the six questions featuring Erica Bartel
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 by Irene Nam 
I have been sitting here for a while now trying to put words together to describe Erica Bartel's photography work, but the only thing that I can think of is "this woman just blows me away. Everytime." If you are a Polaroid fan you are probably already familiar with Erica's beautiful images, but if you're not, I can't encourage you enough to grab a cup of tea and take some time to browse through her Flickr Pool. I promise you, every image will inspire you beyond words, stir a distant memory, sprinkle your day with simple beauty and bring a smile to your face.
I am thrilled that Erica kindly accepted to answer our 6 questions. Here they are:
1. What's the story behind this photo?
The Polaroid, (edge of the miraculous) I think is my favorite of all of the Polaroid images I have shot. Abby and I were driving home and saw this incredible rainbow. The sky was amazing so we decided to stop and "do pictures". My idea was to shoot the rainbow, not the dock, but she walked out on it and the moment happened. I came away, not with the wonderful rainbow images I had imagined but something entirely different.
2. What was it that lit your photography spark? Do you remember a particular camera, course, person, roll of film?
When was the spark lit? I always seem to remember having cameras around. My dad is a photographer and has been teaching me for a long time. I can't say exactly why everything "clicked" but all at once I was seeing differently and shooting differently. Being able to shoot digital really helped with growth because I was able to see results instantly.
3. What's your photo philosophy? Does it reflect your life philosophy?
My photo philosophy would probably be "light and emotion". Just go for it. Forget the camera settings or perfect posing and capture that emotion. Knowing the technical side of photography is crucial but so often we focus on that instead of really seeing.
4. Where do you look for inspiration?
For inspiration, I really do love flickr. I love being able to see so many styles of photography from all over the world. This is my favorite photo quote, it never ceases to encourage and inspire me: "There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.”-- Ernst Haas
5. What would you say is one of your "signature" editing tricks, themes or style? What do you think makes an image recognizable and uniquely yours?
I think the use of light, specifically flare is something that sets me apart. People often comment that my images remind them of a memory. I like that. :)
6. What aspect of your photography are you constantly working on, trying to improve?
I'm always doing something different. Trying new cameras, trying to see differently. I want a body of work that is varied and not stagnant.
Thank you so much Erica!
You can see more of Erica's photos here, and read her blog here.
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