NATiVEJOiNT - BiGWiG Selection

:: DORETTE KRUGER ::

PHOTOGRAPHER

27 years old - The Cape
fluweeltjie@gmail.com / eyeriz@eyeriz.net / 082 226 3102
www.eyeriz.net

EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, FOR HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN DOING IT, WHY AND HOW IT ALL STARTED...
I do what I would like to call Poetic Photography. It is my inner most feelings, and feelings often suppressed and denied by society such as suicidal thoughts, or drinking your pain away or being in such a bad space that you just see no way out but doing something that society has "banned" . Also love issues and spiritual moments in time where one feels so good one can fly! What I aim to accomplish is touching people's cores, people who can identify with those feelings to show them it is not a bad thing, there are millions of people out there who go through similar experiences and you don't need to hide in shame about it. I truly believe that if those feelings we all have inside of us are verbalised or if we are able to express that and release that energy there would be less suicides, and alcoholism and pain. Its taking that energy and expressing it in another form. I also have a strong passion for nude and erotic photography, but have not fully delved into that area yet.
I have been doing this type of work since July 2007 - that is when my series of "The Battle of the Bottle and the Box" was born. I was in a terrible bad space and drinking quite a bit to dull the pain and to forget the situation (but we all wake up in the morning, same place just a different day), and I thought in order to transform myself out of that dullness and pain, why not capture it cause there are so many people out there going through the exact same thing. And it would help me to release that energy in a positive and creative way.

DID YOU STUDY AT ALL? WHERE? HOW?
I did a certificate in photography at SIPS in Stellenbosch.

WHAT PROGRAMS/MEDIUMS DO YOU MOSTLY PREFER TO WORK WITH?
I own a Canon 30D with various lenses - 18 - 55mm, fish eye, and fixed 100mm f2.8 Macro. I use Photoshop CS (soon to be CS3) to edit and touch up my shots afterwards and I use a PC. I have a soft spot for film as well as darkroom, but space and time is always a bugger when it gets to that and digital allows me instant access.

WHAT GETS YOUR INSPIRATIONAL JUICES FLOWING?
Various things but mostly as I have mentioned above, feelings and thoughts I go through daily. It ranges from spiritual moments to absolute depression to feeling ecstatic about life to feeling pain because of love... Do I sound a bit manic here or is it just me...? Also beautiful organic shapes and curves of the human body. Sometimes music verbalises my feelings and it is then easier to turn that into images in my head, such as the last series I did called Garden of Lust and Love. All of them stem from that and all of the images have similar lyrical titles. I also draw inspiration from books I read - once again it is a similar effect where it verbalises my feelings and that is just so much easier to see the images.

ONE OF YOUR CRAZIEST WORK EXPERIENCES?
Cant say I have had one to be quite honest - think once I get to Cape Town I may have some cause I then plan on delving into the erotic and nude photographs...

HOW DO YOU SEE LOCAL ART/MUSIC/FASHION/CULTURE? (relevant to your field)
From what I see the people posting on the group I created, Poetic Photography, some of the work is very good and very real. I have not really exposed myself by going to exhibitions and art galleries, with two kids running around like crazy bunnies, that gets a bit difficult, but I plan to fully throw myself into that environment once I get to Cape Town.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE SOMETHING IN YOUR INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Can i be as bold as to say the superiority attitude that people have?

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR WORK TAKING YOU IN THE FUTURE?
I would love to have exhibitions in Europe and US, but firstly in CT and Jo'burg. I have some collaborations lined up when I get to CT as well as talks of a book (way in the future).

EXTERNAL LINKS:
Online gallery
Poetic Photography Group on Facebook
My portfolio on Facebook
Work on Kagablog

AWARDS WON:
I got a Highly Commended Award on ephotozine.com for the photograph as well as a Reader's Choice Award (view)

A competition I won on ephotozine.com (view)

Another Readers Choice Award on ephotozine.com (view)