Photography

East Falls Church Metro - Tanya Roland - Photography

Moving and still images have always been a part of my life.

My father was a filmmaker, one of my brothers is a cinematographer and as a family (six of us) we owned and operated a film and video post production facility for 20 years. Growing up, I would join my father (who started as a photographer) in his darkroom, the smell of the chemicals is still distinct in my mind.

As I got older I would print my own photos also, or make some attempt as I was often a bit lazy about learning the details of what was needed, for instance the proper proportions of chemicals. I always dove in and did my best by feeling around.

Apple Valley Ranch, SD - Tanya Roland - Photography
Frameworks - Tanya Roland - Photography

Capturing images, seeing shots I found interesting was just something I did naturally, even if I didn’t have a camera in my hand. I held out for a long time, still using 35mm even as digital was making large inroads into the marketplace – I still have my 35mm cameras and even have a few rolls lying around waiting to be processed. When I finally bought my first digital camera I found it strange and awkward to use.

Maybe as a result of meditation, maybe it’s just my nature, but I love space and simplicity in images. For many years, especially when I was traveling a lot in Asia I used photos to capture I guess what I would describe as moments unbound by the chaos of conventional activity – or less pretentiously put, stillness. Now I very much appreciate the immediacy of being able to work with digital images.

Protector - Tanya Roland Photography