Artist Spotlight: Daniella Fishburne with Fried Fish Photography

    I can't remember exactly what I was looking for when I first saw her work, but I instantly felt like I'd stepped into some beautiful, other world.  The genius behind these gorgeous images is Daniella Fishburne  at FriedFishPhotography.etsy.com and I am so happy to be able to share her work and little bit about the artist behind these breathtaking images.  In her bio on Etsy Daniella says,

"I’ve been drawn to art for as long as I can remember. My childhood memories are filled with sketch pads and clay covered hands, but nothing seemed to capture my heart until I discovered photography.  I've always had an active imagination, ever since I was a little girl. Imagining the impossible, I would often get lost in my own little world for hours. For some, this may seem like a waste of time, but I like to believe that anything is possible and, after years of daydreaming, I am finally able to turn my dreams into reality.  In 2014 I began exploring my own inner life, thoughts, and feelings through a 52 week self-portrait project. In that sense, this body of work is very personal, almost like a visual diary."

Composing a dream, turning the ethereal into the real is such a enormous undertaking and yet, image after image she succeeds and we get lost in her daydreams too.

Bleu Avenue:  Thank you so much for talking with me.  When I look at your photos, I feel like I'm looking into a dream. From what do you draw inspiration?

Daniella:  Thank you for taking the time to share my work. A lot of my inspiration comes from daydreaming. Sometimes I drift off into my own little world and it can get me into trouble. I often find it difficult to focus, but my art allows me to channel those thoughts into something productive, so being a chronic daydreamer actually turned out to be a good thing. I love being able to create the imaginary worlds I dream up and share them with others.

B: There is magic in daydreams.  I love to see that light in my girls' eyes when they're dreaming up some story or drawing.  They're big fans of strong women, so most of their ideas involve regular girls that turn into some kind of super hero.
    I guess everyone has a particular idea that they like more than others.  To what theme are you most drawn?

D:  I think I'm most drawn to the sky, especially the night sky. I love watching clouds float by and I'm absolutely mesmerized by the moon. I think those elements have become a common theme in my work. I like to believe that anything is possible and I hope that my work inspires others to believe that too. It also provides a nice little escape from reality.

 B:  There is a sort of process involved in creating something and as we do something over and over, that process gets refined.  How has your work or your vision for your work changed with time and experience?

D:  I think everyone’s work changes as they grow as an artist. My work has become increasingly more surreal and my editing techniques are a lot more subtle since I first started. I had a tendency to over use textures in the beginning, but with time and practice I'm learning that less is more.

B:  Absolutely, as we learn, we grow and as we grow we learn.  It's a blessing to have friends, family, or mentors to help guide us now and then along then way.  What has been the best advice you've been given or tip that you've found either for your photography or another area in your life?

D:  Always follow your heart. You are the only one who knows what’s right for you. If your intuition is steering your life in a new direction, don’t be afraid to follow a new path. Change is scary, but if you follow your heart, then you’ll always end up right where you’re supposed to be.

B:  You've mentioned in your Etsy Bio that you'd like to publish a collection of your photos in a coffee table book. What else do you think the future holds for you artistically?

D:  I still hope to publish a coffee table book someday and I’d also like to see my work on book covers. I recently signed with an agency that works exclusively with publishers, so hopefully one day soon I’ll see my work sitting on a shelf in my local bookstore. I also have a small series that will be published in "Somerset Digital Studio" in the fall, which is a wonderful magazine dedicated to digital art. I'm very excited about the future possibilities, but at the end of the day what I really want most is to inspire others to believe in themselves and the possibility that dreams really can come true. The key is perseverance.

B: Very true, the best way to achieve your dreams is to hold tight and keep working toward them.  Thank you so much for talking with me today and I look forward to seeing that book and all your future photographic creations.

Find out more about Daniella's work at www.daniellafishburne.com/blog/ 

And Shop her photo prints at www.friedfishphotography.etsy.com