At Wirestock, we want to keep you inspired. We will interview working artists about their lives and creative practices in order to ignite the creativity inside of you. To kick off the series we are interviewing Olivia Bossert, a fashion photographer with a free-spirited and authentic style. In her work, you can see the romantic and feminine influences. Coming from Geneva, Switzerland and Ibiza, Spain, and currently living in London and Cornwall in England, we hope to get some insight about her background, her inspirations, and practices she keeps to stay creative.
Can you tell us about your childhood and your background? Did you always know you wanted to be a photographer?
I grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. I discovered photography when I was 15, via the website Flickr, and immediately I became totally hooked! I went on to study fashion photography at Falmouth University and have been a full time photographer ever since.
What does your work day look like? When do you get started? Do you have any productivity hacks to stay on task?
I get up around 7 am every day, and I’m usually at my desk by 8 am. I tend to do written tasks first thing, as that's when my writing brain is on! So if I have emails to do, or blog posts to write, those get done then. I keep the afternoons for editing and research. Obviously if I have a photoshoot though, my day can look totally different!
I use Trello to stay on track. It's a project management system, and I use it to map out all of my shoot ideas, plan my shoots, keep my diary mapped out… everything!
What and Who inspires you now? How do you personally stay inspired or reignite inspiration in your life?
Nature is probably my biggest inspiration. Most of my work is shot on location, so I make a point of going exploring and seeing new areas frequently so that I can get new ideas for projects. If I’m ever lacking ideas, I take a day out to just go somewhere new, and I will immediately get new ideas then.
What are some challenges in pursuing a creative profession, and how could one overcome them?
Confidence! It’s what so many of us as creatives find difficult. We’re always our own worst critic, and can be really harsh about our portfolios. It gets easier with time, but I find that the best thing that we can do is be kind to ourselves.
What is a “good” photo for you? When are you satisfied with your work?
That’s really hard to say… I think it's a feeling that the image evokes. When I feel something when I look at an image - whatever that feeling may be, that’s when I know it's a great image.
As for satisfaction… I’m not sure I’m ever fully satisfied with my work! Which is sad, but also what keeps me going.
Which part of the fashion photography process allows the most creativity and freedom?
The fact that every shoot I do has to tell some kind of story. That’s my favourite part of the whole process. I love to be able to come up with a concept, make up a story in my head and create that story in photographs.
How do you balance your artistic vision with the commercial side of the business?
By shooting personal work to attract the right kind of clients. I only share work from my shoots that I’d like to rebook, and it’s the best way to make sure that the clients who approach you, also have a love for the vision that you have.
Final words to inspire up-and-coming photographers and creative professionals?
Shoot as much as you can. Listen to what you feel truly inspired by (not what you think you should be shooting) and have fun! This is an amazing career that we get to enjoy, so have fun whilst you do it :) Find more from Olivia on her website.
All photos courtesy of Olivia Bossert
