Katrin Ray

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER:
Katrin Ray


It’s really hard to choose just 2 photos of my favourites… I love to experiment, I love long exposure, I love the sun magic… so I think this image from my new “Astro Projection” series will show this part of me… This is somewhat of out-of-body and lens experiences during the atmospheric phenomena accompanying the daily disappearance of the sun in Toronto dreamscapes... In other words, it is the result of manual zooming and long exposure – a pure sooc creation.


This work is from a series I call “My Magic Brush” and it presents another direction, where I allow my imagination to immerse in post-processing, enjoy textures and photo-manipulations.
I love finding beauty in what I see around and envisioning as if I’m painting it to life.

1 Tell us a little about yourself

I’m an artist and author, based at present in Toronto, Canada, being largely involved into an origami art with my husband. We have created the whole fantastic origami world we call Oriland that has been exhibited in different countries across the globe. We have written many books about our origami and have done Internet projects on the origami art, including our award winning Oriland.com... I’m also holding a Ph.D degree in Psychology; had a wide road in science before me but have chosen the art path. I’m a self-taught photographer and should thank my origami for being involved into this fascinating world of photography. I am happy to add that I’m a winner of Toronto Photo Contest 2010 – that was a fantastic experience. What else… love healthy style of life, yoga and I’m mostly vegetarian.


2: How long have you been involved in photography?

Somehow photography, drawing, painting were always a part my life to a certain degree and then having the need to photograph our paper artworks prompted me to take photography more seriously. So I started to explore the photo-art in different aspects and became delighted with the world of photography, finding it quite flexible for artistic expression, like a digital paintbrush! All in all, I’m into photography seriously for about 5 years.


3: Equipment you use?

Canon EOS REBEL T1i with Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS mostly
Corel Photo-Paint and Paint Shop Pro
Adobe Photoshop
And, of course, my creative vision and attention to details at my service all the time :-)
I prefer to be laconic with my equipment and rather use inventive approach within given parameters. But I think a new lens is about to join my list.


4 Who or what inspires you?

Oh many things… Universe, celestial bodies, miracles of nature, art, music, my husband, who is also a composer… life itself!


5: Preferred subject matter?

Beauty! We can find it in the most unexpected places… I often find it in the sky and on land, far and close… and I keep an open mind to where to find it.
In technical terms, I enjoy long exposure, zooming technique, tilt-shifts, landscapes, macro... Composition and colours are important for me, so I will do post-processing where I feel it is needed, or just leave a photograph pristine, depending on my idea.


6: Name one thing you haven't caught with the camera that you REALLY want to capture.

The moon path on water surface!


7 If you weren’t a photographer would you have another artistic pursuit? If so what?

Definitely yes! I would pursue my inner painter and poet in this case.


8: Do you have any advice for someone just starting their photography journey?

Try, experiment, get inspired, be critical to your work... Long-term projects like 365 days or 52 weeks are a good learning ground. Practice makes perfect!


9: Plans for the future?

Plans are to keep on art photography and to boldly go where no one has gone before :-)


10: In one word, describe your photography.

Creative