This week, we talk with Athens-based student and photographer, Kristin Karch. Kristin’s style – as well as her personality – is an equal balance of sweet and sassy. She’s mastered the art of style, but always with a certain coolness that says she can go with the flow; somewhere in between the girl next door and the girl all the bad guys want.
Below, we have her featured in an American Apparel dress, Marc Jacobs shoes and her all-American Polo sunglasses – the perfect ensemble for this sunny summer day.
Apart from her excellent wardrobe, Kristin’s work as a photographer is always impressive, poignant and refined. She seems to be able to capture a certain story through her pictures – some of which we’ve included below.
Read on to see collections of her favorite things and to find out about her inspirations. Also, scroll down to check out her exclusive playlist made especially for Vinyl Mag – enjoy!
1) How do you approach dress, and what influences your personal style?
I wear a lot of dresses, because it is so easy to make a whole outfit with just one piece. I am currently obsessed with printed babydoll dresses from American Apparel. Other then that, I like to balance solid staple pieces like high wasted jeans or crop tops with other pieces that are a little more fun. Even though I have a ton of clothes, I catch myself wearing the same five things a lot of the time.
2) What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is an old metal suitcase that my grandmother gave me. It is filled with old photographs from her childhood and also some 19th century photographs. This imagery has come to be a crucial part of my artwork and has also influenced the way I think about photography.
3) We know you’re an amazing photographer. Can you tell us a little about how you got into photography and about your creative process?
I got into photography around freshman year of high school when I bought my first 35mm camera. I continued to shoot film for a couple years until I got my first digital camera. I had a darkroom set up in my house and was pretty big on doing things completely analog. I shoot mostly digital now and do a lot of work with scanning. Vintage prints and film still have a large influence in my work.
4) What or who is influencing you and your work now?
Elverum from Mount Eerie has been a huge source of inspiration from the time I was 15. It is hard to explain, but his music is exactly the mood I feel when I make work. He produced a record called “Mount Eerie Pts. 6 & 7” that came with a large photo book, and when I look at it and listen at the same time, it creates this bizarre but incredible feeling.
5) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I am lucky that I have been able to travel a lot for my age. Excluding all of the places I have already been, I would love to go to Iceland if I could go anywhere. I don’t know much about it, but pictures I have seen from there are strange, foggy and mysterious. All things I love.
Kristin’s Playlist:
Aubrey Mascali is wanna-be fairy trapped in a human body who is intrigued by tiny things and collections of nature stuffs. She enjoys rainy days with a nice cup of tea and cuddling with her dog Nemo. Currently living and attending school at UGA in Athens GA, you can usually find her doing cliche townie things like thrifting for vintage dresses, walking through the local farmers market, and drinking mimosas at brunch. Aubrey’s keen on meeting new people and hearing their stories. If she were a color, she hopes it would be pink, and if she were music she’d want it to sound like Architecture in Helsinki on a good day and Grimes on a weird day. In her capacity as an art student, she enjoys taking photos, painting, weaving behind a loom or spending countless hours doing five year old art projects like gluing rocks to paper. She is currently working on her thesis exhibition which will be on view at the Lamar Dodd School of art in May 2015.