Today, not only are we lucky enough to have an exclusive interview with Glenda, but she has been kind enough to curate a self portrait project just for CreativeFluff Magazine. Take a look at her photography below as well as read through the interview to get insight behind this budding photographer’s work.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am 17 years old. I’ve moved around quite a lot in my lifetime, almost every year of my life. I’ve lived in Maryland, Arizona, & even Guatemala for a few years. I was born in Illinois and am currently living in a suburb just west of Chicago. Driving across the country, being in airplanes for ten hours, and always being the new girl has really given me a lot of time to myself. It’s been pretty lonely and all but I’ve always used creativity as my scapegoat. I’ve danced, sung, drawn, acted, wrote and read since the day I was born. I had a pretty hectic childhood with a pretty dysfunctional family, but my mother has always pushed me to be creative. I have seen beautiful and ugly things and my need to show the world has always existed. I’ve always enjoyed snapping stills but I think my passion for photography grew as I lived in Guatemala. I think it was the extremities of the country; both the horror and the beauty.

Q: What has you drawn to photography at such a young age?

I think it’s just my desire for expression – like any artist, really. I truly believe I’m on this Earth to capture. It’s what I do best. I want to do it till the day I die

Q: Are there any artists or designers that inspire your work?

I’m very inspired by many artists: Frida Kahlo, Tim Walker, Bosch, Sally Mann, Dali, and even director Wes Anderson. Some to-be legends however Rosie Hardy, Brooke Shaden, and also youngling Alex Stoddard really push me to have strong concepts. I think the one thing all these people have in kind is that they were totally different and most of these people have been found controversial. These people are innovative and have invented new ways to see the world…or shall I say create new worlds.

Q: What type of photography are you drawn to? Portraits? Documentary? Fashion?

This is a hard question. Really, I’m drawn to pretty much all forms of photography. I mean I guess I love people, so pictures of people are my favorite.
Documentary photography is so beautiful because it really allows you to connect with real people. Though I mostly take “artistic” images and usually they have a surreal aspect to them, I love pictures that just tell stories.
Lately I’ve been really getting into fashion photography. I never used to understand fashion, I thought it was shallow and ridiculous. This was until I realized the huge roll that clothes pays in my pictures. I realized that clothing really makes a character. Sometimes I see a dress & immediately a story pops into my head. That’s why sometimes you see people wearing bags on their heads on the runway, yeah it looks ridiculous, but I think there’s always a story that the fabric and stitching tells.

Q: With all your amazing talent, are you getting a lot of work in photography?

Thank you so much! Haha, I take pictures every so often of kids from my school which is always fun! This summer, on my birthday, I’m doing my first wedding with a gorgeous model! So that will be very exciting. There are a lot of people who want to do photo shoots with me and most of the time I do it for free, but it’s always a little hard because I’m in high school and have a busy schedule! I do a lot of volunteer work and work with local people, business, my school. I work with a local boutique that sells a lot of vintage clothes, so it’s always fun to be able to photograph the clothing! A lot of photographers feel like doing this type of work is selling themselves out, but I find it to be really enjoyable. I give a lot of free sessions just because I love to do it and don’t feel like I should be charging someone to have fun myself, plus it always serves as good practice

Q: Are you looking at an art college like Parsons, SVA, etc?

I did apply to art schools all over! I applied to schools in NY, Georgia, Kansas, California…but I think I might stick in Chicago for a couple years. I’m not sure where yet, but wherever I go I’m 89% sure it’ll be an art school and 100% sure I’ll pursue photography. I really think that college isn’t about getting a degree, especially with what I’m doing. I want to go to college to actually learn and get way better

Q: What advice do you have for other amateur photographers?

My advice is carry your camera everywhere you go. I carry my camera everywhere, sometimes I tell myself I’m not going to take it but it’s become a reflex and it’s glued to me. There have been so many situations at school or at work where my camera has served as a relief and I’ve gotten myself into new work. It’s great! I always tell myself, you NEVER know what will happen. The world is so unpredictale, and I’m tired of having to say, “ohhh…I wish I had my camera for this.”

Q: Do you find that being a “people person” helps in photography shoots?

Absolutely. Sometimes it’s a little bit of a struggle for me because I recently have been very shy and awkward but I realize that when I feel confident and enthusiastic, the people I’m photographing feel the same. It’s so important that the models feel secure and feel a strong sense of direction! It’s good to have a conversation and break the ice so that the session will go smoothly

Q: Have you been able to get constructive criticism about your work?

I’m a very big part of Flickr. It’s a wonderful community; I get daily feedback (since I’m working on a 366 project) on all my photographs. To be honest, sometimes it it feels like that’s what keeps me going. It’s what keeps me taking pictures every day & I love it.
I’m also in Advanced Placement art class at my high school, so we have weekly critiques. It’s always helpful, but sometimes I wish that people would be more truthful/critical instead of just being kind

Q: Which of your camera’s is your favorite to shoot with? Mine is an old Spartus Full Vue with 120mm film

Well a couple months ago I got a Nikon D7000 and a 50mm lens, so paired up it’s quite magical! I think what I really love about that camera is the great video option. I’m in my school morning announcements and get to make videos all the time so I always use it. I love cinematography and want to do really learn more about that world in college.
Now which cameras are the most fun is the real question. I’m not going to lie I’m a camera hoarder. I have shelves and boxes of cameras, lenses and accessories. I love shooting with my smiley face camera (Holga 135TIM), my nikkorformats, minolta x-700 and now thanks to the impossible project I get to use all my Polaroids! Of course shooting with film is super expensive but it’s so much fun. I get to develop all my black and white film and pictures at school so that’s pretty awesome!

Q: Finally, where do you see yourself and your photography in 10 years?

In ten years I’ll be what…27? Wow. Well… I see myself getting out of college for the second time but this time not with an photography degree but with marine biology. I see myself on a plane going back to my home in some warm state after being in Australia for a really long time. I see that the only thing in my luggage is a little bit of clothes and a bunch of camera equipment. I see someone waiting for me at the airport that cares about me, but I’m not married yet. I’ve been too busy, traveling the world, going to school…and getting a lot of recognition for it. I’m sitting in my seat my hands on my camera, excited to show the world of my trips. Excited to have come so far, and have people know that I’m a photographer…and a great one

Interested in learning more about Glenda Lissette’s Photography?
Check out her personal website.
Follow her on Tumblr
Like her FaceBook Page

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

“Alice in Wonderland” has always been a bizarre story in a bizarre world on it’s own, and coming from the head of Tim Burton, it’s difficult to know anymore what exactly to expect. All I can say is any Tim Burton fan would be almost maniacally eager at this point about the film.

[Images via Huffington Post]

“I’ve been fascinated with urban exploration since I took a B&W photograph class in college. While everyone was taking pictures of pets in backyards I was exploring abandoned factories. I like focusing on things that most people would overlook and I try to bring beauty out of a decaying location. [Come] Discover the beauty of abandonment.”

What I find so fascinating about this project is that with our current economic condition as terrible as it is, it’s great to see someone photographing architecture that is the result of our economic expansion. Below are some screencaps from the website Rejected Memories. Make sure to pay the website a visit if you’re interested in seeing more of Bob’s amazing photographic work.

A few good tips:

1.Exploit, Exploit, Exploit

Whatever you are photographing exploit the natural. Exploit what is already there, the surroundings, the light, the subject, the shadow.  How you exploit depends upon the situation. Find what is appealing to you about the subject, find what makes this subject so unique, that gives you the “wow I want a picture of that” attitude. Find that and focus on it.

2. Shoot, Shoot, Shoot

Like writing a paper or a book, photography requires multiple drafts. If you have not used all your film you have missed most of your subject. You need to shoot from different angles, even if those angles seem absurd or make you look like you’re off your rocker, heck stand on a rocker and take the photo. At the very least you will get the juices flowing and the creativity going allowing you to take a new perspective on your subject.

3. Sit in Time Out

It is essential to take a time out. Do not delete your photo’s right away just because they do not look right. Wait, sleep, eat, have a few drinks, date around for awhile but don’t settle no matter how big her bank account is (instead give her my number). Like with any art piece, taking a bit of time away will enhance your perspective and give you a clearer look, a discarded photo could just turn into an overlooked gem.

4. Patience Young Padawan

Ok I know that’s lame, but you need to have patience when taking photo’s. Sometimes it will take forever to get a shot you like, sometimes you need to wait for something to happen, while other times things will just happen and you might get lucky, but we don’t want to be lucky, we want to be good and consistant. Consistancy is what makes a good photographer good. So be patient, do what needs to be done, put the pieces in play, wait for what you want. A little patience will bring results. But in the same lieu, remember to take as many photgraphs as possible, even while you wait for something, take photo’s of everything bringing an extra clip of either film or memory.

5. Focus, Focus, Focus

Focus on your subject, in this day and age it is so hard to focus, but you must. Pick a point, a place, a special place on, or in, or about your subject you want to focus on.  Keep that idea, that point, at the center.

6. Remember Your Audience

Who do you want to see your photo? Who is going to see your photography? Are you trying to be absurdest? Cubist? Minimalist? What is your intent? What is the feeling or emotion you want others to feel? Or…is it just a nice picture? You need feeling, just a nice picture is typically just that. You need depth,  most photos are 2D but to really shine you must make them 3D by adding depth and feeling.

7. Have Fun and Learn (Even the experts don’t know everything)

I know I know, every guide every tip says this, It’s true though, the more you enjoy something the better it will be. In the end you need to be happy with you. You need to learn from everything you do and from everyone you can, whether they are “not as good” as you or a million times better. Remember to also reflect upon your own work learning from your own photography and experiences.

That’s all I have for now, but if you have anything else to add, or if you even wish to disagree with me, please feel free to comment.