Anna Demarco has a beautiful sense of the feminine spirit. Her photographs depict her muses in languid scenes and cinematic landscapes – however they hide a darker tale. I got the chance to talk to Anna about her work:
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
The queen of romance and sadness, I like to give the impression of isolation in a world that has been seen through the eyes of an imaginative introvert.
How does your childhood affect your work? Where did you grow up? Where are you now?
Growing up, I came from a very chaotic household. Drugs, alcohol, and domestic violence. I always escaped my reality by recreating it artistically. I began finding an escape in my imagination, in a world I recreated in my mind. This is what I still do with my photography.
How did you get into photography?
I began taking self portraits my freshman year of highschool. I was a MySpace enthusiast, and actually had a large following of people who supported my work until I was 19. I began taking self-portraits because I was too shy to ask others to take their photo. I stopped shooting for a few years, and then two and a half years ago I picked up my camera again and I haven’t put it down since.
Did you go to school for your art? How was your experience?
I studied art for a year, but printmaking and illustration. I am self taught when it comes to photography.
What do you get your inspiration from? How does this translate into your work?
I am inspired often times first by a vintage piece of clothing, and next by the location in which I choose to shoot it. Sometimes a model inspires me. Back home I had a muse who I shot frequently, and together we had a combined style that is different from both my own and hers, but I haven’t found this yet in California.
Describe your process – what camera do you like most, and why?
I shoot digital, a Canon 6D. My current favorite lens is my 50mm 1.2 portrait lens. I used to be very into instax which I am picking up again, and I started out shooting on film. I would use film if I still had access to a dark room because I prefer to process my own images. With digital I am able to do this still, but just a different medium and format.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?
WOW this is a loaded question. There are so many models, and designers I would die to work with. But, I have this feeling that I haven’t found the artist who I would make the best collaboration with yet.
What message do you hope to convey with your pictures?
I just want people to see things from my perspective; I’ve been told I see things differently. Even when I am filled with sadness, I find the beauty and movie-esque romance in everything I am experiencing.
What’s your favorite image you have created?
I recently took a photograph of Model Jacs Fishburne and I am really proud of the full composition. I feel like I am getting closer to exactly what I want my work to be every time I take a photo.
Any advice to fellow photographers?
Don’t stop shooting ever. Don’t accept projects where you wouldn’t be proud to share the final product, even if it pays. Brand yourself. Sacrifice a comfortable lifestyle until people come to you specifically for your style of photography. Don’t compare yourself to anyone but yourself.
