This month photography feature is actually a young Romanian artist that I luckily discovered while trolling the web as I usually do. It’s also going to be a bit different -
Alina aka Sohodoll was kind enough to answer a “few” questions I sent her way.
Her work is amazing and diverse, but I chose to illustrate this article with my favorite photos from a black&white series called
“boys as skaters” because, well, I love them, the shoots are genuine and emotionally charged.
Also the dark haired kid is really something else, he should ease on skating and start modelling. That smile and dimples deserve big bucks, I’m telling you! :) Can you say jailbait? :)))))
I think you’ll find this to be a rather cool interview, I loved her answers.
Sara: So, I’m not planning to bore you to death or anything like that but you have to tell me stuff about yourself! Such as: How old are you? What’s your name (or how do you like to be called as an artist)?
Alina: Hey there! I’m 20 years young, my real name is Alina but I’m called Sohodoll due to the fact I’m using this name on various platforms where I showcase my work.
S: Where are you based?
A: I’m based in London right now, moved here for school, but not for long as I intend to go for my MA in New York and then, after, to travel as much as I can.
S: What do you do except amazeballs photography?
A: Except photography, I’m making music videos, short films, I draw and paint and started to write more lately.
S: Is this a hobby or something you plan to feed yourself with?
A: Art was never just a hobby, actually it was a way to express myself since I was 3, I think. And yes, it’s going to be my career, no matter what. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else so it has to be this.
S: What type of camera do you use?
A: Well, I bought my first SLR (Canon 60d) this summer, before I was working with a Sony H7 and film cameras. One of the next projects I have in mind is going to be shoot on Polaroid and I can’t wait to experiment with it.
S: Is there any editing involved? What program?
A: I’m using Photoshop for basic adjustments such as color/curves and that’s all.
S: The good, old “what inspires you?”
A: I’m inspired by life in general; it's incredible how you can get inspiration from everywhere and everything around you. If you want to hear artist names then Sally Mann, Bruce Weber, Mike Brodie, Nan Goldin and so on.
S: Where would you see your worked published (ideally)?
A: I hope to work someday for magazines like Purple, Dazed and Confused, Idol, Love, Another Mag, Vice and so on and to show honest beauty in this industry that promotes the opposite – especially because I’m studying fashion photography. Every artist plays for a crowd and these are the type of magazines I’d be honored to work with. Also, in galleries and film festivals for my future films/videos. Hopefully.
S: Are you harassing your friends to appear in your photos? They should be so lucky!:))))
A: My models are my friends and relatives, facebook friends and also strangers who I met on the streets and asked them to take their picture.
S: What kind of people do you like to work with?
A: Interesting, real, inspiring people.
S: Part two is about the boys as skaters series. Do you know the model looking dudes? I suppose so now, but did you know them at first or you just went to their “playground” and casually asked to take photos of them shirtless? Did they pose or did you told them to just go about their business and just snapped amazing photos of them? Are you going to take more photos of them?
A: ‘Boys as skaters’ is an on-going project, I’m planning to photograph them again when I'll go back to Romania in order to see them grow and how they change over time. It’s nothing staged in the photographs, everything captured there is real and that’s why they’re my favourites, because it feels like captions of what I want my photography to be about - raw, honest, youthful idealism.
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