Cambridge Creatives was set up last year as a creative network, platform and publication for artists of all kinds. It is here to display your work, be it art, photography, poetry, music or anything else creative, and to connect you with like-minded people. While various arts events take place all the time in Cambridge, Eliska Haskovcova and Jack Collier noticed a gap in the market in that there was no single place where these artists – and their artwork – could interact. The online magazine is a digital exhibition space where art, photography, poetry, music and other media can sit together, and is easily accessible to all. The founders say that Cambridge Creatives is designed to be a stepping stone into the arts industry and allow like-minded people to come together. We caught up with Eliska to talk about the project and life after Cambridge. 

Now that the champagne and glitter have nearly washed out of your hair, how does having finished finals feel?

Incredible! Walking out of my final exam is definitely up there with the best moments ever. Being in Cambridge with friends, great weather and no work to do is a nice fat cherry on top of the uni-life cake. I’m also excited to have more time to shoot!

What – or who – would you say have been your greatest influences, in terms of photography and life?

My influences change all the time (fickle, I know). I’ve always admired Annie Leibovitz’s soft, feminine style; I love Nirrimi Hakanson’s natural light photography and colours, and Rosie Hardy’s post-editing skills. Running Cambridge Creatives has also been hugely inspiring, it’s great to see other people’s work and have the opportunity to meet all those talented people.

Generally, I think the people in my life are my greatest influence, and also form the subject of my photos.

You’ve taken some amazing photographs of speakers at the Cambridge Union Society – is that aspect of portrait photography something you hope to pursue? 

Thank you – portrait photography is my greatest passion, and if I get the chance to continue it, then I definitely will. Shooting for the Union was a fantastic opportunity to shoot some influential people, as well as a learning curve in terms of experimenting with different studio set-ups. That said, I prefer doing more conceptual work and in an ideal world, I would get to combine the two! Messing around with things in Photoshop to create some form of crazy image is as much fun as shooting the photo itself – and portrait and fashion photography lend themselves best to that.

What do you think about travel, in terms of your year abroad, or plans to go to Vietnam this summer, as an opportunity for experimenting with photography?

I absolutely love travelling – it’s a great source of inspiration and opportunity for personal growth, in photography and pretty much everything else. It feeds you with new ideas and emotions, which is great for anyone creative. Shooting in new environments and with new subjects is always a challenge in its own way, so there’s always something to be learnt. I take my camera with me pretty much everywhere and sometimes post the results on my blog, but those photos don’t usually make it into my portfolio because that’s not the type of work I tend to offer my clients. 

Where do you hope to find yourself this time next year?

Hopefully I’ll have a busy year of photography behind me whilst being on track for becoming a qualified lawyer. I will be at law school next year, which will give me a lot more time to focus on photography, so I plan to get a few personal projects going!

Best place for photography in Cambridge? Why?

Despite everyone’s hatred for the John’s Cripps building, it’s actually pretty great for a neutral, modern background – I’ve done arguably too many shoots there. And of course, at this time of year, pretty much any college gardens are great to shoot in – who doesn’t like the odd tree and flower in their photos?

Check out EliskaHPhotography for more of Eliska's gorgeous work! 

As for getting becoming part of Cambridge Creatives yourself, you can get involved in any way that you like; whether you prefer to send in ad hoc submissions, or you’d like to be a permanent member of the team. We are currently looking for new people to join, so if the prospect of a new online publication excites you in any way, we’d love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and email your submissions and queries to editors@camcreatives.co.uk .