W

THE

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE
Vol. I

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3

Thanks from Photo

If youve read our previous Collectives, you know the
deal. So why waste time? Weve asked the questions you
know youve wanted to see answered. Weve pulled the
best advice from the greatest photographers you know
youve wanted to read. And just like before were confident youll enjoy this amazing talented and innovative
work just like we do.
Following this history, were calling this one the Portrait
Collective. Weve interviewed our favorite portrait photographers from around the world and collected all their
insights, thoughts, and tips in one free ebook for you.
Were sure youll love their work as much as we do.
All we ask is for you to continue spreading the word by
liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. Please
continue being so great. And tell your friends that they
can get it at http://www.photowhoa.com/portrait.
Because here at PhotoWhoa we want to help you become a better photographer. Thats our purpose. We find
the coolest photography products at exclusive prices that
will help you improve your skills, so you dont have to.
But if you have no idea who we are, check us at http://
www.photowhoa.com. Were sure youll find something
youll like.
This background photo was taken by Erik Madigan Heck.

oWhoa!

CONTENTS
the P o r t r a i t

Collective

Brian Higbee, 8
Anna Wolf, 16
Erik Madigan Heck, 24
Kristina Loggia, 36
Jamie Diamond, 42
George Elder, 48
Ben Zucker, 52
Mark Peckmezian, 62
Jeremy & Claire Weiss, 70
Catie Laffoon, 78

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See
yourself
walking
alone
through whichCAPTURING THE TRUE FORCE OF BEAUTY
BRIAN HIGBEE

ever city you

live in, near its
9

core, through
its streets. Its
night. Youve
already experienced your first love, felt the
sinister contradictions that one brought, and
have since known the twin nature of beauty
already deciphered the many symbols it wears.
But despite your experience, on this walk,
you then see the face of a person so beautiful youre at the point of fainting, at pains for
staying still never has something captured
your attention as intensely until now. You wish
you were closer, so you go. When youre finally
close enough to reach out, you see that its
only another advertisement for another summer blockbuster.
Celebrity photographers like Brian Higbee
know exactly how to stop the eye and pull you
in. They understand that the celebrity portrait
is mythmaking in the highest order, and that
this mythmaking puts you in a moment beyond yourself. Having worked with Interview,
considered the first magazine published for the
cult of celebrity, Higbee goes for the weakest
part of you. He tantalizes your eyes. He makes
work that confidently understands that the
everyday experience we live for is not always
what we want to see. His portraits trade in the
pull and repel of a beauty seemingly close but
always out of reach.
In this interview, Higbee talks about his work
with Interview magazine, explains why he loves
woodwork and snowboarding, and reveals his
approach to natural lighting.
10

ou left your eleven year career in

graphic design to shoot photography.
What was more appealing about photography? How did you get your start?
Photography has always been a part of my
life. My grandfather was the photographer
of the family, other than being a radio host.
That inspired me to want to shoot. I grew up
skateboarding, snowboarding, bike racing and
anything other actions sports I could do. I was
heavily influenced by music and arts too. Early
on, I was taking photos of friends skateboarding and playing in bands. I soon realized that
photographing people was my passion. I love
connecting with people, learning their history
and where they came from. Everyone has a
unique story.
When do you realize that you had potential in
photography? Were you ever unsure of your
talents?
I realized I had potential when I started shooting my own portraits for my commissioned
graphic design jobs. From the beginning, Ive
always been comfortable with a camera in my
hand. Holding myself accountable of any mistakes Ive made in the process has strengthened me and my work ethic.

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

11

Understanding how to
work with
strobe and
natural light
is crucial, so
that you can
achieve even
more with the
location.

12

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE
Youve shot for Interview. I love that this one of Maddie Hasson (top left). were a mix of natural light and strobe.
magazine. How did you secure work Could you explain how this image There wasnt enough light in a lot of
with them? Who was your first ce- was made from start to finish? How the rooms. If I can use only natulebrity client?
did you approach directing her?
ral light, I will. Nothing beats natural
light. BUT, you dont always have the
I did a shoot with Claire Holt, actress As soon as I brought the idea to Mad- choice to do that. Understanding how
in the Originals and previously Pretty die at the beginning of the shoot, she to work with strobe and natural light is
Little Liars. Interview was looking for loved it. It wasnt hard to get her into crucial, so that you can achieve even
a portrait of her for a feature, and this aesthetic roll of angst. We actu- more with the location.
thats how we connected. The first ally shot the story at my house. The
For all of you natural light phocouple shoots I did with them went rooms that I shot the story are east- tographers, heres a fun game I play
really well and Ive been a consistent ern facing with no sunlight coming in, with my assistants, I call it exposure
contributor with them ever since. so I had to use all strobe. It wanted it guessing. Before we meter anything,

There are a few great stories Im excited about that are coming out soon.
Keep an eye out! As for my first celebrity, it was Jeff Goldblum. He was
funny as hell and extremely nice. We
hung out for about an hour and half
after the shoot.

to look naturally lit as if it was the end well all guess what we think the exof the day light. We just put on a great posure is of the natural light. Well set
playlist and knocked it out!
the ISO depending on direct sun or
open shade. So between 100 ISO Your portraits of Krysten Ritter are 400 ISO, normally. Its a fun comgreat. Did you use natural light for petition. The side-effect is that youre
that set? If so, what advice could you learning to really know your light. Itll
give other photographers about us- make you more confident in any situAll your work with Interview seems ing natural light for their portraits?
ation and just that much stronger of
to fit their general aesthetic that
a photographer. The next exposure
unfazed rawness. For example, I love Thank you. All these shots of Krysten guessing step to that is doing it in
13

studio with strobes. Hearing the pop Listening. Then, understanding where
of the pack and the intensity of the the clients ideas are coming from and
light hitting the subject. Try it!
what theyre looking for in the end
result. From there, you can guide
You also shoot really clean advertis- them and give honest creative input
ing images. How do you start plan- to make it your aesthetic. The clients
ning an advertising shoot? For in- hire you for your aesthetic after all.
stance, with Adidas, did you wait for
specific direction from them? Or did You also told me that keeping hobyou have some creative freedom?
bies, like wood-working and skateboarding, helps you stay creative and
Planning starts during the first call well-balanced. Why do you think

with the agency. Ad agencies normally have a basic concept in mind

before they start the process of hiring
a photographer. They look to me to
bring their concept to light, while offering more ideas and being involved
in the final creative process.

this is? What advice would you give

to other photographers about staying creative?

I feel that having hobbies and other

interests, other than your full-time
career, is essential. It keeps you out
of the house and being able to see
Whats your approach to navigating friends, etc. For me, it helps with
through client demands and creative problem solving and just overall wellexpression?
ness. It broadens my knowledge and
experience. You dont have to learn
14

how to fly a plane. You can go take

cooking classes, welding classes,
drawing, you get the picture. I cook
almost every night. I love the process
of prepping, cooking, and then sitting
down to enjoy what you just created.
Same with woodworking. Its my
garden if you know what that term
means. If not, do a bit of research.
Be sure to check out Brians website!

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15

A N N A

W O L F

M O D E R N
X
W O L F
S

ince graduating from Pasadenas Art Center College of

Design, fashion photographer Anna Wolf has shot with more
than seventy of the biggest names in
fashion, advertising, and print. They
include industry giants like Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine, Levis,
Microsoft, LOreal, and Yves Saint
Laurent to name only a few. She
also has shot in some of the most
beautiful places in world, including Italy, Thailand, and Argentina, and even
spent a year living in Mexico City to
learn Spanish. Currently, Wolf spends
her time between New York and Los
Angeles.
When I asked her what have been
the greatest lessons photography has
taught her, she insightfully compared
photography to life therapy. It is
such a challenging path, she says, It
really makes you look at yourself and
your place in the world. Each shoot
is so different and you get kind of
thrown into the mix with all of these
16

incredible and sometimes crazy people and situations. And although she
knows photography has taken much
out of her, she continues because she
believes its something she was always
meant to do.
In this interview, Wolf talks about
what photography means to her, explains her approach to portraits, and
reveals what it takes to make clean
and consistent work.

work as being this great intersection

between fashion and lifestyle a mix
between fashion that is approachable
and low-key and lifestyle with really
good taste!
Were you ever unsure of your talents? When did you find your visual
voice?

Ive always been unsure of my talents to a degree! Isnt that the nature
love how seamless and clean all of being a creative person? But the
your work is. How did you get your longer I make work the more confistart? How would you describe your dent and content I feel I care less
work?
about what other people think of my
work and more and more I want to do
Thank you Freddy! I started taking things that I love and that make me
pictures in high school photos of happy. Its a good place to be, but
my life and friends hanging out. Its it took me a while. As for my visual
really interesting to look back at those voice I think Ive always had it. But
photos to see that what Im doing now it took a while to get better at edithas a direct link to how I started out. ing my work and to start focusing
From the beginning, I wasnt as inter- the work toward a specific direction.
ested in taking the picture, as I was When youre new, you think you want
in making the picture. I look at my to do everything. But the deeper in

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17

I care less about what other people think of my work and more
and more I want to do things that I love and that make me happy.

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I think there is a story in every persons face and Im always trying to

capture something that is real and authentic.

19

you get, the more you realize its important to hone in on your style and
the direction your work is taking. Ive
learned to separate the work out in
the world I love from the work I think
I should be doing.

Reanna Evoy, the creative director

and art director I worked with were
so incredible and talented. Such an
amazing shoot.

Youve worked with LOreal. Ive always wondered how they get images
Storytelling has an important place that look and feel consistent. When
in your work, especially in your life- hired, do they give you a strict guidestyle and portrait sections. This one, lines you must follow?
for example, harks back to teenage
romance and all the thrills that come Well, I think they hire photographers
from young love (above). Do you go that already fit their brand. So there
into every image thinking theres al- isnt much of a stretch with strict
ways a story to tell? If so, how do you guidelines. But the LOreal team was
find these stories?
super clear with their vision and really on point with what they wanted
I think there is a story in every per- and didnt want when we were shootsons face and Im always trying to ing. As a photographer, having a sucapture something that is real and au- per clear objective from the client
thentic. So in that way, yes. This shot is so important. I was really involved
in particular was for a brand called with the casting, choosing my team
Call it Spring and the concept for and studio and the dialogue about dithe shoot was indoor/outdoor spaces. rection was really open and easy. We
We were shooting for the Spring and had a reasonable amount of shots to
Summer campaigns everything for do that day, so it gave us the room
Spring was shot inside with a bit of an to come away with these really soft,
outdoor presence just on the cusp beautiful shots. They have a company
of being warm. Everything for Sum- they run all of their post through so
mer was outside with a call-back to retouching went to them which really
being inside. It was a super fun con- helps keep the consistent look for the
cept and, Douglas Bensadoun and brand.
20

Your portraits section features many

great home environment shots. I
love them. They uncover the root of
a person. What do you look for when
entering a persons home? What details do you think every photographer should think about when making an environmental portrait?
Theres something so incredible about

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

being a photographer because you

get access to peoples lives. I really
love getting into the space and really
having a look around. Taking my time
and looking at what story there is to
tell. When Im doing an environmental portrait story for a magazine (this
shoot was for Dumbo Feather Magazine) I like to give them a wide range of
options. Tight details and pulled back

shots of the space, and the same for

the subject that Im shooting. Scale is
so important when putting together a
story like this.
Although its an ad for Microsoft,
this close up seems impromptu. Her
expression seems so warm and considerate (next page). How did you
find this moment? Was it impromp-

tu? If so, what made you at that

exact moment want to take her
photograph?
Nothing is impromptu! There are exceptions to this but its rare when
doing an ad job that there is room
for spontaneity. These jobs have so
many moving parts, so many people
involved. Hair/makeup/talent/pro21

ducers/locations/lighting etc. that

everything has to be super buttonedup and planned. For me the challenge
is always to have constraints but to
get in there and find that moment in
all of the chaos. To really block everything else out and to make it about
me and the subject that is in front of
the camera. When I can do that its a
successful picture.
What have been the greatest lessons
photography has taught you about
life? Any epiphanies while interacting with so many people?
Ha! What a great question. Ive often
thought that being a photographer is
like being in life therapy. It is such a
challenging path that it really makes
you look at yourself and your place in
the world. Each shoot is so different
and you get kind of thrown into the
mix with all of these incredible and
sometimes crazy people and situations. You show up to set and have to
get the job done regardless of what is
going on. Im a really intuitive person,
and because of it Im hyper-sensitive
to the vibe on set. Ive learned over
the years that this is my strength but
it can also be my weakness. I do my
best to keep my sets fun and dramafree and focus all of my energy on
my clients and talent. I like to keep
things super positive and really try to
let go of things I cant change.
Be sure to check out Annas website!

22

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23

WHY A L L PHOTOGRAPHERS
N E E D TO L E A R N
ART HISTORY

Erik Madigan Heck

t the start, when I first discovered

Erik Madigan Hecks work, I knew
Id found photography I had never
experienced before. Like reading Dostoevsky for the first time, or first hearing
Thelonious Monk, or seeing any of Bergmans films, I knew at the very beginning
that I had come upon a genis. So, while
still babbling in wonder, I decided immediately that I wouldnt allow my words to
muddle up your first experience with it. I
wanted you to feel what I felt.
In keeping with this, Ill just state the
facts as they are. New York fashion photographer Erik Madigan Heck has been
awarded one of the highest honors in
the photography world, the ICP Infinity
Award, was the youngest photographer
ever to shoot the Art of Fashion, which
also has been bestowed on legends like
Annie Leibovitz and Helmut Newton, and
has self-published six photo books. Hes
been called a maker of holistic universes
and a true creative visionary. And Id add
that his work compares only to the rarest
of moments those of pure ecstasy.
In this short interview, Heck talks about
how he got his start in photography, ex24

plains how photographers can use colors

better, and shows why every photographer should seriously study the arts.

think youre a genius. Its unbelievable

how powerful your sense of color and
design is. How did you get your start?
How would you describe your work?
Thank you very much! My mother is
a painter as a kid I learned color from
spending hours doing watercolor paintings
with her, and from age four we were in the
museums every week absorbing paintings. When I was a teenager, she gave me
a camera and that began my love with
photography I havent stopped since
then. My work is always changing, so its
hard to describe but I think of myself as
a painter who uses photography.
I know you dont like giving details about
how you finish your images, but could
you give our readers a general approximation about hows it done? You forgo
digital effects correct?
No, I have many different processes,

I think of
myself as
a painter
who uses
photography.

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you first learn to copy until you find your own voice
some analog and some digital. I have come
to embrace digital post production, but I
think I use it in a way that is more akin to
painting, where I create new parts and add
so many layers of color and different elements that its no longer even recognizable as photography. But thats the beauty
of digital post production it has become
our generations new way of painting.
Could you explain why you prefer the
film format? What advantages does film
give you?
Film has a specific look that you cant
truly replicate with digital you can
come close but its not the same. Im still
attached to the physical nature of the
negative. But like I said, I have begun embracing digital photography too.
Central to your work is a genuine interest
and appreciation for art. You reference
many great works with your photography. For instance, Mary Katrantzou #3.2
brings to mind Frida Kahlo and Johannes
Vermeer (left). Could you explain how art
influences your work? Any compositional
lessons you want to share?

learning and the journey of being an artist you first learn to copy until you find
your own voice. I find bringing in heavy art
historical references adds a dimension to
the work that makes it timeless, because
its not nostalgia that Im after, its more of
an homage or striking a dialogue with the
history of painting, which has a tumultuous past with photography as a medium. It
also humbles you when you are constantly
comparing your own works to those of
masters. It elevates the work I think on
many levels.
You communicate so well with color.
Youre able to affect meaning in many
subtle ways. A loud example is Out of
Order #3 (next page left). What fundamental ideas about color should every photographer know? Any specific
theories you think are being ignored or
unrealized?

Color for me is really about color what

I mean to say is when I create color works
they are primarily color studies. When I
shoot in black and white it becomes all
about composition and light. Theyre two
totally different things. I think photographers shouldnt see them as arbitrary
Im heavily referential to art that Im drawn choices but should really make a conto, I always have been. Thats part of
scious effort to use one or the other when

29

art historical
references
adds a

dimension to
the work that
makes it
30

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timeless,
because its not
nostalgia im
after,

its more of
an homage
or striking a
dialogue with
31

the subject matter lends itself to it.

a casting.

Do you ever write short stories to flesh

out ideas? How about important is story
to your pre-production process? Surrealist Ideal #11 seems like a perfect fit
for any Alejandro Jodorowsky film (next
page).

Any last thoughts on how photographers

may learn from painters? Any influences
you feel would help other photographers
expand their visual curiosity?

No, I dont write for my images, but I

always start with one idea and then try
and figure out the best way to illustrate
the idea as opposed to trying to just go
out and take a picture. Sometimes it takes
months of thinking about the subject
before I can approach it and oftentimes
ideas that are discarded always come back
later on to work in future projects.
Etro Winter 2013 #9 is unsettlingly
beautiful (right). His expression means
so much to the image. What was your
approach to direction for this one? Was it
different than your general approach?
The picture of Dorian Gray was my inspiration for this project. I first found the
boy and then molded the sets around him
and the clothing. I had this image of the
perfect boy in my head and found him at

32

Keep making mistakes only through

those will doors continue to open. Alienate everything you know all the time, youll
be better off in the end.
Be sure to check out Eriks website!

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

33

Alienate everything y

34

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

you know all the time

35

K r i s t i n a

L o g g i a

eeing a master at work, you

learn the powers at play: An
image may alter your life, a
photobook set its course. For New
York photographer Kristina Loggia
making photography was never a
conscious choice. Harry Callahan,
Diane Arbus, Dorothea Lange, and
Margaret Bourke-Smith were all
fixtures in her childhood. Before she
found her photography, she found
theirs. And now that the years have
cycled through, she still carries
them.
No space is just a space, no
object just an object. Everything has
a history and holds meaning, Loggia
says about her approach to portraiture. Like the greats she grew up
revering, Loggia knows that the details that explain a person are never
hidden. They just need to be pulled.
Some come quietly, whereas others
impress so heavily theyre impossible
36

CAPTURE
THE
DETAILS
to ignore. But no matter how small
or messy, Loggia is always looking for
those little details that sing.
In this interview, Loggia explains
how her parents influenced her photography, talks about her influences,
and reveals why details always matter
in a portrait.

oure a well-known celebrity

photographer and photojournalist. I really like the immediacy your
work. How did you get your start?
How would you describe your work?
I dont consider myself a well-known
photographer, but I appreciate that
perception. I was living in Los Angeles when I first started to work as a
photographer. My roommate at the
time was shooting actors headshots
and beginning to work consistently.
It was a three bedroom house, so we
decided to turn one of the rooms

into a studio. I had been studying

acting for a long time. I knew many
actors. I began to take pictures of
my friends (mostly actors) and built
a portfolio from those pictures. After
about a year, my roommate ended
up getting married and moving to
Santa Monica and rented a studio
there. She still has great business. I
had shot many actors head shots by
this time, and I really did not care
for it at all. I found it to be incredibly
frustrating, and therefore felt like a
dead end. I needed to move in a different direction. I wanted to expand
my skill set and I needed a bigger
space. I met a photographer who was
looking to share a space. We found
a space in Hollywood and my world
changed. It was during this time
that I began working with a larger
format camera (45) and moving in the direction of portraiture. I
learned about the technical aspect

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38

of photography from people who

had gone to art school. They were
all incredible generous and willing to
teach me the things I did not know.
I learned a great deal from shooting 45. Eventually, I had a strong
enough portfolio to meet with some
publicists. This provided me with the
opportunity to do test shots for their
clients. The deal was: if they liked
the shots it would be available art
for their clients. If they did not like
the art, I would be able to use a shot
for my portfolio, but I would not be
able to resell the images. There were
plenty of makeup and hair people
who wanted to do test shots as well,
so pulling a shoot together was not
impossible. Film and processing was
not nearly as much money at the
time. It was all very doable. I built a
stronger portfolio and was soon able
to start knocking on the doors of
photo editors at magazines. I dont
know how I to describe my work. I
think what I want most of all is for it
to be honest. I hope to achieve that
in the images I take.
I read that you once wanted to be
a war reporter but reconsidered
because of marriage and children.
What was the attraction of war
reporting to you? Was it a matter of
advocacy? Adrenaline?
My father and mother were both
political when I was growing up.
They were involved in the civil rights
movement and in the anti-war
movement. As a child, I went to
rallies with them, stuffed envelopes
with them, recognized how much
they cared and learned to believe
that there is great value in giving a
damn (the GIVE A DAMN button
was my favorite from that time). To
answer your question, ultimately,
I think what drove me toward war
reporting was the idea of being a wit-

ness toward peace.

The home environment has an
important place in your work. You
have a great skill in communicating through objects and colors, the
details, that surround a person. For
instance, in Families, each image
has a painting, or pet, or object that
says something about each family.
Why do you think youre drawn to
these details?
I think I am drawn to these details
just as an actor who is working on
a character has to know what that
character would have in their home,
or what kind of tablecloth the character would buy. I hope that I never
take anything for granted. I have said
this before, but I think it is a good
example. If you are working on, lets
say, A Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and you come to your
acting class to do a scene from the
play, lets say the scene between
Laura and the Gentleman Caller,
hopefully, you are going to chose to
wear very particular clothes, clothing that the Gentleman Caller would
wear and you and your scene partner
would make very specific choices in
dressing the set. Everything on the
set has meaning and a history. I think
its the same when you take someones portrait in their home or in a
space of their choosing. The space
the subject chooses holds meaning
to them. I like to include the stuff.
When I was working on the Apron
project, I always asked the subjects
where they would like their picture
to be taken. Sometimes they would
start to tidy up or feel like they
should clear the space, but I would
put them at ease and tell them not
to worry. Everything is perfect as it
is and there is no need to clean up.
When I was studying acting it was
hammered into me to never take

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE
anything for granted. That idea has
spilled into my photography. So everything takes on a life. No space is
just a space, no object just an object. Everything has a history and
holds meaning. I never felt the need
to clean up. That never made sense
to me because it would remove
whats important to the subject.
Your Polaroids are very interesting.
It seems like you take a different
approach with them. Do you? Who
are the people you photographed?
Family?
I like shooting Polaroids. I loved
shooting 45 Polaroid, but now its
gone, which is so sad. The film at the
The Impossible Project is really getting better and more dependable. I
have two SX70s and some other instant film cameras as well and I love
them. I think the format demands a
different approach. I dont think it is
much different than when a painter
is using watercolors instead of oil
paint. I have mostly shot people but I
have an ongoing flower series, too.
Apron Chronicles received a lot of
praise. The Frankie Jones portrait
is my favorite. You spoke about
this image with NPR. You said that
because you didnt interfere, thats
how the magic of it happened.
Could you explain what you mean
by interfere? Did you try many
setups?
I did two setups with Frankie. However, for most of the subjects I did
only one. That was difficult because
the room was small. She was over
100 years old and the room was
BOILING! Its funny you like that
one. Its the only image in the entire
series that I shot with a 35mm camera. I shot it with a Leica. I also shot
her with a 45, but because of space
39

I couldnt shoot her in the direction

that I liked, so I had to use a different
camera and time was limited. I knew
I could capture both her and the details of her life if I sat on her bed and
shot her with a 35mm camera and
with a 35mm lens. Thats her son in
the doorway. I like the 45 images of
her as well, but after much deliberation this image served the project in
a greater way.

want to include and what I want to

remove. I lived full time in Wyoming
for six years and still spend huge
amounts of time there, so I drive
back and forth. I love the open road.
Many of my friends think I am nuts
to do that drive but I enjoy it. It is a
kind of meditation. I really need to
go through the South, but, as of yet,
I have not done that, at least not to
the degree that I would like.

camera. My mother loved Margaret

Bourke-White and Dorothea Lange.
I remember as a kid my mom taking me to the Museum of Modern
Art in NYC, seeing photographs
and being fascinated by them. There
was a famous photograph of a bullet
being fired that captivated me and
then there were all of Diane Arbus
pictures which were so amazing, and
I remember being fascinated with

Cross Country is your great American portfolio. I think every American photographer should make a
project like this. Did you have any
artistic epiphanies while making this
project? What did you learn about
the American landscape through it?

What would you say to yourself

back when you first started making
a career in photography? Any great
realizations?

Harry Callhans work. My mom had

a book of his pictures that I would
stare at. I always loved looking at
pictures, so making them was probably an unconscious choice. It just
happened.

This Cross Country work is hardly

done. I have so many images that
I must go over and decide what I
40

It was not like that for me. I dont

think I thought of it in terms of a
career. I just always loved taking
pictures. When I was in high school,
I always had a camera, and now that
the years have went on, I still have a

Be sure to check out Kristinas

website!

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

I always loved looking at pictures, so making them was probably an

unconscious choice. It just happened.

41

making
GENUINE
as FAKE
as R E A L
life
42

Jamie Diamond

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

hen you look at a

family portrait, do
you ever imagine
how the family felt seconds
before they were told to smile
for the flash? Imagine the
parents upset about some
secret they keep between
themselves. Imagine the kids
unbelievably bored or picture
each of them casually hateful of each other then told to
smile. A portrait isnt all what
it seems. For instance, could
a family portrait be taken with
a bunch of strangers found on
Craigslist and still be called a
family portrait? Whats wrong
with that? As soon as a photographs set and made, isnt up
to the viewer to decide whats
really happening?
These are questions that
Jamie Diamond explores with

her work. Her portraits force

you to inspect, question, and
analyze what we are really
doing when we smile in front
of the camera. Because when
you stop and think about it,
sitting there with our eyes in
a blank fish-gaze, you start to
appreciate that a lot of what is
spoken in a portrait is actually
made up, just invented. This is
work that is beautiful, intellectual, and at least to me
wildly funny.
In this brief interview,
Diamond talks about how she
got her start in photography,
explains why her work explores
the inherent fictions within
photography, and reveals why
photography helped cope with
loneliness.

our work is amazingly intelligent. How did you get

your start? How would you
describe your work?
I first began exploring photography in graduate school
as a way of recording the
performances and sculptures
I was creating at the time. I
was investigating the loneliness
I was feeling and my longing
for childhood and family. So, I
began manufacturing my own
fictitious families by putting
advertisements on Craigslist.
You write on your website
that your work explores the
inherent fictions and complex
perspectives of photography.
Could you explain what these
fictions and perspectives are?
43

As a child my mother used to take

us a few times a year to the studio to
get our family portrait taken. Over
time it became a ritual, she would
dress us in our best outfits and have
us pose for the camera in order to
present this ideal vision of solidarity and permanence. These portraits
ended up plastered in my home. Ive
always been fascinated by this public
image of unity, one of closeness
and affection. The image is always a
simplification and often a falsification
of the actual relations and the reality
is so often masked
behind the smiling
faces. We believe
photography to
be a document of
reality but most
often it is not
what it seems.
The process of
taking a family portrait is so
unnatural, youre
stepping out of
the everyday and
conducting this
performance for
the camera.

am drawn to vernacular photography

and the language of portraiture, the
personal imagery we are for better or
worse surrounded by.

In Constructed Family Portraits

(insert), you have strangers pose
together as families. Do you think
theres a natural inherent pose
every real family will assume if
asked to pose by themselves? What
might a portrait photographer learn
from this project?

be?

Absolutely. Family portraits are invariably posed the same way and we
are innately fluent in the codes and
gestures associated with the pose. I

44

I Promise to Be a Good Mother

is incredible. One of my favorites
is #22 (top right). The subjects
expression and the rooms imposing
colors sum up this project for me.
Could you explain what your intention was this specific image? If you
had to give a word to the subjects
expression, what word would that

The whole series began in response

to a diary I kept as a child titled, I
Promise to be a Good Mother. This
diary documented the relationship
with my own mother, written as a
kind of rule sheet for later life. In this
work, I assume the role of subject
and photographer and put on the
mask of motherhood, dressing up in
my mothers clothes and interacting with Annabelle, a reborn doll. Im

interested in the fantasy of motherhood, the social structure of the relationship between mother and child,
and the performance of inherited
social and gender roles. I play out
these scenarios with Annabelle for
the camera, isolating specific idyllic
and contradictory moments.
I Promise to be a Good Mother #27
is my favorite of the entire set (bottom right). The design of this image
is precise. Its intense and a bit uncomfortable. Why did you decide on
highlighting symmetry/balance in
this image?
This series is an
exploration of
the complexities surrounding the paradox
of the mother/
child relationship,
investigating both
vernacular and art
historical depictions. In this particular image I was
very influenced by
the artist Hiroshi
Sugimoto and his series Seascapes.
Be sure to check out Jamies
website!

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

45

46

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

Ive always been fascinated by

this public image of unity, one
of closeness and affection. The
image is always a simplification
and often a falsification of the
actual relations and the reality is so often masked behind
the smiling faces. We believe
photography to be a document
of reality but most often it is
not what it seems.
47

STREET
STYLE
in

N Y C

48

In this brief interview, Elder

talks about how he got
his start in photography,
explains his approach to
photographing strangers, and
reveals his ideas on fashion.

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

Not sure how I would

describe my work, I guess
when Im photographing
my subject, I try to capture
them in their element
and telling a story

o the left is a Roberto

Cavalli two-piece
suit. Ive never worn
one. In fact, Ive never held
one between my fingers.
Even better, this Cavallis
probably worth more than
my crap car. And although
this photograph of it could
fit in any high-end fashion
editorial, it isnt a fashion
photograph, nor is it a celebrity portrait. Its a street
photograph, one stranger
being photographed by
another, made for the sake
of fashion. Its a genre of
photography about those
who actually have the time
and confidence to wear a
two-piece mustard yellow
Cavalli suit.
And its street fashion
photographer George
Elders job to find these
people. Getting his start
with Four Pins then Complex, Elder walks block-

by-block, neighborhoodby-neighborhood, looking

for New York Citys most
fashionable. Its easy to
see the appeal. You still get
the thrills of meeting new
people and the inspiration
of seeing what the most
stylish are wearing. And it
can also get you noticed.
Besides Complex, Elder
has also shot with other
top fashion magazines like
Vogue and GQ.

ou shoot street-style
fashion photography.
How did you get your
start? How would you
describe your work?
I always loved photography
and one day I ordered my
first camera and just went
out and starting taking pictures. I learned a lot from
my good friend Greg Lewis
who is also a photogra-

pher. Not sure how I would

describe my work, I guess
when Im photographing
my subject, I try to capture
them in their element and
telling a story through the
picture.
I found your work through
Four Pins and Complex
magazine. How did you
secure that feature with
them? How did you did
you get your name in their
radar?
Well, I actually reached
out to the editor-in-chief
of Four Pins, Lawrence
Schlossman, in hopes of
sending him some photos he may be interested
in. He actually liked my
photos and gave me the
opportunity to be featured
on the site, and its been
great since.
49

Street style photographys really interesting. Its about

finding the most fashionable people walking around, at
any point, anywhere. Whats your approach to initiating a photo shoot with a stranger? What do you say?
Brandon Stanton, of HONY, has said that having a
high-pitched voice always helps in smoothing over any
awkwardness.
Most of the time I love the photo people in a candid
moment. I feel like its more natural. When I do approach
someone, I keep a calm tone in my voice and I introduce
myself, ask them how their day is going. I always compliment them on their style. I just make sure that I am very
50

polite, welcoming, and respectful.

When it comes to posing and expressions, how do you
approach direction? Do you say anything, or is it runand-gun?
When it isnt run and gun, I just tell them to relax, take a
breath and just be themselves. That works normally.
Whats the attraction of fashion to you? Any fashion
ideas youve picked up while doing this? What draws
you to photographing fashionable people?

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

I was always someone who loved fashion as a child and

as time passed I became interested in how other people
would put together their outfits. I most definitely get
tons of fashion ideas while shooting. I also like to give
other people ideas of how they could dress or put together an outfits in their own way, through my photos.

work hard to achieve your goals. Continue to have faith

and believe in yourself. Always work on your craft and
continue to get better and grow as a photographer.
Be sure to check out Georges website!

What are some lessons you took away from living in

New York and looking for work as a photographer? Any
great pitfalls you want to help other photographers
avoid?
There are always challenges in life. Dont be afraid to
51

DETAILS FOUND
in the
ENVIRONMENT
BEN ZUCKER

.B. White, one of the most studious writers that has ever
lived (he co-wrote Elements of Style but is best know for
Charlottes Web), once remarked that, Commas in The
New Yorker fall with the precision of knives in a circus act, outlining
the victim. Of course, Mr. White was only slightly exaggerating. The
New Yorker has never been known for taking things casually. Their
copy desk, like the content and the artists theyve asked to contribute, has always sought exactitude. They know good work rarely
comes easily.

52

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

53

So when they call, its probably

best if you pick up and listen. New
York photographer Ben Zucker did
just that. Having met one of their
photo editors while assisting years
before, Zucker was asked to contribute for their recent Journeys issue.
Zucker seemed to fit the part exactly. They were looking for a strange
way to see NYC, and he was known
for being adventurous, and as an avid
sailor, he could photograph the city
from its seldom-seen-from waterways. Never intimidated, Zucker
accepted and, at 24, is well on his
way to proving that The New Yorker
always discovers the greatest talent.
In this interview, Zucker talks
about his feature in The New Yorker,
explains how he crafts environmental
portraits, and reveals some secrets
about finding work in New York City.

nrelated to photography,
but crucial for our readers, I
must start by saying that you
have a great narrating voice NPR?
if, indeed, that was actually you
speaking in your recent New Yorker
feature. Anyway, how did you get
your start in photography? How
would you describe your work?
Thanks. The New Yorker story on
sailing was my audio debut, and it
was fun to work on. I like to think it
takes the viewer one step closer to
having been out on the boat that
day. Whenever I tell a story I really
try to think about what happened,
remember it and tell the story from
there. I hate hearing stories when

54

someone is just pressing play on

a script they have in their head. Ill
give you the nutshell version of how
I got interested in photography. In
high school, I was really more interested in making silver prints in
the darkroom than in the shooting
any aspect of photography. I had a
couple of after school jobs that were
photo-related as well. I worked at a
photo lab and at an art gallery, which
allowed me to save up some cash for
film. One of the first things I focused
on shooting was skiing. In high school
I started shooting with some good
athletes. I was able to graduate from
high school a semester early moved
out to Utah to focus on shooting skiing for a winter. After that, I moved
to NYC to study photography. I
soon realized that I really enjoyed
shooting portraits more than skiing.
I would say that in the last year of
school I began to approach photography with a similar sensibility to
as I do now. After I was done with
school I began assisting. I mostly assisted two photographers. One shot
editorial portraits and the other was
a celebrity portrait guy. All this time
I was also shooting personal work for
myself. Eventually, I started getting
my own shoots and tapered off the
assisting. Thats the quick version of
it.
About that feature, how did it come
about? Did you pull any strings?
How did you get your name in their
radar?
The New Yorker shoot on Sailing

was a fantastic assignment! I really

enjoyed working on it. I didnt pull
any strings. The New Yorker photo
editor contacted me with the idea
for this story. The way I got on her
radar may have been a little out of
the ordinary. I knew her from assisting in years past. We hadnt been in
touch, but followed each other on
Instagram. I sent her a promo a few
months ago and she had me come in
to show my portfolio to her and another photo editor. From Instagram,
my portfolio and conversation, they
learned that I was into sailing and had
a sailboat in City Island. They wanted
to do a story about sailing in New
York City in conjunction with their
Journeys issue. I was the right guy
for the job given my interests and
experience with sailing.
Looking through your portfolio and
blog, its easy to see your attraction
to environmental portraits. Whats
the attraction to this kind of portrait to you? Is it a matter of helping
the viewer understand the person
better?
I think a well executed environmental portrait can really help to tell a
story, in a way that just shooting the
person in the studio or just shooting
the environment cannot. And I dont
necessarily mean story in a linear
sense. I think when its done right you
get a gut feeling of the experience,
the person, and the place. So, yes,
sometimes environmental portraits
help to give a better glimpse of the
person, but sometimes of the place,

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

I think a well executed environmental portrait can really help to tell a story, in a way that just shooting the
person in the studio or just shooting the environment
cannot.

55

56

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

and the experience too.

For instance, this one from Sudbury
includes a dummy that communicates to the viewer a sense of absurd
loneliness not altogether joyless,
nor altogether bearable. Was that
a conscious decision you made to
include the dummy?
It was definitely an intentional decision to include the dummy. I didnt
move anything in the frame other
than having the fireman sit there. I
think it comes back to trusting your
gut feelings. I can definitely see the
way you described it; how the the
feeling of absurd loneliness could
come across. There is also a humorous element at the same time. What
each viewer feels is different, even if
we are all reacting to the same visual
cues.
In regards to technique, how do you
go about making an environmental
portrait, versus a studio one? I assume you have to spend more time
with the person, right? Whats your
first step in pre-production, exactly?
Its funny you should bring up time,
sometimes I will have hours with a
person and sometimes just a couple
of minutes. But here is my step by
step (and a lot of this definitely applies to how I work in the studio as
well). First, I figure out who I want
to shoot. Sometimes if I am on assignment, its not my choice. Trust
your gut. So many times I have seen

someone and thought to myself,

I have to take their portrait. You
just know. You can picture the shot
you want in your minds eye. When
I shoot an environmental portrait,
the location has to relate to the
subject as well. Sometimes this can
be as simple as shooting where I
came across them. Other times its
in their home or where they work. If
the subject has passions or eccentricities, sometimes the location will
relate to that.
Next, Ill usually frame up the shot
and figure out the angle and composition; what should and should not
be in the frame. Usually, I light things
with strobe, and this is when I start
shooting test shots or Polaroids (if
Im shooting film) to judge the lighting and composition. At this point
Im usually shooting my assistant as
a stand in. Once all of that is ironed
out, the subject will get in front of
the camera. The interaction with the
subject while shooting them is super
important; it really changes the way
someone carries themselves in an
image. So many things can influence
the way they come across: what and
how much you say to them, your energy, how fast or slow youre shooting, and if you are alone with them or
they are surrounded by people and
equipment. When shooting a portrait
so many considerations are bouncing
around in the back of my mind.
Usually I know when Ive got
it and stop shooting. Sometimes
this happens quickly, sometimes it
takes longer. After some time has

passed I will go through the images

and figure out my selects. This really
lets you decide how you are going
to show the person that you shot,
because inevitably you have a range
of different expressions and feelings
expressed in the various images. I
then work with a retoucher. We do
the color and any retouching that
is needed. Usually the retouching is
very, very light. And thats how I go
about it.
Back to Sudbury, I really like it.
How did you meet all these people?
Walking around? Through friends?
So this is how Sudbury came about.
I was in New York, feeling a little
restless and wanting to go somewhere I had never been. Eventually, I
decided I would just open up Google
maps and zoom the screen to show
a drivable radius from NYC. I closed
my eyes and just put my finger on
the Screen. It ended up on Sudbury.
I made a conscious decision not to
research the town and just to try and
learn about it when I was there from
what I saw and whom I spoke with.
So I ended driving up there. I didnt
have plans to make a body of work
out of it, initially. But I did bring my
gear and shot some portraits. I ended
up going to Sudbury a number of
times after shooting on that first trip,
probably a months worth of shooting days. I really enjoyed it. A lot of
the people who I shot were people
that looked interesting and I stopped
and talked to. Sometimes they would

57

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PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

59

mention other people, or

places to check out, and that
would lead to other things.
But I definitely spent a lot
of time in the car exploring
that area. I really liked how it
came together.
Your portraits also tend to
fall into two categories: the
cowboy shot or the close
up. When taking someones
portrait, when do you feel
the close up will work best?
If you had to explain it as
formally as possible, what
kind of person looks best in a
close up?
Ive never heard it described
as the cowboy shot, but I
like that. It comes down to
what is going to give a better sense of the subject.
Some people have a face
that tells it all. Other times
showing more of the person
and their surroundings tells
more. Some peoples facial
features are really expressive
or unique. Sometimes you
can look at them and make
up a story based on their
face alone. Those people lend
themselves well to a closer
shot. And often times you
know right away, and its very
easy to visualize the shot you
want. Other times you need
to work at it more. Sometimes I shoot both and figure

60

out what works best when Im

editing.

more networking when I was

in school.

What are some lessons you

took away from moving to
New York and looking for
work as a photographer?
Any great pitfalls you want
to help other photographers
avoid?

Be sure to check out Bens

website!

I think that networking is really important, and its something that you can never do
too much of. Sometimes
you will make connections
with people who are not at
that time in the position to
hire you for shoots but may
some day be photo editors
or art buyers, or will recommend you to someone who
is. It can ever hurt you to be
seen as a friendly, dependable person. I am also friends
with other photographers,
and its good to have that
community to bounce ideas
around with. Sometimes
things will not go your way,
and its so important to
keep your cool and not burn
bridges, and take the moral
upper ground. Its just good
business. When I moved to
NYC, it was to study photography, some of my peers
were studying advertising and
design. I became friends with
some of these people, but in
hindsight I really should done

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

61

MARK PECKMEZIAN

YOUNG
LOOKS

62

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

G
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PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

heres an unquestionable energy that leaps from

portrait/lifestyle photographer Mark Peckmezians
work. Maybe it comes from the loose connection
of themes and faces. Maybe it comes from the people
themselves, with their young eyes and deadpan vitality. They have looks that could jump from any snapshot
or portrait. Faces unique and seemingly restless. They
sneer and jolt; tempt and repel; and are accurate views
into our generation.
But more concretely, Peckmezians images are documents of city life and artistic endeavors of friends and
their friends unique to Peckmezian. But its not easy
to make photographs look like stills from the best indie
film never seen. This energy couldve only come from
a photographer skilled at finding the moment, a photographer fully involved in finding lifes few impressive
frames. It is no wonder why hes worked with high-profile clients like the New Yorker and Bloomberg and had
his work exhibited in galleries around the world.
In this interview, Peckmezian talks about his favorite
camera formats, explains how hes able to shoot incred65

ibly intimate moments, and reveals how he approaches

directing his subjects.

dering than the Hasselblads, especially great for black

and white photography. The 45 has a clarity and precision thats right for certain concepts.

ou have a tight focus on contemporary lifestyle,

and your portraits are very personal. How would It seems like your subjects have unique personalities
you describe your work? How did you get your start? and diverse looks. Are they friends? What is your approach to taking photos of what seem like candid moNot sure how Id describe it. Im interested in whatever ments?
Im interested in its been portraiture and documentary photography for a while, but if I were sud- The people in my photos are mostly friends and friendsdenly more interested in, say, sculpture, Id drop it all. of-friends. I think of them as either models or subOriginally I wanted to make films. I still have a strong jects, depending on the idea and how theyre used. I
interest in this, and its the direction I see myself going consider the choice in who you photograph to be very,
to in the coming years.
very important. Ill often just take snapshots totally
candidly. Sometimes Ill tell someone to do something
What equipment do you use for your portraits? Why again or the like. And sometimes I construct photos
do you preferring using that equipment?
that are to be read as candid. I think a lot of people are
uncomfortable being photographed, but that generally
I mostly use a Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, and, lately espe- just means you havent photographed them enough
cially, a 45. Each has its own characteristics, and the yet. My good friends, for example, are so familiar with
choice of which to use depends on the concept. The me shoving a camera in their face that they dont even
Hasselblad is solid all around camera and I have a va- really notice it anymore.
riety of lenses for it; I use this mostly for commercial
work. The Rollei has an older lens that has a softer ren- You have a large collection of photographs. Are you
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PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

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PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

constantly shooting? How do you very thoughtful and caring person.

sense when a particular moment What is your approach to directing
should be photographed? What do your subjects? Do you say anything?
you look for?
Well that photo, for instance, was a
I shoot a lot, yeah. I carry a camera moment during a photo shoot with
around with me all the time and al- her. I had some ideas for her in a parways have something cooking in the ticular location, and suggested we
studio. Sometimes the urge to pho- meet. That photo was not the origitograph something just comes out of nal idea I had, but it shared the same
the blue, unconsciously. Sometimes basic parameters that I established
Im consciously hunting for an image. with the other ideas, and it appealed
Usually its a mix of the two, where I to me. I take a different approach for
sense that there is a photo at hand, different subjects. For studio porand then navigate cerebrally through traits, often Ill invite the subject over
some choices. Im not sure how to and well just sit around and chat for
describe what it is about something half an hour before starting to shoot.
that strikes me. Thats for my intu- And during the shoot I may say nothition to decide, ultimately.
ing. Sometimes we might have a conversation about things unrelated to
One of my favorite portraits is a photography while Im shooting. And
woman outside with her hair cover- sometimes Ill give very specific diing her face. This photograph is a rection, depending on the idea. I try
good example of how you allow your to keep photoshoots very casual in
subjects personality to communi- general, though; in my mind, myself
cate to the viewer. She seems like a and the subject are toying around to-

gether and seeing what sticks.

Finally, what was the greatest advice
you ever received? Photography related or not.
Oh boy I really couldnt say, I dont
know. If someone asked me to give
them advice the only sincere advice I
could give them is to not look to others for advice. We need to think for
ourselves. Is that advice?
Be sure to check out Marks website!

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PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

C apture
a dventure
D a y x i x Photography

hichever genre you choose to shoot reflects the

majority of who you are. Its hard to imagine a
street photographer suddenly turning coat for a
glamour portfolio mid-career or vice versa. Its an obvious point, I know, but Id say its what probably divides all
the genres into their respective photographers. If youre
cerebral and free-associative, your photographs might
lean toward being moody and dramatic. If youre analytical and fastidious, you might be attracted to geometric
design and abstract form. If youre easy-going and energetic, your photographs might look like these captured by
Day19.
Day19 makes photographs that look like advertisements
for the most thrilling life ever lived. In some of their very
best, Ive actually shook my head and wondered if Im
missing out on some cinematic adventure. The thrills are
that contagious. Jeremy and Claire Weiss, the artistic and
romantic partners behind Day19, must have a serious grip
on fast-living. And although they were both late bloomers to photography, having started studying in their early
71

twenties, theyve now collected a impressive

resume, having worked with, among many
others, Nike, Rockstar Games, Vibe, and
Rolling Stone.
In this interview, Jeremy Weiss explains how
Day19 started, talks about their adventures
with photography, and reveals how theyre
able to create such energetic photographs.

Anti-Matter wanted to run a photo I had took

at a Split Lip show but requested it printed
with a sloppy border, I had no idea what that
meant, so I enrolled in a printing class to try
to get some answers. From there, I fell in
love with taking pictures, as did Claire, so we
packed up and moved to Boston where we
found a little trade school we could afford. We
were in our early 20s when we moved to Bosreally love the energy captured in your ton, and even though we were both studying
work. How did you get your start?
photography in school, we never really saw
photography as something that anyone could
Thanks. We were both late bloomers to pho- make a living doing. We were just having fun
tography. I took a photo class at the local taking photos of our friends and turning them
community college because a fan zine called in as assignments. I got my first paying gigs

I
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PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE
are flies on the wall and are capturing As I was looking through your portwhats really happening around us. Its folio, I started wondering out loud if
our job to make sure what is happen- I was missing out on some great ading on set is interesting and fun. We venture thats happening all around
direct the talent in a way that is real me. This image is just one example
and authentic which allows us to cap- (left). How are you able to capture
ture the action in a documentary and such energy? How was this specific
approachable style.
image made from start to finish?
Day XIX is an artistic as well as a romantic partnership. I read that you
and Claire are each others greatest
influences. How did you two meet?
How do each of you inspire and help
the other photographically?

Thats a fun one. Titled Bower,

which means bath/shower. And most
baths have showers, so wouldnt most
baths technically be bowers? Anyways, that was a trip in Mexico with
a bunch of friends years ago. After a
day of drinking, we all decided to take
This is true! We met in New Jersey a shower together and chant bower,
when I used to manage a skateboard/ bower, bower repeatedly. Good ol
snowboard shop. I moved west to drunk times in Mexico is pretty much
pursue a career in snowboarding, but how that photo was made start to finwhen that thankfully went nowhere I ish.
moved back to New Jersey, and we
rekindled our fondness of each other. I imagine you two are able to connect
That was 18 years ago. We do really almost instantly with nearly anyone.
well with playing off of each other. If Whats your usual about approach to
she takes a photo I dig, I try to top her direction? How do you constantly
and vice-versa.
find these relaxed, fun-loving moments?
How does that artistic competition
work out? Do you know each others We are pretty relaxed, easy-going
strengths and weaknesses?
people. We go into all shoots treating it like we are just hanging out with
Its a friendly competition. Years ago, friends documenting the adventure.
one of us would shoot and the other Our job is literally to document peowould have more of an art director ple hanging out. We try not to overly
shooting bands when we first moved role. Then we realized we both just direct the talent on shoots, we really
to Los Angeles after realizing I would wanted to shoot constantly, so one just try to set up situations and move
never make it as an assistant. Claire would shoot film and one would shoot around capturing little moments of
was waiting tables while I would go on digital and then it just became we are those situations. We are constantly
the road with bands, selling merchan- both just constantly shooting what- moving around, going off with one or
dise for an hour. That left 23 hours of ever camera we grab. Artistic com- two models or shooting side-by-side.
great photo opportunities, so thats petition is healthy. A lot of times on
what we did until advertising fell on big campaign shoots you can burn out The David Lynch portrait is really
our lap in the late 2000s. We both a bit, and having someone else there great. I read it was done for free.
thought wed be working for a small shooting with you and seeing whats Could you talk about that process?
going through their head gives you an What was it shot with?
newspaper somewhere.
idea, and you take it from there and at
How would you describe your work? the end you realize we are just playing Thanks! It was shot for Shepard Fairey
off of each the whole day.
and Roger Gastmans old magazine
Swindle. Shepard would trade shoots
I guess the best answer is honest. We
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PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE
for prints since the magazine was
barely scraping by and wed pay rent
by selling them on eBay (shhh, dont
tell him). We decided to shoot only
45 film for it. We shot 3 or 4 shots
and asked if he wanted to smoke and
he said of course. We shot 4 more
of him smoking. The shoot was only
about 20 minutes and most of the
time was spent talking about cigarettes and coffee. After we shot him,
he shook our hands and said that it
was a great pleasure watching us work
and walked off into his backyard. It
was pretty nerve-racking only shooting 8 frames of an icon, but this is one
of my all time favorite shots one of us
has taken. This was actually the first
negative of the shoot we looked at
when we got it back from the lab, and
we were so stoked on it we didnt look
at the others.
Day XIX also shoots advertising.
These photographs look just as energetic as your other work. I especially
like your ones of 2NE1. How were
you able to get these great images in
such a busy location? How did that
shoot go?
The 2NE1 shoot was great. It was shot
in Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, one of
the busiest intersections in the world.
You dont need permits to shoot there
but you just cant be in the crosswalk
when the no walking sign comes on.
So we basically hurried back and
forth across the street every couple
of minutes until word got out that
they were there and the mobs of fans
showed up. That was our first time in
Japan and we completely fell in love
with the place. We were there for a
week and a half and I dont feel like
we even dented one neighborhood of
one city. Its insane.
There are many personal images in
Claires sketchbooks. I especially like
75

the color head shots like this one. Your Polaroid project is really great. Is
Are these photographs of friends this an extension of Claires sketchand family? Whats her approach?
books? Could you explain your aims
with it?
The photos you are referencing are
from a series she did years ago with Thanks you again! Ill give you the long
a Holga and a flash. We were living in version of it. About 7 or 8 years ago,
Boston and lived in a house that was our good buddy Dan Monick gave me
the hub of a lot of rad shit. People a couple boxes of 4X5 Polaroid he
were constantly stopping by or meet- wasnt going to use. We still owned a
ing there to go on to the next thing, 45 camera we had to buy in school.
so Claire would just shoot everyone We dusted it off and brought it to
who would come through.
a friends pool party. There was no
plan to do a series yet, just messing
76

around with some free film. I asked to

shoot our friend Dallas son Audio up
against the wall. I told him he needed
to be very still because once I put
the film in I wouldnt be able to see
through the camera anymore to adjust the focus. Audio sat there completely still for a good 30 seconds and
just as I was about to click the shutter
he stuck his tongue out.
After that day, we had the idea to
start shooting these portraits whenever we had a day off. Claire shoots
one and I shoot one and thats it,
then we decide whos we like better.
It was a great excuse to get in touch
with people you think are doing cool
shit and spend a little time with them.
Its basically a series of portraits of
people that we think are contributing something cool to the world. In
the first couple years of it, we were
shooting people almost every day and
then Polaroid stopped making film.
Theres a book in the works but Ive
been saying that for too long now. It
was an extension of projects we had
both done in the past. Claires one
you referenced and one I had going on for awhile. We have a ton of
sketchbooks we put work into. Most
people havent seen them but there
are tons. Sometimes one sketchbook
would be a single cohesive project or
sometimes its just taped down photos
with writing and drawings and stuff.
Whats the greatest photography/
life advice youve received thus far in
your career?
When I was in county college in New
Jersey and learning to print pictures, I
would carry a box around of all these
57 photos I had shot that I was super
proud of at the time. I grew up skating
in New York most nights and someone pointed out Larry Clark (I had
no idea who he was at the time) and
said he was a famous photographer. I

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE
introduced myself and asked if hed
look at my box of photos. There
were about 35-40 photos in there
and after looking all he said was get
closer. I still dont know if he meant
get physically closer or mentally but
its stuck with me.
Be sure to check out Day19s
website!

77

Catie Laffoon

PORTRAITS
HITTING
LIKE
music

78

In this interview, Laffoon

talks about how she got her
start in photography, explains
how music fuels her work,
and reveals how she achieves
honesty in her portraits.

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

os Angeles photographer Catie Laffoon loves music. You

could even say that she loves
it more than photography. Though,
like a perfect couple, they never fail
to support each other. Her playlists set the tone of her shoots,
musicians dominate her portfolio,
and her approach to portraiture is
based on how music affects her.
As she told me, I want to see your
eyes and know every feeling thats
passing through your body. And
thats how I approach shooting a
live show, the same way I approach
a portrait.
Its no surprise shes been featured by all the music loving magazines, like Vanity Fair, Interview,
and Billboard, as well as record
companies like Interscope, Warner
Bros., and Columbia Records. In
shooting her friends like the biggest bands, shooting large festivals
like the most intimate of moments,
and capturing a persons most personal song, Laffoon makes portraits
that flawlessly combine two ways of
seeing the world, getting closer to

Theres always that line

between inappropriate
and sensual I dont
know why I always seem
to find that line, but I do.
Im fascinated by it.
that more immediate image, that
genuine expression, music always
seems to uncover best.
In this interview, Laffoon talks
about how she got her start in photography, explains how music fuels her work, and reveals how she
achieves honesty in her portraits.

d describe your work as natural

and expressive. How would you
describe your work? How did you
get your start?
If I look back, I think photography has always been there, I just
never gave myself permission to
explore it, until one day I did, and
it changed my life. When I moved
to LA, all the friends I made were
in bands. Photography was always
something I was interested in, it
seemed fun, and when my friends
needed photos for their websites,
but they didnt have money to hire
a photographer, I just always offered to shoot for them. I realized
after a while that I wasnt happy in
the film industry, I thought I want-

ed to be a director, so I took a step

back. I needed a way to make rent
while I figured out my life, so I told
my music friends I was available for
hire if anyone needed a photographer. People started passing my
name along. One day I was shooting and it just all clicked in my brain
that this was my passion, and it had
been all along. Everything changed
after that. As far as how I would describe my work, Id agree with you.
Id say its also beautiful and honest,
sensual and a little dark, yet playful. Theres always that line between
inappropriate and sensual I dont
know why I always seem to find that
line, but I do. Im fascinated by it.
I love seeing people let down their
guard and just be whatever they
are in a moment, seeing their real
selves, or whichever part of themselves they are willing to let me witness.
I found your work through Vanity
Fairs behind the scenes gallery
for Coachella 2014. Any favorites
from that set? What was that ex79

perience like?

this year, and I think it made it more relaxed

for the artists. I tried to make the shoots
Ive shot Coachella several times, so that as non-eventful as possible, if that makes
wasnt a new experience. I was shooting this sense? I wanted them to feel like they were
year for Vanity Fair who for me are the be getting a slight reprieve from the media cirall end all so I think I attached a little more cus that tends to take place at Coachella and
pressure on myself than usual. But honestly, that they had a few moments to relax. I think
everything goes out the window once I have my favorites from this gallery are the shots
the camera in my hands and whomever Im of Ellie Goulding, Warpaint, The Naked and
shooting is in front of me. Since Ive cut my Famous, and Tom Odell.
teeth in music, and a lot of that shooting
festivals, I think Ive learned how to create Youve worked with many well-known cliintimacy in a very short amounts of time. ents. Who was your first client? How did
Sometimes you only have one minute with you secure that job?
an artist or band it can get really run and
gun. I spent a little more time with the bands My first client? Thats sort of a hard question.
80

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE

into the rotation. Shes been one of

my biggest cheerleaders ever since.
She made me believe in myself and
continues to do so today. And everything else has been word of mouth
honestly. Its been really amazing.

My first professional job, so I guess

real client, was for ChinaShop Magazine, a blog owned by Red Bull (which
later lead me to working directly for
Red Bull) I shot a Peter Bjorn and
John show. It was hilarious. My friend,
Nicole, was writing for them and I had
told her Id love to work with her at
some point. She texted me a couple
months later and said she booked a
last minute gig and could I be there
in 2 hours? I was throwing a birthday
BBQ for my brother I told them
they could stay but I had to go. The
editor Barbie Brady loved my photos
from the show and she worked me

and they dont care. And I love that.

They get let off the hook of having to
perform because I dont want them
to. I just want to know them, to see
them. We get to have a conversation
and I get to expose another side of
them most people rarely ever get to
Music seems to have a great influ- see if Im lucky.
ence in your work. What draws you
to photographing musicians and live I really like your Culture section.
music?
But, personally, being around so
many people seems chaotic and exI LOVE music. Its a part of me. Its a hausting. How do you maintain the
part of my shoots. I customize playl- energy? Whats your approach to
ists for every shoot. Music helps me photographing strangers?
get lost in images and feelings, because thats part of what it does, it Haha, well, it is chaotic and exhausthelps us express. When Im at a show ing. When Im shooting, everything
listening to an artist or a band and if is tunnel vision and I think adrenalin
you can draw me in, Im automatically takes over, no matter what Im shootintrigued by you, and I want to know ing. Im a waste of space after a shoot.
what youre thinking, feeling, whether I really love being an observer. I love
youre connecting to the song or to to people watch. I tend to think of my
the crowd. I want to see your eyes portraiture as observing moments,
and know every feeling thats passing and with this section, it really is an
through your body. And thats how honest depiction of moments around
I approach shooting a live show, the me being the open observer. My
same way I approach a portrait. Im life can be fascinating at times. If Im
looking for that connection, not just photographing strangers, there are a
an image that looks cool. And I love couple different approaches I take.
working with musicians because a lot Honestly, if I can, Id rather just be
of times they dont know how to do a fly on the wall observing moments
photo shoots they dont like them as they happen naturally and never
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be seen. The best moments are the

ones nobody knows you are witnessing. There are times (not depicted in
my culture section) where you can
suss out if someone might be up for
being photographed for a certain end
game. But I think a lot of that is being in tune with people, their energy
and where they are heading (a show,
dinner, work, etc). Just be aware and
be inviting. I find that if Im open and
I smile and tell them exactly what Im
doing, people are generally game, and
if they arent, it probably has nothing
to do with me.
When first assigned a celebrity client, what are your first steps to starting the job? Do you research their
work?

PORTRAIT COLLECTIVE
look at it again. Im surrounded by a
beautiful world thats in focus, and
Im out of focus and hiding behind my
hair. I really have a hard time being
seen, or with the idea of being seen.
I can always empathize with people
who are camera shy, yet we all want
to be seen nobody wants to be invisible. And I think thats where photography comes into my life. Im able
to show everyone how I see the world
around me, how I see you I will see
you as nobody else does which is
what makes photography fascinating
to me, the point of view. And by sharing my point of view, I feel like a part
of me is being seen.

play space, but really Im creating an

environment thats safe to express,
feel, reject, whatever. Being photographed is a very intimate thing, so
controlling the energy you allow on
set is vital. Im very particular about
who I allow on my sets my shoots
are intimate, my walls come down,
their walls will come down, it has to
be safe. So that means, glam, wardrobe, the entourage, anyone who
steps foot on your set is taking part
in the experience you are trying to
create. If you dont have the correct
energy, you will not be allowed on my
set. And you shouldnt let it on yours.
The most important aspect of this,
however, is being open yourself. I
think its easy to get lost in technical Be sure to check out Caties website!
details, lights, camera, action and
controlling how the subject looks. I
figure out all my lighting and technical stuff before someone steps
onto my set, and that way Im open
to them, interacting and conversing,
being ridiculous or telling personal
stories. And Ill almost never correct
someone in how they look. If you
want honesty, be very aware of how
you correct a subject especially
women. Theres a very subtle way you
can lead someone to where you want
them to be, but if you overcorrect,
they are over thinking, and I dont
want an image of someone thinking
about the picture they are taking I
want an image of someone lost in an
experience. Create that experience
for them.

I feel like I should say yes, but honestly, no. If I dont know who they are,
I might look them up and see what
sort of imagery they have done, and
most of the time I feel like the image
of them I see isnt being represented.
I generally get a sense, a feeling, a
vibe of a person or of the person
that isnt being seen, and I think and
plan around that. But there isnt a ton
of planning past location and a playlist. I get those locked in and everything else just happens naturally. I
dont like to plan my shots, thats not
fun for me and it doesnt feel authentic. I like to create a play space for
people a safe space to feel, create,
express and play everything happens naturally once we are shooting
in that space.
The self-portrait in your bio is great.
It looks like youre walking on waYou say in your bio that you look for ter. What does this photograph say
honesty and connection in your por- about you? Any last words on how
traits. If you had to teach a class on photography has affected your life?
achieving this, how would you structure your first lesson?
I would say that image is a perfect
representation of me or, at least, how
Wow, thats a question. Create a safe I see me although I hadnt really
space for your subjects, I call it my thought about it until you made me

83

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