Claire Rosen is a fine art photographer, book artist, and educator. She loves big dresses, vintage taxidermy, and adventures. Much of her inspiration comes from fairy tales nursery rhymes, fables, and other children’s stories. She is drawn both to beauty and darkness as it exists in life, and her images explore this duality.

Claire is currently represented by Verve Gallery (Santa Fe, NM), Gallery 51 (Montclair, NJ) and Asymmetrick Arts (Rockland, ME); her work has been exhibited widely and is included in many public and private collections. Claire recently received an award from the prestigious “Prix de la Photographie, Paris 2009″ (Px3). She has been featured multiple times in The Creative Quarterly Journal and The Montclair Times. Her client list includes Prevention Magazine, Random House Publishing, The London Sunday Times, Bangz Spa & Salon, Ryan Wilde Millinery, Alex Randall Bespoke Lighting Design, and Cora Pearl Underpinnings.

In addition, Claire teaches courses in ‘Portrait & Fashion Retouching’ and ‘Portrait & Fashion Photography’ at the New Jersey Visual Arts Center in Summit and through NORDphotography in Oslo, Norway. She is hard at work on two monographs, entitled “Dolls in the Attic” and “Fairy Tales and Other Stories.”

Website: www.clairerosenphoto.com

When and how did you become interested in Photography?

It’s a funny story, I actually took my first first photography class in college because I had a crush on a boy, we were camera partners but he wound up being gay and I became a photographer.

What gear do you mainly shoot with?

I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II

What is your #1 source of inspiration?

I have so many sources of inspiration, I love stories anything from classic fairy tales and fables to novels to movies – I draw quite a bit from history (I love the Victorian Period, 20s and 50s), mythology, fashion, many other amazing photographers and artists, and generally things that are bizarre and unusual.

Many times photographers find themselves with a full schedule of paying gigs, and end up with little time for doing the work they truly love. Do you struggle with finding time for your personal work?

I have been really fortunate in that respect, I began my photographic career thinking I would solely be a fine art photographer (silly, I know) but I began shooting commercially because I was hired to make images that emulated my personal fine art images. Since then I have been lucky enough to collaborate commercially with some amazing artists and we have shared such a similar aesthetic that it still feels like my personal work.

What is your all time favorite genre to shoot (portraiture, conceptual, commercial, etc..)?

I really enjoy making self portraits, I basically get to play dress up and run around in ridiculous locations, it is so much fun and therapeutic!

I also really love collaborating on narrative conceptual shoots with other artists and I have just begun playing with video and I am really excited about the possibilities of that medium.

What is one thing that makes your work unique>?

I think my work is influenced by so many other styles it becomes a collage of that and a new style in and of itself.

if you could photograph anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I would have loved to work on a collaborative photo project with Alexander McQueen because I think he is amazing…

what’s your dream photo field trip?

Either the Museum of Natural History in NYC (I want to get in those dioramas!) or Hunedoara Castle in Transylvania (the place where Prince Dracula was imprisoned 7 years by Matei Corvin)

what’s your post production photo process?

I use Bridge’s Camera Raw and then do most of my post production in Photoshop, some images just need minimal adjustments and others are complicated composites so the process varies but I love being able to create exactly what was in my mind.

if you had unlimited resources to purchase any type of camera, what would it be and why?

I don’t really think your camera makes the picture, it’s more about the concept for me, I would rather have an unlimited prop, location, talent budget…

who are your favorite shooters and why

There are so many photographers that I respect, admire and are a constant source of inspiration – some of my very favorites are Tim Walker, Paulo Ventura, Joel Peter Witkin, Robert and Shana Parke Harrison and Erwin Olaf.

what has been the shining moment of your career thus far?

My career is just starting…

samples of Claire’s work: