Ana Monique Chosen as Photographer of the Month on Modelwire!!!

 

 

 Why Photography?

Love and luck is what started me in photography. My husband was a fashion photographer and I would do anything in my power to try to make him proud of me. With a lucky chance, he was going to cancel a shoot and told me I should do it instead. The client loved my work, I loved doing it and my husband and I found something we could both be passionate about and we connected in a whole new way.

Photography has become my way of expression. I just love the idea of freezing a moment in time, capturing a moment that one may never see again. It's really become, for me, a way that I can say something with out verbally speaking to the audience.

Who is your favorite photographer of all time?

I cannot tell you I have only 1 favorite of all time because its not true. I guess the "trinity" would be Patrick Demarchelier, Mario Testino, and Peter Lindbergh.

Demarchelier because he is just amazing. His work has a timeless quality and borders both fashion and fine art. His lighting is fantastic and I wish I could just be on set watching him work.

Testino...I mean, what can I not say about Testino? For me, Mario Testino has this way of placing a thin veil of "sexy" on his images. The colors, the understanding of fashion that he has, his work is unprecedented. His work speaks to me very much.

Peter Lindbergh....he is a master to me of the black and white photograph. I love everything this man shoots and I can never get tired of looking at his work. Each image of his, for me, is like a meditation. Still, simple, and awe inspiring.

What do you look for when selecting a model?

When selecting a model, there are 2 things that I take into strong consideration and grabs my attention.

Movement - Can the model move? That is so important to me.

The Eyes - There is something about a person's eyes. When I am casting, the eyes need to say something to me. It tells me if he or she can be open and tell a story beyond the obvious. I am wanting to see their soul.

What inspires you?

Inspiration comes from so many places that it is hard to pin point one thing. I think for me, love inspires me. The soul inspires me, life inspires me. And trying to capture these things are what I aim for. Again, it is almost a spirituality of sorts. I try to look for the beauty in creation and in turn, capture that beauty. That is inspiring.

What is your favorite project you have worked on?

I am currently working on a project that will take me to Jamaica and work in the poverty-stricken areas. I am very much a humanitarian and although fashion is my focus, I love projects with a "heart". I think that fashion photography can be so much fantasy that people in Third World countries may not always relate. This project that is in the works will be documenting an organization that is going in and teaching different trades to people, giving them the much needed self confidence and knowledge to be able to get themselves work and slowly get out of their present condition. I am very excited to be a part of such a project.

 http://industrywire.blogspot.com/2011/07/meet-our-july-featured-members.html