Today’s interview is on Alison Au, a sophomore at UC Berkeley. Starting photography in 7th grade, she has continued to develop her skills in photography and can often be seen around campus taking photos with her Nikon D-40.

1) How did you develop a passion for photography?

Alison: I always liked taking pictures, but my interest and ability slowly developed. A camera is so powerful, having the ability to capture a moment in time and keep it forever. I love busting out my camera whenever I’m with family or friends–whether we’re graduating from high school or just hanging out at someone’s house. I love it even more to be able to look at these photos–whether it’s the day after or a year later. It’s good being able to refresh fading memories with vivid photos. I purchased my first point-and-shoot digital camera in 7th grade. In my senior year of high school I had a couple close friends who were really into DSLR photography. I loved their photos so they taught me the basics soon before I bought my own DSLR camera. This past year, as I discovered the greater potential of my camera, I’ve got into more artsy photography. It’s fun taking pictures of objects and places and post-processing them to form something better. Basically it’s been a combination of many factors that got me into photography and developed my interest: my own intrigue, influence of friends, and affect of other photographers.

2) What camera and lens do you use most to take pictures with?

Alison: I mostly use my Nikon D40, a 18-55mm f/1.8-3.5 lens (the standard kit lens), and a 50mm f/1.8 lens.

3) Are there any certain skills you had to learn in order to take better
pictures?

Alison: I had to learn how to use a DSLR. There are so many different parameters to control on the camera, such as the lens, aperture, shutter speed, flash, and color settings. I also learned how to place greater emphasis on the subject through various angles and placement, lighting, and depth of field. Some important pointers helped keep my photos bright yet not blurry. I also learned to use programs like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom for touching up photos or creating panoramas. Once you learn the basics, though, there’s not really any “correct” way or set of rules to follow in photography; it all depends on what you want to convey through the photo. Things like the rule of thirds don’t have to be followed. Photography isn’t like math–it’s a form of art.

4) Which photographers do you admire and why?

Alison: That’s a hard one. Each photographer has their own special style and there are a lot of them that fascinate me. I guess I could drop one name, Martin Schoeller. I like how clean and close-up his portraits are, revealing the sitter (a lot of whom are celebrities) with all their beauties and flaws. But more often I admire collections of photos from various photographers, such as TIME’s “Pictures of the Week” and Pulitzer Prize-winning photos (well, that’s why they are awarded). Nowadays there’s a lot more photographers out there since equipment has become a bit cheaper. Combine this with sites such as Flickr, and I am able to browse through many random people’s photos to get inspiration. I pretty much admire a lot of photographers, from the amateurs to the pros.

5) Do you have any tips or advice for aspiring photographers?

Alison: Just keep shooting and playing around with cameras, lens, and other equipment. There are so many styles of photography and an infinite number of things to capture. It also helps to look at other people’s photos whether to get ideas or to admire and learn from. For digital photographers, familiarizing yourself with photo-editing programs like Photoshop is very beneficial. Using the curves tool, adding vignettes, or adjusting the saturation or color balance can have a huge impact.

Check out her photography at her flickr