September's Photographer of The Month - Julia Franke
The idea behind the photo “Sunrise in Croatia”
I took this photo last summer whilst island-hopping around Croatia. It was taken on the last morning that the whole team were together, and we stayed up to watch the sunrise. As a photographer, I was disappointed that there were no clouds decorating the sky and catching the sun’s light.
How I got into photography
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how I started getting into photography, as it was more of a subconscious transition. One moment, you’re just taking some snapshots with your dad’s camera as a kid, collecting Polaroid cameras because you’re so “vintage”. The next you’re that friend with a professional camera you spent your savings on, taking holiday photos for the whole group and promising your best friends you’ll photograph their weddings one day.
What I enjoy most about photography
Primarily, my photography is a way to capture moments and allow me to reflect and remember those days, months, years down the road. Furthermore, as a scientist (though more biology than physics, but let’s take it as a mentality rather than speciality), I always think about what is actually happening with the light, and how my camera’s sensor will capture it depending on the settings. The eye and the camera are different in a few aspects – for example, your eye (in combination with your visual cortex) is amazing at adjusting for different exposures and giving you a “real time HDR”, so to speak. When you look at mountains on a sunny day, you can clearly see both mountains and sky. However, when you try to capture it with a camera, you need to use a HDR setting to avoid overexposure of the sky, or under exposure of the mountains. On the other hand, long exposure photography (a guilty pleasure of mine) is something the eye is incapable of imitating. You cannot create a 30 second exposure on your retina, but the camera can capture it, and this is one way that you can manipulate light with photography and not just capture moments, but really create something.
What I’m currently doing & Plans for the future
As I briefly mentioned, I’m a science gal. I study Biomedical Science at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), in a 5-year MSci course with industrial placement year. I’m just about to begin my placement year in Heidelberg, Germany. While plans can change, the current idea is to finish my MSci and hopefully to continue on with a PhD. I hope to one day teach the subject at a university level, combining my love for science with my hopes of a more scientifically literate population. Photography is definitely on my agenda too, but mainly in the form of hobby and travel photography. Like I said though, plans can change, so if somebody wants to offer me a contract to work in the Maldives as a full-time travel photographer… I may be persuaded to drop the pipette!
Favourite camera
My current camera is my “baby”. It’s the Canon EOS 6D. I absolutely adore its full frame ISO sensor (the same as in the 5D MIII), plus the WiFi and GPS have proven rather useful. I also have a Polaroid Image camera (one I actually use!… when I don’t need to choose between paying for film or paying for food), which is a little less reliable but adds another dimension to the science-geek-ness: Chemistry. Yum.
Misc.
I love science, I love photography. Contrary to popular belief, art and science are not polar opposites. In fact, understanding the science behind art (such as optics for photography) and having a creative approach to science (how else would innovation work?) greatly benefit… everybody. So, don’t let people convince you you’re too “left-brained” or “right-brained” to try something new, whether it’s picking up a paint brush or a textbook. If something interests you, go for it!
My framing vouchers
I am very excited about getting to order some custom sized frames, and I’m trying to be careful and really consider my options. I have plenty of photos I want framed, but with an opportunity like this, I may want to go for a specific theme and frame a “collection” of photos which all work well together. But then the problem arises that I have no idea how to categorise my work – I am mostly a travel and hobby photographer, so I don’t usually work with a theme. I have a few months to figure it out, so I will do my best to do this amazing prize justice!
