Welcome fellow readers and I hope you're having a great
morning! I'm excited to say that today we have a special guest. She's a
wonderful photographer, an unimaginably great graphic designer, and she even
sews her own costumes! You may recognize some of her art from Jessica
Redmerski's book covers since she actually did them. Here is Michelle Monique!
Raschel: Welcome Michelle! Its great
to have you here today, I'm glad w were able to grab some of your time away for
this interview.
MM: My pleasure! Thank you for the opportunity to be
interviewed in your blog.
Raschel: So, you're a photographer, but that isn't all you
are is it? What are all the amazing artistic things you can do with those handy
little fingers of yours?
MM: Most people see my pictures and
think many of the elements were created digitally. However, this is far from
true. Everything in my recent photos has been created in real life by either me
or my boyfriend and I just composite everything in photoshop. I think this
gives my pictures a sense of reality whereas a lot of photoshopped pictures
look like paintings. I also make costumes with my mom if it is too complicated
to simply purchase from a store. I would consider myself more of a photographer
and craftsman than a true digital artist. You can check out my You-tube videos if you want to see the
process!
Raschel: So, you've done some pretty awesome things, and how
old are you now? When did you figure out that this was what you wanted to do
with your life? Did you take any schooling?
MM: I'm 20. When I started photography it was not a dream of mine to make it a
career, I just thought it was fun to dress up with my friends and take pictures.
However, my photos kept getting more and more attention and this inspired me to
continually improve on my skill. I gradually started getting jobs and realized
I might actually be able to make it as a photographer. I took a couple
photography classes in high school but honestly everything I learned how to do
was from self teaching. I'm in college right now but for marketing, not
photography.
Raschel: Did you start this business from scratch without any help or did
you have investors help you with purchasing equipment?
MM: At the risk of sounding spoiled my investors would be... my parents! They
bought me a camera when I was 16 as a gift for finishing a difficult year of
high school. I started by using my dad's old Minolta flashes which worked for a
couple years but I needed something better if I wanted to improve. They
upgraded my lights and bought me a tablet. I can't thank them enough for
supporting me financially as well as with their time. I don't think I would
have improved so quickly without their help.
Raschel: Minolta! Oh wow, I actually
have one of those..though I got it to go to photography school originally and
mine was 35mm. It wasn't exactly in the best of shape when I got it so it
usually stays sitting in a bag at home. I've noticed that you have several
recognized publishers as clients, want to tell us more on how you got their
attention and how that process worked for you?
MM: I'm not actually sure where publishers found me, whether
it was on my Deviantart or website. I'm just glad that they did. I was quite
nervous at first, because I was talking on the phone with the biggest publisher
in the world at age 19. I learned the most from them on what it is like to work
professionally as an artist, adhere to strict deadlines, and give a client
exactly what they are looking for.
Raschel: How long does it take you to start/finish a project
if a client knows exactly what they want in a book cover and pays right away?
MM: It really depends on how complicated the concept is. If it's just a model
in a simple costume with a simple background I can do it in 2 days. However, I
had one client that needed armor built for a character and it took 2 months.
Raschel: Would that by any chance
have been Andrea Creamer's latest book Rift which just hit
shelves this month? Do you have any special snacks that you require in order to
work on the computer for long periods of time? (most authors swear by coffee)
MM: Actually, no armor was involved
for Rift. It was for a different author but he ended up omitting the
armor and just went with a girl in leather.
I don't usually eat while editing but I always have
"That 70's show" or "The Cosby show" playing in the
background. I need background noise to feel comfortable plus those are the only
two shows I can watch over and over again! Old TV shows are the best :)
Raschel: Well Michelle it has been great having you come by and tell us a
little more about yourself. Its always fun to dig into the minds of artist and
their mediums. (Especially if they have more than one!) Here's hoping you
continue to thrive in your business!
MM: Thanks again for the opportunity to introduce myself on your blog. Best
wishes for you and your business as well!
Readers, if you're wanting to
contact Michelle or even ask for her services just visit her website! There you can see all of the wonderful work she
has even done, and even a few videos of her doing what she does
best! You can also visit her deviantart and scroll through her many
designs, and no matter what, don't forget to stop by and like her on Facebook!
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