This time in Artist Talk, we converse with Nathalie Basoski, currently making moves in Brooklyn, New York. Nathalie’s work “explores the thin line between fashion and fine arts and thrives in street photography as an anthropological study of the places she visits” as stated aptly on her gorgeous website. This couldn’t be a more accurate description of her airy, effortless and soul filled photography. We wanted to see how she does it.

Your work sits very comfortably at the intersection of fashion and street photography. It has a very intimate feel, yet it’s very observational. How did you find your approach as a photographer?

I think it's an interesting combination of everything I'm attracted to, I don't like labels like ‘street photography’ and ‘fashion photography’ because when labeling your work like that you have to remain in the frame of what ‘fashion/street photography’ is expected to be like. When I like taking my favorite elements of composition and design from fashion and implement them in my street photography. Then take the spontaneity and freedom from street photography and implement it into fashion. By not secluding my work from other genres I can compose images with all the elements I like. The best thing I’ve learned from my own experience is trying out all other art mediums and especially all genres of photography.

Do you have a favorite piece of photographic equipment you can’t live without for street photography?

Honestly, street photography changed for me when I got the Sony a6300. It’s a cheap, small, simple mirrorless camera that does everything I need it to do. The extremely fast focus and cute little pop-out screen are great for the unpredictable nature of the streets, but also the dynamic range of the Sony sensor keeps blowing my mind every single time. I shoot everything on the same sigma 30mm 1.4 lens.

Since I started shooting film I’ve been using the Canon Elan IIe with the nifty fifty I’ve had since 2012. It does everything I need a camera to do - being able to adjust shutter speed, aperture and autofocus. √
But my all time favorite must be my phone, I always have it with me and I can get really close to people, camera’s have become an intimidating piece of equipment on the street, people constantly tell me not to take pictures, even when i’m just holding my camera. But with a phone you can do anything, it's a really cool spy tool and everyone is already holding one themselves so it's not as suspicious

Do you have any photographic heroes, influences?

Alex Webb and William Eggleston are my street photography heros. Tho I get most inspired by artists I know personally, I'm surrounded by some great photographers, check out turnaroundcancel he is my current fav.

How do you feel about the rise of social media and what does it mean to you as an artist?

Social media is a great platform to get your own audience and learn about yourself through the feedback. I also use it to reach out and meet artists myself to absorb their creative flow and visions. Though spending too much time on social media can warp your perception of yourself once you start losing yourself in the number of likes and followers, which is unhealthy.

What’s your favorite city to photograph and Why?

I’ve learned that change is what inspires me the most, no matter how great a place is, you gotta leave and come back to it, then you really learn about a place’s energy when you can see it with fresh eyes. This counts for every single place i’ve been to. Though I must say New York City is still my all time favorite and I’m lucky to be living there.