Aurora DeLuca will be one of our featured speakers at our 2018 PPNC Winter Seminar in the beautiful historic district of Eden, NC March 3-5th 2018.
AH: Hey Aurora! It is awesome to hear that you will be teaching a class for the PPNC winter Seminar.
AD: Oh, goodness, I'm going to be talking about photographing those tiny little insects in your backyard that you take no notice of until you start looking. Well, you might notice them, but you usually want to squish them.
AH: Ha, you know I notice them, but I know what you mean. I have been enjoying your competition work for some time now. What got you interested macro work?
AD: Thank you! I feel like we're a rare breed sometimes! Well, my parents are both scientists, and my mom studied zoology, so we've always been the family looking closely at creepy crawlies rather than running away from them. When I started photography, one of my first lenses was a macro lens, and I started using it so that I could see insect patterns close up and it kind of went from there!
AH: I love the little things. How long have you been serious about photography?
AD: I've always been interested in photography, but school, (non-photography) work and family overshadowed any ability to actually sit down and learn. So, around 9 years ago I decided to really take the time to learn (uncoincidentally, my son will be nine in March), but I've been professionally serious about it for about six years.
AH: It's amazing how far we can come when we put our minds to it. I know that have done well in print competition lately. Do you have any specific goals for your competition work?
AD: It really is! Six years ago, I would have never believed that I could be here! As for competition, I think the goal is to always keep improving. My goal this year was to get something better than bronze, which means my next goal is something better than silver! But I also want to continue to push the creativity envelope and create interesting, unique pieces (and help other people do the same).
AH: Now, your day to day work is not macro, correct?
AD: No, my business is primarily newborn and children. Apparently, I really like to photograph little things!
AH: Other than the obvious, has your macro work taught you lessons that you can apply to your day to day work?
AD: Macro presents so many unique lighting challenges that I think it's really helped me to be able to see and quickly assess difficult lighting situations in my professional life and work around them. Also, macro photography has made me really pay attention to the small things, and I think that has come into my portrait work as well - although I'm very self-critical for that reason!
AH: Exactly. I find that macro is like therapy to me, almost like meditating. Besides taking your class, what advice would you give to someone interested in using a personal project to improve their work?
AD: Absolutely, it's a chance for me to walk around the garden quietly and notice the small things. I think a personal project, at least for me, needs to be organic and non-stressful. With portrait personal projects, I usually have a vague idea of what I want to accomplish, and we just have fun with it. With macro, it's all about what I go out and find. Some days I find some beautiful insects but nothing really inspiring and other days I can sit on my porch, notice a spider and come up with a GIA image!
AH: Yes! I concur completely. Thanks for spending some time with us. Your class sounds super interesting, I can't wait to attend.
AD: Thank you again! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Be sure to click on Aurora's images for relevant links to her class.
Winter Seminar will be held at The Loft at Spray Mercantile. It is located in the historic district of Eden, NC. Address: 413 Chruch Street, Eden, NC.
Hotel accommodations are being offered at a discount rate of $99 per night at the Hampton Inn of Eden. You must call to reserve your room -
336-627-6312. Please ask for Professional Photographers of North Carolina group rate when booking.
Registration now at http://www.ppofnc.com/2018-winter-seminar