[PODCAST] Annie Kristal’s journey with photography

Tessah: What first got you into photography?

Annie: So, um, after my bat mitzvah in sixth grade, I was able to use my money to buy like one big gift. And so I ended up buying my first camera, which is actually the camera, I still have. Um, and then from there, I just kind of started taking pictures. Like, as I went, and I took a few classes to like to see how to use my camera manually. And then I get really got into, like travel and like shooting photography is like taking pictures, just like as I walk around. And then also just like portraits of like, you know, as people started to ask me, hey, can I get a headshot from you stuff like that. So that’s kind of how it started.

Tessah: And do you have any photographers you look up to?

Annie: Yeah, so actually, it’s the person I’m working for her senior project, which is really cool. His name is David Sherman. And he does sports photography. So he takes pictures of like Timberwolves and the Lynx, which is really cool. But then he also does portraits. But my biggest thing that I like about him is that he works with people and he takes pictures of people in action and also pose. And that’s like, kind of what I like to do. I really like to have people in my shots. And he’s just really good. I mean, like, his talent and his editing skills and like, his shots are just like, insane.

Tessah: What are some of your favorite, like, when you travel? Like, what are some of your favorite places that you’ve been to like, taking pictures?

Annie: Yeah, so my thing is, like, I really love learning about other people and like different cultures. And so I do that kind of through photography. Um, I would say like it kind of like for me, it all kind of started when I went to Cuba my sophomore year. And I was able to take pictures, just like as we walked around, and of the people, like, I could talk to people because of senior. And that was really cool. And then I’ve also I’ve done Amsterdam, Italy, and like, around Minnesota, and like San Francisco, where I mom’s from, but I think it’s just a way to go learn about other people like it’s like, kind of like people watching but you just take pictures of it.

Tessah: And what are some of your projects you’ve worked on this year so far?

Annie: So this year, I did some more street photography so that’s what I did in Italy, which is actually kind of cool, because that’s where my family’s from, too. So that was like, a little bit more personal. And then my big thing was senior portraits, and I made a lot of money off of that, which was dope. So yeah, um, and then I kind of just done one or two portraits of other people. And then I did do one self-portrait project just to try I don’t love that. But it was a good experience.

Tessah: What would you say your favorite one has been?

Annie: I would say my street photography, probably in Italy. I really I’m still editing those pictures and processing them, but I do like those. And I’m going to end up using those like, mixed with a bunch of my other street photography from different places as my like, final senior art sem project, and I’m going to like do a really cool display everyone to come to that. It’s going to be you know, the day but it’s like, all the seniors come together and do that. So I’m going to use my street photography for that.