Laina Briedis

--Please note this is not my primary photography portfolio. To see a more expansive collection of my work, visit my flickr-- My name is Laina Briedis. I've lived on Long Island all my life, and for as long as I can remember I have been captivated with the concept, practice, and art of photography. I very often try to live vicariously though my pictures-- each one is an attempt to hold a dream, to make it infinite. Creating a truly beautiful and meaningful photograph brings me the most satisfying form of happiness. I strive to photograph in the ethereal way our minds recollect, and catalog not only an experience or an adventure, but the associated feelings as well. I want my photos to bound across the invisible gaps that separate us from one another, creating connections with others through shared emotion. I find myself inspired to create photographs that feel deep, thick, and demonstrate a boldness of color-- I think this has something to do with sentimentality and nostalgia, but I also think it makes my photographs feel more easy to fall into, more tangible. I collect old film cameras and I use just about all of them, as they too represent memories, although I do heavily favor my antique Nikon Nikkormat. My medium of choice is 35mm color film typically at ISO 400-200, sometimes expired. I do experiment with medium format from time to time, but it's less flexible to use on a whim/while exploring, which doesn't suit my purpose as often. I also enjoy shooting instant film. I tend to focus the majority of my photographs on the relationships people share with nature, my awe of nature, and how I strive to exist with and within it harmoniously. That being said, almost all of my photos are spontaneously-inspired moments shared with friends and family. These illuminated moments provide a tangible way of cataloging my own relationships, my feelings about the world and how I relate to it, and the complex, deliberate preservation of memory through the burning of light.