G: Tell us about your art: What do you do? What did inspire you to start?
I’m a photographer — mostly a documentarian — and I’ve wanted to be a journalist since I was 13 or so. I went to college in New York City and started working as a photojournalist while still a student. I spent the three years after university shooting for a range of newspapers and magazines, but mostly working as a contract photographer for The Wall Street Journal. I’ve covered everything from Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign to New York Fashion Week to the independence of South Sudan.
G: What is innovative about what you do?
I don’t know how innovative it is, but this particular project I shot and edited entirely on my iPhone. I get a lot of flak from parts of the photojournalism community for using what a lot consider to be substandard technology, but there’s another camp that believe that the best camera is the one you have with you. Now that smartphones with fairly advanced cameras are commonplace, photography has been democratized in many ways. I think that’s important (though not when editors think it means that reporters should be able to do a photographer’s job with an iPhone!). Also, sometimes I just don’t want to lug around all of my gear!
G: What were your most successful projects/exhibitions so far or what projects did you enjoy the most so far?
New York + London has definitely been my most successful project so far, which is funny since it’s completely unlike anything else I do. And I did enjoy it greatly — it’s probably one of the most personal projects I’ve ever worked on. It really captures how I feel about both cities. I’m also in the midst on a project on World War II reenactors in the UK that I’m having a lot of fun with. It’s also completely unlike anything else I’ve ever done — and I’m shooting it entirely on a period 1940s camera.
New York + London was an attempt to document my move from, you guessed it, New York to London. I think there’s an inescapable urge to compare your new city with your last home, and to seek out moments of familiarity in the architecture and urban landscapes. This is my attempt to document that sensation with two of the most photogenic cities in the world, to create an image of home.
G: Who/what are your favourite Artists/Businesses in the area?
My photo lab (The Print Space) is definitely my favourite Shoreditch business — I’m probably there every other week. And I love the recently launched (also on Kickstarter!) Hoxton Mini Press, they’re doing beautiful work and supporting some incredible artists.
G: What are your favorite places in Shoreditch?
My favourite restaurant is Song Que — which might be a little more Hoxton than Shoreditch, but close enough? I’m half-Vietnamese, so Shoreditch’s massive concentration of authentic Vietnamese restaurants is a serious staple for me. The Vietnamese supermarket Longdan Express is also a regular stop whenever I need some of the harder-to-acquire Vietnamese cooking essentials. I’m also a total sucker for The Love Shake’s oreo milkshake. For going out, Callooh Callay is probably my favourite spot.
G: What are your future plans?
I’m currently working on two long term projects right now, and I just got back from a trip to Uganda where I was documenting the LGBT community in the wake of Parliament passing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. I’ve got some exciting shoots/work lined up for the next few months that will keep me busy! Beyond that — who knows? My partner in crime is also a journalist (he’s a sports writer) and our plans for the future are pretty flexible.
Social links:
Print store: http://dzalcman.mysupadupa.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/dzalcman
Facebook: facebook.com/daniella.zalcman
Website: dan.iella.net
