30 Days of Inspiration! Day 21: Elisa Scascitelli

This is a very special artist I'd like to introduce. She is very special in he sense of she doesn't seek glory for her work but uses it as a way to express herself. Her work is absolutely beautiful to me and I've been following her work for a while now. I truly love it! Enjoy!

Elisa on Flickr!

Elisa on Facebook!

1. Introduce yourself and the style of photography you think best represents your work.

"Siamese" 

Hi! my name is Elisa and I was born and raised in Valmontone, in the province of Rome. I am 25 years old, the art for me is very significant. My photography is a blend of various portraiture, fine art, fairytales, conceptual. The photographic fairy tale for me seduces and satisfies the desire of wonder, nourishes the viewer's feelings; ambiguity, instability, curiosity, fear, elation, I love this, because the identity within it is not caged, the imagination is constantly changing, and the time seems not to exist.

2. How did you get into photography?

I studied graphic design, and between studies was also photography. But I was young and inexperienced, I still had not figured out that perhaps one day could be so important. I started

"Enchanted Rose"

working at my first real portfolio in 2012. Before turning to photography, I felt of seek and discover a part of me. I'm always looking for something, maybe that's what drives me to photograph. I do not love this kind of question, to describe, explain how certain things are born, it is so complicated. Maybe, the photography was born to protect me, to save me, to make me feel less alone, was born to allow me to communicate with the most hidden part of me, with my soul, some things already living inside us. Photographing is an adventure for me, to observe and listen to my spirit, soul shows me the world for what it is, not for what it should be, not for what they want to see the others. It's hard to explain.

3. What inspires your photographs?

My source of inspiration is nature, the mystery, the search for something infinite, continuous questions without answers. I love the forests and the sea, the wild places, where man is small and is powerless before the stateliness of the nature. Decorated gardens and labirinths are a pleasant obsession for my soul. I love fairy tales and all that is innocent and childlike, because it is pure and is not stained by the experience of an adult. I have a sort of inspiration thanks to my hair :P

4.Where are some of your favorite places to shoot?

Often shoot my photographs in the garden, or in some woods, usually shot even indoors where the depths are flat, and the magic of my fairy tale takes over.


5.Do you like to photograph other things, or just your main work?

I like to get involved even with other types of photography, it is always a lesson, this allows me to understand who I am, where I'm going, what I can do for myself and for others. This allows me to develop other hidden skills.

"Wounds"

6. What is your favorite photo you've taken and why?

It's hard to choose, each photo has a deep meaning. I'm fond to a photo of my photo stream, "wounds". For me it is important because I was inspired by the wonderful musical text "les miserables" text sad, but rich in meaning. I realized that no matter if someone out there will destroy your dream, because no one can do it, only you can decide to quit or continue.

7. What do you want your viewers to take away from your work?

Most of all, I wish that you immerse the viewer into the picture, the observer must see his world and not my world. My photographs are to be for the viewer, a threshold to be able to cross, to get lost in a maze, a door to open. It would be nice that every viewer express a personal feeling looking at the photos, laying bare the feelings, even the negative feelings. I want to show a world that is beautiful in its tragedy, where anything goes, where everything is right and nothing has a limit, a world that can be observed and understood only by those who have never abandoned that inner child. In my opinion, when a person excludes the possibility to observe carefully the art, this person is no longer a pure spirit, as when it comes to a child. I do not want to limit my photographs telling too much of them, some things need to be discovered.

"Death Waltz"

8. What gear do you use? What's your most used lens and why?

I use a Canon 400D. I do not have much equipment in truth, I use a 18-55mm lens, a 35-80mm and 50mm, a tripod and a remote control. It seems absurd to use a simple and inexpensive 18-55mm lens, but I started taking pictures with that, basically for me it is just a means, I know very well that with a goal more professional I can do better, but my wallet does not allow me to bear such high costs.

"Birth of a Butterfly"

9. Who would you say is your favorite photographer? Why?

There are many photographers that I admire, Laura Makabresku, Kirsty Mitchell, Katerina Plotnikova, Tim Walker, a Brooke Shaden the dawn of photography. These characters have literally captured me, amazed.

10. Have you dealt with any negativity as a photographer, if so, how did you overcome it?

Initially, the photos that I did I did not like at all, I had many things to tell, but I did not know how to do. Work by himself and I can say that every day there is a lot to work on, a lot to learn. When I do not do photographs, I create props; tutù, crowns, and other things craft, this creative part of me very affects the way I photograph, I repeat, art is a way of life. I am a self-criticism, so if a picture is not as I imagine, I can throw it all even after many tests, or after many hours of work in photoshop. But I never gave up, simply because I love to photograph, the difficulties are challenges.

11. Do you plan on doing anything with your photography or do you shoot just for fun? 

My photos are almost all self-portraits, is a constant therapy for me. It's a fun thing that I take very seriously. Right now I have a contract with an agency for book covers. But in general I have no expectations for the future, what will happen I do not care, I just want to continue taking pictures, I do not seek glory and craving, in my little work, there is much self-realization, and it is more than I could hope for.

"Ritual Loop"

12. Do you have a favorite inspirational quote? If so, what is it and why is it your favorite?

"My story, not the story of my life, but the story of my imagination"
-- --
"What is art?" is a disease. Love? An illusion.
The religion? A surrogate worldly faith.
What are you?
define is a limit.
Give me a thread to follow ..
The wires are broken lose your way in the maze. "

I think it does not serve to explain =)

"Magnetism" 

13. What is one experience from shoots that you will always remember?

What I can remember from my photographic experiences? ;D
The fun of being embarrassed in his underwear during a change of clothes in a forest, the startled faces of the people who do not understand what you're doing when you do self-portraits.
The best thing that I will always carry in my heart is to feel the earth beneath my feet, feeling the wind in total solitude, to feel that you are part of nature, feeling of create magic in a magical place.

14. What would be the best advice you could give to a new photographer?

Look into yourself, imagine and create that world, that dream. Passion is the only true essence of life.



15. Any final words you'd like to say? 

Thank you very much for the opportunity you gave me to express my art, sometimes it would be nice to avoid talking, photos say a lot without speaking.
It was a real pleasure Samantha! :)

Thank you so much for sharing your insight into your work! I feel like it's always great to get a glimpse inside the mind of each photographer. Sometimes we're misunderstood and sometimes that's the beauty of it all! I love your work and I look forward to seeing you create more and more every day! :D

Here are also a few more places to find Elisa's work!
Tumblr: elisascascitelli.tumblr.com/

PhotoVogue: www.vogue.it/photovogue/Profilo/e5825eb7-426e-43ec-ad06-5444b6c28a6d/User