Blogs

This week we would like you to meet Fine Art Photographer Natalia Seth.

1. What was the inspiration behind you becoming a fine art photographer?

I started my surrealistic style of photography around the same time I started Instagram. There were accounts with simple, but magical edits and I remember the exact photo that intrigued me the most: it was a girl coming out of a frame with half her body missing. I was mind-blown! Since then I’ve been creating colorful, fantasy worlds.

2. Can you take us through your creative process? How long does it take? Does everything you create make money? 

I start by dreaming up the concept, usually deriving inspiration from color or everyday life events that I want to turn magical. A lot of my ideas come from my dreams or from that moment when I am just about to fall asleep. Then, I take my camera, tripod, and self-timer remote and venture to my shooting location. Shooting usually takes around an hour. Finally, I add in all the magic elements in photoshop, which can take anywhere from 2 hours to 4 days. Lastly, I share it with the world! The majority of my work is non-commercial. I create whatever comes to mind, with a sprinkle of company work in between.

3. What do you think is the biggest misconception about your line of work? 

People underestimate the time and resources needed for my edits and for photography in general. They usually only see the final product without thinking about the process/hours that go into it. This also relates to companies underpaying creators because they don’t know how much work goes into creators’ art.

4. When did you first become aware of copyright and why? 

It was a short while after I started creating. I noticed people starting to repost my work without proper credit, or taking parts of my photos and manipulating my work into theirs. I started to become curious on the legality and rights surrounding the issue, because I knew there were repercussions that I wasn’t aware of.

5. Have you experienced copyright infringement and, if so, how has it affected you personally and financially?

Thankfully, I haven’t experienced anything too serious. People using pieces of my photos or reposting them without credit would be the furthest its gone. But it’s frustrating to know that I’ve put a great amount of work into my art and people steal it for their own personal gain.

6. What is the best piece of advice that you would give fellow creators in your field about copyright and how to protect themselves?

Be educated! It’s so easy to share things on social media now because of the lack of knowledge around copyright infringement, so I would say know your rights so you don’t have to fight for them after. There are plenty of resources available, such as Copyright Alliance.

@escapingyouth

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