by Natalie Maddon | Jan 27, 2014 | Stories
Clean Cut Masaki: An Interview by Natalie Maddon
Masaki is a man of few words. He keeps it short, sweet, and to the point. He lets his images speak for themselves, and they have got a lot to say. His work is always immaculately executed and full of depth. I think you will all agree, the man from Japan is top notch.
N: Natalie M: Masaki
N: Tell me about yourself. What is Masaki the person behind the crazy images like?
M: “You are crazy” is often said. However, the friends who I’ve actually met through the photograph have said, “Masaki is an ordinary person”.
That’s right, I am an ordinary person.
N: What is your process like? Do you have an idea mapped out before you start or do your images sort of create themselves as you go?
M: In most cases, I start to make a state in which the image has been completed in my head. An idea floats and is inspired by photos, posters, illustrations, music, movies and many things.
N: Do you have any favorite apps or tricks that you would like to share?
M: My favorite apps are Artstudio,VSCO CAM, Afterligh, Mextures and Photo Forge 2. iColorama, Repix, and Filter Storm are also great.
N: Your images are very thought provoking. Do any of your photos have special meaning to you? Do you have a very favorite photo?
M: Thank you very much!My photos do not have a meaning intentionally. I want you to look at my photos in a free interpretation. My favorite photo(edit) is to shatter the body.I think there is an impact, and each viewer is able to imagine.
N: Did you go to school for photography/design or are you self-taught?
M: I’m self-taught. My grandfather was an instructor of the camera, I learned to look at the pictures of him.
N: What other hobbies do you have other than photography?
M: I play guitar.
See more of Masaki’s work these places:
Flickr // Instagram // EyeEm // Tumblr // VSCO Grid
by Natalie Maddon | Jan 23, 2014 | Featured Articles
This article was originally post on October 10, 1012 and is being rewound for your enjoyment.
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Leah Flickinger: The Tree Whisperer by Natalie M.
Natalie’s Introduction
Leah is one of the very first people that I started following on Instagram. I was instantly drawn to her photography and then came to realize what an amazing, genuine person she is. I feel instantly at peace when I see her beautiful landscapes. It is like I am riding my bike right alongside her. It seems the goal of many artists is to reveal some sense of feeling to their audience. If Leah is anything like her photos, I am hooked.
N:Natalie L: Leah
N:Hi Leah! Lets start off with a few formalities. Where do you live? What do you do? Who is Leah really?
L: I live in eastern Pennsylvania, in a rural area called Bucks County. I’m married and have a 13-year-old daughter. I’m an editor at Bicycling Magazine, which is pretty much my dream job since I love to ride bikes and I love to make magazines.
N: When I first found your feed on Instagram, what feels like ages ago, I felt that you possessed a really special talent for capturing the beauty of nature in a way that nobody else can really duplicate. What do you think has contributed to that special ability?
L: I live in typical mid-Atlantic countryside. It’s very lush with lots of woods and farmland. I’m surrounded by forest and fields and sky, so that’s mostly what I have the opportunity to photograph. And it’s what I see as I’m riding my bike, which is when I do a lot of shooting. I’ve also been influenced by other Instagramers who do nature (and other stuff) really well, including @gregsweney @janske @tazcal @lachlanpayne @sulu1 @kerewin @benjaminhole @beardofbeez @skwii @darrenerbe and many others.
N: Do you edit your photos or do they just come out of the lens looking that way? If yes, what are your favorite tools?
L: I try to do as little to the photo as possible. My goal is to always get a good composition straight from the lens and to make it work with minimal filtering. But that’s not always possible… plus, I like to play. When I have time, I like to make subtle tweaks to brightness, tones, contrast, white balance, etc. using Snapseed. Or convert to black and white. I really like the bw filter options on Snapseed. I also use Snapseed’s Center Focus feature quite a lot to darken or lighten the inner and outer brightness of a shot. It can add that last little kick of depth and drama to a photo. I’m partial to the Amaro, Rise, and Valencia filters on IG. Or no filter at all.
N: What is with your draw to trees? When and how did this happen?
L: Trees are the most ever-present subjects at my disposal—more so than people or structures—so it’s easy for me to shoot them. When I first started using Instagram in earnest in January 2012, there were several tree tags including one started by @kerewin called #ilovebaretrees and another started by @x80sgrl called #treeveins. I tagged my pictures to these galleries and got exposed to lots of other people’s work that way, and started developing my own style. The funny thing is, I love to shoot structures and people, too. I’ve taken some of my favorite pictures in New York City, Paris, airports—no trees involved!
N: Tell me about your #solo_tree project. How did it get started? What significance does it have to you?
L: I have always been charmed by the lone-tree image. It reminds me of the first artwork we make when we are children. The lone tree is iconic in children’s art, and so imbued with potential meaning. Is it a symbol of the self? A statement of independence? A manifestation of loneliness? Anyway, it took me a while to figure out how to get a really good #solo_tree shot, and once I did, I got a little obsessed with them! I started the project on a whim with another IGer, @mungodog. I posted a picture of a lone tree and she casually mentioned I should start a tag. I’d been thinking about starting something, and asked her if she’d want to do it with me. So we started it together.
N: I noticed that you have participated in some “Insta Meet.” How was that experience? Have you been involved in any other community photoshoots or projects?
L: It’s a lot of fun to meet up with like-minded people you’ve met on Instagram. It’s a great way to expand your social circle with other people for whom iPhone photography and IG are common denominators. This summer, I traveled to Paris for work and met up with someone I knew from IG. It was a fun way to connect and see the city from an insider’s perspective.
N: Is there a particular photo that you are most prod of? Can you tell us why it is your favorite?
L: This is hard, but I really like some of the black and white photos I’ve done. They aren’t as well received on my feed, but I feel like they’re some of the best examples of how I see things. This is one of my favorites. It’s a field on a farm about a mile from my house. I pass it every day on the way to work. The way it looks seems to change all the time. It doesn’t look quite like this now.
N: Can you show us a few more that you love and the significance or them or what you particularly love about them?
L: This was one of my first solo trees, and people seemed to like it. I love that it looks so serene and sophisticated, yet it “lives” at a local shopping mall. Ha!
As I mentioned, I love taking pictures of people and structures, and I love to shoot in urban settings. This one was taken in Grand Central Station in New York City. There’s something very Sopranos about it.
I was in Spain earlier this year for work and saw this tree while I was riding my bike up a long climb in the Spanish Pyrenees. I passed this tree, then doubled back so I could take the picture. I love the sea in the background. It’s the Bay of Biscay.
This last one was taken over the summer in Paris along the Siene, where the city sets up a faux beach called Paris Plage. I love the composition of this shot, the juxtaposition of the pedestrians and the umbrella, and the moment when they notice the little girl building a sand castle.
N: Do you have any plans of pursuing photography further?
L: I sometimes imagine that! But for now, I really enjoy taking pictures with my iPhone and encouraging my daughter to make art.
N: Can your work be found anywhere else that we should know about?
L: Not at the moment!
Instagram: @Leahflick
by Natalie Maddon | Nov 25, 2013 | Featured Articles
Through a Mothers Eyes by Natalie Maddon
In my groggy, sleep deprived delirium I see more clearly than ever. Time is precious. Emotions are fleeting.
I don’t have the time to spend hours editing the emotion into my images. I can’t take hundreds of photos and mash together the ones that I like. I have to get it right the first time.
Preparation for going out to take photos no longer includes my three or four step checklist or a weekend whimsy. I have to plan weeks in advance.
My mind moves quite a bit more slowly than it did a few months ago. It’s like my brain was once a pinball machine with constant action, lights, and colors. I have been forced to slow down. I can lay for hours just studying the fine fuzz that covers the skin of my tiny little person. Each toe takes special consideration. I need to study and memorize every expression, every sound. I have noticed that all aspects of my life have taken on new meaning. I am in awe of the small things that I once never took the time to realize. I was in such a hurry to move on to the next shiny thing that could distract me for a minute. Finally, I can see clearly. I can appreciate the simplicity in life; the simplicity in an image. I can appreciate a photo for face value without having to add distraction.
Everyday is a new opportunity, a new challenge to seek out something fascinating. Some days that means exploring the unexplored. Some days that means just taking a second look to really see.
Don’t miss any of the little things.
by Natalie Maddon | Nov 14, 2012 | Stories
Model: Kathryn Weiss
“Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.” – Mark Twain
There are many literal risks involved with going out on a limb. A tree is a safe place for many creatures to hide. Trees represent stability, deep rooted strength, and a sense of peace. However, the limbs can be quite flimsy and unpredictable. Going out on the limb can be an exhilarating way to get one step closer to the sense of freedom or soaring through the clouds like a bird; a tiny taste of heaven. Either that or you will come crashing down and probably land in a pile of rocks. The literal risks associated with inching our way off the branches has transitioned to something very different.
How can we really know our real potential if we never test the waters? I am a creature of habit, comfort, and routine. I don’t like it when my dresses are mixed with the skirts in my closet let alone making life altering changes. I drive the same route to work everyday even though I know damn well it is the long way. It is the way I know so I stick with it.
I have programmed my brain to accept mediocrity at the mercy of playing it safe and practical. I work in one of those jobs that are generally associated with tucked and belted brainiacs. It starts at the same time every weekday and ends at the same time. The hours that are occupied at work are generally the same each day give or take a few different cuss words aimed at my computer screen when something does not add up properly. Those who really know me laugh at my determination to fit the mold I have created in order to keep myself sane.
My bubble has kept me content for a number of years. It is only recently that I have started wondering what more is out there. What sort of exciting adventures could I get myself into? There has to be more than the American dream associated with working long hours just to drive the sweetest car in the lot. I’m beginning to look at my impressive collection of shoes and power suits with a different eye. If I was brave, I would sell my house and travel the world on one of those journeys to “find myself” like the lucky kids do after high school. I don’t know if I have the courage required to really go that far out on the limb. I am more like the inch worm slowly considering leaving the safe haven of the underbrush. One inch at a time.
All this brings me to another quote: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for.” – John A Shedd
To be continued…
To see the tutorial click HERE.
by Natalie Maddon | Sep 28, 2012 | Stories
Collaboration with Alisa Le
I’ve noticed a considerable change in my normally sunny disposition. It’s like I just turned the corner, flipped myself off, and I am now left to wonder who the ass is that just so rudely disrupted my day. I blame it on the weather.
In my hometown of Phoenix, the seasons are primarily marked by varying levels of heat; some tolerable and others downright deadly. There are not falling leaves, melting snow, blooming flowers, or misty mornings to differentiate the change of season. The nights get longer and the sun hides her weary face. Each year around this time I start to feel a bit uneasy with the changing climate in anticipation of the heat breaking and trading in my tanks for cozy sweaters and tall boots. It is a bit of a love-hate relationship. The sun feeds my spirit; it warms my face, and uplifts my senses. It is my comfort, kind of like the old ragged blanket I have carried around my whole life.
When I am stripped of that warm blanket, I am left naked and vulnerable. It is a confusing surge of excitement for the new and anxiety for what is gone. I have noticed a considerable change in my photographs and level of enthusiasm for creating them. It seems I go through waves where I can’t get my ideas out fast enough or it just feels forced. Lately, it is certainly the latter. I have started a number of pictures and then deleted them in sheer disgust and with slight resentment. Why is it that sometimes it is so easy and others it is like pulling teeth?
This is my first year being involved with Instagram, or any sort of artistic community for that matter. I have noticed over the past few weeks that maybe I am not alone in this. The pictures appearing in my feed have slowed down a bit. The ones that pop up for me to view are raw, emotional, and a bit heavier than those of the lighthearted summer weeks. When I mentioned in one of my posts that I was feeling uninspired and “blah” I found that others had the same feelings. Many of those that I follow have posted notes stating that they are taking some time off, reflecting or just plain unhappy with their images as of late.
Lately I have been thinking more about the scientific validity of the power that nature has over us. I don’t think it is any secret that with physical darkness brings feelings of sadness, self-reflection, and that dreary feeling. The change of season directly correlates with a change of mood. I am not any kind of scientist but this time of year, when the seasons are colliding, I can feel the tension in the air. It is like a heavy veil lying over the earth. Perhaps I feel it more this year because I am more connected with other “artsy” type folks.
I am in awe of how an image created by another person can resonate so deeply in my psyche. Fall arouses anticipation of pumpkin spice, delicate cashmere, neon leaves, and sepia skies. I am thrilled at the idea of seeing the shift in seasons through the eyes, or lens, of others.
