Interview with Mary Lynn Burke

This month’s featured photographer is Boston-based Mary Lynn Burke. Her passion is capturing the coexistence of nature and human-made things.

See her website.

Q. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A.When I was about 6 years old, my parents caught me strutting back and forth on my windowsill, behind my Big Bird curtains singing to the world. I was supposed to be in bed sleeping, but as my schedule has not changed much, I still stay up way past my bedtime thinking about all of the things that I want to be. Back then, I wanted to a singer and an actress and now my interests are definitely behind the lens.

Q. Where did you grow up?
A. I grew up in a small town in Michigan, about one hour outside of Detroit. I had a yard surrounded by “woods” that I was constantly exploring and finding adventures in with my brothers. My parents still live in the same home where I was raised and I visit as often as I can.

Q. Your favorite subject to photograph?
A. My favorite subject to photograph is natural light and it’s effect on our surroundings. I am consistently enamored by how the color of the sky makes even the most overlooked of things come alive. The insistence of nature’s play on those things that are human-made is what captures my eye.

Q. What camera/s do you shoot with?
A. Although I do appreciate the classic, made to last cameras, such as a Hassleblad or a Leica, I do not subscribe to any one camera brand. As long as I have the ability to take a photograph, I am happy. I enjoy using all camera formats for different purposes. I primarily shoot with a 35 mm digital camera. I find that digital allows me to focus on my vision for the photograph without the worries that film can bring. Since I typically shoot on instinct, I never can predict how long I may spend with one particular idea. On the other hand, I find it uniquely rewarding to slow down and shoot with a 4×5 camera or a medium format Mamiya or Holga. Another passion of mine is Polaroid. I have worked with Polaroid lifts in the past and am currently working with Polaroid SX-70 and Land cameras.

Q. Your most awkward photography moment?
A. I always find posed portraits to be very awkward. As I mentioned previously, I shoot with instinct and as I am also a social worker, I love to study human behavior. After a short time, I begin to predict gesture and emotion and I find it very difficult to ask someone to smile or to “look at the camera”. That form of staged photography goes completely against the grain for me. I crave genuine emotion, sincere moments and that is the essence of photography…capturing a moment in time.

Q. The hardest part of your job.
A. The most difficult part of photography for me is stopping myself from obsessing over my photographs. There are times when I literally have to tear myself away from the computer to get outdoors and spend time doing all of the other things that I love. I tend to lose the balance for time when preparing a presentation of my photographs. I am realizing more and more that a break away from the visual gives me a fresh eye and clearer mind.

Q. The easiest part of your job?
A. Returning home with a camera full of new photographs is the most exciting and rewarding feeling.

Q. Your favorite movie of all time?
A. I can’t even imagine having to choose a favorite movie, I have so many that I love. What comes to mind is anything casted with or directed by Clint Eastwood, particularly Million Dollar Baby. Without dwelling on the moving drama of the film, I also loved Million Dollar Baby for its use of light and shadows that give the film a raw and unspoiled look, unlike many of the recent special effects films. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I am a huge fan of all of the Pixar films. I just saw Wall-E today and was so impressed with the animation as usual, and cheer Pixar’s choice to deliver such a strong and necessary message.

Q. Your favorite meal?
A. My favorite meal is a big fresh salad. For me, there is nothing like creating a new dressing or sauce and combining it with all of my favorite fresh vegetables, fruits and cheeses. I love putting together my own flavor combinations, so a pinch of this and a dash of that is my style of cooking, as opposed to sticking to a recipe.

Q. Who do you most admire? Why?
A. If speaking of photographers, I most admire Josef Sudek. I admire him for his ability to create beautiful images and for his passion of life and friends, despite living through the Nazi invasion of World War II in Prague. Sudek would tell his friends that “no matter what, the music must keep playing”. I admire his philosophy in life which was, as he said should be “not all-too-clearly defined. I prefer the living, the vital, and life is very different from geometry; simplified security has no place in life”.

Q. What will you be doing 5 years from now?
A. In five years, I hope to be in the process of creating moving and thought-provoking photographs that allow for both an enlightened discovery and illumination of the world around us.