Lea Long
1. Congratulations on winning in the London Photography Awards! Can you share a little about yourself, what inspired you to pursue photography, and how has your journey evolved since your first shot?
I'm proud of my collaborators on this shoot, as I took the position of creative director, and my camera partner is Karl Johann Te. My journey as a creative has just begun, but it is very inspiring to be recognised, and it motivates me further.
2. Can you share the story or inspiration behind your award-winning piece? How does winning this award make you feel about your journey in photography?
The theme of the shoot is isolation and emotional attachment, how we slowly morph into something else entirely, covered up in shallow validation, desires, anxiety and indulgence that eventually forms a shell that stops us from moving.
It's a slow process, but as a creative, my whole adult life has been a slow, excruciating journey of self-doubt and isolation. I think it really reflects my current state as an artist and as a human being in an ever-changing world that is spinning so fast that we cannot keep up.
3. How do you decide which photo to submit for a competition?
I pick the photo that stops me in my track everytime I come across it.
4. What first made you pick up a camera?
I wanted to capture the fleeing beauty and time.
5. What’s your favorite type of photography, and why do you love it?
Surrealist/Abstract photography, it asks questions and also gives us more than one answer.
6. What’s your go-to camera setup, and why does it work best for your projects? What’s your favorite feature?
Simple LUMIX camera set up, it's user-friendly and great for monitoring.
7. If someone looked at your work, what’s the one thing you’d want them to feel?
I want them to feel curious, about what they are looking at and how they should feel. Hopefully they can think on it for longer than when they come across something on social media.
8. What was the most challenging part of capturing your winning shot?
The intricate details on the spider web, and the time constraint we had on the location.
9. Is there a specific place or subject that inspires you the most?
For this shoot, the bathroom intrigues me the most. It's so personal, claustrophobic and intimate. It's where we go at our worst moment, and the one place where we are truly alone, and forced to think.
10. Who or what has been your biggest influence in photography?
Todd Howard, we have a similar style, but his work is much more minimalist.
11. What message would you share to inspire photographers to participate in photography awards, and what advice would you give to help them excel in the competition?
Believe in your creative instinct.
12. What’s one piece of advice for someone just starting in photography?
Always take your camera with you.
13. What role do editing and post-processing play in your creative workflow?
Yes, editing helps me clean up the image and redirect the audience to where I want them to focus.
14. How do you see technology, like AI, influencing the future of photography and your own approach?
AI will not affect my own approach, as I refuse to let a machine do anything creative.
15. If you could photograph anything or anyone in the world, what would it be?
The world and people are at different points in time.
