Pamela Brown
PAMELA BROWN: “The power to show others the way I see the world is amazing to me and makes it the most amazing adventure of all.”
by Eric-René Penoy
What move you in this adventure?: The power to show others the way I see the world is amazing to me and makes it the most amazing adventure of all.
Who are you? Describe yourself in a few words.: I am a regular person that one day had a dream to become a photographer, to capture the world in the way I see the world
Any plans for the future you would like to talk about ?: I just moved to a new country and it has not been easy, my plans are that people can get to know me and let me be their photographer
Where do you come from? Give us details: I am from Costa Rica, but I have lived in 5 countries and even in my country I lived in several places, I considered myself a nomadic heart!
Is it important to have the support of your loved ones, family, friends?: Yes, my family is amazing! They are always supporting me and helping me, if I tell them that I want to create square apples and sell them on Mars they will say: GO AHEAD! you can do it! My mom always taught me that I could do whatever I wanted and I grew up thinking that.
Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work?: Yes, it is not easy being a creative person, you think in a different way, see things that some people do not see, is seeing the world with different eyes, loving what you do, in each photo you put your heart and soul, you are not only selling photographs you are giving them a little bit of you, of your mind, of your love, of your spirit.
What is your personal life has influenced you to choose your career?: I was going to be an architect but at that time I moved to Nicaragua for a volunteer program of 2 years, I took my analogic camera with me, I got a lot of films. Meeting new people, getting to know the way they live, getting to see their day a day life. More than photographing was a connection between me and the people. When I returned to my country after those 2 years I knew that what I wanted to be was a Photographer and I searched for universities where I could learn more about it, not only to be able to do a shooting but to get to know more about the history and how to count a story. It has not been easy but I have been following my heart as much as I can.
If you could interview a creative person (past or present), who would that person be? Please explain your choice: This is a hard question but as I can only choose one, that one will be Henri Cartier-Bresson, he is a legend, the power of his photography, for me he is perfection, creator of the Decisive Moment, what an amazing work, he did not need tens or hundreds of photos to have the good one, no, he just needed that right moment.
Today I hear all the time: ohh, I took lots of photos to get this one that was perfect for me, but what about if we wait until that perfect moment!
As I said before, for me he is perfection
He just enjoyed photographing, he did not have to give a fuck about web pages, Instagram likes, I am truly jealous about that! Just enjoying the present and waiting for the decisive moment.
What in your personal life has influenced you to choose your career?: I was sure that I was going to study architecture as I love buildings and structures, when I was 19 I decided to volunteer for 2 years in Nicaragua. I moved there, I got to know other volunteers. I had to visit the poorest places you can imagine. I had a little film camera and I brought it everywhere I went, I took a lot of photos, they were not even good, and most of them are selfies but when I was finishing my volunteer I remember that I was in someone's house, very poor and I was sitting looking at the mountains and I told to myself that I wanted to do that for living, to be a photographer, I did not even know if that was something people study but I came back to Costa Rica I searched for photography schools and I found one that was not expensive and I started with it.
If you had the chance to live during a different artistic movement other than now, which one would you choose?: I would like to be a photojournalist in 1930, get to know Dorothea Lange, Margaret Bourke-White, capturing the world our way.
What is the best advice that you have been given?: Follow your dreams and remember that you can do everything you want you only have to believe that you can accomplish it!
Do you believe in destiny?: Yes I do, but I believe in a good destiny, not sure if that has any sense! LOL
I believe that destiny is gonna take you to where you belong and with the correct people, as when I was going to become an Architect and then I decided to volunteer and then I change my career to Photography, also, when I was working in a call center and they ask me if I was interested in learning French they will pay my classes so I did, then I had the opportunity to live in France because I was selected as part of a program to teach Spanish in France, I met great friends there and I have been able to shoot some weddings in Europe thanks to that. And now, about 10 months ago I came to Ohio and I not only got to know an amazing place but I got to know my husband!
Everything has a connection, it is a path that takes you to the right people, it is not easy because it takes you to be always out of your comfort zone.
What inspires you on a daily basis?: I find inspiration in EVERYTHING, a phrase from a book, a film, a class, a conversation with someone, to see the passion in people when they believe in what they do. Religious people and how they like what they believe, the athletes that train for hours to
to achieve competition, the people that struggle with disease and still have a smile on their faces.
Really, when I say everything I really mean it, some people say that I live in my own bubble and it is true, I am weird and I love my weirdness.
Do you ever create hidden meanings or messages in your work? Explain.: Yes, I like my photos to be solitary, I tried to never include people that is not part of the scene that I want to create. A lot of photographers like to include people in the background of the scene, people who are there, I do not like that, I always wait for them to leave or I choose another spot without people, I like to create that air of loneliness in my photos, kind of melancholic, nostalgic as if in the world there are only the people I'm photographing.
What made you decide to follow a creative career choice (though possibly risky) rather than something more stable?: HAPPINESS! That is my goal, not money, not fame, I want to be happy, waking up every morning and saying to myself, damn! I love what I do! It is so amazing my job, getting paid for being creative and at the same time getting to be thanked for my job! that is amazing.
How do you know when a piece or project is finished and needs no additional work?: When I like them and I would not change a single thing! I am my worst critic, I am very demanding with myself and with my work! I have been like that since little! Very perfectionist!
When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person: When I was about 12 and I took my parent's camera because my little brother was going to be in a parade with the school for an independence day and I photograph everything! In the end, they did not have more films for anything else! oops!
Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?: I like Evoque loneliness and nostalgia.
Did you feel like this journey would end? What is your approach to life?: We have to enjoy every single moment, stop being so much on our phones, have longer conversations, watch the people in the eyes.
Life is so amazing, do not worry that much about social media, feel the sun, hear the birds, enjoy every tree, every moment, stop going to places just to take photos and let others know about it, go to places because you want to, stop worrying about what others think about you, worry about what you think about you.
Have a dog, and spoil them as much as you can! life is better with a dog! They are the most loyal, and wonderful creatures in the world!
Have you always wanted to do what you are doing?: Almost, I always liked photography but what I wanted to be was an Architect until I moved
How do you deal with creativity blocks?: I study, I am actually in a virtual academy in Spain "Academia People" and every day I try to study something, or I hear one of the talks from the special guests. Also when reading a book I try to imagine everything like a film and it helps me to think, to imagine the scene, the light, the costumes, everything.
Do you believe art should deliver a message?: Yes! That is a way of expression, it is a way to speak to others to let them know that you understand them, that you are with them.
How do you fight the comparison and discouragements?: All the time, I always compare my work to others, I always think that others are more successful than me, that they have more followers on Instagram, that they earn more money. It is always difficult not to compare to someone but the magic is being yourself, being good for yourself, and being happy with the job you are doing, I keep studying, I try to be better for myself, and sometimes I tried to do not check so much the social media. I remember once that a designer from Mexico (Maria Sariñana) posted a photo from a workshop I participate and I said to myself what an amazing photo, then some minutes after she tagged me in the photo, It was my photooooo! So you have to see yourself with other people's eyes! That is the clue!
Who would you like to read from (Can you put me in touch with this person?)?: From Petar Jurica
What would be your question to this person?: How do you do to see the world in such an amazing way?
If you could ask yourself a question, what would it be?: How do you see the world?
And your answer would be ?: As a magical place, full of magical moments, you only need to pay attention to them.
What is the best advice that you have been given?: To never give up! Life has not been easy. My parents were really poor and my dad was an alcoholic and we are 5 kids, people thought that we did not have a future but my mom thought us to do not give up and to believe in ourselves and all we studied and work hard, and now we all have our careers.
"If I am in an outdoor session I always wait until nobody is in the background. I like to create the sensation of being alone in this world.”
What inspires you?: Books, music, good films, paintings, sometimes I see a painting and I imagine it as photography.
Do you ever create hidden meanings or messages in your work? Explain: Probably I do, I always like the photos to look like if they were alone in the world, I like to create this feeling of loneliness. If I am in an outdoor session I always wait until nobody is in the background. I like to create the sensation of being alone in this world.
If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend your day?: I will run a lot and then I will gather the people I love and my dog to eat with them and talk until I die.
Who is the most creative person that you have ever known?: Leonardo Da Vinci, was a genius! I had the chance to go to his castle Clos Lucé and was like been in heaven, all his creations, his paintings, his phrases. I am sure that if there was photography at his time he would be amazing as a photographer too.
Have you always wanted to do what you are doing?: Yes, when I was studying photography a wedding photographer came to give us a talk and I immediately knew that I wanted to do that. It is a happy moment, it is like stilling happiness for your soul.
How would you like to be regarded or remembered?: I always wanted to go to Africa to help others, I want to be remembered as someone that helped others. Sometimes I feel pretty useless and I think there are so many people that need our help. When I was little I loved Geography and I had a book where I noted the information of the population and the medicines they might need, the food, and supplies but I still have not done anything about it, so I hope someday to have the opportunity to be there and to be remembered as someone that served others and that helped others.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
DOB :
LOCATION: COSTA RICA
OCCUPATION: WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Copyright : Mariana Cervantina.
CONVERSATIONS AND CLASSES TO INSPIRE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS.
WHERE TO FIND THE ARTIST?
INSTAGRAM: /nomadicheartphotography/
WEBSITE: https://www.nomadicheartphotography.net/
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