This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

An interview with photographer Annie Bates-Winship

Annie is always working more on her photography.

Annie Bates-Winship's interest in art began in elementary school. Her father had a darkroom at home and she was introduced to photography early on. She grew up in Miami and while attending junior college she gravitated towards the Art Department. After moving on to the University of Florida, she concentrated on photography. Well-known photographer Jerry Uelsmann was teaching there at the time and Annie learned a lot about photography, which she has been working on ever since. 

Annie: I can't do it enough and I try not to beat myself up about that. I am shooting all digital now. I have friends who have had a hard time with the transition, moving to digital, but I didn't. I like it. I work for a magazine, Latitude 38, and we use Photoshop for layouts, and using it enabled me to really work with my photographs in a new way digitally. 

Annie used to hand color her photographs, painting right on the prints, but now she is able to create a similar effect in the computer.

Find out what's happening in San Anselmo-Fairfaxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Annie: The thing that changed me forever was shooting my niece's wedding in black and white film as she requested and then, because she wanted it on her website, I had to scan the negatives and print every one. With digital I could have burned a disk and there you go. It is a great way to let children experiment with photography as well without the big expense.

I am constantly playing around in the back of my head thinking about which thing I want to try. I look at other artists work for inspiration. I feel like I'm still kind of searching, looking to fine tune something, and I have started some mixed media pieces as a result. I like playing with the idea of multiple images and I like making things. My love of making things led to my repeatedly entering the annual Marin County Fair's Art Chair competion.

Find out what's happening in San Anselmo-Fairfaxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Annie won first place this year for her latest Art Chair entry (see photos).  This year the Marin County Fair introduced a new category called Art Parasols. They gave her a parasol made of thick paper (thick, thin, or nylon were the choices), and she put on crystals and added images from the first time she went to Paris. Next year, the fair may do Art Kites and Annie may enter all three categories.

Annie has had eight solo exhibitions in the Bay Area and has participated in numerous group shows. Here are some of the shows and places in San Anselmo where you may have seen her work:

  • Ross Valley Artists Winter Show 
  • White Horse Cafe 
  • Oliver's Bookstore  
  • Cafe Nuvo 1st Annual Photography Show
  • Cafe Nuvo: Views from the West

Annie: I believe an artist should get their work out in public, so I do a lot of shows.  I especially enjoyed the Mill Valley Click Off, because of its specific limitations in regard to time and place. I like the idea of a project that focuses on getting a finished piece together. The feedback during an exhibition is important as well and can help one grow as an artist. It is also an acknowledgement of talent and effort.

Now that websites and interactive blogs can help in that way as well, she is working on finishing her website and getting it up.

Annie: I know that the more I work the more I'll change and know what that next thing will be. It gives me juice. You can't sit about and think about it, it comes from the doing. When I am in the midst of working on something, that is when things come. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from San Anselmo-Fairfax