Today we’d like to introduce you to Annisa Hale.
Annisa, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My passion for the visual arts started when I was a sophomore in high school, taking photos with my purple Nokia phone. I found the structures and patterns of the woods incredibly fascinating, so I started off by using pine trees and pinecones as my subjects. I also delved into an avant-garde inspired style, capturing light and shadows. I bought my first camera, a Canon 60D with an 18-200mm lens when I was 16 and started experimenting with portraits. Portraits were very difficult for me, especially when it came to instructing the model how to pose.
Fast forward to my sophomore year in college at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, my friend offered to buy me any camera I wanted. At this time, I was not too familiar with mirrorless cameras, so she bought me a Canon 6D Mark II. Photography is ridiculously competitive, so I never tried to “put my self out there,” fearful that I was not good enough. Still very fearful, I use photography as an escape, to help ground me and to remind me that I am capable of being artistic. It is hard to explain what kind of photography I shoot, but I attempt to let the landscape tell the story rather than the subject. In other words, my photography focuses on the landscapes, colors, and energy. The subject acts as a prop for nature, allowing a sort of deconstruction. Today, I shoot weddings, portraits and landscapes.
Has it been a smooth road?
As we all know, photography is very very competitive. It requires a lot of energy, especially if you are trying to start your own business or make a living off of it. It requires a lot of effort, effort that I did not have time to put in because I was in college, studying writing, not photography. There have been an immense amount of times that I wanted to give up. In fact, I did. I would deactivate my Instagram for weeks, not caring that people would try to reach out. Social media is toxic. It is easy to compare yourself to others and say, “wow, I really really suck.”
Then, of course, there is the fact that photography begins to assimilate, as in everyone’s style looks the same. You have to be innovative. You have to be creative and yes, unique. The beauty in this lies in the fact that you are constantly being challenged. Challenged to create and create and create until you are known. So, I continue to create, even though I know that most of the time I will not be known. You have to learn to appreciate your own art before others can really appreciate it.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My work is about trying to feel infinite. I crave to feel that, and I usually only feel it when I am amongst trees, amongst nature, amongst other creatives who make space for joy. I would say that I specialize in intertwining nature and people, creating a flow that is equal. People often tell me that my work captures movement through patterns, framing, tone, and symmetry. Again, when I shoot, my hope is to capture what the landscape is saying rather than the human subject. I tend to shoot very “moody” pictures.
On the other hand, I also would consider myself to be an amateur videographer, capturing weddings. I think what sets me apart from others is that my work is raw; it is genuine. It is what it is.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
Women like Katherine Joy (a wedding photographer) have inspired me. There are a lot of other women that I follow on Instagram who capture light and movement and who are truly inspiring. Just women in general who truly follow their creative flow without worrying about being known, but who radiate positivity in their work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ahopehale.wixsite.com/portfolio
- Phone: 9095203875
- Email: ahopehale@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahopehale/
Image Credit:
Personal photo taken by Yulissa Mendoza,
Other picture taken by me
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