Time for another interview! Today we spend some time with Olga Bennett – one of our newer Unsensored10 participants.
luci everett studio – Olga Bennett
please introduce yourself. what is “your style” of photography?
Not very original, but I guess I’m taking photographs to capture what seems beautiful to me. I’m influenced mainly by documentary images, and am currently working on a couple of personal projects. One of the called ‘Environments’ is an attempt to document creative spaces in and around Melbourne. I prefer to use fully manual cameras that force me to take pictures slowly.
untitled – Olga Bennett
how long have you been shooting film?
As long as I’ve been photographing. I’ve tried to switch to digital a couple of times, but it never really worked for me. Not being able to check my images straight away allows for surprise, and I feel it’s important element tohang on to. Shooting film allows me to concentrate on seeing and visualizing, instead of checking the results all the time. There is also sheer beauty of out of focus and low light areas as captured on medium format negative. Digital doesn’t come close to replicating this effect.
untitled - Olga Bennett
do you prefer colour or black & white? do you have a favourite film or camera?
I mainly shoot color, but love black and white too. It just feels like completely different medium to me, hard to compare. I shoot a lot of Portra, but looking into different options at the moment. I use my very old Hasselblad 500 c most of the times, it took a lot of time and effort to get used to this camera, but now I’m completely in love. I’ve been also playing with Polaroid SX-70 and new black and white film from impossible project recently. I guess I love squares.
how us one of your favourite shots and tell us a bit about it, how did you take it and is there a story behind it?
“Environments Project” – Olga Bennett
This images come from the test roll I shoot in my old apartment, trying to sort out some issues I had with focusing and depth of field. Almost accidental, they are my favorites. It’s almost depressing to think that while I’m learning more and more about photography, I can’t beat the simplicity of this shots. It’s a good reminder for myself.
show us a favourite shot from the MSM pool. what do you enjoy in other peoples’ photos?
“typical me, I started something and now I’m not too sure” by Deszya Yulian
I’m always drawn to images that have a strong mood or emotion. I like images, that take me somewhere else, like the one above: so dreamy! I can feel the breeze on my skin from just looking at this image. The grey sky, open space and hands thrown up in the air… I think as photographers we hope that other people can see and feel what we did when we pressed the button. As a viewer I like when I find that connection too.
what inspires and motivates you in photography:
Hope and possibility to show other people how I see the world, I guess! Lots of small, quiet moments, details, spaces and people that I find really beautiful and want to share with others. It seems possible, but it’s very hard to achieve. So I guess it will keep me motivated for a long time yet.
please give us a question to ask the next person:
I’d like to know what you do with your photos, aside from putting them on flickr. Do you make prints? Digital or wet prints? Do you hang them on the walls, give as presents to your friends, show into exhibitions?
Well many thanks for your time Olga! You can check out Olga’s personal website at www.olgabennettphotography.com or on flickr.
