The Daily Promo: Heather Byington

 

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Heather Byington

Who printed it?
Vista print made the post cards, envelopes were hand crafted by me.

Who designed it?
I did.

Who edited the images?
I did.

How many did you make?
452, though some were sent back, so roughly 420 made it out into the world. I sent promos to only to the agencies I had direct contact details for.
815 postcards were sent, just as a solo card/promo piece, these were all marketed to “art director/buyer”.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
This was my first real “big push”.  I have sent out a card here or there a couple times before, but nothing to this level. This is the first time I have heard anything back.

Tell us about the promo concept.
Anthology of Muddled Nightmares is a collaboration between myself and Mitchell Walter. I’ve always had an eye for the dark and macabre, but I balance it with visceral emotion and undeniable beauty.  Mitchell is a professional creative writer; he has always been smitten with short stories, finding their blend of narrative content and poetic metaphors powerfully engaging.

Having a mutual admiration for each others’ work, we decided to collaborate on Anthology of Muddled Nightmares. 

The Daily Edit: Keirnan Monaghan and Theo Vamvounakis

 
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Marie Claire

Creative Director: Nina Garcia
Design Director: 
Clare Ferguson
Photo Director:
James Morris
Photo Editor: 
Fiona Lennon
Art Director: 
Wanyi Jiang
Associate Art Director: 
Melanie Springhetti Teppich
Photographers: Keirnan and Theo
Food Stylist: Victoria Granof

What type of direction did you get from the magazine?
We definitely do our best work when clients let us do our own art/creative direction. Collaboration is fun, but it can sometimes lead to too many compromises. True creatives trust their artists. James (Photo Director) allowed us to be ourselves. He was a pleasure to work with.

What background is this particular shot and what was the through line with the styling and overall look to this story?
Our thread for this story was to create a loose social narrative. We try not to get too literal. We also like to give context, so that images aren’t just product shots. We usually find materials we think are beautiful and exciting, and see what works.

How did you overcome the reflections in this shot?
We don’t try to overcome reflections too often. In the case of mirrored objects, we just try to make it work in our favor.

Do you have a lead food stylist you collaborate with?  Is it typically Maggie Ruggiero? I love her work! I see you both work on Gather.
We work mainly with Maggie Ruggiero, and Victoria Granof. They are both absolute pro’s.

Do you both shoot the assignments?
Yes, we are truly a team. We also both do set styling, though Theo is really the Eleanor to my Steve Zissou.

What are each other’s strengths?
I suppose that Theo is a little more left brain to my right brain… but that can switch depending on the circumstance. Either way, we even each other out.

How did you two meet and tell us how your working relationship unfolded.
We met in college, and started living together soon after. We got married in 2009. The thought of working together dawned on us early, though we weren’t sure it could work. However, after almost two years now (and a few tears), it’s been a wonderful collaboration. We definitely overlap in so many ways.

The Daily Promo – Steve Simko

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Steve Simko

 

Who printed it?
I sourced it through FOXTONE PACKING in New York City. He’s a print broker and is known for his foil stamping expertise.

Who designed it?
Myself and longtime friend/designer Peter Scherrer at STUDIO MOUSETRAP here in Los Angeles.

Who edited it?
Myself. I had originally chosen a different image but felt it like I might have missed something in the first edit and went back a couple weeks later and found this timeless image.

How many did you print?
500 total with 300 for the mailing and 200 for hand outs.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
2-3 times a year with a very specific target of photo editors and art buyers.

Tell us about this image.
This image is from a personal project I photographed with Michael Wilkinson (Oscar nominated costume designer) and his husband Tim Martin. I had shot Michael a couple of years ago and they came to me with an idea for a project they were working on for their new branding company and asking if I had any interest in shooting some Haute Couture clothing. Yes, please !

The Daily Edit: Miller Mobley

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The Hollywood Reporter


Director of Photography:
Jennifer Laski
Photo Editor: Carrie Smith / Jennifer Sargent
Creative Director: Shanti Marlar
Photographer: Miller Mobley

Rangefinder

Writer: Libby Peterson

The photograph for the Rangefinder cover was originally commissioned by The Hollywood Reporter.
I think it’s important when great images get a second life and I enjoy the fact they chose this cover image to honor Miller’s career.

You have a portfolio chock-full of celebrity portraits, what made this one unique?
I think there’s a lot of simplicity in this photograph that makes it beautiful. The lighting is simple and understated, the clothing is dark and not distracting. The warms colors of the highlights go in hand with the blues and greens in the shadows. And of course, the subject. Walken was one of my dream subjects (probably one of most photographer’s dream subjects), so to be able to have a portrait of him that I’m proud of is special.

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Do you have a process or narrative for your cover shoots that you try to build from?
Every cover shoot is different. Sometimes there’s a narrative or concept and sometimes it’s just about getting a moment in an uncontrolled environment. I go into every photo shoot with a plan, but also let the “happy accidents” happen. There’s only so much you can control in the type of photography I do.  It’s in my nature to have a strategy when there’s pressure on the line and not a lot of time. With that said, you have to leave room for the un-expected moments.

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Have you ever become starstruck and if so, how did you overcome that?
I will always remember the moment, when my team and I were waiting to photograph President Obama and the First Lady. We had been invited to the White House to photograph them for a cover. We had set up all of our lighting, tested, and were now waiting for them to arrive. I’ll never forget when the doors opened and I overheard from the secret service that the President was about to enter. That was probably one of the most surreal moments in my career. It has nothing to do with politics, but more with the honor of being invited to the White House and having 5 minutes of time with the most powerful man in the country. Once they walked through the doors to greet myself and my team, I remember thinking to myself I can’t believe this moment is happening. It was pretty cool.

How much time did you have for this session?
Unfortunately, only about 15 minutes. As I mentioned, this image was originally commissioned by Jen Laski at The Hollywood Reporter. I was photographing Walken because one his films, “A Late Quartet” was about to hit the screens. I was only given 15 minutes and we had to shoot this in an office building in Manhattan. These are not rare circumstances for me. I thought using a background and doing some simple lighting would justify a classic portrait. Sometimes it’s just good to stay simple.

What type of direction did you get for this project?
Jennifer Laski, the DP at The Hollywood Reporter, who originally commissioned this photograph, told me to get something that feels timeless and iconic. Jen and team at THR are very good about giving the photographer an idea about what they’re looking for, but also leaving room for the photographer to bring back something that’s authentic to his/her style and taste.

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What advice to do you have for anyone that has no experience with talent agents and publicists?
Be kind and easy to work with.  It’s obvious advice, but goes a long way. The entertainment industry is small and very connected. Word gets around if you’re a good photographer to work with or if you’re a difficult prick. That’s not to say that photographs need to be a pushover or a people pleaser on set. I think it’s important to push the limit and get memorable images. At the end of the day, photography is a people business and clients/publicists/agents/actors/musicians/etc. want to work with someone who is enjoyable. That’s just my take on things.

The Daily Promo: Ryan Geraghty


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 Ryan Geraghty


Who printed it?
I had my promos printed though Moo. I made test prints through a couple different vendors, but Moo seemed to have the best color and paper quality.

Who designed it?
The promos were designed by me. It’s important to me to keep a simple design that focuses on the images and my style of work. I like to shoot food clean and messy, and I wanted to keep the theme of the promo consistent from front to back.    

Who edited the images?
I did the editing myself, but I always have my girlfriend look over most of the work I send out. Having a second opinion is invaluable when looking at my own images for a long amount of time, and she is incredible at catching any small detail I may have missed. In my personal work editing is very light, mostly color correction and contrast adjustments. The bulk of the work is done with styling and lighting before the camera is even turned on.      

How many did you make?
I had about 30 promos printed up but only sent out 12 in total. This is actually my first time sending out any kind of promotional material, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of feedback I would receive.      

How many times a year do you send out promos?
Going back to the last question, this is my first time sending physical copies of promotional material to anyone. I mostly promoted myself online while getting my degree. Now that I’m beginning my career, I’ve talked to established professionals I respect who advised me to get my work out there. I’m hoping it will land on the right desk.     

The Daily Edit – ESPN: John Huet, Karen Frank, Kristen Schaefer Geisler and Bill May

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ESPN Magazine


Photography Director: Karen Frank
Project Photo Editor: Kristen Schaefer Geisler

Creative Director, Digital and Print Media: Chin Wang
Art Director: Heather Donahue
Senior Designer: Linda Pouder
Photographer: John Huet

Karen Frank
Kristen Schaefer Geisler

This story comes with such gravity for the sport, how did that added layer of importance influence your edit? It’s not often one gets editing opportunities like this.
Karen Frank: 
John’s images beautifully capture Bill’s athleticism, grace, and optimistic spirit.  The poetry of the underwater images speak to Bill’s quest for excellence and his ability to succeed as a male in a female dominated sport, and evolve the sport in doing so.

What was your biggest challenge logistically?
Kristen Schaefer Geisler:
 Our biggest challenge was getting this shot before the swimmers left for Russia to compete in the World Synchronized Swim Championships; finding time when the three swimmers’ schedules could overlap in between busy lives and schedules.

What type of direction did you give John for this?
KSG: I assigned the shoot to photographer JOHN HUET after noticing on his website that he had shot syncronized swimming before. I talked a lot with the writer of the story Taffy Akner, who had just spent days with Bill and could describe in great descriptive detail Bill’s personality, which helped us conceptualize direction and a shot list. We asked John to capture beautiful underwater synchro swim pictures with his duet partners, above water portraits, as well as a-day-in-the-life of Bill May backstage at his Cirque du Soleil O show. We got access to photograph him teaching an abs class to his fellow Cirque dancers and putting on his show makeup before going onstage.

I know it’s unprecedented for ESPN to devote this many pages to a story, what moved the needle for the team to green light this?
KF: There is a strong commitment to long form journalism at ESPN.  Taffy’s story about Bill was so compelling, and John’s images were so strong, that we all felt it was necessary to give this story lots of room in print as well as digitally.

What made this project a stand out for you?
KSG:  This story is visual and theatrical; both in the synchronized swim choreography as well as the Cirque O show – we needed a photographer who could capture Bill’s personality and bring artistry and point of view to the pictures.

In a few words what is the most rewarding part of your job at ESPN and how has this title impacted your career?
KF: There are so many stories that can be told through the prism of sports.  ESPN recognizes the power of visual storytelling and the rich opportunities to do so across all its platforms.  Working across those platforms has broadened my vision of how photography can be leveraged and sharpened my ideas about how the story is told in each medium.

 

John Huet

Heidi: Did you do have to adjust your shooting style at all for something this unique?
John: 
I don’t really adjust my style for different projects, nor can I really define my own style.

This simple story sum things up nicely – Alfred Eisenstaedt was hired to shoot our college portraits. He came into my class of 20 kids, and he asked everyone, “What kind of photographer do you want to be?” I was one of the last kids to be asked, when it was my turn, I replied, “fashion photographer.” He asked why. He’d not asked any of the other kids this follow up question. I panicked and blurted out, “Because I like girls!” Everyone in class had a good laugh, and then Alfred later explained that being a fashion photographer is no different than being any other type of photographer. You have a subject in front of you, treat that subject in front of you the same as you would a gown on a hanger.  It becomes a portrait of a gown, just as if a person was standing there.

So, I don’t look at myself or categorize myself as a sports photographer, I see myself as a photographer, and I see the subject in front of me as a subject. At the end of day, all photographs are solved with the same notes, regardless of the subject matter.

Was this pool designed as a viewing room?
No, I’m a certified diver. I was underwater.

You have a long running history with the Olympics, what spoke to you as a photographer about this project?

Synchronized swimming is really beautiful. It’s very similar to figure skating, especially in pairs. The artistry, the incredible athleticism. Most people don’t understand the caliber of these athletes. My prior experience with shooting synchronized swimming had been at the Olympics. In Athens and London, I shot from an underwater window, and in Beijing, I shot from above the window. So much of the SS routine and so much of what is going on happens underwater, so I wanted to be under the water to capture this experience.

If I had more control for this ESPN project, I may have done things differently, maybe picked a different pool. What you have to keep in mind is I’m working with world class athletes, training for a World Championship a month before their event, so I can’t do anything to screw up their routine or throw them out of whack. I have a deep understanding that athletes have rituals and patterns, everything needs to follow their well-laid-out plans. I had about 1/2 hr to do the deck images. They do a series of poses before entering the water, then I captured what I could capture while they were doing their routine underwater. Practice was about 3 hrs. I was allowed to be in the pool, only to watch and, of course, not get in their way.

For the out of the water shots, how if at all did you direct them and how much time did you have?
I didn’t have to direct them at all. It was awesome to have their coach right there directing them, perfecting their moves while I was shooting. I got another 1/2 hr at the end of practice; talked with them for about a minute above water, then we went underwater. We communicated via hand signals, and I tried to direct them to where the light was best.

Did you propose the variety of color and BW to the magazine or simply turn in the images?
I proposed this, along with running the images upside down. I sent in about 80 images, which I shot over three days, but it was more like a  2 day shoot since it was so broken up.

I scouted, shot some of the scout, then the next day shot all of the images in the water, then I went back to their practice, even though this wasn’t part of my schedule; I did that for me. Bill had a big send-off party at O, the Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas, which I also photographed. He and the two women in the photographs, Kristina Lum and Christina Jones, were doing a performance at O. I shot Bill getting ready for the show and shot the first portion of the show under the window, which was really tough because it was so dark. Bill would come over to the window, mug for the camera and then swim off.

With every job, I have the same process. I do an edit after looking at everything. Once I have my edit, I’ll retouch the images and then send in only my retouched files. For this particular project I ended up going back to review the shoot, and over the course of 2-3 days, I sent in small batches of additional images because I kept changing things, looking at images differently.

How did the idea of these surreal, upside down images develop?
I first did this with the Athens SS Olympic images and then with London, presented them upside down. Underwater, everything is upside down for the swimmers, so this a play on the mind’s eye of the viewer. Underwater, they look like they are standing there, with no restrictions of gravity, so they appear relaxed, standing on top of the water. I wanted to use the pool light to signal this was the surface of the water (again to reinforce the mind’s eye play), to always have the pool light acting as the surface of the water or the “ground.”

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Faces of Choice

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Bill May

You’ve been photographed many times, what was different about shooting with John?
Bill May: 
The difference between John and many other photo shoots was that John had a very clear idea of what he was looking for and what would create the most beautiful images through a collaboration between us as the athletes and him as the photographer. Many times a photographer will come in and shoot solely a stale image of only part of what we are trying to represent as synchronized swimmers. John truly showcased the athleticism of a sport that, unfortunately, often has a reputation as simply just a show sport.

Did you free form poses for John, or did he direct you when you were out of the pool?
John was our eyes, so we would begin by free-forming poses, and John would take what we presented and elevate it to something amazing.

Tell us about having your dream taken away or shelved for almost a decade, and then re-present itself.
I would never say that my dream was taken away from me because my career in Synchronized Swimming was much bigger for me than a few competitions. I would not be where I am today if I hadn’t taken the path I chose to take. However, I believe that timing is everything. I was very lucky to continue to train and be involved in synchronized swimming in a show, so when the opportunity arose, I wanted the challenge. I think the interest is much greater for men in synchronized swimming today than it was a decade ago. There is a possibility that if it had been added to the World Championships 10 years ago, it might have fizzled due to lack of participation. Now I am once again in full training, hoping they will create an Olympic Synchronized Swimming event for the Mixed Duet.

What advice do you have for any athlete who has the seemingly impossible dream in a mostly female sport?
The advice I have for any athlete is to do the sport that you love, first and foremost, before worrying where it will take you. Everything else will fall in line, and the rewards will be much greater than when relying on a what is and might not be possible. We cannot all write our future, so I truly believe that the happiness we create for ourselves today is what gives us our happiest memories in years to come.

What impact do you hope this story has for the sport?
The Mixed Duet is a brand new event at the World Championships and major international competitions, and I think through John’s pictures it shows as a beautiful, and more importantly, an athletic event. We are in a big push to get this Mixed Duet event into the Olympics, and I think his photos have created an interest that makes people want to see more. I truly believe he has helped our sport, and above all, the Mixed Duet in so many ways, and I am forever grateful. It was such an honor to work with John. His professionalism and talent are unrivaled. He was so respectful of our time and photographed with ours and our sport’s best interest in mind.



 

 

 



 

The Daily Promo: Kyle Johnson

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Kyle Johnson

Who printed it?
This piece was printed by the incredible team at Blanchette Press in Vancouver B.C. This promo is the second piece I have printed with them, going with well respected offset printers sets a high bar for quality.  I had the pleasure of going up to B.C and directly working with owner Kim Blanchette on our press day. It was interesting to see exactly how the analog process works and the subtle changes Kim would make to get the best images possible. He told us “Our goal is to create 3 dimensions existing within 2d space”. I truly think the difference in offset vs digital quality is worth the extra cost and most professionals in the industry appreciate the print quality when looking at the piece.

Who designed it?
I teamed up with the designers at Shore (www.madebyshore.com) for this promo. We had worked on a similar print promo last year together and decided to keep the design similar referencing last years piece yet changing some things on size, color, etc.. Joe & Julian have become close friends over the years and they have a good feel for my aesthetic as a photographer.  I like how they use design elements that feel consistent with my style. It’s not “over designed” and allows the photography to be the focus.

Their passion for design and creating a quality print piece is another reason our collaborations have been successful. They know that although I might not be their biggest client, I share a love for quality and the final piece will be one we are both proud of and that I am willing to invest in. I have to thank them for also finding the interesting paper stock we used on the “faux cover” as well as the addition of white foil lettering for such a clean finish.

Who edited the images?
The initial edit was done myself. I had some favorite images that I knew I wanted in there. I did however work with my agent Maria Bianco before finalizing the piece. I really enjoy the editing process with her. I think personal promotion is a great chance to re-visit shoots from the past year and find some hidden outtakes that may of not made the final story. Pairing unrelated things you wouldn’t expect can make a great overall piece. Maria has a real talent for editing and helped me pair of some of my favorite spreads. I also think its important to mix some personal work with things from jobs. It shows photo editors and art buyers the images you truly love to make.

How many did you make?
I decided on making 500 for this piece. The price for offset printing isn’t cheap and you often do save money if you get a lot made, however for a special piece like this, I wanted it to be limited and directed at specific clients. I didn’t need to spend too much money sending it to tons of people who don’t make sense for my work.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I try to do one special high quality promo book piece like this one, as well as a few smaller postcard type mailers throughout one year.

The Wall Street Journal Magazine: Jennifer Pastore

 

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June 2016 Issue  |   Walk on the Wild Side  | Photography by Mikael Jansson Styling by George Cortina

June 2016 cover story: Click Here

 

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The Wall Street Journal Magazine

Editor in Chief: Kristina O’Neill
Creative Director: Magnus Berger
Photo Director: Jennifer Pastore
Senior Photo Editor: Damian Prado
Assistant Photo Editor: Meghan Benson
Photo Assistant: Amanda Webster
 Design Director: Pierre Tardif
Art Director: Tanya Moskowitz
Art + Production Assistant: Caroline Newton

Instagram: @wsjmag #wsjmagazine

Location projects always seem to have unique challenges. The Kenya shoot looks flawless but were there obstacles or triumphs along the way that you can share?
It’s true, location shoots are always challenging. It takes a lot to move a large crew into the middle of a 7000-acre conservancy in a remote corner of Kenya. For this particular story in our upcoming June 2016 issue, out on May 28th, photographer Mikael Jansson and stylist George Cortina brought their enthusiasm for the environment and the culture of the area with them to Kenya, which helped to smooth out any bumps along the way. It also resulted in 34 pages of fashion and landscape photographs that I think capture the romance and wildness of this dramatic location. Also, for the first time in the magazine’s history, we had two different covers. One features Anna Ewers and the other Edie Campbell. Some of my favorite photos from the story are of Edie riding a horse through a herd of zebras and Anna in the afternoon light walking through the bush.

When we last spoke in 2014 the magazine had just begun dipping into the celebrity territory. How much has that shifted since then, and is this now a regular cover theme?
We have definitely expanded our coverage of celebrities in the magazine, but we still approach our subjects (celebrity or not) with a light hand in the way that we photograph and style them. We try to capture their essence in the most natural way possible, which usually means making the shoot experience as comfortable as possible for everyone. We spend a lot of time before the shoot thinking about the creative approach that we want to take as well the interpersonal dynamic of the photography team that we assemble and how it will all work together on the day of the shoot. Hopefully this consideration leads to a feeling of ease on set that allows for moments of surprise and alchemy during the shoot.

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November 2015 / Innovators Issue  | Angelina Jolie Pitt  |   Photography by Peter Lindbergh Styling by Anastasia Barbieri

 

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For the innovators issue with Angelina Jolie on the cover, why did the magazine choose to celebrate her?
It was a natural fit for us to honor Angelina Jolie Pitt in our November 2015 issue with an Innovator Award for so many reasons. She wears many hats – not only is she a Hollywood icon as an actress and director but she is also a notable humanitarian and has managed to blend these two worlds in a very powerful and innovative way. When it came time to photograph Angelina, Peter Lindbergh was an easy choice for us. Everyone involved with the shoot shared the same goal to create images that were both intimate and very strong. Peter had expressed a desire to photograph Angelina so when the opportunity arose, it was exciting to be able to commission him to photograph her – there was so much respect between them on set which I think comes through in the photographs.

 

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February 2016 Issue  |  What’s Upon a Time in Antarctica   |  Photography by Jamie Hawkesworth

 

 

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Jamie Hawkesworth is primarily a fashion photographer, what was it about his work that you assigned him the landscapes?
I first came across Jamie’s work after seeing his Preston Bus Station project so my first impression of him was as a portrait and landscape photographer, not so much fashion. I think Jamie’s photographic aesthetic is so distinctive, it almost doesn’t matter what he photographs. I know any images that we commission from him will be very clearly him – his palette, his printing (he prints everything by hand himself) and his voice. Knowing that, it is exciting to send him to these far-flung places such as Azerbaijan, Lagos, Kashmir and, most recently (for our February 2016 cover story), Antarctica to see what he will come back with. (Note: we have another very exciting destination coming up this fall so keep an eye out.) There is always a give and take when it comes time to edit which goes with the territory when sending a photographer off on these very special, un-boundaried projects. There is a thrill in seeing where it all lands and of course, seeing it in the magazine. We are incredibly fortunate to have the freedom to publish these types of open-ended travel stories at WSJ.

Are you working with a core group of photographers now?
We have tried to strike a balance between working with a core group of photographers in order to establish the visual point of view of the magazine and the need and desire to bring in new talent.

 

What are you looking to do with the photography in the next two years?
I hope to continue to nurture our existing relationships with photographers and to continue to find exciting assignments for them. At the same time, I want to push things, bring in new photographers and continually refresh my own eye so I can bring more ideas to the magazine. I work very closely with our editor-in-chief Kristina O’Neill and creative director Magnus Berger and we have a continuous brainstorming conversation going, which never ceases to inspire and motivate me.

Where are you sourcing photographers?
I look at everything: museum and gallery shows, books, magazines, blogs, social media, photo fairs – you name it. I also rely heavily on our incredible photo team Damian Prado, Meghan Benson and Amanda Webster who are out there pounding the pavement looking at work, finding new talent, pitching ideas and generally bringing their enthusiasm and passion to WSJ. Ideas can come from anyone at the magazine; all of our editors are out in the world digesting imagery and ideas so it is always welcome when someone brings something new back to the fold.

Are you on the lookout for emerging talent as well? 
Absolutely, identifying and nurturing emerging talent is a one of the primary joys of this job for me.

 

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May 2016 Issue |   A Sense of Order  |    Photography by Zoe Ghertner Styling by Brian Molloy

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March Men’s 2016 Issue   |   Who the &%!#@ is James Corden?  |  Photography by Inez & Vinoodh Styling by David Vandewal



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November 2015  |   Innovators Issue Karl Ove Knausgaard  | Photography by Juergen Teller

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November 2015  |  Innovators Issue  |  Thomas Heatherwick  |  Photography by David Bailey

 

 

The Daily Promo: Jordan Pay

 

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Jordan Pay

Who printed it?
Peczah in Salt Lake City Utah printed it.

Who designed it?
Sam Rodgers designed it ( samsonrodgers@gmail.com )

Who edited the images?
I edited the images

How many did you make?
400 printed

How many times a year do you send out promos?
Send out once a year. I am putting out promos of personal work hoping to attract work that would fit what I love to shoot. Shooting personal work feels more inspiring, rather than putting in stuff that was shot for someone.

The Daily Edit: Trevor and Ty Paulhus

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SLAM

Photographer: Trevor Paulhus
Illustrator: Ty Paulhus
Creative Director: Paul Scirecalabrisotto

 

Trevor: ( the photographer )

Do you and your brother Ty often collaborate as a team?
We have talked about doing things together for years, but didn’t actually follow through with it until recently. He works a full-time job as a creative director and has a family, etc… and I live half-way across the country from him and am always busy as well, so it continually got put on the back burner.
But last year I got asked to shoot a fashion editorial for a publication’s “Art Issue” and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to pull in my brother. They gave us the freedom to run with our own concept, so we had a lot of fun figuring it all out together. I added some of the work from that series to my printed portfolio, did a little marketing push of the series online with social media and email blasts, etc… and people seemed to really dig the combination of our styles. Since then, he and I have been fortunate enough to get asked to collaborate on quite a few things as a team.
How did the concept come about? 
Paul from SLAM reached out to me directly with tears from the first fashion spreads Ty and I did. And simply asked if we would be interested in doing something similar for their upcoming cover/feature with Russell Westbrook. I have worked with SLAM for many years on many past assignments, so for me, it was rather standard in terms of my role behind the camera. And again, Ty and I were given pretty amazing creative freedom to simply work together as a team like we had on previous projects. I was asked to capture a few specific static portraits as well as some specific poses to help the flow of the illustrations and Ty was given some loose direction of them wanting things to feel a certain way, but besides that, Paul pretty much just let us do our thing.
Was Slam his client or your client?
SLAM was my my long-time client. It was really great to get to mix it up and do something different this time around.  I’m a huge basketball fan and the people at SLAM are all top-notch folks; have consistently been one of those clients that I feel really fortunate to have a long-standing connection with.
Growing up did you two always draw and take photographs?
Yeah. Absolutely. We used to draw together all the time, but Ty was always more into it than I was, and way better at it. My father is a graphic designer and used to take us to his studio after school. We would sit there for hours playing with his markers and pens while he worked. Ty and I both eventually went to college for illustration, but I ended up changing my major, I just didn’t have the passion for drawing. Eventually, I found photography after years of searching for a medium I connected with.
What was your first collaboration with your brother?
Our first collaboration was a series titled SCHIZOPHRENIC for a fashion editorial (mentioned above). Still one of my favorite things we have done together.

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Ty ( the illustrator )

What collaborative skills have you learned or better developed working with your brother?
Getting a chance to work with Trevor has been really great, we’ve talked about collaborating on a project like this for a long time. We already knew that we’ve got similar tastes as far as art & design goes, so I felt pretty comfortable going into the project. Being more open to feedback & change was definitely one of the skills I developed more while working on this project. Typically, I think about how an illustration works by itself, but in this case, the drawings needed to work as one with the photography, so finding that balance needed some back & forth which wasn’t always as easy as we wanted because we both have strong opinions on how we think it should be. Having those conversations with Trevor was alot of fun though, I value his opinion.
How many sketches did you go through for each final piece and what is your process?
My process for this project was a bit different than normal for me. Because I have a really loose, organic style that makes use of mistakes, ink bleed, drips, splatters, etc, I kept my sketches to thumbnails to get a sense of placement and a general outline of the page. Once I had an idea of how the photos & drawings were going to work together, it was a lot of iteration to get the lettering and drawings just right. I would use a lightbox to paint over the photos, building up textures & drawings, then I’d take all of the drawings and scan them in, putting it all together in Photoshop. By the end of the project, I had a huge pile of sketches & drawings for each illustration (around 20 each. I must have drawn each of the words 50x each until I thought it was just right.
Are you illustrating full time for your full time job?
No, I’m an Art Director at a company in RI that does web & app design. Outside of design, most of my art has been paintings and personal side projects that rarely saw the light of day. I went to school for illustration (Massachusetts College of Art), and after college I focused more on graphic & web design, only pursuing illustration work when fun projects like this one come up, but lately I have made more of an effort to get more regular illustration work.
How did you know at such a young age, illustration was your passion?  
I’ve always known I wanted to be an artist, even when I was much younger, making artwork was the only thing I ever wanted to do. Trevor & I have a lot of artists in our family (our dad & grandfather are both graphic designers & artists), so it seemed natural. We were always encouraged in whatever we were doing. I grew up with a nonstop barrage of comics, video games, skateboarding, graffiti and music. The unconventional creativity that permeates skateboarding & graffiti is massively inspiring to me, and really helped to shape the way I look at art, and life in general. I’d be destined for failure if I were to try to do anything else.

 

The Daily Promo: Jason Evans

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Jason Evans

Who printed it?
I looked at many different printers, some local and some of the larger mass production places.  In the end, I went with Agency Access as the printer as I was able to bundle many services together and their printing for this type of promo was perfect.  Since I was adding to my marketing list through their database, it made sense for them to print and mail.

Who designed it?
It was designed by Sara Jane Kaminski, a wonderful designer in Boston.  She had been recommended to me by several different business associates, and we’d been talking for several years trying to find the right opportunity to work together.  This was the first project that we worked on together and I was very happy with the results.  Sara came up with the template for emails and these printed bi-fold promos and I switch out the images and type.

I used to send promos in the clear plastic/cellophane envelopes that everyone uses now.  An art buyer in Florida emailed me to say that he had loved the images, but he had thrown the promo in the trash because of the plastic sleeve, as was his practice, and he hoped that the trend of using these envelopes would soon end. I am an environmentalist at heart, and that really stuck with me.  Since then, it has been very important in the mailer design, that they can ship without an envelope.  Sometimes, they are damaged, but I think that is a fair trade to avoid decorative plastic trash.

Who edited the images?
A great photo editor in Los Angeles, named Kathleen Clark, was recommended to me several months ago when I was looking to re-edit my website. We are in the process of finishing up the edit and redesign, and the site will be launched soon. Since she was so familiar with my work at that point, she was able to pull together these 5 images together very quickly.

How many did you make?
I am printing 1000 of each mailer and sending them to agencies, magazines, and photo agents

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I am sending out these mailers 6 times this year and am designing a larger promotional piece to coincide with the Olympics in Rio.

What project did the promo images come from?
This was a promo that went out in the winter and used images that I shot at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. I was working there for the International Olympic Committee. One of the images was selected for the the American Photography 31 Annual Book.  This was the first promo that went out for this year and was the first to go out with Sara’s design.

The Daily Edit – Jeremy Samuelson: Darling Magazine

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Darling Magazine


Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director:
 Sarah Dubbeldam

Photo Editor: Rebekah Shannon
Photographer:
Jeremy Samuelson

Do you scout your spaces prior to the shoot?
I only scout when it is a commercial job and there are prior expectations for the shots, furniture placement and so on; but when it is an editorial shoot, I like to experience it spontaneously and respond. I always do a walk through with a compass to check the travel of light during the day.

If there’s no time to scout, do you have a punch list of questions regarding available or natural light?
I look for trees, foliage, things that might influence the light. Also in LA, most of the buildings are not multi story unlike NYC where I have to be a little more careful if I want the streaming light look.

What type of creative influences surface in your work? 
I am really interested in still life in painting and photography. That is another facet of my work but I do see interiors as giant still life images.

What changes have you seen in interior photography?
Interior design is not seen a distinct or separate category but part of a whole lifestyle, what you surround yourself with is like what you choose to wear.

If the space is giving you a challenge what are your go to solutions to create an interesting space?
One way is to break up the space and treat it as a series of vignettes.

How often do you work with Darling Magazine and where are they based?
This is my second assignment for Darling, they are based out of LA but maintain an international presence.

What type of direction did you get from the magazine?
We talked about where we would shoot the portraits, they left the depiction of the space up to me. I like to include people in the interior when I can, for scale and interest. I will often use motion just to lighten the sense of human presence. We also talked about the mix of verticals and spreads they wanted.

The Daily Promo: Rob Hammer

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Rob Hammer 

Who printed it?
Agency Access

Who designed it?
Agency Access

Who edited the images?
Me

How many did you make?
100

How many times a year do you send out promos?
I’ll send out 2 promos like the hoops project book every year, which are more involved (usually some type of small book) and go to much more targeted list. And then I’ll send out about 6 other smaller promos to a much larger list.

How did this project start?
I’ve always been a basketball fan, but this project started years ago during my extensive road trips around the USA while working on my Barbershop project ( I photographed old barbershops in all 50 states of the USA, and later published that body of work into a book). Since that project ended, this project has picked up, and has been the focus of my never ending road trips.

How do you find the courts?
I drive cross country a lot to work on personal projects, and this has been my focus for the last couple years. Staying off highways and taking back roads has been the key. Small towns in the middle of nowhere. Never do any research. Just sniff them out.

Do you have bigger plans for this body of work?
Yes, I’m currently working on a few gallery shows. A big one for the beginning of next year, that I shouldn’t talk about yet, but really excited for it. Also trying to get them licensed commercially for ad campaigns with companies like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour. I’ll probably shoot this project for a few more years, and might think about doing a book as well.

Where was the hoops with the horns shot?
That hoop with the antlers is in Idaho.

The Daily Promo: Pixsy Copyright and Image Protection

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Pixsy

Founder: Daniel Foster

Pixsy is one of the leading reverse image search platforms that helps photographers get compensation for their stolen work.  Daniel had reached out to me after I tweeted to a company that used one of my images without my permission; I had hashed tagged the tweet:  #copyrightinfringement #photographyrights #copyright. His tweet was a welcome surprise.

Tell us how this project evolved for you.
A friend found one of her best photos used on a website selling holistic healing services. She’s been photographing professionally for twenty years and didn’t know what to do.

I thought it was very unfair that a business was profiting from her work while she was debating whether or not to cancel her health insurance to pay the rent, and realized that photographers need tools to address this problem.

What images were getting stolen from you?
I had a self-portrait used in an online advertisement without permission several years ago, and then observed a few of my architecture photos used without authorization later on.

How do you source the stolen images?
We use reverse image search to find copies, including manipulations, of a photo. From there it is up to the photographer to determine if a displayed use is authorized and if not, what action he or she wishes to take.

How does company sustain itself? Is the income from shared proceeds on the legal cases?
We receive a success-based commission for all payments we collect on behalf of photographers. The vast majority of our platform is free, and we also receive some subscription revenue from premium services such as our DMCA takedown feature.

Are you seeing a trend in stolen information or any particular area? 
Image theft occurs in every industry. We’ve noticed that music and concert photographers see their work stolen at a higher rate. Unlicensed use also appears to be a significant problem in the real estate industry.

What is the approx range for cases you’ve settled, lowest and highest?
Various factors influence the amount of compensation we request, including your previous sales history, local law, and the nature of the use. When we pursue a legal settlement, this has ranged from the thousands up to six-figure settlements.

How do I sign up and how much is it?
You can import and track up to 5,000 photos for free. Plans that give you up to 10,000 photos and our DMCA takedown feature start at $9.99 a month. Our service is invitation-only. You can request an invitation on our homepage.

Are there any free resources or is there a subscription plan?
There is a free plan to search up to 5,000 photos.

Can I batch export my photo library and have you scour the internet for usage?
We support one-click import from Flickr, 500px, Tumblr, Photoshelter, Instagram, SmugMug and Dropbox. You can also upload photos or import from a website. We’re adding new import sources on a regular basis.

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Walk us through the process of how this works.
Once you sign up and import photos, we begin the search process. Matches typically begin appearing immediately. From there you can browse through your matches. If you find a use of a photo you did not authorize and it is commercial in nature, you can use our “Submit case” feature to send it to our team to review. Depending on the situation and your wishes, we can take steps to secure a license fee for you or refer the matter to one of our law firms around the world.

We’re currently resolving cases in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Denmark.

The Daily Promo: Luke Copping

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Luke Copping

Who printed it? Who designed it?
It was both printed and designed  by Agency Access, I recently moved my printing to them because of the extremely high quality and their ability to offer some objective insight into the layouts and flow of the work.

Who edited the images?
In this case I did, but in past efforts I have worked with designer Emilie Lamoreaux, as well and consultants Karen DSilva and Angee Murray to help with my editing and image selection. This collection was primarily focused on sharing some of my more recent projects and features subjects like Buffalo Bills Quarterback EJ Manuel, violinist and recording artist Yuki Numata Resnick, labor attorney Ginger Schröder. US Marine and endurance runner Tony Nash, and Guy William Gane — a historical reenactor who provides period accurate casting and costuming for a number of television shows and feature films.

How many did you make?
I printed 250 of them, I used to send out a much larger batch, but I have condensed and focused my list to primarily focus on editorial clients and a few selects agencies. A few are also earmarked to go out to existing clients that I like to keep updated with my projects.

How many times a year do you send out promos?
Of these tri-folds I generally send out about 4 mailings a year. However, I do send some other promotions throughout the year that go out to a list of key clients. These tend to be larger in scale and scope, and are often often designed by Shauna Haider of We Are Branch. Currently I’m sending out a 24 page newsprint style zine printed by Newspaper Club. I love newsprint promos because of the feel of them and there is something perfectly imperfect and lo-fi about the way the images end up looking. I also have some other promos that are aimed at acquiring new corporate clients, these tend to be a little more service oriented and currently take the form of small booklets that go out to potential clients in this space.

Tell us how the gap between personal work and commissioned work is becoming more narrow.
In the promos I’ve been sending out in the last year or two I’ve found that my personal work, which often features artisans and entrepreneurs from the Rust Belt (and specially the Western New York/Buffalo area) has become more prominent. Mostly, this is because the gap between my commissioned work and my personal projects is getting narrower — in that I am often getting hired for assignments that are more aligned with the personal projects I have been producing. I also feel that the compelling stories behind these projects have a wide appeal, a hook which is helpful to me in appealing to many different kind of clients that run the gamut from local small businesses to newsstand magazines.

The Edit Daily – Joseph Heroun: Shape


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Shape

Creative Director: Joseph Heroun
Photo Director: Toni Ann Loggia
Art Director: Andrea Legge
Photo/Bookings Editor: David Baratta
Photo Editor: Erica Meneses
Associate Art Directors: Alan Boccadoro, Lisa Stem
Intern: Grace Barretti

As Creative and Design Director of Shape, one of the nation’s biggest magazines with more than 2.6 million circulation, Heroun has transformed it into a photographer’s publication, an unusual attribute for its category. The challenge and mission are to rock a mix of topics equally well: Fitness, style, beauty, health, and food.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Joseph for almost 20 years now, he had a tremendous influence on me as an art director and photo editor. I was lucky enough to work under him for one of my first national magazine jobs.

In a nutshell, he’s a branding specialist. Heroun’s background spans a wide range of titles including Sportswear International, Sports Illustrated, Mirabella, Newsweek, The Boston Globe, Boston magazine, Best Life, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, The New Republic, National Journal, and Men’s Fitness, the latter of which landed on Adweek’s Hot List six months after his 2013 redesign. I caught up with him about some of his thinking behind Shape’s new sex appeal.

What parts of the magazine have had the biggest impact on your watch and why?
All of it, not one thing has been overlooked. The brand was acquired by Meredith Corporation a year ago, culminating with an editorial and design refresh last summer that has evolved nicely. We built upon ideas and directions from the previous year, with evolutionary changes; and concentrated our efforts on sharpening everything. Our new reality included a significant budget cut that mandated better strategies and smarter decisions. We could not allow that hit to reflect negatively on the product, and, in fact, it had the opposite effect. Over time; we figured out what worked and what doesn’t and our A-Team is now firmly in place with all our shooters delivering consistently exceptional work, and a newly refocused editorial framework to hang it on. Huge props are due my stellar photo staff, Toni Loggia, Dave Baratta, and Erica Meneses.

Who, if any one photographer, has helped you create the signature look of your covers? I know this is always a goal for publications, to own a “cover look.”
Our covers have improved most significantly since assigning the amazing Arthur Belebeau as our primary shooter. We’ve worked together previously on fashion and beauty features, and progressed to covers and celebrity features only since the March 2016 issue. Despite not being considered a cover shooter, in the brief time that Arthur has done them the response has been overwhelming. His cool, hard-edged light is exceptional, modern and dimensional in a way that stands apart from our competitive set. It provides Shape with a distinctive look that evokes the sensation of warm sunlight and an active, outdoor lifestyle.

That carries over inside, where Belebeau shoots cover celebs as fashion or beauty features, often with a bit of camp, and a free-spirited, playfully sexy vibe. In our previous incarnation at American Media, we were required to include cover celebs doing workouts, which was dreadful, effectively diminishing their star power. It’s like discovering an esteemed actor in sweats at the supermarket.

What other elements of the magazine have thrived under your watch?
Food is another core topic that has come into its own with a unique look, featuring images photographed predominantly by Sang An and Ted Cavanaugh. Again, with strong, directional, light and crisp, open shadows that express the upbeat emotion associated with clear daylight. Our look is growing more distinct from the dedicated food mags. Though they do beautiful work, obviously, we just need to assert a unique identity. Recently, we’ve consolidated feature recipes to the last spread, allowing for unobstructed full-page hero shots, which look spectacular. They also shoot our front-of-book sections, so there’s a nice consistency that comes through and carries over into our beauty and style product photography, handled by the criminally talented Claire Benoist. Our studio and location fitness/lifestyle shots share the same sensibility, so everyone is pulling in the same direction and I’m proud to say that the magazine has found its stride.

Describe the thinking behind your approach to fitness photography.
Our fitness features have evolved greatly over the past year and a half. We cut way back on the mechanics of exercising, which can be more effectively delivered online, in favor of an elegant, aspirational experience that celebrates the female figure and which doubles as fitness style. For those features we rotate in various shooters including Martin Rusch, Dustin Snipes, Warwick Saint, and Sarah Kehoe.

What is your policy on retouching, (always a point of interest for in women’s fitness publications).
Since my time at Men’s Health and other celebrity titles it’s been important to me to uphold a policy of integrity on this. To skeptical readers that will sound hopelessly high-minded, but I firmly believe it’s in a brand’s best interest to be as honest and restrained as possible with depictions of people, celebrity or otherwise. It can easily go too far if you are not diligent in holding the line. No one wants to see a blemish and nearly any photograph requires some refinement. But I seriously loathe images overly-perfected in post. To me, it ceases to be a photograph, morphing into something closer to illustration. And the prevalence of that tars us all with a broad brush. Shape’s new platform and tagline, Love Your Shape, affirms our commitment to authenticity. And our belief that it’s a big tent, with many interpretations of what is fit and what is beautiful.

Talk about your typography.
Our typography is intentionally understated to place emphasis on the images, which is what resonates with readers. In my view, design is best when there is nothing left to take out. In terms of delivering service content, over-ambitious design hijinx that neither elevates nor instructs is misplaced. It works against the grounded, well-crafted elegance and precision we want the brand to be identified with.

Where do you see Shape, and yourself, in 5 years?
Me: Traveling abroad somewhere, shooting my own images. As for Shape, it’s at the top of its game in one of the hottest categories that will only get hotter. We are being swept up into a wave of a new-found confidence in print. You see it everywhere with fashion mags and others placing a premium on production, with better stock and larger formats. It’s a complete reversal of what was happening just a short time ago during the panic years. Everyone seems to have come to the conclusion that magazines deliver an unrivaled visual experience and that it’s time to leverage that unique strength. Which is good news for photographers. Though budgets are more restrained, the demand for photographic excellence is only getting louder. And, as always, smart design is smart business.

The Daily Promo: Cade Martin

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Cade Martin

Who printed it?
Classic Color outside of Chicago printed the Mercy Street Promo. Matt Parris, the creative we having been working with, recommended them. This was my first time working with Classic Color and would work with them again in a heartbeat. The printer, Matt Claybour, was very collaborative, friendly and interested in the project. We came to them with the idea for a newsprint promo and we ended up with a hybrid newspaper ‘style’ promo that had the look of a newspaper, but used a slightly heavier paper that held the ink better and kept it from rubbing off onto people’s hands.

Who designed it?
Parris is the designer and art director of the Mercy Street promotional piece. We were introduced to Matt through a mutual colleague at the agency he works at in Chicago. Matt has been amazing to work with – lots of energy, great ideas and it’s been a joy to collaborate.

Who edited the images?
My agents, Kate Chase & Matt Nycz, at Brite Productions and I edited the images together. We started with nineteen final Mercy Street portraits and narrowed it down to six. It’s always difficult to edit it down and a lot of times you can’t just pick your favorites. You can start with your favorite images and expressions, but it comes down to the rhythm of the pages and how well the images work together.

How many did you print?
We printed 3,500 promos. We customize the list for each promotional piece sent out and there is always the balance of the printing and mailing costs when arriving at the final number you’d like to print.
How many times a year do you send out promos?
We send out printed promotional pieces four or five times a year. This seems to be a nice number and the right amount of outreach to keep the work in front of art producers and creatives without overwhelming their mailboxes.

Why did you choose this project to feature in your promos?
I love to send out images that are close to my heart and from projects that I have really enjoyed. For promotional campaigns, we feature either a series of images from one project or it could be just one isolated image. But I always want to put out images that mean something to me and are not based on trying to guess what someone else might want to see.

How did this promo develop?
I was hired to shoot the series portraits for Mercy Street, a new Ridley Scott produced PBS and BBC TV Series set in the Civil War. I have a lifetime interest in film and character and was very excited to be a part of this project. My idea was to create a uniquely textured and modern scene that complemented the period-piece subjects to help get them into character and to show the rich, multi-layered stories.

 

The Daily Edit – Angie Smith: Stronger Shines the Light Inside

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Angie SmithStronger Shines the Light Inside

How do you see this work helping the refugees?
This work will be presented as an large scale, outdoor public exhibition that will be installed in 3 locations in downtown Boise for two months. My hope is anyone who stops to even read one story will walk away feeling like they have learned something new. The word “refugee” is so overused in our society right now because that’s the only word we have to describe people in this situation. But every single refugee living in Boise has such a different life journey. I want to help present these pictures and stories of refugees just as people, who happen to have been born into a situation that they eventually had to flee from, they all happened to end up in Idaho and they all have unique dreams they want to fulfill. Refugees aren’t just the images we see in the news of people in camps or migrating into Europe. Refugees are in the U.S. and they have been for many years, opening businesses, going to college, everyday they are surmounting tremendous obstacles. And beyond that, they are contributing so much to our communities. We just need take them time to connect with them. The more they are integrated into the communities where they resettle, the more they will succeed and be able to contribute to that community and the more we will all benefit. Boise stands out as one of the 5 most welcoming cities in America for refugees.

How did you find your subjects and what was the selection process?
I began with Rita and she is from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Then I went to a church in Boise where the majority of the congregation is from the Congo. I offered to take pictures of families in the church, to offer them something that would be valuable, but it would also allow me to start making contacts with people. The first 8 shoots were to experiment and get comfortable and see if people were willing to participate. I made the most contacts within the Congolese community, which also makes up about 30% of the refugee population in Boise. I consistently went to the church services and brought back prints so that people got to know me. All of my contacts just grew from there. People would invite me to their birthday parties, weddings, soccer games and baptisms. I am trying to represent as many different countries as possible in this project, so I had to go through the same process with each different community whether it was the Iraqis, Eritreans or Somali Bantus- I had to build trust.

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How long did you spend with each person and what tools did you use to get them to open up to you?
I try to have an initial meeting with each person, without a camera. I find that it goes a long way to just spend time with people, without an agenda. Many people are coming from cultures where there was a lot more time in the day to simply talk with another person. I think it’s difficult for refugees to adjust to this American lifestyle of constantly working and being busy.  I try to ask them questions and get a sense of the situation they have fled, what their life is like in Idaho and what they spend their time doing. This helps me visualize the picture I want to take of them. The more time I spend with the person and the more I create the space to connect with them, the more trust is built and the more they open up to me. It’s really about putting the time and effort in to get to know them. Many of my subjects I have become great friends with and we spend time together without taking any pictures.

I usually spend about 2-3 hours with each person. For some people, I do several interviews because as I get to know them, they open up more or say profound things as time goes on that I want to include in the project. The less pressure I put on people to talk about something, the more they open up when they are ready. Some of the interviews I have done in collaboration with a writer, Hanne Steen, who has a similar interview style. However, she speaks French and grew up in Kenya, Rwanda and the Central African Republic, so having that shared experience with some of our subjects definitely helps.

How difficult was the editing process and were you the only one editing?
The exhibition will install on September 1st, so I am still shooting and gathering interviews. I can tell  the edit is going to be challenging because I have so many pictures and people from this project that I love. I want them all to be in it. But that’s why some of my goals for this work reach beyond this exhibition. I want to publish a book; start making films have this exhibit travel around the world. The more exposure it gets, the more opportunities I have to share these stories and impact people’s perceptions.

 I will most likely ask for editing help from a friend and amazing photography consultant Meredith Marlay for some visual consultation. I will also go through the same process with Hanne, my writing partner to discuss the stories and how to edit the stories.

The edit will reflect each person’s story to represent a different aspect of this experience. I am always listening for someone to make a point or talk about something that hasn’t been talked about by another refugee.

Did you shoot anyone but not include them in the body of work?
Yes, I have actually shot several people that have expressed some level of hesitation about being on the internet. An example is a transgender woman from Iran, who has been persecuted, beaten and raped throughout her life. She was very open about her experiences wanted to talk about what she has been though. After the photo shoot, she expressed some fear around her identity being revealed. We re-shot her in a way that didn’t show her face. With her, I know there is a high probability she will decide not to be in the project, and that’s okay.  Even if I don’t get a picture that I can use, if the experience made them feel happy, that’s enough for me.

Are you following up with the subjects? Giving prints?
Yes, I follow up with everyone, but it takes a lot of effort to track people down and give them prints. I go to parties and weddings and I photograph a lot of people who I don’t exchange information with because it would just take too long. At the end of the project, I will be allocating the time necessary to track people down. Luckily, it’s a fairly small community and everyone knows everyone, so I can usually find out fairly easily a person’s name and phone number just by asking around. Giving prints to people is really important as a gesture. But it’s funny because with the teenagers, they don’t really want prints. They want you to text them the photos so they can post them on facebook. It’s difficult to communicate to them why I can’t do that sometimes, because I need to keep the pictures close until the exhibition launches.

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