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[ March 1, 2004 ]
Even though Ann Elliott Cutting starting taking photographs at a young age with her dad's "Swinger" Polaroid camera, it wasn't part of her career picture. At the time, it just hadn't dawned on her that she could be making a very successful living at it. "I knew that when I grew up I wanted to do some kind of biological science," she says. "I just liked to play with photography."
What she did over the years was accrue a high-profile client list that includes Nike, Sony, Lexus, Warner Bros., Lee Jeans, Microsoft, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post Magazine. The crossover between science and art isn't as obvious as one might think. For Cutting, the common denominator seems to lie in the problem solving aspects: "I don't feel this urge to go and take pictures with a microscope," she says. "Both science and photography have many methods and techniques for finding a solution. The creative part seems to be in the path that leads one to the solution - having a question that is an unknown and coming up with some effective solution to it. The associations between things that may not be obvious and the coming up with something novel, or seeing a different way of looking at it. are useful approaches in both fields."
I like the work to have a mood or feeling as well as a conceptual element. If an image is both witty or humorous and beautiful then it's a winner. I started out shooting black and white with a toy camera. The kind you find at thrift stores that has a plastic lens. I love the ethereal and spontaneous quality but the best part was the element of surprise. You never knew if you got a good picture. The toy camera left a lot of room for learning and experimenting with a very limited tool. Its also very non-threatening and packs well. Do you have a favorite image? My favorite picture was taken out the window of my car. What equipment do you use? I use all formats and I like them all. I use digital and traditional cameras. There's different needs on any given assignment and you use the appropriate tool on that assignment. When I am just messing around on my own I tend to use 4 X 5 or a plastic toy camera. Did you ever doubt your decision to leave science? No, because I knew I could always go back to it. I still feel like I could go back to it if I wanted to, although you get kind of rusty after being away from it. And things in that field tend to change very quickly. I do miss science but I am still passionate about photography.
Do you keep up with science? I still read one science journal and I have friends that I keep in touch who are still in the field. A friend from my old biology lab and I might teach a class in the future about art and science.
I think the stock photography world is growing fast. It will be interesting to see where that is going and how it effects the business. I think digital photography is growing, too, but I wish it would grow faster. There is just so much more to do with the digital tools. I wish it would technically advance much quicker than it is. Who would you most like to photograph? I have always had it in the back of my mind that some day I will do a portrait series of different scientists. I also enjoy photographing musicians and artists. I enjoy being around people who are masters at what they do as it is quite inspiring. - Contributed by Mary-Beth Holland >> See more work from Ann Elliot Cutting >> See other member spotlights on the member spotlight index >> Find out more on how to become an altpick.com member |
