MISS FEBRUARY 2007

VERONIKA CERNADAS

Though usually behind a camera and not in front of it, PollyStaffle’s Pinup for the month of February is the lovely Veronika Cernadas. She has worn a number of hats on indie film productions, from assistant camera operator, production assistant and production manager, but Veronika’s field of specialty is still photography. Veronika talks about shooting movie production stills and what draws her to certain subjects in her personal art. She also shares her thoughts on digital photography vs. film and her overall love for photography.

SHUTTERBUG

CCF: First thing I wanted to get into was movie production stills. I was always curious about how that all worked. I looked through your stills and you’ve got some pretty good stuff. Are you on set like snapping photos in between takes or do you get to set up your own lighting and take your time or what exactly?

VC: The majority of time I shoot during takes. I house my camera in a sound blimp, so as not to disturb anyone with the click of the shutter. Usually, I shoot with the lighting that the director of photography has created for the scene. However, sometimes production or the director will want a specific shot for a poster or other publicity, in which case a separate photo shoot is organized.

CCF: Are there any certain directors or actors you hope to one day get a chance to shoot?

VC: Yes. I would love to shoot Sophia Loren, Gerard Depardieu and Dario Argento.

CCF: Yeah, being on the set of an Argento film is probably pretty cool… With the movie “Loveless in Los Angeles,” you worked with Brittany Daniel - who many know from “Sweet Valley High,” “Little Man,” “Dawson’s Creek” and a number of other places. What was it like working with her?

VC: Brittany is great! We talked about photography quite a bit because her twin sister is also a professional photographer.

CCF: And as far as movies, you’ve done more than just production stills on a handful of other projects, right?

VC: My love of films and cameras has led me to explore cinematography on some projects. While I do not see myself operating or becoming a DP anytime soon, I like to experiment with filmmaking and “video art”. My experiences have definitely influenced the way that I shoot stills.

CCF: Aside from film, in the personal art photography that you do, what draws you to a subject?

VC: My dreams and travel usually lead me to various subjects. There is a connection with certain subjects that is hard to explain, but very apparent to me in when I look at the photos. It is completely authentic and natural. I am drawn to the process of revealing or exposing parts of a subject that maybe otherwise be hidden.

CCF: So do you create your images or do you sort of capture them as they happen?

VC: I tend to shoot more intuitively, perhaps even impulsively. Even when my shoots are larger productions and a lot of prep has gone into it, I find that the best images are always the more spontaneous... The ones that happen in between all of the planning.

CCF: Yeah, exactly… You also do some journalistic stuff, right? Like the AFI Fest and things like that?

VC: Yes, I do. It’s great because I shoot people and situations that I would not normally think to shoot. The more journalistic or documentary work creates a good contrast to the more artistic stuff. It is a nice balance.

CCF: As far as your photography, do you use 35mm cameras at all? Is everything digital or what do you use for most of your images?

VC: I shoot digital and film. These days it seems that most clients prefer digital. My personal work is nearly all film.

CCF: I have a love of film. I was involved in photography for a number of years in high school, college and at a small paper back in Texas eight or so years back. Being somebody that isn’t even involved in photography that much anymore it saddens me when I see everything is digital. Dark rooms are essentially dead. Newspapers don’t even have them any more. What are your thoughts on the matter?

VC: It is luxury vs. practicality. On one hand, I think that digital SLR cameras are wonderful because they make photography much more accessible to people who might not otherwise shoot. They are very practical. However, the purist in me will never stop shooting film and will always visit the darkroom several times a year. The very sensual process, that begins with loading my camera and ends with rubber tipped tongs pulling a print out of a tray, feels like a luxury to me.

CCF: Do you feel people see the profession of photography as being less prestigious as they once did? I don’t see it that way, but I think many do. The thing is if someone didn’t know how to frame a shot, find the best angle and capture the perfect moment before digital, they’re still in that same boat now.

VC: I don’t know that photography was ever really prestigious. There have been some artists who happen to choose photography as their medium and then gain prestige. I think that the camera used to get a shot is secondary to the vision of the actual person. I have seen trash that was shot with a Hasselblad and beauty that was shot with a Holga.

CCF: Yeah, good point. Same can be said for movies. It’s about the vision, not what film, camera or how much money was used… You’re based in Los Angeles, but you started your career in Europe, right? To wrap this up, are there any experiences from your time in Europe that stand out that you can share?

VC: I met and worked with a lot of great photographers through i-D Magazine in London. Then I started to assist for an agency and was working with London and Paris based photographers. It was then that I really started to shoot my own stuff. The first time that I saw my photography in print was probably the most memorable experience of that time.

CCF: Yeah, I can imagine… Well, I think that’s going to do it for now. Anything you want to add?

VC: I guess the only thing would be that I am working on a personal project that I am hoping to show in a couple of galleries next summer. If anyone wants any info or would like to be on my email list then they should contact me at veronikacernadas@gmail.com.

CCF: Cool… Thanks Veronika.

- CCF, February 2007