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Crista Leonard
You have lived in many places around Europe and speak several languages, tell us a little about your childhood and your early influences that lead you to the point at which you are at now?
I grew up between Andorra, the South of France and Switzerland, but Andorra is home, still now. I'm an only child, I spent a huge amount of time alone so I developed a pretty potent imagination and I think that imagination, combined with my love for the mountains and nature is what influences me today.
How did you become interested in Photography?
I was always interested in graphic design, photography, painting, cinema etc... Ideally I would do everything, be a graphic designer, be a painter, and I did go to art school for a little bit, but I'm a bit of a crappy painter really and I just kept going back to photography until it started becoming increasingly pressing and obsessive. What I love about it so far, is it never gets boring.
Can you describe your style of photography? What type of cameras do you use and what is your favorite to work with?
I like narrative photography, photos that tell stories. So often that means creating a story, which is of course always super fun to do. I work predominantly with analogue cameras and it's not about making a statement, I just much prefer analogue results to digital results, to me it just looks more organic, there's more life in a film photograph. That's not to say however that I don't and won't do digital, I would hate to think that I'm limiting myself.
In a few words how would you describe your photography?
Folky, personal, spontaneous, nostalgic
You've spent sometime studying, how has your studies guided you through life and flow into your work?
I studied cinema, anthropology and art. Photography was a completely natural transition from these subjects, they're all inter-related and complement each other to a huge extent. Anthropology, because it looks at all these creative and cultural expressions, has especially helped me be more objective about what I'm trying to do, having said that, I'm still hoping that all those hours reading dense theory will somehow materialise into a greater understanding of everything.
Who or what are you inspirations in life?
I'm very much inspired by the human mind, by what human's see and do and think, the way life moves us one way or another, puts us into difficult or impossibly happy situations, and how we learn from those experiences and communicate our lives to others, in whichever form that might take, writing it down, expressing it through a metaphor. I love that we have an intrinsic need to communicate with others, even the most taciturn recluse still wants to share his/her experiences somehow and that's because we're human.
What are you inspirations when creating your pieces?
It might start from an image I've seen, or a story I read. Generally I'll have some idea of what direction I want the shoot to take but sometimes it's just spontaneous, which is fun.
You seem to have a passion for traveling and moving around, how has this influenced your photography?
I grew up moving around and now I get itchy feet if I'm in the same place for too long. Actually travel is a big inspiration, at the moment I'm obsessed with doing a USA trip, there's something I find particularly intriguing about the US at the moment, there are so many facets, there's the folk, intellectual beat scene then there's the harder, grittier side and then there's the history, all that space, all those legends I'd love to do a photo shoot sort of mixing history with the now, going from the beautifully in touch with nature side of the native American culture, to the hardship of Steinbeck's America to the multi layered present. I think travelling is the singly most important thing in terms of the broadening of our senses and experiences, and it cultivates your imagination so much, new scenery, new cultures, new people. I love it.
Is there anyone in the future that you want to work with?
I would love to work with a poet or a novelist and make a book together, but I guess that would be a very delicate relationship, because the words and the images really have to connect. I would love to make a little mini book to accompany a record, like a story of what the music is about what images it creates, that would be awesome. Anyone up for that!? haha
How much do you think that your experiences have shaped you?
I've definitely been shaped by the different cultures I've lived in, it's also made me feel like a constant outsider, I've never been a 'part' of any culture and though I may relate to certain aspects I've never felt entirely part of one culture. On one hand it would be nice to feel 'aahhh this is my culture' but on the other I don't really believe in all of that, I mean you get on with people globally and nationalism can sometimes breed xenophobia. As a photographer being an outside observer has been hugely important.
What are your passions outside of Photography?
Conversations over red wine, the mountains, cinema, literature, music, graphic design, driving aimlessly, walking aimlessly, nature, Art, fashion, vintage magazine and record covers, flea markets, 60's furniture, independent galleries, eating and buying shoes. Actually this section could go on for a while.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
I'm not sure I've found my favourite place in the world yet, but for the time being, when I need to just think I go to the mountains or the forest and that's pretty grounding.
How much do you think that your experiences have shaped your work?
I'm not so sure it's my experiences that have shaped my work, it's more my insistence to loose myself in my thoughts. Photography helps me feel like I'm communicating some of what's going though my head.
From your experiences is there any advice, you'd like to give aspiring artists out there?
It's not easy, there are so many times when it feels like it's not going anywhere and it would be better to just give up and get a 'normal' job. It's so cliched, but persistence really makes all the difference, that and a bloody good business sense because you're your own business. I'm still working on the latter.
