handmade feature & giveaway | tina crespo photography

March 24, 2010 separator giveaway

So I looove Tina Crespo. Her vintagey photos of birds and beaches make me want to hop on a plane right this second and head somewhere quiet and close to nature. I just bought this, this, and this, and I’m dying to get them home and up on the walls! She’s having a spring cleanup sale right now with photos starting at only a buck fifty, so I highly recommend you shop it up right now. Like now – seriously. She’s also one of the nicest people on Etsy (because I’ve encountered all of them…?) and a pleasure to work with! Aaand once you see her epic hat, you’re gonna love. this. girl.

Q. What’s the story behind Tina Crespo?

A. Oh boy, I’m not sure if there is a whole story. I’ll break it down to the basics: I make awkward jokes, I read books, I photograph things (…duh, Tina.), envy dog owners, wouldn’t mind living in a zombie movie (if I was properly equipped, of course.) & love spending time outside.

Q. Let’s talk pets: cats, dogs, barracudas, kangaroo rats? 

A. I have one amazing cat, Piggy aka Ms Piggles, Wiggles, Chief Wiggums, Wiggly, Mama. She’s a sassy tux kitty. Charlie boy, my dad’s dog, is a newer member of our family. He’s basically my shadow, following me around like the little brother I never had.

Q. What sage bit of advice do you have for the shell-shocked just starting out on Etsy?
A. Breathe! The day that I was all ready to list items, I must of looked crazy because I was talking to myself and trying to whiz through the whole process (I had previously written down the descriptions of photos and what not to be more “prepared”). My hands were shaking and I was afraid of…well, I don’t know exactly. You feel a lot better after your first 10 items are listed. After that, you pretty much need to advertise your site nonstop. Whether it be family, friends, Facebook friends, people on flickr. Just get your name OUT there! I didn’t sleep a lot that first week.


Also keep in mind, most people don’t sell the first day. Maybe some do ::shrug:: but whatever you do, don’t get discouraged. Keep at it, and good people will find you.

Q. If you could snap a portrait of any one person in the world, who would it be? Where?
A. I think I really would have liked being a photographer during the Dust Bowl era. Trucking around with a 4×5 Camera & sheets of film, capturing the faces and world that crumbled, would have been a monumental experience.

Q. As a food photog, you’ve probably seen some pretty  epic dishes. What’s the most interesting or intriguing thing you’ve ever eaten?

A. I’m half Puerto Rican (as well as German and Native American), and my grandmother makes Pulpo Salad. Yep. Octopus. I’ve tried it, but can’t say it’s my go to dish. Interestingly enough, I love Eel Sushi.


As a food photographer, one the strangest things we’ve photographed has got to be L.A Weight Loss food. Every dish, whether it be the beef stroganoff, veggie lasagna, chicken cacciatore – it all smelled exactly the same. A weird, plastic-y, non food smell.

Q. What photographer most inspires you and your work?

A. When I was younger, I adored David LaChapelle. I still do, as well as Kareem Black. Which is kind of funny, because they are both really outrageous “portrait/celebrity” photographers. Totally not what I am doing. 


The fine art work, I suppose, is mostly inspired by nature and things outside of reality. It’s about creating a moment or feeling in someway.



Q. You’ve taken some pretty stunning nature pictures, so I’d love to see what you could do in Semuc Champey, Guatemala (Google it, people!). Where in the world would you most like to capture nature?

A. I seriously need to get to Thailand. End of story. 🙂

Q. Tell us a joke.

A. A family of three tomatoes were walking downtown one day when the little baby tomato started getting behind. The dad tomato walks back to the baby tomato, stomps on her, squashing the little tomato into a red paste and says “Ketchup!”


Haaaaaaaaaaaa ba dun..dun. Funny? No? Ok, don’t ask me to tell anymore jokes.


Q. What do you think will be the biggest difference in the world in 50 years?
A. This is seriously a hard question. It can go either way, really. Um, there will be lots of robots doing every day things for humans, cars that drive sideways, cops who have shoulders and arms made from the same material that robots are made of and grandmothers who make super amazing sweet potato pie.


Wait…I might have just described the plot of I, Robot.
Q. I’m an absolute quote junkie. What’s your all-time favorite quote?
A. “Look!!! Applesauce!” “…..That sign says Applause, not applesauce.”
“Oh, this photo is the only one I have of me with a camera. A lot of my friends hate that hat, which amuses me to no end. Now they have to look at it forever 🙂 Hah! Anddddddd you can quote me on that.” Definitely worth quoting!!

a little more tina:
______________________________
The Giveaway 
One lucky Shrimper gets to choose any two matted 5×7 photos or one matted 8×10 from Tina Crespo, so you’d better get started picking out your goodies. With these incredible prices, you could knock off half your Christmas list in one fell swoop! This giveaway will end at midnight on Sunday, April 4.
  • To enter visit Tina Crespo, and select a favorite item. What do you love most about her photography style? This step is mandatory, and please make sure to leave your e-mail address in your first comment.
Additional entries (Leave one comment for each entry.):

  • What one thing would you most like to have a picture of?
  • Become a follower of Shrimp Salad Circus (the blog) using one of the blog subscribe options on the middle sidebar or at the top right under the search bar.
This is up to three entries per person. Feel free to help me spread the word by Tweeting, blogging, Facebooking or grabbing my button for your blog’s sidebar!

160 comments

  1. Tina has about everything I could imagine in her shop. If I could have one photo or group of photos it would be of seashells and sea glass on the beach.

    rubymoonstone at gmail dot com

  2. I’m an email subscriber to SSC

    rubymoonstone at gmail dot com

  3. Actually I like everything but if I must pick one it’s called “Leaving Town” in the Mexico section. Everything looks so vintage and the use of pastel hues makes every single photograph have a dreamlike quality. Absolutely beautiful!

    rubymoonstone at gmail dot com

  5. It is probably cliche but I would adore a picture of my family all together, sadly it will never happen because of a family feud. I can always dream!

    thepricklypinecone(at)hotmail(dot)com

  6. I adore the 5×6 This time I’ll stay print! I love her photographs as it is almost like time has stood still.

    thepricklypinecone(at)hotmail(dot)com

  9. I would most like to have a picture of a bathtub looking straight down on the tub…. with only bubbles in it…. I think that would be the neatest bathroom art. It’s hard to find good bathroom art.

    writeme at heidimail dot com

  10. My favorite item is the free fall 8×12 signed print. I like how she pays careful attention to the colors in her prints. They all compliment each other so well!

    writeme at heidimail dot com

  15. I like the “Cotton Candy Trees”. The photo is so peaceful.

    carolinejaco at gmail dot com

  16. I like the picture free fall……..I like the natural look of her pictures….Nothing is over done

    sibabe64 at ptd dot net

  19. I love the “daisy of love” photo, and what I like about her style is the faded nostalgia present in each one.

  21. I’d love to have a photo of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

  22. My favorites are “Distractions” and “Cloud Study Three”–they evoke feelings of nostalgia and longing for a previous time in my life. They are both wonderful.

    amanda(dot)bornhofer@gmail(dot)com

  24. I most like to have pictures that capture a moment in time, which only exsisted for such a small moment, it could not otherwise be seen or appreciated.

  25. I like the photo Distractions, because I like to stare into the sea. I like the style of photos which give a different view of a small or specific item.

    [email protected]

  27. One thing I would love to have a picture of are cowboy boots. Really old vintage cowboy boots. I have a pair of my grandfathers and I love photography – been trying to get a good shot, but Tina Crespo is amazing… I’d love a shot like that.

  30. i’m a follower through google friend connect

    [email protected]

    and i forgot to mention my fave image in my first comment: it’s a tie between devotion and call me softy 🙂

  31. i had this dollhouse when i was a kid – it was a victorian mansion – pink and green. i wish i had a picture of it. my memories of it are all faded and weathered like tina’s photos.

    [email protected]

  32. i’ve been a fan of tina’s for a while now! i love the softness of her images, how they make me think of wandering down back roads holding hands with a boy i love 🙂

    [email protected]

  35. I love 22. The way the colors play together and the nostalgic vibe gets me.

    annie(dot)milner(at)gmail(dot)com

  41. I follow Shrimp Salad Circus via Google Friend Connect!
    h4schaffer at gmail dot com

  42. I suppose I’d love a photo of the meaning of life! (A big ’42’??) LOL

    h4schaffer at gmail dot com

  43. I love ‘If You’d Let Me In’. It’s hard to put your finger on what is great about Tina’s photography. It has a dreamy feel about it, but it’s also very real. Her photos seem to be of objects we’ve all seen, and she gives them a feeling we’ve all felt. Her work, then, feels very familiar. But it’s actually very difficult to achieve the effect of familiarity and comfort, so it is even clearer how great her work is! I LOVE it!

    h4schaffer at gmail dot com

  47. One of my favorites would be the ‘Oh, Orange’ print. I really like the soft, muted tone of her prints and also the light & airy feel they have to them. jbarthold329 at gmail dot com

  48. I love “Red, Honey” and “Wishful Spoons”. Her photos are very calming to me.

    carla(at)greenandchic(dot)com

  53. I’d like a picture of an old fashioned tea set. Not sure why, but I love it.

    toksweah at gmail dot com

  54. My favourite print is definitely the ‘Flight’ photograph. Glad someone shares my obsession with birds in flight.

  57. I would love to have a good pic of me enjoying my kids b/c I’m always the one behind the camera!

  58. I love If you’d let me in 8×8 Signed Print! Her style is cool b/c it looks soft and vintage!

  59. What one thing would you most like to have a picture of?
    I would love to have a picture of kitties in her style.

  61. love “cotton candy trees” and “frailty”. love the colors and vintage look of her work.

  62. I’d like to have a picture of my puppy Lolli from when I was younger. We didn’t have a camera then.

    dreamzz12{at}aol{dot}com

  64. I love the Daisy of Love- 11×14 Original Photo and what I like about her style is the dreamlike quality!

    dreamzz12{at}aol{dot}com

  66. Oh, I would LOVE to have a picture of a dog and a little girl on the beach, Im not sure why its just something Ive always wanted.

    romii_parasorteos at hotmail dot com

  67. My favorite item from the shop is the I see you, clock print.
    What I love most about her style is that I find it relaxing with all the light colors.

    romii_parasorteos at hotmail dot com

  69. I like the Oh, Philly because I live in Philly and it truly is a a print that corresponds to my mental representation of Philly.

  71. I like “Creating Voids.” I especially like her photography because of the attention to lighting and shading that really creates a mood in the pictures.

  72. The one thing I would like a photo of, especially in the style of Tina’s work, is the massive oak tree in my yard
    cathyhorner at embarqmail dot com

  74. My favorite is “the only exception”. What I like about Tina’s photographer, beside the vintage feel, is her ability to crop her photos in such an interesting way
    cathyhorner at embarqmail dot com

  76. Christina – [email protected]. – I love both Freefall and The Site! What I like about her work is the airiness it conveys, along with a wonderful sense of space and time!

  77. I love Cotton Candy Trees Take 1. The colors of all the photos are beautiful.

    carethediva[at]hotmail[dot]com

  78. “The Blues” is wonderful–reminds me of a vintage postcard.

    Tina’s photos remind me of when I was a kid and would lay in the sun with my eyes shut, imagining scenery from the books I’d read lately.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    ejm6x (at) yahoo (dot) com

    –Liza

  79. Thanks for a wonderful giveaway!
    Visited the shop and one of the prints that caught my eye is “Aren’t You A Little Orange 8×8 Original Print”. What do I like about the photography? The fact that it’s filled with air and light – lovely 🙂

  81. I’d love to have a (current) picture of my husband and I. We have our wedding pictures from this summer, but it’d be fun to have more casual/fun ones!

    junkforcarmen at gmail dot com

  82. I love the nostalgic feel of her photos. My favorite is the Aren’t You A Little Orange print.

    junkforcarmen at gmail dot com

  83. What a wonderful shop… it was already in my etsy favorites! It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think I’m going to go with “frailty.” I LOVE the color, and it’s a cool combination of the natural and the human-created. I love that her photos look so timeless, like they could be yesterday or 50 years ago or 50 years from now. It’s like they’re outside the confines of time. Beautiful!

    saraamesmontague at gmail dot com

  84. I would most like to have a picture of my great-grandparents on their wedding day. I have a collection of family photos, all taken on their wedding days. But sadly, I do not have one of my great-grandparents. I can only imagine what it would have been like! Classy, elegant, and beautiful.

  85. I love “the struggle”. To me, this is a beautiful representation of freedom and friendship. Birds are completely free, and can go wherever they choose, but they are always together. I am amazed at Tina’s talent and her eye for photography.
    [email protected]

  86. I think the Call me Softy 12×8 Signed Print is so cute! What a cute little shop!ambrerose(!at)aol.com

  88. Whoops, and my email is jenrcui at yahoo dot com. I’ll answer the second question with this one. I’d like a picture of myself. Is that egotistical? I’m always the one taking pics so I’m never in them!

  89. I love the Lasting photo, the purple flower in the white teacup. So simple, so pretty. I love how she makes some of her pictures look so old — kind of crinkly and faded in spots. It feels like there’s a story…

  93. I like the Mariella 8×8 Fine Art Photograph and I like how her stuff is all rustic, old fashion

  95. I would love to have a picture of my grandma cuddling my mum as a baby.

    debyeo at hotmail dot com

  96. I like her vantage point- just a bit off from what is normally shot- enough to add a lot of interest to the subject

  97. Love how airy the photos are. My favorite is the Daisy of Love.

    melanieadey at hotmail dot com

  99. Impossible to pick a single favorite. All the florals are gorgeous. And the scenes all seem to capture a single special moment in time.

    judyweicker(at)gmail(dot)com

  100. I love Lucy, Cotton Candy Trees, Creating Voids, Mariella, and 22 Signed. Thanks for the giveaway.
    Cindyhinckley at msn

  101. I would love to see a picture of a field of sunflowers!

    bead.eclectic at gmail dot com

  103. I love the muted colors you use in your photos! my favorite is the Bosses 12×18 Signed Print

    bead.eclectic at gmail dot com

  105. ms(dot)verymarried(at)gmail(dot)com

    I’d like to see her take pictures of the roots of trees in my neighborhood. They are oddly shaped because they used to be confined by the sidewalk.

  106. ms(dot)verymarried(at)gmail(dot)com

    I love the Cotton Candy Trees. The colors are so soft but the tree looks like it’s scraping away at the softness.

    In general, I love her use of colors!

  107. I would most like to have a picture of Villa Grassina in Tuscany!
    Thank you for the giveaway 🙂
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

  108. I follow Shrimp Salad Circus!
    Thank you for the giveaway 🙂
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

  109. I love Tina’s use of Natural Light! My favorite print is the Dark Horse Series
    Thank you for the giveaway 🙂
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

  110. I’d love to have a picture of a first snowfall of winter. I’m not sure how this could be captured perfectly, but I’d love to freeze it in time.

  113. I love how the majority of Tina’s photos have an ethereal nature to them. And I believe my favorite is The Line 8×12 Original Fine Art print.

  114. i love EVERYTHING about tina’s photos!
    my favorites are “passing by” and “oh orange”

  115. Fun interview! I love how Tina captures the beauty of simple things with her talent. Her work is just gorgeous. My favorite is Cotton Candy Trees.
    [email protected]

  118. I guess I included two answers together- they are all beautiful, but today I’m in love with both wishful spoons and milk and metal… tomorrow- who knows?

  120. I love the colors of her photos! They seem almost like a dream. Apparently, I’m also a bit drawn to the photos with spoons- milk and metal and wishful spoons are both lovely! They are all lovely- how would one decide?
    [email protected]

  122. I’m completely in the summer mood and would love to see more beach pictures, used white painted wood, starfish, compass, bottles… Imagine decorating the walls of a beach cottage with them.

  123. I love this photography style, it’s so vintage and it looks used, and the colors come out so amazingly! I can’t describe it, just the texture of the pictures make them so special! I love http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21577769, it has wonderful colors, but I also like the turquiose bird picture of the give away. Well, I like ALL of the photos!

  125. My favorite is the One for the Birds 12×12 Original Print. Her photos are so serene, I love it! ( :

    A_C_E_ at hotmail dot com

  126. I have a thing for photos of everyone’s favourite chocolate. Most of those photos come out really well, especially if it’s white chocolate with stuff in it.

    [gali.medATgmailDOTcom]

  127. I don’t see why people don’t like the hat in the photo, I bet it’s nice and warm and isn’t that what hats are all about?

    In any case, I really love the Collecting print.

    [gali.medATgmailDOTcom]

  128. I would love love love to have a photo of cookies. Seriously.

    lauren.m.gibson AT gmail DOT com

  129. My favorite is the Daisy of Love print. I don’t know any fancy photography terminology, but I love the texture and washed-out colors. It’s very much my style preference for decorating.

    lauren.m.gibson AT gmail DOT com

  130. I love “Distractions” – there is something so peaceful about the waves!

    ang
    ang_vaughan at yahoo dot com

  131. I love camera daze…

    and as for her photos, the dreamy quality of them stands out the most. What kind of filters is she using, i wonder?

  132. I am now also a follower of your blog! can’t wait to get the email saying I’ve won!

    my email is missbanana(at)dwx(dot)com

  133. I think I would really like to have a photo of something mysterious and dark. Maybe some book left open, eyeglasses sprawled, and spots of “something” on the pages. I know that sounds morbid, but I just think it would be neat to see how Tina would deal with something a little more dark.

  134. wow! way too many favorites! some of the ones a find really enchanting are If You’d Let Me In, I See You Clock, and Leaving Town. I love her ability to make photographs have that nostalgic feel to them, like you were there too. they are all so captivating and beautiful.

  135. aaaand i’m a follower! thanks again for the great interview and the great give away!

  136. you know what i’d love to see a pic of from tina? a bunch of wooden spools of silk thread…i bet she could do amazing things with the color!

  137. oh, god, i can only pick one favorite? i’ve dealt with tina before on etsy when she ordered a custom bag(and quickly became a fan) and i have become a HARDCORE fan of hers immediately after viewing her photos. AND she gave us a photo as an appreciation gift-so if you didn’t know she was awesome before, you do now!

    as for my current favorite, this one took my breath away:
    “flight”
    http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34155640

    so wonderful, and what a great interview!

  140. I’d cherish a picture of a fluffy little kitten… in Tina’s style of course.

  142. Losing interest shot is beautiful… I love that her photos show the simplicities of the world that might go unnoticed.

  143. I really really like the flowers, baby. Loving how rustic her style is. So pretty. And it looks at how simple life really is.

    reviewsbyabby at gmail dot com

  144. My favorite print is Look Out. I love that her photos have a vintage quality without looking stuffy or old-fashioned.

  147. i’d love to have the Contagious Winds photograph… a lovely depiction of the simplicity and beauty of nature, and hopefully not something that our children will be like “what is that weird green stuff” about due to global warming… *sigh*
    http://phanne.etsy.com
    phranne[at]yahoo.com

  156. When it comes to pictures, nothing is better than being surronded with familar faces. I love pictures of my family.

    But if I were to purchase a picture, it would have to be of something calming and earthy. My preferences change everyday, so I don’t know if I could name just one thing.

  158. what would i like a picture of? well, i love pet photography a lot…can’t get enough of that!

  160. i love “the stuggle” or “the flowers, baby”. very pretty. something about her work makes me feel very nostalgic 🙂

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