You can't help but go through a mental journey when viewing Amy Spanos work! every image tells a story, a dream , a memory...
you will find creativity, emotions and a lot more!
Closer look to Amy
introduce yourself please.
Hello I am Amy Spanos, I am twenty two years old, I am in love and I live in England, mostly. You can decide the rest for yourself.
Who has inspire you the most in terms of photography?
Robert and Shana Parkeharrison. Nobody compares.
What is your favourite style of photography?
Photo-manipulation, traditional colours, nothing too bright or bold. I like fake blood and fog.
what style of photography do you find challenging?
Nature. Emotionless people and places.
Name other photographers you admire.
Jen Violetta - she doesn't get anywhere near the amount of support she deserves.
Who are your biggest supporters?
My boyfriend. My dad. They keep me motivated. I try not to rely on anyone else.
What do you enjoy doing other than photography?
I try to divide my time equally between myself, my boyfriend and my dad.
What are some of your favourite films, books and musicians that keep you inspired?
John Green (Finding Alaska and Paper Towns), The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Biffy Clyro, Newton Faulkner, Lifehouse, The script, Lana Del Rey, Adele, Movies - A beautiful mind, The shining, Donnie Darko, Memento, Identity, American Psycho, Henry: Portrait of a serial killer, The machinist, The Jacket, Elephant, Shutter Island, The butterfly effect, Harry Potter.
you're doing an amazing job both in front and behind the camera, would you be interested in modelling or acting?
Thank you, I don't think acting would be for me - I am pretty socially awkward.
Tell us a weird fact about you,
I was diagnosed with a Borderline Personality Disorder a few years ago, which is where 99% of my photograph ideas come from. I have so many emotions, they used to destroy my life, I use them to my benefit now.
What is your definition of beauty?
Colour, details, doorknobs, i love the sound of bawdy old telephones, making mistakes, dappled sunlight and soft grass. i love the bare minimum, poetry and visual stimulation (there should be nothing but) and perfect moments, sleeping boys and shallow breathing. beauty spots and crisp, fresh notebooks. raindrop patterns on my window and spiders in my panes. texture and bark and velvet and marble and satin. touch, sight, sound.
blood and and the rough and ready. mess and tidy. skin on skin and colours dancing behind eyelids. lipstick prints on glasses. strawberries without the cream, criss-cross ice cream cones and amaretto. difference and clear-thinking. humanity. lips and eyelashes and flushed cheeks and warm breath.
blood and and the rough and ready. mess and tidy. skin on skin and colours dancing behind eyelids. lipstick prints on glasses. strawberries without the cream, criss-cross ice cream cones and amaretto. difference and clear-thinking. humanity. lips and eyelashes and flushed cheeks and warm breath.
If you could create the perfect camera what features would it have?
It would have a built in fog, snow and rain machine.
What is you favourite location to shoot in and why?
Abandoned asylums because they tell a story nowhere else can.
Do you like answering questions regarding your photography or do you like to keep your secrets to yourself?
Everyone has secrets, I share what I like :)
Do you recommend any websites for photoshop tutorials?
I have never watched any tutorials.
Do you read books about photography? if you do, what's your favourite?
I have never read a photography book.
What is your favourite photo taken by another photographer?
What is your favourite photo taken by you?
Anything taken in an abandoned asylum. Because I can remember how alive I felt at the time when I look at it. And nothing in this world is more important than a feeling.
Do you think its hard to be unique and have your own style in photography?
Is anything in photography unique? I think it's impossible to create something that hasn't been created, or closed to, something that hasn't been done before.
Do you prefer shooting indoors or outdoors?
I like natural light. Natural lights inside abandoned buildings.
Is fame important to you?
'I'm scared of failure, So scared of success, I guess it'll all work out'... my life.
When you first started out with photography, what were the mistakes you made a lot?
I taught myself photography so everything I did was pretty much a mistake. Focus and tones were probably the worst, and still are today.
Name people you enjoy working with models or other photographers, or people you wish to work with both models or photographers.
I don't think I want to answer with my favourite models or photographers, just in case I don't name someone I have worked with before who happens to read this. I don't like to put people in situations I wouldn't want to be in.
Any new project you're working on?
I currently own a studio with 2 other photographers so work full time there. I don't have as much free time to work on solo projects as I would like. Over the next year I hope to build my own website and create a book full of new stuff.
I've noticed that you've deleted some photos from your photostream,Is there a photo you regret posting online?
I don't regret putting anything online, because at the time they were the best I could do. I think as I grow in ability I like to delete some of the work I could improve on. People still focus on all work you put online, not just the newest, and judge your ability on them - which is a shame. Some days I think about deleting all of my older work, but I know some people still like to look at it.
Have you ever contacted other photographers for advice?
Nope, would be interesting to though.
My personal Favourite set is the "A-Z mental disorder" how did you come up with the idea? did you face any difficulties with the project?
No I had no problems, I understand mental illness like the back of my hand, and that's why I wanted to do work about them... for the people who don't understand them.
some of your photos seem to be inspired by "Rosie Hardy" have anyone told you that before? and how do you feel when someone compare your work to somebody Else's?
In my second year of college (where I studied art) we got to do a project on whatever media we liked. I chose photography. I didn't know a lot about photography then, I had just purchased my own camera and downloaded photoshop. I had to find photographers to do Artist Research on and re-create images of. Rosie Hardy was one of the Photographers I chose. I recreated about 5 of her photos and regrettably put them online for my friends to see and never deleted them after I started to get into photography seriously. After that someone (anonymously) decided to make a hate website about me saying I copy all of her work and also went to lengths of making up and putting together photos pretending that I also copy what she writes. It was a pretty hard time for me then. I think after that I didn't really look at her work much anymore.
Luckily, I haven't had any in quite a while (saying that I probably will now) as I don't seem to mesh well with hate comments. I often ask myself why I bother responding to these hateful comments. My answer is that I often feel the need to justify myself, which isn’t exactly great. I just hate knowing that there are people out there who have the wrong idea, I’m always trying to explain myself.
My point is, though, why should some (normally) anonymous coward who’s simply trying to annoy you/hurt you, deserve any attention or explanation whatsoever, when they can’t even show their face, as if they’re perfect themselves? If everyone stopped replying to these losers, there’d be a lot less negativity on the internet. Most of them would give up. Basically, by replying you’re giving them what they want. By not replying, you’re making the world a little bit of a better place. I’m so sick of the internet being so full of hateful remarks.
It’s just so sneaky, you know? Like, they could be anyone. It could be someone who you regularly see in real life, and they’re super nice when they see you and don’t say a thing. To be fair, it’s probably not, it’s probably just some creeper who stalks you over the internet and hasn’t met you before, but still.
My point is, though, why should some (normally) anonymous coward who’s simply trying to annoy you/hurt you, deserve any attention or explanation whatsoever, when they can’t even show their face, as if they’re perfect themselves? If everyone stopped replying to these losers, there’d be a lot less negativity on the internet. Most of them would give up. Basically, by replying you’re giving them what they want. By not replying, you’re making the world a little bit of a better place. I’m so sick of the internet being so full of hateful remarks.
It’s just so sneaky, you know? Like, they could be anyone. It could be someone who you regularly see in real life, and they’re super nice when they see you and don’t say a thing. To be fair, it’s probably not, it’s probably just some creeper who stalks you over the internet and hasn’t met you before, but still.
I think a lot of Rosie's work (like so many other photographers) is inspired by other work too somewhere along the lines. Nothing these days seems to be fully original. Everything is a copy of a copy. I don't mind too much if people compare my work to others anymore. Sometimes we are even unintentionally inspired by something. It's a crazy world.
Links you should know:
Amy's Flickr -- Twitter -- Facebook -- Formspring -- Tumblr -- carbonmade --Blog
