Joanne Elliott
“Pushing grains to their limits and playing around with the imperfections of film photography is something that I really enjoy.”
Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?
Joanne: I’m German with roots both in Germany and Australia. Currently I live and work in a small vibrant city called Weimar in Central/East Germany.
What kind of emotions do you look for in your photos?
Traveling to new places triggers an immediate urge inside myself to create. I’d say this is why a nostalgic feeling of escapism is definitely something that drives my photographic work. Through the medium of analog photography I found a way to underline this emotion even more. Pushing grains to their limits and playing around with the imperfections of film photography is something that I really enjoy.
For you, what makes the perfect photo?
Composition is key. I think it doesn’t matter how professional your equipment is or if a photo is technically absolutely accurate. In the end it’s really about how the different layers of your photo come together in one frame.
For example something I try to implement into my photography is always a kind of tension, something contrasty, conflicting, yet coming together to an overall harmonious composition. This might be provocative leading lines in a vast landscape or a human silhouette to complement an urban scenery - Something that triggers the observers imagination.
What do you do to find inspiration for your photography?
Personally having a background in architecture I deal a lot with aesthetic issues in general. Continuously learning about color, light, and proportion in the context of the built environment helps me reflect on my photography a lot and I keep learning from this day by day. But there are a lot of other disciplines I like to observe and learn from, be it movies, graphic design magazines, proportions found in nature, or even platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, if used consciously. I think if you visually sensitize yourself for what works and what doesn’t you empower yourself towards a certain creative freedom.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Who are you not to do it?” So this might be for anyone starting out with photography or any other dream business. Whenever you are doubting yourself or lacking confidence to put yourself out there, ask yourself this question. One might think “Who am I to do this or achieve that?” But really, who are you not to do it?
Who are your favorite accounts on Instagram right now?
There are a few artists whose work I really admire. One of them is definitely Chiara Zonca (@shadowontherun). Also, I’m a big fan of James Watts (@jmswts), Lesley Brügger (@lesleybruegger), Dora Lazarevic (@dora.lazarevic) & Sam Youkilis (@samyoukilis) just to name a few.
Joanne Elliott is a Germany-based travel and lifestyle photographer. To see more of her photography, you can visit her website jaayelliott.com or follow her work on Instagram @jaayelliott.
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