Tree-lined reflections mirrored on a placid lake, flowers sleepily opening their petals as sunlight streams through drops of morning dew, deer bounding through the thicket. Such images of nature are favorites of the photographer Galla, Lola Galla that is. Like sequences in nature, Lola’s artistic career turned despondency into the beauty of a memory that lives on. A few years ago her grandfather, with whom she was very close, passed away. Lola was given his old camera, which has just 3 mega pixels and an 8x optical zoom.

“I feel like I’m looking at the lens through his eyes,” she says, “and I just love that.” Lola, who works for Unicef, will be expanding her perspective when she travels to Tanzania this summer, but she started shooting in the heart of the city and many artists’ humble escape, a bookstore.

        “First in the Strand I was taking pictures of books, messing around with the camera. I really enjoy cooking so then I was taking pictures in my kitchen, noticing the lighting at different hours. I would take a picture of food, the faucet, water droplets….”

        Lola has one subject she can’t shy away from that may just encompass the whole world: “I like to capture images of how I see life, no posed photos.” But it’s not as simple as that. Gala is a curious person with an artistic soul who likes a deeper connection to her photos.

                                                    Click Here to link to Lola’s winning LookAtLife.com gallery

        “I really enjoy taking close-ups of nature, trees, flowers….I don’t sit there trying so hard, but catching snippets of living in New York City. There’s so much…I like the Navy Yards in Brooklyn, old buildings, reflections in the water, but nothing posed!” she reiterates emphatically with a smile.

   

        Not an NYC native, Galla’s love for nature and enlivening details was sparked by her childhood home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where she still returns to for holidays and some weekends. “And New Hope,” she adds, “and Springtown! It’s so beautiful there.” Her perspective may also be influenced by the year she spent in France teaching English. “It was eye opening. I was so much happier! I loved the way they lived.”

        As for her style as a photographer? “I’m trying to develop. I don’t want to be taking pictures of the same thing all the time unless I want to. Usually when I go somewhere I just take my camera.”

        Talking with Lola inspires an artistic adrenaline that makes one want to stop and examine abandoned spider webs in the twilight. Her genuine enthusiasm for photography, humbleness, and kindness make her a role model for many aspiring photographers. Some Galla-worthy advice: “You don’t have to follow a specific format to take a good picture. You don’t have to touch a photo to make it good, but the more original and genuine the photo, the better,” she concedes. “Try to stick to a format. Because I have an older camera, I really have to focus hard.”

    Lola appreciates the authenticity of passionate artists and photographers, especially in today’s confused society where people vie for fame and become well known for bizarre reasons. “People are trying to be famous and take pictures of themselves as rock stars and it’s kind of annoying. I feel like artists often promote themselves in silly ways.” Even though she won C2NY, Lola does nothing of the sort. “I actually thought it was a bit ambitious for me to apply. I was shocked and very excited! It’s nice to be recognized for the work, but it’s something I really enjoy.”

See Lola’s winning LookAtLife.com photography gallery here.

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