Allison Bills
Age: 20
Year: Junior
Major: Photography and Film
Hometown: Leesburg, Virginia
What’s a day in the life of a photography student like?
I wake up and drink absurd amounts of coffee, due to staying up late working on arduous photo editing. I eventually make my way to the darkroom and work on both personal and school related projects. During class, I try to conceptualize with my peers. At night I am usually catching up on my work at Pollak. Thank goodness it is open all night.
What made you chose photography as your major?
I became infatuated with the idea of capturing the still moments in life when I was around 14. My mother gave me my first camera, a Holga toy camera, in which I transformed into a working camera by putting film in the back.
What do you want to do with photography in the future?
I plan on working with a worldwide organization such as the Peace Corps or National Geographic. Traveling is really important to me, I have a insatiable case of wanderlust. When I visited Haiti a couple of years ago to volunteer, I got some of my best work done there.
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What do you consider your personal style of photography?
I would say I have a spin on creative surrealism, with a kiss of photo journalism and documentation.
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Where do you go to draw inspiration for future photo projects?
I like to collaborate with my peers in the department because it helps provoke our creative flow by sharing different techniques and processes.
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Do you have any favorite artists?
I love Gustav Klimt and his brilliant use of color. I am really intrigued by how I can incorporate other mediums into photograph making. I also love Man Ray, a photographer who was a part of the surrealist movement. I love nontraditional, abstract art.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I am ineffably good at finding four leaf clovers.
What’s the furthest you’ve gone to take a photograph?
A classmate and I once road-tripped to Pennsylvania to photograph an abandoned insane asylum. We manipulated light sources and long exposures to achieve a unique process of production.