Lisa Mikulski: Photographer Extraordinaire

Lay Down Beside Me and Whisper In My Ear. © Lisa Mikulski

G U E S T   P H O T O G R A P H E R — Today, I'm featuring some of the awesome work of my friend, Lisa Mikulski. Regular readers of this blog will remember I featured one of her photographs in April, an interior shot from my apartment, here. I asked her at the time if she'd give us a real treat and allow me to run some of her gorgeous portfolio of florals, and she graciously said yes. I'm just floored by her work, and I know you will be, too. 

In her own words, a bit of Lisa's back story on how she has absolutely attacked photography and mastered it in an incredibly short time. She writes that one of my photographs inspired her, which is inspiring itself. I know exactly which photo she's talking about, but just can't quite find it. Since I've published more than 5,000 photos in my blog in its short 2 1/2 year history, perhaps I can be forgiven, lol! Thank you, Lisa! And now, as they once said in Vaudeville, "Without further ado, Ladies and Gents, Lisa Mikulski!"

"I started taking photos in January 2011. The photo which started it all and inspired me to start photography, was the photo you [Casey] took from your porch during one of the 2011 blizzards—the one where the snow looked like strands of pearls. I was completely taken with that image and thought to myself “I should give photography a try.”  My family and friends laughed at me because prior to Jan 2011, I was the gal who would cut off your head or compose a photo so poorly that the subject would be lost in a background of confusion.

This little photo project was just something to play around with. . . but people responded in such positive ways that I kept at it. I was also very much encouraged and supported by my Artscope editor, Brian Goslow. When the editor of a major art magazine says “You’ve got something going on,” you tend to listen to him : )

So here we are, 16 months later, and I’ve taken about 30,000 photos. I don’t care for landscapes and it is rare if you see one of these images in my work. I don’t do birds in the marsh or weddings. The shots I go for, and think are my strengthens, are street photography or candids, and florals.

For me, photography is much akin to writing. Both are storytelling. . . photography is visual storytelling. 

—LM

Minimal in Black and White. © Lisa Mikulski

(I think with florals, color is wonderful, but black-and-white can show quite another viewpoint.)

 

 And Everything Was New. © Lisa Mikulski

When She Left the Room, She Only Left Behind the Essence of Her Perfume. © Lisa Mikulski

Untitled. Never before published. © Lisa Mikulski

Lilacs in the Night III. © Lisa Mikulski 

Note—Taken as I tried to sleep. The image here was originally illuminated by the light from my cellphone. I was quite taken with it. Got out of bed. Set up a small night light and—here we are. 

 

Lilacs in the Night IV. Never before published. © Lisa Mikulski

 For You. © Lisa Mikulski

She was Feeling a Bit Pale.  © Lisa Mikulski

Note—Playing with post processing. I always compose my images in the camera. Many are SOOC—Straight Out of Camera—but I also think in some ways PP can really add imagination to a photograph. In some ways, PP can be the “art” of photography—but that's a whole other, bigger, conversation : )

 Hello Sunshine, After the Rain.  © Lisa Mikulski

 Waiting for My Ship to Come In.  © Lisa Mikulski

And Her Tears Fell Like Rain.  © Lisa Mikulski