Based in the Medway area in Kent, Ioana Azoica is a portrait photographer and mother of two, which she herself says is a full-time job. Ioana focuses on portrait, headshot and brand photography, producing natural images that capture her subjects’ characters. If she wasn’t a photographer, Ioana says she’d like to be a writer, work in a library or have her own bakery (a woman after my own heart!). I spoke with Ioana to find out more about her career.
J: What got you into photography?
I: Photography wasn’t even on my radar until someone brought a photo magazine to school one day. My grandpa had the eye for photography in our family, but up until that moment at school, I wasn’t even aware what you can do with a camera. My parents had a point and shoot Canon (they called them ‘soap cameras’ back then), then later on I got a few entry level Nikons to get me through the DSLR era. I took a photographer accreditation course and stepping into a studio for the first time, I knew deep in my heart this was going to be my thing.
J: Do you have a favourite genre of photography and why? Tell me a bit more about what you shoot. I can see that you do a lot of family shoots, along with headshots so I’m presuming that portraiture is your favourite genre.
I: Yes, I’m into photographing people. In past years, I had various projects related to portraiture, including a dynamic flour shoot. I can’t really describe why I love portraiture; I certainly enjoy other genres like street, travel or macro. But people… they can be so diverse, they have so many stories to tell, and I think a camera makes them open up more (once they warm up a bit to it!). My style is quite natural, and I don’t like poses that look forced. Authenticity is high up on my list, so if something doesn’t feel natural to my client, I’ll put the camera aside and start again. And I like to take my time. Everything we do feels rushed these days, why does photography have to be like that too?
J: What kind of influences do you draw inspiration from?
I: I follow other photographers’ work online, but for me books are a huge source of knowledge when it comes to improving my craft and inspiration. I am someone who wants to go deep when learning, so if one day I wake up wanting to know how to shoot with gels, for example, I know there’s a book or resource out there which I need to find. Must be because I’m a bit of a nerd!
J: Do you have any favourite photographers or creative influences that have informed your photographic style, and why?
I: This is going to probably sound cliché, but I watched a lot of Sue Bryce back in the days of Creative Live. Her work in women’s portraiture was famous and she still has some shoots I enjoy looking at; she has a pool of ideas that anyone can implement. I follow other female photographers like Hannah Couzens and Lindsay Adler, who inspire me with their studio and artificial light work.
J: What kit do you shoot with and what’s your favourite bit of kit?
I: I currently have a Panasonic Lumix S5 with some prime lens and a Sigma 28-70mm. Since I also like to play with flash, I have a few speedlights from Godox, along with a few umbrellas and a softbox. I’m very cost conscious and suffer from Gear Acquisition Syndrome, two things that don’t go together very well! If I had to pick a favourite piece of kit it would be a tie between my 85mm and the Sigma zoom lens.
J: What are you working on at the moment?
I: I just wrapped up editing a brand shoot for a massage therapist in my area. Personal branding is a genre I want to break into, as I feel it would suit my style of work and schedule. Plus, I like working with entrepreneurs and small businesses.
J: What would you say is your goal with your photography?
I: My goal is to capture people in front of my camera as they truly are. I want to give them a chance to be themselves, beyond the selfies and the posing. And I want them to feel safe and free of judgement from the outside world. If someone wants to discover who they truly are, I challenge them to book a photoshoot. It changes your perspective on things. Financially, I would like to turn this into a full-time job.
J: As a female photographer, do you feel that you face any particular challenges? Do you feel that the industry is favourable towards women, or would you like to see any changes?
I: I think being a photographer is mostly seen as a man’s job. I don’t know, must be the gear, the heaviness of the kit or something. If you look at how photography is portrayed on television, it’s mostly men taking photos – journalists, sports photographers, celebrity photographers etc. I think women face other types of challenges too. For example, the mentality that we need to stay at home, raise kids or have a ‘proper job’. Running a business is not on the list or, if it is, is not in a creative industry. We juggle a lot and the last thing we need is someone trying to make us doubt ourselves and questioning our ability to do the job. This needs to change.
J: What advice would you give to budding photographers?
I: My advice would be to listen to your heart. If you get a fuzzy feeling inside you whenever you pick that camera up and you create something out of nothing, you know you’re on the right path. Pick up ‘The Meaning in the Making’ by Sean Tucker and enjoy the read. He’s another inspiration of mine.
You can view more of Ioana’s lovely work on her website or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
