Then one day, struck by a severe lack of inspiration for her still
life photos, Orwald had a tipping point in her life. Photography
had become as necessary for her as breathing, and while she
never thought of quitting photography, she couldn’t decide on
the direction in which she could move on. A friend suggested
portrait photography and, while outside her comfort zone, she
took the advice and shot with some friends, and with that, her
choice was made.
“I’ve been taking portraits for a little more than three years
now, and it’s a fascinating experience for me. I can’t imagine
my life without photography, it’s the way to explore my own
personality,” says Orwald. “It is said that a portrait is the mirror
of the soul and I completely agree with that. I can share a little
piece of my soul with the world and I think it’s one of the most
important things in creativity.”
Overcoming her introverted nature was still somewhat an
obstacle, not knowing how to relax a model and make them
act naturally in front of her camera, she was always having to
experiment, working on her shyness. Having always been
a good listener, this attribute helped her to find a common
language with her models. People often say that she easily wins
them over, but she insists that she only asks them unobtrusive
questions that keep the conve rsation going.
“I myself don’t feel comfortable when people are crawling
into my soul without my permission with their overly
personal questions. I didn’t do something special, I was just
trying to be a good listener, attentive and responsive,” says
Orwald. “Also people say I’m a very smiley person. Maybe
that’s my secret weapon.”
Irina Bunyatyan - @irinaorwald