Life & Work with Karen Ollis of Other

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Ollis.

Hi Karen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
This phase of my career finds me more contemplative than reactionary. Quality matters in the level of work I produce and in the type of projects I accept which allows me more time to create fine art photography and books about Water. My career was one of a winding path with detours and necessary shifts some for economical survival. How the path unfolded wasn’t planned. I found myself putting one foot in front of the other until I arrived where I presently reflect. The point, always keep moving forward even if you have to move to the side once or twice. All those twists and changes ultimately made me a Master Photographer competent in any arena. What I lacked in pedigree I made up for in talent, desire and wherewithal with some street smarts peppered in. This all accomplished over the last six decades of the most massive changes within the photographic industry.

I’ve had an on going dual career course. One direction was editorial and marketing photography specializing in people and special effects, the other fine art photography concentrating on Nature. The two directions formed a never ending circular flow of creative energy which always seemed to feed me. I was less interested in notoriety and more concerned with quality and following my own interests staying true to myself. I suppose I have been an artist first and any other title secondary and so forth.

Since the age of nine I have been clicking away adapting to new cameras and tools, refining my creative process. As I developed my artistic voice my primary medium was painting. Further evolving my interests gravitated towards photography since it provided a faster method of exploring visual ideas. When I began my professional photographic career my passion was photographing the vivid energy of live music in Los Angeles. Subsequently the journey lead to adventures in photo journalism and advertising as well as producing fine art. As an artist I believe its important to record and work out creative ideas which often times I did through my fine art. I followed the bread crumbs and still do because as artists we need to evolve. We need to alchemize on so many different levels.

Honing my craft lead to an array of clients ranging in well known international list of personalities, celebrities, and products. Editorial and advertising campaigns brought vast experiences that have enriched my life and expanded my world view in spite of my a distaste for commerciality that I countered by vetting my clientele for integrity. The artistic quest however, has remained the same through the journey which has been to capture the essential beauty in whatever my subject matter. Regardless of subject matter my thesis has been about energy, everything is energy. When your life’s work is the art you love to create, I believe you have found your bliss. I am grateful to share mine promoting connection. ​

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
How many of our readers went through some type of transition during COVID? While I didn’t foresee that particular instance of a pandemic being an issue, I was already versed in having gone through numerous difficulties in various scales. For me I made the pivot with relative ease. History helped me navigate from every prior project that I’d done over the years having things to dealing with along with the economic cycles that raged havoc on my bottomline. I had learned a thing or two. I had learned to survive by reading the markets and asking what is needed. “See I need fill a need.” The biggest key to economic success is being diversified across markets and having the ability to shift your operation and style to ADAPT!

In life and in any endeavor, there will be obstacles and difficulties to solve. Its a given, whether of your own making or outside circumstances. Its part of the process and everyone goes through those times and they are secular. The difference in who makes it through and who gets taken down often times has to do with attitude and the ability to adapt.

How do you approach difficulties? If you immediately go into victimhood, you will need to heal that mindset. Having a personal practice that fortifies yourself in grounded energies will help you to have effective responses to difficulties this allowing you the calm to cope. Its much easier to find or create solutions from that place. Its ok if you don’t feel grounded and calm everyday, but it sure does help. I’ve exercised a lot, done Tai Chai and yoga, meditation, walks in Nature and have had a close circle of reliable friends. I also have a spiritual life. It creates balance for me. Find what works for you.

Some people don’t operate on calm, they don’t need the grounded energies. They live off their adrenals in flight or fright mode thriving off of emergency. Everyone has their own style and method. Know yourself. But also know the cost of hyper emotional-physical states of being. The biggest indicator on success is health. Make sure you put that into your equation for success.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
To understand my process and me as an artist you have to know up front I have two great loves: People and Nature. I suppose I find it curious the various forms of human connection and the connections with the energies of Nature. Over the years I have photographed these two things separately and I’m now embarking on putting them together in a way that is unique to my artistic vision and a wish for evolving humanity. But first the background.

What I love most about photographing people is seeing them as individuals. I enjoy getting to know each person, talking with them. No matter the situation there is always some commonality that ignites a connection. In marketing human centric driven understanding is the most effective. In terms of photographing people outside of business, its about depicting them as themselves, a blend of how they see themselves and how they appear from my vantage point. The best is capturing the interactions between multiple people in real life and in expressive terms. Not forced or canned, but real raw emotion an energy. I enjoy photographing people in their natural state, organic and authentic.

What I find fascinating about photographing water happens in the observation stage before photography begins. Water is an entity unto itself. Its movements, relationship with elements in its environment all combine to create magical shapes, textures, colors, and reflections. Water tells the story of alchemy more so than any other natural element. It is the substance that comprises the majority of our bodies, the surface of the Earth and something we can not live without. Water connects us to the Creator. It is a portal, and transformational. On the surface its simplest definition is refreshing, calming and nurturing. My recent fine art series, FLOW was created over five years while I explore water in woodland waterways, culminating in a book, FLOWportal along with exhibited selections. I photograph Water as it is in nature.

My goal in my new series just beginning now is to artistically engage the energetic interplay between Humans and Water in authentic natural manners. Stay tuned.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people view me as a strong independent woman who can go toe to toe with the best or worst and I’ve certainly proven that to be the case over the years. But what most people outside my closest circle friends have no clue of is I suffered greatly from low self esteem and nervousness for most of my career. In the beginning I would enter fine art paintings into competitions only to pull them out before judging- the reason being I felt the unwanted public exposure of my inner world. It was really tortured. Then as a photographer showing my portfolio was an internal hell scape for me as well. My hands would sweat, my knees knock together, I’d stutter and basically freak out. My work was good though I pressured myself to be the best, it was the public exposure I had a hard time with. I had to learn to push myself through it all and learn to love that part of myself. What very few people know is the reason behind those hindrances was that my older sister who was an artist committed suicide at the age of 24. At the time if that tragedy I was 15. My mother pressured me to not become an artist because in her mind I would end up killing myself as well. For a short while I tried life without art and I couldn’t do it so pursued what I loved to do despite the lack of any familial support. I came to understand that if you want to really live, you have to live your truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ollisphoto.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenollisphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenollisphoto
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenollis/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@karenollisphoto
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/c/KarenOllisPhoto?vanity=user