Guest Interview: Negative Space: @rosadurandelgado

@rosadurandelgado was selected as our Featured Artist for the theme negative space and I took some time to catch up with her and learn a little bit more about her.

Tell us a bit about yourself?  And, are you a hobbyist or a pro?

I am a hobbyist photographer, very enthusiastic.

I studied Physics in Spain and in the UK. I’m a stay-at-home mum at the moment. I love doing whimsical self-portraits and family pictures with a touch of magic.

Sometimes I like doing recreations of artworks I admire. It’s an incredible learning technique.

What inspired you to pick up your camera initially? 

Photography helped me recovered from mourning my dear brother. Later on, when I had my first child I picked up my camera again to capture our dear family moments.

I love the following image from a shooting in the beach with my kid. It’s has not much editing. Mirrors are a great way of getting in the pictures.

How do you improve your technique?

It’s true what they always say: practice, practice and practice. There is no other secret. I did several online courses where I learned to go manual and to edit my images, which has become a step that I really enjoy, perhaps even more than shooting photos itself.

Photography and the creation of surrealistic images is the ultimate therapy for me. I think that creativity is the best medicine for the soul.
As you can see it has being my best friend during COVID confinement too.

Most important thing you have learned about editing?

First get the composition right, the light must hit always from the same direction, include shadows and as a last step combine everything together by changing colours and atmosphere to taste.

Another colourful image I love is the following where I shot a gigantic bubble at sunset. Sunsets and blue hour are my favourite moments to capture images.

Secret weapon. Or piece of advice that’s helped you?

Don’t underestimate the power of editing in free mobile softwares such as Snapseed. If you cannot go to your computer to do a retouch or a magical composite you still have that power in your hand. This has helped me a lot while nursing.

In my latest image I have used photoshop for the first time after much time only using Snapseed and Picsart.

Why photographs? Why not painting? Or poems? Or, for that matter, statutes or taxes?

I guess I am primarily visual. I also studied music and enjoy it a lot, but I have a thing with colours, I love playing with them, I get “in the zone” while editing my images.

Even though I love editing, the image featured in your hub has no editing whatsoever. Sometimes raw light is just magical.

Thank you Rosa for sharing your story with us and seeing the beauty of your creative work, where you live, and your beautiful family. We always love to learn more about an artists journey and style. Don’t forget to check out Rosa’s page at @rosadurandelgado

We look forward to seeing your images on our Facebook page and our Instagram Page.  The theme this month is {Transform} for so tag us with #sharesix_transform for a few more days. The theme will change on December 6, 2021.

Share Six: November 2021: Transform

Tags

#@wiredtothemoon_, #abstract, #bokeh, #clowns, #cobertphotography, #flora, #itsstilllifewillson, #leaves, #sharesix, #sharesix_transform, #sharleenstuartphotography

Happy November, Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year. Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and the team at Share Six wish you all a very happy time with your families, if you are celebrating thanksgiving. Christmas is rapidly approaching and vacations are happening and it seems like the Christmas rush is already starting.

This month Elizabeth of It’s Still Life Photography by Elizabeth Willson, chose the theme {Transform}. I am sure everything north of Florida will soon {Transform} into a new color scheme, first with fall and the beautiful changing leaves, and then to winter for the white snow. Florida just stays green all year, and we get one week of winter.

The Oxford Dictionary tells us the definition of transform is to

“make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of “lasers have transformed cardiac surgery”

The Merriam Webster Dictionary tells us the definition of transform is to

to change (something) completely and usually in a good way

You can {Transform} a room, or your image, or a flower that blooms with transform from a bud. There are so many different options to think of.

The Share Six Blog team is slim this month as there has been so much going on with everyone, but I am looking forward to seeing what each person has to share.

Sharleen Stuart Photography

Jan from @wiredtothemoon_

Cobert Photography

It’s Still Life Photography by Elizabeth Willson

Thanks Liz for encouraging us to look at the beauty of {Transform} in our lives and in all that surrounds us.

We look forward to seeing your images on our Facebook page and our Instagram Page.  Don’t forget to tag the Instagram posts with #sharesix_transform  Each month we will do an interview with the featured artist, so share your images to be a part of this opportunity.

Look out for the new theme on December 6, 2021

Guest Interview: Frozen: @skahdee

Tags

#sharesix, #sharesix_frozen

2021 has felt like a long year and I have to confess it has got the better of me. So it is time to try and do some catch up.

For the Frozen theme  @skahdee was selected as the featured artist. I wanted to learn a little bit more about her and I am sure you do as well. Her photography is stunning and creative and I am always amazed at the beauty she creates.

This fox came within 4 feet of me.  It was such an experience!   I had about 10 minutes with it before it ran off.   Shot with Sony A7iii & Tamron 70-180

Tell us a bit about yourself?  And, are you a hobbyist or a pro

I am in Winnipeg, MB Canada.  A 48yr old mom of 3.  I am a hobbyist photographer and will shoot anything that comes across my camera. My go to is Macro, Sports and Seniors/Grads.  I like to experiment and try different things.  I love to capture details that people miss by not having a good look. Recently I tried water drop and milk drop collisions.  They are so fun to do and keep me occupied for many hours on those long winter nights. 

Another one of my experiments, this flower is submerged in Soda Water to get all those air bubbles.  Each bubble helps line the details of every petal.  Sony A7iii & Lensbaby Velvet 85 

What inspired you to pick up your camera initially?  

Many years ago a dad was taking sports pics and I thought to myself…. I could do that. 😆 so I bought a camera and went from there.  Learning along the way and trying different things. I fell in love with macro and details.  My winters last a long time, so I had to come up with a way to pass the time other than just shooting flowers inside.  Experimenting with my iceballs and IceCube flowers using different flowers and different things with the water to make it clearer and how I liked it.  

I love using oil and water with different backgrounds and colors.  Editing them can be quite the chore, but also relaxing too. 
Sony A7iii & Lensbaby Velvet 85

How do you improve your technique?  

A lot of trial and error!  Practice! Practice! Practice!  I’m part of Shultz Photo School and learnt to shoot from there.  I currently write courses for them too!  Feedback is an important aspect to improve yourself as well! 

Love it when I get photo bombed.  I didn’t even notice these two when I was shooting.  Get nice and close with some reverse free lensing.   It does take some practice to get that focus! 
Sony A7iii & Lensbaby Burnside 35

Most important thing you have learned about editing?

Don’t over saturate!  I see sooo many photos that are over saturated.  There is a difference between saturate and rich colors.  Play with those sliders! 

Who doesn’t set ice on fire?  This was a project I worked on for 4 months to get the ice to burn.  I still continue to work on it to improve it. 
Sony A7iii & Lensbaby Velvet 85 

Secret weapon. Or piece of advice that’s helped you?  

Lensbaby’s are my secret weapon. 😉  I am a Lensbaby Ambassador, so send me your questions! I’ll help you find a lens that will work for you.  And I can give you a discount code to save you some $$.  I love the colors the Lensbaby lenses render, the blur and yes how tack sharp they can be!   They are Beau manual lenses but do require practice.  

Milk drop collisions.  I love to look at them to see what I see and to hear what others see.  The colors are done with food coloring and every shape is different. 
Sony A7iii & Lensbaby Velvet 85 

Why photographs? Why not painting? Or poems? Or, for that matter, statutes or taxes?

Pictures…  I can see.  I can see the shadows, the highlights, the details.  I can not draw a good stick man. Hahaha.  Actually, I used to write poetry and just found a book from when I was a lot younger.  Reading through it brought back some memories.  And Taxes, well I do actually work for the Taxman as my regular job. 

Wow, wow, wow, I hope that you are loving these as much as I am. All of @skahdee‘s images just take it up a notch and I am in awe. I love what you have shared with us.

Thank you Melissa for sharing your story with us. We always love to learn more about an artists journey and style. Don’t forget to check out Melissa’s page at @skahdee

We look forward to seeing your images on our Facebook page and our Instagram Page.  The theme this month is {Documentary} for so tag us with #sharesix_summersun for a few more days. The theme will change on November 6, 2021.