January Cover Artist
Cover Artist: Ellie Munro   

Lesley-Michelle Munro, known as “Ellie Munro”, grew up in Glasgow, Scotland – with a keen interest in art and writing before growing a strong appetite for photography in her teenage years. Now twenty-one, she’s in her third year of photographic studies, alongside which she has undertaken a personal project spanning over the course of a year with the intention of producing portfolio worthy pieces on a daily basis. Often the subject of her own photographs, Ellie draws inspiration from fellow self-portrait artists Cindy Sherman and Francesca Woodman, and expresses herself each day through her work.

thalo: Let’s start with some basics. How did you get interested in photography?

Ellie Munro:  My interest in photography almost certainly spawned from my father’s own childhood interest in it. As a teenager, he shot film regularly, and collected the books I would later discover tucked away in the loft. I had art based intentions for my future, though at the time they were mostly paint and pastel based. Being so used to using vibrant colours, I was seemingly oblivious to the beauty that could emanate from monochrome. I picked up my first 35mm camera when I was sixteen and it went from there.

th:  Much of your work has a slightly mysterious or dark feel. What influences your style?

 
EM: Describing my style’s influence is always a challenge; I find it quite hard to explain. I have a great fondness for the word “melancholy”. That may be a bit of an understatement. I suppose I’m a little obsessed with it. My alias is melancholyellie, it’s just become a part of me. I find it beautiful in writing and in definition – and when I first started shooting I tried to capture the melancholy in every scene. Now, I don’t make a conscious effort to capture dark moments or expressions. It just comes naturally I suppose – which I hope doesn’t sound too depressing. For me, photographs depicting unhappiness always seem so much more sincere than anything else. I’d choose a gallery of earnest sorrow over smiles, lips and teeth any time. 

th: You yourself are in many of your photos. What is the biggest challenge to being the front-of-the-camera subject in addition to the person pressing the shutter button?

EM: I had tried once or twice to turn the camera on myself whilst shooting film – but found myself with more negatives in the bin than in my hand. I had an abundance of insecurities at this time, and my self-awareness was too off-putting. Just last year, I stumbled across the work of Francesca Woodman and was instantly mesmerized. Her photographs, often self-portraits, were so bleak, expressive and often forlorn. What struck me most was how they weren’t necessarily flattering; but something about the honesty of that spoke to me, and I tried self-portraiture once more. I was also experimenting with studio lighting at the time, and the combination of my new inspiration, disregard for vanity, excitement over new lighting possibilities and the desire to express my inner self resulted in the first of my self-portraits. It’s almost a year since I started them, and I wouldn’t be the person I am now had I not. The things I was insecure about haven’t changed, but how I look at them has.  

th:  You use traditional photographic techniques sometimes blended with new technology. What’s the most important thing to consider when blending computer imagery and traditional photography? 

EM: I think when it comes to new technology it’s really important to remember what you want out of your work. I started my 365 project with wild edits in mind, (really, you should see my sketchbook – lasers, dinosaurs, underwater adventures – the lot.) – I’m not sure how many hours I spent in front of my Mac but I remember it was a summers evening when I looked up from the screen, having been in front of it for seven hours building an elaborate room I would later edit myself into – and just thought, “What on Earth am I doing? I want to be a photographer, not an editor.” My daily ratio of photographing/editing was about 1:8. Since then I’ve stuck to more traditional methods of shooting – concentrating on lighting, exposure, and generally making the most of what’s available to me. Editing should enhance a photo – not dominate it. I go through phases in my daily project where I’ll add a digital quirk or two, but I don’t see me going back to the earliest days of my 365. I see no reason to.  

th:  Do you think it’s important for photographers to still learn in the darkroom, or is digital shooting and photo editing software sufficient? 

EM: Well, not long after I acquired my first 35mm – my father and I built a darkroom within my house and I soon began developing my own images. Through taking part in this process from start to finish, I found a great deal of respect for the art and though now I am predominantly a digital photographer, I owe my knowledge and understanding of the fundamental elements, my precision, and my patience, to film photography. I don’t necessarily think everyone needs to start from the beginning, with 35mm film. But a thorough knowledge of camera control is essential, and for me, the best way to teach yourself that is to only have 36 exposures at a time. Each image becomes infinitely more precious when you have so little – and you really consider everything more carefully.   

th:  Do you have any advice for people considering attending school for photography? 

EM: It’s not enough. By this I mean, you can learn the basics and you can tick off assignments, but you have to be shooting outwith your studies. Don’t wait for a new brief, start up a project yourself. Every photograph currently residing in my portfolio was taken for non-academic purposes. The best advice I could ever supply? It sounds horrible and clichéd, but for the love of all that is holy: take photographs. You don't want to know how many people I study with that take photos for assignments and nothing else. It's like owning a library and only picking up the book some fool told you to read  

th:  Anything else we should know about? 

EM: I owe everything I am now to my dad. He's my original and ongoing inspiration. And if you find someone like that who makes you want to be a better photographer, painter, writer, person, whatever - keep them around. 

To see more of Ellie's work visit http://elliemunro.co.uk/.