Name: Natalie Manjerovic
Location: Georgetown, PA
Occupation: Photographer, Mom, Professional Overanalyzer
Website: www.photographybynatalie.com, www.natalienadeja.com

Where did you grow up? In the suburbs & country west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

How old were you when you first realized you wanted to be a photographer? 15 or 16, but my dad discouraged it and I went to college for business/french instead… only to decide again [rather accidentally] at 24 to start a photography business. It was a bit odd, since I started the business with a point and shoot before I even understood the basics. I always was one to put the horse behind the carriage… but luckily, in this case it worked out and I made money learning rather than paying a fortune for art school!

Tell us about your childhood: Well….I was the oldest of 6 grubby lower-middle class kids and we moved around alot. We lived everywhere from Pittsburgh mining plans to governement housing projects to farmhouses in the boonies, which explains my fickle gypsy-like nature. I’d say it was a rough childhood, but really…. is there any other kind?
Describe your style: It’s gonna sound cliche, but I don’t think I’ve got one. I tend to dabble and drift between subject matters. Over the last few years, I seem to have preferred black & white portraiture and film… but that’s changing as we speak, so it makes it more difficult for me to commit to a style that was, knowing that this year I’m on the verge of something completely different.

How do you stay motivated and inspired? I don’t, haha. Inspiration comes and goes, I don’t think it’s a matter of “staying” inspired, I think it’s a matter of giving in to the ebb and flow of a sporadically creative mind. That’s not to say that I rely on entirely on happy accidents… actually, most of what I do is preconceived, but at unexpected times. That’s half the fun of it, I think.

Favorite famous photographer: I’ve admittedly not studied the “masters” at great length, but I will say that Annie Leibowitz’s portraits are an incredible inspiration.

Equipment you can’t live without? A 50mm lens.

Design item you can’t live without? the lasso tool.

Something you’ve always dreamt of doing: writing a novel or having a gallery show.

Favorite reading: period novels & tortured soul kinda stuff.

Share a secret with us: I have the ugliest feet you’ve EVER seen.