~ Photo Cafe' ~ Photographers - Episode #47!
~ Chat Transcript ~
11th of November, 2023
"20 Questions to.. Cecilia Nansen!"
H.12:00 PM SLT
[The following Episode #48 will be on:
25th of November 2023]
[12:09] Kika Yongho: Hello Photographers!
Welcome all to a new episode of the Photo Cafe’! We are at #47 and we have today a special guest artist to interview live! Are you ready and seated? Here we go!
[12:09] Kika Yongho: Ladies and gentle-photographers, please is our pleasure to have here today: Cecilia Nansen !
For those of you who don’t know her yet, I will start giving you the URL of her Flickr stream:
[12:09] Kika Yongho: And now I will read you her bio, from the artist herself. I will paste you the paragraphs she wrote for our interview.
[12:10] Kika Yongho: “Cecilia was more or less born in 2016 and so was my Flickr. I loved to shoot peoples faces, to find expressions and that is still my deep passion.”
[12:10] Kika Yongho: “As a starter I had no knowledge of photography nor did I know Photoshop existed, which my very first pictures clearly shows! Later I was gifted to meet a man who was a RL photographer and from him, I more or less learned all I needed to know. Methods I till this day still use.”
[12:11] Kika Yongho: “My wish and my goal has always been to look as realistic as possible, as an avatar and for my pictures. To make screenshots look like a real photography has always been a large wish. I like my pictures to look as less edited as possible and to stand as simple and minimalistic as can be. For that i still work hard. Sometimes though, i love to jump into the room of creativity with colours, layers and to explore what I can do, how far I can go with PS and still like what I do, still be me!”
[12:12] Kika Yongho: “Another goal has also been to express some kind of feeling, emotion or mood. Something, in a humble hope, of other people to feel welcome and also maybe recognize this, within themselves. I know my pictures might seem sad and if so, this is the truth. I love to express something sad or moody, where the funny thing is, that I can be totally happy and calm during the process and some how it releases something good in me and for me when I am done.”
[12:13] Kika Yongho: “Already in 2017 I was invited to do exhibitions in SL and I have performed some during the years. I learned so, so much from this! It was a massive and steep learning process, that really did cost me blood, sweat and tears, but yes i learned a lot! For that same reason, I do not accept such invites any longer, because i know i will struggle, as many others, the trust in myself will fade in the process and the journey from the first till the last is really hard work emotionally for me. I would have to feel 100% safe and secure if I ever do that again…and have tons of time!!”
[12:16] Kika Yongho: “The society of SL has many, many times made me want to leave the community, but my pictures, accompanied with my favorite music, has always bought me back. I am one of those few who actually love to spend hours, days and months alone on a platform only for my creativity.
For me, I really have to say, that having this need to paint with light and add music to it, is a love affair and a curse at the same time. Like a mistress or a lover, you just cant leave behind.”
[12:17] Kika Yongho: We thank you so much, Cecilia, for giving us a first insight on your art and being! But most of all for giving us the opportunity of getting to know you and your photography better, and for joining us for this live interview!
[12:17] Kika Yongho: And now I will pass the virtual microphone to Josephine, for our first 7 house questions before you can all ask your own question to the artist! Josephine, please, I am done with the intro!
[12:17] Cecilia Nansen: I thank you for inviting me…i am overwhelmed you did this.
[12:18] Josephine Delvalle: smiles, are you ready, Cecilia?
[12:19] Josephine Delvalle: 1. Who are you? Define yourself in 3 words or a motto.
[12:19] Cecilia Nansen: I will use the quote from a Bjork song, that always follow me: ‘All is full of love’ – i have it written on my arm. I think everything starts and ends with love. Love is in all we do – humanity, kindness, generosity – being humble to others and with respect of other peoples lives. It is what I live for i in all i do, in RL and in SL.
[12:20] Josephine Delvalle: smiles, the lovely motto of a lovely person
[12:20] Josephine Delvalle: 2. What motivates you to create?
[12:21] Cecilia Nansen: To create feelings and emotions…to add it with music that fills my soul….its like music/picture’gasm – just this simple really.
[12:22] Josephine Delvalle: simple and good
[12:22] Josephine Delvalle: 3. Does art help you in other areas of your life
[12:23] Cecilia Nansen: YES! It helps me to relax. I am the leader of a home for autistic children in RL. I have a stressful day usually. When i sit by the computer, open my YouTube, let the music flow and then start being creative with colours and lights, i feel free and light as a bird. Nothing can hurt me or stress me. It’s a bubble of peace, that is mine!
[12:24] Josephine Delvalle: 4. What skills do you need for your work and how do you develop them?
[12:25] Cecilia Nansen: My eyes and this intuition to see if what I do is okay, its a feeling and nothing I can measure, nothing I can put a finger on – only feel. I usually learn new and develop with or from good friends, I love to cooperate and give ideas to each other. I usually say my good pictures are luck, because i wouldn’t be able to redo it – i am not very technical.
[12:26] Josephine Delvalle: 5. Show us your favorite photo of someone else, and tell us why is it so.
[12:27] Cecilia Nansen: When I was new to all this, I met this fantastic woman. She was so giving for all of us in the Flickr society, which was much more focused on art than it is today. For me her art is fantastic – Amona Savira.
She was an icon to me and still is. Sadly she passed away in 2017, but her art is just…Incredible.
I am very sad she is no longer here, because I know she would – with the better lights and techniques we have now – as well as better looking avatars, she would have blown the scale I am sure for what is fantastic art. Her pictures were for the most art…so few of us never reach that level to call out pictures for ART.
This is one of her pictures, and it is for me the essence of all I admire. Beauty, simplicity, grace, light, shadow and this undefined emotion that just flows in it.
[12:29] A. (ava.darkheart): Beautiful reference
[12:30] Josephine Delvalle: It is wonderful, what a grace.
[12:31] Josephine Delvalle: 6. Show us your favorite photo you took, and tell us why is it so.
[12:32] Cecilia Nansen: Oh this is really, really difficult. i hardly ever look back and often there is an emotion to the picture that makes me have a hard time seeing it for its quality. For me to like my own work, it has to have some of Amona’s qualities; simple, pure and with not much fuss to it.
[12:34] Kika Yongho: Beautiful
[12:36] Josephine Delvalle: THAT is pure with not much fuss to it …. great!
[12:36] Josephine Delvalle: 7. When do you use B/W and when color for your photo?
[12:36] Cecilia Nansen: BW for emotions – colors for letting the inner child play and my eyes have joy!
[12:37] Josephine Delvalle: Yeahhh, let the inner child out
[12:37] Josephine Delvalle: And now, dear photographers and artists, it’s your turn
[12:37] Sio Skytower: q
[12:38] Josephine Delvalle: ok, Sio, your turn
[12:39] Sio Skytower: First – thank you for being here and sharing so much of your thinking. I have a technical question about your photos, do you use a particular viewer like Black Dragon for your photography? The quality is amazing and I’m starting to fiddle with it and love it’s richness. I’m curious which viewer(s) you may use if I might ask? Done
[12:39] Kika Yongho: q
[12:41] CΞLΞSТIΛL DΞMON (celestialdemon): q
[12:41] Cecilia Nansen: Thank you Sio for your question and for coming. I am learning to use Black Dragon. I struggle very much because as i said before, i am not very technical …I use my intuition and its not always enough. Most of my pictures are made on Firestorm …but yes, the quality, the depth is much better on Black Dragon.
[12:43] Josephine Delvalle: ok, now it is your turn, Kika
[12:43] Kika Yongho: Michiel’s question ‘I have a question: are you also a photographer in rl, Cecilia, because of your realism in your portraits?’ Done
[12:44] Cecilia Nansen: I can answer to that – no, i am not a photographer in RL. But i love black and white pictures, especially a little vintage from the old masters
[12:44] Kika Yongho: Thank you Ceciila, even more impressive!
[12:45] A. (ava.darkheart): q
[12:45] Josephine Delvalle: Celestial, please
[12:45] ᴀᴇɢᴇᴀɴ (cooltang.flow): Q
[12:45] CΞLΞSТIΛL DΞMON (celestialdemon): Do you think you are understood in what you do and what you wish to show?
I understand that almost always photos are taken out of selfishness of self or out of venting, but do you think the eyes of strangers can read what you really want to express? Done
[12:49] Cecilia Nansen: Thank you Cele 🙂 – No I dont think so…Because i think we all see different perspectives, feelings, sides, angles and perhaps even colors when we look at pictures. But i think sometimes we recognize something we know, or maybe my words or my song, add to a particular feeling that is known of the person seeing my pictures…and well, some of my pictures are just pictures. i am not that great an ‘artist’ that all i do has a deeper meaning, if that makes sense 🙂
[12:50] CΞLΞSТIΛL DΞMON (celestialdemon): yes, thank you
[12:50] Josephine Delvalle: It does, Cecilia, Ava please.
[12:50] A. (ava.darkheart): First of all, thanks so much for unveiling yourself for us, this put some light on your beautiful work. I recognised myself in your words and processes, and am not even surprised, I believe pictures can show some personality in their expressions. I have a bit of a different question, related to the pretend “fame” that flickr can create and if you get annoyed by this side of SL’s pictures. How have you managed this and does this side of Flickr stream/SL force you to put some boundaries or self-censoring on some of the pictures you would share? Done
[12:58] Cecilia Nansen: Thank you Ava – Flickr has changed a lot since I started in 2016…and not for the better I think. Many artistic people that I admired have left. Many who are still left do not get the credit they deserve. To begin with I looked a lot on faves and such, but i do not do that anymore. many faves are not equal to quality – i think all here today agree to that. What bothers me about ‘fame’ is how people treat each other, the gossip, the envy…the feeling you cant control what is said behind your back. Some will just unfollow for the strangest reasons that has nothing to do with your pictures – but can be because you commented on an ex :)) – and to the self- censoring…
[13:00] Cecilia Nansen: I am very critical to what i post and if its too naked, i do not post it anymore. Flickr has become very strict on even a little nipple. But beside that, no…I don’t care what people think really. Flickr is for kindness and pictures.
[13:01] A. (ava.darkheart): thanks for your honest answer.
[13:01] Josephine Delvalle: Aegean, now it is your turn
[13:02] ᴀᴇɢᴇᴀɴ (cooltang.flow): thank you, it was great to know more about you Cecilia…My question is technical even though you told us you are not tech person. The shadows in the pictures you take are always great and so strong, I love it! Do you add extra layers from outside of SL when editing your photos? Done
[13:05] Cecilia Nansen: I try my best to find the perfect light in SL, using different settings, projectors and WL. But when i need more I add or paint with black. i am not so good with layers and textures, i prefer to paint with ‘my hands’ and then lower opacity
[13:06] Rɪᴛᴀ Gʟᴀᴅ (sanem.albatros): q
[13:06] Josephine Delvalle: Niels, please
[13:06] N i e l s (niels.koolhoven): Thank you for your openness, we all know how emotions are influencing life, rl / sl, it does not matter, like you say feelings are real. What would you have done differently by what you know now, if you could have that magic and power, how would you portray yourself? Done
[13:15] Cecilia Nansen: hm….I have a deep deep admiration for minimalism and tried really hard when new here to do better in that. The simple, clean pictures. I tried with a beach and a bike only 🙂 True minimalism is difficult, but I think i should have worked harder for that….but what happens to me is always i start from a distance, then i come up closer and closer to the face, i catch something in the eyes and then I am stuck there. its somehow out of my control 🙂 I don’t know if any of you feel the same, when shooting. its like something drives the brain…not me. So i think no, I probably couldn’t have done it differently.
[13:16] Josephine Delvalle: and last question: Rita, please.
[13:17] Rɪᴛᴀ Gʟᴀᴅ (sanem.albatros): Hello Cecilia, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to get to know you through this interview. Do you ever worry about going out of your own style when taking and editing your photos? If you are experiencing it, have you ever felt this and taken a step back? Done
[13:21] Cecilia Nansen: I am often told that my page is messy, that i should stick to BW and keep a certain style. i have tried, but i hate limits or others to control what I do on Flickr. I am very calm and patient…but when people want to change me or my way of doing pictures,…I am not happy hahahah – so no, I do what i feel like, if it FEELS right – not what i think others might like or if i step out of the Cecilia zone.
[13:23] Josephine Delvalle: Thank you for being here and for giving us such generous insights into your work and working methods and for answering even the more complex questions in detail. Claps hands also for Cecilia!
[13:23] Josephine Delvalle: And also thanks to the photographers for the many interesting questions.
[13:23] Mila Maserati (milamaserati): thank you Cecilia, it was nice listening to you
[13:23] Cecilia Nansen: totally honoured and humble for this
[13:24] Josephine Delvalle: It was our pleasure, to have you here
[13:24] Kika Yongho: We will see you all again on the 25th November with a .. PARTYYYY
[13:24] Kika Yongho: We will be starting h. 10AM SLT with 2 DJ sets before the episode.