This week we are excited to have the lovely Natasha on GoldRaven. This is her story, I hope you find it just as inspirational as we did.
We love having different types of people on GoldRaven, and getting to understand the way they perceive life, as well as what makes them feel alive make us admire the beauty and uniqueness of each and one of us.
" Life is this incredible journey that we all have to take, and I have this feeling I may never find out who exactly I am, or who I'm meant to be, and that's ok. There are a few things that I do know, I am an average female born and raised in the State of Utah, always searching for more than just religion, big families, and "who's more perfect then who."
I currently attend UVU (Utah Valley University) as an Art major, soon to be a photography major. I am obsessed with art, and always have been. there is something so mysterious about the fact, that art has always been around. the greatest thing about it, is that it speaks to people in ways most can't comprehend. Look up any of goyas "dark paintings" (my favorite collection) and try to feel what he felt as he painted them. Wow! That's mostly what I want for my photographs, for people to see them, and maybe somehow feel either what I felt or what my subjects felt. Whether it be the love between an engaged couple, the confidence in a model, the joy in a child, or the loyalty of a family. However- what most don't know is what I truly want to shoot, world problems. There's a quote by Picasso "art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable." That's exactly what I plan on doing. Disturbing the comfortable. There are real issues out there that I feel just aren't being addressed, or have not been pushed as much as they should be.
my family, for the most part has inspired me to be who i am. My parents have always inspired me to be the best that I can potentially be. Most kids in Utah grew up with a working father, and stay at home mom. I grew up with two full time working parents. They always made positive that us kids knew what we want in life never comes free, then how do we get what we want? Work, HARD work! My grandparents and my siblings have played a very big part in the person I am today. They inspire me every day. Last but not least my twin sister, and my husband. Everyday they have to hear my struggles, and my triumphs yet everyday they seem to love me more then the day before.
When I was about 8. an old friend named Dane gave me a 35mm film Barbie camera. I had no idea how to work the dang thing. Lucky for me my dad has always had an interest in scenery photography he had an slr film camera at the time and showed me the magic of shooting what ever you put your mind to, oh... And how to work my camera. We went on vacation as a family to st. George Utah and the power was out EVERYWHERE due to one of the biggest fires I had ever seen. I remember arriving to our hotel and behind the tacky sign was this amazing background of blazing flames, smoke, and ash. So what do photographers do best? We shoot! I only shot one photo, but when I got that film developed the photograph was absolutely beautiful! Well- at least to an 8 year old. I have that barbie camera, and photo still today. Since then I can't put a camera down. That, I believe is when I knew I
wanted to be a Photographer.
I've always known I am different than most , but that's how we all see ourselves. It's going to sound
totally weird, but disturbing things inspire me. Not freaky disturbing, more like how a person feels when they're depressed, or why we're all running away from this place called hell yet so many don't believe in a heaven? I am obsessed with the human skull. It totally sounds odd when I say it out loud, but that's who I am. Why pretend to be anything other than that? I guess it inspires me to expose the wrong in this world. Good music, amazing playlists, and good ol' fashion jazz makes me feel more alive than a lot of things. This will sound so cliche, shooting photos inspires me AND makes me feel alive. It's the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life! Every day it gets more hard rather than easy, there's so much to it. It's constantly changing, and as a photographer I feel like I have to change with it. Of course I have my style that usually some how keeps its place, but the day I am not changing, is the day I've given up. The day I am 100% satisfied with my work, is the day I've stopped progressing. You can get really self conscience in this line of work because you notice only the good things in others photographs, and only the bad in your own. So being inspired and staying inspired is the number one key at having success in photography, it's very crucial.
If you have not figured out who you are, then forget about it. Focus on the person you want to become. Never ever get comfortable in living in a black and white life, although very beautiful, you can get so cozy that you never move forward. Do things that frighten you, startle people that can't be startled, go places you never imagined you could go. I promise you that a colorful life will take you places you never dreamed of. A good tool to figure out that "missing piece" inside you is the three N's, Never stop looking, Never get discouraged, and to Never stop believing in yourself. You will find that one thing, and when you do... Your life will never be the same.
I feel like happiness to me is forgetting about living the way society wants me to live. To be considered someone outside the norm. Living my life the way It's meant to be lived... By me.
To see more of Natasha and her photography click
HERE &
HERE
