Photographer Sasha O Interview

Sasha O 

 Very talented, creative photographer with a long - hard to pronounce- last name,

Sasha has an interesting take on self portraits that will leave you inspired!

wanna know more? well, keep reading... 

Introduce yourself
I’m Sasha O (short from Oleksiichuk, as no one can read or pronounce my last name correctly  ), 24 y.o. at the moment (feel myself like 20), proud to be Ukrainian, currently live in Belgium.

How long have you been doing photography?

I bought my first camera in 2008, started as a hobby, but it dragged me deep inside for the rest of my life.

What type of camera do you use? 

Canon 5D Mark III

 

What is your ideal camera (doesn't have to be real)

The one that could make exact same picture like in my head with pressing one button. 

If you had to choose one lens what would it be?

85mm 1.2. I love the depth of field it creates.

Do you prefer natural light or flash?

I use more natural light right now, but plan to get used to strobes.

Indoors or outdoors?
Both. All depends on location.

Who do you think is overrated as a photographer or model?

I think none. As you can get great result only when both a model and photographer work together, understand each other and do their own job the best they can. 

Do you like using actions? 

I do use actions, mostly my own, to speed up work. But I also like actions from Michael Woloszynowicz, as he is really great photographer and retoucher. 

Describe your favorite image taken by you. 

I haven’t taken yet my favorite picture. It’s still in the future.

Describe your favorite image taken by another photographer. 

There is too many such images. Hard to pick one.

If you could be anything other than a photographer what would you be?

I’d play cello. My favorite instrument.

What was the hardest thing you learned in photoshop?

The hardest thing was and still is skin retouching. I still can’t get the result I want.

If you can photograph anyone or anything in the world who/what would it be?

I’d photograph famous people or the Earth from the space.

What movie/play/book/ music inspire you?

It’s my favorite movie Amelie. Also Tarantino movies, as he always has great lighting. And all music that I like inspires me.

What inspires you the most?

Different things around like random rope, sea shells, paint, snails, shadows, food. Can be location, weather, my dreams.

Name few of your favorite photographers 

Except such well known as Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz and Joey L I like works of  Oleg Oprisco, Kirsty Mitchell, Rob Woodcox, Miss Aniela, Robby Cavanaugh, Cristina Otero, Anita Anti, Lorenzo Invernici. They all inspire me a lot.

How can you describe your style?

I don’t have one style yet, but what I like to shoot it’s portraits, conceptual, fine art.

Did photography change you? Your vision? The way you see the world?

 Definitely. Now it doesn’t matter what I do, where I go, what I see, I think in ‘photography mode’. I notice lights and shadows, colors, texture that would be beautiful for picture, I look on some things and I automatically think how I can use it in photos. I can’t simply watch a movie without reaction ‘Oh, this is a great shot’. And I love it.

If you had magical powers (breath underwater/fly/be invisible) what kind of pictures would you be taking?

Underwater photos.

If you could meet with any famous person dead or alive who would it be? What would you say or do?

Joey L. I’d take a picture of him.

If your life was turned into a movie what kind would it be? How long would it last? And who's going to play your character?

It’d be comedy, drama, romantic movie, for 2 hours with Lucy Hale.

How would people describe you?

I have no idea, as what people and I think about myself can be different things.

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You created a beautiful series ( No face) how did it all start?

It was not finished idea from the beginning. Sometimes I have days when I don’t want to shoot my face, but I still need to make a picture. So I looked around at home for objects that I could hide my face with. As I planned to make images for few days. Something different, but that would work together. And not to make exact same picture I used different walls, with different window light, but made the same crop. And only when I finished I saw that they can be like a gradient – from lighter to darker one. Sometimes the idea evolves in the process. 

Your photos seem playful and humorous at times, romantic and soft at times, is that your personality peeking through your work?

Yes. I think my personal mood shows a lot in my pictures even when I don’t realize it. I can make dark moody portraits for days, and then suddenly bright and soft.

Who are your biggest supporters?

My boyfriend and my best friend. They always support me no matter what and believe in me more than I in myself. Without my boyfriend I’d drop 365 at the beginning. He also helps to take some of my self-portraits.

Did photography play a roll on your make up skills?

Yes, as with photography I can make some weird, unusual things, experiment, what normally I’d not wear as a make up for everyday. And I can’t ask some make up artists everyday, so I have to do it by myself.

Everyday you come up with a creative concept, how do you keep producing ideas?

To be honestly I don’t know how. I’m always afraid that magic jar of ideas will be empty one day 

Tell us about your veggie series, did you just wake up one day thinking I'm gonna wear a tomato crown? 

 I was chatting with my photographer friend Martina Dorkinova , first about lack of ideas, then about food. I mentioned that I’m gonna cook an eggplant, and she challenged me to take a photo with eggplant. After eggplant I wanted to try other colors and I was playing with face expressions to make it more funny.

What do you enjoy the most in the process of creating a photo?

Usually it’s shooting and that moment when I get good picture I was looking for. But sometimes it’s retouching, as I get sometimes interesting result from a simple image.

Which photo was the hardest to create?

I think the one with yellow flowers. Not so much because of concept, but editing. As I was shooting with one single flower and with natural light, it took me few hours to pick and place flowers, correct their brightness, edges and other details. But with the hardest photos you learn the most.

Do you watch photoshop tutorials, or read books about photography? if so tell us about it

I’m a big fan of Phlearn and Aaron Nace. Also I watch tutorials of Vibrant Shot (of Michael Woloszynowicz), Creative Live, Natalia Taffarel. Good tips has Karl Taylor, Lynda.com. And I like to watch documentary videos about famous photographers. Recently I’ve finished to read a book about food photography – to learn and try something new, and I have books of other favorite photographers.

Would you let me interview you again? 

Of course. After I get better in photography and make more great images 

Find Sasha : Facebook -- Flickr -- Website