Kristal Armendariz New Mexico, U.S.A. Self-taught photographer, mom & Photojojo Ambassador!

Kristal says her photos capture "extraordinary moments in an ordinary life," but we think her life is anything but ordinary. We discussed her approach to photography and her thoughts on Photojojo's Color Lens and Flash Filters.

We asked What is it about photography that speaks to you?

Kristal It is about sharing your own personal version of the truth in a way that speaks to other people. I love that a dozen people can photograph the same thing and come up with twelve very different photos. My goal is to share a part of myself through my work and allow other people to see the world through my eyes, if only for a moment.

My most memorable moments are the photos I didn't take, the opportunities missed.

We asked We're often asked about our favourite photo. What about a memorable photo moment? The one that got away, the one that didn't come out quite the way you expected.

Kristal My most memorable moments are the photos I didn't take, the opportunities missed. Once I was driving and turned off the freeway to go under the overpass. Everything was grey: rocks, cement, pavement. There was a crew of inmates from the prison cleaning the side of the road, all dressed in orange. The color looked alarmingly bright and out of place. One of them was burning weeds with a flamethrower. He was much closer to me than the others and as I drove by he raised the flame in the air and looked in my direction. The other prisoners were scattered in the background and for a moment everything was perfectly aligned. I've kept that snapshot in my mind ever since.

We asked If you had one piece of advice for someone just picking up a camera, what would that be?

Kristal Don't try too hard. Have fun and the rest will come in time.

Lighter colors work better over the lens while the darker colors are great over the flash and create a more dramatic result.

We asked Your photo of Echo entitled "no fear" is one of our all-time favourite photographs. You've had a lot of experience photographing children. What photography advice would you give to parents?

Kristal Don't say cheese! That is, don't expect kids to pose and smile. One of two things will happen. Either they will follow your directions and you will end up with an unnatural feeling photo or they won't listen to you at all and you will end up frustrated. The goal is to capture a moment that reveals their personality so you want them to be comfortable. Show them the camera. Let them take a picture or two and then move on. Take the focus off the camera and pay attention to what interests the child. Play with them. Get down on the ground or up in the tree or under the table. Be patient. Take a few pictures without looking through the viewfinder, just to get them used to the sound of the shutter. Once they figure out that you and your camera are boring, they will get on with the fun stuff and that's when the magic happens.

We asked New Mexico is home to some incredibly beautiful landscapes. We've added White Sands to our life list of places to visit from seeing your photos. When we visit New Mexico, where should we go?

Kristal White Sands is amazing and definitely at the top of the list. Another gorgeous destination, although much more remote, is the Bisti Wilderness in Northern New Mexico. Don't venture there unprepared though. There is no water, no stores, no cell phone service for miles but the landscape is like something out of a science fiction movie. Also in that area is Shiprock and the Four Corner's Monument. Popular tourist destinations include Santa Fe, Carlsbad Caverns and Roswell (kitschy but fun). Personally, I prefer the great outdoors and New Mexico is beautiful no matter where you go. Check out the New Mexico Park Guide for a list of monuments, trails and wilderness areas. Kristal is wonderfully crafty and we sent her a set of our Color Lens and Flash Filters to play with. Rubber bands are something every photographer should squirrel away with their gear. Check out Kristal's video for more info on how she uses them in her photography.

We asked We love your rubber band technique to use more than one filter when shooting with a multi-lens camera. Any other tricks or tips you came up with?

Kristal In general, the lighter colors work better over the lens while the darker colors are great over the flash and create a more dramatic result. When using the filters over the lens, switch to manual focus because the autofocus (at least mine) gets a little confused. I've started experimenting with long exposures, using different filters to add more than one color to pictures. You can also hold two filters side by side over the flash to light up your subject with multiple colors. As with anything else, the key is to experiment until you find something that works for you because there are endless possibilities ranging from subtle to extreme.

We asked Some of the colours are quite wild, while others seem to enhance an image in a seemingly "normal" way. Do you have a favourite colour?

Kristal Not really. The color I choose for a photograph depends on the color of the subject and the feeling I want to create. Choosing a light filter in a similar color will produce a subtle result. For example, when photographing a green tree against the blue sky choose a yellow filter and the result will be very soft. Using a red filter over the flash at night creates a very dramatic (almost two tone) photo. It is the process and experimentation that I love, so the more colors the merrier!