Luciana Blair Photography

Luciana Blair

Feb 2016 | Sofia Simeonidou

I am actually very shy and I think this is why I like to be behind the camera. So nobody can see me! It is funny when I think of all the parties I’ve been to and took photographs of. I was the only one not to appear in the photos. It was almost like I was never there.

Where you always a photographer?

Not as a job but I always had it in me. I got it from my dad. We used to spend hours together with his old cameras while he was trying to teach me how things work. And it took so much time. It took ages at the time to see the results of a picture you took. We used to keep a diary with all the settings we had for each photo we took. There was so much work and so much love involved.

Did you like school?

I hated school. It was an old style structured Lyceum where you had to fit in. You couldn’t be different from the rest. You shouldn’t show signs of weakness or real self. Most of the students who thrived in this environment, failed later in life. Or at least that’s how I see it. In old style Italian Lyceum the things that mattered were the political position and views of your parents. In short, who your parents were made for who you were. A kind of “Italian Mafia community”.
I still met my very best friends in this school. Good memories of us in the corridors and sneaking out to smoke. Good times make for good memories, right?

What did you want to be as a kid?

I wanted to be a vet. I always loved animals!

Favorite toy/game back then?

A sketch book. Drawing and get my drawings interact was great fun.

What’s life as a small business owner?

Stressful! Especially when I first started I didn’t have a clue. I was receiving emails and I had to respond immediately. I was always worried I have forgotten someone or missed an important email. Luckily I’m more relaxed now.

A businesswoman or an artist?

I am an artist trying to understand the rules of business but still not very good at it.

Do you stay-up late?

Yes very late. The first year it was the worse. Being a full-time mum, the kids were not at school yet, that was also my editing/answering email/learning time.

How do you relax?

I wonder around random streets in Amsterdam discovering new little hidden gems.

Do you take pictures of yourself? Selfies?

I occasionally take pictures of myself with my phone. With a real camera that’s not an option! Whenever I ask my husband to take pictures of me, I remember why you need a photographer if you want some nice shots.

Do you like Instagram?

No I really hate it. I must say I don’t even have a business account. I have a personal one that I never  check.

What is your favourite app?

I use many apps that make my life easier.  For work there’s an app called “golden hours”, which calculates the best time of the day to take pictures.

"

I am an artist trying to understand the rules of business but still not very good at it.

What is your favourite color?

Purple and green. They also go very well together.

And your favorite time of the day?

Well that’s easy. At 8pm when my kids go to bed and I have time to work and study.

Best photographer you look up to?

There are quite a few actually. I love to follow photographers in blogs and forums. More than inspiration I guess I really enjoy to look at beautiful photos and perspectives of colleague photographers.

What is the most difficult part of a shoot for you?

You should ask what’s the easy part? Get a newborn to sleep or get a sibling (usually a toddler) to look happy and cuddly with the new baby?

Don’t we all want to look beautiful in a photo?

Yes we do.  The most important thing though is to be sure of who you are. Cliche but true. Then you are at ease with the camera. This is one of my priority tasks: to make everyone feel at ease. That’s when you look beautiful in a picture.

Did you take the perfect photo yet?

Still looking! With every photoshoot I have the perfect photo or that’s what it seems like at the moment. Then with the following photoshoot, I take what I believe is really the best and most amazing photo. This is part of growing and development and loving what you do. That’s what I think.

Get in touch with Luciana. Check out the website or send an email.