HOWDY everyone!
So I know, it must be weird to see me post on my blog! The reason why I'm back on is my good buddy Robert Cornelius has invited me to participate in a global blog hop! Basically, I answer some questions about myself and my work and pass it on to three other fellow creatives! :)
Photo by Caulin Grant
Before I start with the questions, I want to introduce you all to my friend
Robert!
He is a freakin' WIZARD at Photoshop, like a whole-other-different-world level, yo! Literally every photo he creates leaves me: speechless, breathless, eyeball-less, etc. Not only is he insanely talented, but he is a really genuine and awesome guy, and we haven't even met in person yet! Go figure! Oh yes, and he also JUST GOT MARRIED on Saturday! WOOHOO!
Please check out his work on
Facebook,
Flickr,
Instagram, and
Twitter you don't want to miss out!
Alrighty, now down to question time, y'all!
1. Why do I do what I do?
I do what I do (create different realities in my photos) because with photography, I finally can make a creative mark on the world! Ever since I was young, I've been a creative person: I used to draw so much when I was a kid, and it was always a fun pastime! With photography and Photoshop, it's honestly easier for me to express myself and make works of art then doing it all on paper. Making creative works of art is really what fuels me and it makes me super happy to do so!
2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?
I would probably have to say I differ from others in my genre in a few ways! First of all, I like to experiment with different lighting and moods, everything from computer glitches to harsh lighting portraits, so my work will vary from bright photos to dark photos, both conceptually and physically. Another way that I am different is that for certain photos of certain people that I know from my life, I like to make the concept and photo tailor made to them: a personal piece of sorts!
I am also deeply inspired by hip hop music, in which I see parallels to concepts (for example, my series "The Curse" is inspired by Jay Z and Justin Timberlake's "Holy Grail"!)
3. How does my creative process work?
Well I would say that it starts when I'm either: sitting around, listening to music, watching a movie or being in natur
e: an idea will pop up in my head! Depending on what I'm doing and where I am, I'll either take really detailed notes on my phone or do a little sketch in a notebook I have. Then I get to work, which depending on the concept, I'll do it at different times of the day. I don't really have a certain time of the day limit me anymore. After I shoot, I'll take the photos into Photoshop and edit! Editing time depends on the complexity of the shoot, so anywhere from 30 minutes to 4-5 hours is my editing time! I like to take good time with my editing because I think this is my part of the photography were I make magic happen!
4. What am I working on now?
Whenever I get asked this question, I feel like I have ADHD because I'm always working on multiple things at once! I do have 2 solid projects that I'm working on: one is a series of three images of self portraits, the other is a huge series of three images that I have put lots of work into planning and shooting (plus, I experimented with video, so we'll see how this goes! Haha!)
Enough about me, let me introduce you to the three other creatives that I'll be passing this on to!
Nathan Worden:
What can I say about my buddy
Nathan than the fact that he is the embodiment of what a good person is. I'm not just saying that either, everyone that has ever interacted with this guy WILL tell you that he is a ball of non-stop positive energy!
Yes, he is a super cool guy, but he is also an INSANELY talented photographer! He ranges with everything from portrait shoots, conceptual work and wedding photography: of course hitting it out of the park in all three categories! Talk about a jack of all trades, huh? Unlike most of the friends that I meet on the internet, Nathan and I actually met in person before we interacted on the web, so there's even more of an excuse to follow this guy on all of the social media outlets you can find him on!
Facebook,
Instagram,
Flickr and
Twitter
Caleb Troy:
One of my good buddies that I've met on Instagram,
Caleb is an awesome photographer living in Pennsylvania! His absolutely beautiful photography ranges from anything to everything: portraits, landscapes, architecture and weddings! He's also a beast on Instagram, killing the game with like a bajillion and a half followers (~42,000, actually!)
Just a few weeks ago, I found out that he does some KILLER and I mean KILLER graphic design! So much so that his work is a bedspread on Urban Outfitters! URBAN OUTFITTERS! Isn't that crazy or WHAT?! Being a photographer AND a graphic designer, he always posts hella creative material!
So please, go follow my friend Caleb's work on
Instagram,
Facebook and
Tumblr! One of these days, I hope to meet this friend of mine and create awesome works of art together!
Albin Thelander:
My little Swedish buddy
Albin is a longtime friend of mine, that again, I met on Instagram. We both started doing self portraits at the same time, and "hung out" with the same crowd on Instagram! Even to a point that we were on a Kik message group for MONTHS! Haha! Not only is he a dear friend, but he's insanely and amazingly talented!
... And he's 15!!! Like WHAAAT?!
His work is composed of conceptual and dark portraits and self portraits that will make you shiver! It's been so awesome seeing this guy grow as an artist and making his name in the community!
P
lease, go to check out Albin's creepy and beautiful art on his Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Flickr!
This blog hop was super fun to do and I can't wait to see this little "project" hop around the photography (and who knows, maybe even non-photography) community! I hope everyone has a super awesome week!
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