We were lucky to catch up with Elaine Querry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elaine, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I was working as chief photographer for a wonderful weekly newspaper in Northern New Mexico. It was interesting, a great place to work and learn with good pay and benefits. I was responsible for developing and printing black & white film and photos for the editorial and advertising departments, finding feature photos, covering a variety of beats, etc. This was pre-digital, pre-cell phone and pre-modern computer. It was a great job and a wonderful time in my life! But . . . I quit so my writer husband and I along with our two dogs could set out in a small trailer to explore, travel, work on our art, and to rethink our lives. That all happened!
Living on the road and not having a paycheck didn’t seem so difficult back then. We didn’t have much money, just enough to live simply. It was in the late 1980’s and we were in our 30’s and 40’s, healthy and fit. It was a wonderful time that we traveled and camped around the southwest finally winding up in central Mexico where we lived for several years–I photographed and my husband wrote.
From that experience I learned to trust my instincts, that I may be driven to photograph something for myself to strengthen my journey but that it may not be something worth sharing as an artist to a larger audience. I used my photos as a journal. To this day I can look at them and it takes me back. A great deal of time has passed since then and I’ve continued to learn and supplement my paycheck and life by doing work related to my art. And still I photograph for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was in college I was interested in taking a photography class. The only one offered was with the journalism teacher. I didn’t care for him but the teaching assistant who ran the darkroom opened my eyes to the magic of photography. I was undecided as to my major but had taken courses that interested me – English, literature, history, social studies, anthropology and my first art classes. When it came time to finish it turned out I had enough credits to get a degree in University Studies. Not very focused, but it worked out well for the start of my working career in newspapers.
With this budding photography experience I was able to get on at a small weekly newspaper and live on my grandparent’s ranch. The ranch and my grandparents were both extremely important to me and that time in my life was invaluable.
At this early stage I learned that one needs to know a bit about a variety of subjects . . . to pay attention to what is happening around you.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Some instructors/people insist you do things their way and can be rather close minded to seeing things otherwise. My experience has shown me the right way is what speaks to you, what works for you. Learn from everything/everyone but listen to what is meaningful to you.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Seeing a piece I’ve created that says what I wanted it to say and for it to reach someone else and speak to them as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elainequerry.com

Image Credits
Photo of artist – Mary Virginia Swanson
All other photos – Elaine Querry