I hate cameras.  They are so much more sure than I am about everything. -John Steinbeck

Rachel Walker is a third generation San Diegan who dreams of snow. A storyteller, poet, and photographer, her work runs the gamut from the bizarre to the beautiful and tends to settle somewhere in between. Although most of her education has focused on the written word, Rachel is an avid photographer and recognizes the value of this art in her life and creative endeavors. Learning to see through the lens of a camera has given Rachel the extraordinary opportunity to explore life in the intimate details of color, shape, and texture. “What I have learned from photography,” she says, “is there are so many details I pass by every day without a second look. The camera changes that; it makes me slow down, take a breath and be still. It’s like yoga for my imagination.”

What kind of subject matter inspires you the most?

My photography is mostly inspired by color and shape in nature, and the human form in shadow and silhouette. An unusual color scheme in an ocean sunset, or a shard of green glass on the sidewalk, these images capture my imagination and if I don’t take their picture I’m likely to lie awake all night wondering “what if?”

It’s often that I meet artists/photographers who are also writers. Do you feel that you draw inspiration from the same subject matter(s) with both mediums or are they in two totally different categories for you?

Photography is something that I feel has evolved alongside my writing, like two plants in the same pot. Many of my poems and short stories are inspired by the visual world, and the photographs I take both inspire and draw their inspiration from the stories and poems that I write. When I write it is because I have internalized my inspiration and it has overflowed and spilled onto the page. When I am taking pictures, I am finding inspiration outside of me and giving it a frame so that I might understand it better. The dichotomy of the two helps to balance my life and my art.

What kind of art and photography grabs your attention?

I like the unknown in photography; the parts of the photo just outside the frame, and the moments that take place right before and right after the shutter clicks. I am strongly attracted to texture, shape and color in the art that I most admire. I like art that exists by its own rules, whether or not it is given the admiration such boldness deserves. Finding new and emerging artists and their work is important to me as I love the possibilities these new creations hold. I love the human form in art, and how something as two dimensional as a photograph or a painting can capture and hold something as seemingly uncontainable as emotion. A few examples of artists and photographers I greatly admire include Carmen Luceno, Yves Klein, Vincent van Gogh, Brad Carlile, and the old man who surprised me with an oil pastel portrait at a bar last year and left without signing his name.

What is your current focus (in art/photography) and how do you think that will evolve?

I feel like my photography is in a state of evolution even as I answer this question. My current focus changes every time I pick up my camera, much of it based on my mood, the weather, and how balanced (or unbalanced) I may be feeling, all of which is reflected back in my art. I find my biggest challenge is photographing people in motion and am working to better develop my eye for the human form through action shots and new angles. I am also brainstorming new ways to combine my photography with my writing, and am working on a website to showcase both. I enjoy collaborating with a wide range of artists in a variety of genres, and hope to see my art evolve as I expand into more integrative projects.

Check out some more examples of Rachel’s photography at: www.seahorserodeofolkrevival.com/Rachel-Walker.html

and on her blog: www.spinnertop.blogspot.com/