Two Way Lens

Friday, April 27, 2012

Jesse Burke

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what have been some of the most important milestones in your career up until now?

I got my photographic start as a twenty-something skateboarder. I was shooting that lifestyle- my friends, action shots, landscapes of pools and ramps, stuff like that. It was a totally natural way for me to incorporate my new interest in photography into my existing life. It was very exciting. That spark really ignited a deep desire to become a photographer. It allowed me to see the world in a new more specific and meaningful way, shooting very personal subjects. Since those days two major things have guided my path as an artist, moving back to New England from the desert of Arizona where I found photography and having my 1st child. The landscape of New England and becoming a parent were really instrumental in who I have become as an artist. I consider those career milestones in a way. But also having my first solo exhibition at ClampArt in New York and the publication of my book, Intertidal, would be my more concrete milestones.

How do you approach editing your work, and what advice would you give to others about evaluating their photographs?

I started this pattern of shoot, shoot, shoot, and edit later. Shoot every and anything, even things that initially seem disconnected. For me relationships between images often occur back in the studio, during the proof-printing process, once everything was up on the wall. Relationships that I was unaware of at the time and couldn't have possibly seen in camera. This way of working has become part of my core process and allows me to create the installations that I eventually exhibit. The process of acquiring the images in a free form way has also allowed me to shoot various types of pieces (portrait, still live, landscape) and exhibit them seamlessly together. I guess I'm editing all the way through, just in different ways. So my point is be open during the editing process to things outside of your expected comfort zone.

I'm a big believer that getting as many eyes on the work as possible can be great when editing. Share your work at all stages of the process with peers and friends. Let go of some the control and see what happens. I know this sounds elementary but print out the images, hang them on the wall, and look at the bigger picture. In the digital age I feel that more editing is done onscreen. Sit with things for a while and really look at what you're doing, look for connections.

How do you decide on new projects to work on? Do you always shoot with a concept in mind or do you wait to be inspired as you go?

I've had the fortune that most of my projects organically rise to the surface, sort of fall in my lap. I am always thinking about various concepts that interest me and how they can be related to my art making process and how I can implement them into my life. So there is stuff buzzing around all the time, then every once and a while I'll make some work about a topic. I float around between a few projects at once so I can spread out my attention, which keeps it fresh. I would say my practice is made of 50% of work that is preconceived and produced with an idea in mind and 50% on the fly as I go. but in the end all of the work will fit into the same project. for example, right now my daughter and I are driving around waiting for things to appear or happen, but at he same same time we are focused on shooting planned things. It's a really nice way to work because it allows me to be open to chance encounter but also make sure I have something solid happening that's ready to go.

For Intertidal I moved home to New England and was awaked by what I saw. The landscape, my friends and family, etc. I was coming back east after being away for 10 years. I became a visual artist while I was gone, so returning was crucial in creating that work. The move sort of dictated it in a natural way. Blind was sort of a commission in the early stages. I was invited by a friend to go down south and visit a hunting farm with him to hang out and possibly make some new work. When I arrived I knew that my next project was at hand.

The project I am currently working on really fell into my lap. I was on a road trip with my 5 year old daughter to explore nature and photograph what we encountered and before I knew it I was deep in the throes of a serious art project. Maybe the most complete one I've attempted in terms of what interests me the most at this point in my life.

What ways have you found successful for promoting your work and finding a receptive audience for it?

I think making the rounds on the portfolio review circuit is important. It's a great way to show your work to the right people all in one place. It can be expensive but in my experience it has paid off. Review Santa Fe is the one of the best and has been integral in my career. I would definitely recommend it. Being a good self-promoter is crucial, emailing, social media, blogging, all of that keeps people aware of you and you're work on a daily basis. I'm on the grind all day, everyday. Just ask my wife.

Rapper Rick Ross says it best "Everyday I'm Hustlin'" It's funny, but 100% true.

Also, having the right dealer and agents is important. Everyone wants a gallery and a commercial agent, but the key is to find the right ones that are a perfect match for you and your work, then to work as a team. I took my time in finding the right gallery and agent to work with. Sometimes it's hard and scary to make the right decisions. But if you have a vision for how you see your future and what your team should be then don't settle for anything less. I'm not saying hold out for Gagosian, be realistic. Figure out where you fit and who you really want to work with and then go for it and give it your all. I feel like I should say, easier said than done right here, true, but getting the audience, collectors or jobs that you want comes from the right team. I've been incredibly fortunate to have a great team of people to work with. It makes me happy everyday to know that I can trust them and their vision of my work. Together we get the work in front of the right audience.

Franconia Hoop

Old Spice

Bloody Nose

Tree Farmer

Father, from the series Intertidal 1

Cannon Mountain View

Hidden, from the series Blind

Open Country, from the series Intertidal 1

Nectar Imperial, Nils, from the series Intertidal 1

Push Up, from the series Intertidal 1

Silver Bullet, from the series Intertidal 2

Postgame, from the series Intertidal 2

Wilson, from the series Intertidal 2

© copyright all images Jesse Burke, all rights reserved.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Chris Anthony

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what have been some of the most important milestones in your career up until now?

As a teenager I was really into music and so I started a fanzine and of course we needed pictures so I started photographing the bands. The first few shows produced horrible results, but after awhile I started to get a bit better at it, and then fell in love with the process.

Photography studies followed, and I started shooting professionally for music magazines all over the world. Then at the ripe of old age of about 17 I gave it up and moved to Florence to study art history.

After that my love of film took over and I started working my way through the Swedish film industry and then began directing shorts which led to TV work and commercials, music videos etc.

The irony is when I ended up moving to Los Angeles, I gradually dropped out of film making and I picked up a still camera for the first time in over ten years and was utterly enchanted.

I've been shooting still photographs now full time for about 7 years and although I do the occasional campaign or album cover I mostly concentrate on my own work which is shown in galleries.

Just being able to make a living is the milestone, I think!

How do you approach editing your work, and what advice would you give to others about evaluating their photographs?

Much of the editing is done before I even shoot, because I mostly use large format film and shoot very

few images.

I try to prepare as much as possible, so when the film is processed there's not much variation or much to choose from. Now that I've started working with wet plate, there's even less editing involved.

On the other hand, not everything comes out good, and knowing what to put out into the world is an art unto itself. I go with my gut, which isn't always right!

How do you decide on new projects to work on? Do you always shoot with a concept in mind or do you wait to be inspired as you go?

It usually begins with an awful lot of ruminating and brooding! Coming up with good ideas is the most difficult part of the process.

If I'm lucky I'll think of something decent once a year.

Then all the art direction / locations / costumes. Making costumes and/or masks. Perhaps renting or buying certain elements. Deciding on whether any type of crew is needed (I prefer to do as much as possible myself if I can get away with it).

The shoot itself is usually quite quick and painless if I've prepared properly. Unless of course the location is tough due to the elements.

I've done a lot of shooting in the Pacific ocean on cold, wet winter mornings and it's usually pretty tough on the models.

What ways have you found successful for promoting your work and finding a receptive audience for it?

My website is really the only platform I have. Sometimes I send out e-mails.

VENICE 1

VENICE 3

VENICE 7

VENICE 20

REGINA PELAGUS

SPICULUM

JULIANA

NOMAD

TERRY FX MACGILLARCUDY

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE / Warner Music
The Black Parade

© copyright all images Chris Anthony

Friday, February 24, 2012

Ruben Natal-San Miguel

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what have been some of the most important milestones in your career up until now?

RN-SM

On a personal level , that my work is already appreciated and in hands of very good and notable art collectors. It is important to me that the work sells and that it goes into the right hands. Being an art collector myself specialized in Fine Art Photography to me that speaks volumes of the work , that had been creating for the past 8 years. I never expected that publications like The Atlantic Magazine September 2011 issue) will contact my art dealer to publish one of my photographs , tilted ''Wonder'' and not only publish it also , pay me an editorial fee for it. During 2011, my work was published in 4 different publications ( Urban Italy, Wink , The Atlantic and Aperture Magazine) . I thought that was pretty amazing considering how competitive this field can be. My photographs had been shown in galleries, art fairs nationally and overseas so you can say, sort of still pinching myself about. Also being able to do public speaking about photography and my work as such venues as School of Visual Arts and Photo Plus 2011 at the Javitz Center were great highlights as well.

How do you approach editing your work, and what advice would you give to others about evaluating their photographs?

RN-SM

Being a photography juror and portfolio reviewer for many years for organizations such as Photolucida, Woodstock Center for Photography, En Foco, American Society of Media Photographers NY Chapter and had conducted my own as well , I will highly recommend everybody to have a pair of good second eyes to help edit your work. Editing is a storytelling factor in a body of work or series. There are photographs that stand on its own but, if they are to be told as part of a narrative with others , its placement and sequence matter the most . On my case , I make the work , I edit it and post some on Social Media with a narrative with it an see the reaction of the public and my own. I have a very transparent and democratic way to approach my work and like to share my own personal experience of how I become of it. Since , I already have a trained eye, just present the work to my art dealer and together we decide what to show and why. I always take in consideration what can be ''sellable'' and what it is just other images that provide ''support '' to the rest of the body of work .

How do you decide on new projects to work on? Do you always shoot with a concept in mind or do you wait to be inspired as you go?

RN-SM

I like to do work that inspires me and moves me in such a way that no matter how much danger is involved , still gets done. I had been photographing in the Inner City areas of NYC for over 8 years and counting because, my sole purpose is to bring out the best of it, that endearing element that most people simply ignore because its geographical/ social-economic location. There is a constant gentrification in these areas and with that includes shifting in race demographics, economic, class, values and tradition. Every time , I go out there and hit the streets , I long and look for a NY that is constantly evolving and disappearing in front of my eyes by the minute. I had the pleasure of documenting Architecture, people, places and traditions that are almost extinct and great number gone already. After many years of capturing street life as it evolves in front of my eyes as a witness/voyeur now, I am focusing on the interior aspect or soul of the Inner City, their businesses and their life right at home which it is a more heartfelt, personal, intimate and human approach.

What ways have you found successful for promoting your work and finding a receptive audience for it?

RN-SM

I am a true believer that Social Media works if you represent yourself and your work in a respectful manner and if there is true and strong message to communicate to the public. In my case due to my positioning in the photography business, it is very hard to separate my public persona in the photography business vs. my labor of love as a Fine Art Photographer. It is a tough act to balance and one that I still juggle with on a daily basis. I did get my first solo show out of someone seeing some of my photographs posted on Facebook so, that tells my story.

Nathan's, 2012 Coney Island, NYC. From the ''Coney Island UnSeen'' series. ©Ruben Natal-San Miguel

Subway Girl, 2012 NYC. From the '' Subway Chicas On The Go'' series. ©Ruben Natal-San Miguel

Subway Beauty, 2012 NYC. From the ''Subway Chicas On The Go'' series. ©Ruben Natal-San Miguel

Black is Beautiful, 2012 NYC. From the '' Portraits from All Walk of Life'' series. ©Ruben Natal-San Miguel

Not Over, 2012 NYC. From the '' Portraits from All Walk of Life'' series. ©Ruben Natal-San Miguel

Demolition Depot, 2011 Harlem, NYC. From the '' Demolition Depot'' series. ©Ruben Natal-San Miguel

Thursday, January 26, 2012

John Arsenault

What inspired you to start taking photographs, and what is the primary inspiration for you to keep working in this field?

It was in my junior year of high school. My friend Cindy bet me she could take a better photograph then I could, so I enrolled in a photography class. And I fell in love with it right away. She lost the bet and I found my passion!

I’m inspired by living life. My goal is to produce a visual monologue about my own life: the aspects of myself that I am most mystified and riveted by - my sexuality, my personal relationships, the masculine vs. feminine parts of my identity and my place within society.

With that said, my work is a photographic diary. I use the camera as a tool to capture the experiences that life presents every day. This includes vibrant color, humor & my ability of transcending the mundane: celebrating and highlighting moments that we often overlook are paralleled with intimate moments with friends and lovers.

My relationship with my work is a lot like all my relationships - some days I feel totally connected and other days I feel totally disconnected.

In your opinion and experience, how can emerging photographers evaluate themselves as ready to start promoting their works and seek broader exposure for their photographs? What is one vital action you would recommend photographers undertake to find their audience, be included in exhibitions, and gain professional representation?

I was very patient with finding gallery representation. I did extensive research on galleries in NYC. I attended openings on a regular basis to see what art the galleries were showing and to determine where I thought my art would fit in. I made a handmade book and gave it to Brian Clamp, owner of ClampArt Gallery (where I’m currently represented). Honestly, Brian didn’t take me on right away, but eventually we formed a relationship. I sent out endless slides and promo pieces on a regular basis. Basically, I put myself out there and was relentless. That's what it takes.

Today there are so many outlets for artist to promote their work; Tumblr, Facebook, personal websites, ibooks, emails, etc. These options weren’t even available when I was starting out. But you can look it in two ways. On one hand, there means that there are so many additional ways to reach an audience and get the word out about your work. On the other hand, it's a lot more work and much more active communication that you need to stay on top of.

One vital action that I would pass on? There’s a line between being ready and letting one’s ego lead. Creating the work is most important. One has to have the work to evaluate and promote. Don’t loose sight of this. Find peers to critique your work, peers that will give truthful, constructive criticism.

How did it come about that you achieved the status of successful, professional photographer? What steps were involved in reaching your level of success?

Commitment, determination, persistence, focus, talent, stubbornness and humility mixed with a lot of courage have allowed me to succeed. And I measure my success on my own terms, not by what the art community says.

During my freshman year at the Art Institute of Boston my professor Jane Tuckerman said to me “The art world is a crowded place and difficult to get into, but there’s always room if you’re determined and push your way in” I never lost sight of those words.

I created. I create. It's a process that never ends. And is my unfaltering commitment to my art and to myself.

I am My Father's Son, Provincetown, MA

Their God Called ME, He Said NOT to Worry cause We're NOT the Sinners going to HELL, It's Them

His Visitor, Echo Park, CA

FAGGOT, Provincetown, MA

Your Ignorance Could Smother the World, Hookerhill, NY

Love Won't Let Me Wait, Provincetown, Ma

I Won't Stop till My Tears are All Shed, Provincetown, Ma

Lonely, NYC

Forget About My Tainted Heart, It's You I keep My Legs Apart For, Provincetown, MA

New Guy In Town, Los Angeles, CA

About this Blog

Two Way Lens is a project designed to inform and inspire emerging photographers wanting to focus their creative output in a way that enhances their chances of finding an audience, being included in exhibitions and ultimately achieving gallery representation. The journey from inspired artist to successful artist is one that is often difficult to negotiate and hard to control. On these pages, I will feature the experiences and opinions of other photographers who I have found inspiring, and hopefully the knowledge they have built in their own experiences will be valuable to all of us finding our own way to sharing our creativity with the wider world.