Laura A Watt [Beyond Words]

What inspires you?

water is a frequent subject of mine, as are tree branches, small curling sprouts, and land- or seascapes — particular natural shapes keep repeating themselves over and over — but ultimately, it’s all about the light.  and inspiration sometimes lurks in strange places, so i tend to carry a camera or two with me at all times, just in case.

Describe your photography style.

i’m not sure i can describe my own style — i would love it if someone could do it for me!  at times others have mentioned a certain serenity in my work, but it’s not something i consciously aim to create, nor something i necessarily feel when i’m shoot…  i’m drawn by the unpredictability of film (mostly 120 and polaroid), so my style is not about precision or control, but welcoming serendipity and chance into the making of an image.

What are your influences?

Nearest influences these days are several friends i often go shooting with — they are simply amazing, and i always see things a little differently when i’m with them.  as for better-known photographers, rather than a lengthy list, i’ll just name three:  i’m a huge fan of sally mann, tina modotti from the early 20th century, and carleton watkins from way back in the 1860s.

How did you get into photography?

I’ve been snapping photos all my life — both my parents were excellent photographers, and they gave me a little Kodak instamatic when i was 8 or so — and i have a huge pile of scrapbooks full of photos documenting my life since then.  but i think it was posting stuff on-line — first fotolog in jan 2004, then flickr later that year — and finding this wonderful community of other photographers, that i really started shooting more seriously, trying new things, and hopefully getting better.

What does photography mean to you?

For me photography is about uncovering an intimacy with the world, breaking down (false) divisons between the natural and the human.  at its best it reveals an aspect of that thing/person/scene that you wouldn’t necessarily see with your bare eyes, something that only the camera/film/moment of capture can really get at.  so, i suppose, it’s a tool for understanding my surrounds more closely.

Laura A Watt