suicidegirlsfrance

Morning! Today we gonna share one of our Staff Photographer story. @ayah is an official photographer for SuicideGirls since 2016 and has now more than 44 Sets Of The Day! What a journey, right! She answered a lot of question from "Get to know a Photographer" and we are very happy to share her blog here! Enjoy.

1. 1. How long have you been a photographer?

   I've been fooling around with cameras since middle school, then went to Uni to study cinema and decided to buy a reflex camera. Then I upgraded for one that would record videos as well cos I figured it would be the next step for me considering what I was studying but realized soon enough that I n e v e r used the video mode and that's when I decided to turn to photography ! I started shooting for SG back in 2012, after 2 years of being a member !

1. 2. Why did you choose to pursue a career as a photographer?

So I already kinda answered in the 1st question but at first I was shooting for SG as a hobby, I got invited to my first ever SF in London and loved it sooo much I decided to keep shooting ! I did some day jobs but my body was like "nope, I'll kill you if you keep doing this cashier or office job lol", literally got me physically sick. I kept shooting for SG and turned staff in 2016, I shot more and more as attention from models grew and I eventually got burnt out to a crisp because I couldn't manage to work 40h/week at my office job (my boss was a psychopath too) + shooting on the weekends and editing at night. Decided to take a leap of faith and leave my job 4 years ago to do photography full time and never looked back ! Being my own boss seems to be the only way for me 💗

1. 3. Besides photography what are your interests/hobbies?

I tried my hand at learning to play music instruments (drums, violin) but never managed to be serious about it enough which is a shame cos I absolutely LOVE it ! I wish I could be in a band haha, I listen to music all the time ! Other than that nothing special, I love cinema obviously, watch a *lot* of tv shows while editing (just finished The Crown the other day and am catching up on Pose atm, both quality shows !). I love travelling and miss it SO bad, my last big one was Japan 3 years ago and I miss the country every damn day 😫 I was supposed to be in LA for 2 weeks last March but y'know...🤡 I have a bucket list of places I wanna go to on my phone haha ! I'm into shamanism a lot (fun fact : Ayah is short for Ayahuasca), I'm also obsessed with astrology, I even participated to a workshop this year ! I'm always checking everyone's birth charts to get to understand people more, I have astrology apps on my phone, I check my transits etc...It's serious business to me 😂 I looove food and recently started to get into make-up a lot ! I enjoy doing it on a more regular basis and seeing myself get better at it ✨ Other than that shopping, true crime (podcasts and documentaries are my shit), baking...I also started to get into sewing recently thanks to my mother in law, I love it ! I need my own sewing machine, I would be thrilled if I could create beautiful lingerie !

1. 4. What are your 5 favorite SG shots?

So I guess we're talking about mine, right ? It's hard to pick but here goes :

@DREW in LOLITA

@NATTYBOHH in LUMIÈRE PARISIENNE

@SOPHOULLA in CHERRY

@KALIVA in CHANT DE L'EAU

@VAUGHN in SERPENTINE

Ok I'll be cheeky and put 2 more and only 2 waaah, I have so many tbf...At least I forced myself to keep it down to MR and FP sets 💀

@EVEOWL in MORNING FIX

And finally @MIDNIGHT in SEDUCTION

Guess you could say I have a thing for backlight teehee....Nothing compares imo, it highlights the bodies so well !

1. 5. Which is your favorite lens? Why?
2. Even tho I only shoot with my 24-70 for now (it's great and polyvalent), my fav is the 35mm (the SIGMA 1.4 DG HSM ART if you wanna get technical) ! I really can't wait to get my own, I don't possess one yet but I absolutely adore the DOF of it, its creamy yet sharp feeling and also its bokeh ! It's also super handy to shoot gorgeous portraits in narrow spaces and fixed lenses are THE SHIT waaah I want a 35 one so damn bad !

1. 6. Whose work has influenced you most?

The absolute MVP and blueprint for SG's current aesthetic, the queen that is @CHERRY of course ! Her work is so moving and delicate...She's a true artist ! Her sets tell a unique story each time, I'm glad I was there to witness her beautiful work here when she was still part of the site !

@AYMI's also one of my very favs, her work is so erotic, intimate and delicate ! Her sets are like love stories and declarations to the models she shoots, I feel venusian vibes coming from them ! So generous and sensual !

@SARIA's work is also incredible, she's been my top inspiration for years now ! She seems so exigent with herself, pushing herself to produce only top quality content and I admire this rigour I must say (she's a cap if I'm not mistaken...Figures haha). Her work is so crisp and clean but with gorgeous DOF and her light and tint/warmth work is ALWAYS on point !

@CAUSTIX, our king ! His ascent to the top of photographers is absolutely incredible, like, bruh, phew. I love his very unique, dark style ! He's created such a personal and recognisable one, you could tell a shot is his straight away ! His angles and the way he manages to take the most flattering shots...Damn I hate this guy lmao ! (Jk, jk, you get what I mean right ?)

Tbf it's again very hard to pick only a few, I get inspired by a lot of photographers and sets here ! We've got quite the team 🥰

1. 7. What one superpower would you want and why?

It always comes back to flying for me ! Teleportation would be great too, obviously !

I often dream I'm flying and the feeling is just incredible ! It's in the stomach like butterflies, like when you're on a rollercoaster or the top of a building, it makes me feel so free and it's exhilarating ! I always start by walking and then my steps get bigger like I'm jumping higher and higher until I'm in the sky 💫

1. 8. What kind of gear do you use?

My trusty Canon 5d mk 3 and 24-70 ! But that damn @ACSEBO got me interested in Sony now lolol pretty much like every other photog that attended our first zoom meeting ! Sponsor us already Sony, please 😤

1. 9. What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer for you?

Top one gotta be when you show the pics to the model and she gets emotional about it, thanks you and says she's never felt so beautiful ! That never gets old and is so humbling ! I always think "damn, I really did something there...". Then there's finding the perfect angle, with perfect light and pose...Being able to create something that I saw in my mind...It's a whole thing ! But yeah, making models feel themselves really is *the* best ! I love bringing confidence to people 💗

10. What kind of tools do you use for post processing?

The ol' Lightroom for light and Photoshop for skin editing !

1. 11. What does photography mean to you?

Already kinda answered to this with #9, it's so important for me to show models how beautiful they are, in any shape or size ! Also being able to create nice work, meet new people with different cultures, visit new places, make friends...It's everything to me ! It creates such a special bond and being able to showcase it through my photos is priceless !

1. 12. If you could time travel, when/where would you go?

I've never really been one to think about that but I'd say the future ! I'm so curious about it !

1. 13. What is the most difficult part of being a photographer for you?
2. I'm very hard on myself and put a lot of pressure on my own shoulders so I guess not being able, sometimes, to produce my best work ? Also making a living out of it obvs *sigh*
3. 14. What makes the good picture stand out from the average?
4. Light, contrast, colors but also a good picture gotta make you stop and feel something, make you want to fully appreciate it, kinda like a painting in a museum, ya feel ? I need to feel like something is happening in the shot, an emotion, a vibe, a story...
5. 15. What inspires you?
6. Cinema and paintings mostly ! I'm obsessed with light and color too but also am passionate about home decor and design so that's why I always try to find the most beautiful places/scenery to shoot ! If I find a place I like, I instantly get inspired and start creating shots in my mind !

1. 16. What is your favorite shot someone else has taken?
2. How am I supposed to choose 💀 I don't have a fav tbh, how is it even possible with the multitude of incredible sets this site has to offer ? I'll put one among the many I like but no favs ! @VENOM by @MICHAELMAE in SEA HAG

3. 

   1. 17. Is there an image that sums up you best?

   Not that I can think of, sorry !

   1. 18. Tell us something about yourself that no one would guess?

   I'm a weeb ? I've been reading mangas since I was 11, my very first one was One Piece and is still #1 in my kokoro 💗 It's the only manga for which I don't read scans and religiously wait for new volumes ! It's hard but I never did and every new release is like xmas haha. I got behind for 3 years and got coupons from my in laws for xmas so bought the last 12 volumes I hadn't had the opportunity to read yet and spent a week doing so, actual bliss :D On a more serious note idk...I'm pretty introverted and don't give my trust easily, I used to in the past but it backfired.

   1. 19. What is your favorite shot you have ever taken?

   Again, what with the impossible questions 😭 I don't think I have one...I did the selection of @SOPHOULLA's upcoming set today tho and there's some strong contestants in it ! Guess you'll have to wait to find out which ones I'm talking about 😙 (yeeep that is me eluding af)

   1. 20. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

   Put yourself out there and grab them opportunities cos nobody's gonna do it for you I guess ? I suffer from an impostor syndrome and don't believe in myself so people usually tell me to push myself and go for whatever it is I want. Hard to do but it usually gets rewarding in the end !

   Hope this was interesting for you ! It's a long read, I tend to talk a lot when I get started 😅

   #staffphotographer #sgfrance