Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with photographer Shannon Natasha

teebs

Flying Lotus seems to be a man that can do no wrong at the moment. His latest album, ambulance Cosmogramma, viagra was met with resounding praise from critics across the globe and his new EP, visit this site Pattern + Gridworld, looks set to enjoy the same success. In addition to his personal prominence at present, FlyLo’s Brainfeeder label is enjoying similar notoriety due to some inspired signings that are taking hip hop production to dizzying heights. His latest offering, Teebs, is likely to increase the LA label’s popularity even further.

Teebs, real name Mtendere Mandowa, is a 23 year old Californian beat maker who is about to unleash his inspired debut album, Ardour, this month. The elegant piano flourishes and spellbinding harps are closer to the works of Caribou and Bonobo than they are to the works of fellow label mates and beat purveyors Gaslamp Killer and Lorn. This is an album so understated and mystifying that label owner Flying Lotus refers to it as “like an island vacation. The way Avatar looks.” Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs has been heaping praise upon it during her weekly show, calling it “a unique and tender magic.”

The Chino Hills native began producing his own music after he tore his Achilles tendon during a skateboarding accident. Due to the fact that he was not physically able to pursue one of his passions, he simply decided to replace it with another. “I was out for half a year and just made music and art during that time,” says Mandowa. “That’s when I just got stuck, since I got the same feeling I did when I was skating.”

Soon, Teebs’ creations took on a life of their own and resulted in the producer making regular trips to Los Angeles to perform at Low End Theory, the experimental hip hop haven that has produced the likes of Daedelus and Shlohmo. “Low End was the Mecca,” advises the young producer. “I think it still is for a lot of artists coming up in the LA area. It’s freedom in the purest form. Anything goes there as long as it has its own honest feeling to it.” 

It didn’t take long before Flying Lotus became aware of Teebs’ talents and the pair forged a friendship through their similar philosophies about what hip hop should music could be. Says Mandowa: “After a few visits to his old place in the valley and a beat CD that I passed over to him, Lotus just texted me and it read something like, ‘So whatsup, will you join us?’”

This seems like a fairly informal way to score a record deal, but Teebs’ attitude in general tends to give the impression that he takes everything in his stride and tries not to force anything too much. This may just have worked in his favour as his debut album, named after his preferred digital audio workstation, easily ranks as one of the most ambitious releases on Brainfeeder to date.

Despite the fact that Teebs’ first album sounds like a focused collection of works that were meticulously threaded together, he is happy to confess that none of it was intentional. “It’s definitely just a collection of tunes that I pulled together after I was asked to make a record,” confesses the 23 year old. “I never thought my music would get pressed or that I would ever really put stuff out seriously until I got on Brainfeeder. It was a strange feeling like, ‘Oh I need to make this work as a single record now.’”

Ardour is out now on Brainfeeder.

teebs

Flying Lotus seems to be a man that can do no wrong at the moment. His latest album, thumb Cosmogramma, site was met with resounding praise from critics across the globe and his new EP, Pattern + Gridworld, looks set to enjoy the same success. In addition to his personal prominence at present, FlyLo’s Brainfeeder label is enjoying similar notoriety due to some inspired signings that are taking hip hop production to dizzying heights. His latest offering, Teebs, is likely to increase the LA label’s popularity even further.

teebs_ardour_cover

Teebs, real name Mtendere Mandowa, is a 23 year old Californian beat maker who is about to unleash his inspired debut album, Ardour, this month. The elegant piano flourishes and spellbinding harps are closer to the works of Caribou and Bonobo than they are to the works of fellow label mates and beat purveyors Gaslamp Killer and Lorn. This is an album so understated and mystifying that label owner Flying Lotus refers to it as “like an island vacation. The way Avatar looks.” Radio 1 DJ Mary Anne Hobbs has been heaping praise upon it during her weekly show, calling it “a unique and tender magic.”

The Chino Hills native began producing his own music after he tore his Achilles tendon during a skateboarding accident. Due to the fact that he was not physically able to pursue one of his passions, he simply decided to replace it with another. “I was out for half a year and just made music and art during that time,” says Mandowa. “That’s when I just got stuck, since I got the same feeling I did when I was skating.”

Soon, Teebs’ creations took on a life of their own and resulted in the producer making regular trips to Los Angeles to perform at Low End Theory, the experimental hip hop haven that has produced the likes of Daedelus and Shlohmo. “Low End was the Mecca,” advises the young producer. “I think it still is for a lot of artists coming up in the LA area. It’s freedom in the purest form. Anything goes there as long as it has its own honest feeling to it.” 

It didn’t take long before Flying Lotus became aware of Teebs’ talents and the pair forged a friendship through their similar philosophies about what hip hop should music could be. Says Mandowa: “After a few visits to his old place in the valley and a beat CD that I passed over to him, Lotus just texted me and it read something like, ‘So whatsup, will you join us?’”

This seems like a fairly informal way to score a record deal, but Teebs’ attitude in general tends to give the impression that he takes everything in his stride and tries not to force anything too much. This may just have worked in his favour as his debut album, named after his preferred digital audio workstation, easily ranks as one of the most ambitious releases on Brainfeeder to date.

Despite the fact that Teebs’ first album sounds like a focused collection of works that were meticulously threaded together, he is happy to confess that none of it was intentional. “It’s definitely just a collection of tunes that I pulled together after I was asked to make a record,” confesses the 23 year old. “I never thought my music would get pressed or that I would ever really put stuff out seriously until I got on Brainfeeder. It was a strange feeling like, ‘Oh I need to make this work as a single record now.’”

Ardour is out now on Brainfeeder.

Shannon_Natasha_children

Take a look at Shannon’s website, online her Flickr or Tumblr, abortion and you’ll get to peek into a world of ‘almost’ – almost grown up, almost ready, almost on your way. I feel I should apologise to Shannon in case that sounds patronising, but I mean this in the best way possible. Looking at Shannon’s photos brings back a feeling of being on the verge, excited and nervous at the thought of everything ahead. Right now, the 17–year-old is finishing her high school exams at home in Australia, and has to choose whether to go on to study photography full time or do something else. Almost entirely self-taught, she’s worried that taking her photography to a more professional level could take the fun out of it. But for one more summer, in a place infinitely more sunny than Britain, she is still free to roam around with friends and her camera.

Shannon_Natasha_selfportrait
Shannon Natasha: self portrait.

Shannon’s photos have a fresh and uninhibited feel, with a playful and sometimes dreamy streak. As her self portrait demonstrates, she knows a thing or two about technique and lighting too, and a browse through her work shows she has a good eye for intriguing detail. I think this is what they mean when they talk about talent.

What is it that you love about photography?
I love having the ability to focus on different points, pinpointing something specific you want people to be drawn to. I love creating stories and dreams in my photos, documenting events and recording emotions. I love being able to alter reality, spinning it whichever way I feel.

Shannon_Natasha_untitled

What sparked your interest in picture-taking?
I’ve actually had an interest in cameras since I was very young, receiving my first one as a birthday present when I was about five. I really developed my love for photography around the age of 14, and I delved further into the art by purchasing my first DSLR camera last year. This gave me much more manual freedom, which I had desired for so long. Previous to this I would often borrow the DSLRs from my school, or use my friend’s. I also used film SLRs. I’m mainly self taught, although I did learn a little more in choosing digital photography as an elective at school two years ago.

Shannon_Natasha_CF_VII

You have some great fashion-themed shots in your collection, but my favourites are probably the more ‘quiet’ photos, such as the wire hanger and the rose-painted doorknobs. Which style of photography do you like best?
My favourite shots are often the simple ones, although my different styles of photos all appeal to different parts of me. I love fashion and that’s why I love taking fashion shots. I also adore story telling, the ability to evoke emotion in others through art, and sometimes just having something pretty to look at, something that will sweeten my eyes and hopefully the eyes of others who see my photos. This is one thing I love about taking photos as a hobby, I take them for me. I don’t have any photos that other people have dictated.

Shannon_Natasha_hang_on
Hang on

You seem to be doing more and more fashion shoots. Is this the direction you’d like to go as a photographer?
I don’t think I could ever decide on one direction. I’m definitely interested in shooting fashion but I’d never want to limit myself. One thing I love about photography is the freedom and having the ability to capture my own visions. Sometimes I may have the intention of shooting a fashion-styled set of photos and end up getting carried away with more abstract or conceptual shots.

Shannon_Natasha_i_see_the_light_surrounding_you
I see the light surrounding you.

From where do you draw inspiration? Who are your favourite photographers?
I often draw inspiration from magazines, websites like Tumblr, amazing artists on Flickr and in the world, through music, through relationships, books and my family and friends. Many of my favourite photographers are not necessarily world-renowned. I absolutely love work by Alison Scarpulla, Jeannine Tan, Mary Robinson, Muszka, Tamara Lichtenstein, Nirrimi Hackanson and Evan Hawke. Their photos just catch my breath.

Do you spend a lot of time getting the settings and light right, or is it a more impulsive process? Do you do much post-production?
It’s becoming much more impulsive now, although I do remember when it would take me four or five shots to get the settings right. Now it only takes one or two. Crazy weather in Australia, when the sun can’t make up its mind, doesn’t help. I don’t edit much if I’m shooting fashion or would like the photos to look more realistic, but if I’m going for something a little more magical I tend to spend a bit of time editing.

Shannon_Natasha_140410

With school over, what’s your plan?
The next thing for me will be university or possible an art college, where I will major in photography. At the moment I’d like to do both photography as well as something like law or psychology, but I may not even pursue photography in future study. I enjoy it very much as a hobby, so pushing money and survival into the equation may take some of my love from photography and replace it with nerves and fear which would ultimately be negative.

Shannon_Natasha_black

Other than photography, what makes you happy?
Other than taking photos, my passion is dancing. Mainly hip hop. Definitely dancing.

Follow Shannon Natasha on twitter here.

Categories ,Alison Scarpulla, ,australia, ,Evan Hawke, ,Flickr, ,Jeannine Tan, ,Mary Robinson, ,Muszka, ,Nirrimi Hackanson, ,photography, ,Shannon Natasha, ,Tamara Lichtenstein, ,Tumblr

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Amelia’s Magazine | An Interview with Teenage Photographer Nirrimi Hakanson 

Sleeping Forest by Nirrimi Hakanson
All photography by Nirrimi Hakanson.

Hard work and determination are two of the words that first spring to mind when I think of Miss Hakanson: the young photographer known for her soft, dreamy portraits of young doe-eyed girls balancing on that line between childhood and womanhood. It’s Nirrimi’s knack for wistful, other-worldly imagery that grabs my attention; beauty and innocence are captured through skilful light and filtering, but nothing ever seems overdone.

2 Loud as Night by Nirrimi Hakanson
It was some time ago when I first discovered the works of 19-year-old Nirrimi Hakanson, yet each time I find myself clicking through her impressive portfolio of images, I continue to be blown away by her raw talent and keen eye for detail. The daughter of an Aboriginal artist and a Swedish-Australian hippie, Nirrimi has creative blood coursing through her veins. Whilst most teenagers turn to babysitting or Saturday jobs to earn their pocket money, Nirrimi had bigger and better plans: plans involving a Canon 4D and an adventurous imagination. 

10 Sunbed by Nirrimi Hakanson
Nirrimi has been a dab hand with a camera ever since the tender age of 13, photographing anything and everything; finding beauty and wonder where others forget to look. There’s something in her work, both dreamy and poignant at times, that reminds me of fellow Australian Shannon Natasha; another young whippersnapper surely set for big things. Growing up in Townsville on the north-eastern coast of Australia, Nirrmi’s photographic endeavours have taken her across the globe, and in just five small years she has come an impressively long way, with two big name commissions under her belt. 

9 Sleep in Piece by Nirrimi Hakanson
First we have Diesel – the multi-million pound Italian clothing company who in the past has commissioned high flyers such as Sarah Roesink and Laurie Bartley. Nirrimi masterfully shot the brand’s Be Stupid campaign in 2010, creating controversy with her evocative but playful images. Next it’s Billabong – the biggest surfing brand in the world. Both she and her working partner/beau were commissioned to travel across Europe documenting their adventures for the brand’s new campaign set to be released later this year. But is the prodigious Nirrimi fazed by it all? No. She’s as humble as she was at 13, whilst still creating delectable photography that continues to belie her age.   

3 Nirrimi by Matt Caplin
Nirrimi by Matt Caplin.

First and foremost, I hear congratulations are in order! How do you feel being a mother will influence your work?
The pictures that inspire me most are Sally Mann‘s portraits of her children. I always knew one day my most treasured images will be the portraits of my own. I’m only a few months away from meeting my first daughter; I can’t wait to document her life.

What (or who) was it that inspired you to start taking photographs?
The thing that really set my passion alight was falling in love. It was with a young photographer when I was just fourteen. Love at that age is firey and all-consuming. I took pictures in the hope that he’d fall for me through them. One day he did and by then it was so much a part of me that it was me. 

Your age is well documented, how do you respond to people who claim that you’re too young?
The only way to respond to that mindset is to continue to live successfully in a way that exists outside of expectation, and to prove that people shouldn’t be characterised by their age. 

4 Penny Lane by Nirrimi Hakanson
Your latest editorial, Dead Leaves, is as beautiful as ever. What was the thought process behind it?
It was autumn and I’d come to Queensland to work, shooting model tests and saving money for our soon to be family. I didn’t know what I’d shoot until the model came. I just wandered around the house I was staying in, and the backyard, and we just shot with what was there. She had this naivety about her I wanted to capture. I ended up filling the bath with dead leaves from the garden. 

5 Dead Leaves by Nirrimi Hakanson
Dead Leaves by Winter.

Where do you find your models?
Sometimes I scout girls from streets, but they are also often my friends or family. 

You and your partner Matt work together as a team, how does this relationship work when it comes to taking photographs?
On the last few campaigns we shot he would film while I would photograph. We’re of one mind when we’re shooting, so fluid and connected. I can’t imagine ever working without him.

Is there a particular message that you want to portray through your images?
Beauty shouldn’t be forced.  

The internet is a huge platform that plays a big role in showcasing undiscovered talent. What’s your opinion on the impact that social networking has had on yourself and other creatives? 
It has given every artist a voice. In a world where only the well-connected or insanely talented could once succeed, now almost anyone has the opportunity to. Technology has bred a society of youth who want things instantly and without effort, but no matter how much easier it is now that photography is digital, you can’t get anywhere without hard work. The internet is an amazing place for recognition and exposure, but just as ever, it doesn’t mean it comes easy.

6 By the Sea by Nirrimi Hakanson
You just recently travelled across Europe to shoot the latest campaign for Billabong; where was your favourite place?
I really liked all the old beachside towns of Cinque Terre, Italy. 
 
After reading through your blog, I’ve discovered that you’re not only a great photographer, but also a creative writer. What inspires you to write? Is this something you intend to explore further?
I’ve been writing since I can remember, so it is very much a big part of me. The darkest and brightest times of my life inspire me. Even if I one day stop taking pictures, I know I’ll never stop writing.  

7 Valentine by Nirrimi Hakanson
The campaign you shot for Diesel‘s A/W 2010 campaign was banned was from poster advertisements in the UK. How do you respond to people who claim the imagery was too risqué?
Because it was my first campaign I shot less in my own style and more in the style I thought they’d want, so the images don’t really feel like me. I feel like the risqué thing was sensationalist. It is Diesel, so you can’t really expect anything else.

8 Diesel Campaign by Nirrimi Hakanson
You’ve started experimenting with video, notably a short film showcased at the opening of Mok Theorem‘s S/S 2011 show during Australia Fashion Week. Is the moving image something you intend to develop further? 
I do think film will one day be something I fully embrace. My lover (Matt Caplin) has been shooting the most incredible films (including one across Europe for Billabong), so for now I will leave it to him. 

You’ve come such a long way in a short space of time, where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I think we’ll own a house by water and wildness and an old campervan and go on adventures with our daughter. I’ll have exhibitions to pay the bills, and travel overseas for campaigns now and then. We’ll all be making music, taking pictures, loving and writing all day long. 

Categories ,australia, ,Australis Fashion Week, ,Billabong. Diesel, ,Cinque Terre, ,film, ,Italy, ,Laurie Bartley, ,Matt Caplin, ,Mok Theorem, ,Nirrimi Hakanson, ,photography, ,Sarah Mann, ,Sarah Roesink, ,Shannon Natasha, ,travel

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Amelia’s Magazine | An Interview with Teenage Photographer Nirrimi Hakanson 

Sleeping Forest by Nirrimi Hakanson
All photography by Nirrimi Hakanson.

Hard work and determination are two of the words that first spring to mind when I think of Miss Hakanson: the young photographer known for her soft, dreamy portraits of young doe-eyed girls balancing on that line between childhood and womanhood. It’s Nirrimi’s knack for wistful, other-worldly imagery that grabs my attention; beauty and innocence are captured through skilful light and filtering, but nothing ever seems overdone.

2 Loud as Night by Nirrimi Hakanson
It was some time ago when I first discovered the works of 19-year-old Nirrimi Hakanson, yet each time I find myself clicking through her impressive portfolio of images, I continue to be blown away by her raw talent and keen eye for detail. The daughter of an Aboriginal artist and a Swedish-Australian hippie, Nirrimi has creative blood coursing through her veins. Whilst most teenagers turn to babysitting or Saturday jobs to earn their pocket money, Nirrimi had bigger and better plans: plans involving a Canon 4D and an adventurous imagination. 

10 Sunbed by Nirrimi Hakanson
Nirrimi has been a dab hand with a camera ever since the tender age of 13, photographing anything and everything; finding beauty and wonder where others forget to look. There’s something in her work, both dreamy and poignant at times, that reminds me of fellow Australian Shannon Natasha; another young whippersnapper surely set for big things. Growing up in Townsville on the north-eastern coast of Australia, Nirrmi’s photographic endeavours have taken her across the globe, and in just five small years she has come an impressively long way, with two big name commissions under her belt. 

9 Sleep in Piece by Nirrimi Hakanson
First we have Diesel – the multi-million pound Italian clothing company who in the past has commissioned high flyers such as Sarah Roesink and Laurie Bartley. Nirrimi masterfully shot the brand’s Be Stupid campaign in 2010, creating controversy with her evocative but playful images. Next it’s Billabong – the biggest surfing brand in the world. Both she and her working partner/beau were commissioned to travel across Europe documenting their adventures for the brand’s new campaign set to be released later this year. But is the prodigious Nirrimi fazed by it all? No. She’s as humble as she was at 13, whilst still creating delectable photography that continues to belie her age.   

3 Nirrimi by Matt Caplin
Nirrimi by Matt Caplin.

First and foremost, I hear congratulations are in order! How do you feel being a mother will influence your work?
The pictures that inspire me most are Sally Mann‘s portraits of her children. I always knew one day my most treasured images will be the portraits of my own. I’m only a few months away from meeting my first daughter; I can’t wait to document her life.

What (or who) was it that inspired you to start taking photographs?
The thing that really set my passion alight was falling in love. It was with a young photographer when I was just fourteen. Love at that age is firey and all-consuming. I took pictures in the hope that he’d fall for me through them. One day he did and by then it was so much a part of me that it was me. 

Your age is well documented, how do you respond to people who claim that you’re too young?
The only way to respond to that mindset is to continue to live successfully in a way that exists outside of expectation, and to prove that people shouldn’t be characterised by their age. 

4 Penny Lane by Nirrimi Hakanson
Your latest editorial, Dead Leaves, is as beautiful as ever. What was the thought process behind it?
It was autumn and I’d come to Queensland to work, shooting model tests and saving money for our soon to be family. I didn’t know what I’d shoot until the model came. I just wandered around the house I was staying in, and the backyard, and we just shot with what was there. She had this naivety about her I wanted to capture. I ended up filling the bath with dead leaves from the garden. 

5 Dead Leaves by Nirrimi Hakanson
Dead Leaves by Winter.

Where do you find your models?
Sometimes I scout girls from streets, but they are also often my friends or family. 

You and your partner Matt work together as a team, how does this relationship work when it comes to taking photographs?
On the last few campaigns we shot he would film while I would photograph. We’re of one mind when we’re shooting, so fluid and connected. I can’t imagine ever working without him.

Is there a particular message that you want to portray through your images?
Beauty shouldn’t be forced.  

The internet is a huge platform that plays a big role in showcasing undiscovered talent. What’s your opinion on the impact that social networking has had on yourself and other creatives? 
It has given every artist a voice. In a world where only the well-connected or insanely talented could once succeed, now almost anyone has the opportunity to. Technology has bred a society of youth who want things instantly and without effort, but no matter how much easier it is now that photography is digital, you can’t get anywhere without hard work. The internet is an amazing place for recognition and exposure, but just as ever, it doesn’t mean it comes easy.

6 By the Sea by Nirrimi Hakanson
You just recently travelled across Europe to shoot the latest campaign for Billabong; where was your favourite place?
I really liked all the old beachside towns of Cinque Terre, Italy. 
 
After reading through your blog, I’ve discovered that you’re not only a great photographer, but also a creative writer. What inspires you to write? Is this something you intend to explore further?
I’ve been writing since I can remember, so it is very much a big part of me. The darkest and brightest times of my life inspire me. Even if I one day stop taking pictures, I know I’ll never stop writing.  

7 Valentine by Nirrimi Hakanson
The campaign you shot for Diesel‘s A/W 2010 campaign was banned was from poster advertisements in the UK. How do you respond to people who claim the imagery was too risqué?
Because it was my first campaign I shot less in my own style and more in the style I thought they’d want, so the images don’t really feel like me. I feel like the risqué thing was sensationalist. It is Diesel, so you can’t really expect anything else.

8 Diesel Campaign by Nirrimi Hakanson
You’ve started experimenting with video, notably a short film showcased at the opening of Mok Theorem‘s S/S 2011 show during Australia Fashion Week. Is the moving image something you intend to develop further? 
I do think film will one day be something I fully embrace. My lover (Matt Caplin) has been shooting the most incredible films (including one across Europe for Billabong), so for now I will leave it to him. 

You’ve come such a long way in a short space of time, where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I think we’ll own a house by water and wildness and an old campervan and go on adventures with our daughter. I’ll have exhibitions to pay the bills, and travel overseas for campaigns now and then. We’ll all be making music, taking pictures, loving and writing all day long. 

Categories ,australia, ,Australis Fashion Week, ,Billabong. Diesel, ,Cinque Terre, ,film, ,Italy, ,Laurie Bartley, ,Matt Caplin, ,Mok Theorem, ,Nirrimi Hakanson, ,photography, ,Sarah Mann, ,Sarah Roesink, ,Shannon Natasha, ,travel

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