Welcome to this months feature artist blog, for April we have the incredibly talented Aleishia Hrnciar to share with you all. The way she documents her beautiful family and their precious memories make her the perfect selection for this months theme. Enjoy!
Tell us a little bit about your photographic journey......
I have always been into arts, all types (except ceramics, I'm horrible with clay). I would go through rolls and rolls of film as a child and then filled floppy disk after floppy disk. I took photography classes in high school where I learned to develop film and also the beginnings of Photoshop. It wasn't until years later, that I was gifted a Canon Rebel T3i by my husband (then boyfriend). I shot on that thing for about 8 years, until I finally treated myself to an upgrade. From there, I just immersed myself in anything and everything I could find to learn more. In 2019 I took on my first 365 Project, where I would shoot daily. That is what I would attribute the majority of my growth to and the reason I chose to continue the project in 2020. After all, they say practice makes perfect.
Tell us a bit about your style.......
Oh gosh, I'm not even sure yet. I think it keeps evolving as I keep evolving which really its a beautiful thing. Over the last year, I have learned that my personal work is for me and my family and that is my focus. It's not for likes or Instagram or features or blogs or comments. I'm making it to look back on the times with my littles and our family that we would like to cherish. These images are firstly for us and I think that's really important so that you don't get lost in the world of comparison. What do you want your kids to remember? What do you want them to be able to look back on? What about you and your significant other? Don't you want to look back in your albums and see things that are true you and your family? I can't imagine you'll look back and display in your albums that this image got 2K likes and comments. What does that really matter? It doesn't. What matters is your thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, your loved ones, your pets, your home...all the little things that make up your beautiful world. So, I would say my style is colorful, rich, emotive, creative and truthful.
What gear do you use?
I upgraded to a Canon 6D Mark II in October 2018 and I'm still loving it! For lenses, I have Sigma Art 35mm 1.4, Sigma 20mm 1.4, Canon 50 1.8, Canon 85mm 1.4, Canon 70-200, 4.0 and Lensbaby Sol 45mm
Whats your go to lens and why?
My go to would be the Sigma Art 35mm, I do A LOT of shooting in my home and at this focal point I can get enough of the story in while leaving out some of the mess! I also can shoot portraits with it if needed, which I love. I guess it's just the versatility of it. My newest lens is the Sigma 20mm and I'm also OBSESSED with this lens, especially outside. If I can only bring one lens and we are going out of the house, I'll bring the 20mm!
Who and what inspires you?
Literally everything and anything and I mean that. It could be a flower, a pattern, the way the light shines, a certain color, something someone says. I draw inspiration from anything I can in the world around me. My kids are with me daily and they often give me ideas, which they love to be a part of the process, so that's a win for us all. We are slowly working our way through the alphabet right now for a project and it's easily their favorite. As far as other artists, I was originally inspired by Mandi Johnson and the way she shoots her kids. I just love all her details and fun perspectives. Ashley Marston and her work is why I decided to tackle the 365 Project. The consistency and growth is addicting. As far as self portraits go, LeAnna Azzolini has been my inspiration from the start. I just love her self portraits, they are often simple but in the best possible way that shows you such beautiful and true emotion.
What tips do you have for shooting for documentary?
Shooting daily, I have really leaned into documentary types of photos and the main reason why is that I did not want my kids to get sick of me with a camera in their face every day. Also, I really don't like to bribe them EVERY time I want a shot. I find that if I use that tactic sometimes it works much better than if I'm constantly bribing them for every shot. And because of that, I've learned to really love documentary images. Instead of making everything "perfect" I try to find something interesting to add to the image. For example, once my son was sick with the stomach flu, he was laid out on the living room floor with a bucket and blankets. I popped on my 20mm to get the full story of him lying on the floor, the sun was shining through the curtains, so I changed up my aperture and position to get a cool looking flare in my image. He wasn't even aware that I took his image. Another great tip is to give some space, try not to interrupt what they are doing. Just move around until something strikes you.
What documentary image are you most proud of &/or love the most and why?
My current favorite is my kids swinging at a small little park off Lake Michigan. It's my favorite for a few reasons, first it was a day where I randomly told the kids to jump in the van and we headed down to the lake. It was January and we don't go down by the lake often in the winter because it can be so cold for them, but it was a mild day. It was getting closer to sunset and the sky was just so beautiful. I just kind of followed them around and played with my 20mm (it was brand new then!). And lastly, we recently drove down to the lake and had found out that they removed all the old playground equipment. My kids were so sad but at least we have this image to remember the great times spent there.
