elvina mae-zing

Elvina-Mae Farkas. If you haven’t heard that name yet may I suggest you pick up a pen and jot it down (underlined) in your Smiggle notebook. She who recently shot editorial for Yen, Culture and Cream Magazines, just to name a few, can now add Melbourne Fashion Journal to her growing resume, having shot their feature story on non other than band du jour – Miami Horror. All this for a girl who only began to dip her fashionably clad feet in the photography pond a mere eight months ago? Luckily for me sometime before Christmas, I managed to wrangle a few trade secrets from the lady behind the camera and it is to my detriment that I am only just sharing this post with you now. If she ever forgives me I hope to one day be privy to witnessing one of her fashion shoots in the flesh, watching her work her magic from behind her Canon 5Dmkii

The seven-year-old child prodigy
Farkas’ earliest memory of ever picking up a camera was at the wee young age of seven. Begging her mother for a camera to take family snaps, she was gifted with a Nikon that came inscribed with her name on the back.

Now or never
It was only at the beginning of 2009 that Farkas made the decision to pursue photography as something more of a career choice rather than a passionate hobby. Having grown up living in Alice Springs (in a tiny town far removed from any form of the fashion/arts scene), moving to Melbourne was something of a risk. As it turns out this risk was to pay off greatly and much hard work and dedication lead to her first big break – being published in a ‘few’ popular overseas magazines (or so she humbly describes)

All things learning curves and trial and error
Having never studied photography, Farkas developed her talent behind the lens through a great deal of trial and error. Photography for her is, ‘something you just have to get a feel for, all the while trusting your instincts and judgments on what looks right’. Feedback and advice from trusted friends who are also industry photographers have been her greatest learning curves.

All things lighting and landscapes
Rule number ONE according to Farkas, ‘CHECK YOUR LIGHTING!’ She claims that lighting plays a vital role in photos as it basically creates the entire mood of any image. ‘Sunlight, artificial light, shadows, highlights, colored lights, no lights! Lighting is the simple most important thing in a picture’.

When asked whether she would like to stick solely to fashion photography, Farkas is certain this is where she wants to remain for the time being. ‘There is something about expressing yourself uniquely through clothing and styling that is captivating to me’. Funnily enough however, she originally began shooting landscapes. Having grown up in Central Australia surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country it isn’t hard to understand why.

Inspire me
Inspiration for Farkas comes in many shapes and forms. As far as photographers go however nothing impresses her more than those photographers who are willing to be strange or quirky. ‘Of course I love the legends, but I also really admire all the new kids on the block! At the moment I'm stuck onto Andrew Yee, Camilla Akrans and new goodies Waldemar and Max’.