Conceptual photographer Rosie Anne Prosser envisions "atmospheric, mysterious worlds where waif-like characters roam" and creates them with her camera. Her hometown in the Black Mountains region of Wales serves as a stunning backdrop for the stories she depicts, stories that often explore the connection between humans and the natural world. She has even used her photography to explore the heartache of losing a close family member to cancer.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your equipment, and your art.

I’ve been taking photos since the age of 16 or 17, but only in the past 3 years has photography become such a big part of my life and who I am. I use a Canon 5D Mark III and a 50mm 1.4 lens.

Do you have a favorite photo?

This is always a difficult question to answer, as any one of my photos could be a favorite depending on how I am feeling. I am particularly fond of one of my most recent photos at the moment, “on the neighbor’s grounds.” I love the eeriness of it … I remember how I felt when I took it.

Why do share your work on Flickr?

Flickr attracts so many photographers of all different styles and abilities into one big community. It’s really refreshing seeing such a vast array of approaches to photography. I find I can really adapt and learn from other people to better myself as a photographer.

I’ve gotten a lot of positivity in regards to sharing my photos with the Flickr community. The feedback has encouraged and helped me grow as a photographer, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

What advice do you have for new photographers on Flickr?

The best way to get integrated into the Flickr community is to share your voice with others; comment on other people’s work, join various Flickr Groups that interest you, and keep posting photos that you are happy and proud of. People become familiar with you and your work and thus you build a relationship with the people who follow you and vice versa.

What is the story behind this motif, as we’ve seen it in a few of your shots? (above)

Well, it’s not as fantastical as people may think. It’s quite simple really; I have a fascination with animal bones and have built up quite an impressive collection now. I wanted to explore the idea of a sheep/girl hybrid.

This looks like a challenging shoot, can you tell us more about it? 

I came completely unprepared for this shoot. This was taken on the River Severn Estuary, in Glocestershire. There are actually a few old shipwrecked boats there, which was the main reason for going there to shoot. Anyway, Annie had salvaged this old anchor, and I decided that I wanted to base a concept around it, hence why we had to climb down the thick clay banks and onto the drained away river bed. After a few minutes of me flailing my arms about trying to hold my tripod and keep my balance wearing ripped plastic bags on my shoes, we thought, “this is ridiculous,” and we took a break, cleaned ourselves up a bit, and ate our lunch whilst trying to figure out another means of taking the photo.

In the end, we walked a bit further down the bank and found a spot that allowed me and my tripod to stay up on the grass whilst Annie was able to climb down a less steep bit to where the clay mud wasn’t so thick. We cleaned our shoes off in the grass afterwards and the destroyed muddy bags went in the bin.

What was your inspiration for the image? (above)

This image has quite a lot of personal meaning for me. My sister died four years ago of cancer at the tender age of 25. So this image represents loss, or morever, the loss of my sister and our shared childhood. The question of why or how the girl is there is left open to the viewer. I guess the question is, is she there by accident and just happened upon this strange event, or is it her purpose to be there? For me, there is a quiet resoluteness … the girl has gathered there for a ceremony, to serve as a reminder of her loss. The crows represent an omen: death. The swing has been there for a few years now; it’s on my dad’s farmland. The swing is what represents childhood.

Rosie Ann, thank you for participating in our Photographer Spotlight series. If you enjoyed this interview, stay tuned for our next installment.

Photos from Rosie Ann.