Meet the Cover Artist: An Interview with Danya Kirby
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Written by christina erl-daniels
What is art? Many years ago Ansel Adams redefined the definition of art with his photography. Adams took photography and art to a new level by turning a negative into a canvas, and a landscape into a painting. It is what every artist strives to do - to create something that breaks the rules and propels their medium to a higher level of interpretation.
Photographers are no exception.
Danya Kirby is one such photographer. Her images capture light, emotion and moments in people's lives which otherwise may go unrecorded. Kirby is a young woman whose business, Fly Photography, has taken family portraiture to a new level of artistic endeavor. Kirby is 33. She's a mother to one little girl, entrepreneur and artist to the rest of world. Her world is about capturing the essence of one's life in the still frames of photography. Recently, I had the chance to speak with her.
What is your goal when you are photographing?
My goal is to create the best work possible for the client and to represent myself as a professional artist and business woman.
What gets you excited?
What gets me excited is when I can see that perfect moment through my lens. I know I have the shot when it happens; it's magic! It's everything coming together at once: light-expression-vision-feeling-composition-character.
What do you consider to be you specialty?
Working with people. Also, interiors are fun to shoot. And I love to teach.
What advice do you have for young people starting out in the field?
Love what you do and experience as much as you can! The field is ever-changing and you have to be willing to move with the changing technology. The craft has so many facets. Business, technical, creative and most important is understanding and working with people. I feel I have all these qualities and that makes me a success. I would tell anyone wanting to pursue this field that it's not just about having a great eye or knowing your technical. The whole package is what sells.
Define photography, in your words, as an art form.
Photography is an art form in itself. It is creatively being able to technically capture a moment in time with a tool that has the endless possibilities to document feeling, mood expression and character. The art of photography is told by the person behind the lens whom has the power to tell a story or create an emotion for the viewer. As like any form or art its ability to be seen as such an expressive medium again depends on the photographer's passion, skills and talents.
Describe your mission statement. Encapsulate your company. How do you see yourself fitting into the industry?
{quotes}My mission statement in business is to love what you do and experience as much as you can. Empower yourself and others through education and knowledge.{/quotes} Traveling new roads and trying new techniques can often lead to a fresh interpretation of the subject at hand. It's my job as a skilled photojournalist to document the subjects or the object in the most effective way possible, whether this be a simplistic approach or a very dramatic and honest view.
Where are you going from here?
I am moving upwards. My plan is to never level off within my work. To continue this growth I look to my peers and to the world for new challenges and new experiences. I draw from friends, family and faith to guide and inspire the way I view the world and my subjects. My business will always involve photography, but on many different levels I plan to work with other medias, such as design, sales product and education.
How can photography better the world in your eyes? Is this one of your goals?
In my eyes, photography and cinematography are the most precious forms of documentation for the world; therefore, one of the most important jobs known to humankind. A moment is lost in time if it has no record, it can only be a memory of someone else's. Whether the physical record is for the purpose of history, or for a personal documentation, its form is constituted as the visual preservation of time.
What is your favourite picture you've taken - and why?
To this day my favourite picture is of the old woman, Jabida. [see image, right]
My true passion toward empowerment for women and pro-activism for this subject is projected in the eyes of this spiritual woman. She holds her arms to her chest in reflection of her life. In this image I see her journey and her herstory. Having spoken to her about her life during and after the session I had a sense that I captured her in her true form, even though she really does not look like this in real life. We sipped our tea and talked about her granddaughter and her own life. Her life's work was to enhance the beauty of others as the first aesthetician in Kelowna, BC. As art it provokes a question: "Where is this woman? What is she thinking? Who is she and what did she do in her life?" The interpretation and though provoking questions makes this image a conversation piece and some say this gives it the label of art.
Who are photographers you admire? Artists you admire?
[Henri] Cartier-Bresson [photographer] for his true photojournalistic documentation of all his magnificent images. Joyce Tenneson [Photographer]; she has illuminating images that reek of mystery, spirituality and sensuality. The complexity in her images create a mystical universe for the people she photographs. She is one of my favourite photographers. And, Sarah McLachlan; I love her music, the poetry within her words. Her style is so classic and real. She is proactive and a Canadian feminist and believes not only in art but in the goodness of all humankind. Through her art she not only expresses her true self but she works towards giving back to others; this is something I admire and strive towards.
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christina is a freelance writer, appearing regularly in E4W and frequently in many other 'zines and print publications. Her newspaper column concept is called "Babes and the Burbs," a family culture perspective in which she tackles the trials and triumphs of raising children in a modern world with global demands. christina's education includes journalism school, as well as a B.A. in English and Philosophy from UVIC.
My curse is my gift. My nightmares, deep sensitivity, and emotional instability gives the best (and most uncomfortable) inspirations I could ever have. For me, art is passion - and visions are the mirror, which show my feelings and connect me with the rest of the world. Read More...
Love what you do and experience as much as you can! The field is ever-changing and you have to be willing to move with the changing technology. The craft has so many facets. Business, technical, creative and most important is understanding and working with people. I feel I have all these qualities and that makes me a success. I would tell anyone wanting to pursue this field that it's not just about having a great eye or knowing your technical. The whole package is what sells. 
To this day my favourite picture is of the old woman, Jabida. [see image, right]
christina is a freelance writer, appearing regularly in E4W and frequently in many other 'zines and print publications. Her newspaper column concept is called "Babes and the Burbs," a family culture perspective in which she tackles the trials and triumphs of raising children in a modern world with global demands. christina's education includes journalism school, as well as a B.A. in English and Philosophy from UVIC. 
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