fts I Remember Everything
Empty Stretch: Age/ Location/ Favorite things in life?
Alana Paterson: I’m 28 I’m currently living on Gabriola Island off the coast of British Columbia. My favourite things in life are too many to number but some are: big dogs, big cities, small town charm, country roads, nice light, a steady headed man, a well planned skate park, a frosty brew…I’m going to stop there… Swell times with friends and family, natural phenomena, moving to new cities, leaving, goodbyes, showing up unannounced, surprising people. Ok now I’m done.
fts One Young Summer
ES: How did you get into photography?
AP: I got into photography shooting skate photos of my friends. That was the physical manifestation. Why it stuck with me and I never got bored of it or put it aside is a lot more complicated I’m sure.
fts Clear Water
ES: All of your photos have an undertone of transience & a sense of something being left. Is this something that comes naturally or are you actively seeking that feeling?
AP: That’s great. You’re pretty observant. Yeah I move a lot, half a year here, half a year there. I don’t really stay in one place and I love the romance of leaving. I don’t think I seek it actively in my images making though. It must just come through on its own. That’s nice though, I like that.
fts I Broke Horses
ES: Do you differentiate between commercial & personal work? There is a consistency in your work that makes it seems like you treat all your subjects the same, which is nice.
AP: I’ve heard people noticing that. Yeah I guess I have a system of working with people whether my friends and family or models and it comes through in my work. I mean sometimes friends and family are even harder to shoot. People never think about that but sometimes when you know someone so well it makes it tougher in a way because you can’t see the surface anymore. And there’s all these politics between you also. My cousin is 7 months pregnant and she asked me to shoot photos of her and her belly and I’m more nervous about that then any of my big shoots coming up. Cause if I fuck this one up its family that’s mad and thinks I’m a bummer photographer and not just some kids on the internet.
fts One Young Summer
ES: How important is people & place to your work? Do you photograph the
same in places/ with people that are new?
AP: Well we try to never use the same location twice for commercial stuff if that’s what you mean. But if it is just my personal stuff I’m just shooting as I go. Not really thinking too hard about it. Climb a mountain take a photo, I don’t know.
All Is Quiet On The Western Front
ES: How do you like your work to be viewed? Galleries, books, magazines?
AP: I’m more of a magazine girl I think. Catalogs. stuff like that. I don’t really enjoy the gallery atmosphere. Or maybe I don’t think my images are well enough developed to be in galleries yet. I think that’s something you really have to earn. That’s the sunset shit if you ask me.
fts Filthmode MC
Please find more of Alana Paterson’s work on her website & tumblr.