Rebecca, many people here at Artalyst admire your work. Can you tell us a little about your self and what motivates you to take pictures?

A little about me... I am 33 years old, have 3 kids, Riley 3, Shane 5, and Halie, 14. I have been a photographer for a little over 10 years, mostly self-taught. I still don't know everything there is to know. I sell my artwork, do portrait work, and freelance for newspapers. I have always been interested in photography, and when I got my first little 110 camera, I used baby Halie as a model and went nuts taking pictures. So my first motivation is to photograph my children. The flowers are just part of my soul and I jump at every chance I get to photograph new ones. I love just jumping into my car, crankin up the stereo, and looking around for new subjects. ( I don't get to much ) Sometimes I will be doing one thing, and then think it may make a good photo, so I shoot it. (Ex. The Bubble Pic)

So if you found a bottle with that proverbial genie in it that gave you three wishes relating to your photography, what would they be?

1. That all of the "technical knowledge" of photography, the cameras, and software be stored in my brain. I want to know everything that I don't yet. I still don't know how to put together my studio lights, much less what to do with them!
2.That I could travel around the world and photograph it. EVERYTHING!!!
3. Lightning would strike the ground at just the right moment (when I am ready), on just the perfect background (a tornado), so I could take a picture of it! Im willing to get close enough!

So basically you're a daredevil willing to give everything to get the shot huh? So tell me a little about how you started doing your flower shots. What inspired you to take a picture of a flower and change it into a piece of art in Photoshop?

Almost everything - I don't do heights well! I started taking photos of the flowers when I needed to put together a portfolio for the newspaper. I had a cheap 35mm camera, and I took some really bad photos. The photo-editor pointed out how blown out the whites were, and taught me the meaning of the word "POP". (My photos were way past that LOL) I got the job anyway and my first "real" 35mm camera. Something has always drawn me to the flowers. I think some of it is the intricacy of them. I have been playing with Photoshop for years, trying to learn more about it. When I finally got my copy of Elements, I started experimenting with all the photos I took. If I had the talent of painting, I would paint them on a huge canvas. I don't have that skill, so my canvas is the computer screen and my flower pics, and Photoshop is my paint.

Well we all took some bad pictures at the beginning I know I still do. So if you had the resources to try would you try the painting? Or are you happy with the way your art career is going?

I did give oil painting a shot for 2 years in college. I ended up with some very "abstract" work LOL! We were to set up a still life and paint it realistically. I got the A for effort, not for the paintings! I found it to be really relaxing though, and if I could afford the materials I would give it another shot. This time though, I would not approach it so seriously. I don't think I could add drawing and painting to my list of talents any time soon! I would definitely do it for fun! As far as my career goes, I am content for the moment, but I do have goals for the future!

So where do you see yourself in 5 years? How do you think your work will change? What kind of things do you want to try? Oh and what part/area of photography is most interesting to you?

In five years... I hope that I will be a staff photographer at a newspaper full time. One goal I have is to get my name out there as an artist as well, and that my prints will sell based not only what they are, but my name being on them as well. (slightly famous??) My work will change from mostly art to mostly photojournalism, as that is the most interesting to me. Capturing the human spirit and emotion...raw. I get an adrenaline rush when something "happens" unexpectedly, creating a moment in time that should be captured by the camera. I'm not a complete sicko - I hate it when bad things happen, but when they do, I want to be there with my camera in hand. Some times it doesn't have to be bad things, it can be good things like a sick child who was meant to die, but got better. Or the opening of a new playground... When I was on staff at the newspaper years ago, I was sent out to get "filler" photos, which is just basic human interest. I came across a man sitting on our Main Street on a park bench, playing an accordian. I shot several photos of him, talked to him for a while and found out that he loved making the music and just wanted to share it. The photos were never used. Years later, we had huge gas explosions in Hutchinson that killed 2 people and injured many more. He was one killed, along with his wife. I dug through my portfolio and found that favorite photo of him I had taken so long ago, had it framed, and was able to silently leave it at the funeral home for his surviving family. So I would say that the journalism aspect is most interesting to me, as it is a chronicle of our lives. I would love to try some aerial photography done from a helicopter....but I need to get over my fear of heights LOL!

So in closing is there anything else you would like to add? Any details we have missed?

I dont know LOL - this is my first interview! Can I call you BAWBWA now? HeHe!

Absolutely not. This was my first interview too so I really have no ideas where to go except to say thanks and I have no idea when it will show up on the site. Keep looking for it.

LOL! I can't imagine it being all that interesting for anyone to really read - I'm a horribly boring person - but yer welcome!