveaway, and throughout the week for other great features and posts.

Weekly Giveaway April 27-May 3 - Nature Manipulated

This week's giveaway is from me, Nature Manipulated. After weeks of prizes from numerous different Etsy and Artfire sellers, I decided it was time to give away something from my shop.

Enter to win Dancing Queen Carnelian Dangle Earrings from Nature Manipulated


Dancing Queen Dangle Earrings valued at $17.00

How it works:
Every Monday, Nature Manipulated hosts a giveaway from a fabulous Etsy or Artfire shop. For a chance to win the prize you must leave a comment on NM's blog (to this post) with the following items:

1) A link to your favorite item in the featured seller's shop
2) Your contact information (email, Etsy or Artfire shop URL)

If you do not include BOTH items in the comments your entry will not be included.

The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, May 3, 2009. The following Monday, I will pick the winners at random and contact the winners via email or Etsy convo.

One entry per person.

Nature Manipulated was established to create and share visual and wearable art, but most of all it was established as a reminder to everyone that jewelry is not only a pretty accessory, and photographs do not only capture beautiful images, it is also a piece of the world dangling from your ears, hanging from your neck, and wrapped around your finger, and sitting in your picture frame. Nature is a gift the earth has bestowed upon us. It is a gift that should be looked upon with envy and its beauties, in all forms should be admired and fully acknowledged.

While you are looking around Nature Manipulated, please take advantage of my Mother's Day sale: 15% off and free shipping on all necklaces (difference will be refunded through PayPal); buy two pairs of earrings and receive a free gift with your purchase.

Post a link to your favorite item from Nature Manipulated, along with your contact information (email, Etsy or Artfire URL or username) for a chance to win two great prizes.

naturemanipulated.artfire.com or naturemanipulated.etsy.com

Nature Manipulated is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged items. The prize will be shipped directly from the featured seller and Nature Manipulated is not responsible if the seller does not produce the item or do so in a timely fashion. Once the winner is selected, Nature Manipulated will notify the winner and provide the winner's shipping information to the featured seller. From that point on, all questions or concerns regarding the prize should be addressed to the featured seller. By entering the requested information in the comments, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this giveaway.

Good luck and hope to see you again next Monday for another great giveaway, and throughout the week for other great features and posts.

It's So Clear ... Black and White

Here's a spotlight I put together on Made By Hand. By Me. of some of the great Black and White photographs on Artfire.


It's So Clear... Black and White


Artists included (from top left to bottom right):

Wanderlust Designs Photography
Hours and Times
McGuinness Photography
Eternal Images
Melissa Lund
Idle Type Photography
Through her Lens
Nature Manipulated

Etsy's wickedworld Makes the Stage at the Oscars

Betina Wassermann of wickedworld.etsy.com made the stage at the Oscars without ever setting foot on it! She walked the red carpet and up to Ryan Seacrest on the neck of Mickey Rourke ... and she did it doggy style! For those of you who pay close attention to what the celebrities are wearing, you may have noticed the necklace Mr. Rourke was wearing at the 81st Annual Academy Awards (and if you weren't paying attention, you made have heard Mr. Seacrest point it out). The necklace, exhibiting a picture of Mr. Rourke's late chihuahua, Loki, was a wickedworld original. Now you must be wondering, how did Betina pull that one off? That's what I was wondering when I read about it in an AM New York article.

I contacted Betina last week to congratulate her and ask her how she did it (along with some other questions). As many of you can guess, she has been SWAMPED with orders but she managed to squeeze in a few minutes to talk to me yesterday ... This is what I learned:

Betina didn't plan on any of this happening and she definitely didn't expect the outcome. A few day's before the Oscars, Betina learned about the death of Loki. Understanding the pain of losing a beloved pet (and being the huge Mickey Rourke fan that she is), Betina thought it would be really nice to send Mr. Rourke one of her necklaces in memory of Loki. After hours and hours of research, Betina identified Mr. Rourke's publicist and sent an email asking if she could get the necklace to him. Mr. Rourke's publicist replied asking to have the necklace ASAP. Betina was so shocked when she saw him wearing it she couldn't stop screaming. Betina told me, "I was just trying to get someone through a tough time. I never thought he would wear it." Luckily, Betina recorded the Oscars! ... on VHS!

Since her major and unplanned debut at the Awards, Betina has seen a lot of traffic to her shop and lots of orders. Although her shop is filled with glass pendants, beaded jewelry and great photography, most of her customers are requesting custom orders. According to Betina, "98% of the orders are for pendants with images of pets." Betina has been incredibly busy. There is currently a 3-4 week wait on orders... but she's not complaining.

Betina is a native New Yorker with a long history of working in the arts. She graduated from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) with a degree in photography. Five or six years ago, Betina began making beaded jewelry. As the times changed and styles changed, Betina moved on to chain work and approximately one year ago, glass pendants like the one Mr. Rourke showed the world. Betina describes her work as eclectic - with a dark twist. Although her pendants may not convey her dark side, her photographs of cemeteries illuminate it. Although Betina finds cemeteries beautiful, serene and incredibly statuary, she believes what draws her there are her macabre qualities.

If you are interested in seeing more of Betina's work or placing a custom order for one of her famous custom pendants, please visit her Etsy shop. Betina's glass pendants will also be available soon in select New York City boutiques.

Betina was also featured by the New York Post and Access Hollywood

wickedworld.etsy.com

Hanging Perfection on the Wall - Photography by Lana Dashevsky

A month or two ago, I featured one of Lana's photos in a treasury I put together with some of my favorite yellow items. At that time, I did not look through Lana's entire shop. After notifying her that I featured one of her items, she contacted me asking me if I would feature her shop on my blog. Before replying to her I went back to her shop and looked around. Wow! I couldn't not look at every photograph. They were all incredible. Lana has TALENT! Her work made me rethink my photography skills. After looking around I went back to the convo page and replied to her request. Of course I would feature her! I sent her a list of questions to answer for the post. These were her answers...

1. How would you describe your shop?

I'm a professional photographer picturing weddings, babies and infants, "love stories" and women during their pregnancy. It's so fun to share with people the happiest and brightest moments of their lives! Obviously, I don't put my camera aside when I'm finishing my day work -- I keep shooting. : ) My Etsy shop is yet another way to share some of my best photos with people around the globe.


2. How long have you been making art for?

I think I've been making art for almost all my life, at least as far as I remember myself. It's more like way of life for me - I can't stop thinking of, inventing and making up some funny stuff.


3. How did you get into this line of work/hobby?

I always dreamed about being a painter. The results were quite gloomy and I was unsatisfied with the my paintings. You know, I was simply unable to express in painting my thoughts and feelings the way I'd like to. On the practical side, at age of 20 (or something like that), I started my career as a graphic designer. It definitely was fun and I liked it. Eventually it gave me invaluable experience and insight for working with an IMAGE. It was natural to take a camera one day and start shooting.


4. What is your favorite item in your shop? Why?

VENICE Your dreams.
It was taken during my honeymoon in Venice in April 2007. It took me almost a year to find a way to process the photo so it could reflect my view and perception of the incredible and magnificent city.


5. What are some of your favorite Etsy shops or items?

These are random picks from my Etsy favorites:
Fieryeyed Photography
Suzy Q Jewelry
19 Moons
julie lake


6. How do you attract people to your shop?

Frankly, I have no advertising or promotion company so far, real shame!


7. What advice can you offer other Etsy sellers to boost their sales?

When you are making art, do not ever think how to sell the stuff. Just follow your inspiration. If your art is really worth it, it will definitely find its way to buyers.


8. Are your items available anywhere other than etsy?

Yes, you can buy most of my photos from Etsy's European sister site DaWanda. My virtual shop there is lanadashevsky.dawanda.com


9. Do you have a blog? If so, tell us a little bit about it.

I'm running a blog at lanita.livejournal.com. It's updated almost every day and it has tons of my photos (everything from macro and flowers up to photo reports from my trips abroad and previews of wedding sessions). Unfortunately, it's kept mainly in Russian but you can still enjoy the pictures. : )


Business Details

Name: Lana Dashevsky

Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Website URL: http://www.lanadashevsky.com

Etsy URL: http://lanitaphoto.etsy.com

Blog URL: http://lanita.livejournal.com

Monday Giveaway - CitrusTree - Expired

I've decided to try something new on my blog and make it a bit more exciting and interactive. Starting today, every Monday I will feature a new shop with a chance to win a prize from the featured seller's shop.


How it works:
Every Monday there will be one featured seller and a giveaway. For a chance to win the prize you must post ALL of the following three things in the comments on my blog:

1) Your name
2) Your email adrress or Etsy shop URL (so I can contact you if you are the winner)
3) A link to your favorite item in the featured seller's shop.

If you do not include ALL three things in the comments your entry will not be included.

The contest will run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, February 1, 2009. The following Monday, I will announce the winner and contact you.

One entry per person.


This week's featured giveaway is from CitrusTree.

Leave a comment with the above information for a chance to win one item from CitrusTree's shop valued at $25 or under... your choice!

CitrusTree describes herself as a photographer who loves to dabble in graphic art, and if you look through her shop you will realize that description is absolutely perfect. CitrusTree's shop is full of wonderful Through the Viewfinder (TtV) prints, cards and t-shirts. I absolutely adore her TtV prints, as well as her photomontages. Maybe one day she'll be kind enough to explain to us what TtV is.

Well, I told you what I like in CitrusTee's shop, now you tell me what you like. Post your favorite item from CitrusTree's shop, along with your name and email address (or Etsy URL) for a chance to win an item of your choice from CitrusTree's shop.

While you are visiting CitrusTree's shop, take advantage of her special offer - Buy any two (2) prints get a third one (1) FREE... Lowest priced item will be refunded. At this time this promotion does not have an end date but may end at any time.

CitrusTree.etsy.com

Nature Manipulated is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged items. The prize will be shipped directly from the featured seller and Nature Manipulated is not responsible if the seller does not produce the item or do so in a timely fashion. Once the winner is selected, Nature Manipulated will notify the winner and provide the winner's shipping information to the featured seller. From that point on, all questions or concerns regarding the prize should be addressed to the featured seller. By entering the requested information in the comments, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this giveaway.

Good Luck!

Never Forget

Instead of reading, let's all take a moment of silence and remember.

Open Up and Let Me In - Doorways of the World

It's been awhile since I got a treasury on Etsy. It's so hard to that I hardly ever check anymore. Something came over me today. I looked on Treasury West to see how long before an opening. Low and behold, there were 222 lists and ten minutes before it opened, so... I waited.

This is what I came up with in ten minutes - doors, gates, locks and knobs from around the world - "Open Up and Let Me In."





This treasury features photographs from members of Photographers of Etsy (POE).





Please visit the official POE blog for more information on the Street Team.

Putting Smiles on Children's Faces

One of this month's themes for the Etsy Bloggers' Blog Carnival is favorite creations. What is my favorite creation? After thinking long and hard about all of my art, both visual and wearable, I was able to choose my favorite, "Making the Day," a black & white digital photograph of smiling children.

Making the Day is not so much my favorite because of its aesthetic value (although it is a great photograph) but rather because of the story behind it. In 2005, I went to Havana, Cuba with It's Just the Kids, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the needs of children. Fourty-nine volunteers traveled to the Caribbean Island to build playgrounds and I was one of them. In six hot days we built four incredible playgrounds in areas that really needed them. Children from the communities gathered around the sites while we selflessly built slides, swings, bars and other colorful structures for them. You could see the gratitude in their eyes as they peeked through the fences. Even greater, we had a ribbon cutting ceremony at the first site we built and everyone came, when we opened the grounds to the children, they came flooding in, trampling over each other. Hundreds of children so eager to play. The smiles on their faces were priceless. I remember one boy, probably around 10 years old, was so grateful to us that he chased our bus through the streets as we left to go back to our hotels, forever leaving our creation to him (and others, of course).

After thinking long and hard about my favorite creation, after sorting through my photographs, jewelry designs and other pieces, how could I pick anything other than Making the Day?

For more information on It's Just the Kids, Inc. and to see pictures of the playgrounds we built, please visit their website at www.itsjustthekids.org/cubasite.htm

A Long Overdue Praise to Peach Tree

Who ever said New Yorkers were rude? The Peach Tree shop owner and artist, Amy, is far from rude. In fact she's a fellow New Yorker with a great attitude. I don't write praises and customer reviews often but this one is much deserved.

Back in April, I stopped by Amy's blog and stumbled upon a post of her trip to the Bronx Zoo. Not only did the description of her trip grab my attention, the photographs did too. They were absolutely stunning. There was one in particular I couldn't take my eyes off of. Knowing that Amy was a jewelry designer, I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask her if she would sell me the photograph. I also thought living fairly close to the Bronx Zoo, I could run over and shoot some photos of my own. I knew that wouldn't happen though, and also, I really liked HER photograph. I decided to give it a try and sent her a little note.

Amy replied immediately with great enthusiasm. She was more than willing to sell me the print. She quickly created a listing on Etsy and I made my purchase. A day later, I received a message from her saying she was not happy with the quality of the photograph. Amy did not think the 8x10 print I requested was crystal clear. She notified me that she would try again and send me both prints, refunding my money if I was not satisfied. I suggested she try printing a smaller size and not to my surprise, she already had. Amy sent me all three prints, 2 8x10s and a 4x6, and a message that said, "Thank you for understanding. I would never feel comfortable putting my name on something that I wasn't 100% happy with.... I'll in no way be offended if it's not what you were hoping for." THAT IS WHAT I CALL GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! I received the photos promptly and in no way was I unhappy with them. They are beautiful and just what I wanted.

Now once again, who ever said New Yorkers were rude?

New York City Photo Hunts

Around this time of year my boyfriend and I run around Manhattan taking photos of select areas. We usually pick an area we want to concentrate on, grab our cameras, lenses and filters and head on over for a few hours of artistic play.

We've done Wall Street, South Street Seaport, Battery Park, Flatiron district, Times Square, 5th Ave, ... Somehow we've never ventured to Central Park to take pictures. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because we forget there are trees in the city and nature to photograph. ??? Who knows!

Thinking about Central Park.., it is one of thee greatest places in Manhattan. It is a place where many of us New Yorkers go to get away from the craziness. It is a place where some of us New Yorkers stay away from because of all the craziness that goes on in the park. Nonetheless, crowded and crazy or not, Central Park is a work of art, and this month's featured Etsy Blogger, Alicia Mae can prove it. Alicia Mae's "New York Through my Eyes" series is an example of some of the beauty the park has to offer.





To see more photographs by Alicia Mae visit aliciamaeprints.etsy.com
You can also visit her blog at www.xanga.com/aliciamae_8

Stay tuned for a regular photo tour of New York City as my boyfriend and I start our photo hunt season.

Pico, Pancha and Gumba Donating Supplies to Honduran Schools

Sorry for the delay in posts. I just got back from an AWESOME vacation. After researching Central American vacation spots, my boyfriend and I decided to spend a week in Roatan, Honduras. Although the island has a pretty incredible history, it is best known to tourists for its spectacular reef and incredible diving. Sad to say, we didn't even go snorkeling, although we did see lots of fish in the clear blue sea.

When we were not on the beach and in the water, we found ourselves surrounded by all types of reptiles, insects, mammals, birds, trees, and plants. It was great! The place we stayed at, West Bay Lodge, has five birds, four parrots and one toucan. Haimish and Coco, two of the parrots became our favorites. Every morning they would wake us up and serenade us with "Hola, como esta?" and then either whistle or cough (something they picked up when their owner had bronchitis). I can't stop imitating them. Now who's the parrot?

In addition to the five birds, there were plenty more flying around the property and stopping by the bird feeders to have a drink of water. I'm surprised the cats never pursued them. The cats at West Bay Lodge were more interested in Monkey La Las and stray dogs. Yes, dogs! One day Mama Kitty stared down a dog four times her size and to our surprise, the dog stepped back, turned around and walked away.

The best part of the trip, at least in my opinion, was playing with the monkeys at Gumbalimba Park. I LOVE MONKEYS! Gumbalimba Park is a very pretty park to spend a morning walking around in but the BEST part is that you get to play with the monkeys. The park has four white-faced capuchin monkeys, a howler monkey or two and a spider monkey. The spider monkey was a little scary but the capuchins, ... they were SO cute. The second I went to visit Pico, the six month old male, he jumped on top my head. He stayed there for about half an hour, walking around with me while steeling items out of my purse. I fell in love. His mother, Pancha and three week old Gumba were also adorable, although Pancha gave me the scare of my life when she came charging after me with little Gumba on her back. I thought she was under the impression I was steeling Pico (still on my head) and was coming to reclaim her child. That wasn't it though. Pancha just wanted to play with camera, so she climbed up my leg and onto my arm and took some photographs.

In the meantime, my boyfriend was holding the baby howler monkey when he decided it was his chance to escape. The monkey quickly ran down my boyfriend's six foot long body and off into the jungle. Don't worry, our guide chased him down and brought him back.

Towards the end of our trip, our hosts took us to a crab race and pig roast. The event is held weekly and supports local island schools. There was live music, food, dancing and little hermit crabs finding their way across a wooden floor to cross the finish line first. It was pretty amusing, well everything except the roasted pig wearing sunglasses on its head. I could of done without seeing that.

As I mentioned before, the crab race benefits local island schools. That night I had the opportunity to speak with a local kindergarden teacher. Since I didn't (and still don't) have a sufficient amount of money to donate to the school system, I asked the teacher what items her class and school needed. She answered notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, crayons, ... general school supplies. I promised her that I would do my best to put together a package with some, if not all, of those items. I wrote down the name of the organization working to build and better the teacher's school (Partners in Education on Roatan) and left excited that I would be able to help.

Thinking about what I would send and how much of it , I came up with a few things. I decided that I would donate $2 from every photograph I sell (this applies to photographs taken in Roatan) to purchasing school supplies. In addition to this, I will be accepting items for donation to include in my packages. Items are not limited to school supplies but should be appropriate for young children. Hair accessories, bookmarks, lip gloss, dolls, puppets, puzzles, and anything you can think of that a child would like would be greatly appreciated. I hope to send a package as soon as possible and also hope to continue sending them in the future.

If you are interested in making a donation of any sort (not monetary), please email me at designer@naturemanipulated.com.

Otherwise, please help out by purchasing one of the photographs I took in Roatan.

For more information about Partners in Education on Roatan (PIER) please visit http://www.roatanschools.org/

I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip. I promise the next post will be back on track with features, interviews, and interactive posts.

Finding Serenity with Escaping Velocity

I don't search Etsy too often. Most of the shops I buy from or browse come through the forums. Usually I'll click on a link to an item and if it's intriguing I'll view the rest of the seller's shop. A few weeks ago, I clicked on a link and was brought to "The Lover's Window" (photo on left). I felt like I was transported. Yes, I was still on Etsy, but I was looking into an empty window, wondering who was inside. Was it a woman who's waited too long for her husband to come home? Or was it a young girl who's given up on love?

I wanted to know who was behind the window. I responded to the post with my thoughts and just as expected of an artist, I did not get my answer. Art is often left for the viewer to ponder. Artists, at least the ones I know, rarely offer interpretations of their work. Since I wasn't going to hear the artist's interpretation, I figured I would ask her, Escaping Velocity a few general questions and leave the interpretations up to us, the readers.

1. How would you describe your photography?

Some of it is conceptual, but I mostly photograph a diverse body of work that I hope evokes emotion in the viewer, and helps them connect with the piece. Even if it's something as simple as a door or a window.

2. How long have you been taking photographs?

About three years.

3. What kind of camera do you use?

A digital camera, Samsung.

4. How did you start out taking pictures?

Well, when I was younger I always found it interesting to take pictures of small things, such as insects, things nobody really noticed but seemed extraordinary to me. Years later, I picked up a camera again and felt this was really what I wanted to do. I have been ever since.

5. Where does your inspiration come from? What sorts of things inspire your work? (Examples)

My inspiration can come from a word, a song lyric, an idea I have in my head, a story, or something as simple as something I might pass as I walk outside. For instance my photo "The Lovers Window," I happened to come across while taking a walk in town. My intention was not to take photographs upon the walk, but I always bring my camera with me for just in case moments like those.

6. What do you like photographing most?

My favorite thing to photograph is people, although I have no examples up on the web yet. I love to use people to create conceptual photographs that express a certain idea and really say something. Not just ordinary everyday portraits.

7. Which is your favorite print? Why?

Of those up, I would have to say that the "Lonely Man's Door" is most likely my favorite. I really love the color it has to it, and I've always had a thing for doors and windows. I found this house in a town nearby my own, and it stood right out amongst the houses of white and beige. I really like things like that, things that seem as if they do not belong.

8. Are there any tips you would like to offer other photographers?

Photograph the things that captivate you and don't worry about fitting into a niche.

9. Is there a question you would like to ask other photographers?
Well, I don't think there's one specific thing I could pinpoint. It would really depend on who's work I'm looking at. I'm often really interested in the story behind the photo I'm looking at.

Artist/Business Information:

Business/Shop Name: Escaping Velocity Photography

Photographer: Harley Altaville

Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Etsy URL: escapingvelocity.etsy.com

Blog URL: harleyhardcore.blogspot.com