Anna Shelton is a photographer and musician from Portland, Oregon. She’s lived a migratory past with roots in Florida and Ohio, touching down in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. She tries to do a little bit of everything, while possibly sacrificing doing any one thing well. She is currently working on her first photography show titled, “I Hear A New World”.

FJORD: How do you gain inspiration for your work? Where do you look for ideas?

Anna: Usually the urge to photograph coincides with wanting to explore a new place. It makes jumping in the car and heading  somewhere, no matter how mundane, just a little more interesting. Lately, I’m drawn to unusual forms in nature. I never planned on photographing so many landscape shots, and sometimes I worry I’m working within a tired genre, but I enjoy the challenge of taking a subject that’s been put through the wringer, and trying to pull something unique out of it. Luckily, I live in a beautiful place with varied terrain, and feel a deep love for the nature that surrounds me, and I’m hoping that comes across in the photos.

F: What are your favorite websites?

A: Wow, a question I’m having a hard time answering. I love books… over-sized, cumbersome photography books from the library. The library has turned me on to some amazing stuff, and it’s so great to be able to sit with these books for a month or two and really soak it all in. I do look at a lot of blogs, and I think they’re very interesting and  inspiring, but I find that I never look at any particular one for too long. I’m sure that has more to do with my short attention span than with the quality of the blogs.

F: What informs your work outside of photography?

A: I’ve always been endeared to older things/places/people. It all adds up to character, history being revealed, a forgotten story. I like old cars, flea markets, thrift stores, records, small towns; I even called Bingo for a year at a nursing home because I loved hanging out with the residents. I’m also a musician, and have been working on and off in record stores and playing since I was 16; it’s kind of like breathing, so I imagine it subconsciously plays a little part in everything I do. 

F: Do you have any suggestions to help new and emerging photographers gain exposure? How did you initially start to promote yourself and your work?

A: I have to say Flickr has been the most encouraging tool, hands down! I started putting images on Flickr because I felt like I was taking pictures all the time only to throw them in a box to collect dust. When I started uploading images, they kind of took on a life of their own. Flickr also gives me an awareness of themes within my work; I can give/receive feedback, and generally hang out in an environment with other photo geeks. It seems along the way, some people have noticed and that’s been tremendously rewarding. I’m having my first real show here in Portland in March, with 10 pieces. I didn’t even have to present my work; they recognized it from a blog, which used photos from my Flickr page.