Weird and wonderful world of Jo Ann Callis

Photographer Jo Ann Callis' photgraphs are both weird and wonderful. They have the eerie, long-corridor feeling of a David Lynch film, combined with the kind of vibrancy you’d expect to see in old American holiday catalogues. One minute you’re checking out a goldfish in a water glass, the next you’re watching a plate go up in flames by some of the most terrifying salt and pepper shakers you’ll have seen in a while. All of these are just totally valid reasons why we love the work of photographer Jo Ann Callis.

Further reading:

www.joanncallis.com

Self taught fashion photographer Anastasia Volkova tells all

Just found this great interview with self taught Fashion photographer Anastasia Volkova. To read  the whole thing go to Flickrista

Tell us a bit about your background. Where do you come from and why did you start shooting photography?

Anastasia Volkova: My name is Anastasia Volkova and I’m a portrait photographer from Moscow, Russia. I got into photography about 4 years ago and I am completely self-taught. I started taking random pictures of myself and my friends to capture memories (as my dad did with a film camera when I was a child), mostly just for fun. I didn’t start taking it seriously until the summer of 2009 when one day I realized how passionate I was about photography. That’s when I really started growing. Taking a photo everyday really pushed me to get more innovative and to learn the tricks behind the editing process.

Where are you right now and what are you doing today?

I just got back home from a photoshoot we had earlier this morning. It was a portfolio shoot for a young beautiful lady at the studio. It’s too cold outside (about -15C) and I can’t stand taking photographs at the other locations during this season, so I prefer shooting in the studio.

Do you work as a professional photographer or is photography mainly a hobby for you?

At first it was a hobby and it still is. I don’t like to call it my “job”. As I said, I took pictures just for fun and never thought about it too seriously. After two years of posting my works on Flickr (this site has given me a lot of daily inspiration for the last 4 years!) I decided to move forward and started shooting other people, but it was still a hobby as well. Then in 2009 I realized that I couldn’t combine two jobs at once and quit my official job. Since then my life has been completely about photography and now I work as a freelance photographer.

Do you work alone or with a large team?

I almost always work with a team. It’s not too large: I work with a make-up artist, hair stylist and an assistant, and currently I’m looking for a good wardrobe stylist. I’m trying to find something new for myself in photography and my team is really creative and helpful in each photo session we do. I’m really thankful for all the great artists I work with.

If you could go back in time and teach yourself something that would have made your career as a photographer easier, what would it be?

I don’t think that my career as a photographer is too hard, I enjoy it. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” as Confucius said. I love what I do, I practice every day and I’m happy about it. I’m not sure yet where I hope to go with my photography, I find something new for myself in it every day and I know I want to say something with it.

What tips do you have for aspiring photographers?

Follow your heart. Don’t ever think any dream is too big. Practice more. Practice whenever you can and believe in yourself. And don’t do it for anyone, just do it for yourself.

Guardian News in Photos

The Guardian shows the best photographs in news and culture over the last seven days. Maybe you'll see your photo up there on day. Check out all the goings on around the world here.



Brrrrrr it's cold in here

While you walk through the weird snowy landscape today wrapped up in your thickest socks and fleece-lined coats, spare a thought for Gary Jensen, the photographer behind these remarkable indoor ice-scapes. Gary was commissioned to document the last days of the Fulton Market Cold Storage Company in Chicago’s meatpacking district – a building used solely for the purposes of freezing food for over 90 years – and must have been bloody freezing while he was doing it. Thank goodness he did though as these images are some of the most eye-popping renderings of ice that we’ve ever seen, allowing an extraordinary glimpse into a world that’s normally closed off to human eyes.