BIRTHDAY TABLE

adamgolfer:

My buddy Wesley Ham is onto something in Lousiana. New project about his home state coming soon.

look at his tumblr for new work.

urbanautica:

TOBIAS ZIELONY

Tobias Zielony (*1973, lives in Berlin) has for many years been photographing young people in their given environments, mainly in the public space. He is attracted to the fringe areas of urban reality: the banlieues of French metropolises, the cities of Saxony-Anhalt that have gained a reputation as shrinking cities, or the desert city Trona outside Los Angeles. In such places social tensions, the lack of alternatives and prospects are strongly in evidence.

Tobias Zielony was born in 1973 in Wuppertal, Germany. After studying Documentary Photography at the University of Wales, Newport, Zielony enters Timm Rauterts’ class for artistic photography at the HGB Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig in 2001. After his graduation in 2004 and his master in 2006 he moves to Berlin. He receives the GASAG-Kunstpreis, Berlin, in 2006 as well as grants for New York and Los Angeles. Solo exhibitions follow at C/O Berlin in 2007, Kunstverein Hamburg in 2010, Folkwang Museum Essen, MMK Zollamt Frankfurt and and Camera Austria Graz in 2011. Tobias Zielony lives and works in Berlin.

At  KOW  Berlin from 04.02.2012 to 15.04.2012

© All copyright Tobias Zielony 

Matt Nager on MULL IT OVER.

samuelglazebrook:

Isatu is mixed heritage, her mother being English, and her father being from Sierra Lione, Africa. She moved to Cornwall from her home in Ludlow, Shropshire to study. 

matteotrentini:

The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities.

This is good.

teaim:

Luke Tonge, Detroit, shot by peterbaker
So this is me, grimmacing, braving the chill.

Good times.

barbert:

Willem Dafoe photographed by Tim Barber

marksherratt:

Sneak peak of a project that I did in India, been working on it today and will hopefully have it finished and up somewhere (my website certainly seems like the obvious place) in a few days.

teaim:

People of tumblr, a prodigal has joined us! London based designer and all round friend of the people Richard Rhodes can be found tumbling here – niceontheeyes – do me a favour and follow him. He promises a heady mix of inspiring design posts, quality content and the occasional prawn… nice icon R!

littlebrownmushroom:

So happy with the installation of Broken Manual at Sean Kelly Gallery. 

Join me for a reception Thursday, February 2nd from 6-8pm.

barbert:

Urban Outfitters Early Spring Catalog starring Hannah Holman, Bambi Northwood-Blyth & Keegan Sauder : http://www.tim-barber.com/albums/uo-spring-12

hardworkersclub:

Robert Teplak

mossfull:

Bruce Wrighton

“Portraiture of those kinds of people who are, I don’t want to say are on the edge or fringe of society, but I want to give the sense that they are somehow alienated from the mainstream either by their own view of themselves or by society’s view of them… Summer’s a great time because I get to work with all the carnivals and fairs. A lot of the people who work those things are sort of in that category. They are the people for whom a nine-to-five job and a shirt and tie is an anathema to a sense of liberty or internal personal freedom that they feel they need to express themselves. They suffer because of that.”

MULL IT OVER is proud to recommend Matt Nager this February! Matt has an extensive portfolio of personal and commercial work. He has good eyes.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

MATT NAGER: Usually coffee! Actually, I am not a morning person, so my day usually begins slowly around 9am. On a deeper level though, I look at each day as an opportunity to discover something new, whether that be new inspiration for a photo project, meeting a new person on an assigned photo shoot, or having a great day in the mountains. 

JC: Are there any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

MN: Although they are already pretty experienced my favorite two photographers at the moment are Michael Christopher Brown and Carolyn Drake. They do amazing work. Mostly documentary in nature, their photography is both journalistic and art.

JC: What is your current project all about?

MN: At the moment I am between projects. I have several projects in the research phase, but nothing that I am shooting right now. I recently finished filming and photographing my first documentary looking into the rise in health issues in Southern Italy due to toxic waste disposal in the region. Check out the website for that film here and the photos here. 

JC: What draws you to portraiture?

MN: I love people and I love telling stories. I originally went to journalism school with the idea of working for a newspaper. Unfortunately, that industry has seen quite a rough few years. When I started freelancing in Dallas a few years ago portraits were what I was hired to do. As I developed my skills shooting portraits, I really grew to enjoy meeting people, talking with them, and photographing them… in their environment. I still enjoy longer term documentary projects which enable me to spend months with a person or an idea a photograph it in a variety of ways, but there is something magical about capturing a person, or a place for that matter, in a ingle portrait.

JC: What equipment are you currently using? (cameras, software, hardware)

MN: I currently shoot on Nikon digital equipment. The Nikon D700 to be exact. I also shoot film and love my Mamiya 6 medium format camera.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

MN: It is not a struggle at all. I find time to do both personal work and commercial work because my personal projects tend to be long term and require a lot of research before the project begins. I take that time to earn money through commercial work which will allow me to photograph my personal projects. I also always try to think of projects that I can potentially sell when researching potential personal work. That way, I often make my money back after I am done working.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

MN: It takes time, but think about what you like to shoot and focus on those subjects. If you want to make money or be successful in photography, you need to find your corner and become the master of that corner. If you like shooting portraits focus on finding your style as a portrait photographer. Also, don’t loose motivation to shoot how you want simply because of how others shoot. Follow what you enjoy and the work will come.

JC: Favourite tree?

MN: Currently… the Maple Tree.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

ALEXANDRA CORNEANU: When I have to get up early, my alarm clock. But besides those days, I usually wake up at noon. I’m more of a night owl and I get most of my work done after 5pm.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

AC: I find Lukasz Wierzbowski’s work really inspiring right now for it’s unique style and use of colors. Also, cargocollective.com is a great community of talented young photographers and a place where you can showcase your own work, find inspiration and grow as an artist.

JC: What is your current project all about?

AC: I’m currently developing the final project for my Bachelor’s Degree which looks at visual identity of the artist’s practice. I’ve created an alter ego for myself that plays around and changes it’s appearace going through different phases of my evolution. It explores the conscious and subconscious as a point from where the creative process starts. So, it constructs itself as a fragmentary narrative where the self-reflexive process of work reveals subjects and symbols that are recurrent in my images.

JC: What initially drew you to photography?

AC: As a child I was passionate about drawing and painting and growing up I believed that I would end up as a painter. This all changed once I received my first digital camera as a gift from my parents. I grew more and more attracted towards photography, learning what I could do through experiments, from various communities over the internet. I loved all the endless possibilities of the photographic medium, from film to digital, but I was mostly drawn by the way I could manage the use of colors. I finally ended up photographing more than drawing and decided to pursue this in the future.

JC: Where do you live and how is it shaping you?

AC: I’m from a small cvasi-known country called Romania. I still live in my hometown, Iasi, although I recently came back from studying in Manchester for three months. Living here all my life is making this city feel oddly claustrophobic at the moment, just because it’s so much part of who I am that I feel the need to escape it more and more. If I think about it, taking aside the raw beauty of this place, there’s not much to do here for a young artist. I mean, regarding opportunities to work and develop oneself. I consider I’ve reached maturity in terms of how this place could shape me and that it’s time to move on to somewhere new.

JC: Favourite tree?

AC: Any tree with lights on its branches, like a Christmas tree.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

REGINA LEMAIRE COSTA: I started watching stuff at an early age, from old movies to lesser old movies and shows and what not, it’s basically all I do. I love staying home with fictional characters. Not surprisingly, I go to film school. Filmmaking is all about teamwork so I can’t direct, write and work on visual techniques on my own. Photography is different. I’m a storyteller, a director and I build my image all by myself. It’s very personal and I need that.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

RLC: There is something striking about the amount of people online, mostly kids bursting with talent, creating images that really feel like things are changing. But I think film inspires me the most. Lately I’ve been drawn to 60s/70s colors, sort of unnatural tones. Kubrick had an awesome DP. Lynch’s Blue Velvet’s day shots are amazing and remind me of All that heaven allows by Douglas Sirk, whose day shots are just as beautiful. I saw The Virgin Suicides when I was 12 and never got over it… Ed Lachman’s work has a special place in my heart.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

RLC: I’m crazy about the past… I see something like a Mamas & the Papas documentary and those saturated yellow/orange tones from the 60s break my heart. I wish I was there and imagine life literally had a different tint. I’m a die hard Ingrid Bergman fan but regret I’ll never photograph her under crazy spotlights that shaped such brilliant black and whites.

Keeping track of the present by capturing everyday moments is an ongoing project, so maybe later I’ll feel as nostalgic about my own memories. I also want to explore more visual techniques. Manual work is more appealing than photo editing to me.

There’s also Waiting lessons, a project on expectation and not knowing what will come from it or what might already have. Basically it’s about photography.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

RLC: Paris is my home, where I’ve lived most of my life. Sometimes I hate its guts but I couldn’t leave it. I love that the city is relentless, because I’m not. When you think you’ve seen it all, it surprises you. I’m quoting Woody Allen but this speaks to me “He thrived on the hustle bustle of the crowds and the traffic”. The entire Manhattan prologue is gold.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

RLC: New York is always in my plans. But I hardly think it’s going to happen in 2012. For now I’m focusing on school and just trying to absorbe as much knowledge as I can. I want to build some real self-discipline. A solid sleep schedule would be nice too. Ideas will come along. 

JC: Favourite tree?

RLC: Cherry blossoms and that huge tree from My neighbour Totoro!

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

RYAN HARRIS: Most of the time, my Mom. Or my bladder. Being an almost 21-year-old student in Photography living with your parents will do that to a person.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

RH: One of my peers, Tyson Manning is really inspiring to me. Knowing his personal story and everything that he’s gone through is what’s truly inspiring. His photographs are also very beautiful and cinematic in a sense. He’s been following three different circuses around the country and documenting their lives for the past 3 years. I strive to have that dedication to one project. Aside from his inspiring professional side, he is also one of the funniest people I have ever met.

JC: What is your current project all about?

RH: With the series I’m Fine I wanted to explore the thoughts and emotions that someone has before they commit suicide. I have contemplated suicide in my teenage angst years, but who hasn’t?

JC: What initially drew you to photography?  

RH: The technology that photography uses (both digital and film) is what initially astounded me. The process that it requires was very cathartic to me; it required me to use my hands in order to get the final product. I also loved the ability to document things that interested me using this aesthetically pleasing device that I held in my hands.

JC: Favourite tree?

RH: THE MIGHTY SPRUCE!

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

FABRIZIO ALBERTINI: During my years of study in Directing and Production, at the International Academy of Lugano, I’ve got the opportunity to compare myself with other audiovisual disciplines. Among all other photography and editing gave me a way to experiment. For me taking pictures is a necessity to accrue my eye. It’s an immediate way to approach that, unlike the movie idea, can give me the possibility to make by myself.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

FA: Now I don’t know enough photographers to have one favourite in particular. I take inspiration starting by aesthetic concepts, instinct, way to look and to shoot pics. Sometimes I take inspiration starting from a single pics made by one photographer. Among the emerging artists I’m really impressed from Daniel Shea. He’s amazing.

JC: What is the project Handball all about?

FA: Handball is a series of pics shot in a single game court in New York. Geometries, musculature, players and the game play. I found in the black & white film the ideal support for describe this space full of light. Handball is a “physical documentary” where the point of view moves inside the playground. During the game. Into the game.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

FA: I live in Italy, in Cannobio, a little town on Lake Maggiore. Really close to the Swiss border. Lakes and Mountains; that’s my landscape. I’ve set all my audiovisual works here and I think that, in a way, has trained me to a certain sensibilty. For example I’m fascinated by the idea to taking pics in peripheral spots, with anyone or very few people. 

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

FA: I don’t know really. I’m not graduated in photography. The advice that I can try to give it’s to work with a consistent glance. Working on a series, a concept. An idea of series, documentary, gallery who talk about a very precise way to look.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

FA: Many hopes! I hope to find a producer who wants to invest energy in my ideas of audiovisual projects. For what concern photography I hope to complete projects I’m working on right now. I hope to find a place where I can show these projects. A way to promote these works. And I think that join myself to a photo collective would be great.

JC: Favourite tree?

FA: Pine at the moment.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What got you started with photography?

PAUL BATT: I started photography at 15, mainly as a means of photographing friends skating and doing tricks down sets of stairs. 

As I got older, it became more a creative means of recording and making sense of day-to-day life. Eventually as I took photography more seriously, I found myself at art school and started exhibiting the results.

JC: Any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment?

PB: Yeah there’s a number! I tend to have a favourite on the go at most times. At the moment I’m really enjoying Diana Scherer’s Pieces Series. Really simple idea, that’s a great example of taking something really mundane or overlooked and revealing a whole new side to it.

JC: Whats your current project all about?

PB: I have a number of projects I’m working on at the moment, although much of my work has been concerned with the same set of ideas, concerning human absence or presence in urban environment. I’ve explored this notion through out my work by documenting either people, places or object and examining the subtle variations a chosen subject, can come in.

JC: Where are you currently living and how is it shaping you?

PB: I’m living in my home city of Melbourne, Australia. I studied for a while in Germany and didn’t realise how much I felt at home here, until I returned from that. In this sense my city has provided me with a sense of self and sanctuary. While artistically it’s also where I find my subjects, so its shaped me quite a lot. 

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography graduates?

PB: Persist with your vision, remembering that any recognition will take time and that making art is often a thankless but fore filling struggle. The only other piece of advice I would give is to find a mentor doing what you’re doing and learn as much as you possibly can from them.

JC: Any big plans for 2012?

PB: Absolutely! My biggest is to finally complete my PhD in Fine Art, which is due later this year. Other than that, I’m currently finishing a few photographic projects and have a number of group exhibitions coming up, so need I also need to get my work prepped and shipped for those. 

JC: Favourite tree?

PB: Ghost Gum. It’s an Australian native eucalyptus, that grows in weird contorted forms and sheds its branches instead of it leaves. It’s got a great ominous sounding name and is a quintessential part of the Australian bush landscape, that I know and love.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

SOUMYA JAYARAMAN: The loud rooster alarm on my droid. It drives me nuts but it jolts me out of bed in the mornings.  

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

SJ: Yeah! Brooke Shaden, Leah Johnston, Dariusz Klimczak, Christian Weiss to name just a few. They all have different styles in photography and they are incredibly good at what they do.

JC: What is your current project all about?

SJ: After aimlessly taking pictures of anything and everything, I have finally found what I love - conceptual photography. I want to be able to tell a story with a single image. So, right now, I am focusing on bridging the gap between what I visualize in pre-production, what I shoot and what I end up with in post. I am quite happy with the progress I have made so far and I am hoping that it will continue over the years to come. You are welcome to see it all happen right here. I promise to keep it interesting.

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

SJ: I wouldn’t exactly call my pictures portraits because my models (I also use myself in the picture when I can’t find a model) are usually playing a character in the picture. Unless I am doing head-shots for my models, I rarely do portrait work. But, I got started with conceptual photography because I love portraits. Portraits have the power to trigger an emotional response from the viewer without any need for an explanation or comment.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

SJ: That is very easy because right now, everything is personal work.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates

SJ: I am no expert, but here is what I have learnt from personal experience. In my opinion, if you ever decide to do a job for free, make sure it is because you absolutely want to do it. Like for your portfolio or because it will give you the experience. Otherwise, it is just not worth it.

If you work with models, have an open conversation about your expectations before you begin the shoot and always get a model release. 

JC: Favourite tree?

SJ: Banyan tree

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning? 

JESSY PARR: The worst. I’d sleep forever if I could.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment? 

JP: Kristina Yamamoto is not only a great and inventive photographer but her lighting skills are intense. I remember when she first got some equipment, we failed pretty miserably at testing it out. Watching her progress over the years is like watching a time lapse. 

JC: What is your current project all about?

JP: I’m not too sure how much I can say about the project itself, but I’m collaborating with some people and so far what we have is pretty awesome.

JC: What equipment are you currently using? 

JP: I’m pretty attached to my Mamiya 647. I have a trusty Canon AE-1. When I’m too poor for film, a Canon 20D.

JC: What initially drew you towards photography? 

JP: I’ve always just been pretty observant. I like spontaneity in a photograph and catching someone in their truest form. Even models have scoffed at me for taking their picture when they’re “not ready”. I am perpetually taking photos of people who are “not ready”. 

JC: Any exciting plans for the rest of 2011? 

JP: That’s what I get for procrastinating.

JC: Favourite tree? 

JP: The ones you immediately know are perfect for a treehouse.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

PAVEL TERESHKOVETS: The thought that I’ll have enough time to sleep in the afterlife.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

PT: I especially get inspired by the mind blowing surrealism of Rodney Smith’s photo works, the beautiful geometry of Antoine Gonine’s shots and by the wonderful works of the russian travel photographer Sergey Danyushevskiy.

JC: What is your current project all about?

PT: At the moment I’m working on the project that is about the forlorness of the night city I’m living in. The project is a little bit mysterious, because the mystery comes already during the process of creating this series - I’m spending nights outside in very weird and strange places where there are no people at all or just a few of them - bums, tramps and so on. Sometimes it gets pretty dangerous in such outlying places - in our country it’s forbidden to make shots of lots of objects, so you have to be very careful and stay unnoticed.

JC: What initially drew you to photography?

PT: My father was an alpinist, a climber. Every summer he went to a new place on the planet to win another mountain top. He always took his soviet camera Smena Lomo with him to show me afterwards all the beauty of those scenes unseen by me for I was too young to go with him. The photos I was looking at ispired me a lot so I began to photograph myself.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

PT: I’m always trying to combine these two things although it’s sometimes hardly possible. But the best case is when you’re doing things you like and they bring you money at the same time. I’m working on it because reaching the level where there is no more difference between your personal work and work bringing you money is the top of this world’s pleasure.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

PT: Don’t listen to anybody and don’t obey any rules in your creative work. Do what you like and how you feel. Be sure of your great future.

JC: Favourite tree?

PT: Palm trees of the Venice beach in L.A.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

ELLE PEREZ: I’ve been traveling the united states for the past three months working on my new project, so lately I’ve been waking up with that weird feeling of sleeping somewhere you don’t know and don’t quite trust. I need to drink a lot of coffee to wake up.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

EP: I photograph a lot of Drag Queens, and one of the things that I love about Drag is that everyone develops “families.” You have your drag mom, your drag cousin, people really get extensive. I feel like I have my own ‘Photo Family.’ Regina DeLuise is my photo mom, Michael Meyer is my photo dad. Paolo Morales is my twin brother, Nina Perlman and Val Karuskevich are my mischievous younger siblings. Rafael Soldi and Sean Scheidt are my cool uncles who I only get to see see on holidays. Cass Bird is my crazy grandma who always slips me alcohol at holiday parties. I’ve got a pretty good family, and they inspire me plenty. 

JC: What is your current project all about?

EP: My current project is about the illusion of binary gender and how gender isn’t as limited as western cultural imagination thinks it is. The project has conceptual roots in radical transgender politics and my experience of navigating my own gender. 

JC: What initially drew you to photography?

EP: I started taking pictures at local punk shows in the Bronx when I was about 14. At 16 I started shooting large format and the second I opened up my first polaroid 55 exposure, It was just love. 

JC: How do you find juggling personal work and teaching?

EP: Teaching is probably the one thing I love more than photography itself, because whenever I get pissed off at my own work teaching always brings me right back to loving the medium. I taught some youth l photo classes last year at the Educational Alliance on the Lower East Side of NYC and had the coolest kids in my classes. Some of them were as young as 10, and many of them were discovering the medium for the first time. There’s something about the way that teenagers take ownership of photography that is so incredibly inspiring. They fight with you about things like cropping and the correct exposure. They really feel it. They remind me to get over myself and make some pictures I care about, pictures I want to fight someone about. Teaching is intrinsic to my own personal practice because it forces me to constantly look at the medium with new eyes. Also, nothing boosts the ego like a 17 year old telling you you are “Living the Dream.”

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

EP: Just make some new pictures. Keep yourself around other photographers. Do you’re own thing and keep recognizing photographic opportunities that are uniquely yours.

JC: Favourite tree?

EP: Yucca Trees!

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

MARNIX VAN UUM: My alarm and in the weekends my girlfriend. She’s really good at waking up early on a day off.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

MU: Wessel Baarda. Not only is he a good photographer, he’s also a great friend. But like I said in previous interviews, I’m mostly inspired by things around me, things I read, hear, see. I’ve been very into postmodern philosophers for some time now. The idea that most of the things we experience is culturally defined is stuck in my head and I can’t seem to get it out because I feel like everything I see is substantiating that statement. Let’s hope it’s just a phase, haha. But yeah, those kind of things inspire me - they get me thinking.

JC: What is your current project all about?

MU: In my current project I’m trying to capture ordinary things, things we regard as ordinary, in a different context to show that what we consider as ‘normal’ shouldn’t be considered as ‘normal’. Why have we given that meaning to that object or that act? We are capable of giving meaning to things, so we should be embracing this by placing ‘ordinary’ things in different frameworks. 

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

MU: I don’t know why I’m so drawn to making portraits. I just like people more than nature and no, people aren’t part of nature anymore.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

MU: I haven’t done much commercial work. In fact, I’ve only done one fashion shoot of a collection for a friend of mine, but I thought it was horrible. It just didn’t work out the way I wanted it, there was too much time pressure and the location wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I hope I’ll never have to do anything commercial again.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

MU: Stay true to your ideologies and don’t let anyone’s vision get in your way. And don’t get sucked in a major corporation. Promoting your work is also important.

JC: Favourite tree?

MU: Genetically modified trees.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

ERICA MCKEEHEN: My bladder, or my alarm, which is the opening to the song Zoo Station by U2. The lines are I’m ready. I’m ready for the laughing gas. I’m ready. I’m ready for what’s next.

JC:  Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

EM: I consider most of my photographer friends and peers to be emerging, though I’m not sure when the term emerging no longer applies. In any case, they all inspire me. I am a recent graduate of Ohio University, home to so many talented photographers and artists. I look at their work and it fills me with so many conflicting feelings… I am jealous, sometimes, of their bravery and persistence to pursue some of the serious and heartfelt work that they do. I am also proud, inspired (as you asked), and excited for them and for all of us making images in the world. In college I studied more commercial work and was pretty interested in that until my senior year when I just wanted to photograph people, but I’ve always had intense respect and admiration for documentary and journalistic work. I have more guts than I used to, but I never could’ve done it as a student. I hope that my work shows some sort of middle ground between the two, but in the end, it’s all passion that comes across, and I am inspired whenever I see it in someone’s images. To really answer the question, my current favorite emerging photographers are Brad Vest who just won College Photographer of the Year for his documentary work in Ohio and West Virginia and Peter Hoffman (not sure if he’s “emerging” by anyway) who consistently makes just plain beautiful images. Both of them are fellow Ohio University graduates.

JC: What is your current project all about?

EM: I don’t really have one specific project in mind but I recently compiled some images taken during a brief stint as a night-life photographer for Studio Paris (apart of Club Paris in Chicago, IL). When you look at the images, the term night-life doesn’t really seem to fit, but I believe I was originally commissioned to photograph flash-filled images of attractive, rich Chicagoans drinking champagne in the city’s River North (somewhat elite) neighborhood. I spent 5 Friday nights walking around the club, from 9pm until 1am, photographing what I saw… slinking into the dark corners of the club rather than inviting guests to step in front of my lens. I don’t really know if I had any real intentions at the time (I was just trying to do a job in the only manner I knew how), but I can tell you that I felt isolated and strange each evening. Now I look at the photographs and I think those emotions are obvious.

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

EM: People are important. I wish I had a more elaborate reason, but I think that’s enough. My favorite photographer has been, and always will be, Anton Corbijn. He makes portraits and they’re beautiful and rich and memorable, but he does more than that. He establishes real relationships with his subjects and he lovingly sustains them. He is curious and invested at the same time. He has captured the same people over the course of years and years. I am curious too, and I cannot help but be invested, but the truth is that I love taking photographs of people in my life. It is a compulsive need and I feel that I have done a poor job satisfying it. The portraits I keep close to my heart are of family, friends, lovers, and anyone who has claimed a piece of my heart. I collect photographs of them to remind myself that these people are important… they have made my life rich. Not only do I want to take their portrait, but I owe it to them.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

EM: I make commercial work (or commissioned/editorial work, in my case) personal. When I shoot a wedding, I try to do so intimately. When I am shooting a gym or a salon or a spa, I try to maintain my sincerity and point-of-view. Even if it’s not my primary interest, there’s little I do that isn’t personal. That’s just how I’m made, or maybe I just like the consistency.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

EM: This is sort of like giving advice to myself: no matter what you have to do to sustain your passion, to pay your bills, and to put food on the table, as long as you want to be, you are a photographer. No one can say differently. It is difficult making money solely on your photographs. I have only been out of college for a year and a half and I moved to Chicago right after graduating with this idea that I could live off of my photography almost immediately. I decided long ago that I didn’t really want to (nor am I really built to) assist commercial shooters, and so early on I eliminated one of the only jobs completely relevant to my college degree. I just wanted to make the photographs I wanted to make and let my life happen. I am not saying it’s a total impossibility to live off of freelance, but in certain circumstances, it’s much more difficult than I ever imagined. The truth is I love photography but I am still unsure what place my photos have in the world, and, further, I am still not sure what I want to be “when I grow up.” I was always a career-driven perfectionist, so accepting that it’s not so easy has been huge for me. I have worked really hard to survive in the big city and have taken some unforeseen opportunities to make my life and my photography here possible. Do not care about being impressive. Or making a lot of money (hard for that to happen even if you are getting more jobs). Care about your work… care about shooting what is meaningful to you. Stay genuine.

JC: Favourite tree?

EM: Weeping willows, easily.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

AMANDA LOPEZ: As cliche as it sounds, photography gets me up in the morning. Everyday, it’s what keep me going and inspired.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

AL: I am inspired by so many things. Especially the work of other photographers. At the moment it’s my peers in San Francisco that keep me inspired. I’m lucky to be surrounded by a lot of great creative people like Matthew Reamer, John Coyne, Trevor Traynor and Robyn Twomey.

JC: What is your current project all about?

AL: I am currently working on a few consecutive bodies of work. I am working on a portrait series inspired by the Mexican tradition, Dia de los Muertos as well as my Vans shoe series, called True Story. Both projects are up on my site.

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

AL: I love portraiture! I got into photography after seeing the great portrait work of Estevan Oriol and Annie Leibovitz. Both of them have an uncanny ability to get exactly what they want from their subjects. Esetvan’s portraits in particular and so beautiful because they have the perfect mix of strength and vulnerability. Its amazing. I think another reason I am drawn to portraiture is because of the connection that you have to have with the person you are working with. If you don’t connect with your subject then the picture is lost.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

AL: It can be difficulty but its necessarily. I have to shoot commercially so that I can help fund my person projects.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

AL: To keep shooting, keep looking, stay excited, stay true to your vision and have confidence in your work.

JC: Favourite tree?

AL: Palm Tree

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

SIDNEY LO: My job, Blue Bottle coffee, and lately, StarCraft II.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

SL: I don’t follow upcoming photographers too much, but I dig some photographers on Flickr. If I had to name names, it would be Lukasz Wierzbowski, Nastya Tailakova, and Noah Kalina.

JC: What is your current project all about?

SL: I recently completed a series for a seasonal gallery/food event in New York called Something I Ate; my contribution is entitled Sometimes When We Eat, We Eat Alone.

JC: What draws you to portraits?

SL: Meeting new people, creating narratives, and knowing I can become a different person each time I work with a new subject.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

SL: It’s easier to execute but more difficult to wrap my head around it philosophically. I think there should not be two separate categories, but that’s because I want to generate my work, commercial and personal, under one style. 

Once I learned a bit more about business interactions, contracts, etc. it became more straight forward and rewarding to do commercial work. I always try to incorporate my own personality into the work. I’ve also gotten really good at saying “no” to certain offers and it’s freed me up to approach work that suits my photography.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

SL: Drop out? (Haha no, just kidding.) Get a job, never settle or make decisions because you feel like you have no other choice, say “no” a lot more than you say “yes,” and be patient.

JC: Favourite tree?

SL: The sequoia sempervirens.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

DINA LITOVSKY: Green tea and dubstep.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

DL: Many! But especially my former classmates from SVA who are doing really phenomenal work; Elizabeth Clark Libert, John Cyr & Natan Dvir.

JC: Tell us a little bit about UNTAG THIS PHOTO?

DL: It combines my interest in sociology, fascination with women and obsession with Facebook. The rest is in my artist statement.

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

DL: I am not interested in photographing people for the purpose of glimpsing the ‘true‘ self. I would hesitate to classify any of my photos as portraits. What I am curious about is the situational self - people’s behavior in relation to other people, their setting and their cultural environment. My photographs are about a ‘social animal’ rather then a Renaissance ideal of individualism.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

DL: For now they are in rather great balance. For commercial work I shoot a lot of weddings. For personal, I am currently doing a project about Bachelorette parties. One helps the other.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

DL: As cliché as it sounds - stay inspired. For me inspiration, comes from constantly learning and being around talented and exciting photographers. And attend portfolio reviews! They can be really helpful and are a lot of fun.

JC: Favourite tree?

DL: Don’t have one. I prefer plateaus.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

JOHN KEATLEY: My alarm, or my daughter depending on the day. But aside from literal wakeup calls, I am often really excited in the morning to see who emailed me. You never know who is going to email with a fun new project. Anything can happen at any time, and I find that really exciting. And since I am on the West Coast, I frequently wake up with emails from the East Coast about work. 

JC: Are there any emerging artists inspiring you at the moment? 

JK: Not at the moment. From time to time, I take a look around at other people’s work, but I find I am most inspired when I am not looking at other people’s photography on a regular basis. Although, I have really enjoyed the work of William Rugen this past year. Especially his Consumed series. It’s all pretty incredible. I really like his perspective.

JC: Do you find it easy to juggle commercial and personal work?

JK: Do I find it easy? That’s a tough question. It takes a lot of work and dedication, but I think my desire and need to shoot personal work helps me get through all that. It’s something I feel compelled to do, and need to do in a sense, so I haven’t really thought about it in that way before. Sometimes it is harder than other times, but I would say I do a pretty good job at staying balanced between the two. Thankfully I have had a good amount of commercial work recently, which I have been able to connect with on a personal level, so that is always a blessing.

JC: In a nutshell what is Liberia all about and what camera did you use?

JK: Liberia was my first experience on assignment overseas, and my first trip to Africa. I went with a team from MiiR, and I was there to photograph the construction of two clean water wells, as well as direct a documentary about the clean water crisis. In my free time, I found myself photographing children. It wasn’t something I had planned on, but over the course of the week I was there, I began to see a series come together of the children I was photographing. 

I used my Hasselblad H3DII-31 and my Canon 5D MarkII for all of the images. Most of the portraits were taken with the Hasselblad and I used the Canon in situations where I needed to move a little more freely.   

JC: One piece of advice to recent photography students?

JK: Oh man, only one!? Learn to trust your instincts, because that is the only thing that can make your work unique and a true reflection of you.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

THE TREND REINVENTED: Its knowing that we have the sea waiting and Marley.

JC: What is inspiring you at the moment?

TR: We inspire ourselves with sightseeing, animals but mostly with our day by day. 

JC: What is your current project all about?

TR: Continuing happy with what we do and always hoping that there are more people enjoying our work.

JC: What is The Trend Reinvented all about?

TR: The Trend Reinvented is the name of our project created in 2011. First we made a blog where we posted a bit of our daily lifestyle and our most recent publications. Then we decided to form a website where we add a more organized collection of pictures. Recently we tried to interact with some magazines but we also have had some positive feedback as well, and that makes us proud enough to keep on. Our thing is daily based spontaneity… but we also don’t discard premeditated madness, that we snap immediately. We have a diversed inspiration and you can understand it easily if you smell and listen to our clicks! 

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

TR: We don’t have a specific qualification on photography. Sara studies dental medicine and Pedro sports. Nevertheless photography is a taste that we share. 

JC: Favourite tree?

TR: We like specific trees like the Lanheses eucalypt or the Vilarelho chestnut tree but also a particular tree that we have near our home.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

JAMES WAKELING: An overwhelming sense of guilt that I am not living my life to the full.

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

JW: Magdalena Wosinska, each of her photos tells a story about a lifestyle, about people you want to meet and places you want to go.

JC: What is your current personal project all about?

JW: It occurred to me that my friends and I were living out a lifestyle so different to those around us, that we had become the ones people would stop and watch, they would ask us about our lives and why we did what we did. This project that is going on at the moment is an attempt to convey how we became so obsessed with the sport of Kiteboarding, how it has come, in many ways, to define our lives and what shape those lives now take.

JC: What initially drew you to photography? 

JW: The desire to preserve moments forever. Our time here is so short and its moves by too quick, photography lets me hold onto those moment I don’t want to ever forget. I first started to pick up a camera when I realised that my life seemed to be disappearing without any record of it being kept, photography started off and is still the way I keep a diary of what is important to me.

JC: Favourite tree?

JW: Silver birch. I love to peel strips of bark off the tree.

JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

DANIEL SEUNG LEE: My alarm clock gets me up, mostly. The only reason I don’t go back to sleep is knowing anything can happen on any given day (but my multiple alarms might have something to do with it). 

JC: Can you name two emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

DSL: It’s so tough picking only two photographers, but I’d have to go with Nicholas Haggard and Ryan Pfluger. I instantly fell in love with Nicholas’ work when I first saw it - his colors and tones are absolutely perfect. Ryan’s work speaks for itself - it’s his passion and work ethic that really inspires me. I’ve had a chance to get to know him in the past year and he’s always busy with multiple projects.

JC: What is your current project all about?

DSL: Growing up, I always wanted to take a cross country road trip and I did just that this past summer. My work has always been heavily influenced by my immediate environment, from my everyday surroundings to unfamiliar landscapes I encounter during my travels. For this trip, I really wanted to focus specifically on documenting the natural beauty of America. I shot a ton of film, so I’m actually still working on those photos.

JC: In your opinion whats good about shooting portraits?

DSL: People have always been my favorite subject to photograph. I usually have a pretty good idea what my film is going to look like, but photographing people is different because it takes two people to make the photograph - the photographer and the subject. There needs to be a mutual trust and participation between the two people in order to get the shot. I’ve always enjoyed that part about shooting portraits. 

JC: What equipment do you use?

DSL: I have been using a Contax 645 for almost a year now and I’m loving it.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates?

DSL: Keep shooting, have passion for the work you’re making, and don’t compare yourself to anyone. 

JC: How is L.A?

DSL: You know what… it’s great. Growing up here, I don’t think I ever fully appreciated this city. It’s only recently I’ve come to the realization that I actually love it here. It’s home to me so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. Although, I’m thinking about making the move to New York in a few years for a change of scenery. 

JC: Favourite tree?

DSL: When I was in D.C. during my road trip, I took a photo of the most beautiful tree and I believe it’s called a Chinese Fringe Tree. That is probably one of my favorite trees I’ve come across. Also, the willow tree from Disney’s hit movie, Pocahontas.