Happy Thoughts Company

Downtown Building

All photography depicted here is by Morgan Presley, of Shreveport. Her work can be found in her little corner of the Web at Happy Thoughts Company.

How did you get started with photography?
I've always been interested in all types of art. Give me a paintbrush, a stick of charcoal, a camera; I'll give anything a try.

What inspires your work?
As silly as it may seem, the "style" of photo I've been recently inspired by were photos from an Urban Outfitters catalog I got in the mail some time ago. That accounts for about half of my photos. The other half, I suppose, were just inspired by my spontaneous urge to take pictures of random objects.

Bedpost Beads

Which artists, if any, have been inspirational?
I actually don't really know of any professional photographers. Since I'm somewhat new to being a photographer myself, most of my past art works were inspired by other types artists. So, in reference to the last question, I guess that would be the photographer for Urban Outfitters catalogs.

What kind of camera do you use?
I just have your average little digital camera. A small white Kodak Easy Share digital camera. I would like to get something better, but that's what I have for now.

To Photoshop or not to Photoshop- Your thoughts?
I use IPhoto on my pictures to change the contrast a bit and for better cropping. I'm not against photoshop at all, I'm sure I'd use it if I had it. There's nothing wrong with a little touch-up.

Seeing Green

Have you had formal art training?
In high school I had a wonderful art teacher who was very supportive of my photography interests. She would let me borrow her photography books and also let me use my own photos for my paintings and sketches. I don't know if that would really be considered "formal" training, but that's the closest thing I've done.

Have you won any awards for your work?
I have never entered any of my photos in art shows, but some of my paintings and sketches have won a few awards in regional shows.

Photographer: Jessica Wethington

"The Pig Reads Oprah" Accepted into the La. Tech University School of Art 2008 Student Show

All photos by Jessica Wethington

What is your art background? (formal training, years practicing, etc.)

Currently working on a bachelors of fine arts in photography; became interested and started taking pictures about five years ago. I never took an art class in high school. I also dabble in steel and mixed media sculpture.

What would you say your style is?
I find that most if not all of my work has a photojournalistic feel to it, but that's my opinion. My style is my own, just like every artist has a unique style. I like thinking outside the box, but some of my favorite images come from the everyday, familiar scenery.

"Smile" taken near the Eiffel Tower, Paris

What inspires your art?

My art is inspired by life, both my personal life and the lives of those who surround me. I also draw inspiration from other artists. If I find a piece that particularly moves me, I usually write the artist's name down and go back later and research their work. Some of my favorite artists are Jackson Pollock, Alison Jackson, Richard Serra, Pablo Picasso and Robert Mapplethorpe.

If you could work with or be mentored by any artist, who would it be?

Hands down, Annie Leibovitz. I have admired her work for years; her Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair covers are classics.

What music do you listen to while you work?

-- Regina Spektor
-- The Shins
-- The Decemberists
-- Johnny Cash
-- The New Pornographers
-- Motion City Soundtrack
-- Bayside
-- The Morning Benders
-- Soundtracks-- Garden State, Elizabethtown and Juno.
I am always listening to music.

What do you plan to do after graduating?

Get my masters in photojournalism from University of Missouri, Columbia or University of Texas, Austin, then get a job with a magazine.

What is your dream job in the arts?

Getting paid to take pictures! I would love to work for National Geographic or Rolling Stone.

The Photography of Mike Leblanc

All photos by Mike Leblanc

Editor's note: Wow! There are more photographers at hand in north Louisiana than I realized. But coming up in short order are hand made goodies that I can't wait to post about. Until then, here is the wonderful photography of graphic designer Mike Leblanc. He's the coolest.

What would you say your photographic style is?
Being that my main passion is graphic design, I find that design elements find their way in my photography. A designer's work usually adheres to a grid system or hierarchy. Those methods seem to creep their way into my work.

What kind of camera do you use?
My camera isn't all that flashy--no pun intended-- *warning bad joke area*... I use your run of the mill Canon Rebel 8MP SLR/18-55mm lens. I feel having great equipment is fine, but the most important attribute to posses for creating good photography is having a great eye for composition and color.

What is your art background? (formal training, years practicing)

Like I mentioned, I am at heart a graphic designer, but of course graphic design and photography go hand-in-hand. I graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2004 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in graphic design. Since then I have worked as a freelancer. I took a couple of photog classes as an undergrad and never thought that I would shoot more than what was necessary for my graphic work. Man, was I wrong. A quickly fell in love with the medium.

What music do you listen to when you work (on art)?
Currently I'm listening to Radiohead, As Tall as Lions, Iron & Wine, Bjork, Thievery Corporation, MIles Davis... anything mellow.

What inspires your art?
I find inspiration in multiple places. I like finding beauty in old decrepit buildings... the color that they leave behind after the structure starts to crumble. I also do a lot of Web surfing. The Internet is a vast source for information and inspiration. Some of my favorite artists sites are:
--James Jean (amazing illustrator)
-- Sampaints.com (Another great illustrator, his work is very haunting. It definitely stays with you)
--Jill Greenberg (A great commercial photographer. Chances are you've seen her work in magazines and other productions. She really knows how to use the power of Adobe Photoshop to achieve the final image she wants).
-- Aestheticapparatus.com. These guys epitomize the idea of doing what you love and loving what you do. They are a two man company that screen prints gig poster for bands. Their work is utterly amazing.

If you could work with/ study under any artist, who would it be?
Scott Hansen (iso50.com). His work is awe inspiring The colors that he uses in his prints coupled with his "vintage poster design" style make for really interesting compositions. On top of creating his work he also finds time to produce music (http://tychomusic.com/)

Photographer: Julie Scalfano

All photos by Julie Scalfano

Julie Scalfano, of Monroe, will have her photography on display beginning June 21 when A Peach of a Show exhibit at Thousand Words Photography is unveiled. The opening reception will be from 4-7 p.m. Thousand Words is located at 204 W. Mississippi Ave., Ruston.

What led you to photography?

I fell in love with my dad's old Olympus SLR. I picked it up and it was an immediate connection.

What kind of camera and equipment do you use?

I use both digital and film cameras.

How has your photographic style changed over time, if at all?
My style has definitely become more of my own, and less of what others think it should be.

How do you envision your work evolving in the future?
Hopefully, I will get more specialty lenses and become less mindful of what other people think.

What is your creative process like? (How do you develop your ideas?)
If I see something that immediately hits me, I will think of what to do with it, or if I am there with my camera, I will try out a few things both physically and in my head until I get that 'just right' shot.

Which artists are you currently a fan of?

I like Jerry Uelsmann, Richard Avedon, Salvadore Dahli, M.C. Escher, just to name a few.

Rosalyn Stokes Photography

All photos by Rosalyn Stokes

Rosalyn Stokes, currently of Ruston, is at the core a photojournalist who has been dabbling in her medium since she was 16 when under the direction of a photography teacher in high school, Stokes had the groundwork laid for her now burgeoning photographic career.
Her teacher, she said, entered her work into a prestigious national photography competition, North American Nature Photography Association, which she won at 16. Stokes was awarded a week-long photography workshop in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she discovered her love for photojournalism.

"Photojournalism is my primary interest," she said. "It feels more natural. I feel awkward in a studio."
Recently, Stokes switched gears when she turned her focus to portrait photography. She said she likes to do work on location with clients, rather than in a studio. And Stokes credits Strobist, a Web site that focuses on lighting, as being instrumental in her recent growth as an artist.
Stokes said she uses a 24 mm camera lens most of the time, saying that she prefers to get really close to her subjects to the point that they almost feel uncomfortable.

Hey it's me!

She sited the time when she snapped a photo at a Hare Krishna temple in New Orleans where she captured a super detailed shot of a man singing.
"You could see the beads of sweat on his face," she said. "You got a sense how everything happened in the room."
Though her heart is in photojournalism, Stokes admires the black and white Hollywood portraits of the 1950s. The dramatic light speaks to her, and Stokes uses that element in her own portrait photography. Rather than flat lighting, she aims for dynamic shadows and highlights.

An artist whom Stokes said she admires for this is Herman Leonard, a photographer of the jazz age. "A lot his work is absolutely amazing," she said. "He lit just enough to see the form. I really appreciate his work and take elements from it.

Photography, Stokes said, is ever changing and just when you think you understand it, it changes again.

To see more of Rosalyn Stokes Photography, visit www.rosalynstokesphotography.com