About me

Linda
Linda always accents that she is a studio photographer. Talking about her photos she never uses word "Art". Linda is one of the studio photographers who is working creatively with her own style and her works can be recorgnized by her characteristic manner. She thinks that photography must firstly address someone on an emotional level. Due to this fact it is essential to have a prior conversation and a mutual trust between her ad the client who come in a studio to have a photography that could be a present for a mom, friend, husband or just for a memory.

Linda is a photographer in her heart and soul who reached her objective to become a photographer when she was only 19 years old. When she is asked a question what does person do when a dream is achieved in such an early age she says - You are working. I was very lucky that my hobby became a profession and with a today,s perspective I wouldn,t have stopped at this accomplishment. Of course, today I have a handicap and an experience working with people and a millage in the studio... This experience may not be taught in any school.

Linda,s special element is shadows- black, deep shadows that create texture, mood and sometimes only a silhouette. In nature she also likes to watch the way of sun- it might be a shadow on asphalt or sunbeam from a window lost on the stairs. However, her favorite trade is to work with wedding photos. This is my energy.

From a match box to a personal studio
During her childhood Linda instinctively aimed for framing of surroundings using a match box. I remember that clearly- Christmas tree top was too high taken with all the sky then everything else seemed so small- people and houses.

And so when Linda turned 12 years old she got her first camera- "Smena 8M", but after a year (in 1980) her parents gave her a serious camera- "Zenit TTL". It was a special camera with sticker of Moscow Olympic Games and by the way it is working till now.

When Linda was 14 years old she began to take active part in photoclub "Alkors" and took equal part in exhibitions organized by the club but when photographers were showing nude photos she was sent home. When she was 16 years old in the article of magazine "Sovetskoje foto" she was described as "new talent from city Riga" and in the secondary school everyone was sure that photography will be a important part of Linda,s life. In Riga Professional Technical School No 34 sha acquired a diploma of a professional photographer. To enter this educational institution she had to have a special document from "Rigas foto" (an agency that had 30 laboratories and studios in Riga). When she showed her pictures she was offered a position in one of the laboratories even before she started her proffesional education. During her internship she studied from old mistress Ilga Straume in 2 Barona street but there I was only a viewer because nobody would let me as a beginner to make photos. A year after the graduation she worked as a black-and-white laboratory assistant and only then she got her first position of photographer in the studio "Gloria" located on Maskavas street. She worked there for 9 years having a unique practical school. During Soviet Union time everyone had to work lika a conveyer, certain standards were set what could be taken on the picture and what could not. Her record was 16 weddings during one day time when during 30 minutes she had to make a "complex meal"- a portrait, picture in all height, with cabbies, parents and group photo.

In year 1992 she was offered to go to Denmark and to study in Danish Public School but she refused. After the second offer she yielded to temptation. It was not only a school of photographers but a school where people could develop in different areas. Linda learned to listen classical music, paint, psychology that is essential in communication with people, basic design and esthetics principles and even to weave with a loom. My friends did not understand me but I am thankful to my husband Roberts who understood this brave decision. I am not sure that I would be able to repeat this because I am not young anymore and times are different. We have different way of thinking and there are no standards that limit us. When I left we had a different money system and it was time after the Soviet Union but when I came back there were new money (Lats) and I could buy coffee machine and chewing gums...

Linda divides her life in two parts- before and after Denmark almost like men divide their lives before and after the army. After her return from Denmark she worked for a short time in studio "Gloria" but she understood that changes in life are necessary. Latvian studio photography needed to have changes! Recommended by Janis Eiduks she was hired in a newly developed "Baltijas Foto Serviss". After 4 years she was made an offer to work on studio "Nara" where during a four year time she understood what she really can and desires to do. And now many photostudios work according to Linda,s style.

Photostudio "Linda"
Circumstances settled the way that life turned around and in March of year 2003 a photostudio "Linda" was founded and created. In the beginning it was absolutely clear that studio is not going to be a usual photosalon express toutism store and there will not be found pictures for 7 centimes a piece but this is going to be a professional studio with professional laboratory.

Photostudio "Linda" is the only photostudio specializing on wedding photos. However, anyone can enter in the studio to create unforgettable images. Don,t forget that Linda will "give you a bad time" a little bit. "Wedding guests" who come to make pictures by Linda must take into account that this process will take about an hour. Good quality shooting takes certain time and images of wedding day will be special and guarded by the family all the life.

Linda works with an excitement and inspiration- clients that oncehave came return again and again. Many families are cooperating with Linda for more than ten years. This is how "family biography photos" are created. Linda is certain that the better she takes a photo the higher the chance that they will come at all family occasions.

Studio is not a salon
Many people think that photostudio is the same as a photosalon and in some way it is true. However, Linda thinks that salons can be found in supermarkets but there you can make a photo for a passport at most. Photosalons can be found on every corner and even photo reception center is called a photosalon. But word "studio" has not yet been degraded.

Linda tells that people still have Soviet Union standards when looking at salon photos and it is hard to break these notions. Working in the studio you got to make these standard (stiff) shotsbecause their nonbeing would make a certain category of people disappointed. And Linda is trying to make people "get used to" non-standard studio photos and in addition she makes some of her brown and "shadow" photos.

We do not pay attention to nuances but for photographer they might be very important. There is a strict border between photos taken in studio from ones taken as reportage or any other style pictures. Studio photo is a picture created by a photographer. And the border must be found to avoid vulgarity- skirt should be lifted on a certain level, neither higher nor lover. Studio photographer balances between own professionalism, experience, courtesy and client desires. We can also do a handstand at home but in order to have a good quality photo we have to trust the photographer. In few words, photo that you like and is interesting for you and other people, the one that is not an advertisement for clothing, accessories or shoes, photo that is not a snap or random shot will be a real studio photography.

People are not the same and when working in the studio you have to make posture that is comfortable for a person so that a client would feel natural. And of course we must understand that we are not models even though we often wish to look more beautiful. From time to time girls walk in the studio with photos of world famous models and say that they want to look like that and ask if I can do it. Making a girl to stand in the same position she looks like a robot not like a human. Person must draw a line between a professional model and advertisement and find beginning of I- individual.

Shadow photographer
Linda defines herself as a shadow photographer as she realizes harself in black and deep shadovs that create a texture. It is impossible to imagine Linda,s photos without shadows and it does not matter in what kind of genre photo is made. Linda uses several genres (she photographs everything)- she even has given a motto to her photographic genres: "From classic up to now". It was exciting to make a calendar for Educational staff of National armed forces. It was a challenge of female abilities- diver school in Liepaja, Instructor school of Cesis with field training, battle conditions in Adazi polygon. It was exciting to watch and take photographs from air and fly with a helicopter.

Linda,s works have been published not only in Latvian press but she has also takepart in illustrating of several books.

Linda has taken part in different exhibitions since year 1982 and in total there have been 32 photo exhibitions! Personal exhibitions in photography genres have taken place in Riga, Liepaja, Livani, Jekabpils, Koknese, Gulbene, Pilsrundale and other towns of Latvia. Her photos have been a part of group exhibitions in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Malta.

Linda is one of the Latvian photographers that has paid a special attention to nude pictures as her creative work and we have seen the result in several personal exhibitions.

As Linda thinks then the best and emotionally charging was her exhibition "Ziema" ("Winter") that was a part of cycle "Gadalaiki" ("Seasons") and took place in photo-club "Riga" in the millenium. It was a very important exhibition for me because when I was 16 this club was photo Mecco. Attending exhibitions in photo-club "Riga" I told myself that when my exhibition will be here I will be a real photographer...

Elmars Rudzitis