A photographer since age seven, a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, and a contributor with Getty Images, Kritina’s work has been described as eclectic and idiosyncratic with occasional whimsy—something that floats between fine art and kitsch.  Her first published work featured black & white images hand-colored with oils.  Today, she shoots primarily in color.

“You wear different hats when you’re shooting.  If I see a shot in color, it generally doesn’t translate to black & white.  It isn’t just technical as in how the colors and contrast render values in a black & white conversion and how that affects composition, mood, and impact.  It is also “how” you see what you’re photographing and the way you go about getting the shot.

When I create hand-colored imagery, I shoot in black & white, but with the intention of adding color—it is all very deliberate—I don’t see the shot in black & white or color; instead, I envision how the image will look after adding oils.  Never did I present one of those images in their first-step state, that of just black & white, because they rarely work as strong, stand-alone black & whites.

People ask me what I photograph.  I think most photographers can shoot a multitude of things that interest them and are versatile despite the genres for which they’re known.  Essentially, I like to capture the soul of something, whether it is a person, a dog, a plant, or a beach.  It can be an inanimate object because even a space can have a soul—it has an essence.  It is also very exciting to capture what Henri Cartier-Bresson called, “the decisive moment”.  You are creating something quintessential as you wait for all the elements to come together.  Every detail unites simultaneously and seamlessly.

In general, I think an image should prompt the viewer to feel or think…maybe contemplate new perspectives—new ways of “seeing”.  It can inspire quiet reflection or intense awe.  An image has to move me in some manner.  I like humor and irony—the absurdities of life.  The human condition fascinates me.  There is a lot to see in this world.  There is a lot we don’t know and can’t possibly know unless we have lived it.  Photographs give us a step into other worlds.” 

–Kritina Lee Knief