By Raven A. Ramsey
Exec. Theme Editor
Senior Francesca Kula shows the world her artistic ideas with her Instagram photography account.
Kula had always enjoyed taking pictures, however she first started her photography career when she was in seventh grade after finding her one of her dad’s old cameras. According to Kula, Ever since then, she has never stopped taking photos and has worked to improve her skills.
“For me, improving has really been about taking photos and finding what works and what doesn’t,” Kula said. “I also use Youtube a lot because it’s a great place to find tutorials and helpful tips.”
At the beginning of her photography journey, Kula says she often based her photos around landscapes and nature. However, in 2017 Kula decided to focus on taking portraits of other people, some of which include Ema Brown, Audrey Whitehead, Gwyn Dowdee, and charges an average of $45 for her photoshoots.
“I’m really into authentically capturing people and the world around me as I see it,” Kula said. “It has always been a creative outlet in which I get to decide what point of view to shoot from.”
According to Kula, she often gets inspiration for her photography from magazines, Pinterest, friends or the environment around her. She also takes inspiration from some of her favorite photographers, Sally Mann, Rineke Dijkstra and Cindy Sherman.
“My all time favorite photographer is Robert Mapplethorpe who was very popular in the 80’s and had groundbreaking work,” Kula said. “I also really love the film photographer, William Verbeeck, his Night Street photography is amazing and the way he captures color is [very] intriguing to me.”
According to Kula, photography provides her with a tool she can use to escape her head. It allows her to capture and portray the world in the way she wants to, while also being truthful to her audience, Kula says.
“The best part of photography is when you’re in the groove and flow of taking photos,” Kula said. “It’s kind of like runner’s high, you’re so hyped up and happy with how things are turning out. This usually happens when I get out of my head and have a little bump in the creative process.”
According to Kula, she can often get stuck in her head and have a hard time executing her ideas. To overcome these hurdles, she spends more of her time creating an intense plan for each individual shoot and customer.
“I have a lot of ideas in my head and sometimes I worry that they aren’t going to transfer as well from my head to my photos,” Kula said. “The same goes for editing. If I’m not in the right mood I can get very critical of my work.”
Kula plans to pursue a career with photography, as it has become a dream of hers to work in this field. Kula’s photos can be found on her Instagram @kula_films and where others can message her with any questions about commissions.
“I have had a dream of moving to New York City and pursuing photography ever since I got started,” Kula said. “I hope to work for a fashion magazine, be a part of an artist collective or gallery space, or something like that.”
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