I did a little interview with up and coming photographer Christine Chapman. Curious as to what brings people to their work in the first place, especially students, I asked her some questions to uncover the artistic direction she sees herself going in the future.
Christine Chapman is a Santa Barbara, CA area native with a love for fashion photography and a spunk for life. She is currently attending Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara where she builds her portfolio and paves her path to her professional photography career.
What got you into photography?
"I've always loved and been involved in art whether it was painting, drawing, music, or dance. My parent's made me get a "real" degree at UC Santa Cruz in Psychology where I realized after changing my major 5 times that I was not going to be satisfied working in a lab or as a therapist. My senior year in psychology I decided that I was going to pursue my dream of being a professional photographer after I graduated. I worked in a graduate lab studying how photographs affect emotion and memory, and all of my classes were focused on social influence, the power of the media, and anything else that involved photography in psychology.
What do you wish to accomplish after your time at Brooks?
I want to be famous! It may sound dumb, but I'm serious! haha! I truly hope to be a greatly influential photographer such as Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino or Ansel Adams. I hope to shoot for large editorial magazines and high end designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Armani. It's very, very hard to make it in the business, much less become a well known name, but knowing this [isn't] stopping me from working my butt off to get there :) Although the ocean is my #1 love, I will most likely leave California for New York or even Europe to pursue my dream once [I'm] done with Brooks.
Name 3 of your most influential photographers:
Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, and Elliot Erwitt
What are your favorite subject matters and types of photography?
I am more focused on fashion and character portraits, things you will see in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Marie Clare. I like to bring out a very natural, glamorous feel with my models, as well as use a lot of design and movement in my photographs. I want to keep the viewer entertained as well as bring a sort of majestic feel from looking at my images.
What type of camera(s) do you use?
I use a Nikon D700 and my favorite lenses are the 24-70mm (for photos that incorporate more of the models surroundings or numerous models) and the 105mm for single model portraits and beauty shots. In the studio I use a hasselblad h2 with a digital back. I'm all digital! It's faster :)
Do you partake in any other types of creative work (ie; painting, writing etc)?
I wish I could write better, haha! But I do paint (that's how we met; in painting class my freshman year of HS) although I don't really have time to do it as much anymore with photography taking up my time. I did dance for 12 years and I try to surf as often as I can. I know it sounds silly, but I believe surfing is an awesome art form, as you'll see many professional surfers also play music, paint, draw, etc. You're free to move and almost dance about the wave any way you like. Surfing is definitely my down time activity and I get a lot of great ideas when I'm in the water because all the stress and pressure of work and school disappear and I can think freely"
Christine Chapman's portfolio and contact information can be seen on her website
cchapmanphoto.com.
It is a very, very hot day here today. Because of the ridiculous heat I feel like I have been shuffling around, barely able to work my limbs correctly. However, this morning before the major heat set in, I was in my oil painting class painting a delightfully lumpy pair of pears. It has been about 5 years since I have painted with oils and I found it really fun to blend and blend and blend. I hope you enjoy what I have so far, I plan on tweaking a few things here and there, but this is probably really close to the finish work. 
Meet my silly little hedgehog. Not a standard garden gnome, but he will probably end up living next to the vegetable patch.
The dahlia painting is done. In fact it has been so for a while now, but today is the day I have decided to share it. My pictures of it are horrendous and I am so very sorry about that. However, I am just glad to be finished with it. I would love to know how you all feel about it.
Here is quick study I did of a steel guitar this weekend. I am thinking of expanding upon the idea to make a much larger, more detailed painting at the request of my bf. 
This painting is done using a really easy transfer technique and a xerox of a photograph. The transfer process lends a very soft, fuzzy edge to the piece. After the transfer is complete I add pigment in the form of water soluble crayons and pencils and of course, watercolor.
Yay! I am so happy to announce that the sun is shining here today. Sadly, I understand this may not be the the case for everyone. Regardless, this got me daydreaming of summer and swimming and outdoor fun and so I decided to post this little painting; a fairly quick study of some koi-esq fish. This painting actually developed into two more paintings, both of which reside with my bf who seems quite smitten with them.
I made some nifty little paintings for use over at The Wine Rack; a blog devoted to the savvy review of affordable, delicious wines from around the world. It is a great blog to check out if you are interested in anything wine related, especially affordability. So check it out and see some of my art in action! And as always, I would love to know what you think!
I hope everyone is having a lovely and fun filled weekend.
