ACHE Magazine: What do you try to convey through your work? Why do you photograph? Danielle Suzanne Campbell: I’ve always been interested in reliving my past through photographs. I like to recreate memories of childhood in my work and hope to evoke nostalgia in whomever views it. AM: How long have you been shooting? How has your photography changed since you started? DSC: Looking back, I was always really fascinated with documenting, first starting with taking disposable cameras on Girl Guides camping trips. I was given my first two-megapixel digital camera in eighth grade, and I was known as the girl with the camera. I’d put together scrapbooks made out of tape and construction paper, and glue in four-by-six prints, notes, and drawings from school and family holidays. It wasn’t until I was seventeen that I really became interested in the idea of composing a photograph. My best friend entered a modeling competition, and she asked me to be her photographer. I quickly fell in love with exploring the weekly themes she was given and brainstorming sets, poses, and wardrobe. Since I’ve started, I’ve become much more comfortable with directing and composing images. My work is starting to shift to something more candid and personal, less static and posed. AM: How would you describe yourself as a person and as a photographer? DSC: As a person, I’m a shy, quiet soul, and I’m quite nostalgic. I’m not sure how I would describe myself as a photographer. I always plan shoots ahead of time and have a distinct idea of what the photograph will look like before I even shoot it. I think that’s what drives me as a photographer... the challenge to recreate exactly what I envision in my head. AM: Who or what inspires you? DSC: I’m inspired by my surroundings, fabrics, objects, memories, and unique faces. AM: Digital or film? Why? DSC: I’ve always been torn between the both. When I do a shoot with a creative team, I often shoot digital just because of the immediacy of it. But my personal work is, more often than not, film. The images mean so much more when the film is developed and I get to watch each image appear on my screen during scanning. There’s always the odd image that I
completely forgot I had taken, one from the cottage, day trips with my friends, my boyfriend in bed on a lazy day, my cat in a box. Photos I had taken months before I developed them. I love watching them come to life again and the memories they bring back. AM: Who is your favorite photographer, and how have you been influenced by his/her work? DSC: There will always be the classics, like Tim Walker and Paolo Roversi. But I think my favorite photographs come from the young emerging artists who are similar in age to me. It’s amazing to see the minds of people your own age who are doing the same thing that you are, and I think with that comes a huge respect and understanding for the work. That being said, I really admire Marie Zucker for the dreams she creates and stories she tells through her photographs. AM: What, in your opinion, is art? DSC: An expression of who you are as an individual, or what you stand for. AM: How does fashion play into your work? DSC: My work is predominately portraiture, but I have done a few editorial shoots with some really great styling. I’ve veered from calling myself a fashion photographer because I’ve always been more interested in capturing the essence of a model during a shoot. To me, the clothing is the icing on the cake, just another layer added to the photograph to elevate it, make it more interesting, or help express the story. AM: What mood do you love to capture in your work? Why? DSC: I really love to capture a sense of youth and playfulness in my work. My fondest memories of growing up are the ones in which I was silly and carefree and playing dress-up. AM: Do you prefer shoot on location or in the studio? How are the two different? DSC: I’ve very rarely shot in the studio. Growing up, I was always running around outside, playing games of make-believe, climbing trees. The outdoor landscape is something that I feel comfortable with and something that I want as a backdrop to my work to further express my viewpoint of nostalgia.
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