Interviews / Stories
Aleksandra Striapunina
My name is Aleksandra, I’m 26 years old, originally from Russia and currently I’m living and working as a freelance photographer in Amsterdam.
How and when did you get into photography?
My interest to photography appeared 6 years ago and since then I keep improving myself. I always loved art, since my early childhood I was always drawing and making dresses for my barbies, but I could never possible imagine while living in a small village close to Siberia in Russia that I will ever have a chance to be able to do photography in Europe.
What does photography mean to you?
Photography means a lot to me, it’s my biggest passion, that’s something what I absolutely love to do. It makes me really happy to hear from people that I have taken the best photos of them in their life. I think that every single person is beautiful and I absolutely love showing this to the world.
Through my photography I express and understand myself. Some of my photoshoots where I was showing the themes that meant a lot to me, helped me to heal the wounds and to resolve some of my inner conflicts. And while having them exhibited in the galleries and hearing the feedbacks from the people, I realised that if at least one person could feel the same that I was feeling while looking at my photos, then everything I do isn’t for nothing.
Please briefly describe your photography style for our readers.
I have to say that I’m still looking for my style in photography. The fashion and fine art photos I take are depending on my mood. Sometimes I take pictures of the girl who turned into vampire and dedicate this photo shoot to a domestic violence and another time I take a photo shoot with lots of flower crowns at the cherry blossoms garden. And I love it, I love to be different in what I’m doing, that helps me to develop myself as an artist and in the end find my own style
Model Frederique Axelle Goud, MUA Marjolein de Ridder, stylist Yoeki Wu
Where do you get inspiration from?
I don’t really have anything specific which inspires me. I guess I get an inspiration from the world around me. I can be walking at the airport and see with my side vision an interesting drawing on the wall and then somehow subconsciously my mind starts thinking about a dress that I could make inspired by that drawing and then what kind of pictures I could take, what kind of model to use, etc..
Think you in advance what you want in the picture?
I usually don’t think in advance about the final picture look, but I think mainly about the style and the mood of the photo shoot, and what I want to show with my pictures. I also think about garments, accessories, location and possible poses of my models
Studio, on location or both?
Location! I love to use the natural light the most in my photography! And I think that taking pictures outdoor gives a lot more opportunities to photographers, than studio. So for fashion and portrait photography I’m usually trying to go to the nature as much as the weather allows me :) But of course it’s not possible to avoid studio completely and there is no need to do so, because sometimes it’s needed for the certain assignment that photos are taken inside. So from time to time I’m using studio as well.
Would you consider yourself a hobbyist or a paid professional?
Photography is my hobby which turned into profession.
What has been your most memorable session and why?
The session that I remember the most was my photo shoot during very strong storm in Amsterdam. I had a group of girls from Paris who wanted their photo shoot in Amsterdam. As we know, the weather in Holland isn’t always favorable to us. So that day was a very severe storm and while tree branches were falling down and was raining very heavily, I was taking pictures :)
Model Esmee van der Goes, MUA Marjolein de Ridder, Stylist Sarah Dikker
Model Zilla van den Born, MUA Marjolein de Ridder, Light effects Erl Dekker
Nikon or Canon? Favorite lens?
I’m using Nikon camera at the moment and my favorite lens is 35mm lens from Nikkor, 1.4. It’s perfect for portraits.
What is one piece of advice you would like to offer a new photographer looking to start their own business?
Be good in what you are doing and if it’s your real passion and you are dreaming to do photography until the rest of your life, then never give up, doesn’t matter how hard it is.
What do you think of our new magazine?
I find it very interesting and inspiring.
https://www.facebook.com/Aleksandra.Striapunina.Photography/?fref=ts
zelfportret
Model: Ceca (Trend Models)
Model: Julie & Annewil (Uniko Models)
Photo: Selma Gurbuz
Modellen: Tatjana Lauwers & Sarah Tommeleyn