Anna Shelton

PHOTO . May 9th, 2013

Interview of Anna Verlet Shelton – photographer born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1975. Since then, she has lived in Florida, Ohio, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Oregon.

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What cross your mind when you see a little habitation lost in the middle of the nature ?

The cycle of life and our futile attempts to control our environment.

Where are you right now?

Hard at work in my office at a coffee magazine in Portland, Oregon.

How can you define your style ? and what’s your equipment ?

I take most of my pictures while on road trips. I need that open space. I use an Olympus XA rangefinder.

How is the place you live ? Are you far from nature ?

I’ve been in Portland almost 12 years now. It’s changing at a rapid place with newcomers moving here from all over. Progress has it advantages and disadvantages, but overall the people here are up to pretty interesting things. As for nature, any direction may take you to the mountains, valleys, ocean, high desert or rain forests.

Give us a song you want to listen right now.

“Take Good Care of Yourself” by Chris Darrow.

What part has photography played in your life ?

Quite a big part over the last 6 or 7 years. It’s with me all the time, heightening experiences and preserving memories. I think about it every day in some capacity.

Tell us the background of this picture [see below]

This photo was taken in Tygh Valley, Oregon, on an old abandoned rodeo. We were working on a movie out there, and the wild horses on the property galloped by us every day at sunrise and sunset. It was a spectacular thing not only to see, but to hear.

What are you doing for a living ?

I’ve usually working 2 or even 3 gigs sometimes. I work for a coffee and tea magazine, a record store and until just recently as a psychiatrist’s assistant.

What do you think about the suburbs ?

I don’t think about them that often nor do I go out of my way to visit those areas. I guess they make me a little claustrophobic.

Do you have any advice for us ? As fellow photographers ?

Do what you love for as long as it feels right and never out of a sense of obligation. If interest starts to wane, try something else. Usually our passions need some time to rest, but rarely do they disappear.

Do you have current projects or plans for the future ?

I’m working on a collection for a book, though I’ve been saying that for a few years now. As for the future, I stopped making plans awhile ago. I may steer ideas and wishes a certain way, but I like to give them plenty of room to expand and diverge.