The interviews and photographs, captured at a drop-in center and safe haven in Manhattan, tell deeply personal stories of pain, addiction and loss but also of hope and ingenuity. Creatives Chris and Simon discuss the project as a reclamation of what it means for something to be “essential.” They also talk about the importance of setting aside creativity for the sake of creativity in favor of an authenticity that serves the stories of their subjects.
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Work With Frank Ockenfels 3
Work With is a new video series that introduces you to the creatives behind the work. Here, we visit legendary photographer Frank Ockenfels 3, who has spent nearly three decades shooting musicians, celebrities, and everyday people.
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Asking Not Asking #6: Shooting for More
“The old adage ‘Just keep shooting’ is overplayed. Of course I’m going to keep shooting. But how does a guy who doesn't have the budget for a $2k printed book and a $4k trip to NYC to maybe get a meeting with a few agencies move on to bigger clients?”
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Tim & Ron
Let Love Reign is a Testament to the Real-Life Obstacles of Unbridled Love
Catalina Kulczar and Luke Williams discuss why Let Love Reign is important to each of them, the pressures to deliver a final product that honors the stories told within, and what they learned about each other through this collaborative process. The passion and urgency that both of them have brought to every creative decision is truly inspiring and embodies what it means to use your creativity for good.
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"Watching the World Cup" Captures the Full Spectrum of Human Emotion
London-based Photographer Jane Stockdale has created a work that documents heaven, hell, and purgatory, all reflected on the human face. It's not life or death. It's both. Watching the World Cup is a 64-page photo essay documenting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
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Photographer Jesse Rieser Celebrates Your Celebrations, the Best Christmas Tradition of All
"Going out and meeting strangers, photographing their process, and my whole process of doing it has kind of become my own tradition. It's like Christmas inception."
Read MoreThis Photographer's Creative Vision Tackles Avoidable Blindness
In the course of learning more about blindness worldwide, the statistic that really rocked me was that 80% of the 35 million plus people who are blind could have their sight restored or vastly improved through relatively inexpensive procedures."
Read MoreMaria Louceiro Embraces Discomfort to Develop Her Creative Eye
WNW Member Maria Louceiro is finding ways to be creatively comfortable with the uncomfortable. For one thing, it's how she created her best work as a photographer. "I was working full-time as a designer, so I took the days off, but didn’t prepare beforehand and was totally lost in Gothenburg.
Read MoreKelsey Bryden Uses Design to Address What Matters Most to Her
Kelsey Bryden Uses Design to
Address What Matters Most to Her
MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR
There's often a social edge to Brooklyn-based WNW Member Kelsey Bryden's work. She sees her freelance career in Art Direction and Design as a unique opportunity to open up a conversation about what matters to her the most. Design becomes more than just a vehicle to express herself, but also a means to bring people together. It's rewarding to see the ways that Kelsey pushes herself to explore new methods in her mission, whether it's set design or photo-illustration or jewelry made of tampons. "They portray tampons as luxurious items, in the same way the government imposes a luxury tax on feminine hygiene products. I’m proud of this project for calling out the absurdity of taxing female health, as though it were not a priority or basic human right."
If you're unsure of how to start getting political with your work, Kelsey advises, "Think about the personal experiences you’ve had that made you feel a certain way, and let those be the foundation."
Tell us about your creative background. Who is Kelsey Bryden and how did she get here?
My dad was an art director and a painter. He had a terminal illness that progressed as I got older, so I strove to find ways I could emulate him. I took classes at great art universities in the summers when I was in high school, although I still didn’t feel very artistically inclined.
When I started as a full-time college student I was studying business at an art school. The truth that I held onto as early as I could remember was that I wanted to have my own business, be my own boss— hence the choice in major. But thankfully, being in the art school environment led me to design and I started taking design-related internships rather than business-related ones. When I think about it now, freelance design and direction DOES obviously allow me to own a business and be my own boss. It feels like the best of both worlds.
How would you describe your creative style? Do you recognize a signature style that links all of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?
The common thread I’m always striving to insert is obscurity; the something that makes people look twice. It’s also always colorful, oftentimes conceptual.
What do you see as the turning point in your creative career and development?
I worked for a little while at an interactive design agency, but found it to be pretty creatively stifling. I wanted to use my very conceptually-geared mind, which I couldn’t do there. Things changed when I started committing to this way of thinking and making, and when I left that job. Around that time I started introducing photography into my work, which was also game-changing. For years prior I would come up with ideas which I naturally saw as photographs, but it took me a while to realize that I could leverage the way my brain naturally saw things. And that I could be an AD / designer who heavily uses photography!
Which of your projects are you proudest of and why?
For a few reasons, probably the photo-illustrations of the tampon jewelry. It was an idea that I judged in the beginning, and doubted whether it could be executed the way I envisioned. The fact that in lieu of all the self-doubt, I made the images anyway AND they came out beautifully makes me very proud.
On top of that, there’s a lot of meaning behind them. I have a personal connection to the objects (don’t we all?), but more importantly they portray tampons as luxurious items, in the same way the government imposes a luxury tax on feminine hygiene products. I’m proud of this project for calling out the absurdity of taxing female health, as though it were not a priority or basic human right.
Is there often a political or social edge to your work, or do you feel a certain immediacy these days?
Yes! Not always, but I try to incorporate these things for sure. Politically, I advocate for women as you can tell in the project mentioned above. I also wanted to work on a project that responded to the awful, awful event that was the U.S. election, so I designed a set that incorporated famous activist statements. I also asked underrepresented people to appear on the set and say whatever they wanted into a megaphone.
Socially, I love bringing people together, and if I can achieve that in my work I’m happy. People don’t often think social interaction naturally intersects with design, but I think it definitely can. I worked on an experiential storytelling project over the course of a year, and it was a very cool way to meet people and to facilitate other people meeting.
What do you see as the role of an artist in addressing political and social issues through their work? Any advice you can share with creatives looking to do their part?
I think if you’re moved to address these things, that’s great. but it’s not your duty. It’s hard to form your own political opinion, or to distinguish what’s your own versus what you’re hearing, because there are so many other people’s opinions that are being broadcasted all around us. I’d say think about the personal experiences you’ve had that made you feel a certain way, and let those be the foundation.
What’s next for you? What are you working on now?
I'm pushing myself to work more in set design — the idea of creating physical worlds for people to exist in is super interesting to me. I'm also thinking about starting/making a magazine, because I think independent mags are beautiful and cool.
Who are some of your biggest creative influences?
John Waters, Iris Apfel, Rupaul
One book, one album, one movie, one show?
Men Explain Things To Me, Blond, The Handmaiden, Thrones
What do you do when Not Working?
Sometimes I roller skate! Check out the Pier 2 Roller Rink in DUMBO.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard or received that our members need to hear?
Send more cold emails!
Who are some other WNW Members whose work you admire and why?
I love Brooke Bamford. I also think Mattiel Brown is very talented. And of course, queen of all things set design, Adi Goodrich.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Slide into my DMs anytime girl.
Discover more creative talent and projects like this on Working Not Working. If you're a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share, email us.
Photo by WNW Member Ebru Yildiz
A Devotion To The Road With Photographer Jessica Lehrman
A Devotion To The Road With Photographer Jessica Lehrman
For some, #vanlife is merely an aesthetic, a lifestyle veneer they aspire to. But for WNW Member Jessica Lehrman, it's all she knows. Growing up mostly in an RV, Jessica traveled the country as a kid: living in Seattle, Tucson, Colorado, Los Angeles, Purchase, and currently Brooklyn (clocking in at over 6 years). Through her upbringing, a natural inquisitiveness for people emerged. Jessica has since been able to translate this into a passion: today she is a world-renowned and highly sought after photographer and photojournalist. She documents everything from the underground rap community in New York to political organizing and protests.
In our interview below, Jessica talks about the dynamics of family road trips, the second family she's found in Brooklyn's underground hip hop scene, and where her craft may take her next. "I think it's in my blood to be continually moving and floating around. I kind of just go where the wind takes me and end up in some pretty starkly different realities and lives. I'm attracted to the most intense aspects of devotion: to one's craft, to one's family, to music, to politics, to love or god. I will follow people across the world for any of those things."
Tell us a little bit about your creative background. Who is Jessica Lehrman, and how did she get here?
I grew up with an incredibly supportive family that nurtured the idea that your artistic endeavor should exist at the center of your life. My childhood was spent bouncing around between different states, cities, schools, RV's, and situations based on that guiding principle. Whether I was living unschooled in the mountains of Colorado, or trying to figure it out as a teenager in Venice Beach working for a newspaper, my parents had instilled in my sister and I a sense that life was the biggest art project. And further, that we should set our lives up as creatively and as in support of others as possible.
I wanted to be a lot of things growing up but all of those things involved art and social documentation in some way or another - most I was pretty bad at (although my parents would tell me otherwise.) It wasn't until I discovered photography that I truly felt I had found my instrument with which to tell stories.
I’m not quite sure where “here” is yet, as I feel every day I am changing my mind on where “there” is that I'm trying to get to. But I would say I got to where I'm at by lots of chance meetings with magical people along my path, who have been interested in the stories I want to document and have helped them to be seen. That might involve dropping out of college, going to India, huddling under small umbrellas with strangers at Occupy Wall Street, or getting sent on rap tours or anti-fracking buses.
Do you have a signature style or process that links all of your projects, or are you more interested in approaching each shoot or experience with spontaneity?
I think I have a pretty distinctive style that fortunately or unfortunately I can't seem to change. My work is extremely personal and no matter what I'm photographing I tend to approach it in the same ways. First, by getting completely entrenched in the world I'm documenting and believing in it and rooting for it and loving it as much as I can, probably for the rest of my life. And secondly, if I can't find common ground or understanding or if I am shooting something that is based out of a culture of hate or discrimination, such as a Trump Rally, I try to go into the experience with as much of an open mind as I can and shoot from somewhat of a blank slate.
How did you first get involved in documenting the New York rap scene? And how has this ongoing interest developed?
I’ve pretty much always shot music. In college, I went to the very music-focused SUNY Purchase and would shoot every act that came there. A lot of my friends were in bands and I would shoot their promos and go on mini-tours and go to the city with them when they had shows.
When I left school and moved to Brooklyn, I continued to shoot bands and protests, my two main focuses, both equally electrifying movements. In 2011 I was spending most of my days at Zuccotti Park during Occupy Wall Street, and was very broke and had lost weight from not having money for food AND a metro card. I then got a call to go on a 14-day tour across the South with Jermaine Dupri (whom I didn't know anything about at the time, to be honest) for what at that time was “a small fortune.” I said yes and left the following week and fell in love with touring, and with hip hop. When I came home I fell back into days at Occupy and nights shooting rap shows. Brooklyn is small and so is the music scene, and underground hip-hop in Brooklyn is even smaller. I met the group World's Fair at Fools Gold Day Off and they became my family and some of my best friends for life. They introduced me to Bodega Bamz and The Underachievers; fast forward and the stories of the artists in that group of friends became ones I felt I wanted to help share with the world. Those guys are all family.
“I’m attracted to the most intense aspects of devotion: to one’s craft, to one’s family, to music, to politics, to love or god. I will follow people across the world for any of those things.”
It seems like movement has been a central theme in your life, from childhood to shooting the Beast Coastal tour and the 2016 election. Can you talk about that and how it informs your creative process?
I think it's in my blood to be continually moving and floating around. I kind of just go where the wind takes me and end up in some pretty starkly different realities and lives. I'm attracted to the most intense aspects of devotion: to one's craft, to one's family, to music, to politics, to love or god. I will follow people across the world for any of those things, and all of the stories I've spent some time on share that in common.
Have you considered testing the waters of videography?
Yes, I have done a bit of directing but haven't really found my voice in that medium yet. I would actually like to do more and maybe just need an excuse to do so.
In what unexpected places do you find creative inspiration?
Dance. I love watching people dance. It might go with my obsession with movement and intense emotions but I feel like dance performances encompass so much passion that I want to capture in my work. I’m also very intrigued by and have started to experiment with quilting and textile arts, but I don't want to say too much before I put out some work in that medium.
“Honestly, it makes me want to cry with happiness. I want nothing more in life than to see my friends succeed and get the platform they deserve.”
You’ve seen artists and friends you started with early on go on to flourish with their craft. Joey Badass and Flatbush Zombies, who are now Billboard-charting international stars, come to mind. What has it been like witnessing that growth process firsthand?
Honestly, it makes me want to cry with happiness. I want nothing more in life than to see my friends succeed and get the platform they deserve. I love all those guys dearly and am more than excited for everything they are getting!
Through your work, you’ve traveled extensively. What is it like working from the road? What’s the one or two pieces of equipment you can’t travel without?
I LOVE working from the road. I love touring because it's traveling with your best friends and having slumber parties and getting to experience newness but also familiarity. As for equipment, I seriously never change what I have if I'm on the road or here, and it's very little: I have a 5D and a 24-70L and a flash. I'm little and I don't like to carry more than I need and have found that to be all I need for anything. There are little non-photography things I have been very happy to have on the road, such as a headlamp for in the bunk on a tour bus when you are looking for your socks, a fanny pack for batteries when you don't want to carry your whole backpack, Wellness Formula so you don't get sick, and face wipes because the number of times you are showering is very little.
“Sometimes I feel like being a photographer is just a cheat code for getting to go experience whatever part of life you can imagine, and having an excuse to do so.”
You experienced a pretty unique gypsy summer with your parents and sister a few years back. What advice and lessons learned can you offer to making the most of family road trips?
I think compassion is key with family road trips. It's something that I am forever working on and that my sister and I run into issues with when we are crammed together in a small sedan for days on end. I think learning to be patient and understanding and see things from another's perspective is so important with family in general. Road trips just emphasize whatever issues you have with whomever you are traveling. For me that's my biggest problem I want to work on and my sister helps me with that. Families are great for teaching you lessons about yourself as they know just how to push your buttons. But if you can address those reactions in your family, I feel like they become an issue you don't have to deal with in other relationships.
Do you see yourself settling down in New York or do particular places you visited often call to you?
I would like to live in nature and have a stream nearby and a treehouse and room to make art and travel for work. Not sure NYC is the place for that but I haven't really found it yet so until then I'm here.
What part of being a photographer keeps you most fulfilled?
Sometimes I feel like being a photographer is just a cheat code for getting to go experience whatever part of life you can imagine and having an excuse to do so. I don't know that the act of taking photos is very fulfilling to me, but getting to know new people constantly and hear new stories and fall in love over and over again with humanity is more what keeps me fulfilled.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
PROFILES OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 9TH
PROFILES OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 9TH
Frank Ockenfels, Photographer. Los Angeles.
Maggi Machado, Copywriter. London.
Rizon Parein, Designer. Antwerp.
Giulia Zoavo, Illustrator. Milan.
Vittorio Perotti, Art Director. New York.
Duke Aber, Designer. Weston.
Audrey Desler, Portland. Designer.
Rua Perston, Art Director. New York.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
PROFILES OF THE WEEK: NOVEMBER 14TH
PROFILES OF THE WEEK:
NOVEMBER 14TH
Kylie McAdam, Art Director. New York.
Jonah Oskow, Editor. Brooklyn.
Charlie Fingal, Art Director. Boulder.
Sarah St. Clair Renard, Photographer. Los Angeles.
Noelle Nimrichter, Producer. New York.
Zack Anderson, Illustrator. Chicago.
Marco Cignini, Art Director. New York.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
PROFILES OF THE WEEK: OCTOBER 17TH
PROFILES OF THE WEEK:
OCTOBER 17TH
Kat Kaye, Photographer. Los Angeles.
Björn Jonas, Photographer. New York.
Deanna Halsall, Illustrator. Manchester.
Haik Avanian, Designer. Brooklyn.
Katherine Fernandez, Copywriter. San Francisco.
Matthias Hoegg, Animator. London.
James Wignall, Director. London.
James Cameron Ewing, Art Director. San Francisco.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
PROFILES OF THE WEEK: AUGUST 29TH
PROFILES OF THE WEEK:
AUGUST 29TH
Aria Mcmanus, Art Director. New York.
Steve Olimpio, Designer. Los Angeles.
Becky Simpson, Illustrator. Austin.
David Filiberti, Photographer. Brooklyn.
Simon Horton, Copywriter. New York.
Eddie Ringer, Editor. New York.
Kent Koren, Copywriter. Brooklyn.
Juliet Diamond, Producer. Los Angeles.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
PROFILES OF THE WEEK: AUGUST 8TH
PROFILES OF THE WEEK: AUGUST 8TH
Diego Salinas, Designer. New York.
Andrew Seger, Editor. Brooklyn.
Savannah Rusher, Designer. Brooklyn.
Lindsay Johnson, UX/IA Designer. Brooklyn.
Andrey Smirny, Illustrator. Brooklyn.
Philip Owens, Editor. Los Angeles.
Julia Robbs, Photographer. New York.
Andrea D'Aquino, Art Director. New York.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
ART YOU CAN STEP ON
ART YOU CAN STEP ON
Graphis is a highly regarded international publisher of books on communication, committed to presenting and promoting the work of exceptional talent in Graphic Design, Photography, Advertising and Art/Illustration. One such talent is WNW Member #896 Warren Eakins. They clearly have good taste.
Graphis Photography selected seven photographs from Warren's "Art Underfoot" series, which he describes as “a series of photographs of the banal and unnoticed."
Warren adds, "The subjects in these photographs go unnoticed and are walked on day after day. But I often recognize a photographic possibility in these insignificant and often utilitarian things of no interest. I am drawn to the various textures, tones, shapes and colors, when composed in the camera they become surprisingly beautiful images – elevating the insignificant to a place of interest."
This isn't the first time Graphis has recognized Warren's work. He has been awarded gold and silver medals in past Graphis Photography competitions. He also recently made the Louvre in Paris. A photograph of Warren's was selected by Exposure Award International Photography for their exhibition, ‘The Body Collection’, at the Louvre last July.
Check out some "Art Underfoot" below.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
THE BALANCING ACT OF A TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHER
THE BALANCING ACT OF A TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHER
"I think you learn the most when things go wrong. Being able to react quickly to adversity makes a good photographer a great photographer." WNW Member #5591 Laura Austin recently walked us through her approach to photography, and the rewards and challenges of life as a traveling photographer. It's clearly a balancing act: "I thrive off traveling and am so thankful that my job allows me to do it, but it also involves a lot of jet lag, hauling gear around, and late nights editing photos in hotel rooms."
Laura also tell us why she redesigned her web portfolio to better cater to her personality and creative style, and why maybe you should too: "It was well worth the investment to create something unique and tailored to me and my work... A creative’s portfolio should let the work speak for itself. The last thing you want is a clunky/overly designed website that distracts the viewer from your work. Keep it simple."
Tell us about your creative background. Who is Laura Austin and how did she get here?
Oh man… that’s a long story, but I will try to give you the abbreviated version. I started as a graphic designer, moving to California when I was 18 to work as a designer at Quiksilver. After 2 years I was tired of sitting behind a desk and took a job at Snowboarder Magazine as their online editor. While there I was able to design, shoot photos, and write… satiating all areas of my creative interests. But I found snowboarding as a subject to be constraining so I quit. I then moved to Los Angeles to try to make it as a full-time freelance photographer since that seemed to be what I was most passionate about. Now, 4 years later, it has seemed to work out pretty well.
How often do you travel for work?
It’s funny, I thought I had to move to Los Angeles to be a photographer, but a majority of my shoots I need to fly to. I’m on a plane at least once a month… but I think at my busiest I spent 8 weeks in a row at airports.
Walk us through what it’s like to be a traveling photographer. What’s the most rewarding part? The most challenging part?
That’s a loaded question you’ve got there. Being a traveling photographer is probably a lot less glamorous than you think it would be. I thrive off traveling and am so thankful that my job allows me to do it, but it also involves a lot of jet lag, hauling gear around, and late nights editing photos in hotel rooms. But at the same time, the opportunity for travel was what originally attracted me to photography. So the most rewarding part is getting paid to experience new places.
The best work trip you’ve been on? Worst work trip?
The best work trip… probably traveling to Scotland to shoot Tiger Woods for Nike. I’m going to avoid the worst work trip question to avoid offending clients, but there have definitely been some unorganized nightmares.
What kind of research do you do ahead of your trip?
To be honest I feel like the less research, the better… for me at least. Sure I’ll do a quick image search to start developing loose ideas beforehand, but I like to let the locations inspire me when I get there. I feel like if you were to plan all your shots in advance, you’d miss out on opportunities that you never knew existed. But I work really well on the fly, so this ideology probably doesn’t work for everyone.
Do you usually pack light or bring suitcases filled with lenses and equipment? What’s the one camera you can’t live without and why?
I normally pack light to make the airport experience easier and lower the risk of damaging equipment in transit. My camera and all of my lenses fit into a backpack I bring as a carry on so that I am never separated from my gear. If I am on a shoot that requires more equipment I will set up a rental to pick up at whatever destination I am traveling to. Camera I can’t live without… Canon 5D MarkIII… I use it on all my shoots.
Argentina
What drew you to this subject?
This was a trip I took to Francis Mallman’s (a famous Argentine chef) island in Patagonia. I was so inspired how he lived life his life so I reached out to him to see if I could come to shoot him and his team. There is so much to be told about this experience… you can go to my site and read about the whole experience.
What inspirations helped inform this series of photographs?
All the photos from this trip were shot in a documentary style, so I drew from my surroundings including the people and landscapes.
Hardest part?
This photo in particular is a shot of one Francis’s staff on a two-hour boat ride on a tiny boat to his island in the middle of nowhere. The challenge here was battling the elements. It was freezing and water was splashing everywhere… so I had to try to keep my fingers warm and my camera dry by hiding everything under the poncho I was wearing.
White Sands
What drew you to this subject?
Every year I try to set out on a solo road trip over New Years to start my year off fresh doing exactly what I want to do.
What inspirations helped inform this series of photographs?
For this series I wanted to go off and create photos that were purely based around personal creating since most of my work is commercial. It was a chance to document myself in my element at my happiest.
Hardest part?
For all the photos of myself on these trips I had to set up my camera on a tripod and create the composition I wanted, then I would run into frame and snap the shutter using a remote in my hand. It was a guessing game, but I was able to capture some amazing moments of just me in the wild. You can see more from these trips here and here.
Rapha
What drew you to this subject?
This was from a shoot I did for my favorite bike apparel company Rapha of their female ambassadors riding in the hill country of Texas. I hop on any opportunity to showcase women in an environment/situation where they aren’t normally showcased.
What inspirations helped inform this series of photographs?
My goal with these photos was to showcase the beautiful landscapes they were riding through, but also showcase the high level of riding they were doing.
Hardest part?
I couldn’t make the ladies stop and ride back through to stage a perfect shot. I had to try to make the best photos I could on the fly. So I had to drive ahead of the pack a ways, stop when I found a good photo opportunity, set up my camera for the shot, and wait for them to ride through… hoping that I would get the photo I wanted on the first try. For this particular photo I had to lay in a bed of flowers on the side of the road and was stung by multiple bees while waiting for them to ride through my frame. More from this series here.
Tiger Woods
What drew you to this subject?
This was during a shoot I did for Nike with Tiger Woods in Scotland during The Open. I was giddy just to shoot one of the premier athletes of their sport.
What inspirations helped inform this series of photographs?
It is few and far between that you get opportunities to shoot such high profile people. So for this shoot I wanted to show Tiger in a way he had never been seen before. I wanted to make him feel human and relatable. This photo may not be the best representation of that, but if you look at this series you can see more of that.
Hardest part?
Once people walking around realize we were shooting Tiger they started to gather around since it was a public course. We had security holding back a crowd of over a hundred people while I was shooting him on course. The hardest part was avoiding getting people in the shot to make the photos seem intimate.
What are you working on now?
I just launched a new portfolio site which includes a blog so I’ve been trying to create interesting content in my downtime between shoots. It’s been really nice to have an outlet like that to do whatever I want and keep the creative juices flowing when I’m not working.
How’d you go about redesigning your web portfolio? When did you realize it was time for a major update?
My site began to feel stale and I decided I didn’t want to create a site through some template with a potential of having the same design as many other creatives. So I planned out exactly how I wanted my site to look and operate and enlisted the web design team East Of Western to build it from scratch. It was well worth the investment to create something unique and tailored to me and my work.
What tips can you offer to creatives who are thinking of retooling the way they present their work and personal brand online?
A creative’s portfolio should let the work speak for itself. The last thing you want is a clunky/overly designed website that distracts the viewer from your work. Keep it simple. There are a lot of great sites that provide templates to build off of like Format or Squarespace. But if you are design savvy and want something unique I highly suggest finding a local web designer to build something for you.
What are some top tips you can offer creatives, based on your experiences as a traveling photographer?
Travel aside, create work that is coming from inside you… don’t try to replicate someone else’s work. You’ll never stand out unless your work is authentic to yourself.
Tell us a story/experience where you learned something, either about yourself or your craft.
Oh man… I’m constantly learning. I think you learn the most when things go wrong. Being able to react quickly to adversity makes a good photographer a great photographer. With that being said I probably learn more about my craft on every shoot I do.
Who are some photographers who have most inspired you and influenced your style?
Hmmmm… as I mentioned before, I try not to pull from other’s work too much. But some of my favorites are William Eggleston, Ryan Mcginley, Noah Kalina, and Nadav Kander.
What would be your dream project?
Anything for National Geographic.
Who are some WNW members you most admire, and why?
Helena Price for her success in personal projects.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
A RETURN TO PHOTOGRAPHY & A CALLING IN SILICON VALLEY
A RETURN TO PHOTOGRAPHY &
A CALLING IN SILICON VALLEY
We talked to WNW Member #4973 Helena Price about returning to her passion for photography, finding her niche in Silicon Valley, and what it's like to have over 19k Instagram followers. Helena also shared some of the challenges that came with launching her career. "When you’re just getting started and you’re the only one doing a thing, it’s easy to believe that you’re doing something wrong or that you’re not doing something that will legitimize you as a photographer."
But what excites Helena most is talking about this year's launch of Techies, her first personal project and proudest career moment. "I put over 1000 hours and all of my heart and soul into it. It’s my first personal project ever but I’m incredibly proud of it and I learned so much about myself and what I want my work to be in the future."
P.S. This Tuesday night, we'll be hosting a Drinking Not Drinking happy hour in San Francisco. You'll have the chance to hang out with Helena, as well as some other badass WNW Members and their slightly less badass friends. Check your inboxes for the link.
Tell us about your creative background. Who is Helena and how did she get here?
I got my start making photos when I was six, on disposable cameras from Wal Mart. I shot on them for a solid 10+ years before making the switch to digital. Shooting has always been an obsession of mine, but I never thought of myself as an artist or had plans to do it professionally—I grew up in a small town and was quite sheltered from the creative world so I didn’t know it was an option for me.
I never studied photography formally—I got a PR degree from NC State. Eventually I moved to California on a whim and got a PR job in Silicon Valley (and stopped taking photos). After building my career in startup land for a few years, I eventually became disillusioned and picked photography back up as a distraction on nights and weekends. Next thing I know, I’ve barfed out a few thousand photos, built out a portfolio and quit my tech career to try my hand at being a full-time photographer (with no plan or savings account).
Since then, I’ve managed to build a solid photography business doing editorial, commercial and portrait work, mostly focused on Silicon Valley.
"I’ve also been broke for most of my life and when I took the leap, I didn’t have more than a few hundred dollars in my bank account. But I’ve always viewed not having a safety net as a constraint I could use in a positive way."
What was one of the biggest challenges in launching your career as a full-time photographer?
It was definitely a massive risk. I was essentially throwing away another career I’d invested all of my time, heart and soul in. I’ve also been broke for most of my life and when I took the leap, I didn’t have more than a few hundred dollars in my bank account. But I’ve always viewed not having a safety net as a constraint I could use in a positive way—I knew I would hustle hard enough to find enough jobs to pay my rent because there was no other option. I knew I’d make it work because I had no choice.
Other than that, everything was a challenge in its own way—I had no experience as a professional photographer and I was totally winging it with every new job that would come my way—but I just focused on doing the best job I could, learning everything the Internet would teach me and figuring it out as I went.
I also had a really strong business background from my previous life in tech, and that turned out to be a huge asset for me when building my business, and helped me approach it pragmatically instead of spending all of my time freaking out over the risks and challenges.
One of our favorite projects of yours is the Techies portrait series, covering subjects under-represented in the tech world. What lead to this idea, why is it important to you, and how do you see it evolving in the future?
I’ve been wanting to do projects like this for about ten years now, but I didn’t know what my first subject matter would be until December, when I had the idea for Techies.
Tech is in a weird place right now. “Techie” used to be a term people used with pride, and now it’s become a loaded term, almost derogatory. Conversations around diversity and inclusion in the industry have risen to a boil, yet there are many in tech who dismiss the issues and claim that tech is actually a perfect meritocracy.
I worked in Silicon Valley for four years before ditching the industry, so the project stemmed from my own personal experiences in tech. It just felt like the right thing to dig into and explore right now, and I felt like someone uniquely positioned to do it.
How can WNW members get involved?
As far as WNW members getting involved, the best thing you can do is just dig in and get to know more about what it’s like being underrepresented in tech, because these stories are present in every industry. If you’re aware of the issues and want to know how you can make a difference at your company, you can find a huge list of recommendations at projectinclude.org, an initiative created in part by members of my project.
Otherwise, I’m doing a ton of events in San Francisco this summer, including a launch party/photo show on June 22nd, so come hang out and meet folks in the project.
How would you describe your creative style? Who are some of your biggest creative idols and influences?
I enjoy toeing the line between categories. Aesthetically, I like the challenge of attaining both polish and authenticity. My biggest influences are the same ones I had years ago, like Annie Leibowitz, Dan Winters, Stephen Shore. I also have huge aesthetic crushes on the work of folks like Carlos Serrao, Bjorn Iooss, JUCO, Ben Toms, Jason Nocito, Geordie Wood, Amy Harrity, Jody Rogac, Julia Noni, Sharif Hamza, I could go on.
"I put over 1000 hours and all of my heart and soul into it. It’s my first personal project ever but I’m incredibly proud of it and I learned so much about myself and what I want my work to be in the future."
What moment or project in your career so far has made you the proudest?
Launching Techies. I put over 1000 hours and all of my heart and soul into it. It’s my first personal project ever but I’m incredibly proud of it and I learned so much about myself and what I want my work to be in the future.
Biggest career failure?
Hard to say yet. It’s only been three years so I haven’t had a chance to fuck up too bad yet. But if I had to pick something, I’d probably say it was my initial fear of going into tech as a market. Nobody else was shooting tech—no other photographers were remotely interested in it or looking into it. When you’re just getting started and you’re the only one doing a thing, it’s easy to believe that you’re doing something wrong or that you’re not doing something that will legitimize you as a photographer. If I had listened to my fears and gone to do subject matter that everyone else was doing, that would have undoubtedly been my biggest career failure. Sticking with tech as the market to build my career in was the best decision for my business I ever made.
Where do you hope to take your photography career in the next five years? Is there a dream client or project that you hope to make a reality by then?
I generally want to do what I’m doing now, but way way way better. I want to continue doing work in tech, and continue making personal projects that spark conversation, and continue shooting portraits of interesting people. From a business perspective, I historically want to do EVERYTHING, from business to production to post, so I want to figure out what is best for me to continue owning and improving at, and what makes sense to delegate, in terms of scaling and making the best use of my time.
As far as dream clients, I want to shoot Vanity Fair covers. I believe I will do it, it’s just a matter of whether it’s 5 years or 15 years from now. All I can do is make a plan and work towards it, and hope the opportunity comes knocking along the way.
"Most of my subjects didn’t hire me themselves, so they don’t know me or trust me, and I have about 30 seconds to get on the same level as them, make them my bestie, make them feel like a babe, and make them feel like they’re not even in a photoshoot and we’re just hanging out. I had never done this with a president before."
You’ve shot portraits of some very familiar faces. Have any celebrities surprised you? Who’s one person you’d love to do a portrait of?
Probably the most interesting portrait I’ve been hired to do is that of George W. Bush.
Portraiture is an interesting challenge—most of my subjects didn’t hire me themselves (their assistant or comms director did), so they don’t know me or trust me, and I have about 30 seconds to get on the same level as them, make them my bestie, make them feel like a babe, and make them feel like they’re not even in a photoshoot and we’re just hanging out. I had never done this with a president before.
Long story short, we snapped snarky jokes at each other until we had a breakthrough and the tension was gone, I got some great portraits, and then he wanted to stay and hang out with everybody. The secret service was astounded—apparently no one had pulled that off before. Pretty neat.
As far as a dream portrait… Barack or Beyonce.
What are some tips or advice you can offer to photographers who are just getting started? Or established creatives considering a career shift toward photography?
My best advice is 1) Make the work you want to get hired for before someone hires you to do it, and 2) Get to know everyone you can, have a genuine interest in people and do favors with no expectations in return.
You have over 19k followers on Instagram. Are you more strategic with what you post at this stage? Do you feel like you’re suddenly creating work for an audience and ‘likes’, or are you just putting out work that you would put out anyway? Any expert tips on building a massive following?
I’ve changed how I used it over the years. I started off using it as just a mobile journal (before I became a pro photographer), snapping whatever I was doing that day, and I didn’t share any of my actual work on it until recently. A few months ago, I zapped it all and now I use it more of as a news feed—if I have work published, if I’m doing a talk, or occasionally a post about what I’m up to. It just makes more sense with my career now vs. when I started.
I’m actually vehemently against the practice of “posting for the likes” as a successful growth strategy. It may pay off in the short run (if you consider likes payoff), but at the end of the day your work is going to look like everyone else’s if you’re catering to what’s popular. It’s good to ask yourself, why would anyone hire you if they can’t differentiate you from other creatives? What sets you apart? Having a style that’s your own, while it won’t get you as many likes in the short term, will at the end of the day be what makes you stand out and gets you jobs.
As far as tips for building a massive following - there will always be people who have more followers than you, so the sooner you stop caring about it and focusing on the work + building connections that matter, the happier you will be (and ironically, you may then make more interesting work and build a following from that).
If you weren’t a photographer, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
I think it’d be really cool to host a Vice TV show.
Things you would tell your high school or early twenties self?
To trust my gut and not to care so much about what others think.
What do you do when Not Working?
Sleep and exercise and spend time with close friends.
What cultural and creative venues do you frequent in SF (arthouse theaters, galleries, museums etc)? How does San Francisco influence your creativity?
I enjoy art-hopping when I can, either in biggest museums like the De Young or now SFmoma, or smaller contemporary galleries like CULT. I am finally making time in my life go to see movies, which is a new thing for me, and I get a ton of aesthetic inspiration from cinema - the storytelling, the set design, the lighting, etc.
Otherwise I still get a lot of inspiration from Silicon Valley—the hustle is just as important as the creative side for me, and it’s nice to be surrounded by people who are working just as hard, and understand the fact that you are obsessed with your job and they don’t think it’s weird.
Do you thrive off of being part of a creative community or are you more in your element as a lone wolf?
I dabble in a ton of different communities - photography, design, technology, media - and I love being tangentially involved in all of them, and they all inspire me in different ways. Other than that you can usually find me hiding in my apartment focused on my work.
Any album, film, television or book recommendations for your fellow WNW members?
Some really valuable books I’ve read in the last year:
If you’re feeling cluttered - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
If you want to get better at saying no - Essentialism by Greg McKeown
If you want to get better at meeting people and building relationships - How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
If you want to get some mental clarity - 10% Happier by Dan Harris
Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?
I love the photography of Elizabeth Weinberg, Daniel Seung Lee, Noah Kalina, Gabriela Herman, Cait Oppermann, Damien Maloney, Amanda Jasnowski, and Josh Wool, to name a few. They all happen to be awesome people too.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
ROBERT WHITMAN RECALLS HIS 1977 PHOTOSHOOT WITH PRINCE
ROBERT WHITMAN RECALLS HIS 1977 PHOTOSHOOT WITH PRINCE
Almost forty years ago, WNW Member #8507 Robert Whitman was just getting started as a photographer in his hometown Minneapolis. His friend was a manager for another up-and-coming creative, Prince, who was only 19 at the time and working on his first album. Robert agreed to photograph Prince for a brochure to help get him a record deal. Below are excerpts from Robert's interview with Billboard. Head over to Billboard for the full interview.
Interview by Billboard's Shannon Adducci
How were you introduced to Prince?
Owen [Husney] came over and said, 'You've got to listen to this.' He had heard this tape, I think it was "Soft and Wet." So we went in the car and drove around, listening to it, and it was just amazing. Owen was managing him and he had a couple of partners, including Gary Levenson. They said, 'We want to make a little brochure on him, to get him a record deal. Would you be willing to shoot him?' I said, 'Sure. I don't know what I'm doing, but I would be happy to.'
How did you conceive the shoot?
It ended up being three different shoots. I had a very small studio in the Kemps Ice Cream building [in Minneapolis]. I had one piece of seamless and a portable flash. We did the first shoot there. And then we did another session in downtown Minneapolis, out of which came one of the most iconic images, of him against a white wall with music notes. The building belonged to the Schmitt Music Company. And then we did another shoot at Owen's home. We shot him with Owen's dog, sitting at a table, playing the piano.
What was he like on set?
He was very, very shy. But he opened up to me and he was willing to play around, willing to try different outfits. I didn't know what I was doing, so I experimented. I put light behind his hair so his Afro was like a halo. We put sequins on him and then I put a scarf on the lens, but it didn't work. We took his shirt off. We had him blowing bubbles. This is all old analogue stuff. But he really opened up and we had some silly moments. He was young and was just starting and so was I.
What do you think of the photos, looking back on them?
They're so bad they're good. There are really some bad shots in there. I have about 17 to 19 rolls of film from that week, but there are only 20 or 21 photos that I've been showing (at exhibitions). There was some really horrible cropping. But there are some great expressions. I think I have some of the only photos of him where he has a smile on his face.
Did you ever see Prince again?
I had one moment with him many years later, maybe in the early eighties. I was in LaGuardia Airport, on the phone, and all of a sudden Prince walked by and said, 'Whitman, how are you?' I said, 'Fine, great,' and he walked off. And within a second all these kids were asking me if I could get them his autograph. I never saw him again.