Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Winslow.
Rachel, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always been into photography. I’ve been taking pictures since I was about 10, and most of my childhood was shot on disposable cameras that I took with me everywhere. I never really thought of my photography as an art form – it was more of a way for me to document my life. In 2008, I discovered a cheap plastic film camera called the Holga and it changed my life. I started being more thoughtful about taking pictures instead of just snapping away. I started collecting film cameras and spent hours on the internet looking up everything I could find about analogue photography. This led to a photographer’s assistant internship in Israel, which ultimately led to me traveling around the Middle East and Central America for a year. I later used my knowledge to get a job at a camera store in Chicago and taught workshops on experimental film photography. Now my main focus is shooting bands and musicians and I am slowly venturing into digital photography although my main love will always be film and Polaroids.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am an experimental film photographer, using non-traditional analog techniques to get my finished image. I love the process of making a colorful and interesting photo without the use of digital editing. To me, the process of making an image is just as important as the image itself.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Making art doesn’t have to cost money. Use what you have and be creative with your resources. The main thing that I try to tell people is that it doesn’t matter what equipment you use, as long as you have a good eye and an open mind. I’ve been shooting for years on thrift store cameras, plastic cameras that I have to tape shut, and even empty beer cans. Those, to me, are my most interesting photographs and the ones that I am the most proud of because they were taken with, sometimes literally, a piece of junk.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I am currently in the process of making a web site and a print shop, but I am most active on Instagram and I’m constantly sharing my work on there.
Contact Info:
- Website: rachelwinslow.tumblr.com
- Email: rachelwinslow@gmail.com
- Instagram: rachelwinslow
Image Credit:
Rachel Winslow
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