Photographers Spotlight #4 w/ FlabnBone

Jul 19, 201411 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Jul 19, 2014

1.3K Views

We are back with another PSI, this time we interviewed a photographer we admire so much here on the support-Beginners team: FlabnBone!

She is a fabulous known still life photographer on dA and produces such cute and happy pictures. We hope you enjoy the tips she has shared with us today!

Tell us a little something about yourself
I am a student, hoping to become a Clinical Neuropsychologist or Speech Pathologist by the end of my degree. I fell in love with photography back in 2008. It was also during that year where I began writing my fantasy novel with the hopes of one day publishing it and making it a hot best seller ha-ha.

How did you discover dA? Do you post your work on any other sites?
I came across dA simply through google searches. Aside from dA, I also post on my Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/flabnbone.da ), on Instagram (instagram.com/flabnbone ) and on various other photography sites such as 500px and Viewbug. You can just google Flabnbone and you will probably find me. However, dA is my main account is and it is where I am most active.

How would you describe your style of photography and what it your favorite kind of photography?
I would probably described my photography as colorful, bright, positive and upbeat. My favorite genre of photography is still-life, food and macro. I love capturing simple things in life and turning them into magical pieces.

Who or what inspires your photos?
Simply being on dA and being surrounded by wonderful artists provides me with inspiration. I particularly enjoy scrolling through dA art feature because nine times out of ten, I find new people to watch and new art to fave. Also, it is a nice way to relax after a long day.

What type of camera, equipment and photo editing software do you use?
I am a Canon fan! I got my Canon EOS 60D in 2012. Prior to that I used a standard zoom and point camera (the Pentax Optio S60). For lenses, I own the 18-55mm kit lens, 100mm f2.8 Macro lens, and 50mm f1.8 lens. In terms of editing software, I use Adobe Photoshop CS6.

What, as a photographer do you find most challenging about taking photos?
The greatest challenge I faced, as funny and odd as it sounds, would be wind. When you are trying to focus on a flower or something small, even a little bit of wind can distort your image and make it blurry (especially when you do not have a tripod or an image stabilizer on yours lens). Aside from poor weather and lighting conditions, “photographer’s block” (based on “writer’s block”) would also be another challenge. Luckily that went away after some inspiration.

What part of photography do you enjoy the most?
What I love most about photography is that when I have my camera in hand, I can forget about my troubles and I can enter my own creative world of imagination. Taking photos makes me happy, it makes me smile on sad days, most of all, it captures memories and makes them last.

How do you improve your skills?
Over the 6 years, I think my improvement came from constant practice. I kept shooting photos, I kept posting on dA, I kept seeking feedback from the dA community, as well as from friends and family. From that, it helped make me realize what I was good at, and what I could have done better at.

If you were to give only one tip to a newbie, what would it be?
The best advice, and probably the simplest advice I would give a beginner would be to keep shooting. Embrace different photography genres (ie. Macro, Still Life, Wildlife etc…) and see which genres holds you interest the most. Once you know, hone in on that area and build yourself a reputation for that genre of photography. I would also recommend starting you own portfolio. I mainly use deviantArt, but there are numerous other sites. Overall, keep shooting, create your own unique style, make that style memorable and there you have it, your own personal photography brand.

Share with us some of your tips and tricks- with the camera and with editing.
I mainly shoot using Manual Mode (ie. you pick your own ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture levels to suit the situation). I like to have control over my settings rather than let the camera pick for me. For editing, I tend to keep it very basic. I might auto correct the brightness, colour and levels. I might then adjust hue/saturation and increase vibrancy as needed. I also like to play around with curves, to a lesser extent exposure. I am also a fan of the Gaussian blur function. Finally, I always add a watermark to my photos.

What is one accomplishment that you would like to see happen with your photography?
This is a very good question. At this current moment, I am pretty happy sharing my art on dA and other websites. However, if I become good enough, I would love to be published in famous photography magazines, even open up my own event photography service and be exhibited in galleries. But such thoughts are very ambitious so I will make the most of the present and make each and every step count to achieving my dreams.

What photograph are you most proud of that you produced?
To date, flabnbone.deviantart.com/art/T… would have to be my most favorite work. The reason would probably be due to the colours and the fact that it looks a bit magical, almost like a pathway from a fantasy story.

A lot of your work is based around nature and the outside world, what do you like most about nature?
In today’s age where people are increasingly being dominated by technology, by cityscapes and the material life, I believe it is important to reconnect with what Mother Nature has to offer. What I love about nature is the fact that it is beautiful, it is natural, it has a soothing quality and I have an affinity for it. I would love to live in an idyllic valley, surrounded by paddocks of flowers, lavish grass and trees (just like those small village towns in fantasy stories).